#prompt: stocking

[thisapplepielife]

Written for @steddieholidaydrabbles.

Along the Chimney with Care

Prompt Day 24: Stocking | Word Count: 550 | Rating: T | CW: None | Tags: Future Fic, Established Relationship, Learning New Skills, Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

"What are you doing?" Eddie asks, as he leans over Steve's shoulder as he sits at the dining room table. 

"Practicing," Steve answers, as he looks at the scrap of fabric in front of him at the sewing machine that he's dragged out of the deepest recesses of some closet.

"Practicing what?" Eddie asks, because it just looks like a bundle of tangled up threads.

Steve flips it over. 

It's a kind of badly done embroidered version of Eddie's name, but it makes him smile. It might not be anywhere near perfect, but he likes the effort Steve's clearly tried to make. Steve could have ordered them custom-made from somewhere else, or even gotten iron-on letters, but instead he's chosen to do it this way, for better or worse.

"What's this for?" Eddie asks, smiling.

"Stockings for Christmas. I mistakenly thought this looked easy. It is not easy," Steve says, and Eddie sits down.

"Let me help," Eddie offers, even if he has no idea what that will entail. But surely they can figure it out together. They've always been able to figure anything out, as long as they've done it together. Two heads are better than one, and all that shit.

Not to mention, Eddie can sew. In theory. By hand, for sure, and Wayne had an old machine Eddie used a few times while making vests and other shit. He's never made a stocking, but he's willing to try.

"It keeps tangling on the back," Steve laments, and Eddie slides the practice piece of fabric towards himself, so he can look at it more closely.

"Is there a manual?" Eddie asks, and Steve shakes his head. 

"Not that I've ever seen," Steve answers.

"Hmm," Eddie says. He understands the basics, maybe, but he's not sure he can do much by way of troubleshooting.

But he bets he knows who can.

"Joyce says to check the bobbin," Eddie says from the kitchen, holding onto the phone. 

"What's the bobbin?" Steve asks, standing up and looking at the top of the machine.

"What's the bobbin?" Eddie repeats.

Joyce laughs in his ear, "Oh, dear."

But she walks them through it. They take it out, rethread it through the machine, and then test it out.

It's better. It's definitely better.

"That fixed it!" Steve says, pumping his fist in the air, hollering, "Thanks, Joyce!"

"He says thanks," Eddie repeats to her over the line. 

She heard him. The whole block heard him.

Eddie sits on the couch and watches Steve hang the stockings along the chimney with care. They aren't perfect. Far from it. But they do have their names on them, and Steve made them. He also let Eddie sew patches on them, which makes them even more personal to each of them.

A joint effort. Eddie loves them in all their slightly wonky glory, and he hopes they use them for years to come. 

"Okay. They're Santa ready," Steve says, and Eddie grins. 

"I can't wait to see what Santa brings me," Eddie declares, rubbing his hands together in anticipation, and Steve just smiles like he has the biggest secret. 

"Coal, probably," Steve teases, and Eddie laughs, big and bright.

Steve's got something planned, something up his stocking, as it were, and Eddie can't wait to find out what.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddieholidaydrabbles and follow along with the fun! 🧦

[stealingyourbones]

i need Dr. House to be Batman's temporary doctor for a month while Dr. Leslie Tompkins is recovering from some sort of rogue activity.

[hughmanbean]

New in Town

Jason is... worried. Somewhat. There's a new group in Gotham.

The first indication of this when he'd encountered a towering man in armor, his face shrouded in shadows. The man had introduced himself as Fright Knight, proudly declaring to be the Royal Knight of the High Queen.

A group of royals? He asks.

The most powerful! The Knight replies.

A girl is seen flitting around Gotham, mischievous grin on her face. She calls Jason stinky.

A man lurks behind her, grumbling to himself. He calls Jason unimpressive.

A couple zoom the streets on a motorbike, followed by an unnaturally dark shadow.

A new soup kitchen opens up. The moving truck with it donates lunch boxes to the less fortunate.

---

Fright Knight strolls the streets, humming to himself about a job well done. The High Queen had been muttering about how the Prince and Princess may have been getting bored, so he'd taken the initiative to find something interesting for both of them.

His Queen would be pleased. Now to tell her.

[clawsoutspotsoff]

🐇: "I warned you that if I used my powers without a holder there might be side effects." 🐞: "What do I.... do with her?"

[phoenixcatch7]

It's always funny to me when in an lu fic the chain is offered bananas and don't accept them. Like, you're offering these high energy adventures free food?? Fruit they'll have never even heard of before??? A ridiculously expensive imported good at best?? AND it boosts your attack?

Not ONE of these idiots would ever turn down something new and interesting to eat at least once. They'd be all over those bananas and immediately get dubbed yiga and I'm honestly surprised no one has used it in a fic yet 🤭

[whumpitisthen]

Thinking about the phrase "breaking [something] off their back"

As in hitting someone's back with something until it breaks

In my mind there is a whumper who finds a nice stick while out and gets all excited. And they just go "Whumpee... Turn around." And then they just fucking wail on whumpee until the stick finally shatters into pieces, leaving behind all kinds of nasty damage and a quivering, terrified whumpee who can see the clear physical evidence of how hard they were being hit just now broken off on their back. At least they have a clear signal for when the pain ends

[spotsandsocks]

Happy Holidays Spotty!! This is such a cute idea 🥰

Deciding was a tough choice! I think I'll go with...

🎅 + mistletoe if it sparks inspiration 🩷

Well it just so happens I had the start of something lurking that I could finish and polish up for this so here we go. First writing stocking prompt to be completed is for you 900ish words for (I’m sure you won’t be surprised) a first kiss inspired by the word mistletoe.

“Hey Eddie!”

He stops to looks towards Buck, his voice has a slightly urgent timbre to it.

“Don’t move.”

Odd, but there’s no reason not to do as Buck asks so Eddie freezes on the spot, not worried only mildly concerned.

“I need to do something.”

He trusts Buck and even if he’d noticed the greenery above him he’d still have stayed still except maybe then he’d have been a little more hopeful than worried.

Buck’s talking and Eddie waits patiently to understand what’s going on.

“Well, want to do actually. It’s kinda homework, from therapy.”

Eddie tracks Buck’s movements as he paces back and forth just a few feet away, wringing his hands, looking tense. The high levels of stress emanating from him is beginning to be worrying but Eddie can wait for Buck to be ready to share whatever it is he wants to share. They’ve helped each other out with therapy homework before.

Buck pauses and breaths in deeply as if he’s going to start speaking again but he doesn’t. Instead he takes four brisk steps in Eddie’s direction and stops very close to him.

So close it makes his chest feel tight and his cheeks hot. Buck’s eyes are bright and hold an apprehension and determination Eddie’s not entirely familiar with.

Buck looks upwards and he follows his gaze, it’s only then that Eddie realises where he’s standing and what might just be about to happen next.

“Merry Christmas Eddie.”

The words are almost a whisper before Buck’s lips twist into a nervous smile and then those same lips are pressed onto his.

It’s not quite like he thought it might be in the nanosecond he had to understand what was happening . If he’d had time to expect anything it would have been a nervous here and gone again brush of dry lips or a quick shy peck to one side of his mouth.

It is nervous.

He can feel Buck trembling because Eddie has his hand on Buck's wrist now to hold onto him when he tries to run from this moment.

It is dry.

Buck’s lips are slightly rough, a little chapped. Maybe he should get him some balm for Christmas.

It’s not quick. The kiss lingers.

Well kisses actually, three small gentle kisses one after another that make his head spin because he hadn’t expected this to happen today or ever really.

Buck lips cover his and the warmth of them transfers onto his skin and changes him permanently.

He can feel Buck’s pulse racing against the fingertips of the hand holding his wrist and the muscles of his back go tense beneath his other hand and Eddie just knows it’s the precursor to the other man moving away, trying to kiss and run and that’s not going to happen. This is something he can’t walk away from. Something Eddie won’t let either of them walk away from. Which is ironic considering how much time he’s spent running from his feelings over the years.

Just as he expected Buck pulls away but a tighter grip stops him dashing away from the consequences of his actions.

Mouth already cooling Eddie licks his lower lip to see if he can still taste Buck there. He can't, which is a shame but easily remedied. Holding on tight to something he didn’t know he could have until just now Eddie asks the necessary question softly.

“What was that for?”

Letting himself be held in place Buck can’t quite make eye contact while he mumbles an explanation for their unexpected mistletoe kiss and Eddie tries not to melt at the new levels of adorable awkwardness. Buck shrugs one shoulder as he answers in the most sheepish tone Eddie’s ever heard from the man.

“Therapist told me to let myself have something for Christmas that I really wanted.”

There’s a flash of blue, there and gone again in a heartbeat. Eddie uses that moment to processes the idea that he too is about to get what he wants for Christmas.

“She told you to kiss me?”

The blue returns shaded with exasperation, which was his plan.

“No of course not, b b but it is something I’ve wanted for a long time, so I thought..”

Buck looks away again and Eddie’s fingers tighten instinctively because he knows what’s coming next. Another tug and an apology.

“I’m sorry, I should have asked first.”

Eddie knows why he didn’t.

“But you were scared I’d say no.”

Buck’s nod is followed by another quiet, sorrowful “Sorry.”

And Eddie can’t have that, a sad Buck isn’t something he likes to see. Buck’s taken the first step it’s time to meet him in the middle.

“I wouldn’t have.”

The pulse still being monitored beneath his fingers jumps.

“What?”

It’s nice to see the hope spark in Buck’s suddenly wide eyes, impossible not to smile back at him bright and happy.

“Wouldn't have said no.”

A smile starts to emerge along the line of the pretty mouth that Eddie just wants to kiss again.

“Really?”

“Really.”

He continues unable to keep the grin off his face, “but it’s a bit rude getting yourself a gift and nothing for me.”

It’s a challenge, an invitation and Buck’s eyes ignite.

“Oh, did you want something for Christmas too?”

Eddie feels his breath catch as Buck’s mouth drifts closer.

“Anything in particular?”

This time it’s him who shrugs and it’s him pressing a hand into Buck’s back to draw him in closer.

“Just something you think I’d want.”

“Tricky.” The tip of Buck’s nose brushes his and they’re both trembling now.

“Not really, I want the same things you do.”

Eddie already has his eyes closed when Buck’s words and lips brush against his skin.

“Well in that case I think I have an idea.”

It’s a good idea too, the perfect gift for them both. Buck kisses him again under the mistletoe and Eddie pulls him as close as he can get and looks forward to unwrapping the rest of his gift later.

[starmocha]

VROOM-VROOM. Sylus had a minor accident (part of his bike got broken off) on the way here, but he's home now 🥹 (I feel like this would be on brand of him, too, so I'm not upset lol I should be able to glue this cleanly back together)

He comes with a magnetic helmet you can attach, because safety first!!

(It took me forever to peel off all of the films on the acrylic pieces before I could assemble his bike 🥲)

My quartet of the LNDS men acrylic standees from weishiart is complete (I couldn't order the actual Sylus standee part of this collection because it was out of stock 😔). Sylus is so small here compared to the other three 😭😭😭 but they all look so adorable together now 🥹 just watch Infold drop some Caleb news to make me upset that this would be incomplete now

Also...

HONEY, BRING OUT THE GOOD COASTERS FOR OUR GUESTS

The coasters:

[a-bleak-gallery]

Another Drawfee episode! Another prompt! What are the odds! This week it was “mash two stock photos together” and they asked people to do the two images that they didn't use in the episode…. So… here?

Not quite a Hallmark movie… or if it is, this is the really early bit. Episode link after the cut…

[loz-chainsofcorruption]

I'm losing my mind over this stock image 😭 why he like that guys dhfjkfkg

I think everyone should be drawing characters in this pose. I challenge you all.

[flying-cat]

no need to ban tiktok if meta is buying it. i'll just delete it myself lmfao

[iwrite-sinsandtragedies]

btw, these are pretty messy, but they get the job done if you need a stock for Qiu and Baxter's sweaters 😂 I know my ass was getting pretty sick and tired of doing that shit from scratch every picture 🤣

[sisterdivinium]

She was never one to shy away, so Mother Superion sustains every glance.

Jillian is curious. Even her perfect education cannot occasionally avoid a more pointed glare, a little intrusive, a little indiscreet.

Superion can read the questions shooting restless within her mind, feel Jillian’s attention trace her entire body, looking for a way into the nun, the fortress. She doesn’t look away at the suggestion of indecency, though the scientist does.

It should bother her.

But it’s been too long since the sword has glowed in her grip and Jillian’s eyes shine brighter and bluer than divinium ever did...

[fieldcoatfra]

mirimay in those japanese clipart artstyles

[phoenixyfriend]

Ko-Fi prompt from Isabelo:

Hi! I'm new to the workforce and now that I have some money I'm worried it's losing its value to inflation just sitting in my bank. I wanted to ask if you have ideas on how to counteract inflation, maybe through investing?

I've been putting this off for a long time because...

I am not a finance person. I am not an investments person. I actually kinda turned and ran from that whole sector of the business world, at first because I didn't understand it, and then once I did understand it, because I disagreed with much of it on a fundamental level.

But... I can describe some factors and options, and hope to get you started.

I AM NOT LEGALLY QUALIFIED TO GIVE FINANCIAL ADVICE. THIS IS NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE.

What is inflation, and what impacts it?

Inflation is the rate at which money loses value over time. It's the reason something that cost 50 cents in the 1840s costs $50 now.

A lot of things do impact inflation, like housing costs and wage increases and supply chains, but the big one that is relevant here is federal interest rates. The short version: if you borrow money from the government, you have to pay it back. The higher the interest rates on those loans, the lower inflation is. This is for... a lot of reasons that are complicated. The reason I bring it up is less so:

The government offers investments:

So yeah, the feds can impact inflation, but they also offer investment opportunities. There are three common types available to the average person: Bonds, Bills, and Notes. I'll link to an article on Investopedia again, but the summary is as follows: You buy a bill, bond, or note from the government. You have loaned them money, as if you are the bank. Then, they give it back, with interest.

Treasury Bills: shortest timeframe (four weeks to a year), and lowest return on investment. You buy it at a discount (let's say $475), and then the government returns the "full value" that the bond is, nominally (let's say $500). You don't earn twice-yearly interest, but you did earn $25 on the basis of Loaning The Government Some Cash.

Treasury Notes: 2-10 year timeframe. Very popular, very stable. Banks watch it to see how they should plan the interest rates for mortgages and other large loans. Also pretty high liquidity, which means you can sell it to someone else if you suddenly need the cash before your ten-year waiting period is up. You get interest payments twice a year.

Treasury Bonds: 20-30 years. This is like... the inverse of a house mortgage. It takes forever, but it does have the highest yield. You get interest payments twice a year.

Why invest money into the US Treasury department, whether through the above or a different government paper? (Savings bonds aren't on sold the set schedule that treasury bonds are, but they only come in 30-year terms.)

It is very, very low risk. It is pretty much the lowest risk investment a person can make, at least in the US. (I'm afraid I don't know if you're American, but if you're not, your country probably has something similar.)

Interest rates do change, often in reaction or in relation to inflation. If your primary concern is inflation, not getting a high return on investment, I would look into government papers as a way to ensure your money is not losing value on you.

This is the website that tells you the government's own data for current yield and sales, etc. You can find a schedule for upcoming auctions, as well.

High-yield bank accounts:

Savings accounts can come with a pretty unremarkable but steady return on investment; you just need to make sure you find one that suits you. Some of the higher-yield accounts require a minimum balance or a yearly fee... but if you've got a good enough chunk of cash to start with, that might be worth it for you.

They are almost as reliable as government bonds, and are insured by the government up to $250,000. Right now, they come with a lower ROI than most bonds/bills/notes (federal interest rates are pretty high at the moment, to combat inflation). Unlike government papers, though, you can deposit and withdraw money from a savings account pretty much any time.

Certificates of Deposit:

Okay, imagine you are loaning money to your bank, with the fixed term of "I will get this money back with interest, but only in ten years when the contract is up" like the Treasury Notes.

That's what this is.

Also, Investopedia updates near-daily with the highest rates of the moment, which is pretty cool.

Property:

Honestly, if you're coming to me for advice, you almost definitely cannot afford to treat real estate as an investment thing. You would be going to an actual financial professional. As such... IDK, people definitely do it, and it's a standby for a reason, but it's not... you don't want to be a victim of the housing bubble, you know? And me giving advice would probably make you one. So. Talk to a professional if this is the route you want to take.

Retirement accounts:

Pension accounts are a kind of savings account. You've heard of a 401(k)? It's that. Basically, you put your money in a savings account with a company that specializes in pensions, and they invest it in a variety of different fields and markets (you can generally choose some of this) in order to ensure that the money grows enough that you can hopefully retire on it in fifty years. The ROI is usually higher than inflation.

These kinds of accounts have a higher potential for returns than bonds or treasury notes, buuuuut they're less reliable and more sensitive to market fluctuations.

However, your employer may pay into it, matching your contribution. If they agree to match up to 4%, and you pay 4% of your paycheck into an pension fund, then they will pay that same amount and you are functionally getting 8% of your paycheck put into retirement while only paying for half of it yourself.

Mutual Funds:

I've definitely linked this article before, but the short version is:

An investment company buys 100 shares of stock: 10 shares each in 10 different "general" companies. You, who cannot afford a share of each of these companies, buy 1 singular share of that investment company. That share is then treated as one-tenth of a share of each of those 10 "general" companies. You are one of 100 people who has each bought "one stock" that is actually one tenth of ten different stocks.

Most retirement funds are actually a form of mutual fund that includes employer contributions.

Pros: It's more stable than investing directly in the stock market, because you can diversify without having to pay the full price of a share in each company you invest in.

Cons: The investment company does get a cut, and they are... often not great influences on the economy at large. Mutual funds are technically supposed to be more regulated than hedge funds (which are, you know, often venture capital/private equity), but a lot of mutual funds like insurance companies and pension funds will invest a portion of their own money into hedge funds, which is... technically their job. But, you know, capitalism.

Directly investing in the stock market:

Follow people who actually know what they're doing and are not Evil Finance Bros who only care about the bottom line. I haven't watched more than a few videos yet, but The Financial Diet has had good energy on this topic from what I've seen so far, and I enjoy the very general trends I hear about on Morning Brew.

That said, we are not talking about speculative capital gains. We are talking about making sure inflation doesn't screw with you.

DIVIDENDS are profit that the company shares to investors every quarter. Did the company make $2 billion after paying its mortgages, employees, energy bill, etc? Great, that $2 billion will be shared out among the hundreds of thousands of stocks. You'll probably only get a few cents back per stock (e.g. Walmart has been trading at $50-$60 for the past six months, and their dividends have been 57 cents and then 20.75 cents), but it adds up... sort of. The Walmart example is listed as having dividends that are lower than inflation, so you're actually losing money. It's part of why people rely on capital gains so much, rather than dividends, when it comes to building wealth.

Blue Chip Stocks: These are old, stable companies that you can expect to return on your investment at a steady rate. You probably aren't going to see your share jump from $5 to $50 in a year, but you also probably won't see it do the reverse. You will most likely get reliable, if not amazing, dividends.

Preferred Stocks: These are stock shares that have more reliable dividends, but no voting rights. Since you are, presumably, not a billionaire that can theoretically gain a controlling share, I can't imagine the voting rights in a given company are all that important anyway.

Anyway, hope this much-delayed Intro To Investing was, if not worth the wait, at least, a bit longer than you expected.

Hey! You got interest on the word count! It's topical! Ish.

[augment-techs]

Roger Egbert Reviews as prompts;

The belladonna is a relative of the tomato; its berries and leaves are highly toxic.

For David and Drakkon or Tom and Tommy or Billy and Billy’s Clone

adventures cannot be planned (3088 words) by CampionSayn Chapters: 1/2 Fandom: Power Rangers (Boom! Comics), Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: World of the Coinless David Trueheart & Lord Drakkon | World of the Coinless Tommy Oliver, World of the Coinless David Trueheart/World of the Coinless Stan Skullovitch, Morphin Grid Color Orange (Power Rangers) & Morphin Grid Color Purple (Power Rangers) Characters: Lord Drakkon (Power Rangers), World of the Coinless David Trueheart, World of the Coinless Stan Skullovitch, Morphin Grid Orange (Power Rangers), Morphin Grid Purple (Power Rangers), World of the Coinless Eugene Skullovitch, World of the Coinless Farkas Bulkmeier Additional Tags: Comic Arc: Shattered Grid (Power Rangers) - Alternate Universe, accidental caretaker, Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Summary: What If: When The Grid Shattered and Drakkon was left in the ever shifting body of his 'perfect world', Something had a say in it that wasn't the Emissaries? What if someone found him at his lowest point and said "Wait, stop, hold on a second," and there was a chance he got…better?

Haaaaaaaappy Late Late Laaaaaaaate Birthday~

I'm still figuring out part 2, I'm sorry Q_Q @lordkingsmith