#we still can afford food and pay for services so it's fine

[sherlock-is-ace]

.

[inkskinned]

i got rickrolled today but it didn't work because i have adblocker installed, so youtube just told me i violated the terms of service. yesterday i was trying to edit a picture as a joke for my girlfriend, and google made me check a box to prove i'm human because i wasn't "searching normally".

it isn't just that capitalism is killing fun and whimsy, it is that any element of entertainment or joy is being fed upon by this mosquito body, one that will suck you dry at any vulnerability.

do you want to meet new friends in your city? download this app, visit our website, sign up for our email list. pay for this class on making a terrarium, on candlemaking, on cooking. it will be 90 dollars a session. you can go to group fitness, but only under our specific gym membership. solve the puzzle, sign up for our puzzle-of-the-month-club. what is a club if not just a paid opportunity - you are all paying for the same thing, which makes you a community.

but you're like me, i know it - you're careful, you try the library meetings and the stuff at the local school and all of that. the problem is that you kind of want really specific opportunities that used to exist. you are so grateful for libraries and the publicly-funded things: they are, however, an exception - and everything they have, they've fought tooth-and-nail to protect. you read a headline about how in many other states, libraries have virtually nothing left.

do you want to meet up with your friends afterwards? gift your friends the discord app. you can choose to go to a cafe (buy a coffee, at least), a bar (money, alcohol) or you can all stay in and catch a movie (streaming) or you can all stay in bed (rent. don't get me started) and scream (noise complaint. ticket at least).

you want to read a new book, but the book has to have 124 buzzwords from tiktok readers that are, like, weirdly horny. you can purchase this audiobook on audible! your podcast isn't on spotify, it's on its own server, pay for a different site. fuck, at least you're supporting artists you like. the art museum just raised their ticket price. once, they had a temporary exhibit that acknowledged that ~85% of their permanent art galleries were from cis white men, and that they had thousands of works by women (even famous women, like frida! georgia o'keefe!) just rotting in their basement. that exhibit lasted for 3 months and then they put everything away again.

walmart proudly supports this strip of land by the street! here are some flowers with wilting leaves. its employees have to pay out-of-pocket for their uniforms. my friend once got fined by the city because she organized a community pick-up of the riverfront, which was technically private property.

no, you cannot afford to take that dance class, neither can i. by the way - i'm a teacher. i'm absolutely not saying "educators shouldn't be paid fairly." i'm saying that when i taught classes, renting a studio went from 20 bucks an hour to 180 in the span of 6 months. no significant changes to the studio were made, except they now list the place as updated and friendly. the heat still doesn't work in the building. i have literally never seen the landlord who ignores my emails. recently they've been renting it out at night as an "unusual nightclub; a once-in-a-lifetime close-knit party." they spent some of those 180 dollars on LEDs and called it renovating. the high heels they invite in have been ruining the marley.

do you want to experience the old internet? do you want to play flash games or get back the temporary joy of club penguin? you can, you just need to pay for it. i have a weird, neurodivergent obsession with occasionally checking in to watch the downfall and NFT-ification of neopets. if i'm honest with you all - i never got into webkins, my family didn't have the money to buy me a pointless elephant. people forget that "being poor" can mean literally "if i buy you that toy, i can't afford rent."

you and i don't have time to make good food, and we don't have the budget for it. we are not gonna be able to host dinner parties, we're not made of money, kid. do you want some kind of 3rd space? a space that isn't home or work or school? you could try being online, but - what places actually exist for you? tiktok counts as social media because you see other people on it, not because they actually talk to you.

there was a local winter tradition of sledding down the hill at my school. kids would use pizza boxes and jackets and whatever worked, howling and laughing. back in september, they made a big announcement that this time, rules were changing, and everyone must pay 10 dollars to participate. when im not scared shitless, i kind of appreciate the environmental irony - it hasn't gone below 40. so much for snow & joyriding.

i saw a bulletin for a local dogwalking group and, nervous about making a good first impression, showed up early. the first guy there grimaced at me. "sorry," he said. "there's a 30-dollar buy-in fee." i thought he was joking. wait. for what? the group doesn't offer anything except friendship and people with whom to walk around the city.

he didn't know the answer. just shrugged at me. "you know," he said. "these days, everything costs money."

[lenixsocial]

Watcher (and why nothing matters anymore):

So, in case you've been locked away under a proverbial bridge for a few days, Internet personalities Steven Lim, Ryan Bergara, and Shane Madej (known as Watcher) have elected to begin their own streaming service and ditch YouTube.

On the surface, that mightn't even seem like news at all.

After all, this sort of thing seems to happen all the time: The Try Guys left Buzzfeed to create their own company, Rhett and Link took the dive and diversified into paywalled entertainment a few years back with Mythical Society. Both of which however still rely on YouTube itself to generate views on the main channels, which funnel viewers into a FOMO type situation where "you can't miss" a special airing on the app (Mythical Society) or Patreon (Try Guys).

Watcher, in its infinite wisdom (stupidity, carelessness, unparalleled greed - take your pick) has decided that YouTube is pointless, and has moved ALL their content behind a paywall, claiming that the service was amping up to provide "TV quality programming", leaving only old content and the first episodes of the new shows up on their YouTube page as a subtle tease as to what you could get for $6/month.

It's now quite apparent from reading the comments section of their (now infamous) YouTube video, their official subreddit, and the tag on X that the fans were...not thrilled. The fingers began to be pointed within minutes. Name calling soon after. Then this blossomed into dissertations on why this was a horrible idea.

Then we found out that there was no app. Just a website. So you're paying for website access. Not a full blown streaming service to rival Netflix. Oh, and they don't even have their own servers, the videos are hosted by Vimeo. The deeper the comments section dug, the nastier the attacks got. Steven soon became the whipping boy. His past, his interviews, scanned and mercurially dug up for juicy tidbits (although all anyone gleaned from these was he's rich, was born rich, drives a Tesla in LA, likes fancy food, and has friends whom he values who are racist and possibly sexist and will not sever ties with them).

Then came the cries of incongruity. Shane Madej repeatedly said to "Eat the Rich", and here he was schilling for a platform that cost $6 a month. The cries began to pirate all of the new Watcher content because maybe he was under duress and was secretly telling them to do so. Fact is, I don't know if he was or what, but I'm certain he's under contract and wants his job.

Then came the videos from other internet users analyzing the video, and comparing this to the Try Guys situation with Ned a few months back. Both are disasters, each in unique ways with different players, and such like but here's the vast difference: none of this will even matter in a month.

Let me explain: We are in the total free fall stage of Watcher's Internet Streamer Service. What they do in the next 24-48 hours is crucial. If they revert back to their YouTube channel and apologize, they'll be fine. People will probably poke fun at them, but they'll be forgiven, eventually. But if they don't and they keep on, ignoring the fans, dousing the haters, and make it a month, I doubt we will see any resistance outside of a terse article or two.

Why? The collective memory span in this day and age is extremely short, many have likely already made judgment in their head and have passed said judgment. Therefore, they'll avoid the channel, and the streamer and will be blissfully unaware of any changes. Those who have joined up and paid will remain members, and those who have elected to remain subscribed will likely remain so and will watch the free content until they can afford the $6/month.

The thing is like it or hate it, if they decide to do nothing and ignore the public at large, they most likely will be fine. Maybe they will not have the hugest subscriber base, but people will forget about this. Something else major that is more salacious will spring up in the months ahead. Will there be lingering anger? Sure, but like I said before, these people have already passed judgment so they're already gone.

In an era of "nothing fucking matters" when your choices are sometimes entirely out of your direct control and are (at best) two sides of the same coin, it should be of absolutely no surprise to anyone that there is a fairly good possibility even after all that has transpired that nothing bad will happen. Lest we forget that old adage: "there is no such thing as bad PR".

Personally, I feel $6 is a tad much for a non-app based web streamer with little to no content. It was disingenuous to announce its launch internationally where even more people can't afford it, and some can't even view it. Steven wasn't upfront with who was in charge and now it really does seem like he's using the subscriptions to fund his international gallivanting. It's clear nobody wanted TV-show quality Ghost Files to take place in another country, nor did they want an old show revived with votes when you pay the first month's dues. They say it's a case of Watcher "not reading the room".

[obi-nob-kenobi]

Like a Lady (Morston one-shot)

Arthur says yes to the deluxe bath in Valentine, but the girl who works the baths at 2AM wasn't who Arthur was expecting. He wants the deluxe bath anyway.

art by @moopzies on tumblr/twitter

(note: This is a repost from my old tumblr that i can no longer access but since someone is hating on morston again how about a reminder of a cross-dressing John fic I wrote~)

ao3 link

or read below:

Racoons were the worst rodent in all the lands, Arthur decided as he rode into Valentine, head down in shame and back irritated beyond reach. If his horse could talk, she’d be giving some sympathy back with a hint of mockery, just as Arthur would to anyone of his gang brothers.

He was just out in the forest trying to grab some meat, unbeknownst that a family of Racoons already took his spot by the pond as their territory. Trying to shoo them away proved fruitless, and soon he had one on his back trying to eat his hat, and another inside his jacket looking for a pack of cigarettes.

Now he was out of smokes, no meat to show for, and tired as all hell. He was not camping out, not with those monsters waiting for him, so he made his way back into town and said he was going to treat himself to a nice hot bath.

The only places open were the saloon and the hotel which advertised their 24 hour bath service. As small and smelly as Valentine was, their hot water all but made up for it.

Hitched his horse and gave her a nice bundle of carrots for the night before making his way inside, slamming two quarters down and demanding a bath. His kindness only went to his horse, as he had no patience for the night clerk’s fret of tracking mud.

The damn racoons pushed him into a puddle. He won’t elaborate further.

Once the clerk confirmed the hot water was ready, Arthur dragged himself into the tub, throwing his dirty clothes aside and stepped in.

The hot water was a shock to his cold skin that quickly subsided into the pleasurable heat he was dreaming of. This is exactly what his body needed, a nice hot bath with the soaps and sponges, not the damn river water most of everyone at camp uses when they can’t afford the bath.

He only got to scrubbing his arms when he sank into the tub, just letting himself soak. If Charles was available, he’d ask to go hunting with him. Maybe he knew how to deal with feral racoons.

Or he could rob some O’Driscolls for a few gold pieces. That’s a faster way to make money and buy butchered food in town.

Arthur had his eyes closed, dreaming of the land he was supposed to be exploring in New Austin when a knock awoke him. “Would you like some assistance?”

He peaked one eye open at the door, still closed but a shadow indicating someone on the other side. She didn’t sound like the usual girl who offered the service, but then again Arthur had ridden in around two in the morning. He also rejected the service last time he was here as he just wanted a moment to himself. This time, though, a bit of company sounded nice, even if he had to pay her.

“Sure.” He said.

The door opened, and not a split second later shut abruptly. “Shit!”

That startled Arthur awake, now recognizing the voice. It was not a woman, but instead John fucking Marston, wearing a petticoat and what looked like a corset similar to Karen’s. The eye shadow and lipstick were just as visible as the wolf scars on his cheek, though Arthur was sure the blush was not make-up, but John’s natural color.

“What the hell are you doing here?” John whispered harshly.

Arthur eyed him up, and under the bubbles pinched himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming…or drowning. “I should be asking you that, Marston.”

“None of you come here at this hour. Haven’t since we’ve been camping.”

Arthur opened his mouth to retort when a knock on the door startled them. John stepped back, rushing over to Arthur’s side at the tub.

“Everything okay in there?” Arthur assumed it was the clerk.

“Just fine.” Arthur answered for them. “Saw…a rat.”

“Oh! We apologize about that sir, and we’ll get that squared away.”

John relaxed once the clerk’s footsteps faded, but then he glared down at him. “Jesus christ why ain’t there another town…”

Suddenly, the last few weeks made sense to Arthur. John was in no shape to hunt or even go on scouting jobs, but he’d been antsy sitting around all day. He complained to Arthur, the night of Sean’s welcome back party, that he was feeling useless to the gang and saw no point in being saved if he was just sitting around all day. Arthur tried to reassure he wasn’t being a burden, considering how some others just lie all day, but John seemed determined to contribute in some way.

Arthur assumed at the time it was just drunk talk, and come morning John would be in his tent resting as he should be. But since then, John looked even more tired in the morning, groggy and sluggish like he had been up all night. Arthur even caught him contributing to the camp funds, but didn’t answer when Dutch asked where he got the money.

“So you’ve been…”

“Not a damn word Morgan.” John said. “If word gets back to camp,” John reached into the bath and pulled his ankle up, “I will skin you alive.”

Arthur snorted. “You wish, boy.”

“I mean it Arthur.” His voice was stern, a tone of a promise and not an empty threat. “I don’t need the rest of y’all treating me like you do the ladies. They get enough shit as it is and I’m not gonna sit by when that ridicule comes to me.”

Arthur raised his hands. “Geez, I won’t. Just surprised is all.”

John let go of his ankle, finally relaxing at the edge of the tub. “Good.”

Arthur laid back, watching John’s body language. As suspected this odd night shift wore him down. He wondered if John walked to Valentine or hitched a ride every time but it was still quite a trek from camp.

And the dress–it was common enough that he maybe took it from one of the gals in camp but even John doesn’t steal from women. His guess is he’s using what the hotel provided.

“So they let you take this job?” Arthur asked, curious.

John shrugged. “Got a few wanting…this kind of service.”

Arthur could see the appeal. Skirts and corsets were always pretty, bringing out the best features of a lady. John was a skinny man, handsome face and long hair that had ladies swooning over him when he was a teenager. And Arthur had eyes, he could see why men would overlook his gender and take him especially in this get up.

“Well, you’re in here.” Arthur said. “Might as well scrub my back.”

John whipped his head. “You fucking serious?”

Arthur reached over for the washcloth and handed it to him, “I’m paying you, aren’t I?”

“Fuck you Morgan,” John said, taking the cloth and pushing Arthur forward. “You lucky this ain’t a knife.”

The fabric against his back was rough and stung at the scratch marks. He’d prefer delicate hands instead, but John was not a delicate person.

“These are fresh, what the hell happened?”

Now it was Arthur’s turn to turn red from embarrassment. He’s still called lead-meat considering how he kills his animals with high caliber bullets, but no way in hell will anyone find out he was bested by forest rodents.

“Wolves.” He said stupidly.

John clicked his tongue. “Try again. No wolf marks are this shallow.”

“Just wash me.”

Arthur leaned forward on the tub’s edge, resting on his arms as he watched John grumble to himself. He was doing a very thorough job, making sure every bit of dirt was off him. No matter how much he made fun of him, John was always a hard worker, no doubt about that.

When John finished his back, he shoved Arthur to rest his back against the tub, and took one of his legs to wash him down.

“You are one hairy man.” John commented. “You have a shaving kit.”

“You’re on to talk. Don’t see you cutting this anytime soon.” He reached out, touching the ends of John’s hair. John, surprisingly, did not pull back.

“Hair on my head is fine. I think you’re growing a forest on your legs.”

He moved to the other side of the tub to scrub his other leg. He paused for a second, observing the fresh scratches on that side. It was the leg the racoons climbed onto to get to his damn cigarettes. “So…wanna explain these?”

Arthur shivered when John’s slender finger traced the red markings. He sunk into the tub, hoping the bubbles would hide his face. “Don’t go out to the Cumberland Forest, think the animals have rabies.”

John pulled his hand back. “...you pulling my leg?”

“We’ll see when I’m foaming at the mouth come morning.”

John pushed his leg back into the water. “Fine, I won’t tell you was ravaged by racoons.”

“And I won’t tell you moonlight as a lovely lady.”

“Just give me the damn money.”

Arthur pointed over to his trousers piled in the corner. John made a face as he picked it up, taking the money while checking out the mud stains. “You got spare clothes, right?”

“Yep, on the horse though.”

John shook his head, mumbling to himself as he left the room, leaving Arthur alone yet again with water now lukewarm.

Some part of him still wondered if this was an elaborate dream, though he questioned why he dreamt of John of all people bathing him when said man returned with his clothes from his horse’s saddle.

“I’ll get these washed up. They’ll be in your tent in the morning.”

Oh, well that was rather kind of him. John at the camp wouldn’t even get him a bowl of stew if Arthur asked politely.

“Boadicea is lookin’ dirty too. You’re gonna wanna brush her.”

His poor horse also got caught up in the raccoon fight when they were trying to escape, rushing through bushes and dust instead of their trail. “Yup, I’ll do that in the morning.”

“Oh Miss Joanna,” The desk clerk knocked on their door, but did not open it. “Mr. Waldorf is asking for you.”

John’s shoulders slumped, back pressing at the wall when he sighed out, “I will be right out.”

Arthur eyed the door. “Whose Mr. Waldorf?”

“My regular.” John said. “Uh, he comes in for a bath among…other things.”

The pink blush on his face said enough to know what John was expected to do tonight.

And something about that burned in Arthur’s chest.

The comments John had growing up, a lovely face with high cheekbones and long hair, had all the wrong men coming onto him. Arthur was always the first to step between anyone who wanted to touch him, and when John grew stronger, had no problem defending himself.

Still, as an adult, abiet it a stupid one, John could make his decisions himself. If he wanted to get sweet with men to help the camp, so be it.

Yet…

Arthur did not want another man touching him.

“How much?”

“Huh?”

“How much, for a night with you.”

If John’s face was pink before, it was as red as a tomato now.

“Y-ou–wha–why do you care?!”

“How. Much.”

“Arthur, just get out before I throw your nice clothes into the bath!”

When Marston was stunned, it was easier to swipe things from him, so Arthur just pulled his clothes from John’s hands and quickly put on his pants. He walked past him and towards the clerk, uncaring that his feet were tracking wet footprints.

“How much for Miss Joanna?”

The clerk pushed up his glasses, confused at the request. “Miss Joanna is already scheduled–”

If he recalled, Abigail said she used to charge thirty in the city. Karen and Tilly said they offer five to ten in small towns like these, but usually come back with more considering they also rob the men before they can even touch them.

So he pulled out ten, which was enough for the clerk to shut up. It worked, as the clerk looked at his profit and handed over a key. “Room 2b is available now.”

Arthur turned back to the bath hallway, smirking at John’s stunned opened mouth. He jingled the keys and walked up to his room, knowing in just a few minutes John would be bursting through the doors, angrily sputtering nonsense about his job and not needing protection as he always did whenever Arthur involved himself in his business.

Arthur laid on the freshly made bed, noting it was big enough for two, hands behind his head and resting on the pillow, whistling softly to himself as the door slammed open.

“Morgan you goddamn bastard!”

“Miss Joanna,” Arthur smiled. “A lady shouldn’t be shoutin’, you could wake everyone up.”

John closed the door behind him, throwing Arthur’s dirty clothes onto the floor. Guess he won’t be getting those washed up anytime soon.

“Why, why are you still foolin’ around with me?” John asked through seething teeth. “You got your bath and a good laugh. Just let me work.”

Arthur kept this gaze tight on John. “Do I look like I’m laughing?”

“You’re smiling, you’re halfway there.”

“But I’m not.” Arthur said simply. “Even the gals don’t sleep with men anymore for money. Why are you?”

John gestures around him. “Contribute to the group, that’s what Dutch said, didn't he? Well I ain’t doing much sitting and moping all day, having Micah tell me what deadweight I am, Javier bragging about the loot he got. Hell, you and Charles are keeping us fed with all the animals yous been huntin.” John took a moment to breathe, hands on his hips as he paced around the room. “I’m useless.”

The smile on Arthur’s face left. He sat up on the bed, moving his body so that his feet were on the floor. “John, you were in the mountains starving for two days, attacked by wolves. You couldn’t even walk.”

“I’m walkin’ now, aren’t I?”

“It’s okay to rest. You ain’t useless.”

John clicked his tongue. “Tell that to Micah.”

“Micah should have been left in the mountains to die.” Arthur said without hesitation. “Come here.”

John crossed his arms over his chest. “You don’t gotta hug me. I ain’t twelve anymore.”

“Clearly.” Arthur said, patting his lap.

At least John’s face was back to red from embarrassment rather than anger. After a second of contemplating he did, walking over so that he was standing between Arthur’s legs.

Arthur reached out to touch his hand. He rubbed soft circles around his knuckles before taking it to his lips, and kissed him.

“Arthur…stop playin– Art!”

In a swift move, Arthur brought John down so that he was seated in his lap, skirt hanging over and covering both their legs. John’s waist was so small in the corset that was beautifully embroidered with flowers.

“Lemme take care of you Johnny.” Arthur soothed, letting his other hand rundown John’s back. The texture of the lace ribbon and metal boning danced on his fingertips. The knot at the bottom was tight enough to keep the piece altogether, but with the perfect tug, he could release John from his confines.

“”M not a kid.” John said suddenly. “Treat me like a man.”

“No.” Arthur said. He took the end of the ribbon and pulled the knot loose. But he didn’t let it slip off his body. Instead Arthur flipped them over, John with his back on the bed while Arthur kneeled between his legs. He hiked up the skirt to John’s waist, hands scrambling to pull down the bloomers and toss them aside.

“Tonight, I’m treatin’ you like a lady.”

He spread John’s legs apart, revealing his half-hard erection underneath all the pretty soft fabric. He began by kissing his inner thighs, noticing that he smelled almost floral. He sunk his teeth into the skin, using his tongue to lick the light wound right after and asked, “Did you clean yourself?”

Arthur couldn’t see John’s face, imagining he must be so flustered. With a shaky breath John replied, “Yeah, we’re all supposed–”

Arthur darted his tongue into his hole, leaving the younger man choking on his own words. Not only did John clean, but he prepared himself in advance, already stretched and lubricated. He supposed John couldn’t get wet as naturally as a woman, but that was okay, that gave Arthur more time to enjoy his body.

“A-Arthur! You don’t hafta–ah..”

John’s hand found Arthur’s hair, pulling at his strands to try and pull him off, but Arthur wouldn’t allow it. He doubted John’s customers ever treated him right, only using him for their pleasure and leaving him nothing else. It was time for John to feel the pleasure of a tongue inside him, fingering for his own lust. A cock that would draw out real screams.

He heard the younger sigh, keeping Arthur’s head in place and squeezed his thighs together. Arthur smiled to himself. John was finally allowing himself to actually feel good, and he was not holding back his sounds.

Unless they were yelling, the walls in this hotel were actually thick enough to mask conversations. The breathy moans and pants from John were just for Arthur to hear, and he took pride knowing he’s able to get these sounds out of him.

Arthur threw one of John’s legs over his shoulder to get a deeper angle. It caused another low whine, John withering in the bed to try and ride Arthur’s face. His cock was leaking now with some of his seed staining the inside of the dress. Arthur took his cock in hand, squeezing the base to stop him from coming so soon.

His own pants tightened at John’s voice, but Arthur ignored it so he could stretch his partner out.

He pulled his tongue out to kiss his thighs and legs, with one finger gently circling John’s puckered hole. “I’m putting one in.”

“Dammit Arthur, just–hng,”

“Impatient.”

John mouthed something that sounded like a “Fuck you”, but his words jumbled into a moan. Of all ways to finally shut John Marston up, it’d be something in his ass.

He started scissoring him with two, knowing John could take it with how slick he already was, and the younger man continued to sing pretty.

With a third to get him out thoroughly, John dug his heels into Arthur’s shoulders. “Arthur– please .”

Arthur kissed the head of his cock. “Never heard you beg like that.”

“ Arthur .”

If they were outside, with no walls or other people to consider, he’d have John begging until the birds in the sky could hear him. For now, John was all for him, in this room, in his lovely dress.

John scooted up the bed, resting between the two pillows. Arthur shoved down his pants, revealing his very hard erection. John’s eyes went down, and he swallowed nervously.

“This is for you, Johnny.” Arthur said, taking his cock and stroking himself. He leaned down, hips between John’s legs and hand tangling in John’s hair. “You made me hard. See what you’ve done?”

“J-just a bath…” John shied away from Arthur’s eyes, but in doing so he leaned into his touch.

“No, more than the bath. You’re beautiful John.”

Kissing his forehead, Arthur aligned himself with John’s opening and slowly sunk himself in. John gasped at the new stretch, and he grabbed Arthur by his shoulders, holding on as the man buried himself deep in him.

Between John’s teary eyes, the corset that just hung off his body, and the skirt now hiked up to his hips, he was a gorgeous sight, and for Arthur’s eyes only. If John would allow him, he’d photograph him with the camera in his bag. Maybe he’ll draw him out from memory, a reminder of this intimate and secret moment.

“Arthur,” John whispered. “Are you going to–”

“Thought I’d be gentle with you, miss.”

He could stay buried inside John forever. He was so warm , and fit him perfectly.

John rolled his eyes, but finally turned to Arthur to give him a proper kiss on the lips. “Fuck me, cowboy.”

Who was Arthur to deny a request like that?

He smashed their lips together, moving his hips in quick succession and thrusted in and out of his body just like he asked. The bed squeaked under them, headboard hitting the wall and Arthur was so glad this was the room at the end of the hall.

John’s moans were swallowed by Arthur, but what he would give to hear him out loud. John wrapped his legs around Arthur, trying to keep him in place as Arthur built his own pleasure with his body.

John’s neglected cock bounced between them. With his thumb, he rubbed at the tip, smearing his precum all over. That alone was enough to make John throw his head back, and covering his mouth, came between their bodies.

He tightened up after that, and Arthur hid his face in his shoulder. “John, fuck , I’m close. Where–”

“Inside.” John said, meeting Arthur’s movements. “Come inside me, Arthur.”

It didn’t take long for Arthur to follow, with one last hard thrust he buried himself deep, and filled John.

They came down from their high through lazy and breathless kisses. Arthur started on his lips, and when John grew tired, slumping into the bed, Arthur kissed his forehead, his cheek with his scars, and to his collarbone, wishing he could leave a mark if not for the fact John wore open necked shirts.

The night air of Valentine cooled their sweat and fluids, something that John quickly grew uncomfortable as his own spend was on his skirt and thighs. Arthur had not pulled out, but he could feel him leaking .

“Off,” John said after a moment. “Ugh, I think I need a bath.”

“Need some assistance?” Arthur asked shamelessly, and John lightly hit his arm.

“Ass. Just…wash cloth? There should be one by the drawer.

And that there was, as well as a set of clean sheets. For a small town hotel, they were ready for this type of clean up.

He wiped John’s body thoroughly, kissing every part of his skin until he was cleaned of the sweat and fluids. His lower half, however, Arthur watched in full arousal as his seed leaked out of him, dripping down to his thighs. Without warning he hitched John’s leg over his shoulder again, licking the rest of him clean.

John whimpered, holding in his moans as Arthur’s mouth got closer to his hole. He wasn’t hard yet so fast, but his cute cock was trying. It made Arthur smile.

When he was done teasing John, Arthur finally stood to take a nice look at his debauched and thoroughly fucked body. John was still breathing hard, face flushed and long legs spread out, ready for him again if Arthur pleased.

John looked absolutely stunning.

He joined him back on the bed, pulling John to his chest to kiss his forehead. The fireplace crackled as the logs broke under the heat, and the Valentine night noises filled the otherwise silent room, that was until a man two doors down groaned in pain.

Arthur shot up immediately, looking for his pistol when John tapped his chest to have him rest. “Ignore him, some poor fella with a stomach problem.”

“Oh.”

Under his chin, John’s hair smelled floral. He always called him a pile of grease because he just looked so oily, but running his hands through it, Arthur found his hair was very soft.

“So, how the hell is this going to work?” John asked after a while.

“What d’ya mean?”

“You just paid me and that money’s going back to the gang. Kinda weird when you can just put it in the box yourself.”

Arthur pulled John closer. “That money is yours with however you want it. I can contribute another way.”

John shrugged. “I don’t know, doesn’t feel right to take your money.”

“But it was okay to take my hat, my clothes, my saddle? ”

“I was fifteen!”

Arthur laughed. “John, I mean it. Do what you want with the money. Just stop doing this for other men.”

He could feel John tense. “How am I supposed to contribute–”

“Start by doing chores around the camp. Clean the horses, I don’t know. Nothing that would hurt you.” Arthur said. “I know you wanna be out here but…”

Arthur rolled them over, John now on his back so Arthur could look at him. As gently as he could, Arthur cupped John’s scarred cheek. “Take it easy. I’m not losing you again because you went off and got attacked.”

“They were just wolves.” John reminded him, leaning into his touch. “Better than O'Driscolls.”

They knew what the O’Driscolls were capable of. Arthur didn’t like that thought either.

Arthur laid next to John.“ Just…be there when I return to camp.”

The room grew quiet, just the sounds of the fireplace and the crickets from the outside. Then, in a small but earnest voice, John said. “Okay.” As he snuggled closer to Arthur.

Satisfied, Arthur stroked through John’s hair until he fell asleep, and soon enough Arthur did the same, holding the man like he was the most precious thing on earth. Because John Marston really was.

Arthur awoke to the roosters. Groaning, he covered his ears with a pillow and turned over, expecting to meet with another body only to find himself alone. He sighed, remembering that John probably snuck out earlier to make it back to camp, but it still disappointed him no less to wake up alone.

The room looked as if only one occupant stayed. The dirty clothes and wash cloth were gone. On top of his clean clothes, folded, was a note, definitely left by John based on his chicken scratch handwriting.

Saw some O’Driscolls hanging outside the hotel. Be careful on your way back. They was wearing some shiny new belts.

Arthur smiled, tucking the note away in his journal as he got ready for the day.

Picking off the O’Driscolls was easy, leading them far enough from town to take them out and steal any valuables on them. His luck turned around right after when a herd of deer trotted by, and Arthur managed to kill one cleanly and take the carcass back to the camp.

It was noon by the time he returned, valuables for the camp box and meat for Pearson’s stew.

Heading over to the girl’s wagon to pick up the coffee sacks for Pearson, Arthur saw John with a bucket between his legs, scrubbing away at some clothes. Despite working, he looked well rested, his first night with proper sleep.

The girls were folding the dry clothes and sewing ripped fabric. When Arthur said hello, the girls welcomed him back, while John grumbled.

“Get all them stains out, Marston.” Arthur teased.

“Fuck off.”

There were no heat in his words, judging by the way Tilly and Mary-Beth giggled.

“At least one of yous is helping us.” Karen said aloud, eyes glaring daggers at Sean sleeping by a rock.

“Don’t strain yourself too much ladies, Marston.” Arthur said, taking the sack over his shoulder.

“Arthur.” John called out, eyes still on the washboard. “I left your clothes hanging by your tent.”

Arthur took a quick glance over at his side of camp, seeing his clothes from the night before freshly washed and hanging to dry on a clothesline, just as John said. When he looked back, he noticed a faint blush on his face.

“Thanks. Can you come by later? My blanket ripped, I need help sewing it.”

The blush on his face deepened, but John just replied. “Sure.”

“John! I didn’t know you can sew.” Mary-Beth said, surprised.

“Me neither…” Was what John mumbled.

“Hey Marston, can you wash my long johns?”

“Do it yourself Williamson!”

“You do Arthur’s but not mine?!”

Arthur laughed, finally separating himself from them to give Pearson his sack. The rest of their afternoon would be filled with finishing chores, then sitting around the campfire listening to Javier sing or Uncle’s dubious escapades.

But in the night, John would be back in his tent, the man in his arms. Arthur just got a taste in Valentine, and he wasn’t going to stop just because John wasn’t in a skirt.

He wondered if he paid Karen or Mary-Beth, if they’d let Arthur keep one of their skirts.

[cooki3face]

We need to talk about healthcare and financial crises. There are a lot of us who wholeheartedly believe that there are cures to everything but that our illness is a form of profit for our country, especially within the United States. Just like the fact that instead of having fruit and vegetables and herbs be readily available and accessible for us, we’ve got to go buy them and as inflation increases, the price tags on healthier food choices increases. In the United States, you can get fined for not having insurance, but when you do have insurance you have to pay a fee to have it, large chunks of our pay checks are eaten up and taken from us as well as tax dollars. We not only have issues in the health care system regarding racial bias and discrimination but we also have a problem with the maternal mortality rate, especially in women of color, and especially in regards to black women.

We know who is most likely to get sickle cell anemia and who is most affected by it, and we know who is going to have a hard time affording a 2.2 million cure for sickle cell anemia. We know a large quantity of individuals with chronic illnesses or life threatening illnesses that require intensive medical care and medication are people or color or minorities. We know that people of color and minorities have historically been and systematically been financially unstable, have been paid more, or have been offered the lowest standard of care and resources. Why are we creating cures and services that we know a large percentage of our population cannot afford or does not have access to? And now, we have a case where even a larger percentage of our population cannot afford healthcare and services due to the economic state of our country.

We’re continuing to have children, especially as women, when we need to advocate for better healthcare and support. Women worldwide need to start setting better requirements for when they’re going to have children and how. As someone whose been interested in midwifery for years and has been reading up on midwifery and birthing practices and what is absolutely necessary and essential in order to give a woman a chance at having a smooth, healthy, and safe pregnancy. Vast majority of women who are having children don’t realize that today’s practices for birthing children or preparing you for labor and delivery are less than the bare minimum. Women need access to good food and need to be able to eat well and have a nutritionally balanced diet, women need to be able to participate in physical activity and exercise throughout their pregnancy (yoga, Pilates, walking, etc.) and especially with trained professionals and staff who are educated on what type of physical exercise would best benefit a woman throughout her pregnancy and what will ultimately help her out when it’s time to deliver, they need access to good environments and practices that are created to benefit them and make their experiences easier, safer, and more comfortable. And they absolutely do not need to be required to pay an arm and a leg in hospital fees to have a child in the United States.

We need better health care that better accommodates women in the process of conceiving, women going through their pregnancy, women who are laboring and delivering, and women who are still alive during post partum healing. All these things should be requirements. All of these things should be covered by insurance. The issue is so large that women are having to travel outside of the United States to give birth to their babies and come back so that they could have better care and a better recovery and overall survival rate. It’s expensive to hire a midwife, let alone a dula for spiritual guidance and support. All women should have access to midwives and dulas and there needs to be more women in the birthing industry. We know that traditional midwifery practices and practices that were created to better aid women and were more effective and atomically accurate have been let go of or replaced.

Children are expensive, motherhood is expensive, and at this current moment we have mothers who are going through their pregnancies and post partum without proper resources and care and we have children coming into this world constantly and repeatedly to environments, parents, circumstances, etc. that aren’t financially, emotionally, or physically fit or stable to give them good lives. We need to stop having children at such a rate whilst we shift our focus to advocating for better health care and support for our women. Having a child is a privilege, some people may not agree, but just because we love them does not mean that we should all be having them because at this time we do not have the proper resources to bring them into this world correctly or provide for them.

There’s a lot going on here and a lot we need to advocate for. And those who are chronically ill or have been intense physical ailments and pregnant women who are giving birth to babies are just the tip of the iceberg. This isn’t even including the chronically mentally ill or those with developmental disabilities whose families have to pay thousands of dollars just to get them what they need. Since we’re changing the world and there is a shift happening, it’s time we start having the right conversations at the right time. There’s no time to change the world like today.

[rumbelleshowdown]

Author: Lucretia Victrix

Prompts: Dance, fire, gold, heal. Lady of the lake. Car trip.

Group: F

-

Belle swears that she can see the air start to shimmer with heat as they cross the border into Arizona. The mid-afternoon sun drenches the desert in gold, causing the dunes to glow and sparkle. It would be a beautiful sight if she were in the mood to appreciate it, but she isn’t.

Her eyes are instead drawn to the service station flickering on the horizon in the desert haze and then back down to the fuel gage which warns her that they’re almost out of gas. Again.

She takes the first exit that leads her to the service station and moves to gently shake her traveling companion awake with one hand.

“Hey, wake up, love. We’re almost to a service station. Can you get us some food and things while I fill up the tank?” she asks him.

Robert Gold blinks at her, still half-asleep. He drove straight through the previous night as they couldn’t afford to stop anywhere, and he’s paying for it now, but he nods and answers her in a tired rumble. “Yes, of course. Where are we?”

“Arizona,” she answers. “Almost to the border.”

“Good, good.” He sits up straighter in the passenger seat of the Cadillac, considerably worse for wear after the long voyage but still going. “No one will follow us there. We’ll be able to start over.”

Belle nods as they pull into the service station, but her blue eyes are troubled. “Do you think it was right…what we did?”

“Yes,” he says without hesitation. “The world is a better place without Gary Aston.”

This does not entirely assuage her conscience, but she appreciates his certainty even if he’s faking it for her sake. What’s done is done now, and the only path yet available to them is the one they’re on.

On that cheerful note, Belle parks the car, and they both get out, but not before Belle sees Gold slip something silver and threatening into his pocket.

“Robert,” she hisses. “Why did you put that in your pocket? We’re trying to keep a low profile.”

Either he doesn’t hear her or he’s pretending not to because Gold makes his way into the station—a dusty old shack of a building—and leaves Belle to fill up the gas tank which she does, trying not to worry about what she thinks she saw.

She rubs her eyes with one hand with the other still on the pump. She can see her partner through the station’s windows. Okay, he’s going up to the cashier. That’s fine. Just buy us some food and leave, she begs silently.

Gold pulls the pistol out of his pocket and points it at the girl behind the counter.

“Fuck,” she whispers, glancing frantically between the gas tank and her idiot partner currently holding up the service station. Should she intervene? Well, she shouldn’t just leave the gas pumping—she could start a fire.

She blinks hard, hoping desperately she’s imagining the gun in Gold’s hand. She isn’t. She also isn’t imagining the rifle the girl behind the counter just produced from somewhere. Now she’s afraid for both their lives.

Gold strikes first—but not with the pistol. Instead, he whacks the girl with his cane, startling her so much that she drops the rifle. He seizes the opportunity to fill his pockets with snacks and heads for the door.

She’s so busy watching him make his way back to her, obviously pleased with himself, practically dancing, that she almost misses the pump turning off as the tank finishes filling. She hurriedly puts it back and glares at him.

“What were you thi—”

Bang! Bang!

The cashier is back up, and she managed to retrieve her gun.

“We should go,” Gold says.

“You think so?!” Belle says, scrambling back into the car.

Her lover is hot on her heels, climbing into the passenger seat and slamming the door, but not before the cashier gets off another shot. Bang!

Belle floors it. “I hope you got enough food for a while,” she shouts over the screech of the tires, “because we’re not stopping until we reach the border after that little stunt.”

“Believe me—” His voice sounds strained. “I’m perfectly in favor of that.”

The Cadillac is pushing one hundred miles per hour as they speed down the highway, but she risks a glance to her right.

“Oh my god. Did she shoot you?” Her hands shake on the wheel.

“Don’t worry. She only got my bad leg. I was hardly using it anyway.”

“That’s not funny!” she cries. “Put some pressure on it! I can’t have you bleeding out!”

“I am. I don’t intend to die here,” he says, his brown eyes gleaming. “I have too much to live for.”

She’s trying to keep her eyes on the road, but she can feel the heat of his gaze. She knows he means her. Thank God there’s no one else on the road because her foot is all the way on the gas pedal.

“We’re going to find you a doctor,” she says in a shaky voice. “Just hold on for a few more hours. Try to rest.”

“Don’t concern yourself with that, Belle. It will heal on its own.”

“It’s a gunshot wound, Robert!”

“It was a clean shot. Passed right through.” He gives her a crooked grin, and her heart is full of so much love and worry that it could burst. “It’s not a fatal wound. There’s no need to send me to Avalon just yet, my lady.”

“Appealing to my love of Arthurian legend won’t save you from my wrath. I’m no more the Lady of the Lake than you are King Arthur.”

“Which character would I be then? I’m afraid I’m not as familiar with the ins and outs of the stories as you are.”

“You’re just trying to distract me.”

“Is it working?” She wants to kiss the smirk off his lips.

“A little,” she replies. “Keep talking. We’ll make it to the border yet.”  

-

[mysteryloversbookshelf]

“Happily Ever Aster”

What are some of your headcanons on how some of the characters lived happily ever after? We won’t know for sure until being mentioned offhand in future seasons but it’s still fun to come up with ideas. Here is how I vision some of their happy endings. I’m putting it behind the read more in case some people still haven’t seen the season finale yet

Grace and Hannah

It’ll be weird for a minute since Edgar is dead and as terrible as he was I’m sure they’ll still have to grieve him in some way. Once that passes I see them continuing to travel together and maybe Hannah working with Grace in her antique shop. Rather than another yurt, I could see them living in a cozy cottage surrounded by more psychotropic plants. Idk if they’ll marry, but I see them adopting a baby or maybe getting a sperm donor and their baby being weird af like a mini Wednesday Addams.

Feng and Vivian

After news of Edgar’s death breaks out and people check out Kyler’s videos from the weekend, I can see a lot of people flocking to try baobing for clout but falling in love with it. They’ll get a boost in sales and Feng will end up opening even more locations. Now that he has enough money to pay off debts and etc, I see him and Vivian traveling the world together and her teaching him how to live it up. He doesn’t have to play it safe anymore so I could see him and Vivian sending Grace and Zoë pics of them both skydiving and other thrill seeking tourist stuff. Maybe offscreen Aniq and Zoë asked Vivian to help choreograph the first dance at their wedding and it turned out amazing.

Travis

Since he became the house and beat Sebastian, he can afford to fly out and visit Weronika. Does anyone remember what he does for a living? I could see him feeling inspired at actually discovering the crypto scam and taking courses so he can be a legitimate detective. Maybe he will even create an agency to help other people that have been scammed out of their crypto.

Isabel

She may not have been able to hold Edgar accountable for drugging her but she’s at least finally free. Howie is a close friend but maybe they’ll become something more at some point. With her personality I don’t expect her and Hannah to ever have a perfect relationship, but after that moment they shared while telling the mind movie, maybe they can get to a decent place. Probably not though after how she treated Grace.

Sebastian

Yeah he lost a bunch of money and was fired by Isabel, but you can’t keep a scammer like him down. He’s either about to start running cons with his cousins again or he’s going to attach himself to a wealthy older lady like Isabel and live out the rest of her life in luxury before moving on to the next one.

Aniq and Zoë

When they go see Danner in the time jump, are the rings to show that they’ve already married or are they still engaged? Either way, I don’t care to see a wedding. We’ve already been there and done that with Grace even if it did end terribly. I’m fine with seeing hilarious wedding and honeymoon photos/videos and calling it a day. It’s too bad Yasper is in prison because he would have been a really fun best man. Imagine the wedding toast 😂

Danner

Assuming season three will be the afterparty for the premiere of her movie, I hope that the person killed isn’t Jaleel White. Danner has been through enough so that would suck to do that to her character when she finally found what she wants to do in life.

Ulysses

He obviously doesn’t deserve a happy ending after trying to kill Feng. It might be too much of fan service, but the idea of him being cellmates with Yasper and them both performing together for the other criminals is hilarious to me. Knowing him, he’d probably be using his knowledge from his travels to scam the other inmates into giving him money for food and etc.

What about you guys? It would be really cool to be able to compare these headcannons to what will actually be canon in the future seasons.

[foodandfolklore]

Loblaws Boycott. How to get affordable food?

Today is May 1st; which means it is the start of the Loblaws Boycott across Canada. For those unfamiliar with the situation, food prices in Canada have been climbing to astronomical sums. Our main chain Grocery Stores keep increasing prices beyond what is normal inflation. Because they know as Mortals, we need to eat. And the further north you go, the worse it gets. They have already been caught artificially raising Bread prices a few years back, and blaming the price hike on the War in Ukraine. They set a price, We pay for it, and then they keep the price cause clearly people are willing to pay /s

So a boycott has been organized by people of Canada through social media and has even been talked about by TV News Outlets. The idea being to speak with your wallet and pressure change. The problem for many, however, is...Loblaws is just so massive, they don't see other alternatives. They own No Frills, Great Canadian Superstore, Shoppers Drugmart, and a ton more. For many Canadians, it seems like Loblaws is their only option in their area.

So I want to provide a list of some options for people to still get fed. Or even if you don't want to engage in the boycott, you just wanna find affordable food.

Costco and Walmart If a friend of family member has a Costco Membership and is willing to take you with them, do it. The workers there don't police who has the membership, so long as someone has one. You can bulk buy a bunch of staples like Meat, Cheese, Toilet Paper and Coffee for much cheaper in the long run. However, Buying in bulk is not always feasible for everyone. They either don't have the space or they can't afford to drop a few hundred dollars on a single shop. Walmart is a controversial suggestion because they have some....history. And your values may require you to not shop at Walmart. But if you need some accessible groceries for reasonable prices, Walmart actually has a very good selection.

2) International/Local Stores This is not really an option if you live more rural. But if you can find a nearby Asian Grocer or Halal Store you can get a lot of stuff. And not just rice. Legumes, Beans, Meat, Seafood; you'd be surprised how much you can get. You may also find a gem of a bakery or butcher.

3) Farmers Markets It's getting to growing season in Canada. Be Sure to check your near by Farmers Markets. You'll mostly find Fruits and Veggies, but may also be some local honey and eggs if you're lucky. This is also a great option for people who feel eating Organic food is important.

4) Food Waste Apps There is a surprising amount of apps dedicated to preventing food waste by selling you food that is about to be thrown away. The food is still good, and the reason for Discarding varies, but commonly it's because it's approaching it's best before date or Expiration date. Food can still be consumed after it's best before date, so long as it's not spoilt. Different areas will have different Levels of Activity on Different apps. A store needs to opt in before you can buy anything. So check out a few different ones. Flash Foods, Food Hero, and Too Good to Go are popular.

5) Ugly Food Boxes A lot of food gets chucked cause it doesn't conform to our expectation of how that food should look. It grew in a weird way and despite being totally fine to eat; Stores don't want to sell them. So you can get Subscription Boxes of Ugly Produce. Which I think is kinda fun. I remember being younger and my mom pointing out the funny shaped peppers. This isn't entirely a new concept, and many people would of probably heard of Imperfect Foods. However, this is a USA only service; useless to us Canadians. But we can try Odd Bunch or Eat Impact. The bonus with this is it's delivered directly to you. Great for people like myself who can't Drive but love to cook.

6) Meal Kits You see it all the time on Youtube: Try Hello Fresh and get so many meals free, yada yada. Well....it might be worth a try. You can cancel these kits at any time, and them hop back on them later. Like a streaming service. A friend of mine apparently does this. Ordering a box when the value of what they're offering is worth the price to her. Not a great option if you tend to forget to cancel subscriptions *cough* (Hi) but it can be a really smart way to get exactly what you want for a good price. Plus if you use a sponsor code, or a coupon in the mail.... Hello Fresh and Make Good Food are the two more well known meal kits available in Canada.

[lunarsilkscreen]

Minimum Wage, and beyond

Let's use any store for an example:

Minimum wage is set at $15 an hour.

In order to break even, which is arguably the entire point of a business to begin with. You need to pay your employees hours worked.

That means you need to sell 2 $10 sandwiches an hour per employee. You make cost of ingredients AND pay that employee.

Now, back in the day before utilities were a thing: water, power, refrigeration, ectera... You didn't need EXTRA to pay the utilities. It wasn't a thing. That's why bartering worked, because the shopkeep could sell goods to the next sap to walk in the door.

And, besides from the assholes, rent wasn't a thing. You bought a plot of land, took out a loan to hire a carpenter and built your house and business on the same spot, called it a day. (Or got some buddies and some brewskis and did it yourselves.)

There's building codes, and inspectors, and utilities, and you have to worry about termites, carpenter ants, other pests, mold, mildew, ASBESTOS!

You gotta pay all *that* on top of the doctor that owns the business that you manage for him while he's in the Bahamas. He's never there, he rarely checks in, he just wants to foot the bill for a continuous dividend.

And shit if you fuck it up, or the business is in a location with no foot traffic. (And since it's to expensive to go outside, now you only interface with people delivering to other people! And those other people will give you a bad review when they inevitably receive their food cold.

Did I mention it was good for nothing doctors that recommended asbestos in the first place as a miracle insulation?

So how the f* are you supposed to make enough money to pay yourself, your employees, and your boss AND STILL HAVE ENOUGH TO PAY UTILITIES!

And on top of *that* what's the next step since you don't work for a corporate infrastructure that has hierarchy beyond *some doctor who owns this place*?

Unless you manage to figure out how to convince the doctor landlord to pay you a bonus for making astronomical returns, this is it buddy. This is your life.

I hope you enjoy Pizza.

So how is it possible that anybody make more than that? How is it, that somebody can get a loan of A BILLION DOLLARS. Refuse to pay it back, and then not go to jail? Is it because you'd have to be an idiot to loan out that much? Well if you got that much to lend, it must be fine.

In America, "pawn stars" has ensured that bartering is like an old fashioned nearly ancient way to make money. Goods are money, disposable items means you can't sell anything. Hell, I've never seen anything at a garage sale go for more than a couple bucks.

The goods as currency just doesn't work if everybody is just waiting to "storage wars" your old stuff when you can't pay your mortgage anymore. It's not value, it's icing for land owners and banks.

So tell me, how is value store supposed to work for the average person? We need to spend money to eat, and for the economy to work, it's mathematically impossible to make ends meet at a business that sells food if the local population doesn't come eat at your establishment.

On a macro scale, what we have isn't working at all.

It wasn't working when minimum wage was $7 it isn't working with minimum wage at $15. We checked the math twice.

How do you ensure an employee can afford room and board, and still have time to participate in politics to ensure a working government and economy?

That is the questions we're trying to answer as we look at the entire system from a macro perspective.

We have to ensure that the plumbers, and the farmers, and the electricians and the mechanics can all get paid a living wage, but they cannot if there is nobody who can afford their services.

So how do we make sure, that the "dirty jobs" that "nobody wants to do" actually have demand for use, AND return on investment to the individual doing them?

I think, that it should be illegal for a residential unit to be used on AirBnB. I think, that they should have to be zoned like regular inns and hotels. I also think, that if somebody who *owns* the house they're living in, or you know, has a mortgage. Then you should mind your own damn business if they have an OnlyFans. unless they're keeping you up at night, or out in the streets, I don't think you should care.

I also think that rental housing should also follow the same rules for Hotels and apartments. They should be zoned for that, and they shouldn't count towards the theoretical residential housing that the city thinks they have.

At the very least, it'll ensure that there's a supply of people nearby to buy pizza from Dr. Pizza's Pizza and Law office.

And you'll be able to keep track of your homelessness issue.

[m0nsterqzzz]

alr ima rant and it's genuinely gonna make me sound crazy.

so when i was 13, my mom told me if i got in one more fight, she'd throw me out on the streets. (she uses that a lot. don't ask) anyway, me being me, i said, "DO IT! I DARE YOU!".

that night, i came up with a plan.

this is my thought process at 13:

pack a big but not to big bag with clothes and other necessities. If i leave at like 2am, I'll be far gone by the time anyone notices.

we lived in a small town, and i knew a lot of people, which meant I knew several highschoolers willing to sell me burner phones for cheap. I will get only important numbers. as much as it hurts, my siblings aren't part of that. destroy my old phone because they easily track that.

we have a Amtrak 25 minutes away. I'll bike there. I'm athletic, so i can get there fast and not be too tired. It doesn't cost extra to take my bike on, so I'll take that with me.

A ticket cost about 50 dollars just to get on the train according to my cousin, and it's possible to get one just to get on and then ride it until i run out of money.

you need verification of identity to get on, so show them your military id. thats government verification. They'll ask questions about your age, but unlike the airport, they allow people over 13 to get on without parents.

so thats that. I'll set aside a certain amount of money, and once I'm out of that, I'll get off the train. Hopefully I'll be a bit away.

im trans (known since i was 11) so i would just go by my boy name (current name) CJ and tell everyone I was a boy. I'd cute my hair, and everyone will know me as CJ. it'll be harder for people in my old life to find me.

Homeless shelters ask for verification and won't give you help if you don't tell them your info or your parents info, so they can't help.

a hotel is the same way, but a motel is a lot less stern.

my druggie aunt used to stay at this trashy cheap one near the freeway, and according to my mom, it was about 35 a night. That's at least a few nights I can stay, and during those times, I'll find work.

Obviously, since I'm young, nobody will hire me, epically without parents around.

So a babysitter, gardener, or pet sitter is the choice. One of those. I have two dogs at home (this was the hardest part of the plan. i didn't wanna leave them, but you cant bring dogs that aren't service animals onto the train and i couldn't even pretend they were) so I'm good with dogs, and I'm just naturally good with kids.

though it's unknow, these actually pay quite a lot. About enough to pay for one night at the motel after every job and food from dollar tree. no need to be fancy.

I may have to spend a few nights on the street, but I will sit in a 24 hour Dennys until they kick me out and then I'll sleep outside it. There is always people in that, so they can probably protect me. If not, I've been taking karate since I was 3. I can defend myself, and truly just pray all goes well.

a few years later, I'll be 16, and it'll be easier to get a better job to afford a better life (probably a little hard because of no school but it's fine). I'll still live in the motel, but at least I won't be surviving off scraps and garbage. At that point, I may have sold my bike for extra money. if not, that's how I'll get around.

then, at 18, I'll have been saving up money for a few years and will probably have enough to splurge on a fancier motel thats less dangerous. By then, people will have hopefully stopped looking for me, and I can live in peace.

Me now:

and did you think about taxes kid?

so in conclusion, I know we all had a time when we walked down the street with a suitcase and stuffed animal and said we were running away. this was mine.

[ariparri]

Chibi & Sketch Commissions

I wanted to hold off on doing commissions until I managed to ease back into a consistent schedule. However, the family's going through a bit of a financial situation so I'll be taking some commissions to try and help out. Really thought we were doing fine but I guess we weren't. We're running very low on a lot of stuff like food and hygiene products. Bills are already hard to keep up with, and now we can barely afford basic essentials.

Terms of Service | Commission Post

Rules and the dos and don'ts on my regular commission page still apply here!

Visual character references are mandatory. Preferably colored.

If you have a specific pose/expression in mind, please provide visual references otherwise I’ll pick it out as I make the sketch.

Will Draw

OCs

Fanart

Ships

Small Animals

Won't Draw

Furries

Mechas

Gore

NSFW

Large Animals

Payment Method

I’ll accept Cash App, Zelle, and Apple Pay.

I’m not sure if PayPal is still freezing accounts and stealing money, but I’m on the fence about using it so it will be a last resort if the other options aren’t available for you.

And I haven’t updated my ko-if in a while, but if anything you can just donate there.

When you pay, send me something to confirm it was from you like a screenshot showing your username.

Chibi

- One character is $5

-  Two characters is $10

- Will be full body and fully colored.

- Some features of the character design will be resized, simplified, and positioned to fit within the canvas.

- Flat colors, gradients or half-tones, patterns, pride flags, etc, can be chosen for the background.

Ink Styled Sketch

- One character is $15

- Two characters is $20

- Bust up only, poses will be simple though I'm willing to try whatever was requested.

- Can be B&W or have color

- Background will mostly be black and white.

DM me if interested! Make sure to have everything on hand too so it'll make things much easier ^^

If you can’t commission me or aren’t interested that’s perfectly fine!! Please share this around to others, that's all I ask. Every little bit counts no matter how small. I appreciate all of your help so far. I will be sure to keep you all updated every now and then!

[weekendswithnewtmas]

Things have been chaotic.

It's been a while since i've posted anything personal on here but i am going through it.

Life has been stressful, crazy, chaotic and sad. It's been one thing after another and i don't know what else to do.

I got demoted at my job. I've been there ten years, we got a new owner last year and it has been fine up until recently. I am a loyal and hard worker but this job is draining me. I've been sick with strep, covid, had to have dental surgery and other health issues I haven't been seen or diagnosed for yet. My roomates up and dipped so i had to move back in with my parents and it is crowded as hell, and the house is falling apart. Life has been throwing shit at me and I am at my wits end.

I am also currently in a long distance relationship. He is the most wonderful, caring, funny and supportive person and he treats me right and i adore him. We are trying to figure out how to get me from the USA to Canada but it's a process. The information we've found isnt the best as far as figuring out what our actual options are. We've been trying to find someone that has gone through the vise/permanent resident process so we an see what they did and would recommend but no luck yet.

Along with my job demotion, i will be receiving a pay dock. Which i honestly cannot afford. I have bills to pay, credit cards to pay off and I am trying to save up so that I can move. I've been putting in job applications for the past two weeks but nothing has come of it yet. It's like places say they're hiring but no matter your availability or previous work background it doesn't matter, and they aren't actually hiring. It's weird. I've cut out all unecessary spending and am only paying for bills/insurance and food to eat and I am still financially struggling.

I'm trying to remain positive and hoping something will come out of it and i will get some good news soon but it's harder by the day. I'm constantly sad, stressed and anxious. I don't know what else to do.

If yall could send me all the good vibes. Or have any job ideas or recommendations. I've worked fast food and customer service for almost 11 years. I've done childcare and babysitting. House cleaning. I have a car and a license so i am able to drive to and from work etc. I'm willing to try pretty much anything. I am willing to learn new skills. I'm a quick learner once i know what to do.

also if anyone on here sees this, and knows anyone that has moved from the USA to Canada, through a work visa, or getting a job offer over there and then applying for a work visa or through express entry, or anything at all please please i would love to talk to them and ask some questions.

I know the chances of people actually reading this are small, but if you do, if you wouldn't mind sharing it, i would very much appreciate it.

If by some miracle anyone is able or would be willing to donate any extra funds at all, it would all be going to good use. It would be going to help my pay my bills, car insurance, health insurance and life needs.

my paypal is - paypal.me/kaptainkaffy

[littlemisslipbalm]

Please, just give me a seat at the table, I don’t know how much longer this restaurant will stay open.

The continuing story of a recent graduate born in 2001:

Didn’t know I’d be begging for a seat at the table. Was told to wait patiently for my turn and I’d be next in line. Now it seems the line has disappeared or maybe so many lines formed it’s just a massive hoard of people surrounding this one tiny table that no one will get up from. Or if they do, it’s to slide someone close to them in to fill their place, maybe even add a little extension but just for their special someone. What if you’re nobodies special someone? What are you meant to do? I’ve gotten on my knees and begged, and even on the floor I can’t find a place to fit in. Boots and heels and organic sneakers kick away my fingers and face. I’ve screamed and shouted and asked politely, but I get no reply. I get no reply or the same canned response. An automatic reply. You’re worried about AI stealing jobs? I’m not even sure there’s a job left to steal. But I’ll keep waiting at the edge of the table. Instead of speaking with the diners, scouring my phone for the next OpenTable reservation to open up! Booking may only be done 7 days in advance.

Position: Entry-level

Requirements: 3-5 years of professional experience, 3-5 professional references, an undergraduate degree and a way to bypass the other 437 applicants who already applied (a high up connection within the company will do just fine!).

Pay the job service you’re using to see how your profile compares to other applicants. No money because you have no job and can’t afford to boost your profile? Good luck! We hope your connections get you there.

Have you tried menial jobs instead? There’s actually only a few of those as well and you’re not qualified to work them. No one is willing to train you and it’s a job you’ll hate doing. Pay is abysmal but potentially more than that unpaid internship that never got back to you. Did we mention Tips! Put yourself through the pain, try to work through the restaurant. Get a job bussing the table, cleaning the floor or preparing the food and maybe then you’ll find the connections to finally get a seat. It’s unlikely but hey, there’s no point in not trying. Just keep trying. There’s always tomorrow when someone might decide they no longer would like their seat!

I don’t remember the seat I wanted to fill as a child. I barely remember the seat I wanted to fill when I started college. The only way I know is because I keep repeating it to anyone who will listen. I want to be a writer. Each time I must sound less and less enthusiastic—not because I want it any less but because I’m growing more sure every moment I’ll never succeed. The places I’m trying to fill aren’t writing positions, at least not the type of writing I want, but I’m willing. I’m willing to go where I’m needed, it just seems that nowhere needs me. Nowhere wants me.

I’m still standing at the edge of the table. 18 years since I was first asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. Since I was first told I could be anything. It seems I didn’t know then that it wasn’t that I could choose anything but that I’d have to be able to fit anything.

A better outlook would be to focus on the fact that I’m still standing at all. But I want to do more than stand and watch, I want to sit at the table and contribute my voice. I want the man across the table to hear me and respond. I don’t want to be the child who is better seen and not heard anymore.

Please, just give me a seat at the table, I don’t know how much longer this restaurant will stay open. Everyone’s barely touched their food and no one’s been paying their bills.

- a.p.

[loki-is-my-kink-awakening]

I have a couple of headcanons about Jaskier and sex, but I wanna talk about this one today

Jaskier as a sex worker

We all know our boy loves sex, but he gets into it by accident. It's back when he's trying to make it as a bard, on his way to becoming the famous troubadour but not quite there yet.

There’s a pretty lady at the market and they get to chatting. She invites him over, he goes and they end up in bed.

It’s only when he’s getting his clothes back on that it becomes clear what this encounter was.

“There’s money for you on the chesterfield,” she says, still half naked and lounging in the bed.

Jaskier looks over and sees, sure enough, a small leather pouch with what looks like a decent amount of coin.

“I might ask for your services again, if you were amenable,” she continues, watching Jaskier as he picks up the pouch and secrets it on his person.

“Um, I travel,” Jaskier says, not sure what on earth to say. It wasn’t polite to tell the truth, not in this situation.

But it gets him thinking. His pay as a bard is so meagre, he can hardly afford food.

He loves sex. He loves having enough money to eat.

The answer, it seems, is simple.

It goes from there, Jaskier entertains ladies while their husbands are away. They allow him to play his music, and he can pretend that’s what the coin is for.

When there are none, he plays in taverns. There’s always some horndog around. Jaskier just needed to give them a wink and they’d follow him out the back.

Occasionally, they just wanted to have fun, not hire his services, and Jaskier was generally fine with it.

Sometimes, he wouldn’t have chosen them if he’d known it was a hookup and not him getting paid.

It’s what eventually led him to offer his services on Gropecunte Lane. There, everyone knew what he was there for. True, it meant servicing men more than anything else, but he needed the coin.

Perhaps the Countess de Stael would hire him again for a while. Her husband should be aware in a month or two,

It’s then that Jaskier meets Geralt, after having hard bread thrown at him once again.

He creeps forward towards the brooding man in the back corner. Jaskier knows he’s a witcher, he’s seen his swords, and joining him from an adventure or two would certainly give him better things to write about.

Although, his epic poems about sex were interesting to some parties.

But Geralt refuses him, and Jaskier ends up falling back onto old tricks.

That’s when Geralt finds him. The witcher looks confused. Pah, like he’s never seen a man on his knees before. Geralt must’ve seen it all by now.

Yet, the witcher seems to want to help, and so Jaskier finds himself tagging along, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

When they pull their resources, Jaskier doesn’t need to sell himself as often.

But Jaskier doesn’t want to be a burden. He can manage all by himself, thank you very much.

He goes back to the local Gropecunte Lane whenever they are in town and fills out his coin pouch. Then he goes and washes before heading down to play his music at the tavern.

By the time Geralt comes back, he’s none the wiser.

It all falls apart when Geralt has to ask some questions in town before he goes on his contract. Jaskier is on his knees once again when the witcher passes by. Screwing his eyes shut, he hopes Geralt didn’t see him.

He stays for an hour, hoping that’s enough time for the witcher to be on his way.

Yet, when he opens the door to their shared room to get a wash, he sees Geralt.

“You don’t need to do that,” Geralt says, his brows furrowed. “Not if you don’t want to, that is.”

Jaskier closes the door and leans against it. “I’m perfectly fine.”

Geralt hums, but doesn’t say anything more. He gets up, fires a short blast of igni into the bath water, then nods and leaves.

The thing is, Jaskier knows Geralt visits sex workers, so why he’s bothered by Jaskier being one is beyond him.

Heaven knows, Jaskier doesn’t need anyone with a saviour complex. Sex work is acceptable work, and he only does it when he is both short on coin and in a town.

But it happens time and time again that Geralt just happens to be walking by when Jaskier is on his knees.

Damn him, Jaskier just wants a bit of extra money.

So, he goes back to ladies who have husbands away on business. It’s certainly nicer being in bed than kneeling on the dirt, but these trysts are less frequent.

And they also run the risk of their husband coming back earlier than expected.

When Geralt has to rescue him from yet another angry man, Jaskier finally breaks.

“You don’t like me going to the lane. You don’t like me visiting ladies in their own homes. What the hell, Geralt?” Jaskier screamed at him when they got back to their room.

“Angry husbands shouldn’t be an occupational hazard, Jaskier.”

“Oh, fuck you.”

“I’ve got no coin to give you.”

At that, Jaskier walks out the room and bangs the door shut.

He comes back later and Geralt apologises.

They don’t talk about it more than an 'I'm sorry'. Jaskier tosses and turns in bed and is exhausted by the time morning comes.

Geralt lets him ride Roach that day, and the next.

When they get into the next town, Geralt shuffles about, then speaks softly.

“I won’t bother you if you go to the lane again.”

Jaskier looks up. Did Geralt really mean that?

“I just want you to be safe.”

“I will be. Will you tell me more of your adventures when you get back?”

“Yes,” Geralt agrees.

And so Jaskier starts to collect more songs, and eventually he gets more popular and he ends up doing sex work on the street less. And less in random women’s bedrooms.

Well, except from the Countess da Stael, but that’s different.

And Geralt never says anything about it. He just lets Jaskier do his thing. 

And if Jaskier writes a special song celebrating the sex workers of Gropecunte Lane, well, it’s definitely worth seeing Geralt try to keep his expression neutral for.

Wow, this was a ramble and a half. Anyway, I’ve got sex worker Jaskier on the brain.

[thessalian]

Thess vs the New Cabinet

Further on the UK politics front ... there is some good news, and there is some bad news.

Good news:

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Victorian undertaker-looking motherfucker, has resigned and is now haunting the back benches instead of taking a place in cabinet. This is a good thing to a point because at least I don’t have to look at his smug-ass face anymore, hopefully. He is one of the few people on this planet upon whom I actively wish death. I do not say that lightly. See, he recently put in what some people are calling a “vanity bill” that, if retained and passed, stands to scrap our employee rights, safety standards (food, workplace, and everything else), environmental standards and rights in general, all in the name of Sovereignty or whatever the fuck (basically nuking every regulation we have that was taken from the EU standards on such things). When called on it recently, he said, and I quote, “Do you really think we’re going to make children work up chimneys? Do you really think we think the British public are that stupid?” Answer: A RESOUNDING YES TO BOTH.

Bad News:

Sunak, who is now our Prime Minister, was actually for a more all-encompassing version of this exact course of action which makes me wish Rees-Mogg would just ... fall into a vat of pigshit and die.

Sunak (again, Prime Minister) was the one who said that our anti-terrorist group should be keeping an eye on “anyone who vilifies the UK”. Fine. Let ‘em fucking deport me.

Sunak did his cabinet reshuffle. Rees-Mogg’s resignation is the only good thing in it. Let’s start with Jeremy Hunt still being Chancellor. Between him and Sunak, we’re looking at Austerity 2.0 at a time when the NHS is saying point blank that “there is no more fat to trim” and that they’d have to discontinue services if this shit keeps up. Which will probably happen because gods forbid “Prime Minister Hedge Fund Manager” and “They Literally Use His Name In Cockney Rhyming Slang When They Mean ‘Cunt’“ actually tax the people and companies who can afford it to fill the gap that twelve years of Tory government has left in the public finances because they plead the need for austerity and then give profligate amounts of money to their mates.

Suella Braverman - the one whose “dream and obsession” it is to send refugees to Rwanda - is the fucking Home Secretary.

Dominic Raab - the one who doesn’t think we should have rights - is the Deputy PM.

Grant Schapps - whose history includes supporting the bedroom tax and cutting benefits to the point of trying to (and bragging about succeeding at) forcing people on incapacity benefits off those benefits - is now Business Secretary, in Rees-Mogg’s place. Given the whole thing where there is literally a bill being looked at that will rip up all of our rights and protections in terms of employment and pay, to be rewritten at the whims of the Tories, I HAVE CONCERNS.

But most concerning? Michael Gove, who has gone on record repeatedly as wanting to dismantle the NHS for a US-style insurance system, is Health Secretary.

So ... y’know ... a lot of people seem to be relieved that “at least we have an actual grown-up with some fiscal responsibility in 10 Downing Street”. However, that combination, up there? That it took me about five minutes to double-check on Google? That says things about the direction they want to take this country. Put it together with the voter suppression and criminalisation of protest, and it says a lot more. Most people don’t look or listen, it seems. I, however, need to know exactly what’s coming.

I know, or at least have a very good idea. And I am terrified. And I’m sorry, but everyone else who lives here should be terrified too.

EDIT: Thank you to @lazybrainsoup for flagging up that no, thank the gods, Gove isn’t Health Secretary. Panic and fibro fog are not a good combination for my anxiety levels. However, we do have Steve Barclay. Apparently, the primary quote about him is “Steve Barclay is NHS leadership’s worst nightmare”, so not sure that’s better.

[thegreatimpersonator]

over the last 4 years I've lent 5k to a relative for their family who keeps promising to pay it all back whenever they get a chance. they moved abroad to make more money and i don't understand what's not quite working out for them because i know dozens of people that do the same and manage to actually send money back to their families but their case is the opposite. it's quite a sum but it's been fine for me because im lucky to have a decently paying job. but the market has become difficult in the last year. not to the point where i need the money back, but to a point where i cant lend them more money. in this time, they started asking for more and more every couple of months. that's how we got to that sum above. and asking for bigger favors too, which i cant help with. and now they're asking for 5k more, asap. at this point that's all i have in savings that im keeping for a rainy day for my family. i can't afford to give it to anyone, no matter how close we are. and they've resorted to telling me how difficult the situation has been for them, while all im thinking is "why didnt you plan for this earlier instead of asking me for money two days before you need to pay things? and why havent you gotten any sort of job in the last few years at all?" i even helped them get certifications and training that they no longer understand or know because that kind of knowledge requires regular practice. and im at a point where all i can see is their bad financial decisions like buying expensive things and taking trips while they're saying they cant afford to even put food on the table and it's giving ME anxiety? what kind of an adult are you, i cant look after YOUR family too i have my own to look after. i got a couple of other jobs because of the rough market, they haven't got a single one because "they dont have the time" which honestly im now reading as they dont want to work in food service that's always hiring because people will look down on them. and i know they're gonna come back in a few months asking for more because from their financial explanations their expenses are about double their income, but then again, whose fault is that? why get the flashy brand names when cheaper things work just as well and they won't make you broke? and my biggest issue is that this whole thing started ramping up once i briefly mentioned how much i had in savings. ive given half of my savings to them. and then spent a lot on hospitals because of health issues my family has had. i dont have anything left to give and i dont want to have another panic attack from their explanations of how difficult their situation is. and im stuck.

I'm so sorry they're being so difficult with you, it's just so frustrating when you've asked them outright and still don't get a response. Because like what else can you do after asking them multiple times, but I truly hope they pay you back if not all at once then at least in installments :/