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#she's not at any of my local retailers
britneyshakespeare · 2 years
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Last month when I was buying makeup at Walmart for my brother's wedding I was really upset about it. Because I don't wear makeup. But there are certain things it's just not hygenic so share so I was getting shit you put in your eyes and a lipstick just to wear once and then never again. I got cheap ones but still like it sucks and for me is a complete waste of money so I felt crappy about it. To make myself feel a little bit better I went to the toy aisle to buy a Na Na Na Surprise doll that I had my eye on and was driving me crazy. It was marked down to $11 too which I had no problem justifying to myself. And by the time I was leaving the makeup aisle I saw a little kid in their mom's carriage eagerly holding. The same doll. I hope that kid is as happy with Liling Luck as I am.
#i thought that was cute.#good on the mom too for waiting for the price to drop#bc those retail for more than $20 at least when they first hit shelves#tales from diana#i had a $20 target giftcard too from a survey i took last year sometime#it was an online gift card i didn't care to transfer into the store#when i almost fainted getting my bridesmaid dress altered i promised myself eventually i would use that card to order mallory duckington#she's not at any of my local retailers#and i love her. i can't get her out of my mind.#her personality is MALLARD DUCK GIRL. need i say more#who is doing it like her. that's right NOBODY#i also love her outfit to pieces and her blue-green hair is stunning#she's so gorgeous im obsessed w her#she's from the same release as liling (glam series 2)#i didn't think my bingewatching a bunch of doll youtubers was gonna result in me actually buying any dolls#especially not new dolls. like. i got into the genre cuz of barbie and ag and bratz mainly#nostalgia you know. i thought IF i were to buy any dolls it'd be a couple secondhand early/mid 2000s bits.#i really truly do think about buying my scene more than you'd know#to a lot of ppl they're 'lesser mattel bratz' but listen they hit just the right spot for me#anyway. yeah i thought there was no chance of me buying any new dolls unless MAYBE they were repros#i wasn't very interested in lol omg or rainbow high or any of that#& barbie is kind of hit or miss these days (unfortunately... i hope the quality makes a comeback bc they look so much cheaper than before)#(ive seen ppl blame it on the new different body types and what it takes to develop them. don't even try it#mattel isn't doing anything they don't profit from. THAT'S why theyre making the dresses outta fuckin paper these days)#but anyway yeah. the moment i saw liling luck#(a few weeks before i cracked and bought her)#she was all i could think about.#when mallory comes in ill take a picture of the two glam series besties
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creepyscritches · 11 months
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Love that my little cousin (little...shes turning 16 next year.... HA..) grew up in my hometown but no one "corrected" her accent and she speaks so comfortably sounding like our home 🥺 My earliest memories were getting chided for sounding too country but it was so confusing to be born into southern culture and then reprimanded for acting or sounding like it. :/
Idk, I have two accents as an adult: a work accent (no dialect, very bland) and a family accent (appalachian, baby!!! Woohoo!!!!). When I come back from visiting home, I bring the appalachian with me and it shocks a lot of people who only know my work voice.
IDK!! I know it was good intentioned to split my dialect at a young age so people wouldn't prejudge my intelligence, but after taking college placement exams 6 years before my peers, finishing all college english course before graduating high school, student teaching art to the high school and the middle school across the street my senior year, tutoring trigonometry and advanced honors chemistry, enrolling in the honors college on a full academic merit scholarship....GOD how much do you have to do before you're allowed to sound like your home without people assuming you're an idiot
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fantasticalleigh · 9 months
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my local dollar tree went up from everything being $1 to then $1.25 and i was like ok that's not terrible but i haven't been there in months and now it's called a Dollar PLUS and things are $3 and $5 too i'm furious
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valla-chan · 1 year
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grgrrggrhgkrhkaukerhgjherkajg/..... GRRGRGRGRRGTFHFHFFHGGTFTFTGFGFG
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golbrocklovely · 11 months
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careful what you wish for // sam and colby (pt. 4)
A/N: first off, terribly sorry this came out so late. i've had a hectic last couple days, and didn't get to finish this fic up until tonight. and sadly, this the last thing i'm posting for my 13 nights of halloween. it's crazy to think that this is finally over. to anyone curious i will be getting back to answering asks by tomorrow. i'll also be writing up my review of hell week, and any other random things i had planned to write about/review before my 13 nights. also, i know so many of you have been waiting eagerly for this next installment, so sorry for the long awaited update. but hopefully it's made better by this fic. happy belated halloween, and happy haunting !
prompt: sam and colby have left you high and dry, so now you've resorted to possibly hooking up with a coworker at an event. but sam and colby will be having NONE of that. || vampire!sam and demon!colby x fem!reader
trigger warning: SO MUCH SMUT, manipulation via powers (surprise! it's not you this time), fucking in a public, fucking with a crowd watching, the crowd is also all of your coworkers, dumb business shit that i know nothing about bc i went to school for theater and work in retail lol, fourth wall break (spooky), cursing, degrading language, being bit but no blood drawn), mentions of: princess, baby girl, baby, slut, whore, called a fleshlight once, unprotected sex (but no fear of getting pregnant bc they're supernatural), gets a bit dark and possessive towards the end, heavy use of MINE and OURs, snc own you so…. if you don't like that don't read,
word count: 7077
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~~~~~~~~~
It was Halloween night, and while you usually looked forward to Halloween, this night was a bit different. The company you worked at was having their annual 'Final Fiscal Quarter Party'. The higher ups agreed that it would be easier to throw it during October, rather than in December. Individual offices could throw their own then, but the main, big event was happening tonight.
Your company rented out a huge hotel ballroom. There was catering, a local DJ playing some family friendly tunes, and a stage where awards were going to be given out. You had been to a couple of these events over the years, but they were always very... boring. You would much rather be at home, snuggled up, watching a scary movie.
Or maybe getting fucked by your... boyfriends? It was hard to describe the relationship you had with Sam and Colby. They used you, but you used them. It was a very symbiotic relationship in that way. But currently, you weren't really too keen on them.
You considered hitting up your old friend, Jess. She was the one, after all, that magically brought Sam and Colby into your life. You hadn't talked to her in a long time. It could be because she still blamed you for the book permanently shutting and ruining her dating life forever.
She could bitch all she wanted, but she wasn't the one being stalked and fucked by a demon and a vampire.
You had grown a bit tired of Sam and Colby, their antics, and their overall ability to flip your world upside down. The sex was great, obviously. But at what cost?
Not to mention, they hadn't spoken to you, or showed up, in months. You were going through a bit of a dry spell, and hated the fact that they hadn't answered your calls. So, it did cross your mind to get rid of them. Permanently.
But that was an issue for another time. Right now, all you had to focus on was getting just drunk enough to enjoy this stuffy party, but not too drunk that you get messy.
And that came a bit easy for you. Across the bar, a handsome man smiled at you, giving you a nod as you accepted his drink. You could see his paper nametag said Brian, and you hadn't recognized him from your own office - so he was a safe bet. God knows you weren't the only one trying to hook up with someone tonight. Plenty of colleagues from different divisions were going to be getting crazy tonight. It was an inside joke amongst the company that this night was usually a fuckfest.
You gazed over at Brian, admiring his silky quaffed hair and great suit. He had a lovely smile; one he shot your way over the glass of whiskey he had in his hand.
A man like Brian seemed... dependable. A good choice for a significant other. Boring, basic, Brian. Maybe that's exactly what you needed. Something steady and settled. Not... supernatural.
Yeah, but could you ever fuck a man like Brian? A man like him could never fulfill your needs. You could hear Colby's voice in the back of your head.
You rolled your eyes, taking a long sip from your wine glass. No. Brian might seem a bit basic on the surface, but who knows? Deep down he could be a sex god. Maybe he was packing some serious heat, and just knew all the right ways to eat a woman out. Yeah, that's what's you would be focusing on. Not the imagine that Sam and Colby would surely try to paint in your head.
You were brought out of your thoughts as the lights dimmed up and down, signaling everyone to get to their seats, as the speeches and award ceremony was going to start soon. You shot a look at Brian one more time and found your seat quickly.
The head of the company sauntered up on stage as applause erupted throughout the room. He nodded his head, shooting a couple people smiles and finger guns. Eventually as the room quieted down, he stepped up to the podium, beginning his speech.
"Good evening, everyone. I'm so happy you all could make it here tonight. Happy Halloween by the way. Isn't this much better than a Christmas party?" He let out a solid laugh, swatting at the crowd jokingly. "But as I was saying, tonight we are all here to celebrate. This company might be big, but it's the little guys - the individuals - that deserve the praise the most. Sure, I'm the head and face of this place, but you guys are what make it possible."
Another round of claps came from the room. You glanced around and noticed that the chair next to you was empty. There was a name tag on the plate, designating this spot for a "Colson Brock".... whoever that was.
"Now before the awards begin, I would like to introduce you all to someone remarkable. This man has helped shape this company in many ways. And, he's incredibly sexy. So let's all give a round of applause for Samson Golbach." The CEO grinned brightly, gesturing to the side of the stage.
You raised an eyebrow, Sexy? That's a strange word to use at a business party. Not to mention, The CEO was married to a woman so... this was all a bit confusing. You awkwardly clapped as the light shined on a man with light blonde hair. He was in an all-black suit, his hair gelled in a sleek look. He waved at the crowd, smirking mischievously. He smiled once he got to the podium, his fangs glistening in the light.
Was that... Sam?
You gasped in your seat, staring up with wide eyes at the stage. It looked like him, but you had never seen him in a suit. Plus he wasn't exuding the same energy he usually would so, maybe this wasn't him. Maybe this was his doppelganger, or someone that looked extremely like him. You sat back in your chair, narrowing your eyes up at the man.
"Thank you all for having me here today. I know many of you don't know who I am, but that's by design. I purposefully like to stay in the shadows, remain almost anonymous. It's a system I built to keep this company running at breakneck speed, and so far... this has been our most successful year to date!" Samson cheered.
You could feel the room clap again, happy with Sam... Samson's words. You took a deep breath, your anger rising. This can't be Sam. Sure, it looked like him and even sounded like him. But Sam and Colby had never taken this... thing, with you outside of your own house. There was no way they would do this to you in front of all of your coworkers and colleagues.
"It's nice to finally be appreciated and received so well. I'm sure you've all had some crazy days and night working here. I usually work all hours of the night and barely get to see the sun. You would think I was some sort of a vampire or something." Samson chuckled, some members of the crowd following suit. He turned, catching your eye, and gave you a wink.
Did he just...
The chair next to you pulled back, a man sat down hastily. He cleared his throat, catching his breath. He unbuttoned his dark blue suit jacket, the silver pinstripes reflecting in the light. Your eyes traveled up the man's form, taking him in until finally stopping on his face. Everything about him was familiar, but his hair was pushed back, exposing his forehead. He took his glasses off, cleaning the lenses and sliding them back on.
“You've got to be fucking kidding me.” You growled.
The man, Colby, turned to look at you suddenly. “I'm... sorry?”
You crossed your arms tightly, sitting back in your chair. “I can't believe that you and Sam would do this.”
He gave a weary smile. “I'm so sorry, you must have me mistaken for someone else.”
“Right, Colby.” You huffed.
“Colby? That's a silly name,” he chuckled. “My name is Colson.”
“Of course it is.” You turned to him sharply, “You know you two have a lot of audacity to do this.”
He shook his head awkwardly. “Again, I'm not sure what you're talking about, Miss.”
“You guys haven't spoken to me in months. I've called out to yall and got nothing back. And now you show up and want to play dress up?!” You whispered harshly. “You guys are sick.”
“I'm not entirely sure what to say. I'm not who you think I am,” he dissented. “I'm Colson Brock, not Colby, and I've never met that man on stage before in my life. But I am about to get an award from him so... if you could just stop talking to me, that would be for the best.”
You scoffed. “I swear to God, Colby-!”
You were cut off as Sam’s voice grew louder, “This award is given out to individuals that show inspiring traits and work countlessly day in and day out for us. The award for Best Dedication, Integrity, Creativity, and Knowledge goes to... Colson Brock!”
You scowled as Colby stood up, patting down his suit softly. He walked towards the stage, shooting you a smug look over his shoulder. He stepped on stage, shaking Sam's hand, and a photo was taken of the two of them holding the award.
You grabbed your purse, sneaking off to the bathroom quickly. You stumbled in, rushing to the sink and leaning against it. The bathroom was empty, just you alone. You breathed deeply, shaking your head.
That had to be Sam and Colby. There's no way that wasn't them.
But a part of you imagined, for just a moment, that maybe... it wasn't them. How could they have manipulated everyone into thinking they were real workers at this company? The CEO introduced Sam, or Samson. Colby's name, or Colson's name, was on the nametag and award.
You felt yourself flush at the thought. Oh my God, if that isn't Colby, that man out there thinks I'm absolutely insane. How the fuck am I supposed to go back to my table, sit there and eat an under seasoned chicken parm, and pretend I didn't just berate a man?
You groaned, bending down, and resting your head against the sink counter. Even when Sam and Colby weren't around, they still fucked with you.
You heard the bathroom door squeak open, your body jolting up. You didn't need another person thinking you were losing it.
Heavy footsteps crept into the bathroom, a man. A deep voice sighed, snickering lightly. You glanced up through the mirror, your eyes widening. Colby swayed in, leaning against the wall. His suit jacket was gone, now just in his button up and slacks. He rolled up his sleeves, running a hand through his hair.
“Surprise, Princess. Did ya miss us?” He teased.   
You glared, “What the fuck, Colby?”
“What?” He gestured outside the bathroom, “A bit too dramatic?”
“This is my livelihood! How dare you and Sam come and fuck this up for me!” You exclaimed, anger coursing through your veins.
“Relax, baby. We would never do anything too bad. No need to worry. Everyone will forget any of this happened. Honestly.” He put his hands up defensively. “This was all meant to be a bit of fun. We just wanted to get a rise out of you.”
“Well, you succeeded. Congratulations.” You retorted, crossing your arms.
“You should be congratulating me on my award. I have the best dedication, integrity, creativity, and knowledge.... D-I-C-K. Dick? Best dick, get it?” He bit his lip cockily, “Came up with it myself.”
“You're a fucking genius,” you deadpanned, rolling your eyes. “God, I knew I should have talked to Jess sooner.”
“Jess... why does that name sound familiar?” He questioned, feigning curiosity.
“She's the one that gave me the book that made the two of you.” You explained bitterly.
“Oh, she is? I'm gonna have write her a thank you card,” he winked. “But why exactly do you need to talk to her?”
“You two... I want you gone.” You admitted.
His face dropped, “What?”
You stepped up to Colby, getting in his face. “Aren't you tired of fucking around with me? Coming and going as you please? Why am I not allowed a normal life with a normal guy?!”
The lights flickered in the bathroom, Colby's eyes turning black for a split second, his horns visible. You shuttered, pressing yourself against the counter. The lights stopped flickering, and Colby was back to normal.
He cleared his throat, loosening his tie a bit. “Because... you're ours. You belong to us.”
“Fuck you.” You spat.
“You have... multiple times,” Colby pointed out in a snarky tone. “Even last year around this time, too.”
“Last Halloween?” You thought back, and a bunch of images started popping into your mind. Sam snapped Colby's neck but was also somehow terrorizing trick-or-treaters. Colby took control of your body but was also somehow dead while you and Sam fucked in your kitchen. It was all very confusing and didn't make quite sense.
“Wait, how the hell did you both fuck me and simultaneously not?” You puzzled, aggravated.
“I guess it just depends on what you picked.” Colby smirked, “Right, reader?”
“What are you talking about?” You replied.
“Don't worry about it.” He leaned against the counter next to you, “Back to what you were saying though. So, you want a normal guy so you can live a normal life... why? Isn't it more exciting to get fucked by a demon and a vampire?”
“Yeah, but there's more to life than sex.” You argued.
He feigned shock, “Take that back.”
You jeered, “You're extra fucking annoying, you know that?”
“And you clearly need the brattiness fucked out of you. But for some reason you don't want me or Sam to do it. Why? Did you have someone else in mind?” He took a couple steps, facing you again, “Like, say... Brian.”
You felt your heart skip a beat. “How do you-“
He interjected. “I'm a demon. I know a lot of things. Not to mention I saw him and you eye-fucking each other by the bar. You're lucky I saw it and not Sam. Because Brian would be drained dry by now. Still probably will be.”
You rolled your eyes, “Okay, fine. I was eye-fucking Brian. And why am I not allowed to? Yall have been gone for months.”
“But you've been putting that toy of yours to such good use,” Colby taunted.
“You're an asshole.” You shot back.
“Thank you. I appreciate the love,” he smiled genuinely. “But I gotta ask, do you really think a man named 'Brian' can make you come like we can? Be honest with yourself on that.”
“That's not the only reason I want him,” you responded sassily. “Plus, he could be really good at sex.”
“Okay then. Let's find out.” Colby stomped over to the door, yelling out, "Brian! Get in here!"
You furrowed your brow, confused as to what Colby had up his sleeve. What the hell was he bringing Brian in here for?
Brian stepped in, glancing between the two of you. He had a dazed look on his face, clearly entranced.
“Colby, don-“ You started.
He cut you off again, “Look, princess. You wanted to know if he's a good fuck. So, I'm giving you the chance to find out. See what a normal fucking will bring to your life.”
“You can't force him to fuck me!” You fumed.
“I mean, I definitely could, but I'm not going to.” He turned to Brian, patting his shoulder, “Brian, my guy, do you want to fuck Y/N?”
Brian nodded. “Yes.”
“That's why you were buying her drinks tonight, right?” Colby asked.
“Yeah.” Brian’s voice was dull, almost like there were no thoughts behind his eyes.
“Such an honest man,” Colby commented. “Do you find her attractive?”
“Of course.” Brian agreed.
“Would you sleep with her if she said yes?” He continued.
Brian blinked, “Yes.”
Colby looked at you, “There we go. Happy?”
“I'm not fucking him in here, or in front of you.” You retorted, leaning back against the counter.
“Don't you want to prove me wrong? Don't you want to wipe the smug look off my face when he makes you come with his tongue? Or his totally, not average sized, dick?” Colby stepped up to you, his voice low, “The moment I walked in here, you got wet.”
A rush of blood came to your cheeks, your breath hitching.
“No amount of blushing can hide that deep down, you're a slut that wants to be fucked - pretty much - anywhere. And you're only giving me lip because we left you cold and alone for a couple months. I'm sorry about that. I truly wished I listened to your pleads...” he leaned in, kissing your cheek. “And cries...” he moved to the other cheek, giving it a quick kiss. “And screams,” he kissed your forehead gently. “Begging me to come fuck you. But absence makes the heart grow fonder. And this, right here, is my apology to you.”
You stood still, unsure what to do. Part of you did want to fuck Brian, just because you did find him hot. But with Colby standing next to him... it was no contest.
“Here. I'll sweeten the deal,” Colby offered. “If he makes you come, we'll leave. Forever.”
You froze, “Really?”
“No, probably not. The whole magical book kinda forbids that. But we will leave here, and you and Brian can go on your merry way and you two can go have beautifully... vanilla, sex.” He smiled dryly.
“Lucky for Brian, I'm already wet.” You quipped, glaring.
“Perfect. Brian, give the lady what she wants.” He gasped, “Ooh, can I choose what he does? Pleaseeeee?”
You blinked, giving the slightest nod.
“You are so generous.” Colby spun to him, “Brian, do you want to eat her out?”
“I would... but I don't do that.” Brian spoke monotone.
Colby’s face dropped, almost mimicking yours. “You don't give head? Sloppy toppy? None of that?”
“No.” Brian replied.
“This is the man you want, huh? Absolute loser,” Colby pointed at him, rolling his eyes. “Well, Brian, now you do. So, go crazy.”
Brian turned to you, a lustful look overcoming him. He dropped to his knees, crawling towards you. Your heart raced, watching his every move. His hands wrapped around your ankle, slowly kissing up your leg gently. The sensation sent a shiver up your spine, your head falling back a bit.
Colby leaned against the wall, studying you. His face was blank, almost uninterested. You glared at him, trying to ignore his presence. He smiled, giving a little wave.
Brian nibbled on your inner thigh, his fingers stroking up and down the center of your underwear. He brushed against your clit, your knees almost buckling.
“You're wet, Y/N.” Brian hummed in awe.
“Yeah, that's what happens when you turn a woman on.” He leaned in, whispering to you, “Is he new around here or...?”
“Shut up, Colby!” You groaned. “Keep going Brian, please. I need you.”
“Don't take it too personally, Brian. She says that to everyone. Especially me.” Colby grinned.
“Drop dead.” You hissed.
He remarked, “I'm not really alive so...”
Brian pulled down your underwear, letting them fall down your legs and to the floor. The cool air hit your hot sex, making your body tense up. Brian leaned in, his mouth connecting with your clit.
You closed your eyes tightly, allowing the sensation of his tongue to arouse you more. It was a slow build, that was for sure. Nothing like Sam and Colby and the way they did things. But it was still nice.
But maybe not what you needed.
You placed your hand on the back of Brian's head, pushing him more into your heat. He grunted, the vibrations feeling fantastic against your clit. You amped up your moans, hoping it was believable to Colby.
He yawned, gazing at you bored. You shook your head, deciding to ignore Colby. You were determined to come, to make them leave. But Brian was not helping you, which was upsetting.
“Brian, baby... go a little faster please.” You begged, annoyed.
He nodded, moving his tongue hastily. You could feel the pleasure build more, but it was still a long way away from being close to an orgasm. He slid a finger in, pumping in and out sloppily. You groaned, feeling even less turned on suddenly.
“I guess I know why you don't give head.” Colby swatted at Brian, “Move.”
Your eyes widened, “What? No! Brian, st-”
“I know you want to come so we leave, but that ain't gonna happen with Brian over here.” Colby mentioned.
"Well, maybe he could fuck me!" You argued, gesturing to his dick.
“But I'm not hard.” Brian stated.
Colby raised an eyebrow, “Why?”
“Eating pussy isn't really a turn on for me.” Brian informed.
“God, Y/N, you really know how to pick them.” Colby pulled him up by his arm, smiling sinisterly. “Brian, why don't you leave and go find Sam? I think he can teach you a valuable lesson on what happens to men that don't please their women.”
Brian turned and left, not saying another word. You huffed, glaring harshly at Colby. “Your little glares aren't going to do anything to me, sweetheart. If anything, they just make me hard.”
Colby's hand slid down and cupped your sex, palming your clit gingerly. You gasped, back arching as you pressed yourself against the counter. Colby barricaded you in, his hand beginning to make small circles on your clit.
“This is how a man fucks a woman like you.” He uttered, staring at you intensely.
“But you're not eating me out.” You challenged.
Colby cocked his head. “If you wanted my tongue, you could have just asked.”
You suddenly felt a tongue licking at your entrance, your body shuttering in ecstasy. “Fuck, h-how-?”
"Did you forget I have abilities? Is it because the horns aren't here?" The lights flickered, and when they turned back on, his horns were out. “How about now? Do you remember what I am now?”
"Yeaahhh, I remember." You whined, your head falling back in pleasure.
“You are so sexy when you get close to coming. God, it makes me hard just thinking about it.” Colby pushed his clothed, growing dick against your thigh, “Do you feel me?”
You nodded mindlessly, your hands gripping his forearms.
“Princess?” He asked innocently.
“Uh-huh?" You murmured.
“I think that's enough for you." All the sensations stopped, Colby pulling away from you.
“Wha-? No. No! Colby, please.” You grumbled.
He asserted, “It's time for you to be punished.”  
“What did I do?” You questioned, your mouth a gape.
"I'm sorry, was Brian that forgetful or do you like playing dumb?" Colby spun you around, making you face the mirror. He rolled your dress up a bit, pressing his bulge against your bare ass. "Here's what's going to happen. I'm gonna start fucking you, and you have to remain quiet. Just like you were with Brian."
You lowered your voice, “Why do I have to be silent?”
“Because otherwise, you'll get caught.” He whispered cheekily.
The door busted open, and a gaggle of women came in, chit chatting like there wasn't a demon about to fuck you right against the sink.
You gulped; your voice even quieter. “What the fuck, Colby?!”
"Don't worry, princess. If you remain silent, they won't see you. But once you make a single noise, they'll know. They'll know that you are a dirty slut that likes to get fucked in the bathroom. That you're so desperate for dick that you'd let a demon fuck you. And a vampire." He tsked sassily, "Double greedy."
Colby unbuttoned his pants, giving your ass a slap as his cock sprang free. You bit your lip, holding back a gasp.
"You ready for me, baby?" He lined himself up with your entrance, sliding along your lips. Then finally, he glided his cock in.
You trembled from the sensations, direly wanting to moan along with him. But you didn't want to get caught. Being fucked while others were around, whether they could see you or not, was embarrassing enough.
But also incredibly thrilling.
Colby thrusted deeply, his cock hitting the right spot over and over again. You felt overwhelmed, but in the best way. Your body already felt like it was building rapidly, your legs shaking under your weight. You felt like your skin was on fire, burning against the cool air.
A lady walked up to the sink next to you, washing her hands and looking at herself in the mirror. You shuttered out a breath, Colby picking up his pace.
“Don't look at her, Y/N. Look at yourself in the mirror. Watch yourself get fucked.” He commanded breathlessly.
You turned your head, staring straight. He smirked at you in the mirror, keeping his pace the same while lazily pulling off his tie.
"This is what you deserve, sweetheart. You're such a slut for me." He yanked your hands behind your back, tying them easily with his tie. He gripped your connected hands, bucking his hips harder and faster now.
Your body buzzed erotically, your hips gyrating in time with Colby's. You could feel your edge building; all you had to do was stay quiet.
Colby slid one hand down between your legs, finding your swollen clit instantly. He rubbed it faster than his thrusts, causing your whole body to jolt. You sucked in a harsh breath, knowing you shouldn't have. But God... the sensation was too much for you to stay quiet.
The women in the bathroom looked around, confused.
"Baby, do you want to get caught or something? Because you are being awfully loud. Maybe you need something in your mouth to quiet you down." He snaked his other hand up towards your face, his two fingers rubbing along your lips. You parted your mouth, allowing his fingers inside.
He cursed, “That's fucking it baby. Be a good girl and suck them for me.”
You sucked his fingers like your life depended on it. He finger-fucked your mouth in time with his dick, both speeding up as the minutes passed. You could feel yourself getting close, knowing that your orgasm was imminent.
“It's been too long since the last time you sucked my cock.” He chuckled darkly, “Maybe later you do that for me. Wouldn't you want that, princess?”
You nodded desperately, bucking your hips wildly against his cock and hands. You were about to explode, your edge hitting its peak. This is all you wanted for the last couple months: to be fucked hard and well. And that's what Colby was doing.
“You almost ready to come? Build up baby. Suck my fingers dry. Suck them like you would my dick.” You took his fingers deeper, gagging around them. You pumped yourself on his cock, whimpering. "There you go, baby. What a good girl." Colby leaned in, his horns grazing your cheek as he uttered, "My good girl... Come for me."
Your body spasmed around Colby's cock, bouncing on it helplessly. You moaned loudly around his fingers, not caring if anyone heard. You had been so focused on staring in the mirror at yourself getting fucked that didn't see that you and Colby were all alone in the bathroom once more. His eyes bore at you in the mirror, flashing to black.
Relaxing your hips, his cock pulled out of you for a moment, letting you relax. You felt your juices run down your inner thigh, your body still running high. You leaned down, placing your head against the counter as you took some deep breaths.
“Hi there, baby girl. “A familiar voice came from behind you, but it wasn't Colby's. You looked up quickly, Sam now behind you, and Colby was nowhere to be seen. Sam waved back at you in the mirror, smirking. "You ready for me now?"
“W-Where is Colby?” You stuttered, your pussy twitching at the thought of Sam's hard cock.
"Oh, you don't need to worry about him. He'll be back soon enough." Sam traced a finger along your sex, gasping. "God baby, you are so wet. Completely soaking yourself."
He took his finger into his mouth, tasting you. "Fuck, I missed that."
Your mouth hung open, watching him through lustful eyes. His hand snaked around to the front of your body, grabbing your neck firmly. He pulled you flush against his partially exposed body, his cock hard against your ass. "We give you everything you could ask for, and you still wanted someone like Brian? How pathetic."
He forced your head to look at yourself in the mirror, "You are a desperate slut just begging to be fucked. But we're the only ones that can make you feel this good."
Sam slammed his hips into yours, his cock taking you deeply. You grunted loudly, eyes rolling back into your head. He took advantage of your still tied up hands, holding them tightly. His other hand raced up your back, lowering you down to the sink. He placed you flat against the counter, fucking you harshly. You shook with each of his thrusts, mewling at every in and out.
“You think you get to choose who fucks you now? You think you can move on from us?” He fumed, his cocking hitting your spot repeatedly.
You panted, “Noooo.”
“There is no one other than us. Let me make that abundantly clear: you're ours.” Sam's fangs sunk into your skin, your eyes widening. He continued to bite you all over, barely drawing any blood, but marking you; letting everyone know you were taken.
Your second orgasm was close. You needed this second one badly, itching to come sooner rather than later. You could feel how desperate and hot and slutty it was turning you.
“Baby girl, do you deserve to come? Have you been good?” Sam questioned.
You nodded, your whole body shaking, “Yessss. Yes I have. Please Sam! Please!”
He pulled you up again, locking eyes with you in the mirror. His hand wrapped around your throat, squeezing tightly. “Ride my dick, baby. Make yourself come on my dick.”
You uncontrollably bucked your hips, whining on his cock. His hold on your neck tightened just enough, making it hard to breath and your vision blurring. The lack of oxygen made your orgasm hit twice as hard. You soaked his member, moving mindlessly on it until you finally finished. Your legs gave out a bit, Sam catching you. He snickered, his red eyes taking you in through the mirror.
The doors to the bathroom busted open again, a random lady coming in. She turned and looked at the two of you, not even acknowledging what she had to be seeing. "Y/N, you need to come out there quick."
You were taken aback by this woman, unsure of who she was or what the hell she wanted you for. "W-what are you talking about?" You rushed, shimmying your dress down, trying to cover yourself back up.
“They're calling your name. You won an award!” She exclaimed, leaving the bathroom happily.
You furrowed your brow, turning to Sam. But he was gone. Those powers of their really do come in handy for moments like these.
You shuffled out of the bathroom, even more confused as you glanced around at everyone from your company. They were all looking at you, smiling brightly and being congratulatory. You walked towards the stage, the people directing you, and as you got closer, you saw Sam and Colby on it, holding a plaque of some sort.
Sam pulled you on stage, kissing your cheek sweetly. Colby handed you the award, shaking your hand dramatically. You took the award in your hand, turning it to see what it said.
“Give it up for Y/N everyone. The biggest slut of the year!” Sam yelled into the microphone. “Congratulations baby, you deserve it.”  
You gawked at Sam and Colby, the reality of what they did hitting you. You threw the award on the ground, glaring at them harshly.
“Hey now, we worked really hard on that.” Sam pouted.
“Fuck you, how dare you make me a fool in front of everyone!” You ranted, getting in their faces.
"Princess, no one is gonna remember this. And luckily, no one will remember this either." Colby smiled devilishly.
Sam and Colby grabbed at your dress, tearing it off your body like it was made of cheap fabric. The crowd cheered, your body heating up immediately as you were suddenly naked in front of everyone.
“Now, don't argue with us, plaything. You can bitch and moan all you want to but being fucked in front of everyone... turns you on.” Colby wrapped his arms around you, whispering in your ear, “No matter how much you want to deny it, you can't deny how drenched you are right now.”
Your body quivered as Colby's fingers slipped easily into your cunt. You fell back against him; his suddenly naked body cool against your hot skin. Sam sauntered up to you, rubbing his hands up and down your torso. His hands kneaded your breasts, nipples aching to be touched.
Sam laughed, “Look at her, Colby. She can't even argue with us. She knows that we're right. She is the biggest slut of the year. She's our slut, our toy, our plaything. Ours. Forever.”
The room erupted in applause, some even screaming out your name.
“Let's give them a show, princess,” Colby gestured to the eager crowd. Let the people see the real slut you are. Isn’t that what you want? To be fucked in front of everyone.”
You couldn't think anymore. Every sensation was overpowering your thoughts. You knew deep down that Sam and Colby were right, and all you could think of was how badly you wanted to come again.
You nodded feverishly, your hands automatically pawing at both of their bodies. The air around you changed once you said yes, your body being positioned graphically. Forced down onto your knees, Colby stood in front of you, while Sam was behind you.
“Aww, baby. Look, it's your favorite positions: on your hands and knees, getting railed by us.” Sam jested playfully.
Your sex throbbed, direly needing them inside of you. You whined, looking up at Colby. “Please, just fuck me. No more teasing.”
Colby stared into your eyes, jerking himself off right in front of your face. “You want this, huh? You want me in your mouth. Say it.”
You nodded, biting your lip. “I want you in my mouth.”
“And what about me, toy?” Sam slapped your ass, making you look back at him.
“Fuck, I need it. I need the both of you so bad!” You cried, grinding your hips back against Sam.
Hoots and hollers sounded off around the room. You glanced at the crowd, their hungry eyes taking your desperate form in.
“Fine then, since you asked so nicely,” Colby cupped your face, turning your head back to his cock. The tip pushed against your mouth, sliding in easily. He moaned lowly, almost animalistically. Sam teased his cock along your entrance, slipping in effortlessly.
Once they were in you, you sighed deeply. It felt so good to be surrounded by Sam and Colby, to be filled by them. They had you right where they wanted you, and you loved every second of it.
And the crowd seemed to love it even more.
They started off slow, taking their time to build your pleasure up. There was nothing else on your mind. All you could think about was their cock and how much you wanted them to come deep inside of you.
Colby gaped, “Oh princess, you have the filthiest mind. Maybe even dirtier than ours.”
“That's why she's our slut. We are just innocent people being used by this whore of a woman,” Sam shuttered, lulling his head back as he fucked you. “And God, I love every second of it.”
“I could fuck this mouth for hours. How does that sound, sweetheart? You love that idea, don't you?” Colby breathed, biting his lip, staring down at you.
You nodded enthusiastically, taking his shaft deeper. He grunted, hips twitching. His hand rested on your head lightly, pulling your hair softly. His grip tightened, causing you to gag around him.
Sam cursed, “Fuuuuck, she clenched around me when gagged. Keep doing that, baby girl. That felt so good.”
“Y/N, how can you get all of this, all of us, and still want something else? Especially Brian. What a fucking loser.” Colby groaned, disgusted.
Sam agreed, grimacing. “Dude didn't even know how to eat pussy. He didn't even like eating pussy.”
The crowd booed, screaming expletives at the sound of Brian's name.
“See, everyone knows that Brian sucks. How could you ever settle for something like that when you have the best right here?” Sam inquired. “Two men willing to do anything to make you come.”
"Let me make this perfectly clear, darling," Colby pulled himself out of you, raising you up so you were eye level with him. He held your face firmly, his voice low and calm. “While I'm never the type to get jealous, and watching you get eaten out by that joke of a man was entertaining and kinda sexy, let me be honest with you.”
His face dropped, his eyes darkening with each word. "If you ever go after another man again, I will personally make sure to rip his heart out in front of you, and then I’ll breed your cunt so deeply you will feel me for days. Because there is no one else for you, princess. Just. Us. Forever. That means for eternity, you are ours. You are mine."
Sam yanked your hair, pulling you out of Colby's grip for a moment. He grunted harshly, "That goes for me too, baby girl. If you ever even breathe near another man again, I might have to drain your sexy little body dry and turn you into our immortal plaything for forever. And don't think for a second I'm bluffing."
Colby took you by the neck, pulling you back towards him, choking you lightly. All the while, Sam was still fucking you. "There is no escaping us, Y/N. We will never let you go. No matter what you do for the rest of your life, we will always be there, in the shadows, watching. We own you. And nothing will change that."
His face relaxed, going back into his casual, smug look. "So... in the meantime, enjoy yourself, princess. And open your mouth again."
He pushed you down, his cock still hard and leaking, ready to fuck your mouth. Their words sank deeply into your mind, arousing and frightening you all at the same time.
Colby thrusted himself back in, gagging you. “There you go, baby. But now, I think it's time we give the people what they want. Right, everybody?!”
The room screamed in approval, lustful energy shooting through you from the sound. Suddenly, Sam and Colby began fucking you passionately, the sheer brutal force alone bouncing you back and forth on their cocks. You whined around them, feeling yourself get lost in the feeling of being their toy.
Sam groaned a breathy sound, “God, you're basically just a fleshlight, Y/N. Don't you love being used by us?”
“You know she does, Sam. Just a set of holes for us to use.” Colby’s voice was husky and low, “God, her mouth feels incredible.”
“She's so pathetic, really. She squeezed around me so tightly when we called her names. Maybe we should do that more often.” Sam taunted.
“Of course. There are so many more names we could come up with for her. But right now, all I'm concerned about is coming down her throat and fucking her until she chokes.” Colby's hips sped up as he face-fucked you. You didn't even have time to react, your jaw becoming slack and just allowing him to take over and use it like a toy. Tears welled up and rolled down your cheeks and drool dribbled down your chin from his harsh actions.
Sam's hand went between your bodies, rubbing your clit in time with his thrusts. Your thighs shook from the feeling, the pleasure overwhelming.
“You're so close, aren't you, princess?” Colby panted.
Sam chimed in; his voice depraved. “Build up for us. Come with us, baby girl.”
They pounded into you in unison, almost taking the breath out of you with each thrust. The room began getting louder, chants of "Come for us" came from the crowd, building up in time with your orgasm.
Every part of this was spectacular and you couldn't get enough.
Your breathing hitched as your orgasm hit the edge, ready to fall over once they said you could. Sam and Colby kept going, kept using you, until they were ready. You begged them to let you come, your pleas muffled by Colby’s cock. Both thrusted with abandonment, needing to come just as badly as you.
Colby grunted, pulling your hair, “Fuck, fuck! Y/N, come! Come for us now!”
“Do it baby! That's fucking it, YES!” Sam growled, his fingers bruising your hips as he held them tightly.
All three of you exploded in euphoric pleasure, bellowing out in ecstasy. The crowd roared as Sam and Colby filled you up with their cum. You released around Sam's cock, soaking him. You swallowed as much of Colby's cum as you could, gagging as he hit the back of your throat repeatedly until finally slowing his hips down. Sam slammed inside of you once more, grunting out a strained cry. Your body was spent, exhausted from being fucked so many times. You felt yourself black out, unable to stay awake a moment longer.
When you came to, you were in your hotel room, inside the same hotel the event had taken place at. You felt sore everywhere, knowing that wasn’t a dream. You sighed happily, snuggling into bed. You noticed a note on the side of your pillow. You picked it up, reading it quickly.
Ours.
- Sam and Colby
<< Part 3B ||
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leth-writes · 1 month
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Yandere Chrollo
Just a reminder that my requests are open!
Warnings: this blog is 18+. Discussions of violence and gore.
Summary: A library worker is found by the infamous phantom troupe.
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This piece is more experimental, so if you want more, please let me know!
Despite having worked at the library for four years, Barbara still hadn’t quite gotten used to your presence. She tended to forget who you were, trying to kick you out from behind the desk until you flashed your badge at her. And yet, working at the library was still better than the drudgery of working retail, so at the library you remained.
Your favorite section was definitely the non-fiction, because it allowed you to get lost between the stacks, with only exhausted college students and well-meaning seniors occasionally wandering by. Even though you lived in YorkNew, your branch was on the outskirts, and was thus less visited than the main branches deeper within the sprawling city. This left you with quite a lot of free time toward the end of your shift, especially once Barbara went home. Working a closing shift meant you would average only one confused browser coming up to you per shift, allowing you to hunker down in one of the massive beanbags by the window and read away.
The weather was shifting, turning colder, and the nights were getting longer. It was approaching September, and you’d need to start prepping for the first week of school ‘rush’. At least, Barbara was convinced there would be a rush, but it wasn’t likely. Still, it was never too early to set up a couple of after-school activities to give the local kids a way to engage, especially with the recent uptick in crime.
Barbara was sure that the uptick in crime was due to some nefarious presence in the city, and honestly, you partially believed her. A series of brutal murders had rocked the city, yet the police were more focused on ramping up attention in the center of the city, around the operahouse, rather than protecting the populace. You weren’t surprised.
Chrissy, your friend from University, was waiting for you when you walked out after locking up. It was dark, without even the moon in the sky to guide you, as you both walked to the bus stop. Chrissy flicked her long black hair over her shoulder, glancing over at you. “Was your shift okay?” A hint of concern laced her voice. “Oh, it was okay. Barbara forgot where the stapler was and tried to get me to buy a new one, but that was about it. How was yours?” You left out the yelling involved in the story, of course. Chrissy smiled wanly; “I swear, the customers get younger and younger everyday. I had a ten year old come in, convinced she needed moisturizer for aging moms!” She laughed loudly, grabbing your hand and pulling you along to the bus stop.
The stop was empty and dark, no bus in sight. You checked your phone; the next one was 10 minutes away. “Do you wanna do something this weekend?” Chrissy ventured, peering over at you through her lashes. “I don’t have any plans”. “Cool. I got some tickets to some event from Mikael, some opera or auction or whatever. Wanna come with us?” She swung your connections hands between the two of you. “Alright, just to keep you from getting drunk and spilling wine on some rich socialite”. She laughed, tossing her head back. “That was one time!” 
Footsteps crunched along the gravel of the path behind you. You surreptitiously turned around; it was a tall, willowy woman with a short blond bob. She was wearing a partially unbuttoned blouse and a tight pencil skirt. Some type of businesswoman? There weren’t any offices for miles, though… The library was part of an outlet mall, so maybe she was finishing up with some shopping. Satisfied with your mental assessment, you turned away. She came to a stop just to the left of the two of you, and you pulled your sweater tighter, making sure your mark was covered. You’d accidentally rubbed the makeup off your wrist earlier after cleaning up the curry Barbara had spilled, and you wanted to make sure she didn’t catch sight of the red, raised spidery tattoo present just beyond your forearm.
The tall woman glanced at you, then Chrissy. Seeing the lack of threat you two posed, she turned away and peered down the pitch-black road.
Chrissy pulled out her wallet, before sighing. “Shit, I forgot my keys! I need to run back and grab them. I’ll see you tomorrow, hun.”. She whipped around, barely missing bumping into a tall, stocky man who was approaching the stop, shouting out a hurried “sorry!” as she sprinted down the path.
The man, who was so hunched over your neck pinged in sympathy, leered at the blonde woman. “Hey!” he called loudly, moving toward her. “Hey, you!”. He moved closer, and she shot him an annoyed look. She shifted slightly away, her eyes flicking toward you before flashing back to the man. His hand reached out to grab at her hair.
“Just leave, dude.” you mumbled, stepping toward him. He glanced over to you, before doing a double-take, as if only just at that moment noticing you. “What’s it matter to you?” he asked. “Just go home. Leave us alone.” You huffed, turning toward the road to try to spot the bus. As you stared hard into the darkness, praying the man would leave, you noticed a flicker of movement at the corner of your eye, right before you felt a hard shove. You fell forward, your hands shooting out to catch yourself before you fell directly onto the road. You groaned, brushing dirt off your palms and slowly rising to your feet. 
You looked over; the woman was staring at you, shocked, and the man was slowly lumbering away. “Are you okay?” you asked. She continued to stare. You stared back, unnerved. The impromptu staring contest lasted for almost a minute, only interrupted by the bus slowly pulling up. “Oh…kay… Well, have a nice night?” You ventured hesitantly, climbing up the steps of the bus in a hurry. The tall woman continued to stare. Just as you were turning around to find a seat, she suddenly grabbed your forearm. You started, whipping around and yanking your arm out of her grasp. “...Thanks,” she said lowly, not breaking eye contact. “Are you going to get on the bus or not, ma’am?” the bus driver’s low rumble broke the quiet moment, and you turned around again and went to find your seat. When you glanced back, the woman was gone and the door had closed.
The next day, the library was quiet as ever. Barbara was puttering around behind the desk, chatting to a younger reader who was attempting to check out without learning the name of every one of Barbara’s great-grandchildren. You smiled wryly; you wouldn’t risk getting sucked into the story of her son’s first steps, so the kid was on his own. As you moved toward the non-fiction area in the back, with its dusty red carpet and wide arched windows, you stopped to place books back in their assigned spaces, rolling the cart steadily forward. 
You were broken from your focused trance by the soft clearing of a throat. You turned around to spot a young man, smiling at you. “Hi,”you said, glancing up at him. “Hello,” he said softly. “I’m looking for a particular book, but I’m not sure where to find it…” You perked up. “Oh! Of course, I can help. What book are you looking for?” His smile softened. “I’m looking for A History of the Bible, but none of the other branches I’ve checked have had it.”. You took the moment he glanced away to assess him. He was tall, taller than you, with a lithe frame and choppy black bangs hanging over his forehead. He wore a plush black turtleneck, with dark slacks and an expensive-looking belt, though you couldn’t place the label. You hummed, nodding.
“Well, I’m not sure if we have it, but if we do, it’ll be over there.” you pointed in the direction of Christian literature. “Are you looking for other books? Even if we don’t have that specific one, we might have something else you could use.” You hedged, tilting your head as you mentally ran through the catalog.
“Hm, I’m not sure. Are you well-versed in biblical critique?” You laughed. “No, it’s an interesting field but I’ve never taken the time to pick up a book on it. Are you in university?” You asked, curious. “No, just an… avid reader.”. You hummed. “Do you have any recommendations?” His dark eyes meeting yours. Suddenly uncomfortable, you looked away. “Um, I just read a couple of things off the cart every now and then… Anyways, I have to get back to sorting the shelves…” You turned away, feeling his eyes boring into the back of your head. You hurried away, leaving the cart behind and swiftly walking into the backroom.
You let out a huge huff of air, tension draining as you left the man’s point of view. Barbara, mid-eating her lunch, looked up. She seemed to realize something had happened, because for once, she seemed concerned. “Are you alright, love?” she asked. “Yeah… yeah, I’m okay. Just rattled by a weird interaction” You turned away, walking out and moving toward the front desk. As you arrived, almost as if on cue, the phone let out a shrill ring.
You picked up the phone, absently curling the coil cord around your finger. “Hello, YorkNew Public Library, East Park branch. How can I help you?” You let the cord go, watching as it bounced in the air. “Walk outside and wait at the curb.” The voice was deep and rough, cold in its efficiency. “Excuse me? Is this a prank call? That’s not appropriate-” You began, huffing. “If you don't, the deaths of everyone in the building will be your fault.”. It felt as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over your head, recoiling from the phone. “Listen, I don’t know who this is, but this isn’t funny. I’m going to call the police.” You went to hang up the phone, but stopped; what if it was real? What if there really was someone who would hurt everyone? Would it be better to just wait outside?
You considered, weighing your options. No. It wasn’t possible; the only people in the building at the moment were you, Barbara, and a young boy over by the arts and crafts table, innocently working on a paper project. You’d lock the doors and call the cops and they’d catch the guy and everyone would be safe. Satisfied with your plan, you slammed the receiver down and moved toward the door to lock it.
Your cellphone dinged.
Freezing, you reached into your pocket, before realizing it wasn’t in there. Where was it-? 
Your phone dinged again.
You turned around, spotting it on the counter of the desk. You cautiously approached it, the irrational, animal part of your brain half-convinced someone would jump out and attack you.
Picking it up and unlocking it, you realized it was a message from Chrissy. You swiped into your Messaging app.
You dropped your phone, letting out an ear-piercing scream.
“Fuck! What the fuck?! You cried, hand coming up to clutch at your hair.” The landline rang again, interrupting your freakout. You yanked it off the hook, “What was that?!” you moaned, half-collapsing against the counter. “If you don’t step outside, We’ll have to come get you. If we have to come get you, the old lady’s next.”. You let the phone drop, tears cresting your cheeks as you shuffled your way to the curb.
The wind was blowing harshly and the sky was a sickly gray. What was once regular September weather now felt like an insult; it felt like thunder should be crashing down, a representation of the despair you felt. A sleek black car pulled up to the curb and the door swung open. You stepped up, bending down to see inside.
Across the divide was the man from earlier, still smiling. His choppy bangs were now pulled up, exposing an intricate dark tattoo clashing with his pale skin. “Ah, you’re here. Good. Please, get in.” You did, closing the door. The locks clinked in place, sealing your doom. Tears were still spilling down your face and you shuddered with the force of your sobs, breath hitching. The man looked over, concerned, and placed a hand on your thigh. “Don’t worry. We won’t hurt you.”
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three--rings · 1 year
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Most people don't have any understanding of what has been lost in Lahaina Town. Not just lives and property, but an entire town.
Most people hear "a city/town in Hawaii" and they picture probably resorts. And there are plenty of resorts nearby. But those are all fine.
Lahaina was an old whaling town dating back to the original colonization by white settlers. Before white people arrived, it was the capital of the island, where the high chief ruled, including Kamehameha the Great. The buildings are old, wooden, and crowded together. Obviously that was a problem in the face of the insanely fast wildfire.
But these weren't mansions, Mc or otherwise. It was a tourist town, a destination for cute, spendy shopping and dining, full of art galleries. (OMG THE GALLERIES. There was so much ART lost. There was original Dr. Seuss art in one gallery when I was there in January. That's gone now. Etc.)
But the people who lived and worked in Lahaina were mostly working class, working retail and restaurant jobs, living in old apartments and small houses. Lots of elderly, lots of non-white in a wide range of ethnicities, old hippies who have been there since the 60s and 70s. Yeah they were probably a little better off than people who drive in from other places to work in West Maui, at least because their property was high value, if they owned. But they lived without A/C, hung their laundry on lines, biked to work, called in sick to go surfing when the waves were up. There was a Chinese cultural center and a Buddhist temple, two different structures, if that tells you anything. Multiple museums housing historic items and cultural centers.
And the town will be rebuilt, in some form, I imagine. Or re-developed, more likely. People who are now homeless, who can't afford to rebuild or pay for two residences while the recovery happens will be bought out by deep pocketed developers. If they rebuild Lahaina Town I'm afraid it will be Lahaina Town tm by Disney.
Another fake paradise for tourists with lava rock from the Big Island. Another bit of Hawaii swallowed by capitalism and climate change.
I'm not painting everything about Lahaina as it was as perfect. Front Street was an often gaudy display of brand names and hucksters out to shovel in the tourist dollars. And of course the politics of Hawaii are incredibly complex and fraught in so many ways. I'm just a mainlander haole. I will never live on the islands, despite my family there constantly asking me to move. But I've spent more time there than anywhere I haven't lived, almost all of that time in West Maui.
My mom works in a building that is not there anymore. She just described that job to me as "the last job she'll ever have" as she's 79 and very happy with working two days a week selling t-shirts to cruise ship people. My brother has worked in a gallery on front street for the last ten years.
I don't know. A city of almost 15,000 permanent residents is just gone. 50 or so are confirmed dead, in some horrific circumstances from what I hear.
My mom says people are just walking around with thousand-yard-stares, aimless, clutching cell phones trying to get signal (there isn't any, but you can get lucky and get a call through. Some texts are going in but not out.)
So I don't know folks. Keep those people in your thoughts. If you can donate, I think this may be a good place because it's going to lots of local orgs on the ground: https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong
I keep thinking of new sad things.
Anyway I'm going to leave you with a picture I took while strolling down Front Street one evening.
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felassan · 1 month
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Snippets.  🐺💜
The DA:TV release date reveal trailer is considered to contain only mild story spoilers [source]
In the week of August 19th (week of the High-Level Combat & PC Spotlight), specifically the gameplay will be "high-level warrior combat gameplay" [source]. The Rook shown will be a Warrior Elf [source]
User: "Morrigan 😍" / Dragon Age on Threads: "She 💜" [source]
User: "Will there be any other editions of the game or just the Standard and Deluxe?" / Dragon Age on Threads: "We have a collector's edition too! [link]" [source]
User: "Everyone greatly approves 💜✨" / Dragon Age on Threads: "Rook's feeling especially approved-of today 💜" [source]
BioWare: "We can't wait for you to jump into the role of Rook and embark on your journey to save Thedas." [source]
BioWare describe the physical merch/bonus items that come with Rook's Coffer as Rook's personal effects, and the tools of their resistance [source]
User: "Id love to preorder if the bloody website worked!" / BioWare on Twitter: "Sorry about that, the page is working now! [link]" [source]
User: "WHERE IS THE COLLECTOR EDITION????? 😭😭" / BioWare on Twitter: "Right here! [link]" [source]
User: "Will there be a physical version purchasable in stores ? My internet is slow lol I would need almost a week to download the game via internet" / BioWare on Twitter: "Yes, retailers will have physical copies available :)" [source]
User: "Thank the whole team from the bottom of my heart… Dreams come true… Trailer is amazing 💜" / BioWare on Twitter: "Thanks for being a fan, we appreciate you too!" [source]
User: "Is it just digital or will there be physical copies (I'm fine with either, but if a physical is going to be available, would want that)?" / BioWare on Twitter: "Physical copies will be available for PO through retailers :)" [source]
User: "where can we preorder a physical copy for consoles?" / BioWare on Twitter: "Retailers will be offering physical copies for PO, the Game Stop page is already up!" [source]
User: "It’s also being released on my birthday!!!!! 🥳🥳" / BioWare on Twitter: "🎶Happy birthday to you!" [source]
User: "Omygoddess….!!! I am so happy…. This was even better than I could have imagined. Thank you thank you thank you!!!! ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥" / BioWare on Twitter: "You are so welcome!" [source]
User: "Pre-ordered!" / BioWare on Twitter: "Can't wait for you to play it! Is it October yet!?" [source]
User: "Can't wait!! Bought my copy. I am so psyched!!" / BioWare on Twitter: "We can't wait for you to play it!" [source]
User: "Asdfghh finally😩 [image of Mass Effect Space Hamster bursting out of their cage]" / BioWare on Twitter: "Please return the space hamster to the Normandy before it gets lost!" [source]
Also, some recent snippets from the official BioWare Discord server:
Platform-specific pre-order links: PlayStation Store, XBox Store, Steam, Epic Games storefront Standard edition, Epic Games storefront Deluxe edition. Also [this] is the GameStop pre-order link. The GameStop one is physical
User: "Will [Rook's Coffer] be for sale by Canada retailers?" / Community Manager: "Please check in with your local retailers as I do not have this information, sorry!"
User: "When are the physical edition preorders going up?" / CM: "this is retailer dependent so you'll need to check in with your local retailer! there will be physical discs available for consoles."
EA's own buy page for DA:TV was broken (led to 404) but is now working for both digital standard and digital deluxe pre-orders
User: "What’s the Vyrantium pack? Is that the steelcase version?" / CM: "you'll need to check in with local retailers on that one!"
CM: "There will be a physical edition for consoles. I've seen the preorders go up on Game Stop, but please check in with your local retailers!"
CM: "Some retailers haven't stood up their buy pages yet (Barnes and Noble, Amazon) so keep checking back!"
CM: "I am working in the background on just more emotes [for the Discord] in general"
User: "just to be sure i dont buy the wrong thing. thers no collectors edition with the game. deluxe is the highest and then the coffer is extra but no game right?" / CM: "thats correct, everything is pretty laid out here [link]"
User: "For "Rooks Coffee Edition" it says the game isn't included. Does that mean I need to buy this edition and the game separately?" / CM: "correct"
For a while Steam said that the game's release date was October 10th. This was incorrect and a CM let them know, it has since been amended to the real October 31st date
User: "What would be the storage size for the game for consoles and PC?" / CM: "100gb approx"
User: "So the roadmap said release date trailer and announcement, do we know what the announcement is?" / CM: "release date announcement" / User: "Is the “announcement” from roadmap just that we’re getting blood dragon armor? Or am I missing something" / CM: "release date trailer + release date announcement"
User: "do we know when preorder date ends? i might have to wait until october 1st paycheck" / CM: "When the game comes out! (the Rook's Coffer is limited amount, but the digital game should be available until Oct 31)"
Violet: "Whoever wants to know - this is my first blog at EA that I have authored - [link] (thats my fun tidbit)"
User: "Will the rooks coffer edition be available after release or is it only preorder?" / CM: "its limited run, so itll be available until it sells out"
User: "is the artbook on the bioware store the same one as the one on dark horse?" / CM: "there's 3 editions, but its all the same book"
User: "not sure if you can talk about this (either because Bioware isn't ready or because you personally don't know), how will the cosmetics be delievered in game? IIRC, there is no online connection" / CM: "wdym? Its just there when you start it up or it isnt (like if you dont preorder)" / User: "In DAI it was stored in a chest in Haven and later at Skyhold (the armors)" / CM: "It's just in your inventory I think? I don't remember like "picking it up" or anything."
[character limit text break!]
User: "One last question about the specs! Does anyone know if GeForce GTX™ 1660 Ti will be good enough for Veilguard? I feel like it's a lot worse than required" / CM: "Obv I can't really say much yet but let me quell your fears a touch - it looks NICE. game is BEAUTIFUL"
User: "If you guys win [Game of the Year at TGA] we demand an award speech in here 😆" Violet: "I'll be at TGAs in person this year, so wont be here in the discord"
CM: "Retailers like gamestop are selling physical editions. Think you'll just have to find a retailer in your area that has some ordered (I dont have links for that)''
CM: ''all pre-orders should receive the Blood Dragon cosmetic armors''
CM: "Still a LOT more info coming before launch 👀"
User: "i always played dragon age on pc... looks like this one is meant for console. anyone knows if its more controller oriented or stick to pc" / CM: "we have a whole PC spotlight coming if you want to wait for that to decide."
[source: the official BioWare Discord server]
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Note
Hello! Are there any fics about Nanny Crowley and Bookseller Aziraphale?
Thank you^^
Hi! Here are some nanny Crowley and bookseller Aziraphale fics...
I Hear You're in Need of a Nanny by emptymasks (G)
Aziraphale was trying his best to raise his son on his own, but at a certain point it was difficult to be running the bookshop while also keeping his eyes on Oscar all day. Crowley liked working with children, and children liked him, they’ve just always been drawn to him. A lot of people prefer hiring a female nanny to a male one, and as much as he thinks it’s a little ridiculous, it works out fine for him. He was happy to identify and present as female and tap into his maternal instincts. He’d been wanting to take a job closer to his apartment, but there’s not that many people wanting to hire a nanny in Soho; then he comes across a job advertisement in the local newspaper posted by a Mr. A. Z. Princer. When he meets Oscar, he finds a little girl tired of being told by the world that she's a boy. Single Parent! Aziraphale & Nanny! Crowley, Human AU
The Demon on Her Shoulder Has Her Back by Barely_a_human (T)
"'Hi, Crowley.” “What did you need, dear?” “I’ve- uh- been kicked out of my house. I don’t know where to go, and it’s raining. I’m sorry for bothering you, but you said I could call if I needed anything, and right now I need a grown-up that would be on my side.'" or Crowley adopts a young trans girl named Eve, and she get's to witness the almost-apocalypse, as well as Crowley finding love with an angel, from an outsiders perspective.
dancing queen (guaranteed to blow your mind) by Quilly (T)
Warlock has a secret, and it's that he invited three former staff members from his estranged parents' household to his wedding in the hopes that one of them is the one Nanny is still in love with. Crowley is just wondering what entity he pissed off to make three of his old flames show up the day before his adopted kid's wedding.
Connection by AppleSeeds (M)
In March 2020 when the UK goes into Lockdown, Crowley is faced with the unenviable task of homeschooling Warlock. A silver lining emerges when Warlock starts attending literature classes on Zoom run by local bookseller Aziraphale, who Crowley finds extraordinarily attractive. Crowley jumps at the chance when the opportunity arises to actually talk to Aziraphale away from Warlock and his classmates, and the two of them begin to build a friendship via Zoom. When they realise their friendship could be the beginning of something more, they explore ways to feel connected to each other until the day comes when they can finally be together in real life.
Millennial Blues by comicgeekery (E)
Aziraphale is a standard retail bookseller trying to make ends meet. One day a man named Crowley shows up with a flyer for a variety show looking for new acts. And, well, Crowley is handsome and Aziraphale has been lonely...and working on some magic tricks. What harm could a bit of light flirting do? It all should be fine as long as no one asks about his past...
- Mod D
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taralen · 7 months
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"Will I make it BIG too someday?"
Well, well! After much debate and a lot of "gentle encouragement" from friends, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and make an Addisona! This is my first time making a character directly based on myself in a very long time ( •_•) . . .
ANYWAY, this is Thetalan L. Addison. She is part of a rather small AU idea I have called "LoveLetter" a totally normal™ and romantic™ story about a little Addison lady who falls in love with Spamton during his Big Shot era! SO CUTE™ A̢͐̐̀ͨ͏̥́͟ń̄͛͏̷̷̱̕d̸̴̨̰ͥ̇͜ ̵ͯ͏̷̧̫f̡̲̄̕͟͠u̢͚͛̀͟͞l̢̡ͦ̚͏͇͡l̢̨̧ͪͧ͏̼ ̧̛̖̔̎̓̀̚͠ô͜͜͜҉͈f̂͟҉̢̙́ ̴̇̽͜͏̘͜Ą̵̈́͜҉̟Ḩ̴̢̪ͫ̋͊͞H͓̉͆́̀͢͠Ḩ̶̴̺ͧ̾͟H̵̨̢̬͆ͧ͟Ḩ̢̞͐̃͌͟͜M̷̜ͥ͘͜͜Y̢̧̭̿̂̔̆͢͢ ̸̧̣̽̀͟S̶̢̟ͥ̏͟͟T̴̨͈̈́̈͠͠O̡ͤ̌͏̷͇͡M̷̖͒̑̕̕͘A̡ͫ͜҉͖͘C̡͉̊ͤ̈́̀̕H͂͟͏̼́͟ ̷̴̧̛̤͛ͫ͋Ä̢̧̼́ͤ̓̎͜͡H̛͋̆̎ͮ͝҉͔̕H̢̜̎ͧ̍̑́̀͟Ḩ̵͙͗͛̚͠͠
Despite being my "sona," I consider her not exactly like me and a separate character. She just shares some of my traits! Anyway, here's some additional info on her:
Thetalan is a White Addison that works on the other side of Cyber City (the west side.) Although she has a lot of different sales and retail experience, she currently works for a wholesale company that sells goods in bulk/pallets to smaller businesses for resale by contacting clients via phone calls and email correspondence. She wishes to be in the spotlight, but all she gets are contracts to model in front of local businesses even though she is smaller than the average Addison. Despite her high performance, she feels unappreciated, and on the rare occasion they get a Lightner purchase, she never receives any commission.
Her inspiration and favorite person ever is the celebrity SPAMTON G. SPAMTON, aka BIG SHOT! As a fellow White Addison, she aspires to someday be like him and perhaps even share a stage with him! She never misses a show and collects everything she can of him. Unfortunately, she never got to meet him when he was still just like her...
One day she decides to confess her feelings and sends him a Number_1_Fan_Letter.txt! However, before she has any hope of hearing back, Spamton's sales drop to zero... And his height of stardom comes to a close.
But... One day, while lamenting over his fall from grace, she receives a mysterious LoveLetter.txt in the mail addressed from SPAMTON G. SPAMTON! Could this be her chance?! Did he really respond to hers?! FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON
H͈̮͚͖ͩͧ̍ͭE͕͍̞̳̋͛̂͐L͉͎̖͕̋ͫͪͮP͉̞̪͓̉͒͆̽ ̲̘͈̿͂͆ͩͅT͖͖̠̱ͣ̅͋ͦH̻̰̪͚̽̋͌̐E̠̼͉̬͋̃ͧͦY̼̱̫̹ͦ̂̍ͯ'̺̭͙͓̓ͤͫ̍R͍̮͍̼̀ͪͣ̊Ĕ̺̰̳̞͑ͭͫ ̯͙͔̭̿̆͛̃D͇̱̭̼ͨ͋ͥͭE̥̥̼̭͆̐̑̍V̺̝͔͎̎͗̃ͤO͕̰̙͖͗̽ͩ̈́U̠̝̘̙͒̎͗̈́R̳̻͚̭͑̾̅̂Ḯ̦͙̞̻̆̏͋N͓͙̙̝̎̋̐ͬG͎̲͖̲͊̏̋̈ ̣͓̙̱̈͛͊͐M̪̩̮͂̌͊̍ͅY̻̙̦̪̋͒͌̽ ̘̞̘̭ͧ͗͐̐I͔̼̮͍͂̓̉̎N̩̩̠͇ͥ͛ͮ͆S͈̫͎͍̊̐ͫ͌Ȋ̺̰̙̦͛̀̆Ḓ̥͈̻͌͑ͯͮE͉̭̺̙̾͋̑̑S͙̥͕̮͔͕̠̯̐͌̎ͭͥ̏̃̎A̻̙̮̝ͥͧͦ͑H̱͈̼ͮͧ͂̐ͅH̙͚̹̦̍ͣͬ̊H̙̮͎̘ͦͩ̀ͣH̘͚̹̘͊͊ͤͯH͉̝̱̰͗͆̓ͯH̩̣̻̩͋̈̉͑H͓͚͒ͤ̋ͮͅͅH͈̫̥̮ͭͮͭ̑H̬̦̖̼ͯ͑̅ͨH͙̼͓͉ͪ͗̊̌H͍̪̹͎͂̅̃̈́Ḧ͓͎͚͍́ͬ̅̅H͉̥͌͆͑ͤͅͅH̰̺͍͈͗̎̉ͥH͍͍̫̺ͭ̊̎ͮḦ͚̫͔̭́̌ͭ̊H̫̠̙̽̅̃͋ͅH̳̹͈͉ͫ̂̉̌Ḥ͚̰̭̆͂ͪ̉H̝͈̥ͥ̃̅̎ͅḤ̺͈͔ͣ̽̉̈́Ĥ̯͕͓͙͑ͧ̚H̼̯̮ͫͫ̿ͦͅH̘̻̞̦͇̝͕͕̋̐̏̿̉͋͒̽I͖̣͇̘ͥͫͯ̿Ḷ̼͉̬ͦ͐ͧ̂O̪͖̯̫ͨ̀͂̐V͍̠̦̙̆͗̿ͪE͖̹̬̼͋ͯ͌ͫY͙͉͙̦̏ͪͭ͋O͉̹̼̦ͫͮ̎̈U̖̥̻͙̍̍ͩ̽I͔̹̭̼ͦ̅̉̚L̘͔̳̠ͮ̑ͨͩO̬̮̬̱ͭ͐̈̀V͙̱̱̠̑ͪͣͨE̹͉̲̋̽̂ͥͅY͎̼͉͖̊ͦ̀ͭO̳̦̬̊ͩͯ̆ͅU̥̖̰ͯ̓̆͛ͅI͕̭̻̲̓̂ͥ̽L̻̬̮̦͆̋̀̌O̯̲͕̭ͨ͛ͦͭV͈̰̠̺ͣ̈́̐̈E̖͕̲̩ͥ̌̋̾Y̠͎̥̦͑̉̅̎Ő͉̯̫̣̍ͤͨU͍̫̺ͬ͐ͪ̚ͅḬ̪̻͇͆ͪͣ̆L͖̣͔͚ͧ̈̾̚O̫͔̘̩͒͗̌ͣV̲͇̼̙̌̓̂̀E̬̫̖͖͌̽̈ͫY͖͎̼̝͂ͤ̎ͦO̼̣͎̘̎̿ͪ̃U͈̩̫͈̼̠͓̯ͬͬ͑̀̍͆̽ͬS͎̙̹̩ͤͣ̿̊Q̺̙̩̎͂ͩ̋ͅU̥̲͓̮ͦ͗̆̋Ḭ̩̙͎̽ͣ͒̊R̦̥͎͔ͥ̐͛ͤM͈̭̺͓͊͛͑͌S̞̺͓̋̋͆ͨͅQ̹̰̰̮̃ͬͩ̓U͔̦̥͇ͣͫ̎͒I̹̮̘̖ͪ̍̎ͩR̲͎̺̭̿ͭ͐̋M̦̭̰͚ͧͨͦ̚S̪̪̥̦ͯ͂̿̃Q̼̦̳̍̎ͥ̚ͅŨ̙̣̭͑͛̏ͅR̼͖͚̞ͫͣͦ͋Ȋ̭̣̙͛͗̑ͅM̱͙̳̙͗͆͗̚S̝̭͈̲̊͌͛̅Q̳̣̻͓̿̽̏ͮŬ̫̫̠̳̐̽̅Ĩ̫̩̖̲ͪ͆̉R̮̘͈̫͐͐ͫ͐M̦̝̲̖̼̯͇͉ͥ̋ͭ̋͂̑͆̈́ǐ͎̖͉̫͗͆̋c̰͈̰̰͐ͣ͌̾k͓̰̞̯̅͂̐̾y͔̦̖̣̐̑ͨͮi͇͓͈̹ͦͯ̿̐c̘̩̫̭̍ͯͫ͗k̬̩̥̉̏̃̃ͅŷ̲̘͖̰ͦ̅̎ḯ͈̪͓̦̊ͥ͗c̬̘͈͂ͬ͗ͬͅk͔͉̻͕ͥ̾̈́ͨy͎͙̻͕͑ͧ̍̀i̺̫͎̫̾͒̽̿c̼̺̠̫ͯ̾̑͊k͍̠͚̹ͥͭͦ͆y̲̻̪̣̐̐͊ͫḭ̙͖̫͌͆͒̽c̬͙͙̺̾̎̽͐k͓͈̥̙ͮ̈͑̆y̥̠͈̼̋̌ͮ̽d͔̹͔̅̅̽̃ͅï̠͕̥̘̓̐ͮr̖̫̭̣͋̑̆̈́t͉̖̘̬̋̃͆͗y̞͕̺̺ͭ͒͊̊d̞̞̭̳ͦͥ̍̍i̻̬̹͉̿ͪ̂͋r̪͚̲̠̈́͛̿̀t͎͚̭̣̉̊̈͌y̺͍̝͍̽̊̎͑d̘̼̖͚ͦͮͧ̚i͎͙͓͛̅̈̾ͅr̪̺̭͕̋ͦ̓͂t̹̯̞̺ͭ̎ͤ͗y͔̞̻̫ͩͩ͛͑d͍̲̺̖̂ͫͮͨî͔̦̞͗̋ͧͅr͉̥͉͉̋ͤ͗̿t͚̙͙̭͌ͮ͐ͮŷ̦̼͎̝͉̯̥̝̏ͯ̅͆̅ͤ͑I̩͈̦͖̊ͮͥ̍ ̘͍̹͙ͭ͂ͮͭC̻̦͇̻͑ͮ̃̑Ǔ͙̹̼̦͒̃ͧT͍͔̱̥̾̌͗̉ ̞̲͇̲ͣ̈́̀̀M̙̦̼͚̿̎ͮ̚Y͎̠̳̹ͩ̈͐ͥ ͕͚̠̯ͤͬ̋͑T̯̭͉̣̋͗͌̎O͎͇͎̣ͤ͌͒̑Ṉ̩̹̘̑̌̑̚G̩͓̦̳͒ͫ̾̐U̞͚̦̥̅̿̌̀E͇͔̪̞̾̾̈̍ ̻̫͎̱ͩ̓͆̽O͕͚̼͈ͩ̆ͤ̉N̻̖̺̬̎͒̐̈ ̹̘̬̳̽͑͗ͥT͙̩͖͚͒̊ͤͬH̙͔̥͚͒ͫ̓ͭE̝͎̙̹̊̂̐̈ ̬̫̥̬͐ͯͪ̾E̙̠̥͎̎̆̌ͣN̩̘͈̬̐̆̽ͤV̯̰͍͎͐̑̿͑E͓̦̻͉ͮ̑̽̎L̖̩̥̼̐̍̎̂O͖̲̮͙ͭ̀ͦ̚P̣͖̣̯ͮ̊ͣ̀E̪͎̹̰̪̝͉̮̅ͩͨ͂̌ͣ̾̚H̙̞̰̼͌͋͌ͫÒ̙̯͈̩͒̀ͨP̣͍̹̹ͭ̋̆ͤE̱͖͈̭̎̏ͯ͛ ̞̭͓͙͒̉͒ͯY̩͙͎̬͑ͬ͗͆O̞̹͉̲ͨ̀ͣͪȔ̙͔̻̘ͬͥͦ ̝̲̥͉̋̅̍̚L̘̖̫͙ͩ̾̾ͩÏ̻͇̱̍͑͗ͅK̩̯̲͔̋͆̍ͮE̪͔͔̅̂͒̆ͅ ̬̺̦̊͗ͧ̚ͅṮ̮̳̮ͬ̅͋ͭȞ̬͎͔͕ͫ̽͑E̺͖̠̬͌͆̌͂ ̺̪̫͉͋͑̃̚T̩͚̭̮̅ͫ̆̉A̯̹̰̝̿̓̉͛S̰͕̭͂̃ͩ͗ͅT̠͍͚͕̾͒ͪͯE̦͖̘̣̋ͯ͛̚ ͍͍͈̬ͭ̃͗̑O̳̘͔̼̽̀̃̿F̣̩̱͉̓ͥ͌̐ ͍̠͎̰ͣ͐̎̋M͚̠̣̹͒ͤ̾̉Ỷ̘̰̠̠̆̿̊ ̻̲͖͔ͬ̿̀̾B͙̱̰̦̑̅̉͛L͙̳̝̪ͧͩͧ͌O̫̹͍̫ͨ͋͂̈O̺͓̺̰ͣ̏̉̈́D͎̘̱͎̏ͣͦ̑
Anyway! I will draw her present-day version later. This is just something to do for [[f u n]] while I wait for chapter 3 to drop more lore. I really want to write a more expansive fic about all my headcanons concerning Spamton, but I don't feel like doing that until at least Chapter 3 drops... So for now....
Time to think about the contents of that Love Letter!
M̨̛̻ͤͣ͡͞Y̸̺ͨ͟͜͠ ̋̉͌̆͡͏̵̸͙Į͉ͪ́͘͠N̿̄̿͊҉̵̛̭͞S͑ͥ͟҉̷̢̞I̵̡͚ͦ̍̀̕D̴̛̦ͦ͘͡E̴̬͛̊́̚͝͝S̴̵͖̉͊͟͝ ̴͙͌̓̀́͘À̢̟͒́̽̕͘͟Ṟ̵̸͆́͟Ę̸̙̄̋̆̀͟͟ ̛͍̅̈͌͢͟͝B̨̢̡̢͎͆ͮͤU͋̊̚̕҉҉̗̀Ŗ̧̾̈ͤ͢͏̮N̸̢ͤ̿ͧ́̚҉̗I̶̧̭̊͜͝N̶̺̓̅̀̀͠G̿̀͏̕͠ͅ
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hmslusitania · 8 days
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Thoughts on Absolute Power (and also, tangentially, Watchmen):
When I first went to pick up the initial issues from my local comic book shop, the proprietor, with whom I've become social, and I got into a conversation about the event as a whole. Some people on his Facebook group where he talks about comics (being as he is a fifty-something man in possession of a brick and mortar comic book retail outfit) were complaining that there were now multiple major events in a row where Amanda Waller was the antagonist, and I remarked that it really, really felt like this was kinda gonna be the last Amanda Waller-led major crossover, on account of there's nowhere for her to go from here.
And I stand by that, but I couldn't fully and concretely explain why until just now.
I didn't manage to grab a printing of Task Force VII #1 the week it came out, but I found it today while I was browsing due to my comics guy having supplier troubles. But reading it, now that I have it, I understand why I'm absolutely convinced this is going to take Amanda Waller so entirely off the chess board, and probably kill her.
At the back of the issue, Steve Trevor is dropped off at Gamorra for his new assignment, and is analysing the tactical situation because he may officially work for the United States government and therefore at this moment for Waller, but he's Diana's man through and through, and he has the panel of introspection:
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And it clicked: both why Waller is under the impression she's going to win, and why she actively will not.
She has taken the question "who watches the watchmen" and answered it with "I do", which wouldn't really be a recipe for utter failure except that... she's running on Watchmen the Snyder Edition. And the thing that has always bothered me about the Snyder movie (there are many; I have an on-tap rant) is that the reason, in the original comic run, that Ozymandias (the Smartest Man Alive!!!!) doesn't frame John Osterman (Dr Manhattan) for the major disaster is because it would only... be an American problem. Ιf Dr Manhattan attacked New York? American on American violence. If Dr Manhattan attacked literally anywhere else? American aggression. The whole entire reason Ozymandias goes through the trouble of creating a giant monster that is so obviously alien and then dropping it in New York to create a cataclysm is elucidated throughout the comic, via such panels as the flashback to Vietnam where one of the reporters points out "You said 'Superman is real and he's American?" and the general responds, "No, I said 'God is real and he's American.'"
Dr Manhattan is unquestionably American, and so if Ozymandias is trying to foster world peace, he cannot under any circumstance have Dr Manhattan appear to be responsible for any unifying atrocity.
The Snyder film version of Watchmen, while visually exact and nearly perfect on solely the metrics of cast and art direction, utterly and completely fucks the dog on this major plot point. Ozymandias, unlike Zack Snyder, is supposed to be the smartest man alive. He would not make a major atrocity that could unite the world by framing A Notably American Superhuman Who Might Essentially Be God.
Amanda Waller in Absolute Power is doing her goddamn best to be Ozymandias. She's set up all metahumans to take the fall. She's been working on actively destroying their public rep since Dark Crisis and only furthered her aims during Lazarus Planet and Beast Wars. But she's not going to fix any of her problems, because at the end of the day, Amanda Waller and her task forces are notably American agents, now with all their own consolidated superpowers. She wants to believe she's Ozymandias. She is, regrettably, Zack Snyder.
And also? While I will of course reserve judgement since the event isn't over yet, basically Every comic writer since Alan Moore has done their level best to try and mimic Watchmen or V for Vendetta in some capacity, all ultimately without success and with an overall worsening effect on the artform. Having a major crossover event that's touching basically all of DC comics that seems to be very intentionally setting itself up to have the protagonist (Amanda Waller) follow in specifically Snyder!Ozymandias's footsteps and therefore for a very specific brand of failure, is... deeply compelling to me.
The point of Watchmen is that Ozymandias ultimately fails because Rorschach sent that journal outlining his plans, of course, but in the Snyder version, that was unnecessary set dressing. In the Snyder version Ozymandias failed by the very outline of the plan itself. Amanda Waller has failed at the planning stage, despite the literal decades we've seen her working on it in the Origins tie in.
Also I have read Watchmen arguably too many times
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ghoulodont · 10 months
Text
Held at a Knife's Point
Dewdrop invites Rain on an unconventional date.
Relationship: Raindrop / Characters: Dewdrop, Rain Tags: Ear Piercing, Ghoul Lore (just a little), sweet & supportive Dew Words: 3511
Read below or on AO3
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Dewdrop asks him as they’re cleaning up after a practice session that day, just the two of them in the instrument storage room.
“By the way, I’m going into the city tomorrow, want to come with me?”
The abbey’s locale meets most of their day-to-day retail needs, but for some things, more specialized purchases, they tend to go to the nearest major city. There’s a big record store they all like to browse, and a music store that stocks all sorts of gear that’s better tried in person.
“Sure,” Rain says. “Guitar pedals?”
“Getting my ear pierced.”
“Oh. Cool.”
“You could get one too, if you want.”
Rain reaches up and touches his own ear without any conscious intention. “I’ve never thought about it.”
“No pressure, you could come with me either way.”
“No, I mean, I’m just not sure what kind I would get.” Dew has a few piercings already, in a scattering of different places across his ears — a body part which is quite intricate, actually. It seems there might be dozens of possibilities. Rain runs his fingers over the loops and curves of his own, as of yet unaltered.
“I think you should get one here.” Dew reaches up and places his fingertip on a spot just inside the round inner hollow of Rain’s ear. If that hollow were a globe, a planet rotating on the long axis of his ear, Dew’s finger could be on its equator. 
Rain puts his own finger there, nestled against Dew’s for a moment. 
Dew pulls his hand away, then leans back a bit and watches Rain as if he’s visualizing, considering how it would look on him.
“Won’t it get in the way of the in-ear monitor?” Rain asks.
Dew hums thoughtfully. “I don’t think it will. You could always change the jewelry if it did, though. To something flat.”
Rain pinches his ear between his fingernails. It stings. He imagines what it would feel like if they went all the way through.
“You can get whatever you like, though.” Dew puts his hands in his pockets and rocks back on his heels. “You don’t have to get anything at all. It’s up to you.”
“What are you getting?”
“One that goes across, like this.” He pulls one hand back out of his pocket and drags his finger horizontally across the flat plane of Rain’s upper ear.   Rain places his own fingers on that blank canvas of a space. His and Dew’s hands bump together. “Through..?”
“Here,” Dew gently pinches the rim of Rain’s ear between his fingertip and the pad of his thumb, above where it attaches to his head in the front, then a similar place on the opposite edge. “And here. The jewelry goes across.” He drags his finger horizontally again, connecting the two points.
“Oh.” Rain rolls the rim of his ear between his fingers. It’s fleshier, the cartilage thinner.
“You can think about it, yeah? No pressure or anything.”
He’ll think about it, sure, but he’s already made up his mind.
Around noon the next day, the two of them board a train into the city. As it pulls out of the station, the trees and houses next to the tracks start to creep by, then accelerate faster and faster until Rain can’t focus his eyes on any single feature anymore. Once the train makes it far enough from the residential area, the trees fall away to reveal the slow-moving landscape beyond.
“Have you decided?” In the next seat over, Dew is watching out the window too.
“Yeah. I’m going to get what you suggested.”
“Nice.”
“By the way, are they going to notice...” Rain taps the pointed tip of his ear.
“Nah, just don’t mention it and she won’t say anything.”
“Really?”
Dew hums in assent. “It’s like the horns.”
“Even up close?”
“Yep. The power of confirmation bias or something.”
Despite whatever power that allows them to function in human society, be it mystical or psychological, Rain still feels skeptical. For a human to look directly at his ear, touch it, even alter it, seems riskier than going to the grocery store, or any other day-to-day activity he’s used to. But Dew has done this before, so it must be okay.
Their destination is a fifteen minute walk from the train station. Dew knows the way without any maps or directions. They pass restaurants and cafes, department stores, shops selling clothes and furniture. Eventually they arrive at an unassuming storefront — a door listing operating hours next to a single display window, set into brown stone. Dew pushes open the door and holds it for Rain to follow behind.
Inside, a woman behind a display case greets them. Rain finds himself distracted by his surroundings while Dew talks to her. The store is bright, artificial light compensating for the cloudy weather and shadows of buildings through the window. It’s neat, too, orderly and immaculately clean, every surface polished and free of dust. The ambiance is something between high end retail and a dentist’s office.
“Do you have time for a walk-in?” Dew places his hand on Rain’s upper arm. Rain smiles politely as he’s being displayed.
“Of course.”
Dew seems to have some sort of ability to get things he wants. He doesn’t beg or argue, at least not in this context — he might pout lightheartedly in private, with Rain, with the other ghouls, but that’s the extent of it. When he isn’t pulling his punches, he just asks for things directly with a high rate of success.
The woman turns to Rain. “What are you thinking of getting?”
“Oh, um—” He points to the spot on his ear that Dew pressed his finger against yesterday. If he really focuses on it, he can still feel the heat there. “Just here.”
“Great. For your jewelry, you can pick from any of these,” she says, tapping a fingernail on one of the glass cases between them. “Or any of the ones over there, if you’re looking for something fancier.”
Of course, standing in the middle of what he now understands to be a very specialized jewelry store, he should have anticipated this would be part of the process, but it still catches him off guard. All of Dew’s jewelry is plain silver, little round beads and hoops. It would seem he always skips this step.
Rain peers into the case in front of him. Within it are rows and rows of gems and charms, arranged in orderly grids on stark display stands. There are faceted jewels in a rainbow of colors, all kinds of decorative metal shapes, intricate designs, gold and silver, large and small and every size in between. His head spins.
A cloudy gray-green stone, smooth and round and flecked with black, catches his eye where it’s lined up amid other natural-looking options. It gleams, almost iridescent, blue and bronze, when he moves his head.
He points with one finger against the glass. “The gray one.”
She reaches in through the back of the case and pulls out the display stand. She points at the stone. “This one?”
Rain nods.
She plucks it from its slot on the stand. It glints again under the LED ceiling fixtures, reflecting light from within, like an animal’s eye, a deer in the headlights.
Before she disappears into the back of the shop to prepare things, she hands them each a form on a clipboard. The two of them sit next to each other on a leather couch and fill out their names and demographic details, and confirm their willingness to participate by signing at the bottom of the page. It barely takes a fraction of the time that she’s gone, leaving them waiting and unoccupied. Rain taps his feet nervously. Dew bumps their shoulders together.
When the piercer returns, she leads them into a smaller room with a counter along one side and a black padded table in the center. It’s windowless, but just as bright as the front, and just as clean.
“Whoever is going first, you can have a seat up here.” She gestures to the table.
Rain glances over at Dew, who is already looking at him, watching his face.
“Want me to..?” Dew speaks softly.
Rain nods. This will be a first for him either way.
Dew hops up onto the table. He folds his hands loosely in his lap. His boots dangle above the tile floor.
At the counter, the piercer peels open blue and white sterile envelopes with gloved hands and lets their contents fall onto a paper-lined tray table next to her. She picks supplies from drawers and sundry jars — gauze, alcohol wipes, a marker, a small cork like the kind used as a stopper for a bottle. She wheels the tray over to where Dew is sitting.
She scrubs his ear with alcohol, then marks two spots on it with a purple pen — the same two spots he showed Rain yesterday. She offers Dew a hand mirror. He examines his ear, holding the mirror off to the side, and then nods.
From her prepared supplies she picks up a needle, unadorned steel and intimidatingly thick, the broad teardrop shape of its beveled end clearly visible from a distance. With her other hand she picks up a cork. She lines them both up against Dew’s ear, the needle on one side and the cork on the other, framing one purple mark.
“Breathe in,” she tells Dew.
He complies, his chest rising slightly.
“Breathe out.”
He does, his chest sinking back down.
As soon as he begins to exhale, she presses the needle through his ear and into the cork on the other side. Dew doesn’t even blink. She slides a metal bar into the newly created hole in his ear, using it to push the end of the needle all the way through.
She repositions the cork and the needle on either side of the second purple mark and repeats the same process — inhale, exhale, needle, jewelry. She screws a metal ball on each end of the bar, which is now threaded through both sides of his upper ear.
“All set.” She peels off her gloves.
Dew hops down from the table and checks out his ear in a large mirror hanging on the wall. The bar is longer than the width of flesh that it spans, sticking out a bit on either side. The entire top half of his ear is pink. It clearly looks new, fresh, but conceptually it fits in well with the other metal there. In time, once those indications of newness dissipate, it will look like it’s always been there, just like the rest.
Dew returns to where Rain is standing, off to the side of the table, out of the way.
“Ready?” The piercer is putting on a new pair of gloves.
Rain is the one who is supposed to be ready. He doesn’t feel ready, but time is moving forward on its own. He sits on the padded table, now in Dew’s place, with Dew where Rain was before, their positions swapped.
When the piercer brings over the tray, it has the same things as it did for Dew’s piercing — gauze, alcohol, a marker, a cork, a needle. She tips Rain’s head slightly with her gloved hands and draws a dot on his ear with the marker.
She passes him the hand mirror. “Let me know if this looks good.”
He tries to imagine the purple dot replaced by a piece of metal and stone. He can’t really close the conceptual gap — it’s just a dot. Regardless, he nods.
“Great.” She picks up the needle and the cork.
Rain’s breath catches in his throat. The needle is so much bigger up close. He glances up at Dew and imagines standing where he is again. The distance isn’t far, but somehow it made a huge difference.
Dew steps forward and closes that distance without saying anything. He eases the mirror from Rain’s tight grip and places it on the table. Then he offers his own hand, palm up and welcoming, in its stead.
Even just the invitation is a relief, a logical and straightforward improvement to the situation that Rain wouldn’t have thought of by himself in this state. He takes Dew’s hand in a firm grip. It’s warm, and the pressure is grounding.
The piercer brings her hands to the side of his face. She’s working so close to his head he can’t see anything, only the blur of her glove in his peripheral vision and her expression of concentration off to his side.
“Breathe in,” she instructs.
Rain can feel the sharp tip of the needle where she places it against his skin, just resting there lightly, painlessly. He knows what’s going to happen. He breathes in.
“Breathe out.”
He breathes out.
More than pain, there’s pressure. And more than pressure, there’s sound — a loud pop, almost a crunch, of the needle penetrating his cartilage.
She takes something from the table nearby and performs what he assumes must be the same dance between needle and jewelry as she did for Dew. He still can’t see what’s happening, only hear the rustle of nitrile as her fingers move.
Dew gives his hand one tight squeeze and then releases it.
“Feeling okay?”
“Yeah.” Actually, he feels giddy. It’s unclear if it’s just from the sudden relief after a very long day of anticipating an impending unknown, or if it’s a rush of endorphins precipitated by the needle itself.
“Want to take a look?” She takes a step back and nods at the mirror on the wall. Her gloves snap as she peels them off.
Rain slides off the table and walks the two steps to the mirror. He leans in and tilts the side of his head toward it, holding his hair back with one hand. There, in the inner shell of his ear, right where he pointed to, and exactly where the purple mark was, is the gray-green stone from earlier. It shines when he tips his head just a few degrees.
He leans back, standing up normally. He realizes that his face, outside of his control, has composed itself into an expression of pleasant surprise, with his jaw dropped just slightly and his eyes bright. At this distance, the jewelry is subtle — not too flashy or too colorful or too large. He lets his hair fall the way it normally does, tucked partially behind his ear, and it’s barely noticeable until it glints with his motion.
Behind him, Dew is watching the mirror too.
The piercer leads them to the cash register at the front of the shop. Cool midday sun is shining through the window now, brightening the space even more. Rain pulls his wallet out of his pocket but Dew waves it away and taps his card on the reader before Rain has a chance to protest, or to see what the total is.
The piercer sees them off with a paper copy of the aftercare instructions for their piercings. Dew folds it neatly in thirds and slides it into an interior pocket of his jacket, and then the two of them set out for the train station.
They stop for ice cream on their way. It’s too early in the year for it, really; the sun warms the ground but there’s a petulant breeze in the cool air. Packed-down piles of plowed snow remain unmelted on street corners, tucked into alleys, at the end of the occasional parking lot, all dripping sluggishly onto damp asphalt. Sidewalks are littered with a crusty patchwork of the same.
Nevertheless, Rain’s eyes linger on the shop window as they walk by. The freezer case with its cheery selection of flavors, assorted colors in big tubs marked by little handwritten labels, is visible within. When he turns his head back towards the direction they’re walking, Dew’s eye contact tugs on him with an unspoken question. Both of their steps falter, and then they’re turning around.
A bell hanging from the door greets them with a hearty jingle as they step inside. The interior of the store is warm, almost stiflingly so, and empty of other customers. The syrupy smell of waffle cones is so dense it might as well be visible in the air, condensing near the ceiling in cotton candy clouds. Sweat forms on the back of Rain’s neck like liquid caramel beading on the surface of a torched crème brûlée. His limbs sag like pulled taffy.
After they make their selections and after Dew pays — for both of them, again, as if they’re on their first date instead of their hundredth, as if they’re counting, as if an ordinal number could represent an infinitesimal sum of continuous time — they file past bistro tables and metal chairs tucked along one wall and head back out the door, which bids them farewell with the same jingle.
The early springtime air is a refreshing contrast, freezing the sugary haze on their jackets and in their hair. They trade spoonfuls of ice cream while waiting at the crosswalk. Rain ducks his head down just slightly to reach Dew’s raised spoon. The traffic signal changes.
Rain’s ear is starting to ache now, pulsing out a nagging heat in time with his heartbeat. Without much forethought he places the cold ice cream cup, held in fingers that are rapidly becoming numb, against his ear. Immediately, he jerks it away with a sharp, involuntary inhale.
Dew chuckles. His eyes are warm, glimmering with a knowing spark.
“Ow,” is all Rain can think to say.
“Yeah,” Dew laughs. When he speaks again, he’s suddenly much more serious. “Not that bad though, right?”
Rain glances over and Dew is looking at him with his brow furrowed, and with the big, sad eyes that he can never quite replicate when he tries to as a joke. Rain considers how best to downplay his reaction. “It’s...” he starts, and finally settles on, “distracting.”
Dew nods once. He doesn’t say anything, nor does he provide any other indication of what he thinks about that.
A couple blocks later, he makes a sudden turn into a pharmacy.
“Wait, where—” Rain stutters as he follows his lead. Dew never mentioned making another stop.
“Just want to grab something.”
The two of them weave through a maze of aisles stocked with neat rows of medicines and first aid supplies and vitamins. Dew leads them to the selection of over-the-counter pain relievers. The thing Dew wanted to grab, apparently, is a package of ibuprofen, which he bends down to select from a lower shelf.
They return to the front of the store to check out. On the way, Dew grabs a bottle of water from behind the glass door of a refrigerator case. It swings closed with a snap.
Back outside, Dew pauses mere steps from the door. He slides open the flimsy cardboard flap of the ibuprofen box and pulls the blister pack of pills from within. He holds the plastic and foil sheet out towards Rain.
The chain of cause and effect snaps into a straight line, orderly like the rows of pills in the package. Rain thought that he succeeded in alleviating this particular concern. “Wait, it’s not that bad.”
“It’s not a big deal, and it’s good for the swelling anyway.” Dew presses the sheet closer.
Resigned, Rain holds out his hand to take it.
Instead of handing over the entire sheet, Dew holds it over Rain’s outstretched palm and presses one dose out of the individual cells with his thumb, breaking through the foil backing. Then he twists off the top of the water bottle and hands it to him as well.
Rain swallows the ibuprofen with a sip of water. He sighs quietly. He feels sort of like a party foul, the one who needs their hair held back in the bathroom at a bar, maybe. The one who couldn’t handle what they signed up for.
Next to him, Dew pops another dose of ibuprofen out into his own palm, then drops it into his mouth. He reaches out for the water bottle. It takes Rain a second to catch up with what’s happening and hand it back. Dew drinks from the bottle and then screws the cap back on. He stuffs the remaining ibuprofen into his jacket pocket. 
When Dew looks back up, Rain is still staring, gears in his head turning. His eyebrows are probably raised just a little, he realizes.
Dew shrugs at him, nonchalant.
When they start walking again, Rain reaches out and bumps the back of his hand against Dew’s. Rain doesn’t need to say anything; Dew clasps their hands together without hesitation.
He pulls his and Rain’s hands into his pocket. It’s a comfortable fit with the two of them, not too tight — Dew’s jacket is oversized in every aspect, including, or maybe especially, the pockets. There’s nothing else inside this one, just them. It’s warm from Dew’s body heat.
Rain squeezes their hands closer together.
103 notes · View notes
Text
Naomi Kritzer's "Liberty's Daughter"
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Tomorrow (November 22), I'll be joined by Vass Bednar at the Toronto Metro Reference Library for a talk about my new novel, The Lost Cause, a preapocalyptic tale of hope in the climate emergency.
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There's so much sf about "competent men" running their families with entrepreneurial zeal, clarity of vision and a firm confident hand. But there's precious little fiction about how much being raised by a Heinlein dad would suuuck. But it would, and in Naomi Kritzer's Liberty's Daughter, we get a peek inside the nightmare:
https://fairwoodpress.com/store/p148/LIBERTY%27S_DAUGHTER.html
Beck Garrison is a seasteader, living on a floating platform built by libertarian cranks to get away from big government, taxes, and the idea that people owe each other care and consideration. Various kinds of market trufans have built their own fiefdoms: there's a sin city, a biotech free-for-all, a lawless Mad Max zone, and so on.
Beck's father, Paul, is some kind of local functionary. He's wealthy and respected, both a power-broker and a power in his own right. He pays for Beck to get private tutoring (no public schools – no public anything) and if she needs bailing out from some kind of sticky situation, he's got her on his account with Alpha Dogs, the toughest mercenaries on the sea (no police, either). An armed society is a polite society, after all.
Beck has a job, naturally (there ain't no such thing as a free lunch). She's a finder: for all that the steaders worship commerce as a sacrament consecrated to the holy Invisible Hand, there's not a lot of retail at sea. California – the nearest onshore neighbor – has lots of pesky taxes, and besides, it's a long ways off. Besides, space is at a premium on the stead, so people don't have attics and basements to fill with excess consumer junk.
Instead, when a steader needs something – a shoelace, a fashion accessory, or any other creature comfort – they hire a finder like Beck to clamber around between the decks of the aircraft carriers, scows, yachts and other vessels comprising the stead. It's a good way for Beck to earn spending money, and she's a natural at it. After all, she's been a steader since she was four, when her mother died in a drunk driving accident and her father took her to sea.
The story opens with a finding job. Beck wants a pair of sparkly shoes for her client, and the woman who owns them is an indentured servant whose sister has gone missing. Find the sister, get the shoes.
Indentured servant? Yeah, of course. Freedom of contract is the one freedom from which all the others flow, so you can sell yourself into bond labor. Hell, maybe you can earn enough to buy a share in the stead and become a co-owner/citizen.
This is the setup for Beck's adventure, which sees her liberating bond slaves tricked into fatal work details, getting involved in reality TV production, meeting illegal IWW organizers, and becoming embroiled in a pandemic that threatens the lives of all the steaders. It's a coming of age novel, told with the same straightforward, spunky zeal of Heinlein's juvies, but from the perspective of the daughter, not the dad.
Kritzer makes it clear that growing up under the thumb of a TANSTAAFL-worshipping, self-regarding, wealthy autocrat who worships selfishness as the necessary precondition for market clearing would be a goddamned nightmare. She also thinks through some of the important implications of life in one of these offshore libertarian archipelagos, like the fact that the wealthy residents would be overwhelming drawn from the ranks of corporate criminals and tax-cheats, and the underclass would be bail-skipping proles ensnared in the War on Drugs.
But Liberty's Daughter isn't a hymn to big government. Most of the steaders are escaping the US government, a state whose authoritarian and cruel proclivities are well-documented. Kritzer uses the labor dispute at the core of the novel to reveal market authoritarianism – the coercive power that hunger and poverty transfers from the have-nots to the haves. Think of Anatole France's wry observation that "the law, in its majestic equality, equally forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."
If you're familiar with Kritzer's work, you won't be surprised to learn that she tells a zippy, fast moving tale that smuggles in sharp observations about the cleavage lines between solidarity and selfishness. Her story "So Much Cooking" – published years before the pandemic – captured life under lockdown with eerie prescience:
https://pluralistic.net/2020/04/17/pack-of-knaves/#so-much-cooking
More recently, her "Better Living Through Algorithms" is a dazzling display of knifework that'll cut you a dozen times before you even notice that you're bleeding:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/02/wunderkammer/#jubillee
If you habitually read Kritzer's short fiction, Liberty's Daughter might be familiar to you, as it is adapted from a series of stories that originally ran in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Kritzer's YA debut, Catfishing on the CatNet, was also adapted from a short story, "Cat Pictures Please," which won the Hugo Award in 2016:
https://boingboing.net/2019/11/19/setec-astronomy-kitteh.html
"Libertarian exit" – buying a country, or an archipelago, or just a luxury bunker – has been in the air lately. It's a major element of my new novel, The Lost Cause, which came out this month – anarchocapitalist wreckers try to sabotage the Green New Deal from the seastead they've moored to the tallest point in the drowned Grand Caymans and declared to be a sovereign nation:
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865939/the-lost-cause
Kritzer is great at catching that zeitgeist. Seasteading is part of a long, bitter dream of a certain kind of selfish person to escape society, a tale told in lurid and fascinating detail in Raymond Craib's 2022 history Adventure Capitalism:
https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/14/this-way-to-the-egress/#terra-nullius
There's a longstanding joke to the effect that you can shut down any discussion of the merits of a libertarian exit by asking three questions about the brave new world:
Whether you can sell your organs;
Whether you can sell yourself into slavery; and
Whether there is any age of consent.
Kritzer tackles the first two, but tacks around the third. Instead, by giving us a young adult protagonist who has been raised in a rusting libertopia, she finds a decidedly less incendiary way to think about the role of autonomy in adolescents, and thus generates far more light than heat.
The result is a cracking read with a sting in its tail.
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If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/21/podkaynes-dad-was-a-dick/#age-of-consent
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vorenado-m · 3 months
Text
happy disability pride month! please consider helping me take back my life as a disabled person!
the TL;DR is that for the last 3 months i have had an absolutely soul-sucking miserable minimum wage retail job that, due to the way scheduling works (and the app being broken as fuck) has prevented me from having access to literally any of the life-saving mental health/medical care i need as a disabled person.
my disability is best managed through a combination of medication, therapy, and casework-- not a single one of which i have had since march! :) contextually, up until i got this job, i took three daily medications and had casework once a week and therapy once or sometimes twice a week. these services are offered at an affordable cost to me through a local organization that is threatening to close my case due to lack of participation.
ill make another, more detailed post later with some of the services i can offer for money (i draw! i code! i write!) but until then here is a code you can scan if you have a few dollars to spare:
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there are more details beneath the cut (idk about you guys but im kinda nosy so i wrote some more stuff in case anyone else is also nosy) but thats the gist of it. you can also always ask for details. i dont have a therapist right now so it might feel good to say things.
my plan is as follows: i would like to take the month of july more or less "off" from work to get my affairs in order, starting with scheduling appointments for therapy and casework and getting back on my meds. i am actively looking for a job, but i would like the ability to be somewhat picky instead of applying everywhere i think might have me for the sake of having money coming in to pay rent.
for the last two years i have made less than $800/mo and i can survive on roughly $600-$650 a month. my july rent ($550) is paid and my august rent (at least $500) is most likely also squared away, through a combination of some cash i was hoarding, a previous donation, my last expected paychecks from my current job, and my brother generously offering to cover whatever is left over. the extra $100ish is for roughly a months supply of the food that is part of my daily routine that i get cranky without (i have tea every morning, for instance.)
i have a fantastic roommate who is not struggling as much financially who will do everything in her power to make sure i have access to staple foods (rice, eggs, etc) so i really just need to buy the things only i consume (kimchi, milk, etc.) there is a food bank i go to, so i am not worried about food, but i can only go to it once per month. we have a barter system where i trade her the things i dont want from the food bank and she buys me things i will eat; alternatively, i sometimes give her things i get from the food bank (eg meat) that she turns into meals for both of us.
i live independently/"alone" with roommates and do not have support from my family pretty much at all. they have never been particularly useful for emotional support and have openly denied me financial support since i was a teenager. moving in with them/getting help from them/talking to them is not an option.
i have emailed my caseworker at the mental health organization i work with as well as my caseworker with the disability vocational program i work with to help me find a new job that is "back of house" and requires less customer interaction. i did this over the weekend, so i expect to hear back from them sometime this week. in the meantime, i am searching for jobs on my own in places like indeed, jobhat, careerbuilder, etc. as well as checking company websites of places like chain grocery stores to see what is available in my area.
my job pool is a bit limited due to the fact that i cannot drive (due to both my disability and the medication im supposed to be taking for it) but i am very well-versed at taking the bus, which is free. getting to and from work is not a concern for me; it is being able to do the job without being driven to the edge of a mental breakdown that is the problem.
the disability vocational program is my ticket out of poverty! last month i had a follow-up evaluation (i had to call out of work for it, but frankly i was at the end of my rope then too) where they approved my career goals as a web developer and we are in the process of deciding what my next steps are! the program will likely (depending on what route i take) help pay for vocational training, too, but i obviously have to pay rent while in training. which i think i can do if i have a job that doesnt make me want to die.
i have some other things that make my life a bit harder (im mixed race, i am nonbinary + gay, etc) but i would say those things dont really impact my ability to get a job as much as the disability does LOL which is why i did not feature them prominently in this post. like, the reason i cant get a job isnt because people dont want to hire me because i have blue hair and pronouns, its because im obviously disabled.
if you have any other questions, no matter how intrusive you think they might be, feel free to send a DM or an ask, and i will try to answer.
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hetalia-club · 9 months
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Working at a coffee shop is my favorite thing because I’m such a nosey person and I love other peoples drama and I like hearing about it and for some reason I have a face that just screams “tell me everything babe” so like I have a bunch of details about things I shouldn’t know from lawyers and their cases. I know how peoples divorces are going. I know what retired people have been up to. I know current drama at the local Highschool from both teachers and students coming in before school. There’s a guy who has a sugar baby and he brings her in and they have dates and his wife ALSO comes in and Idk if I should tell her or not but I think she might know because she has to because it’s been going on for actual years. Cops tell me about fun calls they got called to at the drug den across town. I know some really messed up stuff too about childhood trauma and abuse that people have told me like I’m a therapist or something like tf am I supposed to say? “That sucks… did you want me to draw a heart or a swan on your latte? There is this old lady who comes in and she’s such a mean and hateful Karen, but like to the opposite degree if that makes sense. She sits in there all day and reads books and drinks coffee continuously but she really really likes me (who doesn’t) and if anyone every comes in and has an attitude for any reason or if they’re shitty she will yell at them and tell them they are a nasty person and shame them for me. A rich lady who comes in every day who’s husband is a lawyer bought me a Louis Vuitton wallet for Christmas last year because I meantioned I wanted one off handedly. I have a bunch old old men who are regulars who hang out in there together like all day eating muffins and ordering continuous lattes and mochas of all different varieties and the they always sing along to the rat pack music I play.
I know a lot of people don’t like retail but I really like it lol.
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acommonloon · 1 month
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Except for a few white knuckle moments on our stormy drive home, Saturday’s adventure ended with Ethereal Brewing located in the old James E. Pepper Distillery where I had one beer. Weather was predicted.
The atmosphere here is one of my favorites and the beer is always interesting with old ales, barrel aged beers, and European styles on offer. I especially appreciated the Progress Pride flag.
On the drive down we stopped at DQ for biscuits and gravy. A black woman was the only person working front of house. I thought she was early thirties, for sure she was a pro at this. On the side opposite where we sat was a group of old white men, several sporting MAGA hats.
I watched her carry food over to the mildly boisterous group a few times. The interaction seemed familiar and friendly. “Must be regulars I mentioned to D.”
As we got up to leave, I suggested I’d shout “Go Kamala!” As we passed them.
“Better not.” D replied. (I didn’t)
Sitting at the bar, I recalled a post, I’d read before leaving that morning, by Penzy’s Spices called “About Republicans”. A declaration right on their website and at a cost.
We’d got up early to go stand in line at Buffalo Trace in Frankfort to hopefully get a couple of bottles of Blantons bourbon. It’s one of my favorites and I especially like to give it as gifts. It’s allocated, meaning retail liquor stores get very little of it so they put it behind the counter and mark it up at huge margins. It retails for $69.99 but I mostly see it for $110-$180 locally, when I see it at all.
People travel from far and wide to visit Buffalo Trace and the many other distilleries in this part of Kentucky. It’s become a tourist destination for those who make drinking bourbon a hobby. According to the man controlling the front of the line, last year they had visitors from all 50 states and 32 countries.
When we arrived at the parking lot, staff members with Hi-Vis vests on, directed us to park. We were about 30mins before they opened but there was already 3 and a half snakes. Yes - snakes. There is a FB site devoted to tracking the bourbon availability there each day as well as how many people are lining up, with a line being a snake. It’s all very organized. Long lines painted on the asphalt define how to que up like at the airport. Unlike the airport, there’s no sense of desperation so no physical barriers are needed. There were dogs and kids in line. The people in front of us were from North Carolina and they had one of each.
What I realized, sitting at the bar was, there weren’t any black people in that line at Buffalo Trace. Ahem, none I noticed. There also weren’t any black people at our next stop, West Sixth Brewing either. There were a few black people at our next stop, the large art fair held in the park. A few exhibitors and a few walking about like us. <sigh> This is far from the first time I’ve noticed the places I choose to spend my time and money are mostly all white affairs.
What’s my point? Let’s elect a black woman to president. Let it be a step towards outlasting the racist homophobic anti other segment of our society. Let them die in fear as they’ve chosen to live. Let’s stand in lines of color.
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