#not sure if tax return is the right term for this it’s like. the thing u get where it says if you’ve paid too much in taxes. or too little

[stardial]

yesterday my friend was like “today we get our tax returns!! it’s so exciting!” so i checked my email and it said i had to pay $400.

#arambles #I WAS SO EXCITED FOR LITTLE MONEY SURPRISE. THEN TO MY HORROR #not sure if tax return is the right term for this it’s like. the thing u get where it says if you’ve paid too much in taxes. or too little #if you’ve paid too much you get money back but if you’ve paid too little you have to PAY #it’s so dumb because we don’t even like. calculate our taxes here #it’s all done by the tax agency #so THEY calculated wrong #and now i gotta give em FOUR HUNDRED BUCKS

[piscespetals]

summary: in which sevika becomes your roommate. read part two here

content: this fic is 4-5 chapters long. i'm still trying to figure out if i should condense it to 4 or keep it at five. mostly gay pinning, fluff, angst and small slivers of smut (not very good at smut writing but i'm trying)

word count: 5k

thanks for reading!

Chapter One

It all started when your best friend told you she was moving out…

You both shared a flat, and for the last near decade or so, everything had relatively been good.

Until it wasn't.

“I know it's kind of bittersweet but,” Mel shrugs, looking down at the ice cream cone in her hand. Remnants of the vanilla treat gather above her top lip. You almost say something but she licks it away with one clean swipe of her tongue. “Alicia has been talking about this for almost a year. And I think it's time we take the next step.”

Alicia is Mel’s long-term girlfriend. Honestly, you should’ve seen it coming. It's a miracle that they haven't already moved in together considering how long they’ve been in each other’s lives. You should be happy for them. You really should. But a part of you keeps thinking about the upcoming renewal of the lease and the empty space that’ll fill up Mel’s side of the apartment once she leaves.

The two of you have been living together for a huge chunk of your adulthood. Honestly, the thought of returning home to Mel has been your norm for almost as long as you’ve been filing tax returns.

And now—she’s moving.

Leaving.

Just like that.

“Oh,” She croons. Her ice cream cone nearly falls as she scooches closer to you. “Don't cry.”

Your tears drip down your cheeks before trailing the slope of your jaw.

You aren’t surprised. This reaction is warranted. You aren't good at goodbyes.

Actually, no—this isn't quite a goodbye.

But it sure as hell feels just as painful.

There's not enough breathing exercises that’ll prepare you for the life transition that's doomed to happen. A chapter of your adulthood is closing right before your eyes. Mel will move out, marry Alicia, and have annoyingly cute babies. You’ll be the designated bestfriend–turned–aunt that will always feel stuck; left behind. 

It will be horrible.

“Nothing will change,” Mel comforts. She tries to multitask the art of devouring her ice cream while slinging her free arm around you. Her bubbling optimism is nearly comedic compared to your wallowing spirits.

“Everything will change!” Your voice cracks, body jerking as your lungs cause you to inhale sharp uneven gasps. “You've replaced me with Alicia as your roommate. Is she asking for the best friend title too?”

“Oh god—babe,” Another lick of her ice cream. She's trying to contain her laughter. The nerve of her! “I’ll always be your best friend. You know that.” She squeezes your shoulder. “Everything will be okay. I promise.”

Your eyes burn more and another melodramatic wail leaves you.

The image of you–old and decrepit–in a nursing home comes to fruition. You're in the bed, smelly and miserable, while Alicia and Mel stand before you. They're old too, but far more beautiful. Far more accomplished. Less lonely. Still married. Still happy. 

Oh, and their kids are probably there in the room too; asking Mel why “their Aunt hasn't been properly groomed?”

Mel is absolutely wrong.

Everything will certainly not be okay. 

After a few days of sulking, you have a change of heart when Mel says, “I think I’ve found you a new roommate.”

Suddenly, the imminent doom of Mel moving out doesn’t seem so harrowing. Of course it still saddens you–she’s your best friend after all–but you’re no longer burdened with the stress of trying to find her replacement. 

You and Mel butt heads about a ton of senseless things, but she never disappoints you on the most important matters. 

So if she thinks that someone is suitable enough to be your roommate, then you have hope that she’s right. 

“Who?” Your head snaps up as you look at her. She stands on the other side of the kitchen island, elbows leaning against the wooden countertop and chin resting in her palms. You were mopping the floor–a truly rare occurrence for you–when Mel came out of her room to announce the good news. 

“You know how Alicia goes out with her teammates every now and then?” 

Your memory travels to the brief conversations of Mel mentioning this in the past. Alicia used to be a college athlete during her undergrad. Apparently, she still has a budding relationship with a few of her old teammates, and likes to go to dinners with them to catch up every few months. 

“Well,” Mel continues. “Her friend, Sevika, hasn’t been able to come to the dinners these last few years because she lived up north for a while. But she’s back in town. And I guess she doesn’t like the place she’s at. Apparently, it’s too close to the city. Too hectic. She’s been looking at places in our neighborhood. And when Alicia mentioned it to me, I just figured...”

You nod slowly in understanding, “Oh.”

“I mean, it’s kind of working out perfectly…rather coincidental but I just thought it would make you feel better if your next roommate wasn’t a complete stranger.”

“Do you know her well?”

“I’ve hung out with Sevika countless times before she moved away.” The brown irises of Mel’s eyes become distant; as if she’s drifting off to another time. “God, that feels like so long ago somehow... But I think you’d like her.” Her lips pull into a small smile. “She seems a bit remote at first but it’s all fun and games. I promise.”

“Okay,” You shake your head, trying to wrap your brain around it all. “And you’re sure that she’s–I mean, not that I don’t trust your word. I’m just nervous, I suppose. She isn’t like–”

“Sevika’s good people,” Mel laughs, gazing at you with understanding. “But I get it. So here’s what I was thinking… We can host a brunch and invite her over? That way you can meet her formally and get to know her. Maybe show her around the place? As much as I want this to pan out great, it’s still your decision to make at the end of the day.” She pauses a few beats, trying to gauge your reaction. “What do you think?”

Your hands fiddle with the top of the swiffer handle as you weigh your options. You had put together a more elaborate and time consuming plan prior to today; which would have consisted of flyers and roommate interviews and even Facebook posts. Of course, posting to Facebook would have been the last resort; an addition to the plan that you only added out of mere desperation. But it was a plan nonetheless.

Mel’s offer is more tempting. 

“Okay,” You sigh, squeezing the handle of the swiffer. “But if this doesn’t work out, then you owe me ice cream.”

She beams, clapping her hands together excitedly. 

“And not the cheap kind,” You add. “I’m talking Cold Stone.”

Mel doesn’t appear to be fazed. Instead, she turns on her heels, making her way back to her room. “I’m gonna call Alicia and let her know!” The exclamation has a song-like lilt to it; a clear indication of her delight.

You bite the inside of your cheek, fighting off a grin while you carry the swiffer to the trash can.

Your thumb absentmindedly plays with the stringy bracelet decorating your right wrist; a gift that Mel gave you over ten years ago when the two of you first became friends. It’s nearly falling apart now, but still a staple piece in your daily attire. You find yourself looming over the possible outcome of tonight’s gathering–for the ‘nth time–as your stomach stirs with unease. 

It’s not like you haven’t been obsessively ruminating over this very evening. It’s all you’ve been able to think about ever since Mel helped you plan it last week. But despite all of the preparation, your mouth still remains dry.

You’re seated at the dining table, with Mel to your right and Alicia right across from her. Sevika faces you directly, which is a circumstance you tried to desperately avoid upon Mel’s suggestion.

“How do you guys like the food?” Mel asks. “I can proudly say that I’ve managed to keep the kitchen intact while I was preparing it.”

Alicia’s eyes twinkle when she glances at her girlfriend. “It’s good, honey. Thank you.”

A pair of alert grey irises flicker to you: Sevika’s. 

The woman studies you with a gaze that is piercing and direct. She takes you in fully–something that she’s been doing all night–which makes you feel as if you’re under inspection. You can’t decide whether or not you like that about her.

“It was nice, Mel.” You reply. You wolfed down your food the minute your plate was served. So now you’re just awkwardly waiting for everyone else to finish their meal.

You usually don’t eat so quickly, but the task gave you something else to distract yourself with, rather than Sevika’s scrutiny. 

But despite doing everything possible to avoid her stare, you can’t help but notice the calm and leisure way she eats her food. From what you’ve gathered, she doesn’t seem fond of mixing meals with conversation. But there’s still a pleasant way that she dines. 

The oscillation of her jaw, especially with every chew, is a trait that you find particularly distracting…

“So, are you enjoying your return to town?” Mel inquires, turning to Sevika. She’s always had the talent of conversing with the least willing. 

It takes a few seconds for Sevika to shift her gaze away from you.

You feel your muscles relax when she does.

“Yeah, it’s been good,” Sevika’s voice adopts an amiable timbre; a pattern you’ve picked up on every time she addresses Mel. “The traffic sucks on the east side, but that's nothing new.”

Mel hums in understanding. “Well, I think you’ll like it here.The people are quieter. Life is slower.” 

That’s when Alicia takes that as her cue to wrap her arm around Sevika’s shoulder. They’re both nearly the same height, only Alicia is leaner. 

“It’s good that you’re back home,” Alicia butts in. “You’re getting wrinkles. You’ve been frowning too much.”

Sevika rolls her eyes. “I’ve been perfectly fine.”

“Is that so? I heard…”

You’re ripped from their conversation when Mel wraps her fingers around your bicep. She leans into your ear, whispering, “Let’s go to the kitchen.” 

You follow her without question.

It’s not until you’re grabbing the fruit salad out of the refrigerator when she says, “How are you liking her so far?”

You bite the inside of your cheek while carrying the dessert to the counter. 

“I don’t know.” You try to sort through your feelings to find some sort of opinion–anything–that can help you identify your stance. But it’s to no avail. “She’s a bit intense, don’t you think?” 

“Well,” Mel snickers. “I suppose.”

You glance up at her, noticing the way that she’s covering her smile with her hand. She flutters her eyelashes coyly, “But is that not a good thing? You’ve been staring at her all evening.” She continues, wiggling her eyebrow.

“Please don’t.”

“What? I’m just saying…”

“There’s nothing that needs to be said.”

“...the tension has been palpable ever since you laid eyes on her. You don’t have to make it into a bad thing, babe. You both are grown adults here.” 

Your jaw is clenching when you mutter, “Well, you're off-base on this one.”

You think you hear her laugh again, but you don’t have the energy to entertain it. Instead, you turn around and march back to the dining room.

Your eyes are slightly droopy from the combination of wine and dinner that sloshes in your belly.

Under the haze of the ceiling lamps, you stand with your arms folded across your chest.

“This would be your room,” You’re mumbling. Sevika hums beside you, only a few feet away. She’s so far yet so close. Too close.

Yet not close enough.

You feel silly for thinking such thoughts. 

It must be the wine.

The floorboards creak underneath her weight as she inspects the room. It has a fair amount of space in it. It’s larger than your room for sure. The connecting bathroom is smaller than yours though–a bargain that you and Mel made over a decade ago.

Sevika travels to a nearby wall, inspecting the paint job for a few seconds before peering at you.

Despite the warmth emanating from the heating system, a cool shiver runs through you. 

Your voice dips with humor when you explain that, “Mel painted it a while back.”

You examine the way she pushes her tortoiseshell glasses up the bridge of her nose. A vein from her right forearm flexes due to the movement. 

She smiles, poised and reposeful. 

“Figures,” That’s when you notice the fullness of her lips—her prominent cupid's bow, and how well they look when spread into a grin like that.

She stretches her arms above her head, back arching as she seemingly holds back a yawn. You fight the urge to do the same, eyes trailing over her physique before you can stop yourself. Sevika looks strong–really strong. Her arms are thick bands of pure muscle and her broad shoulders barely concave from the movement.

She’s wearing a long-sleeved button up, which has a toffee silk-like material. You don’t realize how low her black slacks are sitting on her hips until the hem of her shirt rises. A happy trail peaks through, as well as deeply grooved muscles. 

The sight feels sacrilegious and simultaneously pious. Your eyelids are heavy, droopy, when her muscles relax and her arms fall to her sides. You draw your attention back to her face. She’s caught you, eyebrows lifted and lips pursed to the side–an attempt to mask her amusement? You don’t know. Or at least, you don’t want to. 

With the sudden pounding of your heart, you gesture behind you, “I can show you the laundry room?” Your desire to escape has never felt so prominent until then.

You're beginning to realize that she makes it hard for you to breathe when you’re around her.

Laughter rings in the air between everyone–Sevika, you, Alicia and Mel–while Alicia tells a funny story about a customer she had a few days prior. You’re wearing one of your nighttime sweaters now, a glass of wine in your hand, while all of you sit in the living room. 

Sevika cards her hand through her hair. It’s no longer in its bun, meeting the sides of her face with buoyancy. The length is much longer than you initially thought, stopping a few inches below her neck; a feathery cut that frames her face quite perfectly.

She sits with her legs parted, left arm resting along the back of the couch. Her fingers lay a few inches from your right shoulder. With a mere flex of her hand, she’d be able to touch you. 

Amidst the ring of Alicia’s voice–she’s going into detail about another story now–you turn to Sevika and ask, “Are you a heavy sleeper?”

You receive a better angle of her chiseled jaw when she tilts her head, expression contemplative while she thinks of an answer. You aren’t sure why it takes her so long since it’s not necessarily a loaded question to ask, but still—you allow her to think.

“Not really,” Her eyes dart back to you. “Is that a deal breaker?”

“I'm not sure,” You blink through a daze, overcome with an unexpected wave of tranquility due to her regard. “I listen to music sometimes in the middle of the night. It helps with my insomnia.”

“...Well, is it loud?”

“Not all the time. But you may hear it faintly.”

A nod. “Then that’s fine with me.”

You swivel the wine in your hand, “Besides going out for work, a lot of my hobbies consist of me being at home. You’ll probably see me a lot.”

“Not a problem.”

“I’m not incredibly messy or dirty but…” Your palms sweat from the loose confession. “I’m not a neat freak. And I don't like mornings. I'm really grumpy any hour before 11. Like—I will not speak if I can avoid it. And I’m a terrible cook.”

She looks away from you momentarily, lips rubbing together as her hand flexes. You grow rigid at the motion; she’s only inches away from coming in contact with your shoulder. Then her fingers relax. She looks back at you. Her lips part, “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Depends. Is it working?”

Her left eyebrow twitches. “You call the shots. If you don't think it’ll work, I can look into renting somewhere else.”

“I'm just trying to be transparent with you as much as possible.” 

You don't want any surprises. The last thing you need is the false hope of thinking this will work just to ultimately have the infamous roommate disagreements that you've heard too much about. 

You got lucky with Mel. 

For 13 years, you’ve managed to have the best roommate dynamic. But now she's leaving soon. And you fear that those 13 years have just been a fluke.

If Sevika is truly serious about moving in, you need to make sure that it'll be a right fit.

“Do you have any kids?” You find yourself asking.

She lets out a gusty breath; a dry chuckle mixed with a hint of disbelief. For a second, you fear that you've offended her.

But then she's replying, “God no.” She grins with her head slightly shaking. You swear she leans a few inches closer as she adds, “Do you?”

You blink. You swallow. You try to not get distracted by the swirling grey of her irises. They're quite pretty. Too pretty. Unbelievably pretty.

“Definitely not.” 

Her grin widens, “Okay, so we at least have that in common.” She allows her eyes to flicker to other features of your face; your eyebrows, then your cheeks, then your nose. “Are there any other incriminating questions that you have?”

“Of course.”

She laughs again and her eyes fall shut. There's a part of you that wants to draw closer to her at that moment. But you remain where you are; as if you’re resisting the tug of a rope. 

“Okay,” She mutters, voice a gentle hum while her lips remain pulled into a grin. 

“Does that annoy you?” You find yourself asking. It’s a silent test. You want to know if this will turn her away. Is she willing to answer your long list of questions? And if she is–will you find something about her that you don’t like? 

“No, I don’t mind at all.” Her eyes flutter open slowly, blazing a stormy grey when they land on you. “Ask however many questions you need.” 

Her hand flexes once more. This time you feel it. It’s the slightest graze, and too fleeting for it to feel real. The tip of her forefingers brush against the material of your shirt, at the very top of your bicep, before she’s running her hand through her hair. It could have been an accident–a mere sweep due to her close proximity–but you guess you’d never truly know.  

Your breathing falters. She blinks at you with a placid expression, seemingly unfazed. 

“Okay,” You clear your throat, shifting your weight restlessly. You try to put more distance between you two by subtly scooting a few inches to your left.

“...Going to get some more wine. Be right back!’ Mel calls. 

The bubble around you and Sevika bursts.

You’re submerged into the sound of the TV playing an Old Navy commercial. Alicia stares at the screen with droopy eyes, feet propped up in the recliner chair and hands clasped together as they rest on her stomach. She hums lazily at Mel’s announcement. Faintly, you begin to hear Mel rummaging through the kitchen: the clanging of silverware, the rush of running water, then the thump! of a closing cupboard. The calming livelihood of Mel and Alicia’s existence buzzes around you. But you somehow find yourself turning back towards Sevika because, although you don't want to admit it, she’s a new enigma that’s hurdled into your life. 

She beholds you with remarkable patience, elbow now resting against the back of the couch as she cradles her temple with her hand. 

“So…” She says, voice laced with an expectation. She’s waiting on you.

“Right,” You nod. You shake your head in an attempt to clear the brain fog. Must be the alcohol... "Do you smoke?”

Sevika does smoke; she has a preference for cigars. 

She’s a tattoo artist, which you never pinned her for. But after a few seconds of contemplation, it makes sense. She tells you that it’s been her career for a long time now.

She’s quite the morning person and a bit meticulous about her living environment. She likes to cook and happily divulges in burning incense. She doesn't have very many friends, but the ones she does have are practically her family—who, she assures with an unwavering gaze, are people that, “You will love.”

She doesn't watch much television, but she does have a knack for sports. “I like to have my friends over on game days,” She admits, sending you a sidelong glance. “Would that be something you're okay with?”

Not much time passes before you're nodding your head yes.

Sevika has no siblings and no parents. Her parents passed away a while back–a fact that you seemed more saddened by than her–and left her their house, which is why she moved out of town a few years ago.

When you ask her why she’s decided to return, she doesn't answer. 

It’s your only question that makes her come to a full stop.

When the night ends and she’s getting ready to leave the apartment with Alicia quickly behind her, it’s the only question that's lingering in your mind.

And after Mel closes the door, bolts it shut and asks, “Any red flags from Sevika?”

It’s the sole reason why you find yourself hesitating, wanting—for some strange reason—to tell Mel yes. Even though every fiber of your being knows that the true answer is no.

Sevika’s vehicle is exactly the sort of car you’d picture her in. A sleek black Ram 1500 sits in front of you. Your eyes are wandering. You can't help it. You don't want to make it into a thing. It's only a truck after all…

But you've always admired cars, especially the big shiny ones.

 “I would have showed you this days ago had I known you’d be so pleased,” Sevika muses. That's when you draw your attention back to her. "I didn't know you liked cars so much."

She's gazing at you with the smallest form of a smirk on her face. You want to wipe it off; you feel vulnerable somehow. Exposed.

Your blink wordlessly, breath shallowing and palms clamming up. 

How is she so infuriatingly good looking? 

Then, as if you've suddenly become aware of everything else about her, you're taking the rest of her body into account. Her bulging biceps are flexed due to the moving box in her arms. Small beads of sweat collect at the base of her neck…some sliding into the dips of her collarbones. Her hair is pulled into a low bun, highlighting the clenching of her jaw as she chews her gum; minty breath wafting towards you. Your stomach dips. 

“Shut up,” You mutter.

Her grin widens. She laughs. You struggle to suppress one yourself. 

She doesn't say anything else.

You stand awkwardly by her truck as she turns to walk into the apartment. 

A part of you doesn't know what to make of this. Here you are, moving a woman that you've just met into your apartment, with no idea of how this will turn out.

You feel like you're floundering through life. Surely, everyone else your age is settled down with a family and a secure living environment—not stressing over the prospect of a new roommate. This situation feels too…juvenile. It would make sense for a younger version of yourself to be facing roommate insecurity. It would make sense for your younger self to grow uncharacteristically flustered and perturbed around someone like Sevika.

But not now. No—certainly not now.

The sound of Sevika’s footsteps pull you from your reverie. When you glance in her direction, the first thing you notice is the quirk of her eyebrows. You shift your weight, wringing your hands as you work up the courage to say, “I can help,” You clear your throat. “If you want.”

She’s in the middle of grabbing another box from her car but stops mid-reach from the sound of your offer. She cranes her neck, lines appearing in her forehead as she mutters, “I’m good.”

You take offense to that. Does she think you're weak? That you're not strong enough to carry a few stupid boxes? Or worse—has she already found a reason to dislike you?

Goosebumps trail up your back.

“I’m strong enough, you know.” You find yourself tilting your chin up defiantly. 

“Is that so?”

“I may not be ripped like you,” You fold your arms across your chest and you hear a snort. A fucking snort! “But I don't do pilates for nothing."

That's when she stands upright, two stacked boxes now in her arms. She manages to rest them on her left hip, closing the back door in one swift motion.

"Yeah?" Then she’s tilting her head slightly, appraising you with an expression that nearly sets you on fire. "You think I'm strong?"

The world around you spins and you're nearly knocked off balance.

There's a part of your spirit that uncurls. Heat plants a seed in your gut then burns, burns, burns.

Perspiration has gathered at the base of your neck, and one bead of sweat drips down the slope of your spine. Then another. You're scowling at her, a reaction that she seems to enjoy, when you feel the drip of one more.

She takes your silence without question. Her irises trail down to your crossed arms then back up to your face before continuing. “You don't have to lift a single one of those pretty fingers for me.” Then you feel her warmth—her touch—at the tip of your chin. It's a small brush with her index finger, yet strong enough to tilt your head before she's pulling away. Then she's grabbing the boxes with both of her hands, snickering under her breath while adding, “But since you seem like the adamant type—be my guest, darling.”

Your legs tremble when she brushes past you.

For the rest of the evening, you allow her to settle into the apartment without your help.

“Sevika?” Your voice is scratchy from lack of use. “Can you help me?”

You're frustrated because you can't find your favorite mug. The entire kitchen is spotless—a sort of clean you haven't seen in ages. You're grateful for Sevika—truly, you are. But due to how organized it all is, you now have difficulty locating everything. The way she cleans and sorts through the apartment is completely different from your way. 

Irritated, you call her name again. But no answer.

You know that she’s in her room because her door is closed. It’s only been a few days since she’s moved in but you’ve started to notice that she likes to leave it open when she's not in there. 

You sigh, storming to her room. You have a taste for tea, something you've been craving all morning. And now that you've finally finished your work, you’d been so excited to drink it. 

But now you're completely turned about by the state of the kitchen. Nothing is where you usually keep it.

“Sevika!” You practically bark, voice growing thin. “Are you awake?”

You're about to knock on her door—a disturbance that would surely wake her if she's in a deep slumber—but then it flies open. And there she stands, wearing a pair of boxers and a tank top. She appears to have just showered, hair seemingly damp and towel in her hand. That familiar woodsy scent of hers hits you like a tide wave, but this time it’s tenfold stronger than what it usually is.

“Is there a reason why you're shouting my name at 10 AM?”

You swallow thickly. Your mouth has suddenly become dry. “I can't find the mugs.”

Sevika blinks slowly then mutters, “What?”

“The mugs. They're a type of cup, cylindrical in size? Often used to drink things like coffee, tea, hot ch-”

“They're in the cupboard by the refrigerator.”

“...”

“...”

Your eyebrows furrow. “Why are they in there? I’ve never put them there before.”

“You could barely reach the cupboard they were originally in—”

“That's why I have a stepping stool!”

“So I figured it would be easier if they were moved to one that's more accessible for you. I told you about this Tuesday. Do you not remember?”

“...You never told me that.”

“Yes,” Her jaw grinds. “I did. You were talking to Mel on facetime and nearly ate shit when grabbing that awfully gaudy mug you like,” Oh. “So I told you that I would move it to the cupboard by the refrigerator,” Oh. “And you looked me right in the eye, smiled and said you thought that was a great idea.” Fuck. “...Do you not remember that?”

That’s right.

You did say that.

Your heartbeat skips from the piercing silence.

God, she's going to think you're crazy now.

Sevika sighs. 

Shoving down a mountain of guilt, you shift your weight, “I’m sorry. I don't think I actually processed that conversation when it happened.”

She isn't quick to reply, and you're not sure where to go from there. So you add, “Um, would you like some tea?”

As a peace offering, you make Sevika a cup of tea the next morning too.

The third day is when you have to go back to work, so you force yourself awake earlier than you want. There's still a small chip of guilt weighing on your shoulders that morning, so you fix Sevika a cup of tea again.

You also do it for that following morning because it's Saturday. Who wouldn't want tea on Saturday?

Sunday is a lazy day for Sevika. But somehow she's already in the kitchen when you stumble in at a harrowing 8am. She's waiting for the toaster oven to sound when you pull two mugs out of the cupboard. Even after the appliance dings, she lingers with you in the kitchen, silently eating her toast while you prepare the kettle. Ten minutes later, she’s drinking her tea while her elbows lean against the island counter. 

You hold onto your mug tightly and listen to the chirping of the birds in the distance. The only other sound that is audible are her even breaths. 

You don't know how you've settled into such a routine after 8 days of living with her. But somehow, standing in the middle of the kitchen together with nothing but comfortable silence, you think that you’ve found the oasis of serenity.

#au writing #piscespetals writing #fanfic #sevika #sevika x reader #arcane au #arcane netflix #fluff #arcane women #divorced!sevika #sevika x y/n #sevika pls marry me #sevika x you #roommate!sevika

[dapper-lil-arts]

So uh. My freelance work here is kind of dying.

I thought i'd keep my long-term followers on the know-how, so i might as well write about my current circumstances here, give y'all an update, so to speak.

So, for several reasons, most of them not even my fault, i've been getting less and less commissions, almost none, actually, and the ones i get are usualy on the cheaper side, which is bad concidering that this is my livelihood, commission money pays my bills, my groceries, and my taxes, and now i sure as hell am strugling to imagine this will sustain me for long. Twitter is a sinking ship ever since elon went over, Specificaly for people like me. I had just broken into 12k followers there, a huge milestone for me, and then i got shadowbanned, and for the last few months i've gotten *nothing*. It's completely dead, i'm stagnated there, all my arts are censored, and there's no way for me to undo it or fix it, and so i've gotten less and less comms out there, which sucks because its the only reason i was even on that stupid site. Here on tumblr, meanwhile, the CEO went on a massive transphobic streak, and a lot of lgbt folk (which composed a lot of my following,) decided to jump ship, and i sure as hell dont blame them, but sadly that's more potential costumers that bailed, and there's no proper website to go to. Anywhere i'd go, i'd be starting from scratch again, which would be utterly disheartening and frustrating, and there no website that is kind to artists, with no algorythim, that also have a messaging system (the latter being ESSENTIAL to the way i do comms) So i'm kind of stuck. I just. have nowhere to go, and nothing to do. And last but not least, my own fault, I've just been drawing and creating what *I* specificaly want, on an hedonistic streak this year. That's why theres so much pony bs on this blog now, and why i was straight up posting poetry a while back, and have written hundreds upon hundreds of fanfiction pages in the last few months; Which, unfortunately, is a terrible business decision if your intent is making money. Which I surely should have prioritized, but in the end, its not up to me, its up to the costumers... So now i'm a bit stuck. I've enjoyed the things ive drawn and written more than anything i've ever done, and yet, i've never been less successful on the actual business side. I'm still considering my venues, my possibilities, but there's not many. Trying to get a job would certainly pull me away from creation, and i'd hate it regardless of what it was, and on another venue, theres no guarantee that going back to furry titties would bring me money.

and that's whats heartbreaking about it too. no matter how much effort i put on my work, theres no guarantee of sucess, so why even spend time trying to craft a masterpiece? why not just follow trends and make a tiktok account or whatever the fuck makes money these days. I'd rather not, frankly. And i wont. Well, that's about it. Thanks for reading this update, that's how my life is goin atm. i'm going to continue doing as i am right now, but yknow... I'm not sure what i should do, if you want to give me suggestions, feel free.

#Also sorry for not streaming lately #my throats like. DESTROYED with a small cold #I sound like a chain smoker atm #Also this poll will not affect my decisions in the slightest #i just thought it was funny

[i-cant-even-function]

Delivery for Enid Sinclair

A little 2am fic I threw together based on a very sparse prompt from my girlfriend. I don't know proper formatting etiquette on Tumblr so I hope this works out.

Spoilers for Wednesday (2022). Like, right off the bat. Don't even read the second sentence if you haven't finished it yet. Seriously.

Summary: Enid is worried Wednesday left for summer break already, but Wednesday has just been busy.

Word count: 1954

minor divergence from canon where they stayed for the rest of the school year, I guess

~~~~~~~~

Honestly, Enid was glad the school year was over. After a disastrous and taxing rollercoaster of a social life followed immediately by a centuries old white supremacist returning from the dead thirsting for genocide and a violent transition into her own as a fully fledged werewolf only to immediately fight for her life against a rampaging Hyde, she was ready for some relative peace and quiet on the sunny beaches of California. She was excited to return to her brightly furnished room at home with the rest of her stuffed animal collection, see her youngest siblings, and soak in the sweet summer rays while exploring the ever changing streets of her hometown, but the cons weighed heavily on her as well. Being home meant being unable to avoid the increasing expectations of her family (No mom, i'm not competing in the werewolf games at the family picnic. Because I don't enjoy rolling around in the mud and ripping the heads off wild animals, that's why), being away from her motley crew of friends, and…well, not being able to see her for an entire summer.

Enid looked around her attic double. Her side of the room was still, frankly, a wreck. It seemed that no matter how much she stuffed into her steamer trunks, there was another stack of jackets or an unreasonably warm quilt to pack away. Wednesday’s side of the room was, in all ways, the opposite. Her luggage was uniformly stacked by her bed, as neat and composed as she was. Where Enid’s side was still draped with every color of the rainbow, Wednesday’s sparse, monochromatic decorations were cleared from every surface she had deemed worthy of their placement. Enid hadn’t even seen her pack. It seemed as if overnight her roommate simply evaporated, leaving only a few trunks and boxes as condensation. Even Thing was noticeably absent. Though she hadn’t caught onto this being the reason why, Enid’s departure from Nevermore was considerably hampered by the distress of Wednesday possibly leaving without saying goodbye. Had she already been picked up, leaving her things to be collected by her odd, zombie-esq butler ? Sure, she had slept in till 11, but after all they’d been through this year Enid thought she meant a little more to her misanthropic roommate.

“I don’t even know if she wants to fill out next year’s housing form together…” She muttered sadly to a stuffed unicorn, holding it by its little chubby cheeks.

“It’s okay Enid” She said in a ridiculous voice, bouncing the doll around as if alive. “You know how she is. I bet she left you a trail of clues to solve that will spell out how she feels about you in no unclear terms”

She scoffed, packing the unicorn away. ‘No unclear terms’ was clearly a sin in the Addams’ household. Wednesday’s vernacular was strictly Victorian-era serial killer. Everything she said was a cutting remark, a blade made of dictionary definitions and honed with 16 years of sarcasm. She had seen teachers and peers alike grow increasingly frustrated while verbally fencing with her, and as someone who valued honesty, as someone who valued kindness, as someone who valued integrity…

…well, she was unwittingly enamored by it. When she had looked up “indelible” in the dictionary, she spent that whole night staring at the ceiling, listening to Wednesday’s nearly imperceptible breathing, thinking about it. Thinking about her. The mark you have left on me is indelible. God, she couldn’t have dreamed of better poetry.

Which is perhaps why she felt so miserable that she was missing. That and the fact that if she didn’t see Wednesday soon, they wouldn’t see each other for months. Wednesday didn’t even have a phone, so they wouldn’t be able to text or call or facetime, and Enid wouldn’t be able to stalk her on Instagram or anything !

She uses her typewriter a lot though. You could send each other letters, sealed with wax and a kiss, like sappho and her friend~

Enid shook her head, clearing the blush she felt rising to her cheeks and stuffing some skirts and leggings into her already cramped trunks. It would probably fit better if she folded them, but she was in no mood, dammit !

She had fully dismantled her decorations and almost finished packing the last of her clothes when she heard the door open and quickly shut behind her. She whipped around and was quite surprised to see no one there until her eyes drifted down and she spotted Thing tapping happily on the floorboards.

“Oh. My. GOD.” She squealed at the sight of him. He was wearing the cutest little delivery man hat, perfectly adorned on his wrist-stump, and had several silver rings on his fingers. Around his…neck ? I guess…was a small card on a gold ribbon. Enid got down low on her haunches as he scampered up to her, tapping out his message.

“A delivery ? for me ??” Enid could barely contain her delight at the little man’s cute outfit, but brought herself to her senses when he (with great difficulty) tapped the card tied to him. She carefully removed it and flipped it over.

To Enid Sinclair: May these flowers remind you of the death and destruction we caused together as they wilt and die despite whatever futile attempts are made to preserve them.

-Wednesday Friday Addams

“Flowers !?” Enid scanned around eagerly for Thing’s delivery, but he tapped furiously on the ground to reclaim her attention and pointed at the door. She could barely contain herself as she rushed across the room and yanked open the door, expecting a little arrangement placed on the ground. Instead, she found herself looking at a very familiar pair of black platforms. She followed them up until they all but disappeared behind an enormous vase filled with a carefully crafted bouquet. Alternating black and white flowers of a species which she could not name encircled a marvelous center of pink roses. Hidden behind the spectacle came a beautifully monotone voice.

“We would have been more timely, but Thing insisted on getting dressed up.”

Enid was visibly shaking. She carefully took the vase from the pale hands that carried it, revealing Wednesday Addams, looking anywhere except for at Enid. She was speechless as she stepped to the side, allowing her thematic opposite to enter the room. They stood like that, a few feet apart in silence, for several agonizing seconds. Finally, Wednesday looked up from the floor.

“You are crying. Why ? I thought you liked…stuff like this.”

Enid shook her head, setting down the flowers and wiping the long sleeves of her thneed-like sweater across her eyes.

“I do, I do, I swear, I just…” She petered out with a sniffle, overcome with a slurry of emotions. 

Wednesday Addams hadn’t left her behind. In fact, she got Enid a present. Not only did she get her a present, she got her a present she thought Enid would like. Not only did she think Enid would like it, it was a beautiful bouquet of subtext laden flowers. Enid felt like she was going to explode.

“I can get different ones, I'm sure the florist is still suitably threatened. I can be back within the hour. Don’t leave.”

Wednesday turned on her heel for the door, but Enid caught her wrist as she reached for the knob.

“No ! No please, just let me get my shit together. I…I love them so much, you don’t even know.” She let out a wet laugh, getting choked up on the last several months of pining. Wednesday looked up down at the hand holding her wrist, then up at the blonde. Her eyes were impossible to meet, but Enid did it anyway. They were absolutely gorgeous, and she could swear that she could see the cogs turning in Wednesday’s head as she tried to navigate such a deeply human interaction.

“Would…would it, perchance, be helpful, if…” Wednesday let out a little sigh, steeling herself. “Would you. Like a hug. From me.”

Enid nodded furiously, nearly bursting out in tears once more. She literally couldn't even as she draped her arms around the shorter girl’s shoulders and squeezed. Wednesday was stiff in her embrace, her arms awkwardly placed around Enid’s back, but she relaxed as the hug lengthened. Enid could feel Wednesday press her face into her chest, resting her forehead on Enid’s shoulder, and those pale hands found purchase in the fuzzy pink sweater. This time, there was no blood. No open wounds from knives or claws. No adrenaline from defying death. No spectating masses. Just them.

“Okay that’s enough.”

They separated, Enid taking a respectful step back, but found that Wednesday had let her hand retain its grip on Enid’s. 

“Thank you Wednesday, this really means a lot to me.”

Wednesday looked uncomfortable, looking at the ground once more, scanning for something to focus on. Enid could only look at her with the softest of smiles.

“You…don’t have to hold my hand if you don’t want to. I’m okay, really, just moved.”

“No.” Wednesday said stiffly. “I want to want this. This is both research and experimentation, and I’ve already procrastinated it long enough, so this is what we’re doing. For now.”

Enid couldn’t help but laugh at her determination. Her hand was honestly cold and a little clammy, but it was a nice, sincere sort of clammy.

“Well I like it. A lot, actually. But there’s no rush, yaknow. We could just sorta take it slow, see what works ?”

Wednesday took a step forward, leashing Enid closer with what quickly became an iron grip. It felt like Enid blinked and Wednesday had closed the gap between them, looking up at her with those stupid, beautiful, inquiring eyes. They were scanning her, reading every inch of Enid’s face as she quickly became a bright red. With her other hand, Wednesday reached up and traced the scars on her face from her fight with the Hyde. The fight to protect her.

“Right. Slow.”

Enid was going to faint. She had gone from believing she was but a memory Wednesday had left behind to kissing her softly in the room they had shared all year. It felt as though the clouds had parted and a beam of celestial light was shining on them through the spider webbed window at the other end of the room. Time stood still, not daring to interrupt the inscrutable Wednesday Addams as she explored this unknown territory, and yet it was still over too soon.

“Interesting.” She said as she came down off her tiptoes. Enid was downright woozy as Wednesday no longer anchored her to the spot.

“Jeepers…” She said dreamily. After kissing someone who regularly used chapstick, it made sense why her kisses with Ajax had needed so much extra spice. She regained her footing, if not her composure, and addressed the Addams.

“So, does this mean- HEY” 

Wednesday was writing something down in a black leather notebook. Enid planted her fists firmly on her hips, taking on a scolding tone that was a little too much like her mothers.

“Are you taking NOTES !? Do NOT tell me this was just for your book !”

Wednesday snapped the notebook shut, wrapping the elastic around it to keep it closed.

“Of course I'm taking notes. What part of research and experimentation was unclear. And it’s obviously not for my book, Viper would never be so easily distracted by a love interest.”

Enid was about to fire back a retort, but something tripped her up.

“Love interest ?”

Wednesday nodded and took a slip of paper from her pocket. She held it out to Enid, revealing her new phone number.

“If that is what you would like to be.”

#oh my god they were roommates #AO3 please accept my submission for an account #wenclair #wednesday x enid #wednesday #wednesday addams #wednesday netflix #fluff #wenclair fluff #wenclair fic #fanfiction

[thewales]

The Telegraph.

MPs laud Princess of Wales's 'crucial' early years campaigning

Politicians will this week launch an inquiry into early years education examining the quality and affordability of childcare.

The Princess of Wales's work highlighting the early years of childhood has been praised as MPs prepare to launch an inquiry into the state of childcare.

The education select committee will this week announce an inquiry into early years education, which will examine the quality and affordability of childcare.

It comes after the Princess recently wrote for The Telegraph saying "not enough is being done" to nurture the next generation.

She vowed to "shine a light on this issue and to do everything I can to secure much greater focus on those first crucial few years for the youngest members of our society".

The Princess has undertaken a series of campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood, with a regular programme of engagements designed to boost the sector.

'Crucially important'

Robin Walker, the chair of the education committee, told The Telegraph that her involvement was "extremely welcome".

"The work that the Princess has been doing to raise the esteem and the recognition of the sector is actually crucially important," he said.

"[The sector] has an intrinsic value - it does an enormous amount of good for society, and making sure that we can celebrate that and recognise it is important."

He added: "One of the valuable things that the Royal family are able to do in the UK is draw attention to cross-cutting issues like this in a non-political way, but also to recognise the incredible work that goes on across the sector... it is extremely welcome that she has taken that interest."

Mr Walker, who took over as chairman of the education committee last month, said the need for an inquiry had gained extra urgency because of the "post-Covid environment" and the "concern around the school readiness and the social challenges that children have had in terms of living in isolated homes".

The inquiry will look at the "coherence" of the current childcare system, including the fact that parents are currently missing out on billions of unclaimed tax-free childcare.

It will explore how the lack of affordable childcare prevents many mothers from returning to work even though they would like to.

"With the right support and the right investment from Government, there is a hope for helping many more of those people to work effectively," Mr Walker said.

Recruitment and retention of early years professionals will be another focus.

"Even though the Government doesn't run the sector in the same way as it does for primary and secondary education, I think there’s a very strong case for more to be done around workforce planning, retention, and raising the esteem of the early years professionals who work in the childcare, early years and nursery sector," Mr Walker said.

"I speak to nurseries, they will complain about losing staff to supermarkets and to other areas."

'Save a fortune'

The Princess has previously spoken about how problems such as homelessness, addiction and mental poor health are often grounded in a difficult childhood, and Mr Walker agreed that strengthening early years provision could deliver substantial long term savings.

"Making sure that we have support for the right therapies that can help for instance children with speech and language difficulties... if you can find those right supports and bring them in early enough, you actually save a fortune for the education system in the long run," he said.

"As a country, if we look at ourselves in comparison to many others, we have an earlier school starting age than many countries, and yet the overall outcomes don’t seem to be significantly better or different from doing that."

He added: "I don’t think we can necessarily look to the school system for the whole solution to that. I think we need to look beyond it, and again that’s why I think a focus on the early years, a focus on affordable and effective childcare, is really important."

#duchess of cambridge #The Princess of Wales

[boyakishantrinity]

Criminal delegate: Good morning.

Alien Delegate: *staring at the human sitting on their chair sipping tea* ... It's afternoon.

CD: ... So it is. Do you know who I am?

AD: ... An intruder on a delegate for-

CD: *waving their comment off* a bunch of important people way up there. Yes, I am aware of what I literally am in this situation. But, do you know who I represent?

AD: ... A fool who has- *reaches for hidden laser gun*

CD: *flings a button into their hand, leaving a bruise* You sir, are writing a report on the current state-

AD: *snaps close their laptop*

CD: ... Are you aware I didn't know entirely?

AD: *slowly realising their mistake*

CD: ... And you've all but confirmed what was an unconfirmed guess on my part?

AD: ... And what do you want?

CD: the same as your predecessor would ask. I am a representative of a large faction who keeps the criminal underground together.

AD: *silent, betweens scowling and spitting words out* And why-

CD: If you wish to get off this planet alive and unharmed, I suggest you at the very least listen and transmit my terms.

AD: ... *Scoff laughing* you think-

CD: *snaps fingers. Lasers appear over their chest.* I think it's be wise to at least hear me out, I'd hate to bloody this suit.

AD: ... You're joking.

CD: I'm not, my wife sew this by hand. I'd very much prefer not to get it stained, now. Would you like a seat? *Waves hand to seat beside them, tea set for them.*

AD: ... You threaten me-

CD: I would like you to consider what kind of clientele I must co-ordinate and communicate with. It's practically standard protocol to show how well organised and powerful you are.

AD: *practically foaming at the mouth* You think that threatening-

CD: They have mining bases up there, right?

AD: *freezes*... Yes?

CD: What would it be like, if a mine inspection by your organisation occured and not only did they fail to show their equipment, safety. State and general affairs, were drunk, disorderly and unprofessional?

AD: ... It'd be highly out of order, now-

CD: *cutting over them* Now. WE are a criminal organisation that organises anything from a local smuggling ring-

AD: You-

CD: *louder* WHICH MEANS, for instance. An illegal shifting of goods for birthdays, rapid legal drug and other dangerous goods transport. We deal with the messy part of society, you have everything clean.

AD: *silent, staring at the teacup* ... And why does that matter-

CD: *sigh* Notice how I have raised no hands to you, only shone the light of a sniper rifle as a proof I have the capacity to end you if this were to get... Messy. Think about the higher end clientele, what do you think would happen if we didn't have that protocol?

AD: *scowling and silent*

CD: and what would happen if we weren't here?

AD: ... If you're trying to convince me-

CD: We're not. We are only here because, like any other company, there is profit to be made doing this. Sure, we may be staffed, deal with and clean up the scum of society. But would you rather devils with standards, or devils with ideals?

AD: ... What's the difference you're all criminals.

CD: ... A young adolescent stealing something to impress a girl is far different from a man who ransoms shipping lines. If we weren't here, those kinds of things would happen randomly. Uncoordinated, resulting in millions of deaths that could be prevented.

AD: ... Is that meant to be some kind of argument?

CD: no. It's a sales pitch. Our, associates. They will be moving to, clean up your operations. We are merely an independent branch working to maintain the peace of normal society.

AD: ... And your terms?

CD: Nothing, we may pay a tax, you may hire our services and any issue raised by our operation, if it is our fault. We will pay in full, with all interest up front. In return, you may only interfere where necessary.

AD: ... And?

CD: If you refuse, very well. We will do our work without communication to you, unless you come to request it. We will provide no hints, no details. You will be treated as a hostile government and will need to earn our trust.

AD: ... So-

CD: Not bribery. Cooperation. We inform you of what we can do, if crime were truly as unnecessary as your people believe, then we shall cease to exist as society continues. However, we have existed within society as this operation for the last ten thousand or so years.

AD: ... And I am to accept these terms?

CD: *Shakes head* No. You are to hear us out, our explanation and decide where to go next. If you wish for a cooperative relationship, we offer you it now. Good day.

AD: ... That's it?

CD: *Folds files into backpack* ... Yes.

AD: You forgot-

CD: That is for you. Good day fine sir. *Leaves*

#tag #humans are space orcs #writing #idk #artists on tumblr #writing on tumblr #write

[janedoewrites]

Did you self-publish? If yes, what was it like? Any advise for writers looking to publish?

I did self-publish, yes.

How I Did It

It was easier than I thought it'd be, at least, the way I approached it. Caveat that I went through KDP (i.e. Amazon) for a number of reasons that basically came down to a) ease of publishing b) availability of hard copies c) the shipping of hard copies on a global scale (not all countries are available but it's a decent amount) d) it's a place people often go to for books period e) the cost of publishing (the way it works is that print is done "on-demand" it's slower but I don't have to pay out of pocket for X print copies that I then have to sell to make the money back). f) fairly good royalties g) the general terms and conditions and 'ownership' of my material.

There are downsides in that it's through Amazon, whom nobody likes, and that there's return shenanigans in that if I get money from a purchase and if someone chooses to then return the book then that money gets taken away from me personally. (This has gotten better, recently, with ebook purchases as now if a reader reads past a certain percentage they're considered as having 'bought' it where before a lot of people treated it like a library and didn't realize it was the author they were fucking over and not Amazon who makes sure they're not the ones taking the cut).

And look, to those who want to give me flack, we live in a society and people buy books on Amazon. Them's the breaks.

There are other ways to self-publish and platforms you can pay to be a part of where they'll work to not only get you listed on Amazon but bookstores such as Barnes and Noble but it's a little more complicated/does cost some amount to do.

What Was it Like

It's a fairly simple process through KDP at least. What you do is set up an account with tax information/agree to terms of service/so on and so forth. You can then manage your books through a profile and the manuscripts you can write in pre-provided document templates that have the print structure for whatever size book you want to write (e.g. 6"x9").

When you're finished and have your page count in the formatted text, you go and see what size covers are required for hard copies (if you're interested) and can either use stock images to generate covers or else cover images that you own (e.g. you do it yourself or commission it as a book cover by an artist). For e-books they give specifications on the quality your cover should be for the best resolution/results.

You then submit your manuscript/cover art for copyright review, get an ISBN (KDP provides this for free for hard copies if you use them), and decide on digital rights management, promotion options, and pricing structure (where you're told up front the cost of printing/the amount you get after KDP's cut of the royalties).

It sits in reviews for up to 72 hours and provided all goes well you're then live, you get an author page and links to your works, and you can distribute how you want/tell the world to buy your book.

In other words, it was stupid easy.

Should You Self-Publish

There are pros and cons to self-publishing vs. publishing in general.

One great pro is nobody tells you what to do and so long as you follow terms of service (which hopefully you do as it's things like: don't write about the glorification of violence, glorification of sexual violence, so on and so forth) you can publish what you like without having to necessarily be 'marketable'.

Remember that published books are intended to sell and they generally either target extremely niche markets in a very deep way or else try to cast a very wide net with a book everyone can enjoy. One thing you'll see a lot of if you go the publishing route is "I as an agent enjoy unique stories. Now, tell me at least five books that are exactly like yours that were published in the last five years." There are exceptions, but it's generally not a field that likes risk or shaking the boat. They want to be able to sell books.

Another great pro is you're depending only on yourself. You can publish the book as soon as you're finished editing without having to convince someone else it's great stuff.

And of course, there's the pro that you don't have to get an agent or publisher to say yes. The way it typically works is if you want the big or prestigious publishers, you have to have an agent and that agent usually has to have some in roads with that publisher. Which means you have to submit a few pages of a manuscript/a summary and other things to them and hope they get back to you on that. This can be very time consuming (as they generally allow a window of 4-6 weeks) and annoying.

The cons is that you have to market yourself and you don't have the leg up that publishing would otherwise get you (where you are associated with whatever books they already have published just by being published by them, they may or may not run marketing campaigns and advertising for your material, and they can get your books distributed on a much wider scale). What this means is that if you don't have a large-ish platform already and care about sales/intend to make a living on this then you're going to have a very rough time getting a foot up.

The other part of this is that obviously you don't get a forward/amount of money before any books are sold as you otherwise might with a publishing agency. You only get the royalties you earn through sales.

Any Advice?

The self-publishing bit is easy enough that the hardest part is the writing and the editing. Obviously, I haven't gotten far in at this point, and I'm also not all that concerned about sales (I have no intentions of quitting my day job and becoming an auteur any time soon) so I'm perhaps not the person to ask at this point in time.

If you go Amazon worth thinking about is if you want to go the Kindle Unlimited route or not. I haven't as of yet, because I'm not feeling the burn for promotion.

What it is for those not familiar is that Amazon will market your book much more internally (e.g. that stuff that pops up on your kindle when you turn it on), run sales and promotions on it, but your ebook version can be read for free/lent to others for free with you getting a small amount of money depending how far readers make it into the book. The idea being that as you reach a much larger audience, you get more money than you otherwise would have. It's a good way to market if you have no platform/following already and a good way to proliferate the book but you lose out on people actually buying it.

#amazon #kindle unlimited #kdp #publishing #self publishing

[bees-with-swords]

It is really really frustrating to put up with systemic issues about air pollution and fire season for OVER A DECADE, and now that the east coast of the US is dealing with smoke problems it's getting the kind of analysis and publicity in the media that I've been screaming myself hoarse for since I was seven years old. It's like Australia and California don't matter nearly as much to global media as New York does. It feels extremely shitty, like my house burned down and my family was displaced and a member of my community died, but right now wildfires are getting more attention than ever before because the east coast is getting just a slice of what we've been dealing with for years.

I just feel so much envy over the outpouring of awareness, love, and support, that I never received when exposed to air quality issues OR displacement. I've lost my childhood home, my community. The fire station we paid taxes for sent their engines to a wealthy neighbourhood 15 miles away---a neighbourhood that had opted, several years earlier, to get rid of their own fire station. The fire service didn't warn our neighbours on the private roads about the fire. Some barely made it out alive. One died. Because of the lack of warning, hundreds of pets and livestock couldn't be evacuated and burned alive. The very hills I grew up on were badly damaged by corporate policies after the fire, cutting down trees and causing massive erosion.

And all of that, all of that trauma that has left our community irreparably splintered, started out with small things. Like going outside and smelling smoke. So when the memes come in (the memes that have been made before but largely ignored by folks on the east coast) and the air quality control tips (turn on your shower, increase humidity, leave out trays of water), I can't help but feel... Lost? Is history repeating itself because folks truly didn't understand what we've been going through over here? Or because nobody cared? Does the Canadian government sincerely think they can allow campfires this late in the year?

Has nobody learned from us? My house burned down, my family is living with trauma and my parents are forced into an abusive living situation and the hills I grew up on are scarred from decades of fire suppression, and nobody learned from that? Why did it happen, then? Why is nobody from the East studying it, to make sure nobody over there goes through that? Why aren't Easterners talking about fireproof housing and controlled burns and living with fire rather than against it? Were you not watching us burn? Were you not learning from our baby steps? Why are you repeating our history?

People are asking such basic questions like 'how do I keep my air clean' and 'why do we have so much fire suddenly' instead of 'how do I install metal shutters on my home' and 'how do we eradicate settler-colonialism from our ideas about forest management?' and 'how do I support fire and climate refugees?'

It feels like I've returned from the war just to watch a dozen fresh faced recruits march off eagerly. Was nobody watching? Did nobody care, did nobody learn? If people won't seek out information until the smoke is in their lungs, how am I supposed to feel any hope? I don't want my job to be endlessly educating people who don't have a reason to care yet. I would have thought you cared already. I would have thought we'd be further along.

Please do research. I don't have the energy to educate people right now, I did it for years and years but so few people listened. Go look up something about TEK and controlled burns and fire suppression and old growth forests. There's lots of material you've probably never looked at. I know it can be hard to care about what goes on in other parts of the world, but now it's affecting you. You need to know the basics of what's wrong with our system, you need to know whether fire suppression may have long term implications for your area, you need to know how to do your part in local politics, and you need to know how to help the people who are affected.

After our house burned down I got a quilt. Pajaro Valley Quilt Association made quilts for fire victims, and my mom grabbed me the nicest one they had. You have to understand, I didn't have any nice things at that point. Most of my most precious possessions didn't make it out of the fire. But I have this quilt, because the community came together and gave me one nice thing that I'll be able to keep for the next generation. We need more of that. We need people to pour out love and make donations and send cards and do anything, anything, just to make someone feel less bad on the worst day of their life. If you want to help, that's how.

I didn't get any quilts from the east coast. It feels like everyone stopped caring after the first few years of fires and drought. It became old news.

But it's still real here, it's still exhausting, and it could be you too unless we all get on the same page.

#vent #it is really really bad over there! I have a lot of sympathy! #but I feel like there's also a systemic issue with west coast issues recieving a lot less press because we have a much more rural populatio #pet death

[phlve]

Si as a base (1st) function (SEI and SLI)

A strong ability to recognize internal physical states in themselves and others, to understand how these states are reached, and to recreate and avoid these physical states.

Individuals who possess Si as a base function are drawn to situations that satisfy their inner physical experience. Whenever Si base function individuals are taking part in something that involves recognizing, recreating, or analyzing physical states, they feel a great deal of personal power and enthusiasm.

The avoidance of discomfort is one of the primary motivations of these types. Feelings of internal discomfort can arise from a tense psychological atmosphere, working too hard and sapping the body’s resources, being pressured by other people or by numerous “things to do,” and from unsatiated or oversatiated physical needs. These types tend to quickly recognize and be quite vocal about discomfort that arises and either take clever measures to dissipate it or simply get out of whatever is bothering them. They are very receptive to other people sharing feelings of discomfort with them and can help alleviate the tension and offer good solutions.

Si leading types are constantly adjusting themselves to their environment (which includes the people around them), and rarely have any fixed ideas about what is “appropriate” to desire in a given situation. Thus they are willing to accommodate other people’s needs in an ad hoc manner. It is enough for something to “feel right” for them to justify doing it. This behavior may seem random to outside observers, since it is concomitant with weak Ni.

Si as a creative (2nd) function (ESE and LSE)

The individual is naturally good at organizing relaxing activities and recreation and making sure people are calm and enjoying themselves, but displays this behavior and skill when he sees a specific need for it rather than doing it automatically, all the time. The individual does not place emphasis on being calm and balanced all the time, as opposed to those with Si as a leading function.

The individual is attuned to people’s tastes and personal preferences and likes to do things for or give things to friends and family members that will cause them to enjoy themselves and gain pleasure. For example, creating a comfortable, clean, and spacious setting in the home, taking them out to do something they enjoy, or finding opportunities and people with whom they can pursue their hobbies.

Si as a role (3rd) function (IEI and ILI)

The individual dislikes it when others emphasize the need for relaxation, enjoyment, and activities that are supposed to bring these about, because what they need internally is just the opposite — a need for action and resolve. Rather than spend their time trying to “listen to what their body is telling them,” they need to have clear external demands that are able to overcome their sense of uncertainty and hesitation.

Si as a vulnerable (4th) function (EIE and LIE)

Individuals who possess introverted sensing as a 4th function tend to be negligent to the effects of Si and have the view that Si aspects are of less importance than others for achieving their goals. They put a low priority on the physical, short-distance, here-and-now in relation to longer-distance and longer-term considerations. A typical manifestation is a lack of concern for small aesthetic details, since a greater focus is given on the opinion that, in the longer term, taking care of them is a never-ending exercise. This is also manifested in a relative lack of awareness of the immediate surroundings, as in noticing where objects may be if you don’t have to deal with them particularly, and of your own physical sensations.

A lack of concern for small aesthetic details is more visible in the LIE; in the case of the EIE, the low focus on Si is more noticeable as a dislike for low-level practical details, such as filling up forms, signing documents, or filling tax returns.

Due to individuals who possess introverted sensing as a 4th function believing that Si aspects are of less importance, they tend to be thrown off course by unthought of, new or neglected Si matters.

Si as a suggestive (5th) function (ILE and IEE)

The individual tends to be chronically unaware of his own bodily processes, including physiological sensations and a sense of balance and alignment with one’s true desires. He sometimes has peculiar preferences or tastes, which he himself is unable to understand or fulfill.

The individual almost never emphasizes his attractiveness or sexuality overtly and publicly, but dreams of being pleasing to the senses to at least a small circle of trusted friends and partners who are able to develop and enhance his sexuality and attractiveness in a trusting atmosphere.

Si as a mobilizing (6th) function (LII and EII)

The individual has difficulty producing pleasurable sensory experiences for others and for himself, but likes to talk about pleasure, enjoyment, and relaxation, hoping that someone nearby will take the hint and take the lead.

The individual tends to periodically get wound up and uptight and is generally unable to resolve these sensations himself. He needs someone to help him relax and take an internal look at whether he actually needs or enjoys what he is doing, and what might be the source of the tension that has built up.

He can tend to extremes in this area, either depriving or indulging the senses to an unhealthy extent.

Si as an ignoring (7th) function (SLE and SEE)

The individual is perfectly adept at evaluating his physical state and the quality of his sensations, but gives priority to the external act of experiencing and interacting with the world. He gets impatient with those who stubbornly focus on harmony and equilibrium when there are things to be done in the outside world. According to these types, the exploration of the sensations is something that should be done in private on one’s own time, but in public people should be ready to interact, get involved, and command situations without having to weigh out everything first.

Si as a demonstrative (8th) function (LSI and ESI)

The individual is confident of his ability to recognize and evaluate the physical condition and well-being of himself and others, aesthetic sensations, and the internal effects of sensory stimulants such as good food and relaxing situations. He can provide a convincing evaluation of these when prompted, however, he regards soothing, relaxing things and discussions of them as sources of amusement rather than a priority in life. He does not treat them very seriously or allow himself to engage in them very often, despite his overall confidence in these areas. When he does choose to focus attention on his physical condition and well-being, he is more likely to prefer a Se approach and impose a strict, demanding dietary or exercise regimen upon himself or others.

Source: Wikisocion

#personality theory #personality types #typology #socionics #sociotypes #si

[the-empress-7]

MPs laud Princess of Wales's 'crucial' early years campaigning

Politicians will this week launch an inquiry into early years education examining the quality and affordability of childcare

The Princess of Wales's work highlighting the early years of childhood has been praised as MPs prepare to launch an inquiry into the state of childcare.

The education select committee will this week announce an inquiry into early years education, which will examine the quality and affordability of childcare.

It comes after the Princess recently wrote for The Telegraph saying "not enough is being done" to nurture the next generation.

She vowed to "shine a light on this issue and to do everything I can to secure much greater focus on those first crucial few years for the youngest members of our society".

The Princess has undertaken a series of campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood, with a regular programme of engagements designed to boost the sector.

'Crucially important'

Robin Walker, the chair of the education committee, told The Telegraph that her involvement was "extremely welcome".

"The work that the Princess has been doing to raise the esteem and the recognition of the sector is actually crucially important," he said.

"[The sector] has an intrinsic value - it does an enormous amount of good for society, and making sure that we can celebrate that and recognise it is important."

He added: "One of the valuable things that the Royal family are able to do in the UK is draw attention to cross-cutting issues like this in a non-political way, but also to recognise the incredible work that goes on across the sector... it is extremely welcome that she has taken that interest."

Mr Walker, who took over as chairman of the education committee last month, said the need for an inquiry had gained extra urgency because of the "post-Covid environment" and the "concern around the school readiness and the social challenges that children have had in terms of living in isolated homes".

Robin Walker

Robin Walker, the chair of the education select committee, says providing the right support early can 'save a fortune for the education system in the long run' CREDIT: Paul Grover

The inquiry will look at the "coherence" of the current childcare system, including the fact that parents are currently missing out on billions of unclaimed tax-free childcare.

It will explore how the lack of affordable childcare prevents many mothers from returning to work even though they would like to.

"With the right support and the right investment from Government, there is a hope for helping many more of those people to work effectively," Mr Walker said.

Recruitment and retention of early years professionals will be another focus.

"Even though the Government doesn't run the sector in the same way as it does for primary and secondary education, I think there’s a very strong case for more to be done around workforce planning, retention, and raising the esteem of the early years professionals who work in the childcare, early years and nursery sector," Mr Walker said.

"I speak to nurseries, they will complain about losing staff to supermarkets and to other areas."

Source: Telegraph

Thank you so much for this. Let me see if @the-cat-with-the-emerald-tiara-1 has the full article.

[housesofinvestors]

How you should invest in your 20s – housesofinvestors

Introduction

Investing is one of the most important things you can do for your future. It helps build wealth and gives you a chance to really see how much money you’re making over time. But it’s not always easy—especially when you’re young! Here are some tips so that you can invest in your 20s:

Get rid of any high-interest debt

High-interest debt is the worst kind of debt, and it’s one of the biggest threats to your financial future. If you have high-interest debt, it’s time to get rid of it (or at least pay off as much as possible).

Here are some tips for paying off high interest rates:

Only use credit cards when absolutely necessary. If there’s anything about credit cards that makes me want to vomit—and I mean vomit—it’s their exorbitant interest rates. The average APR on a 30 day introductory balance is around 19%. That means if you carry a $10,000 balance with an 18% APR, then every month alone adds up to almost $1,200 in interest charges! And who wants those kinds of monthly payments? No thanks! Instead make sure all purchases are made cash or debit card so that no one has access to any information about them except themselves (this goes double if they’re trying buy something expensive).

Avoid taking out new loans until after graduation day because even though borrowing money now doesn’t seem like much trouble now since everyone else seems so successful at doing this stuff without owing anyone anything back yet either end up paying huge amounts later down road when things go wrong due lack knowledge about how best manage finances during early twenties years where risk taking behavior may increase significantly due lack experience gained beforehand.”

Invest in what you know

Once you’ve completed your high school education, it’s time for the next step in your journey: investing. This may sound like a daunting task, but there are plenty of ways that you can invest in yourself and make sure that you’re doing things that are right for your interests and goals.

Investing in yourself means investing in what makes you happy—whether that’s dancing or playing tennis; volunteering at an animal shelter or helping out at an art gallery; collecting antiques or making music with friends. It also means putting down roots (literally) by moving out of home or getting married so that one day when those kids come along they don’t have to move away from their family again because their parents had big dreams but couldn’t follow through on them due to financial constraints.”

Buy term life insurance

Term life insurance is the best way to protect yourself and your family, since it protects you against the death of someone else.

Look into a Roth IRA

If you’re worried about paying taxes on your income when you invest, a Roth IRA is a great way to keep the money in your pocket—and out of the hands of Uncle Sam.

A Roth IRA can be opened by anyone who has earned income and reaches age 59½ (or 60 if they are disabled). The maximum contribution limit is $6,000 per year ($5,500 if married filing jointly). The IRS lets you contribute more than this amount if you have earned income above that threshold; however, there won’t be any tax deduction for doing so.

The advantage of opening an individual retirement account (IRA) is that once it’s open, contributions made into them don’t count toward taxable income until withdrawn or used for other purposes—so long as they aren’t withdrawn within five years after being deposited into an account

Don’t chase returns or hot stocks

When you start investing early, it’ll pay off later on in life

When you start investing early, it’ll pay off later on in life.

Investing early helps build a good foundation for your retirement. You can start with a small amount of money, and it will grow over time. This means that if the market goes up or down during the years that follow, you won’t lose everything because of bad timing or an ill-timed purchase (such as buying high and selling low).

Having more time to make up for mistakes is great! If something doesn’t work out as planned—like trying out an investment strategy that doesn’t pan out well—you’ll have more time before having to get rid of all those investments so they don’t take away from other things like rent/mortgage payments or student loans repayment plans..

My Opinion

When you start investing early, it’ll pay off later on in life. It’s important to remember that most of these ideas are things you can do today while still working a job and having fun! If nothing else, this article should give you an idea of what type of investments might be right for your specific situation.

#Tagsearly investing #invest money #invest money in your 20s #investment strategies #investment tips #writers on tumblr #finance #blogger

[astrovagrant]

also edit to a post i made like a week or whatever ago: ana learning to read was an unintended joint effort between wyll and gale because. even being friends with gale for over a decade (only around 6ish years at that point though) she never brought it up bc he's A Big Damn Wizard and she was moderately embarrassed about it. she had learned her letters and how to do written math (had already figured out mental a long time ago but never had to transcribe it) from the mendicants because that's a basic life skill, but she hadn't let herself be stationary enough to dedicate herself to Learning To Read quite yet. could do basics. read street signs, etc., but nothing more complicated than that.

but she started meeting wyll out and about in the wilds since their general portfolios of work were so similar and they sometimes would spend weeks at a time tackling the same problem - wyll was still getting a handle on his powers and how to live post-exile and was Young, and ana gave him a lot in terms of both companionship and tips and tricks for surviving nastier fights or anything else adventuring could throw at him. through whatever contrived situation he realizes that she Cannot Read and immediately sets about fixing that. because she's been very kind and looked out for him and refuses anything in return. let him do this for you, at the very least. no, don't smile and turn him down, get that wax practice board.

later, once she's got the basics, i think she spends dedicated time with gale improving her diction - since he already Knew Her he skipped the "unlettered" commentary (mercifully) and went right to the "i will have you orating in a room of 200 wizards" "well i don't know that i really want that particular thing" "sure but you'll be ABLE to" - and so on and so forth. he delivered; her diction is pretty damn good unless she hits a word she's never had to say out loud before.

through all this though she's never really developed a Zest for reading. hence her preference to sit near someone else while they read out loud. that's cozy and bond-building and she enjoys it very much, even when it's astarion catching up on tax codes.

#perhaps especially when. it's astarion catching up on tax codes. #wawawawa. she knew both wyll and gale before-game and had to retroactively sift out her memories from the sludge re: both of them #anathema #i gave her gale as a connection and then realized that it was stupid she wouldn't know wyll bc wyll also is out doing vigilantism #and he would've been. So young when they met she couldn't stop herself from trying to keep him alive a bit longer

[mango-jpeg]

anticipation, then flesh notes

i made a full outline for this fic and remembered to preserve a copy, so that's tacked on at the end

worked on this for about two weeks (~19th to ~1st)

not totally sure why this pairing occurred to me rn but 1) needed a break from pwp 2) enjoyed the peaceful tone of Baizhu’s character stories

also, embarrassing to notice, but ever since i started writing fic i write something sappy about getting/being married around my birthday... whatever could it mean.......

i’ve always been into this pairing but wanted to wait to know more about Baizhu before writing.. just didn’t think it would take years for him to become playable lol..

wanted to write something funny and short so landed on the old engagement plot. almost immediately wrote the widower line and had to walk that back lmao 

wrote the coal miner bit bc i had the thought that i needed a bit more background on the relationship. i liked it but had to work hard to find a way to fit it in

now whenever i write these asides i think You're Doing It Again.. addicted to narrative breaks.....

title from a short history of the apple, not for any particular reason. previous title didn't quite work, and i thought something to do with apples would be better

reading

I Was Told There'd Be Cake, and Cult Classic, both by Sloan Crosley

some persona 5 pwps

this is the first (and only) outline i made, what i'd call the first 'draft' (since i don't really do drafts). the starting point of a fic usually looks something like this - then i write over it as i go. almost 100% of the time i start with dialogue

full outline:

and there you go again, stopping just as things are heating up. huh— wh— while i am fully aware there are no adverse physical effects of— what’s that quaint term the youth use?— being blue balled, as it were. But i didn’t take you to be such a tease Gui. Gui is so, so red. Dr.— I, i mean— just what does a man have to do to get his cock sucked around here? gui flusters. then: you’re going to laugh at me. i promise to do my best to keep my amusement private, gui. i always… i [wanted to wait until after marriage] … oh. baizhu says. that’s not funny at all, turns out.

there are two reasons why people get married. and they are? taxes and children, baizhu answers promptly, since we cannot have children it hardly seems relevant

besides, you’re already entitled to half my wealth in my will, so-- excuse me? didn’t i tell you? no? well, half my property and assets go directly to you. He takes a second look at Gui’s expression and feels compelled to add, if that doesn’t seem like enough i could try to increase it, only, i want to leave enough to ensure Qiqi— gui grabs him by the shoulders. i’m the primary beneficiary in your will? of course you are. Baizhu has never known Gui to be prone to dramatics, but perhaps he was just saving it up for this moment. Gui buries both hands in his hair and makes an anguished sound as he turns away, yanking at his hair. 

there’s another reason, gui says.  what’s that? another reason people get married. his expression is set. baizhu looks away. oh, that. i don’t put much stock in sentiment. a long pause, then Gui puts his face next to Baizhu’s and whispers right into his ear; Liar.

gui out delivering medicine to old folks goes upstairs to “talk to” old lady neighbour she swears is being loud (no one lives there) talks to door about his problems

back at pharmacy Chengsheng gives Baizhu a hard time ch - fine. since you’re going to be morbid about it baizhu - to marry is to make Gui a widower ch - yes and?? don’t you see if you leave things as they are there will be no word for what you were to him except employer? that no one will understand his mourning? there is no easy way to grieve but you could at least give him the dignity of acknowledging what you mean to him. baizhu- … baizhu - also i will find the secret to immortality ch - yes, yes. that too

gui doesn’t return to pharmacy baizhu goes out looking for him after dinner - he’s not at home with his family. they try to invite him in for tea but he demurs  wanders around - it’s foggy / a light rain

in the morning baizhu feels a little fuzzy but gui is back  acting normal / professional (gui went to funeral parlour to get his will drawn up)

baizhu is beginning to come down with a cold.  don’t— you’ll catch it. baizhu, gui says, solemnly, i am going to suck your cock. i will do it as long as it takes to learn what you like best.  ah. this is called compromise, and it means you’re going to have to be okay with maybe giving me your cold.

props baizhu up on some pillows so he can breathe well. makes him hold onto the bars of the headboard. 

baizhu grabs Gui’s hair at one point and he stops. Hands on the bars. Gui— Gui looks up at him. His face is red all the way to his hairline, his mouth swollen and wet. the twist of his lips is nervous, but his gaze set. Baizhu’s cock jumps in his hand.  Hands on the bars, please. Baizhu does as he’s told.

#writing journal

[swaps55]

So I was reading through your biotics tag because I ran across one of your biotics headcanon posts and just went 'YES I need more!' And I saw you mention Reave not being canon in Opus, and apparently I completely forgot about the healing/damage protection effects because I was imagining it as just a weird more difficult but in some situations better variation of Warp this whole time?

What I was thinking was that Reave does basically what Warp does, but it's a) more targeted at specific weak points, which is why it causes more damage to armor and barriers than Warp, and b) it lasts over a period of time rather than being instant, giving the brief stunning effect it has when used on organics because pain, but that means it requires focus/effort for that time period. Both of which would make it more difficult than Warp to learn, and the precision part would require a biotic to either know or be able to correctly guess what to target, which would add additional difficulty to using it effectively.

I also discovered by reading your headcanons that apparently I have a surprising amount of thoughts on some of the topics in question that I've come up with at some point while thinking about some facet of biotics, and I might write some of those down and post later maybe.

I love hearing other biotic headcanons! I think reave being a variation of warp is great - it definitely lends itself to shearing fields, and definitely agreed that whatever reave is, it probably requires a great deal of skill to achieve. I did come up with a unique scenario in which reave could technically exist in Opus, but it's under very specific circumstances, and not really...repeatable. But it does function like a spinoff of warp.

Which also begs a question I ask myself a lot when it comes to biotics: if it's really difficult, why do it, if there's a simpler solution? In my world, biotics are taxing and resource intensive, so you want to make sure you're getting the right return on investment when using them. Though, sometimes the answer for why you do it even if its working harder not smarter is just, "because it's fucking cool." XD Either way, the thought exercise is always fun.

I try not to think about biotics in terms of "damage," because damage is a game mechanic. In reality, people don't have health bars or take damage the way they do in a game, and likewise, the way biotics interact with armor, kinetic shielding, and other biotic barriers is going to be more complex than doing damage to an armor bar. If you're writing it from a harder science perspective, anyway, which no one has to do. Asking "so what actually happens when a biotic uses a shearing mass effect field on a kinetically shielded target?" is, again, a neat thought exercise, and because the mass effect breaks the rules of physics to begin with, there isn't a Single Correct Answer.

The kaleidoscope of world building ideas people come up with when we're all ultimately playing in the same sandbox is one of my favorite things about fandom.

I hope you do write your ideas down!

#swaps replies #Anonymous #biotic meta #mass effect meta #sorry this took me a hot minute to answer!

[sugdenlovesdingle]

Pfft I can’t be bothered to vote b it’s not like it matters I’m happy living with crippling student debt and working for an old grumpy arsehole and a soon to be nagging husband

In short nah screw voting

you're lucky I can't slap you through the computer!

if everyone was like "nah i'm not voting, it doesn't do anything" NOTHING would ever change! Your upcoming marriage would still be illegal - your RELATIONSHIP would still be illegal, women would still be considered property, wouldn't have the right to vote, would be expected to quit their job and stay home with the kids as soon as they got married.

my grandmother had to officially have permission from her husband to OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT when my mum was little. That was in the 50s/60s. that changed because people who thought that was bullshit got voted into office.

BIden's administration is forgiving student debt - because that's important to the people who voted for them.

there are serious talks about the Dutch government officially apologising for the Dutch slavery history. The city of Amsterdam and Rotterdam have officially apologised. There are talks about making Keti Koti (the celebration of the end of slavery) a national holiday. You know why that is? Because people who think that should happen got voted into office.

Make up is no longer tested on animals in the EU - because people voted for people who made that happen.

Liz Truss is incompetent but she is still a woman in the most important position in the country (or well - was). That wouldn't have happened if nobody who believed women should be allowed to "run for office" (or whatever the British equivalent of that term is) ever stood up for what they believed in and other people stood up with them AND VOTED.

One thing you can be sure of is that the people who benefit from the system being the way it is now, will go vote to make sure it stays that way.

In the Netherlands we've had the same incompetent asshole as prime minister for over 10 years. His party have gutted the healthcare system, fucked up the energy market, introduced legislations that require people who are on benefits to 'do something in return" and work as a volunteer in some way (taking care of family counts as volunteering too). if you don't, you don't get any money. and don't even think about asking friends or family for a loan or even accept a bag of shopping from them - you will get caught (people can report you) and they will dock your pay.

The people affected by this bullshit are not the people who vote for the assholes who came up with it. But they are the most likely to go "i'm not voting, it doesn't change anything". and THAT'S WHY after the last elections we got shafted with the same assholes who'd just resigned over scandal number 1228463941 - their supporters vote. The upper class, rich, bastards who look down on people on benefits. They LIKE the system where the default is that someone can own a fuckton of houses, rent them out for a fuckton of money AND THEN DON'T HAVE TO PAY TAXES ON IT. They're not going to sit back and watch the lazy, unemployed ("they just don't want to work"), peasants change that system - they vote to keep their guy in office!

I was going voting with my parents when I was little and I got to press the button or colour the little box next to their candidate's name red. The first time I got my own polling card I wanted to frame it! My parents were so proud they wanted to take a picture of me at the polling station. Fuck driving or legally drinking or even getting married - my dad was there when I got to vote for the first time, i think that meant more to him.

I could rant about this for hours but I'm hungry so I'll stop and go fix myself something to eat.

But whatever you do - the next election GO! VOTE!

#justherebecausemackenzieboyd

[classicquid]

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