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kpop---scenarios · 3 years

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Cravings || One

Pairing: Vampire! Hongjoong x Reader

Warning: None Yet

Word Count: 3.1k

A/N: If you would like to be tagged, let me know!

"Babe, hey babe." Your boyfriend, Chad calls out to you, as you're sitting at the kitchen table, running over over bills again and trying to figure out how the fuck you're going to try to pay everything. You worked damn hard, and barely had anything to show for it. Ever since Chad had moved in a few months ago, without an invitation, you were stressed. Everything had gone up and doubled since he hadn't left, and he also hadn't contributed anything financially towards the household. You paid for rent, utilities, groceries and you even paid when the two of you went out for dinner. Chad worked full time, but where his money was going, you had no fucking idea. He constantly went out with his 'boys' , often coming home obliterated, and just expecting you to have your legs spread open for him when he rolled in, apparently that was your duty as his girlfriend, according to him. As if not contributing and acting like a man child was such a turn on. Not to mention the countless hours he spent on your gaming console, yelling and talking to his friends, leaving you no time to play any games that you like, unless you wanted to wake up a few hours before you had to work to sneak on it. But by the time you got home from work, cleaned up the messes he made throughout the day, made yourself dinner, showered and got into your PJ'S, you were too damn tired to do anything. You knew you had to wake up the next day and do it all over again, so any sleep you got was precious.

A part of you often wondered why you were in this relationship with him. Maybe you were scared to be alone, maybe you didn't think you could do any better than him, but you stuck with him, because for some reason, you loved the guy.

"What do you want, Chad?" You sigh, walking into the living room where he's sprawled out on the couch, headset on and his match paused. "I'm trying to figure out bills, you know that thing that keeps us warm, and with light and hot water, that you said you'd help pay and haven't."

"Yeah, babe, can you go to the corner store and get those Takis, you know the ones I like? The not so spicy ones though babe, cause remember I have acid reflux, and a diet coke." He says, turning back to the screen, laughing at something said through his head phones.

You could feel the rage building up inside of you, awfully quick, and it was seeping out of you even quicker.

"Are you going to pay for said snacks?" You ask, trying to keep your voice calm.

"What?" He laughs. "Babe, no, come on. I'm broke. I don't get paid again for two weeks. You know this."

"You just got paid yesterday." You breathe through gritted teeth. "Where the hell did all your money go?" You ask, your hands balled into fists.

"You know babe, I had the fantasy football league entry, plus I owed Kyle money for the keg bomber last weekend, and I took the boys out for supper yesterday. Shit adds up." He says, never looking at you, only focusing on the game.

"And that's my problem, why exactly? Why is it always on me just because you're not financially stable. Grow up, you're 35 for christ sakes!" You yell. You stomp to the kitchen, grabbing your purse and slipping on your shoes before heading back into the living room.

"Yeah, she's got her shoes and purse." He laughs. "She's definitely going to get my stuff."

"You know what Chad? I'm definitely not going to get your snacks, get your own fucking snacks, Chaaad. I'm going for a drink, with my own goddamn money." You spit, storming out of the house.

You're wandering down the street, like you had been for the last thirty five minutes, and finally you found somewhere that looked decent enough. You walk in, and the lights are on very low, the place is almost dark, had it not been for the red lights swinging above tables, or the string of red lights wrapping around the ceiling. Your eyes wander the open floor of seating as a soft beat vibrates through the building. Every person in here who was sitting with someone was leaning closely to that person, seemingly having an intense conversation. The vibes felt dark and eerie, but you welcomed it, you enjoyed it instead of being around Chad's fuck boy mentality. You walk towards the bar, sliding onto one of the empty bar stools and setting your purse on your lap. Your eyes were looking down when you felt a presence standing in front of you. You look up and see quite possibly the most beautiful man you have ever seen.

"What can I get for you?" He asks, his voice is deep, yet so smooth and calming.

"Double vodka and coke please, and for the love of god, keep them coming." You sigh. After your comment you see the slightest hint of a smile appear on his lips, disappearing even quicker than it came.

"Bad day?" He asks, beginning to pour your drink.

"Bad relationship." You groan. He nods his head as he slides your drink towards you.

"Wanna talk about it?" He asks, leaning on the bar with his chin resting on his hands as he waits for you to speak. You look into his eyes, and they're so warm and mesmerizing, you felt safe and secure, like you could tell him anything. Which is exactly what you did.

"What's your name?" You ask.

"Hongjoong." He replies. "You?"

"Y/N."

"Okay Y/N, what's bothering you?"

"My boyfriend, we've been together for just over a year, and well.. he's something, and not the good something like people usually say. He moved in with me, without even asking me if I wanted to, and I just kind of accepted it. He doesn't pay anything, no bills, rent, groceries, nothing. It's all on me, even though he does work full time. He forgot my birthday, went out and got absolutely plastered with his 'boys'. On Valentine's Day, he took me out for dinner, and can you guess who was there?" You ask.

"His boys?" He answered.

"You sir, are correct. I was ignored the entire evening, and then he and his boys left, I ended up paying the bill, and I had to uber home because he had driven us there. Not to mention the fact that he assumes I'm just there for his pleasure, expecting me to be spread eagle for him whenever he decides to show up." You finish, chugging your drink as you try not to gag on the strong taste of vodka.

"Why are you with him then? He doesn't sound like he contributes to the relationship at all, so why do you stay?" He asks.

'Honestly, I'm not entirely sure." You answer as he slides another drink in front of you.

"Now that's a bullshit excuse." He replies. "There's a reason that you clearly don't want to admit."

"Do you ever smile?" You ask him.

"No." He answers. "Now, why won't you leave him?"

"Because it's safe, I guess? I don't know if I can do any better than him." You shrug.

"Y/N, you have no idea how much better you could do." He says.

From the moment Hongjoong had a whiff of the scent that was coming into his bar, he knew that it was the scent of the one. He intensely watched the door, waiting for the one it belonged too to walk through the door. As soon as you did, it was almost as though his heart could have started beating once again, the ice cold blood that ran through his body could have turned warm just by the sight of you. He isn't sure what it is about you, but he had always been told that he would know when he found the one, and having been alive for over a century, he had just assumed that it wasn't in the cards for him, and now he knows why. Because all his life he had been waiting for you. The person that he would do anything for, the person that he would be anything for had finally walked into his life, and for once he felt an ounce of hope, until, you had mentioned the filthy human you were in a relationship with, not to mention one that treated you like absolute garage, and you had assumed that no one better would love you, but shit were you ever wrong. He was standing right in front of you, and though you had just met him, he loved you with everything he had and would do anything and everything to protect you.

"I appreciate your advice, Hongjoong, but it's getting late and I have to work tomorrow." You sigh. "How much do I owe you?" You ask, grabbing your card from your wallet.

"It's on me." He tells you, grabbing your empty glass.

"Well thank you." You smile. "It was nice meeting you." You tell him as you slide off the stool.

"You too." He says, watching you walk away from him.

That night when you got home, you couldn't get Hongjoong off your mind, a smile spread across your face as you walked through your front door, and headed into the living room, then it instantly dropped. Chad had not moved from the spot you had previously left him in a few hours ago. "Oh, babe." He says, sucking the cheeto dust from his fingers. "Kyle brought me some snacks, since you threw a huge temper tantrum about my snacks, you can just venmo or cash app him, k?" He says, going back to playing his game.

You went to bed that night, dreaming of one man, who was not your man.

Over the next few weeks, you had absolutely no desire to be at home. So you headed to the bar that Hongjoong worked at, everyday after work for a drink, or two, or four. In those weeks the two of you spent an ample amount of time getting to know each other, you were sure he knew you better than Chad ever did. You didn't want to see Chad, you didn't want to be near him and it was bad enough that he constantly texted you throughout the day, sending you lists of things to buy from the grocery store, as if he wasn't able to do it himself. But much to your surprise, he didn't text you when you never came home with his snacks, he didn't check in with you throughout the day, and honestly it no longer bothered you.

You felt your feelings for Hongjoong deepen with every encounter the two of you had, every time you saw him it was like nothing you had ever felt with Chad, your emotions were amplified around Hongjoong and you weren't sure how much longer you could keep them hidden.

"One more." You tell Hongjoong, as you set down your fourth glass.

You can tell he wants to smile, but he's too good at controlling his emotions. "You've had enough, I'm cutting you off." He tells you.

You pout, trying to give him your best puppy dog eyes, but absolutely nothing got to the man and it was frustrating as fuck.

"A bad storm is coming, you should probably get home." He tells you, drying off some glasses.

"I don't want to go home, he's there." You scoff, just thinking about Chad made you want to vomit. "I guess I could just get a motel room, at that place across the street." You say, pointing over to the run down motel, that had flickering lights, and probably a rat and cockroach infestation.

"You will do no such thing." Hongjoong replies. "You can stay at my place." He says. "Give me a minute." He walks from around the bar, towards the back of the building, and you can't help but to turn in your stool and watch him walk away, damn he looks good.

Within seconds he's back, grabbing your bag and scooping you up into his arms as he effortlessly carries you out the door.

"I can walk." You object.

"I know." He says, his face stone cold.

"You're very pale." You tell him, as if he didn't know.

"I know." He replies, unlocking the door to his car.

"And you're very cold." You say.

He sighs. "I know." He finishes as he slides you into the passenger seat of his car.

As soon as he started his car, the rain began pouring as thunder and lightning jolted the sky.

"You were right, there's a storm." You say, watching out your window.

"I know." He replies, this time it sounded different. You turned to look at him, hoping you'd catch him smiling but no such luck.

He continues driving, taking you out into the middle of nowhere, out of city limits, this was it, this was probably when you died. You panicked slightly but you felt it in your entire body that he was not going to murder you, at least not that night.

Hongjoong pulls up to a gate, punching in a few numbers to open the gate, which just blocked off a winding road. You squinted as you tried to see where you were going but it was far too dark for you to see anything, until you pulled up to a beautiful mid-century mansion that made your mouth drop. It was absolutely stunning and you couldn't believe that he lived there.

"Seriously? This is where you live?" You say.

"MY family, but yeah." He answers, parking the car near the entrance.

He hops out of his seat, walking towards your side to open the door for you, pulling you inside before you get too wet. He dragged you up a large flight of stairs, not letting you admire the inside of his house. He put you inside a large room, with a large bed and a bathroom ensuite. "There's towels if you want to shower, I'll be back in a bit to check on you." He says, avoiding all eye contact before walking out of the room.

You let out a deep breath as you take off your heels, unbutton your pants and unhook your bra, placing it all next to the bed. You sit down on the bed in your underwear and t-shirt, wondering what to do, until your phone rings.

Looking at the caller ID, you didn't want to answer it, but you felt it would be unfair for you to do so.

"Hello?" You answer.

"Hey babe, it's me.. it's Chad." He says.

"I know who it is." You sigh.

"Look.. I know you've been terrible, oh, wait, I mean I've been terrible in our relationship lately but I want to make almonds." He says. "No idiot, it's amends." You hear from the background.

"Are you kidding me right now? Do you seriously have Brad over to help you?" You yell.

"Well yeah, he noticed that we were drifting apart and offered to help me get you back." Chad explains.

You get up off the bed, pacing on the hardwood floors as you tried to process what he just said to you.

"The fact that you didn't even notice that we were drifting apart is all that I need to hear. You know what, Chad? I'm done. I'm done with this relationship, I'm done with you. Just get out of my apartment, I'm over it." You yell, hanging up the phone.

You stand there, taking deep breaths as you replay the conversation you just had, he didn't even care enough to notice that you'd been pulling away. That kind of hurt, but then again it was Chad. He was never very perceptive.

A knock at the door before it suddenly opens, reveals Hongjoong, walking into the room. He tried to play it cool with the fact that you were practically naked in front of it.

"I heard yelling. You okay?" He asks as lightning strikes, causing the power to flicker.

"Chad called, he had his friend Brad over to feed him lines because Brad noticed we were drifting apart." You explain. "But I did it. I ended things." You proudly admit.

"Good for you." He says, staring at you, while you stare back at him. A crack of thunder hits loudly, making you jump, and within seconds Hongjoong's arms are wrapped around you, like he was protecting you. You look at him and he looks at you, and before you can tell yourself not to, your lips are pressed against him, and he is kissing you back.

The kiss turns passionate and needy in seconds, both of your desires for one another coming out without any control. He moves you both to the bed, laying you down as he hovers over you, his strong arms keeping him above you. You wrap your arms and legs around him, pulling his body closer to yours, feeling him near was all you'd wanted. His ice cold fingers touch your stomach as he begins to lift your shirt up, you can feel his cock slowly becoming harder. You begin lifting his shirt, when his phone rings. He stands up, whispering an apology before answering his phone, barely speaking any words.

"I'm so sorry, Y/N. I have some things to take care of." He says.

"Oh, yeah, no problem." You say, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Get some sleep." He tells you before walking out of the bedroom door, leaving you alone once again.

You tried to fight the exhaustion you felt, but it was far too hard. You got snuggled underneath the blankets, watching the door, hoping he would come back but your eyelids got too heavy for you to keep open, and you swiftly drifted off to sleep, finally feeling some peace.

The warm sun was shining into the room, waking you up. You let out a little stretch before opening your eyes, only to see five men standing around you. You sit up, moving to the wall, as these men stare at you. You looked at them all, and they all looked similar to Hongjoong. Pale skin, dark eyes, dark head, blood red lips.

"Who are you?" One of them asks.

"Y/N." You whisper.

Another one speaks up, looking at the other four men. "Who the fuck brought a human home?"

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tatertotthethot · 4 years

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The Doms Next Door 2.0

THIS IS A TEMPORARY REUPLOAD FOR THIS CHAPTER CUZ TUMBLR IS RAN BY A BUNCH OF BOTS. 2.1 HERE

Warnings/AN: frequent, casually cursing; comical, gay Jimin; insecure reader; steamy flirting; tattoo/sexualized Tae 🙃. Enjoy~ (TAEKOOK EDIT ABOVE IS ARTKOOK DONE BY NONCONMAN ON INSTAGRAM)

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Your tires came to a stop outside of the tattoo shop you've seen online— a brick building, covered in spray paint and street-style art. A sign buzzed over the awning of the entrance doors, with the built-in UV lights and graffiti-styled font displaying the name of the place in neon-red letters. Kink For Ink! The name alone was what first caught your attention last week, when you Googled "Tattoo shops near me" and it pulled up a list, with "Kink For Ink" being the first option. It just seemed so uncanny and fitting at the time, considering the previous run-in you just had with the sex-crazed neighbors a couple nights before. You couldn't help but to click the link to their Instagram.

A profile came up with 53.4k followers, which immediately blew your mind... but you quickly saw why. Every tattoo and piercing, no matter the body-placement, skin-type, or quirky design, was vividly appealing— certainly done by the articulate hands of certified experts. Even in the comments of the piercings that were posted, people were praising them for the "minimal" amount of pain they experienced, despite the fact that some of piercings were done in places you couldn't even fathom the thought of having a needle jammed through.

It said in the bio that the shop is owned by the two artists that work there— Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook. You couldn't find out much about them, all their pictures showed was their work. You even went back to search for a personal account of their own, but nothing came up. You then went back to the bio and clicked a link to the official website, hoping to find out something, but you were met with a disclaimer rule at the top that automatically deemed your chances of even getting your piece done by them, slim-to-none.

• No walk-ins allowed.

• Every request/idea must be sent in through the DMs of our Instagram page. You will only be accepted only if it spikes our personal interests.

Yikes; You were instantly discouraged by this. The piece you wanted was something so common and cliché, that you actually got the image out of a child's coloring book.... It was the cartoon layout of the glass vase and enchanted rose, from the Beauty and the Beast movie. Cheesy, yes. But it was something of personal, nostalgic value. You remember when you were little— roughly around 3 or 4 years of age— when your parents started fighting and would spend all day screaming and throwing things at each other, putting you in a constant state of anxiety. But then you'd go to bed at night and pop the VHS tape, and the movie never failed to put you in a peaceful state of mind— a hopeful one. It's remained as your all-time favorite love story throughout the years. Which, is ironic, considering that the relationship itself was different, but almost as dysfunctional as your parent's. However, the fact that even the Beast was capable of change, and everything wound up so perfect and happy in the end, makes your heart happy. And even now, at age 19, it still puts you in your feelings. The previous remake of a movie is what actually inspired you to get the enchanted rose as a tattoo, after seeing it in 3D not too long ago. But you're only willing to shell out up to $200 for it, at most. You've just started college, and even though Jimin's parents own the house and let the two of you live there, rent free, you're still responsible for half the utility bills from month to month. Blowing every bit of money you have saved up, right at the start of the semester, would just be irresponsible. But $200 was manageable, and you're looking for anything that'll give you a little extra "oomph" to break you out of this introverted shell you've always known. Pushing it off would just delay it, and you were ready for change. The nose piercing you want is just a small little thing that'll hopefully add a bit of flare to the features of your face. These two guys could probably do the piercing/tattoo with a blindfold on and a hand tied behind their back. So, if it meant that you'd be able to get these things done in confidence, without having to worry about the outcome, you figured it wouldn't hurt for you to at least ask, even if they straight-up ignore you. So, after spending an unnecessary amount of time overthinking the wording of your text, you finally constructed a message in your notes and DM'd it to business page, after sending them a small, simple outline of the cartoony rose, and pressed send.

• You: Hello! I've been wanting to get this tattoo done for a very while now, and was hoping one of you will be willing to do it for me... along with piercing my nose? I know it's a very mediocre and cliché piece, and a nose piercing can be done anywhere. But I'm new to the area and I've never gotten a tattoo/piercing done before and I haven't really checked out any other places either because I found this page first. And from what I can see, you guys are pretty efficient and CRAZY talented. So, I trust it'll get done right.... only if you want to! I'm willing to pay $200 for this, but if it costs that much for just the outline I've sent then that's fine as well. But I understand if neither of you want to do it cuz that is really cheap compared to the ones I've seen lol. But either way, thx for ur time 😁

A few minutes went by and you had just unlocked your phone to check the message again, when the word "seen" popped below the message. You held your breath for a second— but seconds turned to minutes, and time went by with no reply, what-so-ever. You figured maybe you sounded a little too immature to take seriously; kind of like a prepubescent 12-year-old asking someone out for a dance... and you blew it. Which was disappointing, but predictable. So fuck it. Maybe it's a sign; you shouldn't get it after all.

11pm rolled around, many hours later. You were now hiding beneath your covers, beginning your "amateur threesome" exploration on PornHub. You were ready to see what this whole "2 guys, 1 girl" thing was all about. But just when you were about to type it into the search bar, you were interrupted by an Instagram notification dropping down from the top of your screen.

"KinkForInk sent you a message."

You audibly gasped, eyes turning to saucers as you clicked on the notif and switched over to the Instagram app.

• KinkForInk: Hi (Y/N). This is Tae, one of the artists of the shop. The tattoo you sent in is worth roughly $100... but I want to run an offer by you in hopes that you'll be interested.

— Your brows scrunched in oddity, stomach fluttering. An offer? For you?

• You: Okay, sure. What's that?

• KinkForInk: I've been looking for someone willing to showcase the custom design I've come up with, specifically for a much more... exclusive version of the Beauty and the Beast tattoo you sent. And if you'd be down for letting me and my partner put it on you, it'll be free. No charge. BUT you'll also have to sign a contract saying that you'll do a little bit of modeling for us once it's done. You think you'd be in to doing something like that, even if you get it?

— Your head spun for a second, reading the message over and over again until you could fully wrap your mind around what he was saying.

• You: Hold on... YOU wanna put a tattoo on ME so that I model for you? And it's FREE? Are you sure about this? I'm not even model material lol.

• KinkForInk: Yes, yes, and yes, you are. You'd be perfect for this.

• You: How do know that? Is it a face tattoo? Cuz I only have 6 selfies on here and you can't see anything past my shoulders.

—"Seen" came up as soon as you hit send, but a couple of minutes rolled by with no reply to the message, nor was he even typing. Maybe you came off a little rude. But it was already sketchy and it was a logical question.

— An image suddenly popped up: a screenshot of your Facebook profile. Then another— and much to your horror, it was the photo Jimin tagged you in last week, when the two of you were swimming at a local community pool. You were wearing a simple two piece, sitting at the foot of the lawn chair Jimin was also sitting in, as his legs were visible on either side of you and his lap was practically framing your ass. The photo was at an upward angle and looked so scandalous— but really, you had just asked Jimin to put sun screen on your back and he didn't want to stand up because the pavement was too hot against his bare feet. But you actually liked the picture at the time; it was just a silly joke and your ass actually looked quite nice from that angle. Plus, everyone knows nothing sexual actually goes on between the two of you, for obvious reasons. But Taehyung doesn't, so you couldn't help but dreadfully cringe when you saw the caption of the screen shot.

"Babymama 💦🍆"

• KinkForInk: Is this you??

• You: Yes, that's me. The caption is a joke tho... pay no mind to that. But this is like, really happening? You really think it'd look good on me?

— Why that picture though? You couldn't help but wonder.

• KinkForInk: Yes. Like I said, you're perfect for this piece. Are you down to at least see what the tattoo will look like? We don't expect you to be experienced with modeling or anything, but if you listen to us and cooperate, you'll do just fine.

• You: Yes I wanna see, and I'll do the best I can if I decide to get it... I'm just a bit shy, is all.

• KinkForInk: You'll be in good hands. I promise.

• You: Okay... are you going to show me??

• KinkForInk: Can't send it over a message, I don't want it plagiarized or the concept stolen. But the piece itself isn't necessarily crazy or anything, just more creative. I'd be more than happy to show you at my shop some day this week, if you'd be willing to swing by.

• You: Yeah, I can do that. When should I come?

• KinkForInk: Are you available after 5 tomorrow?

• You: I am, I get off at 4:30.

• KinkForInk: Great. Be here by 5:30, and make sure you've eaten in case you like the piece and wanna get started. It's pretty big for a first timer and gonna take a lot of time and patience. It'll have to be done in sessions but I hope you have a fair enough pain tolerance to at least get the outline of it done first.

— It can't be any worse than a bikini wax, you thought, shivering at the memory. That a story for another time. You decided on an alternative scenario.

• You: I give blood from time to time... but that's easy and doesn't really hurt that much. I think I can handle it though... maybe. I honestly don't know lol, I'm sorry 😣. But I can try my best. Can I ask where it's supposed to go?

• KinkForInk: That's okay, I'll work with you. It's supposed to go down the middle of your back. Starts between the center of your shoulder blades, and trails down the length of your spine to your lower lumbar. You'll see how it looks once we transfer a template on your back. But if you don't like it, there will be no hard feelings from my end. I can still do the tattoo you want if that's the case, free of charge just for your time.

• You: Oh no, you don't have to do that! I'd still pay!

• KinkForInk: Not if I don't accept your money. Trust me, I'm not worried about it. The nose piercing is gonna be $30 regardless, though. JK isn't so lenient.

• You: Of course. Will I have to take my shirt and bra off for the tattoo?

• KinkForInk: Yes, and for the pictures once it's done.

— Your mind blanked at that; thumbs froze over the keypad. He was typing again.

• KinkForInk: Don't let that discourage you. Again, you're in good hands. You can bring something to cover your chest. And the pics will be if your back as well.

• You: Okay, I can handle that. So 5:30 tomorrow?

• KinkForInk: Yes, please don't flake on us!

• You: Lol, I won't. I'll be there.

"They're gonna knock us the fuck out and sell our organs to the black market," Jimin declared. He had parked next to you outside of the shop, and was now sitting in the driver seat of his car with his door locked and windows all the way up, refusing to get out. You were standing right outside his door, still having to talk on the phone. "And is this Tae-guy an AllState representative or something?"

Jimin is petty. You wanted him here for moral support— which he's usually reliable for— but this time, he's just plain salty right and doing everything he can to remind you of that. Reason is, he's been begging you to get a matching tattoo with him ever since your 18th birthday, and you've always refused because of what he wanted to get.

Cupcakes. Jimin wanted to get matching cupcake tattoos... in honor of Cupcakke the legend. Sorry, but H E L L no.

You rolled your eyes, growing frustrated. He only has enough time to pop in and confirm that these two aren't gonna kill you, and then he's gotta head home to get ready for work. You were already supposed to be in there. It was 5:33pm, 3 minutes past the time.

"Jimin, you're the one that insisted on coming along! And now you're making me late!" you ranted. "I'm going in without you."

"Hold your horses, hoe! I'm finishing my blueberry slushie," He retorted, sassily bringing the straw to his mouth and loudly slurping it into the phone. He then abruptly flinched away from the straw with a disgusted expression, nostrils flared, body locking up; lips drawing into an air-tight knot that was so extreme and unnatural, it caused an ugly snort to break out of your nose.

He smacked his lips in exaggeration to the taste, face falling back into stone as an eyebrow arched over the top of his aviators; unamused and saltier than before... Like you were at fault for that, too.

"Or... Blueberry-ass, I should say."

That forced another giggle out of you as Jimin stiffly rolled his window down, phone still pressed to his ear and eyes still scowling at you behind the inspector shades. He bit down on the straw and withdrew it with his teeth before dumping the dark-blue contents of the drink out of the window, making it a point to shake the styrofoam cup empty of every drop before tossing it over his shoulder and into back seat. He then spat the straw out of his mouth with an audible "PLUUUUH!" of a French accent, and waited until the window rolled all the way up again, just so he could hang up the phone. You scoffed at this as you shoved your phone back into your pocket, scornfully watching Jimin exit the car and slam the door behind him. He snatched his glasses off his face as his cotton-candy hair swayed in the breeze, revealing his scornful eyes right back at you as he gestured for you to lead the way in exasperated manner— as if you were the one wasting his time now.

"Go on, lead us to the grave," He shooed, a snippy little shit. You sauntered away, walking up the side of the shop, then paused just before reaching the glass entrance door, when you remembered how much of a coward you are. You've never even stepped into a parlor before, and supposedly, this was a famous one. Which makes it more and more surreal when you think about it.

"Are we doing the mannequin challenge now? Is that what we're doing?" Jimin sardonically inquired.

"You go first, I'm nervous!" You whisper-hissed.

"You don't want me to go in there first— I'll show out," he reasoned, simply stating a fact.

"Please don't," you whined.

"Then, again, I'll show out?" He reiterated, as if to say duh. "How else am I supposed to break the ice? I look like Timmy Turner's Fairy-Gay- Parent."

You gave him a wary look... he's right. You sighed, slightly kicking your foot in distracted defeat. Fuck, you hated making an entrance to new places—

"Hold up— is that Drake?" Jimin suddenly blurted, holding his hand up to silence you. You honed in on the muffled track playing from behind the glass door, and Jimin's face soon light up like a Christmas tree before he spun around you, unstoppable.

"Jimin, NO—!"

"KIKI, DO YOU LOVE ME—?!"

It was already too late. The door was flying back behind him as he Milly-Rocked his way into the shop, leaving you no choice but the chase in behind him.

"—ARE YOU RIDING? SAY YOU'LL NEVA-EVA LEAVE FROM BESIDE ME— hello there."

You were panting, coming to a stop right behind Jimin, where you instantly latched on to the back of his shirt as you met the face of the man behind the studio counter. And, as corny as this is gonna sound: the world actually stilled for a solid beat... or maybe you were in the verge of cardiac arrest.

A pair of glossy-Black eyes looked up at the two of you; A series of silver-studded earrings trailed along the outer cartilages, peaking out beneath a head of soft, layer-swept hair. It was a Carmel-tinted blonde in color— thick and shaggy, and neatly spilling in waves around a headband that proudly sported a high-dollar brand-name you've never seen anyone wear in person before. G U C C I, it read— Meaning that the headband alone was probably worth more than some of your college text books, put together. It sat just a few inches above a pair of dark brows, that oddly brought out the shape of his cat-like eyes— irises like polished marbles. His ample lips had a sharp, well-defined Cupid's-bow, and a natural shade of pink that fit the porcelain appearance of his melanin-kissed complexion, to the finest degree.

And here you are, looking like an actual bum. You had just enough time to clock out of work and head straight over here to make it in time. You didn't even have any makeup on, and the only thing hiding your raggedy hair from those captivating eyes is your old baseball cap from high school. It took a second for him to take the bold presence that was Park Jimin— who was also frozen to the spot as he openly checked the guy out. He was hunched over the counter, a v-neck hoodie covering the rest of him with a thin, loose-fitting material. It was Black and allowed a full visual of his tan neck, and prominent collar bones. And it certainly didn't hide the fact that he had a pair of wide-set shoulders, either. A pencil sat in his hand— one that was laced with masculine veins, and lot of decorative ink. There was a silver ring on his thumb.. and a very heavy-looking Rolex watch.

The man cracked a grin at Jimin— a boxy one that dimpled in at the corners.

"Love the hair," he humorously began, twisting a quirky eyebrow at Jimin. You subconsciously snagged the bill of your hat as your eyes went a little wide at how mature the man's voice was.

"Love the watch," Jimin retorted, then reached around and gripped you by the wrist before pulling you into full view beside him. "You wouldn't happen to be Taehyung...?"

"Mhm," the man hummed, absentmindedly moving his wrist at the mention of his watch. His eyes cut over to you, and you swore you could see a minuscule reflection of yourself in his eyes, before they flashed back at Jimin and blinked. "You must be the babydaddy?"

Blood rushes to your ears. It's really him... a guy who looks like a high-dollar model himself, asking you to be his canvas model. Your own conscious didn't even know what to say right now. So you stayed quiet and still as Jimin took charge... which was a mistake.

"She wishes, but no. I'm the best-friend— and a gay one, at that," Jimin replied, and you knew he did that for his benefit. Thot. "I'm just here to make sure you're not gonna sacrifice her to Satan, or anything of that nature. I need her around in case I ever forget the Netflix password."

Taehyung chuckled at that, mouth opening to reveal a row of teeth shinier than Chip Skylark's. But then, you caught something behind his teeth that caused your gut to leap. A silver ball... a tongue ring. Your thoughts clouded over for a second.

"Well, I can assure you, she's safe with me," he said, looking over at you again. You blinked, nothing more. His brow arched at your lack of response, but this time, it was done more handsomely as he was still smirking at you. "Still, you don't look too thrilled to be here... You sure you wanna do this?"

"She's just nervous because you're really fucking hot," Jimin announced, unyielding. "You should feel how sweaty her hand is."

"Don't listen to him— I'm gay too," You lied in panic, trying to defend yourself from the absolute truth Jimin spoke just then. You snatched your hand away from him and jutted a finger at the door, eyes beading and lid twitching as your nerves ran amuck. "Goodbye, Jimin."

"She's a lonesome hetero," Jimin told Taehyung, assuring him with a face that showed no bluff. "One look at her camera roll, and you'd see for yourself—" You were yanking him away by the arm now, in a tug-of-war game that Jimin obviously could've won if he really wanted to. But he figured you suffered enough and eventually let you drag him out of the shop, waving bye to Taehyung before turning to look at you with beading eyes.

"I think he wants to fuck you— text me as soon as you can," Jimin uttered with unmoving lips as before he walked to his car. You stopped for a second, noticing he was actually being serious. How could he possibly think that he wants to fuck you, just from that small encounter? And what is the odd sensation currently coiling in your stomach? Things grew awkward again when you re-entered the shop, coming to a stand at the same spot... only alone now. He was still amused, it seemed. And so calm and cool despite this odd, intense look in his eyes. It gave him a Casanova effect, where all he had to do was give you that look and it'd instantly make you blush.

"He seems like a fun person to be around," he noted, somewhat honestly, but more so making fun of the red-hot appearance of your face.

"He's a pain in the ass," you muttered, trying to conjure up a smirk but hardly even able to speak properly from how dry your mouth was. It felt like there was a white-hot iron expanding in your throat. "I'm really sorry about him."

"Don't be. I'm just glad you're here— thought you'd chicken out." You nervously wiped your clammy palms over the back pockets of your jeans as Taehyung got up from the barstool behind the counter and approached you on the other side of it, a whole head-and-a-half taller than you. He was wearing black cardigan jeans and matching combat boots.. his headband and jewelry the only thing not black on him. And oddly enough, he made it look fucking fantastic.

"Mh-mm," You hummed, not trusting your voice. You've never needed a sip of water so bad in your life— he even smelled expensive.

"Well, It's very nice to meet you," he formerly began, and you mustered up the normality of placing your (dried) hand into his much larger one, as he held his out to you in greeting. And boy, was he close. So close that the heels of your spine itches to lean back from the proximity.

"It's nice to meet you, too. I'm really sorry if I'm acting weird. I'm just nervous." — Your mind struggled to stay focused on your words, arm tensing at the skin-to-skin contact. You were extra-effected by the firmness in his grip. You really wanted to look down at all the bold ink you saw dashing across the veiny surface of his tanned hand, or see if those were images or scripted letters on the knuckles of lengthy fingers... But you were held captive by those God-blessed eyes... And that fucking tongue ring. It was infecting your head in ways that weren't necessarily healthy for your current state of mind, as you saw it peering in and out at certain words.

"And physically shaking," Taehyung pointed out, brows twitching down at your trembling hand in his as if he was concerned for it. But his smirk gave off an odd sense of fascination to the involuntary symptom, like it was cute or something? Hm. He glanced back up at you, causing your dehydrated throat to bob as his other hand came to clasp over the rest of yours, swallowing it completely from the wrist down. "Intimidated?"

"V-Very," you spluttered, a small slither of saliva copulating down your throat as you looked back up at him. He absentmindedly rolled his tongue ring over the button row of his teeth as he watched you with tainted eyes— undoubtably getting cocky with that damn grin of his and proudly teasing you about your reaction to him. It gratified the effortless sex-appeal he had. You were even beginning to imagine that tongue ring elsewhere, and you literally just met him. Then, as you felt the band of a ring move along with the pad of his thumb as gently ran it across your trembly knuckles, chills shot up all the way to your shoulder. Oh... oh wow. You glanced down at his knuckles on reflex this time, and saw a four-letter word scripted in black ink across the bottom row of his knuckles, and another word scripted on the middle section of his fingers. A silver band on his naked thumb. STAY TRUE, it said.

"And why's that?"

"I.. feel like you're a celebrity," you sheepishly admitted, your other hand wedging into your back pocket as you had to stop yourself from reaching for the bill of your hat again. Is he flirting? The words seem too innocent for the way he was making you feel. It was getting so hot in the oven of his massive palms, and he wasn't even squeezing you hard enough to cut off any circulation, but yet your fingers were beginning to tingle.

"Mm, no. Just a little popular, really," he granted, teetering his head a little as he pondered the thought. You could see his vocal chords contract in his sleek neck as they project his smooth, pungent voice. "You still trust me?"

"Mhm," was all you could muster. He'd gotten even closer, to where his hand had gone into a prayer stance around yours. You were aware of how wide your eyes had gone from the awe you... you knew this was just the beginning. He was going to be very handsy throughout this whole process. But in a very twisted way, you were more than okay with that. Even if it meant you were at risk of fainting from actual dehydration. Maybe you were in over your head. But you couldn't will yourself away from this now. And then, just as a wide, heart-stopping smile edged out on that mind-numbingly handsome face, the door at that back of the room swung open, and heavy-metal rock blasted through the quiet vibe of the scenery and caused you to jump a little at the disturbance. Taehyung shot a wicked smile over his shoulder, and his next words nearly knocked you out right then and there as you beheld yet another, breathtaking sight.

"Oh, there you are," Tae eagerly acknowledged, one hand still holding yours as he walked around to grab your with the other, presenting you to the.. hulking presence in the room. "This is (Y/N), our next little experiment."

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omenapologist-moved · 4 years

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tldr I’m close to getting out of this shit situation but I still need financial help. With all expenses that are coming up in the next few weeks, I will be left with only $60 to provide for myself indefinitely. In addition, I still haven’t heard when my public housing is supposed to be available. It could be anywhere from now until October, and I only have secure housing from now until August. I need to be able to provide for myself as well as have a cushion in case I am out of housing for several months.

cashapp: $gwiffisu

paypal: [email protected]

ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/alumirust

this is a link to my original post about all of this for further context.

this ^ is how much I have left in my account right now

I have to pay $345 (plus tax) in fees at the airport soon, which leaves me with $250

I have to pay for utilities for 3 months which comes out to around $150, assuming it never goes above that. That leaves me with $100, and from that I need to take a Lyft to the airport (around $20), fly, land, and then have my friend drive me home. I want to be able to pay him back for gas, which also comes out to around $20. That leaves me with $60 to provide for myself for an indefinite period of time, assuming I will not be able to get back on welfare immediately (which is unlikely, considering it took over 6 months to get on it the first time.)

^ this is the vet bill that I just paid for today (with identifying information such as my deadname and address blacked out because I am sure my stalker still checks my blog) on top of this I had to buy a new carrier that is airline approved which was much more expensive than I had been told over the phone (I was told initially it would be $40, but when I got there it came out to be $100 by itself. Ordering one online is not an option, it would not arrive in time.)

On top of this, while I have a secure and definite place to stay for the next 3 months, my public housing may not be open. It appears to be delayed due to the coronavirus. I was hoping I would have enough in my savings to fall back on in order to rent a hotel room if it came down to it. Last year, I was told that my name would be pulled for public housing in April, but most recently I was told it could be pulled anywhere from then until October. I will be calling tomorrow to ask for any updates on this, but it’s possible I could have a serious gap in housing from August until October, and $60 is not enough to help me in case that happens.

#\\\^◊^///#help #donations #i am so fucking tired guys. i am so tired of begging #i am so tired of struggling #i feel haggard lmfao #im almost free but theres still more #the fight still isnt over #and it wont be over until i am in public housing.#and even THEN #even THEN i might still have to fucking struggle. i am so tired.#im not even asking for anything crazy its just #basic needs? for me and my cat.#may i have a safe non abusive place to live please #without goddamn roaches and mold and spiders #i think that would be GREAT!#if its even achievable. is it even achievable is it even possible to have an okay living situation????#a STABLE one?

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pixie88 · 4 years

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Pornstar

Chapter 4 - Adam & Ellie.

A/N | I wrote this over a year ago but never published it. I kinda need a break from FF and Choices characters. It’s not really a FF but Adam is base a little on a character on tv, so maybe it is. Let me know if you would like to be tagged!

Summary | Ellie is looking for a flat mate and Adam is looking for a room.

Check previous chapters of Adam & Ellie HERE.

Word count | 1.6k

Warnings | 18 + Only and Fluff.

Pairings | Adam x Ellie

Enjoy!

It's 4 weeks later and I have seen Adam in the pub with his family a couple of times, said hello and asked how he was doing but not had a proper conversation.

It's Friday and I've made the decision that I need a flat mate to help pay the bills utility bills, council tax etc. I put a little ad in the shop window, I'm paying too much attention to it being straight before I notice Adam on the other side of the window.

He knocks against it to get my attention, I look up at him and smile.

He starts to talk and points at the flat mate advert, but I can't hear him, so I gesture this, and he realizes and comes into the shop. "Alright?" I ask "Yeah, I'm good thanks you? So, you're looking for a flat mate?" He points at the advert "Erm... yeah, thought it would be a good idea as I have the flat and shop bills to pay. Seems like the best option really!" He stands like he's lost in thought.

"If it helps, I'm actually looking for somewhere. Jane and her 11pm curfew is annoying and I'm willing to pay what you've advertised. Hell, it's cheaper than the B&B." I take in his words "So..what do you say?" He asks. "Yeah, but won't you want to have a look at the room first?" "I've seen it! So, new flat mate shall we go for a drink to celebrate?" I check the time it's half five, I agree and shut the shop thirty minutes early.

We walk into the pub and behind us is Laura gives us both daggers before she speaks loud enough for us to hear "He said nothing is going on but you don't spend this much time with someone you aren't sleeping with!" I see Adam tense up and I smile at him, so he know she isn't bothering me!

He smiles back before turning to Anna and orders our drinks "Anna, we are celebrating." she smiles "What you guys celebrating?" Adam then speaks up just enough for Laura to hear "Well, your aunt is losing a lodger and this is my new flat mate!" Anna smiles "Oh, she'll miss you, but she'll be glad you found somewhere."

Laura tuts loudly.

Adam turns to her "Have you got something to say?" She looks straight at him. "I wondered how long it would be before you shack up together!" I get annoyed and can't bite my tongue any longer "He has his own room and is paying rent. Maybe that's too complicated for you to know the difference?!" I say as walk out of the pub.

I've had enough of her and her nasty comments.

I haven't done anything wrong. I head towards my flat, but as soon as I cross the road outside the pub.

I hear him calling after me.

"Ellie, wait up!"

My face is hot with anger, he grabs my shoulder and looks me in the eyes. "I'm sorry about her. I provoked her, but I just wanted her to realize I'm over her and I've moving on with my life. She has no right to talk to you like that, not when all of this doesn't involve you. I'm sorry!"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted and let her get to me!" Adam pulls me into a hug.

"I'm sorry you got pulled into this. How about we go into the city centre for a drink instead?” I pull away. "Yeah, ok we can talk about when you are looking to move in. Oh, there's a new bar! It has really cool cocktails with fire and smoke." he smiles.

"Sounds great. Let's go!" We walked to the train station and get the train into the city centre.

We walk into the bar and ordered our drinks I ordered a *Lightbulb moment* and he ordered a *Dead red zombie* Yes, weird cocktails names but hey they tasted nice.

We chatted about complete rubbish and each time we ordered a new drink we would try a different cocktail by our fifth we were giggling at the most stupidest things.

This is when I knew I'd had enough to drink.

Adam ordered another "You sure, you don't want one more?" He asks me. I shake my head "No, I'm definitely done! But thanks!" He pays the barman.

Another barman walks over with a drink *The new pornstar* he says, Adam looks confused "I didn't order that! I ordered a Gelato." he tells him and the barman points at a guy the other side of the bar "Oh, it's not for you, sir it's for the lady from the gentleman over there in the blue shirt." I look over he smiles and points his drink towards me as if say cheers.

I look at the barman and Adam, who has an annoyed look on his face. Whoa! Is he jealous? No, he can't be! I turn back to the barman and ask him to tell the man thank you, but I would like to send it back as I've had enough.

He takes the drink and another comes over with Adams drink. I watch the barman tell the guy what happen and the guy pulls away from the bar and gets lost in the crowd behind him. Adam downs his drink and seems a bit annoyed.

He pops to the toilet, and the pornstar guy appears in front of me. "Hi" "Hi" I smile back "Sorry about the drink, I hope I haven't pissed off your boyfriend?" "Sorry boyfriend?" I ask, "Yeah, that guy you're with I'm assuming he's your boyfriend."

"Oh, he's not my boyfriend just a friend," I say, he rubs the back of his neck as if he's confused "Oh, right so why did you send it back?" "Because I've had enough to drink!" I tell him, "Oh ok, so if I was to give you my number, I wouldn't be standing on anyone's toes?" He smiles.

"No, you're more than welcome to, but I can't promise that I'll actually use it!" I laugh, he puts his number into my phone.

Just then Adam appears looking annoyed still "Alright, Ellie?" I smile at him "Yeah, just thanking this man for my drink. Sorry I realize I don't know your name!" "Just have a look in your phone and spot the new contact!" He winks.

"Right shall we go?" I turn to Adam, he is shooting the pornstar guy a look that could kill. Oh my god, he is jealous it's clear on his face. HE IS JEALOUS!! "Yeah let's go! I've had enough. See you around." Adam offers his arm as we leave - This is new he's never done that before.

We wait at the train station in silence!

He speaks and breaks it "Are you going to call that guy?" I turn to look at him, he actually seems nervous waiting for my answer. The guy was good looking but definitely not my type. I want to say I like you, but I can’t.

"Nah, probably not! I mean, who buys a girl you have never met a PORNSTAR??? Really?" I say he seems to be happy with my answer. "Yeah, you're right!" He says. "Plus, he's definitely not my type long hair big NO! I don't want to have to fight with someone over my hair dryer or straighteners which he clearly uses!" We both laugh.

He pulls out his wallet to get his train ticket out when the spa vouchers I brought him a few weeks ago fall onto the floor he picks them up! "Oh, I completely forgot about these!" he says and flips them to look at the back. "Oh, I might go tomorrow!" He says. "Oooo have fun. Maybe, it will de-stress you!" I say playfully.

"How about we go?" He asks, "Huh?" "Me and you! We should go!" "No, Adam! I brought them for you to use." "I am, but I don't want to go on my own!"

"But I have work tomorrow I've got to clean down the shelves and re-dress the window..." "Can't that be done Sunday? Come on, I'll help you Sunday! How about that?" He give me that smile that makes my heart skip a beat. I laugh, "You really won't take no for an answer will you?" "Nope," he grins. I roll my eyes "But you can't just turn up" I tell him.

He gets his phone out, to check online "They have five pm slot. Is that ok?" He asks "Adam, you do know it's over an hour and a half drive away."

He books a spa treatment package "We will leave at 2, grab some lunch on the way there and book the hotel while we are there. Separate rooms of course. The vouchers need to be used up so might as well." he really isn't taking no for an answer.

"Ok, fine. I'll go with you on one condition" I tell him, "O.....kay?" He smiles "I'm driving." He laughs, "Hey, I'm not going to say no to riding in style" he says as the train arrives, we get on.

We get back home within ten minutes and he looks at his watch and starts to panics "10:57......three minutes to get home before Jane locks me out!" He says and I laugh, "You better run then!" He smiles "Yeah, better run. I will see you tomorrow Ellie!" "See ya!" he starts running off round the corner.

I get home and get into bed.

Once I change into my pajamas and think about what happened today. He was definitely jealous of the pornstar guy then inviting me to a spa with him? Flirty vibes? Definitely even the pornstar guy noticed he was jealous! Oh well, we will see what happens tomorrow.

Continue reading this story here - Chapter 5.

@txemrn @khoicesbyk @lem-20

#adam x ellie #adam and ellie #adam #maybefiction #maybefanfic #ellie #manchester #fanfic

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saltyandsassynomad · 3 years

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Oh boy - I thought 2021 was going to be a “new year” but man was I wrong.

I started the year determined to make some of my dreams/passions come to fruition this year. As I’m driving down the road, heading back from my lunch break, I think to myself, “I’m MAKING this year different. I will choose to be happy and see the beauty in life. I will work hard every day to not only give Love and Light but to not dwell in the darkness. I am making my dreams come true. This year will be different.”

A split second later I hear what sounds like tin cans rattling behind my car. You know, like in the old movies when they’d tie cans to the cars of newlyweds? I pulled over only to realize that my tailpipe was the reason for the sound; she was dragging on the ground. I was in a somewhat rural area but was fairly close to the high school I was subbing at so I crept along and parked in the staff lot.

I called for roadside assistance and was told that my policy didn’t have that coverage. I was able to add the coverage but they put a five day hold on the service. Luckily this happened on a Friday. I explained this to the principal and he agreed to let me leave my car in the lot until the 6th day when I could have it towed.

Now I had to figure out how to get home as the public transit doesn’t go out that far. The closest bus stop was about a thirty minute walk so I made everything was zipped up tight and got ready to head out when the principal stopped me and told me that he would see if he could arrange a ride for me. Every school has resource officers (usually the local police or sheriff) and he was able to get one of them to drop me off at home.

Once the five day hold was up, I got up early that morning and called to have my car towed. Then came the next obstacle - getting back to my car. I had the keys and the tow truck couldn’t pick it up without them. Again - no bus. Being a substitute teacher I didn’t go back to work until late in January so I was basically off work for about a month. So needless to say, I really didn’t have the money for a taxi. I tried everything I could think of to get out there but wasn’t able to. Normally I’d walk, I like being outside, especially when it’s cold but this was too cold. It was close to 0. I had to break down and spend my last $20 to take an Uber out there.

Once the tow truck got there and loaded my car up, off we went. On the way he tells me he needs to pull over. When he comes back he tells me that my muffler and tailpipe have fallen completely off, no longer attached in any way. He drops me and all the pieces off at the shop. They are kind enough to give me a ride home.

I get a call from the shop the next morning and am given a cost of $1800 to repair it (I’m not surprised as she is over twenty years old & I don’t think she was all that well maintained). But seeing as how I have only worked three days so far this year and I only paid $800 for the car, I decline. They give me the number of someone else who might be able to do it for cheaper as he is a dedicated muffler shop. I call and explain the situation to him. He agrees to take a look at the car but won’t be able to until the following Tuesday as he is semi-retired and only works T, W, Th. I make arrangements to see him first thing the following Tuesday.

I hang up and begin getting the worst migraine I’ve had in a few weeks. I’m out for the next two days. Admittedly, I have issues with depression, anxiety, and mental health and this definitely did not help at all.

I get up bright and early the following Tuesday morning so I can hop on the bus and head to the first repair shop. As I’m stepping off the curb, I slip and go down hard. Instantly my brain starts screaming, “I BROKE MY FOOT, I BROKE MY FOOT, I BROKE MY FOOT!!!!” I’m crossing a busy street and traffic is coming so I quickly jump up and limp/hobble across the street. Knowing this isn’t good, I change direction and head to the closest ER. Five hours later, I’m sent home with crutches and numbers for two follow ups. They wanted to put me in an orthopedic boot but didn’t have my size. They didn’t see any significant breaks in my foot but thought I possibly tore a tendon or something.

It’s icy and snowy outside so the crutches were basically useless as I was on public transit but I took them anyway.

I made it home but was unable to fill the prescriptions they gave me because I wasn’t able to walk to the pharmacy. Back to bed I went with another migraine.

I wake up the next morning and hobble to the bus stop so I can get my car from shop A to shop B. It’s snowing outside but I have to leave my windows down so I can breath. If I don’t, I’ll get carbon monoxide poisoning (no muffler = no protection). Shop B tells me he can repair everything for about $650 but is unwilling to take payments so I politely thank him for taking a look and walk out to my car.

It must have been perfect timing because my insurance policy was about to expire and needed to be renewed; I have eight days left on the policy. I can’t afford to repair the car; my only option was to scrap it. There’s no point in having insurance if I don’t have a car. Grocery shopping, laundry, etc is pretty difficult when you’re on a bus so I decide to spend the next eight days getting as much as I can done before the insurance runs out. I do a major grocery shopping trip (thankfully I was approved for Food Stamps), get all the supplies I need for my furbabies, do laundry, and get appointments made for my foot.

I had two different appointments for my foot and was ultimately put in an orthopedic boot. A follow up, with additional x-rays, was scheduled for two weeks out. The x-rays didn’t reveal any signs of healing; I have bad feet to begin with and the doctor was trying to determine if the abnormalities she saw in the first x-rays were from the accident or if I was born with them. With no signs of healing that indicates I was born with them. The final prognosis was a torn tendon. But with progress being made, I was only given an additional two weeks in this super fancy boot.

Keep in mind it’s snowing and sometimes dipping below zero. Plus the sidewalks aren’t getting shoveled so I’m having to walk in the street. All while trying to keep my foot dry and warm.

I wasn’t able to sub anymore but thankfully I tutor two kids in the afternoons and that at least gives me enough to pay my phone bill.

But wait...the kid that I tutor five days a week, he fathers sends me an email that was meant for his teacher. The email goes into detail how he doesn’t think my tutoring is helping his son at all, how disappointed he is in my performance, and he wants to switch to another tutor but can’t do so until he finds a replacement. The funny part is he has said the same things about the teacher to me and I am his son's fourth tutor. The problem lies in the fact that they do NOTHING to help the kid at home, nothing! He has attention problems to begin with and he is in remote school.

Let’s not forget the father telling me that DCFS (department of child and family services) was called on him by someone from school. That’s a whole other story. Ugh!

I replied to the email and simply said, “I don’t think you intended this for me.” His response was to pay for the one day I tutored his son that week and cease all contact with me. So the main source of money that I did have is gone. I only tutor the other child two days a week. It’s better than nothing but it definitely doesn’t pay the bills.

I’ve applied at the other district right next to my house but they only have two schools in the district (it’s tiny!). I haven’t worked for them yet. It’s almost March and I’ve only worked three days this year.

So I’m basically unemployed, can’t pay rent or utilities, having a hard time getting around with a bum foot, and seriously struggling to keep my head on straight.

I see your 2020 and I raise you my 2021.

#mental health #mentalheathawareness #crazycatlady #footpain #down and out #i can do this #on my own

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prorevenge · 5 years

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Oh so you want a gamer/japanese GF? Think again

I was stationed in Japan while serving in the U.S. Marines. I was loving and enjoying it and really absorbing the culture. I was single at the time, so one of my friends suggested I used Skout as it was a popular social media app at the time over there.

Within a few days I met a Japanese girl and we began talking. Eventually she agreed to meet and everything was good. We were together for 3 years, but on a long distance relationship. I lived in Okinawa, she lived in Osaka (pretty far, and have to take an airplane to travel). We talked all the time, played Final Fantasy 14 (she was a huge gamer which I really liked) and atleast once or twice a month we would visit, either I flew there or she flew to me.

We eventually got married as I was getting out of the military, and I had a few months before she was going to move in so I rented out an apartment bought some stuff, etc. She moved in and for about the first 2 weeks is was good. And then it was bad...

I worked 2 jobs (retail store and a night club), so she didn't have to work. She bought a car though and began working. She worked for a total of 2 weeks before quitting because work was too stressful. She even took it as far to ask me for money to fly to Osaka to visit her parents because being out without them was too stressful. Often times I would return home from my 18 hour work day at around 6AM to grab a few hours of sleep before starting all over again. She began to get really agitated that I would come home so early and wake her up, so she asked me to sleep in our spare room. (Total cuck right?) Day after day she would just sit around the house and complain while I was there that I needed to buy her stuff while the house was trashed and she only played video games and spoke with friends on the phone. She had money, a car yet refused to go do anything on her own.

Due to the pinch on money, I rarely ate, maybe once a day, never went out, never seen friends as I was so concerned with the money situation. Eventually after a year of doing this I couldn't take it anymore, I walked up to her and asked if she loved me, she said I don't know. So I told her I wanted a divorce, as this is not going to work out and the only words she could muster up was 'Can you pay off the rest of my car?'. I was dumbfounded. Later that night a friend of hers contacted me asking me if there was something going on with our relationship and I told her to talk to my wife as they were always on the phone. Thats when shit got real, as her friend stated she had no idea what I was talking about and she hasn't spoken to her in months.

So I spill every detail out to her and she informs me on why her and my wife don't talk anymore, because my wife had a boyfriend in her hometown of Osaka while we were dating and thought she had left him. Apparently she had not. Her friends had spoken and they told me that she had been cheating on me this entire time, and told me the little trip she took to see her family, was indeed just to see her boyfriend.

Immediately I packed all my belongings, signed the divorce papers, took pictures of the house and paper then started to leave where she began to ask "where are you going? when are you coming back? Can you bring me sukiya?" (Sukiya is a type of rice bowl fastfood in Japan). I moved out immediately and was staying in my car (enough room, its a Funcargo, its like a Japanese box car - pretty spaceful!). Couple of weeks went by and I had moved into one of my friends apartments. She messaged me saying she is returning to Osaka to be with her family and she needed help moving. I told her fuck no, she can do it herself. She sold her car, packed her stuff and shipped it (the post office was ACROSS the street yet she was asking for help to take it there???). Finally it came down to the apartment where she asked me to pay for it, and a lightbulb went into my head - I said "sure I will pay for it don't worry about it!". Finally she asked me to take her to the airport on my day off, where I told her I am not a taxi service, but I will take her there for 5000 yen (roughly $50). She was all butt hurt and tried to play the 'Well we are still married!' card, but I wasn't budging.

Finally I took her to the airport, she paid me then tried to tell me good bye, I reached acrossed the car closed the door and in silence pulled away. Now here comes the good shit! The housing company was calling her regarding the final payment on the house ($1200 for 2 months behind, $800 for early cancelation, $400 for 2 months behind utilities, than there was like another $200 in additional fees plus another $300 in apartment damages (I was bringing in the washing machine and punched a nasty hole in the wall, scrapping from carrying the sofa in on my own, etc.) and she was asking when I could pay it all as they needed it before the end of the month. I just laughed and told her I am not paying a single cent as I was not on any of the paperwork. She hung up immediately. (When we rented the home, she signed for it and instead of putting me as a cosigner, she put her father). I was 100% scott-free from any of this.

Eventually her father e-mailed me and told me he was going to get lawyer to sue me for abandoning his poor daughter and refusing to pay the fees. Thats when I checkmated her ass, as I was unaware that her father didn't know why we split up. I told him about his daughter being a slop, cranky bitch who was taking my money and cheating on me. If he really wanted to lawyer up that was on him, as I really liked the guy, and informed him I was not on any of the lease agreements, sent him all the images I took of the house and screenshots from her friends, and informed him of his wife cheating on me gave me grounds to SUE her (Adultry is REALLY illegal in Japan and lawsuits are very common for it). After seeing it he had no idea what we were splitting for and apologized for everything, THEN OFFERED TO BUY ME A BEER ANYTIME I VISIT OSAKA.

She ended up getting fucked out of a bunch of money, her parents hate her (shes an only child and the whole 'dishonored family' thing is a real thing in Japan), and I got away completely free of it.

One month later I got a manager position, quit my other job and began using my GI bill school money, was making 3x what I was earning previously and was feeling pretty good. To this day I always look back and laugh at that situation. Be careful with those gamer girls gents, and don't assume just because a woman is Japanese that she won't be a piece of shit.

(source) story by (/u/kimset)

#prorevenge #by /u/kimset #pro revenge #revenge stories #pro revenge stories #pro #revenge #last10

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royalprinceroman · 5 years

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What do you do as a job? Why do you need assistance for your cat? ( I don’t mean to come across as rude, just cautious because of internet scams, and don’t mean to offend either)

I currently work full time (40 hours a week) at a retail store. I make about $380 a week however with my bills I break about even on my paychecks. I live with my partner not parents so I'm responsible for rent/utilities/gas/phone/car insurance plus my car payment which is worth one paycheck. I also have two outstanding credit cards (one is a loan from an old credit card to stop interest) I'm trying to pay off from my own medical bills when I had a colonoscopy in 2017 and a short ER stay back in June of 2018 when I passed a kidney stone. I can show proof of those.

I don't go hungry but I don't have the extra funds to really do much of anything without proper time to save up.

I had no idea there was anything seriously wrong with Dot when my mom first took her to the vet for me about her teeth. My mom called me while she took her (I was running a garage sale at the time and couldn't leave it) and once I explained what was up with Dot (the issues with her teeth bc one of her fangs fell out) the doctor stopped me and said she heard a heart murmur.

So blood work was done and the trip cost me $100 ($50 for the exam and $49 for the blood work which I have the statement for). Dot's enzyme level is low so the heart murmur may have been a fluke-- anxiety from the trip or just a passing thing. But the doctor wants to clean Dot's teeth by putting her under anesthesia (which she quoted me about $150 to do) but she wants to know how bad the heart murmur is and the cause. The only way to know that is to do an Echo which is $400. I'm at a crossroads. I can't risk putting her under anesthesia if the heart murmur is serious bc she might not wake up. But she does need her teeth cleaned bc the infection could kill her too.

So, as you can see, I'm between a rock and a hard place. I have no choice but to ask for help but I understand if you don't want to. If you message me I can provide all proof needed that this is actually happening and I'm not scamming anyone.

I also have two other cats. Kittens that CJ and I recently rescued back in May of this year. I pay for their food and litter as well as Dot's so that's another expense I have.

I hope this is enough to explain I'm just trying to save my daughter, the soul that has been with me for 12 years of my life, without going more into debt than I already am. Thank you.

#riley speaks #not ts #long post #ask #anon #answered

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bountyofbeads · 5 years

Text

The ‘follow-up appointment’

https://wapo.st/2z4uWXR

The ‘follow-up appointment’

'For many people in medical debt, it leads to a courtroom' (THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING IN AMERICA)

By Eli Saslow | Published August 17 at 5:41 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted August 18, 2019 9:18 AM ET |

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — The people being sued arrived at the courthouse carrying their hospital bills, and they followed signs upstairs to a small courtroom labeled “Debt and Collections.” A 68-year-old wheeled her portable oxygen tank toward the first row. A nurse’s aide came in wearing scrubs after working a night shift. A teenager with an injured leg stood near the back wall and leaned against crutches.

By 9 a.m., more than two-dozen people were crowded into the room for what has become the busiest legal docket in rural Butler County.

“Lots of medical cases again today,” the judge said, and then he called court into session for another weekly fight between a hospital and its patients, which neither side appears to be winning.

So far this year, Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center has filed more than 1,100 lawsuits for unpaid bills in a rural corner of Southeast Missouri, where emergency medical care has become a standoff between hospitals and patients who are both going broke. Unpaid medical bills are the leading cause of personal debt and bankruptcy in the United States according to credit reports, and what’s happening in rural areas such as Butler County is a main reason why. Patients who visit rural emergency rooms in record numbers are defaulting on their bills at higher rates than ever before. Meanwhile, many of the nation’s 2,000 rural hospitals have begun to buckle under bad debt, with more than 100 closing in the past decade and hundreds more on the brink of insolvency as they fight to squeeze whatever money they’re owed from patients who don’t have it.

The result each week in Poplar Bluff, a town of 17,000, has become so routine that some people here derisively refer to it as the “follow-up appointment” — 19 lawsuits for unpaid hospital bills scheduled on this particular Wednesday, 34 more the following week, 22 the week after that. Case after case, a hospital that helps sustain its rural community is now also collecting payments that are bankrupting hundreds of its residents.

“Think of me as the referee,” the judge explained, as he called the first case. “It’s my job to be fair. I’m not going to be chugging for either side.”

On one side of the courtroom was a young lawyer representing the hospital, and he carried 19 case files that totaled more than $55,000 in money owed to Poplar Bluff Regional. Three nearby hospitals in Southeast Missouri had already closed for financial reasons in the past few years, leaving Poplar Bluff Regional as the last full-service hospital to care for five rural counties, treating more than 50,000 patients each year. It never turned away patients who needed emergency care, regardless of their ability to pay, and some people without insurance were offered free or discounted treatment. In the past few years, the hospitals’ total cost of uncompensated care had risen from about $60 million to $84 million. Its ownership company Community Health Systems, a struggling conglomerate of more than 100 rural and suburban hospitals, had begun selling off facilities as its stock price tanked from $50 per share in 2015 to less than $3 as the lawyer approached the judge to discuss the first case.

“We’re seeking fair payment for services we’ve provided. Nothing else,” he said.

Behind him in the courtroom were some of Poplar Bluff Regional’s patients — a population that was on average sicker, older, poorer and underinsured compared with the rest of the United States. More than 35 percent of people in Butler County have unpaid medical debt on their credit report, about double the national rate. Most of the 19 people on the morning docket had been treated in the emergency room and then failed to pay their bill for more than 60 days before receiving a summons to court. Many of them had insurance but still owed their co-pay or deductibles, which have tripled on average in the past decade across the United States. One patient owed more than $12,000 after being treated for a heart attack. Another was being sued for $286. If the hospital won a judgment, it had the right to garnish money from a patient’s paycheck or bank account or it could put a lien against a house.

“I’m hoping to negotiate a payment plan, but I can only afford $20 a month,” one patient told the court.

“I’m late for work, so if there’s someplace I can sign, I guess I’ll just sign,” said another patient, who owed more than $3,000 after spending six hours in the emergency room for chest pain.

“How am I supposed to pay $4,000 to see a doctor if I’m barely making $2,000 a month?” asked another.

One by one the patients came up to plead their cases until the judge called Gail Dudley, 31, who was sitting with her mother in the third row. She had gone to the emergency room at Poplar Bluff Regional in 2017 after passing out because of complications from Type 1 diabetes. The hospital had given her medication to stabilize her blood sugar, kept her overnight for observation, and then sent her home with a bill for $8,342, of which she was still responsible for about $3,000 after insurance. She’d tried to appease the hospital’s billing department by sending in an occasional check for $50, but with accumulating interest and penalty fees, the balance on her account had remained essentially the same for two years.

“I’m grateful for what they did for me, and I know I owe it, but I don’t have that kind of money,” she said.

The judge gestured in the direction of the hospital’s attorney and then looked at Dudley. “Would you like a chance to talk to this gentleman for a moment and see if you two can work something out?”

“Okay,” she said. “We might as well try.”

Matthew McCormick, 27, led Dudley into the hallway to begin the same negotiation he’d been having with dozens of hospital patients each week. On Thursdays he was listed as a hospital attorney for the court docket in Doniphan, population 1,997. Mondays it was Kirksville, Tuesdays were Bloomfield, and Wednesdays often brought him here, to a 95-year-old courthouse in Butler County, where he’d represented Poplar Bluff Regional on more than 450 billing cases so far in 2019.

“We’d like to find a way to work with you on this,” he told Dudley as they sat down together in the courtroom lobby. He reached out to shake her hand. He smiled and offered his business card. For the past year, he’d been working on behalf of the hospital as the newest attorney for a law firm called Faber and Brand, which promised to “use the judicial system to recover money owed.” McCormick’s cases hardly ever went to trial. More than 90 percent of the people being sued weren’t represented by an attorney and at least half failed to show up in court, resulting in default judgments in the hospital’s favor. The rest of the patients McCormick met came into court with little to offer in their own defense except for apologies and stories of poverty, poor health, unemployment and bad luck.

“I’m real sorry about this,” Dudley said. “If I’d been thinking straight, I would never have let them take me to the emergency room. I know I can’t afford that. I wish I could pay you all of it right now.”

“Let’s make this as easy as we can,” he told her. “Is there something you can pay? A little each month?”

“I don’t have anything extra,” she said, thinking about the paycheck she earned for a full-time job as a clerk at Goodwill, which totaled $736 every two weeks. After paying for rent and utilities on a subsidized three-bedroom apartment, groceries, and child care for her 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter, she sometimes ran out of money by the end of the month.

“How about $15 out of every paycheck?” she offered, even though she doubted she could afford it. When McCormick didn’t immediately respond, she revised her offer. “Thirty? How’s that?”

“Let’s say thirty,” McCormick said.

He had more patients waiting to negotiate, so he thanked Dudley and led her back into the courtroom to sign her judgment. It said she had agreed to a total claim of $3,021, plus $115 in court costs and 9 percent annual interest. She would send the hospital $60 each month until the balance was paid in full, and if she failed to make a payment the hospital could pursue garnishment of her wages.

“I’m glad you worked something out,” the judge said as he signed off on the agreement.

The court clerk handed Dudley a copy of the judgment, and once she was back outside the courtroom she took out her phone to run the math. If everything went right, and she somehow managed to save and pay $60 each month, she’d be sending checks to Poplar Bluff Regional for the next 5½ years.

In order to make 66 monthly payments, she had to somehow come up with the first, but her bank account was almost empty and payday was still a week away. Dudley left the courthouse, got into the car with her mother, then changed into a polo shirt for work. They drove away from the cobblestone streets of downtown and headed toward Goodwill.

“Could’ve been worse,” said her mother, Norma Garcia, 48. “Sixty isn’t so terrible.”

“It is if you don’t have it,” Dudley said. “Who do you know that’s sitting on an extra sixty each month?”

They drove past a dollar store, a payday lender and a fast-food restaurant advertising “full-time career opportunities” starting at $7.80 an hour.

“Maybe you can borrow it?” Garcia suggested.

“I don’t do credit cards or lenders,” Dudley said. “That’d just be another debt I couldn’t pay.”

“I meant from somebody.”

“Who?” Dudley asked. “Everyone we know is paying the hospital already.”

Their family had lived for three generations in Poplar Bluff’s predominantly black neighborhood just north of downtown, where according to credit records more than half of adults had debt in collections for unpaid auto loans, credit cards or medical bills. Dudley’s aunt had been sued twice by Poplar Bluff Regional and was forfeiting 15 percent of her paycheck to a court-ordered hospital garnishment. Her cousin was being sued for $1,200. Her sister owed $280.

But none of them had cycled through the emergency room as often as Dudley during the past several years. Her two pregnancies had complicated her diabetes, and she’d tried to save money by skimping on insulin. Instead of paying $50 every few months for a preventive medication, she had collapsed at work and been rushed to the emergency room, where she was sent home with thousands of dollars in now-unpaid bills. Poplar Bluff Regional was an ambitious rural hospital — a $173 million facility with a cancer center, a cardiac center, dozens of specialists and state-of-the-art surgical suites — and Dudley believed she was alive because of it. But during the past five years, the average amount that rural patients owed for hospital visits nationwide had doubled, and Dudley was earning $11 an hour at Goodwill as new hospital bills kept arriving in her mailbox.

She owed a $100 co-pay from another hospital visit in November 2018 that had already been sent to collections.

She owed $485 from another trip to the ER in April.

She owed $159 for lab tests, $85 for a doctor’s visit and now $60 for her first court-mandated payment, which was due at the end of the month.

“I’m trying to make peace with the fact that this debt could sit on me forever,” she said.

“Maybe I can help,” Garcia offered, even though she was on disability and avoiding her own billing notices from the hospital, seeking $365 in unpaid deductibles.

“It’s my bill to pay,” Dudley said. She’d been saving a little money for back-to-school supplies, and she said it was enough for her first month’s payment. “I’ll handle it,” she said. “There’s no other choice.”

There was one person in town who did believe patients had another choice, and over the past several years Daniel Moore had begun encouraging his clients to make it.

“Don’t pay one cent,” the lawyer had advised dozens of clients. “I don’t care how much the hospital says you owe. Fight them over it.”

Moore had been working for almost five decades as a self-described “old hillbilly lawyer” out of a converted house downtown. He specialized in criminal defense, with more than 400 cases pending all over the state, and he liked to align himself with the underdog. He’d been unable to afford a doctor himself while growing up on a farm with no running water, so when clients began coming to his office with bills from Poplar Bluff Regional that they could neither pay nor understand, he had agreed to take a look.

What Moore found in some of those itemized receipts didn’t make sense to him either: $75 for a surgical mask; $11.10 for each cleaning wipe; $23.62 for two standard ibuprofen pills; $592 for a strep throat culture; $838 for a pregnancy test. He searched through court records and discovered that the hospital was collecting hundreds of monthly garnishments from hourly employees at places like Quickstop, Earl’s Diner, Wendy’s, Instant Pawn and Alan’s Muffler.

He decided to represent several hospital patients free, and went to court against the hospital for a jury trial for the first time late in 2015. Moore’s client was a Poplar Bluff police officer with decent insurance, an Army veteran who went to the emergency room one afternoon because of chronic stomach problems. He’d been given a battery of tests in the ER, then treated with three IV medications before being discharged after three hours with a bill for $6,373. His insurance had paid some, but the hospital was suing him for co-pays totaling about $1,650, plus interest.

“The facts show that he came to the hospital and received treatment that alleviated his symptoms,” the hospital’s lawyer at the time told the jury. “He received three separate bills. He just didn’t pay the balance.”

“These charges are outrageous,” Moore told the jury. “He doesn’t owe the hospital anything.”

A billing manager from the hospital took the stand and said Poplar Bluff’s prices were in line with other hospitals in rural Missouri. She mentioned the high cost of providing care at rural hospitals, which must pay higher salaries in order to recruit doctors, nurses and specialists while also suffering more from federal cuts to Medicaid and Medicare compared with urban hospitals.

Moore began to question her about each charge on his client’s itemized receipt. Why, he asked, did it cost $800 to spend approximately 40 seconds with a doctor? Why was the hospital charging $211 for an oxygen sensor that was on sale for $16 at Walmart? Then Moore asked about three identical charges on the bill labeled “IV Push,” which each cost $365.

“An IV push, if I understand it, that’s the act of sticking the needle in that little port and then squeezing it,” Moore said. “Is that right?”

“Yes,” the billing manager said.

“So that takes maybe five seconds, right?”

“Yes.”

“So you, the hospital, think that act alone, not counting the drugs inside the IV, which cost thousands of dollars more — that act alone is worth $365.38?”

“Yes,” she said again.

“It makes me so mad,” Moore told the jury, in his closing argument. “If you’re content to let the hospital just crush people, then go on and give them their measly $1,650. But what you can do today is say, ‘Hey, we’re tired of this.’ How many times are we going to let working people take the shaft?”

“In reality, this is a simple bill,” the hospital’s lawyer countered. “All we’re asking for is his co-pay and his deductible. The hospital provided treatment. He still owes.”

The jury deliberated for less than an hour and then found in favor of Moore’s client, wiping away his hospital debts. But whatever sense of victory Moore felt was mitigated over the next months as Poplar Bluff Regional’s lawsuits continued to spread across the civil courts of Southeast Missouri, and he agreed to take on more free cases. “The hospital circuit,” Moore called it, which meant Mondays in Caruthersville, Tuesdays in West Plains and Wednesdays in Poplar Bluff.

On Thursdays it was Doniphan, a town of fewer than 2,000 people, where Poplar Bluff Regional had filed more than 300 lawsuits during the past several years. Moore drove past horse farms and timber plants, parking near an abandoned hospital. Ripley County Memorial had closed six months earlier, and there were locks on the doors and a sign taped above the ambulance bay.

“For Nearest Emergency Services, go 29 miles to Poplar Bluff Regional,” it said, and now several of those Poplar Bluff patients had been summoned right back to downtown Doniphan, to a red brick courthouse at the center of the town square.

They crowded next to each other on a wooden bench in the lobby, waving their hospital bills as fans against the late July heat while they waited for the courtroom to open and then entered one by one: a husband and wife who went for cancer treatments at Poplar Bluff Regional each week but couldn’t afford the co-pays. A community college student who owed more than $7,000 for treatment of a chronic heart condition. And then the judge, who had presided over hundreds of hospital cases during his career and also recused himself from one case a few years earlier, when the patient being sued was his wife.

“How are we all doing today?” he asked, as he looked down at a docket with 14 more cases between a hospital ownership company that couldn’t afford to keep losing money and patients who couldn’t afford to pay. Both sides were drowning in debt, fighting to stay above water, and pulling each other back down.

“It’s another full docket,” the judge said. “We might as well get started.”

Eli Saslow is a reporter at The

Washington Post. He won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for his year-long series about food stamps in America. He was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing in 2013, 2016 and 2017

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anastasiaskarsgard · 5 years

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Happy birthday. What’s different about your life from 5 years ago? 10 years ago? What made you feel old recently? What made you feel young? What are you doing today?

What’s different about your life from 5 years ago?

I lived in California and had just gotten fired from this asshole lawyers office because he found out I had a boyfriend. I was also a bartender and had to work on my birthday. I told my boyfriend what happened and he bought tickets to Hawaii and told me to quit bartending cuz he found me a job I could start when we got back. I was totally in love and enamored by him. I thought he was perfect.

Now I’m single and I live in Las Vegas and only know a few people but lots of friends come visit Vegas. I had been engaged to that guy above up until a few months ago when I found out he cheated on me. I hadn’t realized how dependent I’d become on him and couldn’t afford Palo Alto prices without him. Especially since he’d talked me into getting an expensive car since he paid all our housing costs. I felt trapped by a car and rent prices. At lunch, I applied for a job I was qualified to do and didn’t even look where it was located. They contacted me and were willing to do a phone interview, followed up by another interview and a job offer. They paid for relocation to Vegas so I did it. Now I can afford a big house and my car plus no worries. (I’m a senior business analyst for a major utility company.)

10 years ago?

I was going to university and had all kinds of jobs. I also tried out being a lesbian, but it turns out I’m straight. Mariah still is the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen tho, and I wonder what she’s up to often.

What made you feel old recently?

Some of these questions on these asks are really young and make me remember kids are on here. For example:

Have you ever snuck out of your house?

Have you ever slept in a bed with someone else?

Have you ever kissed anyone?

Have you ever ditched school?

Have you ever had a real job?

What made you feel young?

A 19 year old ridiculously hot guy, hit on me and assumed I was around his age. He was totally blown away that I was nearly 30. He was fine with the age difference but I wasn’t so I guess I felt like I looked young is a better way to describe it. Even though now I have the dreaded

What are you up to today?

Working! I have bills. Lol. Here’s a big one of them but I love my bucket. This was a funny moment I had in it the other day and made it a meme.

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moramew · 5 years

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Do you got any tips for first time apartment renters/people living on their for the first time?

Sure, nonny. I can’t promise it’s a comprehensive list or anything, but I’ll try to be of help!

⚪Make sure you understand your lease. If there’s any confusion, ask questions before you sign. You don’t want to sign and then realize there’s a note in it that clashes against something you want to do. I’ve rented from landlords that don’t allow you to hang up stuff on the walls, ones that are strictly no smoking, ones that contract certain plumbers/insect controller (or whatever the word is for it), etc. Make sure you understand everything before you sign

On that note, make sure your landlord is someone you’ll get along with too. Mine is super strict- there’s a $50 late fee if you don’t pay within three days of when rent is due on top of $5 every day after- but that makes sure I don’t get lazy and I keep a better eye on my finances/due dates for bills and everything. If you’re talking to a landlord and they seem too uptight or too apathetic or whatever, then find someone else. Please trust me when I say it’s not worth it to be locked into a lease with a shitty landlord that will make your life miserable

Ditto with neighbors. Absolutely make sure to ask your landlord about them if you’re going to live next to someone. Questions like if they’re a family, loud, older or younger, if they’re home more often than not, etc are important. You want to make sure you’re not going to get stuck next to someone that blares their tv all night if you work early morning shifts.

⚪Have at least double the rent in savings, plus money for utilities and buying basic things for the home as well as groceries. Moving is fucking expensive- more than you think it is, usually. Research before you even go to look at apartments- how much utilities will cost (I had to pay a $240 deposit just to get it turned on), the cost of moving supplies, how much trash collection will be, etc. Make a budget. Make sure you have enough money plus extra before you even think of looking at a place. You don’t want to be miserable and broke after moving in

Don’t try to buy everything at once. If you can, try to get your utilities turned on a day or two before moving in. Those are hella important. After that, I’d concentrate on essentials- food and kitchen supplies, washer and dryer, cleaning supplies, etc. Once you have those, then I’d build up. (That’s what I’m doing at least) If you can wait on Internet, do it. If you can wait to get a couch, do it. You don’t have to everything at once. It’s not a race. Moving is expensive and it takes time. Your apartment will get to where it needs to be, I promise. Just be patient.

Walmart has spatulas and stuff for 88 cents (at least where I live). Take advantage of that- you can always get prettier ones later on.

Family Dollar is your friend. Literally everything is a dollar and you can stock up on basic supplies there. I find it helpful for, like, storage containers and stuff like that

Ask your family and friends if they have spares of kitchen stuff; coffee pot, skillets, mixing bowls, etc. Sometimes they do and that can save you money. If you want, you can always replace them later down the line.

⚪Using the oven will make your utility bill higher. Small appliances like crockpots, roaster ovens, microwaves, electric skillets are helpful and good investments. If anything, at least get a crockpot. They’re so useful and great for when you’re too busy to cook/too depressed/too tired. You literally just dump food in it and let it cook for a few hours and then boom! Food. You might have to brown meat for things like chili, but it’s not hard

⚪Learn to cook. It’s cheaper than take out, usually healthier, and you can always eat the leftovers. It can give a sense of accomplishment, too, and there’s a nice satisfaction that comes with trying a new recipe and it turning out well. We all love pizza rolls and Chinese take out, but you got to think of your health. Treat yourself to take out when you can afford it, but don’t get it every other day

Make sure to get: flour, sugar, spices, condiments, vegetable oil, cornstarch, baking soda, milk, butter, and eggs.

Check out the discount food section at your grocery stores. At my Walmart, there’s a small shelf section in the aisle where they sell beans and stuff. There’s usually a cluster of dented cans that’s half off because, well, they’re dented. I snag these for crockpot fixings. There’s literally nothing wrong with them except for the cans being dented- unlearn the basic recoil you might have toward that sort of thing. Of course, check the use by date and all that. But you should be doing that with your groceries anyway

⚪If you smoke, try to do it outside. Like, I know. It’s convenient to smoke inside and it’s your apartment so, uh, fuck me. Or whatever. But, cigarettes do leave a gross odor behind and can cling to your clothes, curtains, whatever. You might not be able to smell it, but other people will. Stepping outside for five minutes or even cracking open a window can help avoid any gross odors. Plus, your landlord might not be happy if they come over and your place reeks of smoke- it’ll make it harder for them to rent it after you move out

On the note of odors, try to look for deals on candles. Michaels usually has a 3 for 10 sale on candles- I just got three that smells like pine needles- and Walmart has them for like...3-5$ with their Mainstay brand. Tart warmers are a good investment, too. They can make for a good Christmas present- if any of your family is asking what you want, you can tell them that.

Also take out your trash as soon as you can if possible. Clean your trash cans, too. I wipe mine down like once a week because it’s white and can quickly look gross, but I’ll only do a full clean about once a month.

⚪If your lease doesn’t allow pets, don’t try to sneak one in. This is self-explanatory. I know it can suck- I want a dog, badly- but if your landlord finds out, there will be hell to pay. You might even get kicked out. It’s not worth it.

⚪Buy fun things. A shower curtain with cacti on it, dish towels with pawprints, a pink chair, neon coffee mugs- if you want it, get it. Obviously make sure it won’t hit your savings too hard but, like, it’s your place. Let yourself have things that you want. Take this opportunity to flaunt your style and aesthetic. You don’t have parents to choose everything that they want, you don’t have to compromise with a roommate. It’s your home- decorate how you want.

⚪Make a back up door key. Just in case, you know. We can all be forgetful. Stick it in your car or your purse or wherever- you don’t have a roommate to let you in, calling a locksmith is expensive, and calling your landlord just for that isn’t always a pleasant or convenient experience.

⚪Get a house plant. Not necessary, but they look nice and are pretty neat.

⚪Get a calendar and mark down when bills are due. You can use the one on your phone if you want, but I find it useful to get one you can stick on a fridge. It’s right there in your face and makes it a bit easier to be organized.

This is all I’ve got at the moment- I’m a little too headachey to go on.

But, like, most of it is common sense stuff. Don’t stress too much, take it slow, clean your apartment, pay your bills on time, and be nice to your neighbors.

#feel free to add stuff on #Anonymous

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steves-strapcollection · 6 years

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Listen wealthy white kids just..... Don't get it. And a lot of the time in my experience they aren't malicious. They're actually p super ppl minus their ignorance, tho I know I'm speaking from the experience of a white person dealing w wealthy kids.

Like an example is this guy I know from my program who is a fabulous, if a bit self-centered, person whom I enjoy talking to who comes from an affluent family. Like his parents live in Paradise Valley, AZ and such like they are not struggling. Anyway he posted on convocation about how he "graduated debt-free" and went on about how it was all bc of his hard work and perserverence and smart saving and spending. Meanwhile I know this kid was living rent-free with his sister, and I know he wasn't paying for ALL of the groceries. Meanwhile, he was dropping huge money on concerts and partying. He was working fulltime on top of school, and I mean he did have to save up the money for each semester plus scholarships he received, but it's super easy to save up and depend on scholarships/awards every semester if u aren't paying for utilities, rent, and groceries. Like the only bills that were his was his car insurance and phone bill.

He was a hard worker, that is for sure, and he got great grades, but he just.... Didn't think to mention just how much financial support he HAD that contributed to his success in being "debt free" bc he actually did not realize those things were financial support. Like loans aren't to pay for everything, they're to pay some so u can hopefully make up the rest.

And what's rly sad is he learned the hard way just how much financial support he actually had the hard way. He moved to Kelowna, BC to work as a manager at a resort and suddenly like..... He had all these bills and no family safety net that he's always had so he moved back to AZ w his parents and just like.....

Idk he's a sweet guy and an unbelievable worker but he legit..... Did not even think of his living arrangements as being.... A benefit others likely didn't have.

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regretsdelusionstoughluck · 6 years

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PART 3

WEDNESDAY MORNING

While Damon was online looking for odd jobs he noticed an add for dancers needed. He’s had a stripper license since he was 19 and used this as a means for extra money when not deployed. He sent this to Oliver in an email prior to calling him on his way to the pharmacy.

“Morning”

“Check out the email”

As he pulled out his iPad, he saw the email

“What the fuck is this?”

“Strippin....you already do way more, plus a bachelorette party would get you a killing. I used to dance at a few of them when I was home”

“Got anything else?”

“Banquets, I know a lot of companies. I can send you a list of catering companies you could do work for. What you got going on right now?”

“Laying on the couch, going into the office”

[Really? That’s the best you got? What part of “I want out of this life do you not understand?]

While he wasn’t thrilled about it, he took some time to think about t and he realized that bachelorette parties are for the entertainment value and he did keep his body in shape. However, didn’t want his current situation to mirror that of “The Players Club”.

Oliver got up from the couch to fix himself an omelette while continuing to talk. “Yo, I got you on speaker phone, doing some stuff in the kitchen”

“Man, remember when we were young and we would see vacationers out here, we vowed that one day it would be us taking trips with our families?”

“I do, and when I look at where I’m at, I think to myself “What the actual fuck?”

[We were lied to. In 2008, when we were in high school, we were told to go to college. That it was the ticket to a successful life. What they didn’t tell us is that the economy would tank. They didn’t go cover any alternatives. They never went over the cost of living and the fact that people here are working three jobs. I should have seen this with my own parents. Dad worked for the state and then worked as a janitor in the evenings. Mom still works as a financial aid officer at a state college. The preparation sucked. What the fuck am I gonna use creative writing for? Why was that in school?]

He cut the conversation short to eat his breakfast and get a shower in before work. Afterwards, he ironed a pair of pants and a golf shirt and heaved to the office where the direction informed him and Claudia:

“I have a project for the two of you. Our event is coming up at the mall. You two are going to be drawing outlines to these animal pieces on the construction poet right there. We’re expecting about 200 kids”

“No problem” Oliver said looking at the green construction paper in front of him

“It’ll be a breeze” Claudia assured him as she took a pair of scissors and the elephant trunk and demonstrated.

“So it’s like build a bear type of think but with other animals but they’re decorating their bags with them. That’s cute”

“Yeah, so are you gonna go to the career fair next week”

“The one at the convention center?”

“Yea, I heard there’s going to be several companies there.”

[Resume-FEMA, fucking, and non-profit]

“I plan on it. Do you know if any government agencies are gonna be there? I couldn’t find a roster anywhere”

“Not sure”

They continued working while talking about goals and aspirations when he noticed an alert on her phone. Knowing the conference due to getting the same alert an hour earlier, he asked her how she knew about it? Somewhat embarrassed, she snapped “What are you doing looking at my phone?!”

“I merely glanced over!” he exclaimed before taking her aside and confessing to being involved in the worlds oldest profession “I hate it. One would think attractive people and pleasure but there’s no real live and frankly it feels like a modern version of slavery. I can’t get a decent date to save my life”

After a moment of silence, she admitted that she was a phone sex operator and that she worked in evenings. “I have a friend who also is in high class escorting”

“High class?”

“Let’s talk about it later? How about we meet for a drink after work? We need to get a bit more of this done.”

Meanwhile, Damon was scouting on the web when his eye caught the attention of a webcam modeling website.

He though about his current life and how he’d mange to file his taxes. He normally got a 1090 at the end of the year. He also though about the repercussions of this and the thought that the clientele could be from his local area. He had a flashback to being deployed in Germany where he and some buds where in a night club, partying surrounded by beautiful women. “We are like royalty!” He thought about a conversation he had with his peer about wanting to serve for eight years and then retire and start college. Little did he know that half way though that time frame that he’d suffer a back injury along w/ PTSD from witnessing the death of a friend at the hands of a grenade.

He applied for work with multiple agencies and thought about how he could sporadically work vs checking in daily. With webcam modeling he could set his own schedule. With that in mind he decided to text Oliver.

“Who was that?”

“My friend Damon”

“So about how long have you with with this company?”

“About six months. I’m trying to start grad school”

They chatted while filing paperwork. They talked about politics, racial issues, economic issues, and the like. Claudia made for good company. She graduated with two degrees. She majored in English Education and Journalism and worked as a teacher’s aide for a period. She was tired of the work with virtually no pay. She responded to an add. Currently she works for a phone sex. One has seen the commercials late at night. She’s one of them. Definitely more conventional than Oliver’s current job.

As he was getting ready to eat lunch, she Claudia asked him if he wanted to eat while they worked. “Sure” he said as he went to grab his lunch out of his bag.

“We work with several schools in their special ed departments”

“What do y’all do?”

”We will be finalizing contracts for events mainly. But we do outreach and after school programs on social etiquette and speech practices our goal is to help those with autism be as integrated into society as possible” Noticing Oliver’s garden salad, she asked him “you health conscious?”

“Yep. Grew up like that. My parent’s rarely fried anything, but they didn’t ban them from the house. My mom was always big on vitamins and drinking plenty of water. I practice that today, to keep things under control. Being a diabetic, I have to watch it.”

Shocked at the revelation she asked him when he was diagnosed. He was diagnosed at 6 years old.

“I’m trying to lose weight, but I find myself emotionally eating more than I should”

Trying to avoid saying anything that could be interpreted as offensive, he simply said that he had his days too, hence the reason he goes to the gym six days/week, doing a combination of cardio and weights. After they finished eating lunch, they cut more construction paper and bagged it. They filed folders away for about an hour when Oliver signed out.”See you tomorrow?”

“You’ll see me in a couple of hours.”

The sun was beaming as Oliver drove home. He rolled down his window and plugged his phone in to have some music playing. He checked the mail and saw the electric bill was in. “Shouldn’t be this much” he said “I’m never home”

He checked his email as well as his escorting profile receiving three request including one overnight stay. Booking these trips back to back, he thought about his weekly check at $8.75/hr at 25 hrs per week along w/ the money from the three client’s that he’d earn. He’d have enough to pay his final payment on his only student loan and to pay his car note.

He kicked off his shoes to give his feet some air and called his mom.

[I’m being nice. This place is a shithole, in fact the only reason my unit isn’t laden with roaches is because I frequently buy those foggers and then I have to open the damn windows and door risking my shit being stolen. Also, Bengal and Boric Acid along the cracks and corners have done wonders.]

He looked up and realized that it was time to meet Claudia. He traded in his work outfit for a pair or black cargo shorts, a zero-nineteen tank top from K-Mart, and a pair of flip-flops and headed out. He got in the truck, turned the air on and arrived to the bar 20 minutes later. Locating Claudia at a table in the bar area we walked in to meet her when the waiter took their drink order.

[She’s a pharmacy tech and she still needs to be a lady of the evening by night? I’m fucked-literally and figuratively]

She advised him to update his profile to include massages and casual dates at a lower rate. While they were talking, A woman walks up, dark skin, about 5′9, in her mid 20s. She spotted Claudia and walked in the sit next to her.

“Hey chick!”

“Hey!”

“Hello, I’m Aya, how are your doing?” she said as she reached out to shake Oliver’s hand

“Oliver, I’m good. How about you?”

“So this is the guy? He’s cute”

“He’s taken”

“Actually I’m very available”

After ordering a drink, she begin to explain to Oliver how she got into her current part time job. “I started off escorting however a client of mine introduced me to a coworker of his that owned a matchmaking service. I showed up to a mixer I went out on one date. I never saw the guy again afterwards. That said, he did mention to me that he had utilized services where one would rent a dates for events. I eventually branched off and begin advertising on craigslist and the like.”

“So do you still...….you know?”

“Sporadically, but that’ll cost extra.”

Later that night, he decided to update his profile w/ additional services offered. He decided to try out a couple of speed dating events himself. He might even snap a client or two. Perhaps, he’d been looking in the wrong places, maybe it was time for more upscale social functions. His current evening work was not a glamorous job and frankly it was quite dangerous.

[Prostitution can be traced back as far as biblical times. Not a new profession and it’s a profession that’s always been available for the money. Sometimes, we use it to pay off a loan or some sort of debt. For others, it’s the love of sex. Some just like the temporary luxury that comes with being one’s bitch. Me? I’d like nothing more than to settle down. I know there’s a way. It may take a while to find it, but I refuse to have THIS be my stop.]

STORY SYNOPSIS

CHARACTERS

PART 4 TO FOLLOW

#BROMANCE #SEXTRADE #BISEXUAL #TUMBLRFICTION #TUMBLR-FICTION

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