#parents paying online for school extras

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

my girl 1

Warnings: this fic will include elements, some dark, such as possible age gap, noncon/dubcon, and other untagged triggers. Please take this into account before proceeding. It is up to curate your online consumption safely.

Summary: your brother's friend from work starts hanging out a lot more often. (short!reader)

Characters: Captain Syverson

Author’s Note: Please feel free to leave some feedback, reblog, and jump into my asks. I’m always happy to discuss with you and riff on idea. As always, you are cherished and adored! Stay safe, be kind, and treat yourself💜

The curtains stir in the summer breeze, the smell of pollen wafting in and tickling your nose. You scrunch your face, resisting as sneeze and flip the page of the book, your eyes racing across the letters, devouring them. After another year of academia, you’re all too eager to spend your summer devouring your ‘to read’ list. 

The flick of pages marks the passage of time. You don’t sense how the sky sifts from a beaming yellow to a gentle blue. Not until the knock comes at the door and draws you from the world built of prose. You blink and lift your head, mark your page and leave it on your pillow. You push yourself across the low bed and yawn. Only as you don’t have words to read do you feel the fatigue in your eyes. 

“Peanut,” your mother calls you by the childhood nickname you can’t seem to shake, “gonna help with dinner?” 

You open the door to her and step out, “yeah, should do something.” 

“You should,” she chides playfully. “I already got the roast beef in, just need you to do sides.” 

“Great,” you shuffle down the hall behind her and rub your eyes. You don’t know if it’s allergies or reading that has you so dried out. 

Downstairs, you go into the kitchen and the aroma of the roast has your mouth watering already. In your delve into the land of fantasy, you may have forgotten to feed yourself. It’s not an uncommon occurrence; during the school year, you often studied until your head pounded and your stomach roared. The human body tends only to get in the way of the mind. 

You work at peeling potatoes as your mom takes out a medley of vegetables to put in a roasting pan. She seasons as you chop, the low murmur of her outdated music filling the hazy summer air. You can hear the children next door running around and the bristle of trees swaying in the wind. 

“Oh, make sure to throw in a few extra, pea,” she says as you go to curl over the top of the bag, “your brother’s bringing his friend.” 

“Friend? Johnny?” You wonder. 

“That man from his work, Syverson,” she corrects, “with the beard.” 

“Uh yeah, I remember.” 

You’ve met Syverson, or Sy as he prefers. Your brother, Isaac, started his apprenticeship last summer with the man down at the metal shop. There are vague instances in your mind when you recall the large bearded man sitting at the table across from you. He’s older than your brother, you too. Probably closer to your parent’s age. He doesn’t say much either but he’s polite. You think. 

You shrug and pull out some more potatoes to add to peel and cut. You do so quietly, your mind wandering back to your book even as the real world threatens to wipe it away. You’re so swept up in the fraught quest to reclaim a forgotten world that you can hardly focus on the blade. 

You blink as the knife hits the board, too close to your thumb. Pay attention. Often your mom comments that you look far away and just as often you are. Existing in this world can be so boring. Potatoes and roast beef. 

You rinse off the spuds and put them on to boil. You’ll mash them like you always do and add your mother’s ‘secret’ ingredient; herb and cheese sour cream. You’re pretty sure every mother on the block claims that as their little revolution. 

As the water starts to steam, you hear a car pull up and a louder engine behind it. Your mom checks the beef, letting out a gust of savoury air. You are starving. 

As you toss the peels in the bin, the front door opens. Isaac’s voice carries through the house as he chatters on about sparks and some work thing. Your mom’s head pops up as she waits eager for his appearance. 

He peeks into the kitchen as a pair of footsteps follow behind him. You mom greets him with a kiss, “hello, bubby, how was your day?” 

“Mom,” he scowls and wipes his cheek, “it was fine. Burnt myself pretty good.” 

He shows a bandage on his forearm and shrugs. Your mother gasp, “oh, honey!” 

“Told him to put his gauntlets on,” Syverson stands just beyond the doorway, his shadow looming like an evil orc in a cavern, waiting to pounce. You shake off the comparison as he comes into the light of the kitchen, a case of beer in hand. “Brought something for dinner,” he puts down the six-pack and shifts as you notice the red cap and label poking out from under his arm. He catches the bottle before it can slip and presents it to your mother, “and for the ladies.” 

“Oh, Syverson, you’re always so sweet.” 

“Mm, least I can do, y’all having me, feeding me,” he reaches to rub his neck. “Mind if I use the bathroom? Gotta wash my hands.” 

“Course, dear, you know where it is,” she preens. 

He leans on his back foot and his eyes glint in your direction. Despite his gruff exterior, his shaved head and thick beard, and his work-stained tee shirt, his eyes seem to sparkle, “evening,” he nods in your direction, as if he’s only just noticed you. 

“Hi,” you murmur and turn back to wash the starch from the cutting board. 

Having company is always awkward. You’re the only member of your family who isn’t very social. You have your classmates and a few friends you’ll hang out with on occasion but your parents and your brother always seem to have someone with them. If it isn’t one of your mom’s HOA accomplices, it’s one of your dad’s neighbourhood buddies arguing over the barbecue. 

You continue to tidy up as you wait for the food to be ready. You take out some plates and cutlery, wanting to distract yourself by setting the table. You stack the plates and the utensil slides around on top as you carry them into the hallway. You have to stop short as you nearly collide with Sy.  

“Sorry,” he apologises and backs up, “need help?” 

He points to your armful and you smile and shake your head, “all good.” 

“Don’t mind,” he says as he puts his large hands around the stack of plates. They’re pretty thick and heavy on their own but he takes them from you easily. 

“Um, right, then I’ll get... cups.” 

You turn back and flit into the kitchen. Your mom hums as she strains the potatoes. She doesn’t notice you counting glasses from the cupboard and balancing them all in your arms. You go down the hall, this time without obstacle, and into the dining room. You angle awkwardly to put down all the glasses at once.  

Sy lays out the plates and cutlery one at a time, certain to have each perfectly centered and straight. He focuses on the task intently. The sight of his earnest effort contrasted by his burly figure is almost silly. You plunk down the glasses at the corner of each plate, staying on the other side of the table from him. 

“Your back from school,” he says as he finishes, stepping back to cross his arms, making himself even larger. Most people are big compared to you. 

“Mhmm,” you nod with a rigid tight-lipped grin. 

“You graduate?” He asks. 

You try not to show your surprise. You’re not sure you’ve ever had a conversation with him. It’s just nods and grunts sent in your direction. Just acknowledgement. Just courtesy. 

“One more year,” you say, “erm, I’ll go help mom.” 

“Right,” he drops his arms and grips the back of the chair in front of him, “don’t let me keep ya.” 

You inch backwards and spin around, trying not to run away. It isn’t him. It’s you. It’s easier to read dialogue on a page and pretend it’s coming from your lips than it is to hold a conversation in real life. You would rather go back and finish your chapter then sit at the table and eat with your family, especially now that you’ve made it awkward. 

[melanieph321]

Kenan Yildiz x Reader - Thick Part 6/8

Y/N, done messed up in this one 😭 big time

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Kenan and Reader share the same high school friend group. As graduation is near, Reader sets out to pass her drivers license test but ultimately struggles to. Thankfully Readers friends agree to help her with driving lessons and take turns doing so. It is during one of Rader's lessons that it becomes clear that Kenan likes her. A chock to Reader, who has a crush on someone else in their friend group.

Enjoy!

Being Kenan Yildiz girlfriend included three things:

1. Long drives home from school.

2. A lot of listening and talking about football.

3. Late night cuddles.

Out of all these three things, the late night cuddles you enjoyed the most. It never came down to anything sexual. It would just be you and Kenan in his bed, cuddling. You'd stay at his house whenever your parents were away. It somehow became an ongoing thing one day after Kenan dropped you off at your house, and the two of you came to realize that your parents had left the country without telling you. It wasn't the first time that they had been late to inform you about a trip abroad, but seeing how hurt you got by it made Kenan convince you to stay with him whenever your parents weren't at home. And frankly, you loved it.

Kenan actually lived alone in a seemingly big house for a nineteen year old. But then again, he had no problem paying for it with his salary as a football player.

"What are you thinking about?"

You lay in bed with Kenan's head in your lap. You were watching a movie on his computer when he tilted his head to meet your eyes.

"Us?" You smiled.

"Us?"

"Yeah, I think like us."

Kenan chuckled. "I like us too."

Although dating Kenan included a lot of benefits, like unlimited driving lessons, it also included a few perks.

"Oh my God Kenan I love you. Can I please take a picture with you?"

It all came down to the fact that Kenan was seemingly becoming more and more famous as a footballer. The more games he played for Juventus. Fans, mostly young girls, would come up to him in the streets, begging for an autograph or a picture with him. Kenan, the nice guy that he was, would always accept. Even that one time when a group of young fans caused a line in traffic by pulling their car up alongside yours. Mind you that this was during one of your driving lessons, meaning, you were more than nervous to have other cars honking their horns at you because a car full of teenagers were getting their school books sign by your boyfriend.

Another perk were the comments that you were getting online. Somehow, people found out who you were and who you were to Kenan. The comments you received online were mainly from complete strangers commenting negatively about your body and the fact that you were on the bigger size.

"Why would he date her?"

"Oh my God what does she eat in a day, she's so big."

"Ahahahha I see Yildiz like em extra large."

These were only a few of the nasty things that people were saying about you. However, over time, you learned to ignore it and them. Spending time with your friends helped.

"So what are we doing for Y/N's birthday this weekend?" Rebecca held an informal meeting during lunch at school.

"Party, of course!" Gio exclaimed. "How about a themed one, like 'A night in Hawaii.'"

"Oh Gio, that's not....."

Everyone held their laughter.

Gio shifted his head. "What?"

"That's not what Y/N wants." Said Rebecca. "If we're having a themed party, it should be something cool like "The red carpet."

This time, you and your friends actually burst out in laughter.

"No?" Rebecca cheeks blossmed. "Why don't you guys decide then, since your ideas are that much better than mine."

"How about we let Y/N decide?" Maria, the rational one, said. "It's her birthday, not ours."

"Fine. What do you want to do for your birthday Y/N?"

You failed to notice how everyone's attention was brought to you. In your defense, you were sitting in Kenan's lap, his hands around your waist and his face nuzzling into the crook of your neck.

"Ugh, you guys are unbelievable."

"Yeah, get a room you two."

You were brought back to reality, locking eyes with Luca, who sat before you. Unlike the others, he didn't seem bothered by you and Kenan being overly affectionate with each other. Instead, he seemed genuinely happy for you. Stronzo. (Asshole)

"How about we throw a party at my place?" Kenan suggested. "We could make it low-key by listing people who are invited."

Gio raised his hand. "I can get us the booze."

Rebecca sighed. "Let'em guess, your uncle knows someone?"

"My cousin actually."

The party happened on a Saturday, with Kenan's suggestion to have an entry list, keeping him busy all night. He and Gio seemed to fend for their lives at the door. Once the word got out that Kenan Yildiz was throwing a party, all of Turin seemed to have shown up.

"A great party, no?"

You had been wandering alone for most of the night. The majority of the people at the party had no idea that it was thrown in your honor. You were a bit startled when Luca approached you at one point during the night, carrying a wrapped gift in his hand.

"Luca, you shouldn't have."

He smiled. "I felt like getting you a gift was the least I can do." He smiled. It was also cute the way he had to talk over the loud music for you to hear him. "Party's aren't really my thing. Although I'm impressed how the others managed to pull this off."

"Well, none of them have gotten a chance to give me a gift yet." You said, eyeing the package in his hand.

"It's nothing major, but I think you'll like it." He handed it over for you to open it. You did so immediately to Luca's amusement.

"Childish Gambino!"

"It's his knew album. Armeni actually help me...."

It was in the heat of the moment. The sudden rush of blood to your violently beating heart that urged you to do what you did. Nevertheless, in all haste, Luca caught you as you leaped forward, pressing your lips against his. The kiss was everything you could've imagined, soft yet sweet, with Luca's hand pressing to the side of your face. Except he wasn't pressing. He was pushing. Pushing your face away for your lips to detach.

"Y/N...I"

"Oh, shit."

Regret. You could see it on his face as well as feel it inside of you. Although the kiss was everything you dreamed of, it was hard to admit that it hadn't happened with the right person.

"Y/N....I had no idea that you?...I thought you and Kenan..."

"We are." You nodded. "I'm so sorry Luca,  I don't know what came over me."

"I do."

Your heart ripped at the sound of his voice. Kenan had spotted you and Luca in the corner of his living room. He had crossed the room to get to you, a small jewelry box clenched in his hand. However, once he got to you, that jewelry box was dropped to the floor, dropped along with all the feelings Kenan had developed for you.

"Kenan it's not..."

"Save it." He hissed, his eyes darting at Luca as if he wanted to kill him on the spot.

"Hey, man, she kissed me." Luca said in defense.

"I know."

"I thought that the two of you were a solid thing now."

"So did I." Kenan turned to you with nothing but darkness and hurt in his eyes. "We're done."

"Kenan?" You squealed, tears already running down your cheeks, ruining your make up.

He shook his head, fighting the urge not to give into you. "We're done Y/N, alright! Just leave it at that."

You didn't want to. You refused to. However, it's just what Kenan did, turn his back on you, and leave. You watched him make his way through the crowd and out the door of his own home. All because of your mistake.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for disrupting a teacher's religion lesson?

I (currently a senior) have been made to go to a before school church class every morning (6am-6:50am) from freshman year to senior year of high school. (my family is Mormon if that matters) I have really bad insomnia and have been struggling in school a lot from lack of sleep. Granted, I'm still a A and B student so it is not seen as struggling.

I am not religious at all and am really uncomfortable with being made to go as this class features a lot of required sharing of your opinions on the doctrine. I have talked to both parents (divorced my entire life) and my dad agreed that I could do online along with my mom (primary placement) in the past, around the start of my junior year. However, when the class started back up for the school year, I was still made to go. Both of my parents know I am not religious, but they do not care. (my mom scolds me for "attacking" her religion if I point out the inconsistencies in what is being taught, then says I need to respect it, but when I ask her to respect my beliefs by not making me go, she ignores me)

This year, the teacher for the class switched. As mentioned before, I am not comfortable in this class as a lot of the doctrine taught sounds very much like it is indoctrination to me. The first 3 years I was in the class, I would parrot the answers they wanted, with only the occasional mention of a contradiction (especially with the church's history with polygamy and pedophilia) but this year I have been too fed up with being made to go to this class so I have been a bit more sassy in my responses, sometimes saying things like "I can't answer this because I don't believe it"

The specific instance in which I may be TA happened a few days ago. I was more tired than usual that day, my mom and I had had a particularity bad fight as I was leaving the house, so when the teacher asked me to analyze a scripture and say what I found meaningful about it, I told her in front of the class that I did not find anything about the religion meaningful, which I realized may have been a little harsh

Extra info:

the teacher's response was to tell me to "fake it till you make it" and continue making me do it

she called on me after this and asked me what I found meaningful to which I said I simply had nothing to add

This teacher often talks about her life specially the 1 1/2 years she spent teaching about this as a 19 year old in another country and especially talks about how her mistreatment made her really love the church which makes me very uncomfortable as my sister was the same way before leaving this church so I am definitely biased against her

I tend to spend a lot of the lessons in this class on my phone, obviously ignoring the lessons, which is definitely rude, but I feel I'm justified in not wanting to pay attention

What are these acronyms?

[ilydeku]

waiter deku things

nah bc imagine Izuku being a waiter? 5 star server, rated the best waiter in the district online, server of the month countless times in a row <3

- ONLY HE CAN PULL OFF THE UNIFORM

- The uniform is all black, collared button up long sleeve, work pants, waist apron

- HIM HOLDING THE TRAY HOLDER AND TOWEL OVER HIS ARM AND SHIT

- HE'S SO HANDSOME

- He's only doing the job for extra money to pay for wrap bandages and weights, (And to help out his Mom a little <3 ) but he loves meeting nice families and people there, especially if they're children, young aspiring heroes

- It's really heartwarming to see him interacting with the kids. The way he speaks to their little hearts. The parents love it too. Sometimes families come back to the restaurants and the kids actually go looking for Izuku. That's just how much love and joy he's brought to them.

- No one has ever yelled or bad-mouthed Izuku from the food. They know how much of a good person he is. They usually call him over gently and thoroughly explain the situation. He listens, nods, and always ends with a bow and a sincere apology.

- Of course, you'd know since you've been coming to the restaurant ever since your first experience. There have been times when you went several days in a row just to see him, but most of the time he wasn't your waiter and you sometimes you leave immediately after that. Izuku might actually be catching onto this because he has always noticed your presence. There was one time you came 5 times in a row, 3 of them not being Izuku as the waiter and 1 of them you not even caring anymore. You just wanted to see Izuku at work. Seeing his smile and the way he's enthusiastic with the kids always makes your day. On the 2 days, Izuku was your waiter, he asked a bit about you, how you were, what things you like to do, and what school you went to. (he looked kind of sad when you said you didn't go to U.A. he was hoping you'd be in another class and he could maybe hang out with you in school :( ) When you answered yes when he asked if you had a quirk, he got all excited. You could practically see his tail wagging. You told him your quirk, wind manipulation anemokinesis, and did a small run down about what it was all about. You even did a small demonstration by setting a sudden breeze inside the restaurant. Izuku was stoked. He just had to see your quirk in action. Imagine how cool it would be to see gusts and pulses of wind against villains! You and Izuku must have been talking for a while because the kitchen manager actually had to come out from the back and personally tell him to get back to work. Of course, he obliged and went off to attend to the other awaiting customers. That was the first time you and Izuku had actually spoken to each, outside of ordering. And you'd be lying if you said you weren't head over heels for him.

- Izuku has actually memorized the usual times and days you've arrived, your usual order of (insert) and a glass of water, and the usual time you'd leave. He feels ashamed to be keeping track of this, but what he doesn't know is that you're practically the same. You know the times he clocks in and clocks out, the time he takes a break, and the days of the week he works.

- There was this one point in time when you never came to the restaurant for about a month and he got really worried. He was actually going to try looking up ways to contact you, but then it hit him. He doesn't know your name. Ugh, what a dummy. Coincidentally, you came the very next day and all of Izuku's worries had instantly gone away. (But the dummy forgot to ask your name 💀)

- Izuku knows a lot about you. And not just from that one conversation. He's listened to you talk on the phone before. And he didn't do it on purpose. He just happened to be passing by with a stack of dirty dishes and heard you talking about your aspirations with someone. You were speaking your clear intentions of what you wanted to do as a hero. You're not doing it for the fame or the money or your name on a top spot. You're doing it to save people and want nothing more than for everyone to be happy. From that moment, Izuku has grown very fond of you. He got to learn more about you and didn't even have to speak a word to you. But when he's actually your waiter, he pretends like none of that is registered in his head. What would you think of him? Of course, you'd think he's some kind of weirdo. Most of the time, it usually goes like this:

"Hello, how are you doing today?"

"I'm doing well. And you?"

"I'm doing good. Would you like the usual?"

"That'd be great."

"All right. I'll be back with your order in a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay thank you."

- So bland 💀

- Guess it'll take for Izuku's feelings to overwhelm him and gain the courage to push forward with you

[cortosis-ct]

The Bad Batch and their jobs (Modern AU)

In my headcanon they all started out as soldiers. After getting out and accidentally acquisiting Omega, they desperately need money and take any jobs they can get. Eventually, everyone finds something they actually like.

Hunter:

Retail sales associate aka Walmart slave and getting yelled at by Karens all day. He's also doing freelance cleaning jobs, the grosser the better the payment. Think hoarder apartments with fifty cats or scat orgy hotel room cleanup.

He works hard on getting his record cleaned up and eventually secures a job at the fire station. He becomes a firefighter and will eventually be a lieutenant and later captain.

Tech:

Fast food worker which means lots of being yelled at by hangry people who are unhappy with the way their BigMac was stacked. He takes any extra shift he can get.

After several failed rounds of applications, he hacks into a big company's system and puts his name on top of the candidate list. He ends up supervisor for some bank insurance IT stuff with lots of numbers.

Wrecker: Miner. It's hard work and long hours in the dark. He actually earns the most of all of them but that's because it's fucking dangerous and depressing.

The leading instructor for the demolition expert trainees blows up. Wrecker, having had professional training in the military and lots of experience at not getting blown up (again), is their best take so he becomes their new instructor for the new hires.

Crosshair: Nobody is really willing to hire him so he's an unlicensed taxi driver most nights. (He hates everything about it.) He also signed up as a freelance roadkill collector job in Hunter's name and takes the calls when he doesn't have passengers.

He meets railroaders when cleaning up railkill one night. When smoking he mentions how much he hates being a taxi driver and the railroaders recruit him for their company. He becomes a traindriver and finally doesn't have to interact with his passengers.

Echo: They call it online sales associate marketer and customer service advisor. He calls it tele-scam-marketer. Many people yelling at him but at least he can work from home.

At a parent-teacher conference of Omega's school he helps another parent with a technology problem. He's like: "I tried to get rid of that problem for hours and you did it within five minutes. You gotta be a master software engineer." and Echo's like "I get payed to get yelled at as a telemarketer". Turns out the guy is an HR associate at an IT company and gets Echo a proper job.

[campbyler]

if i may ask, i am v curious when the party got their cars/how long theyve had them

ella i hope you don't hate me from harboring this ask since the end of august bc i really did mean to answer it sooner. i love u mwah.

mike: some of the lore surrounding the mustang has now been revealed through chapter 9.1, but to reiterate for the purpose of this ask: mike really wanted to get a car with manual transmission, and wanted something used so it could be a purchase he made himself. he did a lot of research online and in person before finding the mustang, which he did think was a little gaudy, but to me he's also a pretty big car buff and likes a lot of classic models -- no matter anyone's feelings on mustangs as a whole, it is a very iconic car with a lot of history, so mike definitely appreciates that a lot. he had nancy co-sign but he paid for everything himself! as of acswy, he's had it for just over a year!

will: will's car is also used, and also something he (mostly) paid for by himself! originally he was going to inherit jonathan's car but like in the show, it died. rip. but hopper Knows A Guy who works on and then sells a lot of used cars and that's who they ended up buying will's car from. he got it when he turned 17 for around ~$2500 since hop's friend cut them a deal, and he paid for Most of that himself (using money he's saved up from camp and the part-time job he had during the school year when he was in hs) and hop and joyce covered the rest. that said, will does pay them back on a monthly basis and pays for his own gas and insurance, so to him they didn't help at all (even tho they helped more than mike's parents did lol). by the start of acswy, he's paid his parents back in full and now just worries about the insurance payments.

lucas: lucas's parents and smart and invest and told their beautiful talented son that if he worked hard and got good grades they would buy him a car for graduation. so he did. and then also got a full ride scholarship to uconn to play basketball and his parents said oh ok slay boy. thanks so much. so since they are saving on a LOOOT of tuition and room and board fees they said we will get you a nice car. and lucas said bet, hellcat? and his mom said ABSOLUTELY NOT and his dad said ABSOLUTELY. mike was fuming btw. if you care.

max: tbh we haven't so super fleshed out a lot of max's family lore so i'd have to consult w suni re: current arrangements BUT 2 me max shares her car w her mom. i think her mom works from home and when she needs to go somewhere uses max's step dad's car just so that max can have some extra freedom. it's also my headcanon that max is the oldest in the friend group so she got her license first and was will and el's designated chauffeur for a while <3

el: el Just got her car and license before the start of acswy! i think she's the youngest in the party and she had will and max to drive her places so there was truly no need to get her license or car until now, plus i think she had some driving anxiety. she also got her car thru hop's friend but it was a little more expensive than will's since it's a bit newer and a nicer model, but she's had more time to save up for it! she mostly got one because she wanted to be able to have something to drive back at school, and also because she's more willing to admit than will is that the cobalt is not going to last super long, so one of them needs to have a car lol.

dustin: dustin got his car from his mom when she upgraded to a new one and while most people would complain dustin said FUCK YEAH because he loves his mom's car and also didn't have to spend a single dime on it lol. i think he got it when he was 17 as well so he also drove lucas and mike around for a bit before they got their cars as part of the indy crew!

AND THAT IS IT. THAT IS ALL. I HOPE THIS WAS WORTH IT AT ALL

[iboatedhere]

from that summer prompts list! an spending the whole day at the beach au would be really nice i think :))

Day 1

The screen door rattles as it slams shut behind him, and Alex drops his suitcase onto the worn hardwood floors. 

The cottage is small but beautiful. A little stuffy and warm, but that’s nothing that can’t be fixed by opening the windows and letting the cool ocean breeze in. 

He leaves his belongings behind and does a quick sweep of the kitchen. The basics are there, just as the AirBnB host said. Salt, pepper, oil, sugar. A box of tea and a canister of coffee. Prepackaged snacks on display on the counter. There are water bottles in the fridge and a box of baking soda. He’ll need to go to the market in town and stock up on produce, dairy, and good coffee, but it’s fine. It’s nice.

From the photos online, he knows the bedroom and bathroom are down the hall to his left, along with a small linen closet with extra sheets, blankets, and pillows. There’s a door that leads to the basement where the washer and dryer are kept and the hot water heater, which he might need to reset if the power goes out during his stay. 

The living room is basic but homey. A couch and two armchairs, each a little frayed at the edges, are set around a wide driftwood coffee table with stacks of board games underneath. No TV. Spotty WiFi. Perfect.

He steps out the sliding glass doors onto the small deck overlooking the beach. It’s early summer, and kids are still in school, so the beach is quiet and barren. It's just a little lonely, but it's relatable. 

He shakes his head, physically knocking the dreary thought from his brain. This isn’t what this vacation is about. So what if his boyfriend of nearly a year revealed that he’d been cheating on him for the last six months two days before the trip, and so what if both the flight and the booking were non-refundable. So what if he had to dip into his savings to pay for this. It’s better to learn that Peter is a heartless douchebag now than five years down the line when Alex is pushing thirty and thinking about marriage and kids and forever. So what if it’s brought up the same feelings of abandonment and inadequacy he’s shoved deep down inside of himself since his parents divorced. It’s okay. 

This week is about self-reflection and discovery. He’s going to learn how to be alone and be okay with it. He doesn’t need a partner to be happy. 

Alex leans forward on the railing and watches the waves crash against the shore until a man coming up the boardwalk catches his attention. 

He’s tall and blond; his blue linen shirt is loose across his shoulders and flutters around his body in the wind. He stops halfway, his shoes in his hand, and turns back toward the beach to whistle. A beagle hops onto the path beside him a moment later, shaking the water from his fur and making the man laugh. 

It’s a nice sound. 

The man and his dog continue up the boardwalk and into the house next door to Alex’s rented cottage. He towels off the dog and wipes his own feet on the mat before disappearing inside. 

Interesting. 

Day 2

The town market is small and overpriced, but Alex is able to get almost everything he needs, minus the coffee. 

Fortunately, the market is next to a cafe selling their beans by the pound. Alex buys two bags and a cherry turnover and learns that there's a farmer’s market in the church parking lot on Sundays. 

On his way out, he spots his neighbor sitting on the patio, a book in his hand, a cup of tea on the table in front of him, and the beagle at his feet.

When Alex passes, the dog lifts its head and wags its tail. Alex wants to stop and ask the man if he can say hello, but his hands are full of groceries and coffee, and the odds of dropping everything and embarrassing himself are too great. 

He keeps walking and regrets not stopping the whole way home.

Day 3

Alex spends the whole day at the beach. 

He packs a cooler with sandwiches, fruit, and beer and hauls one of the folding chairs provided by the host down to the water. 

It’s overcast when he gets down there, but by noon, the sun is high and hot, and he slathers on another layer of sunscreen before he reclines the chair and takes a nap. 

When he wakes up, his neighbor has joined him, sitting an acceptable distance away and a bit too close, considering he has almost the entire beach. 

Alex’s first instinct is to be annoyed because what the fuck, but then his neighbor looks over the top of the book he’s reading and makes eye contact with Alex, then looks away quickly, like he’s been caught. 

Interesting. 

Alex stands up and stretches his arms over his head before pulling his tank top over his head and dropping it to the chair. 

He feels his neighbor’s eyes on him the entire way to the water, where he jumps in without hesitation. When he surfaces, his neighbor is watching him again. This time, he doesn’t look away. 

Day 4

“Bone! You need to bone!”

Alex rolls his eyes at Nora’s voice in the background of the call. 

“We're not going to bone,” Alex says. “I don’t even know his name.”

“Maybe you could ask him,” June supplies helpfully. 

“I don’t know if I’m ready.”

“To know his name?”

“To bone,” Nora says, sounding closer to the phone. “Alex, your piece of shit ex cheated on you. You’re legally required to sleep with someone else. You should know that. You’re a lawyer.”

“I’m a paralegal.”

“Same diff.”

“Definitely not.”

“You did say he was good-looking,” June says, getting the conversation back on track, and Alex hums as he looks out the back door. 

From this angle, he can see his neighbor on his deck, where he’s been fiddling with his grill for the last twenty minutes. 

“He is,” Alex agrees, looking over his long legs and broad shoulders. “He can’t work a grill, though. What the fuck is he doing?”

“Go help him!” Nora chimes in. “You two can eat dinner, and then he can eat you—” 

Alex hangs up and opens the door, then steps over to the far side of the deck, closest to his neighbor, who is tapping the gauge of the propane tank.

“I think it might be empty.”

His neighbor’s head snaps up. “Pardon?”

“The tank. If you can’t get it to light, you’re probably out of propane.”

“Oh,” he says as he looks down at the tank. “How do I fix that?”

“Get the tank refilled.”

“And where do I do that?”

“At this time of night, nowhere.”

Those broad shoulders fall. “Oh.”

“You can come over and use mine,” Alex yells over. “The host said it was full.”

“I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

His neighbor looks down at his dog at his feet. 

“You can bring—,” Alex starts, and his neighbor interrupts. 

“David.”

“Your name is David?”

“No, I’m Henry,” he says before he gestures down to the dog. “His name is David.”

“Okay….well….you can both come over. This place is listed as pet friendly.” 

Henry looks down at David, then at the grill, then over at Alex. 

“I’ll be over,” Henry calls. 

Alex nods. “I’ll be here.” 

Day 5 

“You know, you never told me what your friend does to afford a beach house.”

“Oh,” Henry says as he picks up a pint of strawberries. “It’s hard to pin Pez down. I suppose he does a bit of everything.”

Alex nods as Henry pays for the berries, and they continue their loop around the farmer’s market. 

Dinner last night was fine. Henry seemed nervous the entire time, but Alex can’t honestly say that he was playing it cool. 

It’s like they both knew mutual attraction was simmering beneath the surface, but neither knew what to do about it. Maybe Henry is just shy, and maybe Alex is a little out of practice after spending nearly a year of his life in a dead-end relationship. 

He did learn that Henry was a copy editor who could work from practically anywhere. He has a sister who might join him next month and a brother who thinks what he does for a living is pointless. 

Alex kind of hates his brother, but he likes the way Henry smiles when he talks about his sister and friend.

“You never told me why you’re here alone,” Henry says, and Alex shrugs.

“You’re here alone.”

“I’m not alone. I have David.”

“Okay, point, but do I have to have a reason? Is it a crime for someone to vacation alone?”

“Certainly not, but….”

“But,” Alex starts with a heavy sigh. “I was supposed to come with my boyfriend.”

“Oh,” Henry says, sounding disappointed.

“Ex-boyfriend now,” Alex explains. “Turns out he was cheating on me, and all the reservations were non-refundable, so…here I am. Alone.”

Henry knocks their shoulders together with a soft smile. “Maybe not so alone.”

Day 6

The power goes out at exactly 11:59 at night.

“Fuck,” Alex swears up at the ceiling while rain and wind pound against the windows and lightning flashes outside. “Fuck.”

He knows he’s lucky that it stayed on for this long. While he’s no stranger to storms (everything is bigger in Texas), the constant weather alerts and warnings that pop up on his phone, combined with how close the house is to the beach, are making him nervous. 

He could leave, get in the rental car, and go, but when he sits up in bed and looks out the window, he can see the lights on at Henry’s place. 

Of course, Henry’s rich friend would have a generator. Of course, Alex can’t leave without him. 

Alex puts on his sneakers and makes a run for it, skidding onto Henry’s front porch and banging on the door, hoping he’s heard over the rolling thunder.

He hears David bark, then quick footsteps, and suddenly, the door opens, and Henry appears through the screen. 

“The power went out,” Alex says with a thumb hooked over his shoulder. “And I don’t know where the candles are in the house, and I’m trying not to freak out–.”

“Are you bloody mad,” Henry interrupts as he opens the screen door and yanks him into the house. “You could have been struck by lightning.”

“I’m a pretty fast runner.”

“Fast enough to dodge lightning?”

“I made it, didn’t I?”

“I suppose,” Henry says. “Now, wait here.”

Henry disappears down the hall while Alex drips over the hardwood. 

“Should we be worried?” Alex calls after him after a particularly loud clap of thunder. “I’m always seeing ocean homes swept into the sea on the news.” 

“Pez said this place has never flooded.”

“Okay, but climate change is getting worse. Just because it didn't happen last season doesn't mean it won’t happen this season.”

“I don’t think we need to worry,” Henry says when he returns, a towel in one hand and a change of clothes in the other. “But I understand why you are.”

Alex takes the towel and the clothes but doesn’t move from his spot by the front door. He’s not sure what to do with the clothes or with Henry, dressed in sweatpants and the softest-looking t-shirt he’s ever seen. Pillow marks across his cheek and his hair mussed with sleep. 

Alex is leaving in a few days, gone forever, and he doesn’t know how he’ll handle losing someone he’s never even touched.

“I’m going to make tea,” Henry tells him as he moves into the kitchen. “I’m thinking chamomile. Would you like some?”

“Later, maybe,” Alex says as he sets the clothes down on the kitchen table and crowds into Henry’s space. “Is this okay?” He asks as he slowly brings his hands up to cup Henry’s face. 

“Oh,” Henry says, expression falling softly as he nods. 

Day 7 

The storm is over by morning. 

Alex wakes to the sun in his eyes, David curled up at his feet, and Henry’s arm draped over his waist.

“Baby,” Alex whispers, his lips brushing across Henry’s forehead. “We should get up.”

Henry’s face scrunches as he tightens his grip on Alex. “Ten more minutes. Or forever.” 

Alex smiles. 

Forever sounds nice.

Day 371

Alex wakes to the smell of coffee and lips pressed to his cheek. 

He reaches out blindly, smiling when his hand catches the hem of Henry’s shirt. 

“Happy anniversary, love,” Henry whispers, and Alex rolls over and opens his eyes. “I got you a coffee and a turnover from the place in town.”

“You’re up early,” Alex says as he sits up and takes the coffee and the bag from Henry. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“I could,” Henry says as he sits down beside him. “I wanted to make sure I got to the coffee shop before they were out of the cherry turnovers.”

“I would’ve gone with you.”

“You seemed pretty tired,” Henry says smugly. “I thought it was best to let you sleep.”

Alex hums and takes a sip. “I’ll repay the favor tonight.”

“Looking forward to it. Until then, plans for the day?”

They could do anything. Head down to the beach or take a drive up the coast. Get lost in a coastal bookshop or an antique store for hours. 

Whatever. It doesn’t matter. 

All that matters is that they’re together. 

[elicathebunny]

GETTING EXTRA HELP.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. It's perfectly normal and okay to need help. Don't fear something that can help you.

Tuition - Asking your parents or even paying yourself if you are of age for tuition to get extra help. These lessons are private help and will be at your level and speed of learning.

Raising your hand in class/asking the teachers - If you don't participate or ask questions, you will never find the answers. Could you ask your teachers what you need to improve personally and see if they can offer some sites or extra study resources you can use? After all, it's their job to make sure your learning correctly.

Asking friends - Asking friends for help is also a good way of learning. Some friends are naturally smart and can lend you a hand on questions or even teach you how to do easier roots to solving problems that a teacher might not tell you to use.

Using online resources - Online resources such as YouTube and other study sites are great ways of getting a better understanding of your home. No interaction is needed, and free online lessons and study material from kind teachers.

Physical resources - Invest in study books if you want to own your own personal copy of school material. It means you can write on it and add physical notes rather than just listening to a video or reading off of an online revision sheet and making separate paper notes.

[catwouthats]

Do you know how I can watch stuff that’s usually on Disney plus in a way that doesn’t give them money?

Yes!

I have four answers for that!

1) Your local library

I know that not everyone is comfortable with pirating. The good news is that, nowadays, some libraries will let you borrow streaming services! I’d ask your library if they have something like that available (it’s usually a firestick) and if not, ask if any other libraries connected to your main one have it.

Also, even if they don’t have the streaming service, usually they have some sort of way to rent out movies or shows (weather online or in person)

And my dear college and information yearning friends, libraries have many databases and textbooks you can use for free!

2) A friend

Sometimes, someone else is already paying for it. Maybe a friend’s sibling or parent is paying for their whole family. Or maybe that person is paying themselves (Of course you wish they wouldn’t give money to them, but sometimes no amount of talking will stop them unfortunately). You could ask a friend, online or not, to share their account/family account with you!

3) Watch parties

A group of people coming together to save money/boycott shitty things. What’s better than that?

Online: Sometimes people will sharing their watching experience online. Usually on discord, tiktok, or instagram. You can join, you just of course have to find the accounts/servers that host these watch parties. I’d ask around on Reddit in order to find servers to join that do movie nights.

In real life: Also, you could get a group of friends/a club together to watch something on someone’s TV or some shit (some people even have those phone projector things so it actually feels like the theater). This is especially a good option if you’ve tried everything else and don’t want to personally resort to piracy… but might have a friend who’d do that for you…

You can find clubs at libraries, schools, colleges, and even retirement homes btw.

4) Pirating (of course)

To some people this might seem scary (because it runs the risk of viruses and and such), meanwhile, others might not even know how to pirate.

Here is how to pirate and precautions you should take when doing so:

Try to have an ad blocker (you don’t have to, it’s just an extra layer of protection. You probably should have one though)

You can use your phone instead of a computer, just know that it WILL fuck your phone up a little (personally I use my phone bc my computer is much more prone to viruses and information leaks. Ive been doing this for years and my phone’s fine… unless my storage gets near full/I have too many tabs open.)

Some internet providers may block you from using pirate websites on Google or Safari. I use Yandex as a search engine to get around this. With Yandex all I have to do is search “[movie name] watch now” and it will instantly come up for free.

Usually you can look up common pirate/free sites online and you’ll get some okay sites. Personally I use moviesjoy.is for live action movies/shows, readcomiconline.li for comics, and wcostream.tv for anime/cartoons.

Always ALWAYS X out the pop up tabs and close out things that say “you need to download this first” YOU DO NOT NEED TO DOWNLOAD ANYTHING FIRST (usually. Some websites do have downloadable versions… personally I don’t use those bc it risks viruses.)

Sometimes X ing out doesn’t work. you will have to reload the page or wait like 5-10 seconds for the X (or for “close”) to appear. It can appear in any corner of the screen. Sometimes even the middle of the screen. Like middle center or some shit.

It could take you between 1-10 tabs/pop ups to close before you’re actually able to access the shit. Especially if you don’t have an ad blocker. Be patient.

Going incognito mood would help keep your info safe… but personally I find it doesn’t make a difference. Doesn’t hurt to be extra careful though.

Also, would not recommend looking at questionable things on pirate sites on a library computer/property. Even if you clear history, the library knows. (They didn’t gaf that I used readcomiconline to read some comics on their firebook thingy. It’s just… know that they know.)

[featherchan]

Glitch Tech Verse

[ P.S: Please do not reblog or steal! This is for personal use. ]

"Nope. Not worth the trauma or the XP." ~ Noburu's catchphrase

STORY

Noburu Makoto works at Hinobi's technology store in the Osaka branch. She secretly works as a Glitch Tech, and her gamer tag is 'onyXVenom'. Gaming became a way for her to escape from 'family tension'. After her parents' divorce, she dropped out of high school and took on part-time jobs to help her mother cover their monthly expenses. On her days off, she continued gaming, as it had become a therapeutic hobby for her.

After winning the tournament and being hired by the Hinobi, which led to a better-paying job, with Kanako and her mother's encouragement, she resumed her studies to earn her high school diploma through homeschooling. Her goal was to eventually go to college and secure a brighter future for herself and her mother.

The Birth of Team RQ (Red Queen)

Noburu first met Kanako in a bookstore, and they ended up fighting over the latest manga release of Blood+, where both women were swiftly expelled and blacklisted (and remain so to this day). At Glitch Tech Center, the two were shocked and dumbfounded to find themselves together again. And they had been assigned to work together because no other Tech could handle them, as one was 'hot-tempered', while the other was, well, 'Noburu'.

For several months, they had tense and difficult interactions with one another. After enduring several disasters and near-catastrophic events, they were able to bond and rely on each other, growing closer and stronger as a team. This led to their friendship blossoming as well. They even entered several gaming tournaments, and as a tribute to their first meeting, they named their team 'RQ a.k.a Red Queen'.

EXTRA INFO

Previously, her surname was 'Yuze', but following her parent's divorce, she decided to sever ties with that 'man' (her father) and changed her surname to her mother's maiden name, 'Makoto'.

Her mother soon left the city to enjoy country life when her company allowed her to work remotely and online.

Currently, Noboru is staying with Kanako in an employee accommodation provided by Hinobi.

Noburu's father has now moved to the United States. He remarried but later got divorced for the second time. As a result, Noburu gained a stepsister named 'Chidori Yuze', who currently lives in Bailey, United States. Since their mothers had both been victims of the same 'man', they suggested that the siblings meet each other.

Noburu is a skilled cook. She often prepares meals and bento boxes for her mother, who frequently arrives home late from work.

Noboru is a jack of all trades, having worked various part-time jobs. With her diverse work experience, she has developed a wide range of skills, making her a capable and versatile individual who can handle almost any task.

[nobodyimportant41]

"The Ice cream flavors legacy challenge"

Its been A WHILE since i write down a legacy challenge,but that doesn't mean that i don't want to write more! I just can't figure out ideas for legacies...and then i had this idea!

General rules:

You can choose the lifespan of your choice or change it with MCCM

Sims can look whatever you want but they MUST reflect their personality

Heir sims MUST represent their flavor color(s) in their clothes,hair AND house,but they can have natural skintones (like NSB)

You can't use cheats,mods and/or Cc ONLY for an unfair advantage unless for storytelling

Sims who aren't heirs can have random or selected traits

Requiered* packs:

(*Of course, you can change this to fit your packs)

EP: Cottage Living (gen 1), Horse ranch (gen 2), Cats and dogs (gen 3), Discover university (gen 4), Be famous (gen 5 and 7), for rent (gen 8 and 9) Get to work (gen 9) and Eco living (gen 1 and 10)

GP: Parenthood (gen 4) and vampires (gen 9)

Gen 1;Strawberry:

Story: you grew up in the big city of San Myshuno because one of your parent was a VERY IMPORTANT politician. You hated it! They were much more focused in their work that you were mostly alone watching TV,painting animals,dreaming with farms...And mostly spending time chatting to your friends online.

When you discovered that your parents were signing you to heredate the power of your parent you decided to escape. Of course,they were (A LOT) of better ideas than going to where you went... but you will fight to become a farmer!

Traits:

Childish

Frigan

Outgoing

Objetives:

Complete the Countryside caretaker aspiration

Max the painting and cross stiching skills

Max the painter career (any branch)

Complete the postcards collection

Adopt at least one of your kids

All your kids must have the "happy infant" and "top-notch toddler" extra traits

Own a rainbow cow

Gen 2;Chocolate:

Story:You had a very happy childhood since you had a loving family! But in school...things were REALLY different. You were mostly alone because of your VERY competitive personality. So you spend the days thinking about how COOL of a horse rider you would be!

As an adult,you only want two things:Become THE BEST horse rider and create a SUPER COOL VIRUS to revenge of the people who ignored you!

Traits:

Rancher

Horse lover

Loyal

Objetives:

Max the Championship Rider aspiration

Max the riding and programming skills

Max the tech guru career

When you unlock the option,ONLY create virus

Find your partner through an enemies to lovers story

Gain an atrocious reputation

Complete the fossils collection

Win at least 10 competitions

Gen 3;Lemon:

Story:Your parents were way too busy with their work to care about you and, at school NOBODY wanted to talk with you because of your family reputation. So,you had to spend the most of the time alone,cooking. But with dogs things are complety different since they can't judge you!

As an adult you decide that your dream job is being a veterinarian! So you decide to open your own vet clinic! Of course, you have to pay the bills, so you to start working as a chef. At first,you didn't really liked it. But you end up LOVING IT!

Traits:

Dog lover

Soccially akward

Ambicious

Objetives:

Complete the friend of the animals aspiration

Max the cooking and vet skills

Max the culinary career (any branch) and own a 5 stars vet clinic (after you max it, you can leave your career)

Teach all the tricks to your dog(s)

Don't have any friends until becoming a teen and DON'T become friends with classmates

Complete the feathers collection

When you move out,don't talk to your parents ever again

All your pets must be strays

Gen 4;Mint:

Story:If there if a word that describes you,its DEFINETLY strict. You don't care about anything more than laws and order. You want EVERYTHING to be perfect,especially your family. Since you always expecting more than people can do, you always end up fighting with them. You loved them, but its really hard for you to show it to them. Will you stay as focused in your work as now or you will try to save the family? Knowing you,you will choose the first option.

Traits:

Perfeccionist

Neat

Glommy

Objetives:

Complete the succesfull lineage aspiration

Max the research and debate and parenting skills

Max the lawyer career

Always use the strict option to disipline your kids

Have an affair with another sim while married

Complete the crystals collection

Must go to university

Gen 5;Napolitan:

Story:Your family situation was never great, so you decided to sign up for each extra schoolar activity you could think off. Doing this, you discovered your true passion: Sports!

You quicky decided that your all time dream was becoming an athlete! Wait! But not a normal athlete: A SUPER FAMOUS ONE! You LOVE the idea of everyone knowing your name! Especially your parents! Since they would realize how PERFECT and AMAZING you are!

Traits:

Glutton

Active

Over achiver

Goals:

Complete the body builder aspiration

Max the fitness and rock climbing skills

Max the fitness career (athlete branch)

Become at least a two stars celebrity

Marry someone more famous than you (you can cheat ONLY for knowing them)

Complete the sea shells collection

Have twins

Gen 6;Cherry:

Story: Your twin was always the popular one, while you...well..you were the weird one;and by "weird" you were the one know for making "jokes" about everyone;even the teachers...

You were your twin best friend, but they DEFINETLY weren't YOUR best friend! They always insisted on helping you, while you were pranking them in the most cruel ways possible...

You continue like this until you meet a really funny person who also likes pranks! But definetly in a more innofensive way. You always found this type of people boring, but maybe this be a change..?

Traits:

Mean

Goofball

Lazy

Goals:

Complete the master of mischief aspiration

Max the mischief and comedy skills

Max the criminal career (any branch)

Marry someone with the good,goofball or outgoing trait/s

Complete the metal collection

witness the death of at least one sims

Gen 7; Blueberry:

Story: You grew up loving every related to literature and books; and this include both reading and writing them! Faster than slower, you realized this was your passion!

But you couldn't help but think that every time you write down about a person's death, the grim reaper will come after them!

You wanted to revive a ghost and ask them if the curse was real, But each you imagine that moment, you could only think about that you may find the grim reaper cute...

Traits:

Genius

Bookworm

Paranoid

Goals:

Complete the best seller author aspirations

Max the writing and logic skills

Max the writer career (any branch)

Write the book of life

Have a kid with the grim reaper while married

Win at least 2 trophies for your books

Complete the snowballs collection

Gen 8; Oreo ice-cream:

Story:You always knew there was something odd in you, you weren't sure what was it (but it was pretty obvious that it was your smell) but it made you being mostly alone playing music.. you really enjoyed, but you wanted was having at least one friend; this became EVEN harder when you discovered that your father was THE GRIM REAPER...

Traits:

Slob

Music lover

Good

Goals:

Complete the musical genius aspiration

Max the piano and singing skills

Max the entretainer career (musician branch)

Complete the tassels collection

Have only one friend besides your family

Marry your only friend

Meet the grim reaper at least twice (he's stills being your dad!)

Gain a bad reputation

Gen 9; Vainilla:

Story: You were a normal kid, until you discovered that YOUR GRANDPA WAS THE GRIM REAPER. Since then, you become OBSSESED with the idea of inmortality and you will do ANYTHING to become inmortal, it doesn't matter if it means becoming a scientist, trying to make ambrosia or even becoming an occult, you WILL become inmortal

Traits:

Erratic

Glutton

Outgoing

Goals:

Complete the master vampire aspiration

Max the logic and gourmet cooking skills

Max the scientist career

Got transformed by a vampire and marry them

Complete the marbles collection

Cook the ambrosia at least once

Try not to die even after gen 10 is complete

Gen 10; Pistacchio:

Story: You never were very close with your parents, they were very obssesed with inmortality and vampire stuff... You only wanted to turn the world into a greener one! So, as an adult, you decide to move into Evergreen harbor! Just to discover that you were scammed and that you buy an empty lot in the CONTAMINED part of the city...

Traits:

Vegetarian

Eco-maniac

Recycle disiple

Goals:

Complete the eco innovator aspiration

Max the fishing and gardening skills

Max the civil designer career

As a young adult, move to an empty lot but (using cheats) remove 20.000 simoleons

Vote in every neighborhood action plan

Complete the frog collection

Have two failed relationships before marrying your soulmate

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

aita for not wanting to homeschool?

i(15ftm) have been getting pressured by my family, and especially my mom, to homeschool. my older brother and 3 younger siblings all agreed to homeschool this year, my brother especially being very enthusiastic. my mom(36f) has been watching a lot of news and tiktoks that have made her certain we need to run away to Tennessee (we live in California ) within the next year or two, and she desperately wants me to homeschool.

i have a lot of trouble focusing on schoolwork specially when im at home, to the point that when we were quarantined i failed all but one class. i also have a hard time making and keeping friends, as i am incredibly socially anxious. this last year and now, ive been making close friends, but its hard to keep in touch or hang out when we arent in school.

ive tried to explain that i would be incredibly depressed (moreso than right now lol) and i would probably lose any chances on making it to anything except community college if i home schooled, but my mom wont hear it. she has always written me a letter to read when i get to school on the first day, and they are always very nice. this year she wrote an incredibly passive-agressive note about how she wishes i would homeschool. she is convinced that i will get convinced to talk to my counselor at school and get sent to a group home and then kidnapped for sex-slavery and such, based off of a law that doesnt exist yet ane won't until i am a senior. ignoring that, i would never and have never talked to the school counselor outside of signing up for classes.

anyways, my mom has been bringing this up in every conversation, and shes also still frustrated that i told my friends i was trans before her, and is convinced the entire school and all teachers know as well. i have tried to tell her otherwise, but she wont listen. i only waited to come out to her in the first place, because when i came out as pan, she took my phone and went through it for a week and thought i was saying that i was attracted to pedophiles, and then she immediately outed me to my brother(16m) and dad(42m), who i was waiting to come out to for another month or so, as i wanted to make sure it wouldnt be unsafe to come out. (she didnt tell me she outed me either, i found out from my dad. my parents are divorced and have been since i was 3.) she has since outed me as trans to my dad as well.

however, disregarding that, she has genuine reason to want me to homeschool. it would be less money since we would have to pay for bus rides, extra food, and school supplies for me, and it would mean i get to spend more time with my family, which is a big plus for her. i also wouldnt have to deal with annoying teachers, as it would all be through online courses. for me though, it wouldnt be worth it at all, and i would lose access to my electives, game design and costume design (i go to an art school).

so, am i the asshole? she is genuinely worried about things right now, but i cant see myself being happy doing homeschooling.

What are these acronyms?

[backmaskcd]

(Robert Pattinson) [THE NOCTURNAL]. Please welcome [JASON 'JACE' KANE (HE/HIM)] to Huntsville, WV. They are a [37]-year-old [VISITOR] who lives in [TOWN]. You may see them around working as a [ROTATING WATCH RANGER]. Poor unfortunate soul. We’ll see if they survive.

Full Name: Jason Oliver Kane Birthday: May 13 Age: 37 Hunter or Gatherer: Gatherer Sexuality: He's too old for that he just likes who he likes Height: 6'1 Relationship Status: Single

Jace was always a little bit different. He rarely had much of an opinion on anything, and even from a young age, sleeping at night felt impossible. His parents tried getting him regulated for most of his adolescence despite both of them often being far too busy to be truly present in his life, but it seemed like there was little to no point. He didn't do badly in school, however, he was often falling asleep in class or didn't really seem to grasp the consequences of turning work in late. As far as he was concerned, he was just coasting until he could graduate.

Music had always been the one thing Jace felt strongly about. He was writing lyrics and melodies, and he taught himself how to play guitar and drums since his parents were too concerned about his actual grades to consider enrolling him in outside classes for something he was actually interested in. Rock and punk were the two genres he tended to be drawn to most, feeling they were more passionate than the sappy love ballads or anger driven songs about others who had wronged you.

It only made sense that he'd start a band; it started as a joke between him and one of his best friends, Yale. He would play drums and she would sing and play guitar, and it was a fun past time. He set up a MySpace for the band, Jackknife of All Trades, and after he put up one of their songs, they got a ton of followers overnight. It seemed like the obvious next step was to actually make something out of this. With Yale on board, and getting extra support from her younger sibling, Prince and another mutual friend, Michael, they decided once they graduated high school, they'd start taking it more seriously.

The biggest hurdle however, was Jace's need for adrenaline. He wasn't ever one to lean into drinking or drugs - in fact, he would classify himself as straight edge - but he absolutely loved driving fast. He was on various message boards about street racing since before he could even drive, and once he got his license, he was already signing up under a pseudonym and lying about his age so he could finally take part in a world he had been watching from the rafters. However, this was also extremely illegal; and this is where Jace's rap sheet of crimes started. It was never anything more serious, just being caught speeding or doing illegal street races, but he'd been in and out of jail more times than he should have by the time he was eighteen; he was grateful that Yale and Michael were always showing up to bail him out though.

Blowing up in the punk scene wasn't anything Jace could have predicted, but he absolutely loved it. Going on small, choppy tours and roughing it in vans they'd have to trade out every couple of years was better than any life he could have imagined. He finally found something he was deeply passionate about, and was able to scrape by between the funds they made from shows and different crowd funds they hosted online (especially since Jace was still often getting arrested).

They never really got radio play, but touring with bigger bands got their names out as much as they needed. Between tours, Jace rarely opted to hold down a 'real' job, going back to racing and betting and winning money that way - and usually using it to pay back Yale whatever she'd spent bailing him out of jail last time. He didn't want to be a huge star selling out huge venues - to Jace, that wasn't what the music was about. It was about connecting with people, selling out dive bars and being paid in drink tickets and racing on nights he wasn't playing. It was the life he felt he had been waiting for.

Life carried on like this for about ten years or so - Jace was never any good with dates. However, one wrong turn while driving to a venue was all it took for Jace and his found family to get stuck in Huntsville. That was four years ago, and despite the fact that he can no longer race, he still has all his gear and Huntsville brings a new set of challenges that get his blood pumping.

He can come off as very uninterested or intimidating, but that's kind of just his face. He's very sweet once you get to talking with him, and extremely oblivious. He always assumes people are being nice to him, and has no concept at all of when someone is flirting with him. He is still basically nocturnal, enjoying the job of being a ranger because he can always take night watch, and he finds the creatures fascinating. He misses performing a lot, and is shocked anyone in Huntsville was or still is a fan of his because he's Just Some Guy, but he does love knowing that his music has touched so many people.

[wedesignyouny]

GAMBLING WINNINGS: Owing taxes is a sure bet

GAMBLING WINNINGS: Owing taxes is a sure bet

Jonny Xavier is a typical twenty-year-old dude who lives with his parents in Long Island, NY. Living at home provides him with the ability to save money so that one day he will be a homeowner. He is working full-time at the Amazon fulfillment center where he oversees picking and packaging orders before they are sent out for delivery across the island. Jonny also works for extra money on the weekends with Amazon Flex, which allows him to use his own car to make deliveries of Amazon packages. With consistent work ethic and diligence, there is little doubt that one day Jonny will have enough money saved to purchase a home and start a family of his own.

Life cannot be all work and no play. Jonny was an all-state football player in high school and still has a passion for sports. He missed the “high” of playing in big games; however, he has recently experienced a similar feeling when his buddies introduced him to online sports betting. DraftKings and FanDuel are the most prominent online sports books in New York. For Jonny, DraftKings is where he finds his best luck, even though the online forum has proven to be no different than a casino where the “house” always wins. Even so, the first time he tried online sports betting he had tremendously good fortune. If one can even imagine, Jonny placed a six- leg parlay on a Monday Night Football game between his favorite team the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. According to betting instructions, if the game has six scores between the two teams, and Jonny can pick the exact six players who will score in the game, he will hit on his parlay and win himself $250,000 on his $250 ante. Being the die-hard Giants fan that he is, Jonny predicts there will be six scores and that his team will have all of them. The bet is in, and Jonny has butterflies in his stomach before kick-off.

Three hours later Jonny and his friends are having one of the most exhilarating nights of their young lives. Unbelievably, he has clairvoyantly picked the exact players who combined on the six New York Giants scores. Specifically, there were five touchdowns and one field goal that made Jonny’s dreams come true and gave the Giants a 38-0 win over the Patriots. While his friends won on some smaller bets, Jonny pulled off a remarkable feat in completing his parlay, thus being the winner of $250,000. The payment was given to Jonny through a check disbursement from DraftKings in the amount of $190,000. There was an automatic federal tax withholding of 24% which equaled $60,000 in Federal Taxes. Jonny knows exactly what he will do with his winnings. Now he will be able to pay for a four-year degree from college and better his chances of earning potential over the course of his life. He has never been more certain that he will become a homeowner.

Being at the ripe age of twenty years old, Jonny has very little experience when it comes to filing his taxes. In January of the following year, he received his W-2 from the fulfillment center and was also sent a 1099 Form to submit as an independent contractor because of his work role with Amazon Flex. The year finished with a bang and Jonny had much to celebrate and look forward to in the new year to come. X’s and O’s come naturally to Jon Xavier; alternatively, when it comes to taxes, Jonny is somewhat naive and underestimating. From his perspective, he has already paid his taxes when they withheld 24% of his $250,000 winning check. He remembers the total amount he received was $190,000. Sixty thousand dollars were taken right off the top, but he paid his dues and finds no reason to list his gambling winnings on last year’s tax return. He had received a W-2G from DraftKings in the mail but thought nothing of it and threw it away. He used his W-2 from Amazon, along with the 1099 Form and submitted his taxes using Turbo Tax software.

When the Fourth of July came around that year Jonny was driving a brand-new Mercedes Benz, He could not resist the urge for a brand-new car, so he splurged on the $75,000 “Benz”. The rest of the money from his winnings was spent on a four-year degree from Stony Brook College on Long Island. Stony Brook offered Jonny a four-year degree for $80,000 if he paid up front. It was a discount of almost $40,000. Accordingly, Mr. & Mrs. Xavier recommended to their son that was a good deal and Jonny took the advice. He was on top of the world, driving around in his dream car while waiting to attend college in the fall. He surely was a lucky guy.

However, as they say, “All good things must come to an end.” Jonny was very troubled when he received a notice from the New York State Tax & Finance Department stating that he owed taxes in the amount of $27,500. He was in shock! How could this be? Jonny showed it to his parents immediately to make sense of this huge tax bill. Mr. Xavier took a closer look at the notice and realized it was from the unreported gambling winnings last year. The New York State Department of Tax & Finance received the same W-2G from DraftKings and cross-referenced that with Jonny Xavier’s tax return. They knew he did not pay taxes for the State of New York. Furthermore, New York has one of the highest gambling tax rates in the country at 10.9%. This was a huge problem for Jonny, and he worried what might happen to him now. Will they take his car?

Always looking out for the best interest of her son, Mrs. Xavier knew there was a place her family could go for legal advice on this matter. The Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. has helped many people navigate the rough waters dealing with The New York State of Taxation & Finance. Jonny was able to tell his story during a free consultation with experienced staff and attorneys, who specialize in IRS taxes alongside New York State taxes. Upon leaving The Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C., Jonny felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He was very optimistic that for a very reasonable fee he could utilize the firm to find a resolution to this matter. Ultimately, The Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. was able to negotiate with the NYS Department of Taxation and place Jonny into an Installment Agreement. Under the agreement, he will make affordable monthly payments until his tax bill is paid. Jonny is grateful for the team at Ronald Weiss and has learned two major lessons. First, he learned to report all income on his tax returns or there can be real consequences. Secondly, if he or any of his friends experience this type of issue in the future, they know that The Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. will be diligent advocates for their clients and fight for the best possible resolution to their specific tax matters.

[isahgrace]

Small towns are always boring

Some people go their whole lives living in one area, watching it change by means of progression, others travel around like birds, migrating from one place to the next, only settling down for a bit to nest, everyone is different, but there’s nothing wrong with either outcome.

You had first thought your life would be spent in one area, going to the same primary school then moving on to a singular high school, then maybe getting a higher education, but child you had only dreamed of not attending school and eating junk food, the simple pleasures of a child, still when your family did end up moving you had been excited, a new place with new people, and although making new friends can be scary, there was still a thrill to it all.

So it sucked when on the first day of school at your new primary school you were only interesting, to begin with, people wanted to know what your life was like how it differed from theirs, what made you alien among them, which wasn’t hard for them to find out considering the place you had moved to was a small town.

You were an outcast among your peers, watched like a new animal in an exhibit, you hated it and told your parents about it, but it was only a few years and then you’d be in high school, which your parents had already chosen the singular private high school in the town, sure it was technically a small town but they had two high schools and three primary schools, meaning it wasn’t actually a small town, but it was further away from the other towns and was mildly in the countryside, but it was well off, hence why there was so much infrastructure, still everyone labelled it as a small town and you didn’t care to argue the point.

Still, you grew up, went to high school and made a small number of friends. It helped that some of their parents worked with yours, but then you all graduated and it was time to move on with your lives and become adults, or at least try to be adults. The majority of your high school friends moved away to continue their studies which left you with only two friends who ended up staying in town for different reasons, you three ended up choosing to study online and would hang out whenever you were all free, truly the only way you all stayed friends was because of the dumb hangouts that were planned.

Maia’s dad, like your dad, was a doctor at the local hospital, it was partly how you two became friends, her dad was asked to move to the town with his family and work at the hospital, exactly what happened with your family, although, unlike your family, Maia’s moved just before she started high school, still nothing bonds people more than similar life situations. Maia is a smart, kind of quiet girl, with dark blue eyes and long brown hair, she is above average height and always had her nose in a book, after all, she was studying to become a doctor, something she had always aspired to become, and with her family's situation and the local hospital she was allowed to study and do tests at home and once she was allowed to start working and learning in a hospital she would do it at the local one.

Truly out of your friend group, she was always the one who seemed like she would go the furthest in their life, not to say the others wouldn’t but as you lot had jokingly calculated one day, Maia had the biggest and highest paying goal out of you three, the next best out of you three happened to be Amara, she was currently studying to be a software engineer, and was quite good at it, which gave her extra points in your joke, but they were immediately taken away because she loved to go out and party, her thought being that the best thing about being stuck in a small town was that you could drink the nights away and walk home most of the time.

Maia and you didn’t agree with Amara drinking so much but there wasn’t much you could say against it, she didn’t get black-out drunk, and she didn’t do anything bad when she drank, although she did drink more than was recommended per week, she would have three or four drinks per day, normally it was three drinks, but some days she would have four or five, but that was on bad days.

When Amara did end up drinking too much or knew she was gonna drink more than normal she would message you or Maia so that after a while whoever she messaged would go pick her up and make sure she go home safe, it sucked when that happened and Maia had tried to get Amara to go see someone about it but she had refused. Amara was a pretty lady, above average height, stunning hazel eyes and dyed blonde hair, really it was a surprise that with how much she went out at night she still didn’t have a partner when it was brought up she would usually use an excuse of being too smart for everyone she met, really it was one of the things that made her obnoxious and made you consider your friendship with her.

But Amara had her moments, times she would secretly buy all the books you needed for a class, buying Maia cute scrubs when the only ones in your town were standard colours, making your birthdays the best days of the year, she could be a wonderful friend, she just had a few issues to work out, not to say you and Maia didn’t have issues yourselves, Maia would overwork and overstress herself which sometimes ended up being taken out on you and Amara, sometimes you would be so distracted by issues in your life, or course work and wouldn’t talk to the two for weeks at a time, none of you were perfect but you worked on your issues, that was the main thing.

They were truly the best friends you could have, which was proven true when your mum fell ill in your last year of high school, she wasn’t terribly ill but enough for it to be a problem, most of the time she could look after herself, but some days were worse, those days you would stay home from school, or cancel going out with your friends when that happened during high school your other friends would complain, whereas Amara and Maia would understand, ask if you needed anything, get notes for the classes you missed.

Then you all graduated and seeing that your mum wasn’t getting any better you decided to stay in town, study online and look after her when you could, it saved your parents some money, as well as stress, still your mum didn’t seem to get better, nor did she become worse. On the bright side, staying in town and studying online allowed you to find another bookstore in your town, one you had only heard about and never visited, something had always come up and caused you not to go.

The bookstore was lovely, it was a two-storey building, the shop on the bottom floor and a little apartment up top, or that’s what you believed at least, the store had been in the town for years, run by the same family since anyone could remember, although it’s name was a bit creepy, Sanguis, it was a really nice store, there were large windows at the front that let in a lot of light, a few couches spread out to sit and read in, really it was an overall comfy place, even if the store was called blood in Latin, you believed the store might have been something else way back when but no one was really sure, there was no recorded evidence about it, and the Nexum family had no recorded knowledge of it either.

Still, as nice as the place was, as good as the prices were, something was strange about the place, about the family who ran it, the Nexum family, people who had lived in the family for years, owned only the bookstore and only ever had sons, sure others had questioned the strangeness of it all but answers for things came about, still from your perspective, it was too easy, things didn’t add up still.

But you took it in stride, after all, Sanguis nearly always had the books you needed for your coursework and at such great prices too. You could live with the oddity of the store and its family if things continued this way, it’s not like any of it affected you or the town after all, although most people around your age did think the store owner was stunning. Amara had come with you once and outwardly flirted with him as you tried to pay for your things, you had no idea who was more embarrassed that day, you or him.

But what was his name again, he had told you a few times, but you hadn’t been fully listening any of those times, Kai maybe? He was pretty, with black hair that suited him and was always styled perfectly, and dark red eyes, something that was said to be passed down in his family, thinking about it maybe his name was Kieran, he was taller than you by a bit and had a light scattering of freckles across his cheeks and nose, something you thought made him cute, but you would never say that to him, what if he raised the prices of your books!

Kester was really nice as well, always making sure you had every book you were looking for, searching for books when you couldn’t find them, even ordering in books that you needed, but you were a regular at his store and he was probably just trying to keep the English major that you were interested in your store, it had happened in the past after all.

Still, there were a few weird times when he would offer you things and be disappointed when you declined them, he would go from being smiley and sweet one moment to frowning at your choices the next, one time you thought you had truly made him angry and apologised only for him to snap back to being happy and reassuring you that he was just concerned about your well being.

Keir Nexum was strange like that, pretty but strange.

“I would find you in any lifetime”

[chaifootsteps]

For the anon who asked, Glip never worked a job like a shit retail store. Right after she graduated high-school she moved across the country to be with Marl. He was older by like 4-5 years, but his loser ass didn't go to college or anything. I think he was working at a restaurant while she was in art school and his parents were helping them pay for their little apartment, but even then not like his parents were banking either. So Glip did commissions and at one point couldn't afford art school anymore and Marl wasn't making enough at his job. Now I'm bringing up Eevee, I'm not sure how much older she is, maybe it's like a year or two? I don't know if Eevee went to college either, but Eevee was making very nice money. She's very technology savvy, she worked on some online pokedex data base. I know Marl was always against Eevee (Marl even had some venting on tumblr how he wasn't ok with the poly relationship), but he swallowed it so Eevee could like with them for the extra income. So yes, I do believe maybe at one point Glip had to be pimped off. Only because I'm pretty sure she couldn't suffice with all the art commissions and was pressured by Marl. Now, I'm pretty sure when the buying Sphix kittens began was when they were better off, as in Glip was more popular and was making more money. I still remember Glip bragging about how much they cost too.

Thank you for this bit of Glipstory. Also Jesus Christ, what a bunch of miserable people.