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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 year

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Here are just two of the corporate giveaways hidden in the rushed, must-pass, end-of-year budget bill

Yesterday, Congress finally voted through the must-pass, end-of-year budget bill. As has become routine, this bill was stalled right until the final moment, so that Congressjerks could cram the 4,000-page, $1.7 trillion package with special favors for their donors, at the expense of the rest of the country.

This year’s budget package included a couple of especially egregious doozies, which were reported out for The American Prospect by Lee Harris (who covered a grotesque retirement giveaway for the ultra-rich) and Doraj Facundo (who covered a safety giveaway to Boeing and its lethal fleet of 737 Max airplanes).

Let’s start with the retirement scam. The budget bill includes Rep Richie Neal’s [DINO-MA] SECURE Act 2.0, which gives savers with retirement funds until age 75 to cash out their retirement savings — netting an extra three years of tax-free growth for the lucky, tiny minority with substantial retirement savings. This follows on Neal’s SECURE Act 1.0 of 2019, when the age was raised from 70.5 to 72.

The tax-exempt retirement savings account is a Carter-era bargain that replaced real pensions — ones that guaranteed that you wouldn’t starve or freeze to death when you retired — with accounts that let people gamble on the stock market, to be the suckers at Wall Street’s poker table:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/07/25/derechos-humanos/#are-there-no-poorhouses

The market-based gambler’s pension is a catastrophic failure. Half of Americans have no retirement savings. Of the half that have any savings, the vast majority have almost nothing saved:

https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/scf/dataviz/scf/chart/#series:Retirement_Accounts;demographic:all;population:all;units:have

All in all, America has a $7 trillion retirement savings shortfall:

https://crr.bc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IB_19-16.pdf

But for a tiny minority of the ultra-rich, tax-free savings accounts like ROTH IRAs are a means of avoiding even the paltry capital gains tax that you have to pay if you own things for a living, rather than doing things for a living. Propublica’s IRS Files revealed how ghouls like Peter Thiel avoided tax on billions in “passive income” by abusing tax-free savings accounts that were supposed to benefit the “middle class”:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/26/wax-rothful/#thiels-gambit

Meanwhile, Social Security is crumbling, thanks to a sustained attack on it by the business lobby and its friends in both parties. Progressive Dems had sought to amend SECURE Act 2.0 by inserting some clauses to shore up Social Security, and none of these were included in the final bill.

One of the fixes that died was the Savings Penalty Elimination Act, introduced by Senators Sherrod Brown [D-OH] and Rob Portman [R-OH]. This act would have tweaked the means-testing for Supplemental Security Income, which supports 8m low-income disabled adults and kids. Right now, you can’t collect SSI if you have $2k in the bank, a limit that hasn’t been adjusted for inflation since the 1980s (adjusted for inflation, $2k in 1980 is $7226.00 in 2022).

The $2k savings cap means that you have to be substantially below the poverty level to receive $585/month in SSI assistance — this being the only source of income for the majority of SSI recipients. Means-testing is a self-immolating fetish for corporate Dems and in retrospect, this betrayal seems inevitable:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/03/utopia-of-rules/#in-triplicate

(Notice how no one proposes means-testing billionaires when they get PPP loans or hundreds of millions in IRS “refunds” — like Trump, who paid substantially less tax than you did:)

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/21/trump-income-tax-returns-detailed-in-new-report-.html

And it was a betrayal: progressive Dems bargained with Neal and co not to publicly condemn SECURE Act 2.0 if they could get some concessions for the 8 million poorest disabled people in America. In the end, Neal rug-pulled them. Of course he did! This is Richie Fucking Neal, the best friend the Trump tax giveaway ever had:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/07/13/youre-still-the-product/#richie-neal

As with everything Neal touches, this screws poor people in multiple ways. First, it leaves the SSI cap intact. But it also creates a giant unfunded liability in the federal budget. Technically, there’s no reason this should lead to cuts. The US Treasury can’t run out of dollars, and giveaways to the rich are only mildly inflationary, since rich people put their money in the bank and mostly spend it on buying politicians, not goods.

But because of the delusion that currency producers like the US Treasury have the same constraints as currency users like you and me, Congress will need to come up with “Pay Fors” in future budgets to “make up for” the money they’re giving to rich people with SECURE Act 2.0. Dollars to toenail clippings, they’ll do that by hacking away at the tattered remains of the US social safety net.

Fear not, you don’t need to be a desperately poor disabled person or child to get fucked over by late additions to a 4,000 page must-pass bill! If you can afford to get on an airplane, Congress has something for you, too!

Remember when Boeing (the monopoly US airplane manufacturer that squandered $43b on stock buybacks and had to borrow $14b from the US public to survive the pandemic) told the FAA that it could self-certify its 737 Max airplanes, and then killed hundreds and hundreds of people with its defective planes?

https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/12/boeing-crashes/#boeing

The 737 Max was unsafe for many reasons, but one glaring factor was the fact that Boeing sold some of its core safety as “extras” — like they were downloadable content for your Fortnite character — leading to multiple crashes in which all lives were lost:

https://apnews.com/article/ethiopia-indonesia-accidents-ap-top-news-international-news-140576a8e9d4449eae646c8c479fdc3a

Boeing was forced to take the 737 Max out of service, but it eventually brought the plane back, “fixing” the problems by renaming the “737 Max” to the “737 8”:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/08/20/dubious-quantitative-residue/#737-8

Supposedly, Boeing has been diligently working on fixing the problems with its defective jets that can’t be addressed by a rebranding campaign. This wasn’t voluntary: the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act required Boeing — and every other manufacturer whose aircraft were certified by the FAA — to meet new minimum safety standards by December 27, 2022.

Every manufacturer met that deadline, except Boeing, and someone amended the budget bill to give the company three more years to meet these security standards. Critically, the new security measures, when they come, will be certified by an FAA that Republicans will control, thanks to the House changing hands.

https://prospect.org/infrastructure/transportation/government-spending-bill-waives-aircraft-safety-deadline/

Boeing is slated to ship 1,000 new 737 Maxes, which will fetch $50b for the company. Many of these planes will fly directly over my house, which is on the approach path for Burbank airport. Southwest Air flies dozens of 737 Maxes right over my roof every single day.

As Facundo points out, the FAA can ill afford any more hits to its credibility. It was once the case that if the FAA certified an aircraft, every other country in the world would waive any further certification, so trusting were they of the FAA’s judgment. That is no longer the case: today, the European Aviation Safety Agency does its own aircraft testing, holding jets that enter EU airspace to a higher standard than the FAA does for US planes.

It’s just another reminder that the US doesn’t have “corporate criminals” because the US doesn’t have any meaningful enforcement for corporate crimes. In America, we love our companies like we love our billionaires: too big to fail and too big to jail:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/10/12/no-criminals-no-crimes/#get-out-of-jail-free-card

Image: Ryan Lee (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/190784293@N05/50862532686

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Henry Wadey (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flames_%2858765896%29.jpeg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[Image ID: A living room scene, featuring a sofa in the background and a sofa in the foreground. A man's hand reaches into the frame to lift up the corner of the sofa. A broom enters the frame to sweep a pile of dirt under the rug. Mixed in with the dirt are a crashed WWI biplane with Southwest Airlines livery, and an old lady in a rocking chair.]

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ankhmutes · 11 months

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A Charming Journey Home part 2

Amanda is up to something, and you're not sure just what will happen...

It was a few weeks until you saw the Sons again. They had walked into your bar, it was not a typical haunt of theirs but there they were, in their cuts. You recognized the wild-haired sergeant at arms. But the other one you had taken notice of was not there. You kept making drinks and smiling, looking pretty to get the tip money. You watched them chat with some other men, and after a while, they left. You didn’t really seem to think they were here for the drinks, but at least they did get your attention; perhaps there were more to the Sons than just parties and drinks.

Mandy was whispering in your ear, leaning across the bar and giving you a quick cash grab. Something out at caracas, guaranteed good money. You glared at her and let out a slight huff.. Three kids could be a handful, but the twins helped keep your little spicy fireball out of too much trouble, but the bills could rack up sometimes…

“I guess that could get the kids new uniforms, I suppose. I could actually get my nails done.” Mandy always managed to find your weak spot, the kids. You’d do anything for them. Connor had wrecked you, but at least three good things came out of that wreck. Getting your nails done would be something nice, and could get in some good tips too.

“Will there be protection?” you asked, turning to make drinks for a regular, seeing him come into the bar. Mandy nodded and rattled off some names of people from the Sons. You didn’t know all of their names, but you recognized Jax and Opie’s names, so they were the big fish there. Apparently it was a Sons thing, and you know Mandy would do anything to land herself a Son, especially one of the big kahunas; You weren’t sure if you were up for it, but it was something to supplement your income, and someone had to keep Mandy out of too much trouble.

“All right, fine. If I get the cash on the spot, I’ll do it.” you found yourself saying as you slid the drink over to the regular and Mandy squealed with delight, bouncing up and down just enough to attract attention. “Jesus, stop. It’s just a thing. I’m just doing it for the money. That’s it. You can have all the men you want. I’m not doing this to get a man. Not anymore, at least.”

“You’re boring. You gotta get out more often.” Mandy giggled and walked out of the bar, and you had an odd feeling that nothing would be the same again. A slight shudder shot through you, and you turned back to the bar, your eyes flicking up to the mirror and spotting two men in leather cuts leaving the bar. You hoped this wouldn’t be a mistake.. You definitely had learned from Connie. Being an old lady was not for the weak, and you weren’t on the prowl for anything more challenging than your battery-operated boyfriend that laid in your nightstand drawer and got some action.

You picked up Mandy in your battered red Jeep, that thing had taken you through four states, and all kinds of crazy shit. She put the directions in your phone and you drove all the way to caracas to the place where they would film. It was an interesting place, run by Luann, someone you vaguely remembered from your younger days in Charming. Mandy strutted around the place, smirking and talking with all of the girls. You didn’t like the vibes of some, but Cherry wasn’t too bad. Cherry was kind of nice, and had those big doe eyes that made you just want to take care of her. You said hello to the girls and Luann, working out the details of the shoot. While you were getting ready and set up, some of the Sons had arrived. Your gray-haired man and his wild friend were there with Jax and Opie. You were familiar with Jax and Opie, as was any girl in Charming. You felt slightly more confident, and less bored with the set now that you kind of knew someone there other than Cherry, Mandy, and Luann.

You wandered over to where Mandy was holding court with some other crow eater girls, talking and giggling. They were talking about their goals, and one of them was talking about getting Jax to be their fluffer. You giggled, and didn’t think a Son would actually do that. The crow eater girl- they all looked the same to you and you couldn’t be bothered to learn their names- and Mandy started trying to one-up each other, telling outlandish crap, that the other girls were just eating up but you suspected it was just bullshit. You just enjoyed watching the Sons mill around and set up equipment and make sure the prospects weren’t being idiots.

“.... now Tigger can’t get it up. He’s actually pretty small. It’s probably why he can’t get it up for a real woman and just fucks around screaming for pussy.” Mandy said with a giggle as you stared at her slightly agape, eyes moving quickly to the three bikers that you most certainly knew heard what Mandy said to the crow eater girls. One was Opie, but you weren’t sure who the other two were. One was a prospect, one was your gray-haired man and the last one was one of the Oregon boys. Your gray-haired man’s brows rose and Opie shook his head, throwing back his shoulders and glaring at Mandy behind her back with narrowed eyes.

“What’s her deal?” your gray-haired man asked, in his strong Scots accent- you were instantly transported back to years ago when you would call T&M and hope he would answer the phone. You blinked dumbly for a moment and shrugged, half-sliding back into the slight Irish accent you had picked up after living for nine years in Ireland. You’d begun using the accent to get more tips, and it worked on buttering up the men. It couldn’t hurt to try it on the Scot. After all, he probably HAD been there.

“She’s just hammered, you know how it goes….” you kept your voice to a low whisper, not to attract Amanada’s attention when she was on a roll, Opie eyeing her with slight disdain and putting his hands on his belt. The gray-haired Scot tilted his head, not looking like he was buying your excuse. He raised a finger, cocking it in the direction of a side room. You obliged happily, not minding a few minutes alone with Scotty.

“She with ye?” he asked, as you both entered the side office. You nodded, watching the man’s eyes dart from you to Amanda and the croweaters. His mouth twisted slightly, and you were not too sure if it was a good thing or not, but you couldn’t take your eyes away from his soulful face, and that voice…. You could feel a slight tingle in your panties. It wasn’t like when it was with Connor. Connor was Irish, but the Scot, he was…. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but you were addicted to that voice.

“She’s my friend. We’ve been friends since we were little. I mean, I took a break from Charming and just came back and she’s… helping me out with this gig, I guess. Kids get expensive.” you tried to remain aloof and not spill your life story to him. His energy was like velvet wrapped in steel. You kept your arms neutral, trying not to cross your arms or give off any weird vibes, but you just ended up awkwardly putting your hands in the back pockets of your Daisy Dukes, mildly embarrassed that you almost ended up being a fangirl. It was almost as bad as acting like one of the crow eaters in your opinion.

“I’m her ride here too, so … I’ll try to keep her from running her mouth too much.” you began to offer, but he cut you off with a dry smirk, shaking his head just enough for his long hair to fall into his eyes.

“We all know Amanda, she’s a special case.” he said dryly as he nodded, looking you over with a spark of something in his eye. “I don’t remember ya.”

“I ran away to Ireland with Connor McGregor.” you found yourself blurting out with a half-laugh, shaking your head at your youthful stupidity.

“Connie? That little shite.” he said with a curl of his mouth, and you knew he had heard of Connor, and was familiar with him. “Belfast.” he muttered with a slight noise of disapproval.

“I - I’m not with him anymore. I ran away from Ireland. You can probably guess why.” you said boldly and directly. You wouldn’t be scared of Connor anymore. That was letting him win, and you promised yourself you wouldn’t let him win. “Were you with the Irish too?”

“A life or two ago.” he said with a nod as he moved to the doorway.

“Chibs, they want her.” the prospect said, coming up to the doorway. Chibs nodded and leaned back to look at you, his dark eyes flicking down to your shorts. “You’re up, Daisy.”

“If the shorts fit.” you say as you change your posture, taking a moment. You smiled at Chibs and nodded to show your understanding, that Amanda would be your responsibility. You half-saluted, and walked out of the office, turning on all of the sex appeal you could, sliding into your Irish accent as you spoke for the camera. You could see Amanda with the croweaters, her blue eyes shooting daggers of envy at you for being in an office with a Son. Even worse, he was not even a prospect! He was a full-fledged member.

You licked your lips as you kept your eyes on Chibs and his friend, their presence keeping you nice and relaxed. You pretended they were there for you, for the show, and it helped keep you going. You found yourself smirking saucily at the ice-blue eyes of Chibs’s friend, and putting on your best orgsmic performance for him. It got tiring having to repeat it for the camera, to re-do some scenes because of the lighting, but you didn’t think it was half-bad, especially if it could get Chibs and his friend all hot and bothered. The sons didn’t usually stay around, but you felt a slight smug glee at the fact that the two specific Sons had decided to stay behind just for your Daisy Duke performance.

It was finally done, and you were able to leave the set. You moved out of the way before Amanda could intercept you, hurrying to get cleaned up the best you could. You felt sticky and gross, but you did like that sense of accomplishment you got when you walked by and saw Chibs’s eyes were a full-blown brown, full of heat. His friend was right behind him, a sly smile on his face and a bounce in his step.

“Where do they find these girls, Tiggy?” you could hear Chibs grumble to his friend. Tiggy, you murmured to yourself. Of course. The one that Amanda had been shitting on. You smiled and hurried up with your cleaning, sliding on clean underwear and clothes, wishing you had decided to wear something cute and sexy instead of your well worn jeans, and Jack Daniels T-shirt. At least the T-shirt was very low cut and showed off your boobs decently. You at least had that to flaunt.

“They offered me free candy from their windowless van.” you yelled out to the boys, a wild grin of amusement on your face as you slid past them, turning just enough to try to show more boob as a saucy wink and wave was sent their way and continued on to find Luann to be paid. Ten minutes later, the money was secured and you could relax for a little while. You giggled at yourself at the look that Tiggy and Chibs had sent your way, the two men appearing amused at your commentary.

“What the hell?” Amanda exploded, wrapped in her robe as she ran up to you, her eyes and hair wild from her performance. Still covered in gel and slick, her skin glinted in the hot lights. “I saw those Sons, Do you have an in?” You were not sure if she was happy, or angry- or just high on something. You tried to opt for the safest answer.

“Uh.. .no. I mean, I was just having words, that’s all. They noticed I was new and wanted to make sure everything was okay, on the up and up.” you found yourself saying, kind of trying to cover for Amanda, you still felt bad for your friend sometimes and didn’t want her to feel too butt-hurt at the Sons looking down on her. It was her dream, and you didn’t want to crush her dream.

“Oh. well.. Opie usually does that bullshit. He’s like a cute little lap dog for Jax. He’d jump off a bridge if Jax told him to.” Amanda giggled and stuck the tip of her tongue out as if she was talking to an audience. “It’s so much fun to play them like that.”

Your eyes went wide, and your mouth snapped shut. Clearly, Amanda hadn’t thought things through well. You hoped no one had overheard that, but you knew Amanda’s luck would run out the way she kept running her mouth and trying to lord it over all of the crow eaters. You vaguely wondered where she had gotten all this attitude from. She wasn’t who you remembered from those days of sneaking beer and hanging out in front of the T & M shop trying to get noticed with your shitty jeep and sabotaging it constantly.

“I think you’d better get dressed, so we can get out of here. I mean, there’s not much left here.” Amanda was the last one called up and everyone had kind of started drifting. Amanda rolled her eyes and turned back to the dressing rooms while you let out a small huff of relief and continued on to sit near the front doors, anxious to leave.

“She really said that?” Chibs asked in his Scots accent, sidling up to you and scaring the shit out of you. You jumped, yelping slightly as he chuckled lightly at your reaction. You could tell by his demeanor that he was investigating something, but you were not the attention of his ire.

“Fuck! You scared the shite outta me.” You shoved him slightly, and scowled slightly. You didn’t want to say a word. It was obvious enough with the look on his face that he had heard every word Amanda had said.

“Eyes are on you both.” Chibs said as his brows rose slowly, a gloved finger sliding up his sunglasses on his nose. You nodded, knowing you wouldn’t be in too much trouble, since you hadn’t been saying anything but by proximity… you could get shit on. “Yes, sir.” you said simply, choosing to smile a slight smile of respect, laying it thick with your Irish. Chibs nodded and walked off, pulling out a flip phone and making calls. You hoped it hadn’t put you on anyone’s shit list, just being friends with Amanda. Especially his shit list.

#sons of anarchy fanfiction #tig trager #chibs telford #tiggy #samcro #sons of anarchy #chibs #filip telford #ankhmutes writes something

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helly-watermelonsmellinfellon · 1 year

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Bad News

Our van has broken down and needs immediate repairs. We are homeless and in severe poverty that makes us 'too poor' for public housing in Delaware be because they think poor families must make at least $25,000 a year and we make less than half of that in total.

We have a case worker still breathing down our necks about having a place to live our she can take my little sister away. We cannot leave the state until we have a guaranteed place to live with proof of residence. So even if somewhere opened up out of state mom would need bills or a lease in her name first.

We've been in and out of the same motel for months using my Ko-Fi to supplement income. We have next to no food that doesn't come from generous ppl using my Amazon Wishlist.

Food banks give us rotten food half of the days of the week.

Things are terrible.

I have a [Ko-Fi] as well.

And [Venmo].

Cash App: $Flame818

#poverty #homelessness #signal boost #homeless

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talabib · 9 months

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Winning Strategies To Make Your Money Last A Lifetime

Key Point:

Planning your retirement is more complicated than it was in the days of company pensions. That means you’ll have to be proactive if you want to enjoy your sunset years in comfort. Save money now by driving an older car and moving to a smaller house, and you’ll be well on your way. Once you’ve retired, you’ll want to stay invested in the stock market to generate inflation-busting yields while covering living expenses from a guaranteed income like an annuity. After taking care of your finances, you’ll need to ensure your heirs are taken care of by creating two must-have documents – a will and a trust.

Planning for retirement and ensuring your money lasts a lifetime is a complex and crucial endeavor. With changing dynamics in retirement planning, it's essential to adopt winning strategies that can secure your financial future. In this article, we will explore key strategies to help you maximize your retirement savings, protect your assets, and make informed decisions. From setting ground rules for financially dependent children to optimizing housing and investments, these strategies will empower you to make your money last a lifetime.

Planning for retirement is a lot more complicated than it was in the past.

Retirement planning has become increasingly complex due to factors such as longer life expectancy, changing economic conditions, and evolving retirement structures. It's important to recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach no longer suffices. Engage in comprehensive retirement planning that takes into account your individual circumstances, financial goals, and risk tolerance. Consider seeking professional guidance to navigate the intricacies of retirement planning effectively.

Retirees with financially dependent children need to set ground rules to guarantee their financial security.

If you have financially dependent children, establishing clear ground rules is essential to safeguard your own financial security. Set boundaries and expectations, ensuring that your children understand the level of support you can provide without compromising your retirement savings. Encourage their financial independence and educate them about responsible money management. By setting ground rules, you can strike a balance between supporting your children and securing your own financial well-being.

You can save a lot of money by making smart decisions about the car you drive.

Transportation expenses can have a significant impact on your retirement budget. Making smart decisions about the car you drive can lead to substantial savings. Consider factors such as fuel efficiency, maintenance costs, and depreciation when purchasing a vehicle. Opt for a reliable and cost-effective option that aligns with your needs rather than succumbing to unnecessary expenses associated with luxury or high-performance vehicles.

Reducing housing costs allows you to turbocharge your retirement savings.

Housing costs often constitute a significant portion of retirement expenses. Finding ways to reduce these costs can have a profound impact on your retirement savings. Consider downsizing to a smaller home, relocating to a more affordable area, or exploring alternative housing options such as renting or co-living arrangements. By reducing housing expenses, you can allocate more funds towards your retirement savings, ensuring a stronger financial foundation.

Patience pays in turbulent markets even when you're retired

Turbulent markets can be unsettling, especially for retirees who rely on their investments for income. However, it's crucial to exercise patience and avoid making impulsive decisions during market downturns. Maintain a well-diversified investment portfolio and stick to your long-term financial plan. Additionally, establish an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses and supplement your income during market volatility. By remaining patient and having a contingency plan in place, you can navigate turbulent markets while protecting your retirement savings.

To avoid running out of money, take inflation into account when you plan for retirement.

Longevity and inflation are key considerations when planning for retirement. It's prudent to assume a longer life expectancy and account for the impact of inflation on your future expenses. Work with a financial advisor to calculate the projected costs of healthcare, living expenses, and leisure activities throughout your retirement years. By incorporating these factors into your retirement plan, you can mitigate the risk of outliving your savings and maintain your financial stability.

An income annuity provides a guaranteed income

An income annuity can be a valuable tool for retirees seeking a guaranteed income stream. By purchasing an annuity, you receive regular payments for a specific period or for the rest of your life. This provides a sense of security and stability, offsetting the demands of investing in the potentially volatile stock market. Consult with a financial professional to explore suitable annuity options that align with your retirement goals and risk tolerance.

Protect yourself and those you love by creating a will and a living revocable trust.

Estate planning is essential for ensuring the protection and distribution of your assets according to your wishes. Two vital documents to consider are a will and a living revocable trust. A will specifies how your assets should be distributed upon your passing, while a living revocable trust allows you to manage your assets during your lifetime and provides for the smooth transfer of assets upon death. Work with an attorney who specializes in estate planning to create these important documents and ensure your financial legacy is secure.

Achieving financial security throughout retirement requires careful planning, strategic decision-making, and a focus on long-term goals. By implementing winning strategies such as setting ground rules for financially dependent children, making smart financial choices, reducing housing costs, staying patient during market fluctuations, accounting for longevity and inflation, considering income annuities, and prioritizing estate planning, you can make your money last a lifetime. Remember, a comprehensive and adaptable approach is key to navigating the complexities of retirement and securing your financial future.

Action Plan: Consider saving online.

Brick-and-mortar banks are great when it comes to convenient access to cash and ATMs, but they don’t usually have the best interest rates on savings accounts. If you want a better deal, it’s a good idea to move your savings to an online bank or credit union. They can afford to pay higher yields because they don’t have physical branches with rent and overhead. So how big is the difference? Well, as of late 2019, traditional banks were paying around 0.25 percent on savings accounts while their online counterparts had yields of around 2 percent!

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lena-in-a-red-dress · 2 years

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Coyote Ugly Pt 2

Okay, a couple people asked, so here we go down the rabbithole.

Basically, in this universe, I imagined the Luthors as the crime lords of the city. Anything that happens in the seedy underbelly of Metropolis has the Luthors fingers all over it, and they have a reputation of being swift and efficient in eliminating any competition.

Lena, however, sought to break away from them. She struck out on her own as soon as she was able, and now works at Coyote Ugly to make ends meet. However, when tips are low or emergency funds are needed, Lena makes her way to one of her brother's fight rings to supplement her income.

She gives as good as she gets, having learned to fight as soon as she could walk, and often wins. Her name is notorious in those rings, and any appearance she makes always guarantees a good show for the spectators.

Though Lena occasionally comes to work with fresh bruises, she always brushes off any concern from her coworkers. Kara is the first one to ask in a long time, and hesitantly asks if Lena's partner is abusive. (Lena blinks at that, then smirks. "Sure. Let's go with that." Her tone makes it clear that that's not the case, but has no intention of sharing the truth of it.)

After the fallout with Kara, Lena quits the bar, and returns to the ring full time. But this time, it isn't about the money. In fact, she loses quite a bit of her brother's money after he bets on her inevitable win and instead gets a lackluster performance.

Lena lets herself get pummeled-- her form of self flagellation for how she ruined things with Kara. She doesn't even wait to heal before she's back in the ring, making sloppy dodges and pulling her punches.

Kara, of course, goes out of her mind with worry. She doesn't know what Lena gets up to in her free time, but she knows from the bruises she's seen that it's nothing good. After a week of being Stonewalled by Andrea, she finally corners her boss and threatens to quit-- leaving her shortstaffed by two instead of just one.

Andrea finally caves, and points her in the direction of Veronica Sinclair (a coyote who got fired for reasons no one will say). When Kara tracks Veronica down, Veronica smirks and barters information on Lena for a rundown of what happened to cause Kara to lose Lena in the first place.

Once Kara confesses everything, Veronica writes down an address and hands it over. "Better move fast. It never stays in one place for long."

Kara goes directly from Veronica's club to the address she'd been given, and is admitted after some wheedling with the bouncer (which may or may not have involved flashing the man her breasts in exchange for the entry passphrase).

Inside, Kara pushes through the crowd to find Lena getting her ass kicked inside a chain link cage. She's just in time to witness a burly man in a sweat stained wife beater deliver a right hook directly into Lena's temple. She watches Lena stagger, then go down, collapsing face down to the concrete.

"LENA!!"

Kara surges forward, tangling her fingers in the chainlink in her effort to get closer. Lena blinks blearily up at her. There's a flash of recognition, but it quickly fades to heavy resignation. Her opponent slams a kick into Lena's ribs, making her cough with a painful wheeze. Lena clenches her jaw through the pain, but makes no move to rise.

Blessedly, Lena's opponent turns away to hype himself up to the crowd. Kara uses the brief respite to crouch into Lena's eyeline.

"What the fuck are you doing??" Kara shouts over the raucous crowd. "Lena! Get up!!"

"Go home, Kara," Lena coughs dully.

Kara scowls. "No. You don't get to do this. I'm allowed to be mad at you!"

Lena doesn't respond.

"Jesus! It was one goddamn fight, and you deserved it! But you don't deserve this!"

Lena's eyes close.

"I don't deserve this!"

Again, no response. By now, with the crowd suitably aroused, the other brawler has turned his attention back to Lena, and stamps towards her with ominous intent. Panic now mingles with Kara's rage.

"God damn it, Lena! I did not flash my tits to get in here just to watch you die. Stop being such a fucking puss--"

Before the word can fully leave her mouth Lena's eyes snap open. In the next moment, she rolls sharply to the left, dodging the stomp that would have smashed her ribs even further. Moving with more speed than Kara could have thought possible, Lena shoots to her knees and catches the next kick aimed at her head.

With a vicious twist of her hands, the man's leg cracks, earning a bellow of pain. Before he has a chance to even think of recovering, Lena barrels into him, catching him around the midsection and tackling him to the ground. Straddling his chest she pummels him about the head over and over, until her opponent goes limp, unconscious.

Only then does Lena stagger to her feet. Her brother (though Kara doesn't know this yet) steps into the ring with a grin splitting his features, lifting Lena's lax fist into the air in triumph.

"Our winner! Let's hear it for Kieran!!"

The crowd roars, but Kara can only focus on Lena's bruised and swollen face, both eyes blackened and bloodied nose rapidly swelling. Her lip is also split, and a glutinous line of blood trails from above her hairline.

Amid the cheers of the crowd and the defeated moans of money changing hands, Lena disappears into the crush of bodies. Kara remains, long after the bulk of the spectators have left. Eventually, the bouncer she encountered at the door lumbers towards her, sporting fresh, reddening bruise on his jaw.

"This way," he mumbles.

Kara follows him down a corridor deeper into the building, where he leads her to a single door on the left. Before she enters, he speaks one last time.

"Uh. Sorry. About earlier."

Kara looks at him, but before she can conjure a response he ambles glumly away. Kara watches him go for a moment, before pushing her way through the door.

Inside, she finds Lena sitting on a bench, with a tall man bending over her. Kara sees his arms twitch, hears a crack and then an explosion of curses as Lena's nose shifts back into place.

"Motherfucking--!"

"Don't block with your face then," Kara remarks drily.

Lena instantly quiets, falling somber at Kara's presence. Kara softens, exhaling a quiet sigh as the medic puts one last butterfly bandage on a deep gash.

"Get to a hospital for stitches," he says before packing his kit and leaving.

Suddenly, it's just the two of them. Lena avoids her gaze, her palms rubbing nervously against the tops of her thighs. Kara's own gaze falls, studying the floor for a long moment as she gathers her thoughts.

"I'm allowed to be mad at you," she says firmly. "I'm allowed to be angry."

Lena nods. "I know." She swallows thickly. "And you're right-- about everything."

"Enough with the beating yourself up shtick. It's getting real old." Though Kara's voice is stern, a grin niggles at the corner of her mouth. Lena spots it, and huffs with quiet mirth. The pall between them breaks.

Kara crosses to sit beside Lena on the bench. She clasps her hands between her knees, so fight the urge to soothe the angry bruises taking shape on Lena's pale skin.

"I'm sorry," Lena says softly. Finally. "I didn't mean to-- I mean, I meant to-- I mean... I panicked."

"To which your response was to kiss in front of a bar full of men?"

"It was the only thing I could think of."

"Uh huh."

"Well, it is the only thing I'd been thinking of for weeks," Lena admits. She casts a furtive glance towards Kara, who holds it teasingly.

"Weeks?"

Lena smiles. Not her megawatt smile, but a quiet one. An honest one. A nervous one.

"Yeah."

"Well then," Kara returns, "maybe you should give it another shot."

She gives Lena's ribs a playful nudge, only to gasp in horror when Lena stiffens and swallows a grunt of pain.

"Shit! Jeez, I'm sorry, I forgot--"

The next thing Kara knows lips are pressing fiercely against hers, and her senses are consumed with Lena. The scent of her sweat, the taste of it and the coppery tang of blood on her mouth.

"Your lip," Kara whispers against Lena's lips, which pause only long enough to speak.

"Worth it."

#supercorp #coyote ugly au #ofc kara curses in this au #shes a coyote for crying out loud

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restlessmaknae · 2 years

Text

flames in your eyes [b.h.y.]

The Earth is dying; desertification, pandemics and poverty are leading the way. There's a laboratory that wants to build it up from the ground again: to re-inhibit it with clones. You're one of those who are recruited for the cause.

➳ Characters: Hoyoung x female!reader/you

➳ Genre: dystopian, action, biotech au, clones au, hurt comfort, open ending

➳ Words: 6.9k

➳ Warning: mentions of pandemics, natural disasters, sedative pills, cloning, shooting, minor character deaths, implication of ptsd

➳ A/N: This story is a part of the ‘co-existence’ writing collab hosted by me. Please, do check out the other amazing works, and keep your eyes on the collab masterlist as more stories will come!

When you were sedated, you sometimes dreamed of a better world. A world where there was no poverty, no desertification and no pandemics. Where there were no lives lost due to the widening gap between the rich and the poor, the global natural disasters and the many, many illnesses that were being spread without a cure in sight.

You knew the world had never been like this. Not even decades or centuries ago. For instance, even though almost everyone had technological devices they lived with these days and there was internet connection in all corners of the world, food wasn’t on the table or a roof wasn’t above their head. Some time ago, it had been the complete opposite. Yet, in 2284, it was the reality.

There wasn’t one main cause for the disaster that had fallen upon Earth; everything was interconnected. Geographical differences leading to political tension, political tension leading to economic recession, economic recession leading to rising prices and deteriorating living conditions, and these living conditions leading to the spread of unknown and brand new viruses. Even though some countries developed vaccines and supplements that might offer some relief or temporary cure, there was no end to it. The way the world was so globalised, small people’s problems reached everyone in no time.

With the many natural disasters, there came another phenomena: people being born or being struck by inhumane abilities when they lived through those disasters. There were news of people who could control water after almost being drowned in a tsunami, people who didn’t have to breathe to function properly after being swallowed by a sandstorm, people who could control thunder after being hit by one and surviving and then there were you, too: one who was able to control gravity after falling off a cliff yet surviving the crush because you had managed to float above the ground somehow.

In your dreams, you dreamed of being accepted, maybe even celebrated for who you were. Not abandoned by your parents after they had realised what you could do, not being left out on the streets as a teenager and having to survive hidden away from others, stealing food and money.

In your dreams, you were free; free to use your power and free to do what you wanted.

When you woke up, the complete opposite welcomed you.

The reality was that you were a number here, a participant in this life-changing experiment as they called it. By ‘they’, you meant the group of scientists, researchers and rich businessmen funding their project. When you had been approached by them, you hadn’t thought too much of their offer to get a job at their company since you had known that sometimes the rich had gone out of their way to fetch orphans or abandoned kids like you from the streets.

“We will give you food, a roof above your head and security. All you need to do is help us out with our project. We are hoping to make the Earth a better place to live in, and we can guarantee that humanity will thank you for your assistance one day,” they had said, and as naive as you had been, you had believed them. After all, what could you have lost? You had no one to rely on, no income, no stability or whatsoever in your life.

When you had admitted that you hadn’t finished school or you had never had a job before, they had merely smiled. They had reassured you that it wouldn’t matter, and that you would be able to do what they ask of you, and you would have plenty of time to rest as well. What had convinced you was the idea of helping out the planet. After all, what abandoned teen with an extraordinary ability she oh so well wished to hide wouldn’t want the world to look at her differently?

What you hadn’t expected was for them to work for a bioscience laboratory that had wanted to recruit you for the sole purpose of cloning you. Why? Because they had known about your ability to control gravity, and they had begun to search for people like you in hopes of making clones and re-inhabiting the Earth with such invincible people. That, of course, had come to light on your first “working day”, and there had been no escape since then. You could have cried, you could have pleaded to them to let go, you could have hit the door of your room until your hands bled, but it had been all futile. Not like you had anywhere to go, but truthfully, it was sucking the life out of you - slowly yet irreservisibly like nicotine.

You were constantly monitored, and one wrong move or word could mean that you didn’t get food for days. You had your own sterile, plain room with a simple bed and white walls and an enormous glass window that let anyone from the outside to look into your room, and you could also see the outside from inside. You had your own schedule to get into the capsule for the cloning machine, and god knows how long you were actually kept there because you always lost track of time when you were sedated. You were also forced to exercise to keep in shape and put to tests to keep your brain in shape just as well. Everything was perfectly timed, and this way, you could barely see anyone around you apart from the scientists who always assisted you, except for the times you could walk past the other rooms in the hallway and see other girls sleeping in their rooms or walking from one end of their room to the other just like you did so sometimes. No connection was made with them, it was strictly prohibited, but you wondered whether only girls were there - similarly young like you.

It was the same every time, and the more you were sedated, the more difficult it was to not sleep longer outside of the cloning phases of your days and to be able to feel normal. The thing was that sometimes when you were sedated, you had these weird images in your dream where you were fighting with another version of yourself, your mind always circulating around the idea of having another you. However, when you brought it up to the scientist who asked you about how you were feeling, they upped the dose of your sedative pill, but it just got worse and worse. Sometimes, you hallucinated that you were being followed or that you saw two versions of yourself when you looked into the mirror. It was messing with your head, quite seriously, and it was giving you intense headaches and anxiety.

It was the same until one day, things went wrong. For the first time since you had been there, there was a crack in the system: a girl collapsed in her room when you walked past it with a scientist by your side, and even though you were rushed into your own room, you could hear an unfamiliar voice saying that the girl wasn’t breathing. You kept thinking of the scene of her falling to the ground until the next time you could move out of your room, and all that welcomed you was an empty room where the girl once had been.

“What happened to the girl in there?” You asked from the woman beside you, but she glared at you, stepping closer to you and said in a hushed yet warning tone:

“You better not ask about it if you don’t want to end up like her.”

And so you didn’t. Because even though it wasn’t living when you were exploited for your own superhuman abilities, you didn’t want to die. There was a hope inside of you that maybe one day, it would all end, and you could get out of there.

What you didn’t expect was for it to happen the way it did.

It was just like any other day: get up, have breakfast, fill out the tests they gave you, exercise in the exercise room, have lunch, then go to the room with the giant cloning capsules. The capsules that were used for cloning were white with see-through glass on the top whilst the ones beside them were black with black glass on top that didn’t allow you to see through it - probably for the clones themselves, but you had never seen them for yourself. There were wires and fluid-filled sacs connecting the two, but truthfully, you didn’t know what exactly they were for and you didn’t actually want to know.

You were usually intact when you got out of the capsule, but sometimes you felt like something had stung or that your skin had been pricked, yet whenever you looked at the area you thought to be hurt, you couldn’t see anything unusual. Again, maybe you were just hallucinating or maybe they were using such high technology on you that they stopped the bleeding and healed whatever scars they caused.

Directly, you had never seen your clone. However, there were pictures of you from all angles plastered onto a white board beside the capsule you used, and it was the same for every other girl though you didn’t dare examine their pictures for too long because you knew it wouldn’t be appreciated.

Everything was normal, you were just on your way to the cloning room when suddenly, all the lights went out. Not only in the hallways but also in the rooms. The doors clicked, signalling that their locks were unlocked due to the lack of electricity, and only the dim lights of the emergency signs could provide some source of light. You could hear that some girls started coming out of their rooms, whispering about their confusion.

“Everybody, stay calm and go back to your rooms!” The woman beside you ordered them in a strict voice, and after reaching into her lab coat, she got her phone out and shined some light onto the opened doors and the frightened girls to make them back away. However, they didn’t.

You could understand them. For a moment, you also wondered whether it was possible to just leave, to run away from them. After all, all doors were the same, and even though you had never left through the back at the end of the hallway ever since you had entered from the front door some time ago, you guessed that it was currently unlocked just as well. And it was so close too, you were only a few steps away from it since your room was the closest to it. So close…

Though the moment you laid your eyes on the back door while the woman beside you was calling someone, there were weird noises coming from the cloning room. It was as if some kind of glass broke and objects were thrown around. It was odd enough since usually, only one or two scientists were already there when you needed to enter with your assigned “caretaker”, and you doubted they were so careless as to make a mess.

Then, a horrified scream could be heard from inside the room.

A second later, it was abruptly cut off.

The woman beside you froze for a moment, and you shivered, your heart hammering away. You had a terrifying feeling about it, and the sudden silence that followed the brief screaming was eerie, pricking at your skin. Your breathing became uneven, and you felt a knot forming in your throat, making it hard to breathe.

In the next moment, the door of the cloning room opened with a thud and though the emergency lights were dim, you had a feeling that the sound of it being thrown to the ground and the shadow of it could only indicate one thing: that it was a body, blood scattering the walls around it. The woman beside you shed the light on it just in time for you to look at it, and you were right…

Though you couldn’t see the person’s face, it was definitely a human body of a scientist’s, the trademark white coat painted in burgundy and the odd angles of it indicating that the person broke a few bones, too. If they even survived, that is.

You didn’t think twice. You ran to the back door as soon as possible, only glancing back to see a girl coming out of the room with bloody hands. You briefly recognised her as one of the girls in their rooms… More precisely, she was probably her clone. Which meant that all the clones were out, and god knows how developed they were to not want to kill anything or anyone that got in their way.

You never ran as fast as you did so now, and you didn’t even have time to be surprised that there was grass under your feet and a giant stadium-like building beside the one you had just come out of because the screams magnified behind you and the stadium-like building was currently in flames: itt was as if lighting was striking directly from its core.

People in white coats were running around with torches and pushing through you, boys from the other building came out running just like the girls from yours had done so. Everything was in a frenzy. No one knew where to go, what to do and what was happening, and no one listened to the staff members making orders. Whatever was going on, it was better to get away from it as soon as possible.

A guy passed by you, but it was like he was gone in a blink of an eye while a girl from behind you was throwing icicles onto the scientists who wanted to get close to her. Your power only saved you from falling head-first into the ground because you bounced back from it before you could fall down, but otherwise, it didn’t help you to run faster or see where the others were going.

You didn’t even know if there was a way to escape, but you couldn’t care less. You wanted to get away, you needed to get away.

However, when something grabbed at your arm, you had to come to a halt. When you looked down at your hand and looked up, you could see a girl smiling at you with a mischievous smile.

“Don’t be scared. I can create a water bubble around us that no one can really get through if they don’t want to drown, so you’ll be safe. Just like the others,” she bobbed her head backwards, and that’s when you could see the edges of a bubble around you and two more girls.

“Thank you,” you croaked out, but you didn’t think it was enough to express how you felt. She nodded whilst holding her hand up to the sky as if she was holding the bubble together, and she held onto a few others who got in her way, but other than that, it seemed that everyone was fighting with what they had - the girl with the icicles, a boy with flames, another boy who had thunder come out of his body, one girl who seemed to be able to create a crack between your side of the ground and the two identical buildings where the scientists and others seemed to fight with your clones.

However, in the next moment, the water bubble girl suddenly collapsed, the water around you splashing into the ground at the same time as her body reached the grass. You let out a shriek without knowing, hurrying to her side to look for any sign that she was hurting. That’s when you saw pills spilling out of her pocket, and even though you had no idea whether it was her doing or not, a foam-like liquid appeared around the edges of her lips, and her glass-like eyes stared back at you without any kind of light in them. No, this couldn’t happen! She was ready to help so many of you, and now you couldn’t do the same for her? No… This… Could… Not… Happen…

You didn’t even have time to process what had just happened because a hand dragged you, a gentle voice reaching your ears (though it sounded distant).

“Come on!” A boy prompted you, and you only turned your head to look at him briefly - his messy pitch-black locks, his similarly dark orbs with flames dancing in it and his sharp features - before he already started dragging you with him. You had no idea where you were going or why he was so sure of where to go, but when you reached a fence, you had a feeling where this was going.

You halted for a moment though, a sudden rush of fear coming over you. Even though this wasn’t the place and time to contemplate over this, and you had wanted to run away for so long, now that you were standing in front of something that might symbolise the end of your time as a lab rat, you were suddenly not so sure whether the outside world wouldn’t be more cruel to you.

The boy with flames dancing in his eyes sensed your hesitation, but still dragged you forward with him. There was already a hole in the fence when you got there, so you could crawl through it and continue running. What was surprising though was the fact that you were running in woods - literal woods. Since you had been sedated when you had been transferred here in a car, you couldn’t have seen anything before, that’s why you were surprised now to see woods and grass around and not just sand and the bare signs of mother nature’s heart still beating under your feet.

“This can’t be real…” You mumbled while you were looking around, your legs still going even though your mind was somewhere else.

“It’s not completely real. This has been planted here with modern technology,” the boy replied, his voice coming out raspy and ragged due to running and speaking at the same time.

“Wait…” You stopped dead in your tracks, only realising that he was still holding your hand when you stopped and he let go of you because of the abrupt motion, almost causing him to fall to the ground. Unbeknownst to you, you reached your hand out, stopping him in the motion and making him lean backwards instead - all with the power running through your fingers.

The boy turned to you with open eyes, not scared yet curious. Since you were used to people being afraid of you when they got to know about your power, you just blinked back at him. Remembering why you had just stopped, you cleared your throat and threw the question at him:

“How do you know how they’ve been planted? Are you with them?”

He could have been a scientist or someone working at those laboratories, but from the way he looked at you - so hurt -, you had a feeling that he wasn’t. He wasn’t even wearing a lab coat, instead, he wore a plain, pattern-less shirt and sweatpants.

Still, he shook his head and snapped his fingers: tiny, bright red sparkles born under his fingertips that gradually evolved into something brighter, something bigger: a flame.

“I’ll tell you later. Just trust me. I’ll get us to safety,” he promised as he snapped his fingers again, all the light from his hand gone.

“But what about…” You started saying and looked over your shoulder, only to see both of the buildings behind you up in flames and shambles. People were still running around, but there were less of them in the identical clothing you wore, so you had a feeling that those who had been kept here were on their way to safety.

Still, the sight of the building that had caused you so much pain being in ruins should have made you feel delighted. Instead, you remembered what happened there, and the memories tore through your flesh like small doses of lighting, hitting just in the right places to feel nauseous. The sterile smell of the cloning capsule, the feeling of the pills on your tongue, the white of the walls in your room, the version of you that appeared in your nightmares and hallucinations…

A sudden sharp ringing started in your ears and your hands flew to cup them, but to no avail; the world around you was louder than ever before. It just got worse and worse until your vision got blurry, your knees gave in, and you fell to the ground as the world around you went black with the image of your clone laughing at you.

When you regained consciousness, the first thing that you noticed was the smell. It wasn’t sterile, it wasn’t familiar, and whilst it wasn’t unbearable, you could feel the dust in the air when you sucked in a deep breath and needed to cough a few times while rubbing your eyes.

The next thing you noticed was your surroundings: furniture in multiple colours, shelves filled with books, a comfortable couch you currently laid on, the softness of the blanket that was covering you and the remains of what seemed like a living room with pictures hung on the walls yet no one there. When the thought of the previous night came to mind, you bolted up from the couch and looked around alarmed despite knowing that you had been saved. Or so, you hoped.

You could hear footsteps behind you, and immediately, your first thought was to run. The memories of anyone coming near you were linked to being dragged to the cloning rooms, and fear was injected into your veins. However, when the pitch-black haired boy from the night before emerged from the hallway with a mug in his hands, you forced your brain to stop making up escape plans.

“Hey! You’re up,” he noted in a gentle tone, and as he was walking towards you, you took in his features - in broad daylight and without the chaos around you - including the softness of his black locks, the depth of his similarly dark eyes, the elegant arch of his eyebrows, his high nose bridge and the deepened corners of his lips when he was attempting to smile at you, probably testing the waters to see how you reacted.

“Where are we?” You asked first things first, your voice coming out hoarse and definitely harsher than you had intended. The boy wasn’t taken aback though, he merely reached the mug out to you. Suspiciously, you eyed him for a few seconds, your silence prompting him to speak up first.

“You’re in safety, and I’m not going to hurt you,” he announced matter-of-factly, and even though you wanted to believe him, you needed more reason than that. “I reckon that we were in the same boat just until yesterday, being forced to be cloned and used by the laboratory. From what I could see, I guess there was a different building for boys and girls, but I have a feeling we had the same tasks to fulfil: exercising, filling out tests, complying with every step of the cloning process, not asking any questions or else we wouldn’t get food and so on. Is that right?”

His voice was firm, and you could tell he was speaking from experience, but when he looked at you with those eyes with tiny pieces of hurt swimming in them, that’s when you were even more sure that he was speaking nothing but the truth.

“Yeah,” so you replied, following his example when he lowered into an armchair and you sat back down on the couch. He took his distance from you, and you appreciated that despite what you had just discussed before. There was a moment of awkward silence lingering between the two of you before you were hit by a memory.

“You can control fire?” You inquired, remembering back to the previous night when you had seen flames coming out of his hands. And his eyes too, but maybe it was just your imagination. After all, you had been having hallucinations of your clone a lot of times, it wouldn’t have come as a surprise to see something that wasn’t there.

“Yes. I’ve survived a fire when I was young, and since then, I can create flames and control fire,” he nodded as he put the mug on the table in front of him. You had a feeling that it wasn’t all he had to say, and he continued as expected. “This was my parents’ house. I’ve grown up here. Ever since I’ve come back from that incident alive, they’ve helped me to hide my power. Not because they were ashamed, but because it was a fire that only I’ve survived, and you know how people look at those with such abilities…”

“I know,” you croaked out, knowing all too well how people looked at such “superhumans”. Even before you had obtained your power, you hadn’t thought of them as evil or shameful creatures. After all, it wasn’t their fault that they got their powers! Whilst some superhumans liked to use them for illegal purposes, others could have easily used it to help people - just like you had all done so the day before, trying to save each other.

However, governments thought otherwise - they thought that people with such powers had to be contained - like a virus -, that’s why they were searching for them, and that’s why a lot of you were hiding yourself or hiding your power.

When you exchanged a glance with the pitch-black haired boy, you knew he meant this and you understood as well - the weight of bearing such a power. So with a bob of his head, he acknowledged your words and continued on with his story.

“We’ve told everyone it was a matter of luck, I didn’t have any powers, hence I’ve tried to get familiar with my power only when I was alone. My parents supported me and let me study, and so I was like a normal child until they came to offer me an internship from the laboratory.”

“The same laboratory we were at?”

“Yes. They’ve said that I would be able to work on this intelligent city project that they’ve created, one that can run on solar power and electricity and one where we can grow plants and healthy biodiversity with modern technology. That’s how I knew the woods we’ve been to weren’t real,” he explained as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. When you looked directly into his eyes, it wasn’t like the fire you had seen the day before. It was as if the flames were barely there, only flickering, and for some reason, the thought saddened you.

Even though his story was very different from yours, the biggest contrast being how his family treated him, his every act so far had proved you that he wasn’t thinking only about himself which was rare with people who came from such prestigious backgrounds. Even their house could signal that those who lived there were wealthy, and you wondered what happened to his parents since the living room looked pretty dusty as if nobody had been there for some time. Then again, since you had been practically living on the streets in a very run-down part of the country and you guessed that he had taken you to some higher tech city, you probably couldn’t know anything about his situation.

Though you had a feeling where his story would take a turn.

“It was a trick, wasn’t it? They knew about your power,” you guessed tentatively, and he looked perplexed for the first time.

“Did the same happen to you?”

You nodded, letting the past memories resurface and sting as they usually did so. You had no idea how much time had passed by, but you kept recalling that exact moment when you had first talked to the people from the laboratory, hoping that you could actually change the world. Just how naive you had been.

“I mean, I wasn’t smart like you,” you justified, feeling icky about the possibility of him thinking that you came from a similar background as he did. “My parents abandoned me when they got to know about my power, so I was basically a homeless orphan on the streets, but they’ve offered me a job, and made me believe that I could make a difference in the world if I join their project. In return, they would provide me with food, accommodation and safety.”

“Which they did, but they didn’t tell you about their project, right?” The boy put the pieces together, and it seemed that he got the hang of it pretty soon which was pretty impressive but also heartbreaking.

Instead of pondering over the memories though, you nodded and exchanged another meaningful glance with him. It seemed that you could understand each other’s pain well even without words, but words were needed to paint the background story of your lives, so you shared with him how you had gotten your power, how you had been disowned by your parents, and how you had needed to survive on the streets or in run-down ruins until the people from the laboratory had found you.

The boy - who introduced himself as Hoyoung in the meantime - had great empathy for someone who had practically grown up in luxury, but may it be because you two shared the same blessing and curse at the same time or may it be because he was different from others, but he looked like he genuinely cared when you were sharing bits and bobs about your life, your power and how you wish you could have just turned down their offer to join the company because it had been your downfall.

However, to that, the boy shook his head, something pulling at his lips when he next spoke up.

“It wouldn’t have mattered if you had said no,” he clarified, almost in a resigned state. It could be seen that he was contemplating whether or not to continue, and you were about to tell him that it was fine if he didn’t want to say more, but he cleared his throat and carried on nevertheless.

“My parents did some research on the lab, and came across some lawsuits against the company involving human trafficking and animal abuse, and told me to re-consider the internship opportunity. So when they directly came to our house to talk to me about it and I said no, they shot my parents in front of me and sedated me.”

His words struck you like lightning; it was one thing that they were basically kidnapping people for their powers and using them for their own selfish purposes, but it was another one to kill innocent people in the meantime. They probably justified that it was in the name of science or something.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” you said immediately, your heart squeezing at the thought of the boy having to lose his parents because of the people from the laboratory and ultimately because of his power.

“I couldn’t do anything, everything happened so fast and I…” Hoyoung recalled in a shaky tone, but stopped as he looked up at the ceiling, trying to hold back tears. Even though you couldn’t understand what he was going through because you had never been in his shoes and you had never been on good terms with your parents, he looked like such a good person and he had spoken so fondly of his parents, it broke your heart to see him in such a state.

“It wasn’t your fault,” you tried to reassure him as you reached for his hand to squeeze it. It came almost naturally even with you two being kind of strangers for now, and the boy didn’t yank his hand away either. He looked like he could use all kinds of comfort, and you were willing to give it to him.

After all, you owed him your life, and the least you could do was to comfort him when he was mourning the loss of his parents whom he had last seen when he had last been to this house. He had probably kept it all to himself or maybe he had wanted it to be all a bad dream, but this time, he let everything out, and you were there to help him through it.

After Hoyoung had pulled himself together, he explained to you how he had managed to get you two to safety. He had needed to steal a car because he had known that you two hadn’t had enough time to walk or run by yourself (especially with you being unconscious), and it had seemed that the whole area around the labs had been in frenzy because there had been abandoned cars everywhere (probably by the scientists and other staff members who had been trying to put out the fire and deal with the clones), so it hadn’t been that difficult.

He had also added that one of the boys in their building had caused the fire because he had been able to control lighting, and while he had been escorted to his room from a cloning session, he had walked by Hoyoung’s room, and that’s when he had practically bursted into lighting, cutting off the electricity and putting the hallway on fire. Then, it had been pretty much like how you had described your experience to him: both the staff members and the ones recruited were running around, the latter looking for a way out while the staff members were trying to control the situation. He had also mentioned that it had been bizarre to see some clones of the other boys who had probably escaped their capsules, and that’s why he hadn’t hesitated to help when he had seen you just crouching by that girl.

“I’m not sure how developed these clones are and whether they are intelligent enough to do anything reasonable without being told to do so, but they seemed quite violent, so I didn’t want you to get hurt. If I could do something to help, I wanted to,” he justified his actions, and for a moment, you could feel the ice around your heart thaw. You had built walls around yourself to not get hurt after being abandoned by your parents because if they hadn’t wanted you, then who would want to? So to have a complete stranger willingly save you… It was genuinely unbelievable to you.

“But I was just a mere stranger. You could have just let me die there.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to live with the regret then. Not after what had happened to my parents,” Hoyoung reasoned solemnly, and although you were about to say something to go against his words, you shut your mouth. After his breakdown, you didn’t have the heart to bring up anything that might cause him pain. Not to mention that he truly had a heart of gold, and instead of blaming him for risking his own life to save you, you were thankful to him - something that you couldn’t stop telling him throughout your conversations.

Not knowing how to add more to that or what to bring up again, silence was stretching on for some time before you found your voice and asked, albeit uncertain:

“Do you think they are looking for us?”

You didn’t need to specify whom you meant by ‘them’, you both knew it all too well. You also knew that he couldn’t know the answer for sure either, but you wanted to hear what he thought, so that you could come up with something.

“On one hand, I would like to think that they have enough problem with the clones, but on the other hand, I think they might want to find us, so that we wouldn’t tell anyone about what has happened at the labs,” he explained thoroughly, and you nodded, thinking the same. “That’s why we need to leave soon. If they wanted to find me, they would probably come here first,” he reasoned, his voice gentle despite the implication behind his words.

You wondered how much it hurt for him to say so because this house was probably the last thing that reminded him of his parents which was both reassuring and devastating. To leave it, it would mean that he would leave the place where he had grown up and where remains of his memories with his parents had been. On the contrary, he had already been away from the house for sometime now and it might help him to move on to be away from it.

Whatever he might have been feeling in the current moment, he didn’t let it show on his face. Instead, he was looking at you for your reaction, worried and curious at the same time, and despite the way he was looking at you, you couldn’t help but ask:

“Should we go our separate ways?”

Hoyoung was visibly taken aback by your question, almost horrified as if you had suggested something even more dangerous than you had experienced so far. He couldn’t even find the right words to say, he was just muttering for a few seconds.

“I mean… if you want to and if you don’t want my help,” he blurted out, a bit confused, and upon his nervous state, you became a bit uncertain as well.

“It’s not about that. I just think it would be safer for both of us.”

“I think it might be safer if we stayed together. For instance, if we find a place to stay at, one could go out while the other would supervise the place. Or we could just start a new life far away, having each other’s back. After all, I don’t have anyone anymore either…” His voice trailed off by the end, and he averted his eyes from your face to a picture hanging on the wall instead.

You gulped, feeling the tension blanket the two of you, your heart breaking in the meantime. This boy had really saved your life when everything had been ripped off of him: his family, his future, his dreams and the stability he had once known. Yet, instead of giving up on life altogether, he had helped others escape and he had helped you as well, taking you to safety. If you could be someone he had in this post-laboratory life, you wouldn’t want to leave him either. After all, you owed him your life.

“We’ll stay together,” you announced, your voice not leaving room for any doubt. When you broke the silence, Hoyoung looked back at you, and you couldn’t exactly pinpoint what his face displayed: relief, gratitude or something completely different, but you knew one thing: that you would want to protect him as much as he had done so already.

It wasn’t easy, of course. Two youngsters with supernatural abilities after escaping a laboratory where they had been cloned meant that you were practically on the run even though you had nothing to be ashamed of, and you weren’t the bad guys in this story. However, you knew that the government wouldn’t care because news hadn’t come out regarding the laboratory and what they had done so, only news of two of its buildings burning to the ground due to “technical errors”.

You had no one else you could count on either apart from each other, but at least you had somewhere to start from when Hoyoung opened up the vault in his parents’ basement and found some saved up jewellery and cash. That was enough to get you going, and after that, you planned to leave the country to start a new life, but whether that would be feasible, it was all uncertain. Your clones and others’ clones might have been on the run too, the lab staff looking for them and maybe even looking for you two, so you needed to be as careful as possible, moving quickly and unpredictably. You had a feeling that the company behind the lab had the money and resources to track down anything they wanted to, so you had to avoid public spaces with cameras which just made things harder.

Despite everything, you had each other, and when you had frequently recurring nightmares of being stuck in the laboratory again, Hoyoung was there to soothe you, gently talking to you until you could fall asleep again, and when the boy had something that reminded him of his parents, you were the one he could hold onto, anchoring him to reality.

Despite everything that had happened and everything that was about to come, you had each other, and in a world of uncertainty, that was more powerful than any other weapon could be.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading my story! Let me know what you’ve thought of it! I hope you’ve enjoyed it. ❤️

If you’re interested in more VERIVERY stories or more stories of mine in the future, you can sign up for my taglist here.

Hope you have a lovely day/night! ❤️

#verivery #ficscafe #verivery x reader #verivery x you #verivery scenarios #verivery imagines #hoyoung #hoyoung x reader #hoyoung x you #hoyoung imagines #hoyoung scenarios #coexistencecollab

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khachi7 · 1 year

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PhenGold

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hotgirlmythology · 1 year

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Minashun miltiary structure

Seeing as I did mention Tum'jai's son restarting a war I have decided to talk about the military of Minashun.

Minashun is a primarily trading nation. Therefore, they don't really need a proper standing army. However, when they decided to invade their neighbours, they needed to draw their forces from somewhere.

Minashun may not have had an army, but they did have a lot of caravan guards. They were, in fact, state funded. The value of the goods transported by caravan meant that they were juicy targets for bandits and roaming tribes. Hence, an arrangement was thought up to ensure safe passage of goods and guarantee a standing force. Caravan guards could sign a contract to receive a guaranteed stipend from the state between jobs, as well as basic weapons training, in return for swearing under oath to respond to the military draft in wartime and to preserve their dignity and the dignity of their Emperor or Empress in the course of their duty.

Gradually hiring unaffiliated caravan guards fell out of fashion, as the far more reliable income afforded to state guards meant they comported themselves a lot better and were less likely to get into petty thievery or gambling on duty to supplement their income (which in fairness was also often the caravan drivers' fault for habitually short-changing their guards). It became mostly a necessity to be able to produce a state contract to be considered for hire. The payment of caravan guards was a slight drain on the coffers, as they were paid by their local authority and some areas really did not have much money to spare, but the reduction in crimes from having caravan guards that actually did their jobs right made up for it.

There was a massive boom in people trying to become state caravan guards during Tum'jai II's rule, after she made it very clear that she was cutting back on offensive military manoeuvring. Most who joined during this period didn't stop to consider what her successor might be like, and were very slightly disappointed after they were told to answer their draft. While it did mean that the nation went back to war with a surplus of soldiers, it did also mean that they were incredibly badly motivated and desertion became rampant once people started dying. Trade has got a little riskier due to the lack of available caravan guards (as most are hiding from the recruiters).

Training involves mostly archery practise, as the distant sight lines present in the savanna and desert regions mean that it is rare indeed for bandits to commence a raid without first peppering the caravan with arrows. Thus, to beat them back usually requires volleys of arrows in return. They also receive basic training in arithmetic, swordplay and "manners" (rudimentary politeness). They have somewhat of a reputation for acting like busybodies wherever they travel, and learn not to go anywhere without their swords. This does cause some friction with the villages they travel through, but is a core aspect of what they are taught, and so they mostly disregard the impression they give people.

The way they are trained usually means that in warfare they default to working in the same small groups that they are used to while caravanning. Thus Minashun is ill-suited to fighting focused offensive wars and relies more on preventing the peripheral areas between large population centres from supplying the enemy, often by ambushing supply convoys, which after years spent practicing preventing ambushes comes quite quickly to them. Soldiers are in the main skirmishing archers and though they are used to using low quality arrows they still need a ready supply of them, and tend to avoid combat if they can help it, instead holding up wagons and demanding the surrender of the occupants etc etc.

The small professional army that Minashun possesses comprises a mix of the shock cavalry that served the northern invaders so well in the past and a larger cohort of the medium infantry traditionally employed across the savannah and kept in service because of their hardiness. Much of their training is given over to long distance travel and survival techniques on low rations, rather than combat techniques, instead relying on their swiftness of repositioning and walls of glaives to ward off an enemy. The shock cavalry for their part are meant to slam into the enemy line and force it apart, which they do very well, to their credit, though they are not nearly as self-sufficient as the soldiers whose education centres on survival. Professional forces are kept by major population centres and border outposts. There is also a military draft, though the full draft has not been used in a very long time.

#fantasy #worldbuilding #fantasy culture #military

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navalvessels · 1 year

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Dairy products with convenience and healthy benefits will drive demand

Demand for sound breakfast choices drives the development of items with Wellbeing and Health ascribes Eastern European Dairy and Soy Food Market, The worldwide dairy and soy food area was esteemed at US$426.6 billion out of 2017, of which 36.9% of income was produced by milk. Rising cooperation of ladies in the labor force, combined with long working hours is passing on purchasers with less chance to zero in on sustenance. Dairy items are strategically set up to profit by this customer need because of their innate medical advantages and helpful arrangements. The further developing worldwide economy is expected to restore demand for the dairy and soy food area and it is gauge to record a CAGR of 4.4%during 2017-2022.

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#Eastern European Dairy and Soy Food Market

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tobiasdrake · 1 year

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Team Star Finale - The Main Event

Alright, this time for real. It's time to meet the mastermind behind Operation Starfall and to take down the final Team Star leader with a randomly selected team of Pokemon trained to level 62.

Same team we fought Clavell with. If you need a refresher, this is the team:

Scizor (Technician) w/ Rocky Helmet - Bullet Punch, Fury Cutter, Aerial Ace, Swords Dance. Scizor's getting a lot of mileage out of that Technician ability here. He's not very fast, but his Bullet Punch can compensate for that. And he's got a start-up advantage in getting Fury Cutter going, which will especially be helpful if it gets interrupted.

Golduck (Damp) w/ Mystic Water - Hydro Pump, Psychic, Power Gem, Wonder Room. Golduck's mainly providing coverage. Wonder Room can help him shenanigans his way past Special sluggers, though.

Beartic (Slush Rush) w/ Icy Rock - Icicle Crash, Avalanche, Earthquake, Snowscape. Beartic is a slab of beef. The stat gains from Snowscape put him on par with the Ruinous Legends, at the cost of a setup turn. With an effective base Speed of 75, Speed advantage will be a toss-up - But Beartic can either go for flinches or smash with Avalanche, depending.

Pawmot (Volt Absorb) w/ Magnet - Double Shock, Close Combat, Nuzzle, Encore. Aww, who's a little hit-and-run harasser? Pawmot's not built to stay in the fight very long, but he is built to make Cassiopeia's day very unpleasant while he's there.

Gardevoir (Synchronize) w/ Big Root - Psychic, Moonblast, Dream Eater, Hypnosis. The Hypnosis/Dream Eater combo is my main plan with Gardevoir, but she's got some smashing moves to back it up.

Chi-Yu (Beads of Ruin) w/ Charcoal - Lava Plume, Dark Pulse, Hex, Will-O-Wisp. Chi-Yu moves fast, hits hard, and has Ruinous Legend stats. What more do they even need?

Cassiopeia finally reveals herself, and it's Penny. I'm proud to admit that I already figured her identity out. I'm less proud to admit that it took me until the fourth Team Star base, when in fact it's painfully obvious in hindsight. I just. Wasn't really thinking about it.

To be honest, I'm half-expecting her whole team to just be Eeveelutions. She has a pretty clear aesthetic.

Penny Pokemon #1: Umbreon

Well, off to a good start with that prediction. Let's crack open the Pokedex. It's near completion so I don't anticipate any more surprises like Kingambit.

Umbreon is a mono-Dark defensive wall. Strong HP and Defenses at a cost to Attacks and Speed. He's Physically durable, but Special Defense is where he truly shines.

Let's cut him down.

Umbreon uses Baby-Doll Eyes while Scizor uses Swords Dance. These offset each other, but Scizor gets the better end. Let's see if he wants to go another round?

The answer is no. Scizor uses Swords Dance, but Umbreon hits him with Dark Pulse. It does 25% damage.

Scizor is now rocking 250% PHY ATK. He goes for a Fury Cutter. Umbreon gets another Baby-Doll Eyes in before the blade strikes, ending Umbreon's battle.

Penny Pokemon #2: Flareon

Ha! She does have a team of Eeveelutions! That makes me super happy.

Flareon is built for PHY ATK first and foremost, but supplements it with a very strong SPC DEF. He's meant to slip through a Special slugger's defenses. However, this comes at a cost to HP, Speed, and most crucially, PHY DEF.

Scizor is at an intense disadvantage here. This was a very good choice for Penny's next Pokemon. He's sitting at 200% PHY ATK and his Fury Cutter is charged up to the second stage. His Speed matches Flareon's, so it's anyone's guess who will strike first.

But Flareon's fiery hide resists Bug. And Scizor's 4x weakness to Fire guarantees that he's going down in one hit. Do we have confidence that Scizor's boosted stats and powered-up Fury Cutter can push through?

No. No, I think the odds are too heavily stacked. Let's pull him out.

We have a physical Fire move incoming. Let's let Golduck soak it up.

Golduck enters the field and takes a Flare Blitz to the face. It deals 40% damage.

Golduck has Speed and Type advantage, but Flareon's built to resist Special Attacks. Wonder Room changes that. It also lets Golduck take slightly less damage from the second Flare Blitz, holding fast at 35% HP.

And we're done with this. Golduck hits Flareon with Hydro Pump, wiping him off the field.

Penny Pokemon #3: Jolteon

Another good pick, of course. Jolteon is a Special blitzer. Exhorbitant Speed and high SPC ATK, with good SPC DEF (which is currently good PHY DEF).

Golduck won't be able to keep up with that Speed. But Penny's down two Pokemon already. We can afford to lose him. Jolteon wins the coin-toss to land Thunder before Golduck can make a move.

Penny Pokemon #3: Jolteon, Round 2

With Speed like that, we shouldn't even try to compete at the quick-draw. We need to go into this fight with the anticipation of taking some damage, and knowing that Wonder Room's given Jolteon a weakness to Special.

Gardevoir, why don't you take a turn?

Jolteon uses Baby-Doll Eyes, which is a truly abysmal choice of play against Gardevoir. Gardevoir wins the Hypnosis coin-toss, putting Jolteon to sleep.

Checkmate. The first Dream Eater brings Jolteon down to 25%. Wonder Room wears off, but it's too late. A follow-up Psychic finishes off the sleeping thunderer.

Penny Pokemon #4: Vaporeon

Vaporeon is a Special slugger who favors HP above all else. He absorbs Water attacks, which doesn't matter.

Second verse, same as the first. Gardevoir has Speed advantage now and puts Vaporeon down with Hypnosis. But since we don't have Wonder Room to break through Vaporeon's defenses, Dream Eater only does 35% damage.

Can't know when he's going to wake up, plus I don't need the lifesteal from Dream Eater anyway. Gardevoir uses Moonblast from here. She gets two Moonblasts in before Vaporeon wakes up, bringing him down to a sliver of HP. One of the Moonblasts triggers its secondary effect, causing Vaporeon to lose 1 stage of SPC ATK.

Vaporeon wakes up and hits Gardevoir with Hydro Pump. That Moonblast debuff cost him, however, and the hit only deals 30% damage.

GG, Vaporeon. Psychic.

Penny Pokemon #5: Leafeon

Changing things up, Leafeon is a Physical slugger. Awesome PHY DEF, strong PHY ATK, and decent Speed. Her Leaf Guard shields her from status ailments during Sunny Day, so we might anticipate a Sunny/Solar combo.

And she's faster than Gardevoir in base stats. If she does set up Sunny Day, we'll waste a turn trying to use Hypnosis. Between that and Hypnosis's 60% accuracy, it's just not worth attempting.

Instead, let's bring Scizor back out here.

Scizor hits the field and takes a Leaf Blade to the face. It only deals 15 damage due to 4x resistance on top of high PHY DEF. The Rocky Helmet does more damage to Leafeon than her attack dealt.

Scizor trades Swords Dance for Baby-Doll Eyes. Have we been here before? I feel like we've been here before. For good measure, Scizor uses Swords Dance again, taking a hit from X-Scissor in the process. This fares no better than Leaf Blade.

And done with this. Leafeon makes one last desperate attack with X-Scissor before Fury Cutter cuts her down.

Penny Pokemon #6: Sylveon

Special slugger. Awesome SPC DEF, high SPC ATK, decent HP. And she's facing a 250% PHY ATK Scizor. This is the end of the road.

Penny Terastilizes her to Fairy. After all the fuss of a transformation sequence, Scizor oneshots her with Bullet Punch.

It's Over!

Aww man, I didn't actually get to use my Ruinous Legend. The rest of the team was just too good, so we never got pushed into enough of a corner to need that kind of power. That's sad.

In any case, this brings us to a heartwarming conclusion for the Team Star plotline. I'm really happy to see that Team Star gets to stay together! How far we've come from the halcyon days of literally pooping on them.

This was a good ending.

#pokemon #pokemon scarlet and violet #pokemon sv #cassiopeia #team star

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