Fictober23 Prompt: 29 - "That's all? Easy."

Fandom: DPxDC

Rating: G

Warnings: -

A/N: I sometimes like to headcannon that Danny is actually a rich kid that doesn't live the rich kid style cause his parents use their money for their research and like to live a simple life. He goes to galas Vlad or Sam drag him to as his parents representative.

Damian had been prepared for another boring Gala to go through. His elder siblings as well as Pennyworth had made sure to take away any sharp blade he had on him beforehand. With the blades gone Damian refused to socialize with high society. What was the point in enduring the torture of pinched cheeks and repeating comments with double meanings and hidden insults as well as the 'boot' lickers, as one of his brothers liked to put it, when he wasn't allowed to return the favor these people were giving him with a quick blade swipe.

So Damian was hanging back, retreating to the corners and shadows of the room where people aside from his family wouldn't notice him. But being there gave him the chance to notice something else. At first Damian didn't think much of it but with the minutes passing he noticed it more and more.

Small colorful page markers.

He started tracking them. Eyes going from person to person as he scanned them for these markers. Always in spots and placements oneself wouldn't notice them on their own as well as by others around them. Sometimes they were even Color matched with the person's outfit.

Damian scanned the hall and his eyes landed on a teenager, younger than Drake but older than him. The other boy was gliding through the people seemingly effortlessly and unnoticed towards the snack table. Once there the teen appeared to be interested in what sort of food the gala was offering.

His eyes narrowed as he eyed the people the teen had passed.

A blue marker by the belt loop of an older gentleman.

Red marker on the purse of the lady dressed in purple.

Green marker on another man's vest.

He was sure these markers weren't on them before. Interesting, he missed before moving towards the teenager by the snack table. The boy by now had piled up one of the small plates high with some of the overhead foods and Damian first felt reminded of everting Todd went to a gala and immediately would go for the foods.

"You are quite sneaky." He spoke up after waiting somewhat politely for the other to acknowledge his presence. Which never happened even after five minutes and Damian having clearly seen the other looking at him from his corner of the eye.

"Oh, what do you mean?" The teen then said after swallowing a bite of food.

"I presume the page markers are what you're doing?"

"Damit, not even an hour in and I am already busted." The teenager muttered and Damian arched an eyebrow. "Look, I don't know whose rich kid you are but will stop as long as you don't tell the fruitloop. I am here to represent my parents and if this fruitloop hears I am playing the game Sam invented for these galas he will-"

"I believe you misunderstood my intention." Damian smirked as he held out a hand. "My family found it adequate to take my blades. So I want in on this 'game' you are playing."

The teenager blinked at Damian before a grin spread across his face. He hurriedly placed his plate on the table before rummaging around in one of his pockets."Well that is a nice change! Your not a stuck up like the other kids here."

A block of green, red and blue page markers were then placed in Damians held out hand. "I am Danny Fenton by the way, representative of Fentonworks."

"Damian Wayne." He answered out of reflex as he inspected the page markers given to him, uncaring if the teen would now start fawning over his last name like he had seen others do before.

"Cool. So want to make it more interesting? This is more fun in a two player setting then one player." Damian inclined his head, not letting the surprise of the other teens lack of reaction towards his name show. Well it looked like Daniel, because what else got the name Danny stand for, would be nice company for this gala.

"Let's make specific targets for each other, maybe even placements. Sam always dares me to do specific things. If one of us gets caught is an automatic loss, the one with the highest successful placements at the end of this gala is the winner."

He smirked. Daniel had no chance, a game like this was easy for him. This was going to be an easy win. His league training as well as the training his father had made him go through was going to give him a clear advantage. He was playing with the thought of giving Daniel a chance by not using certain skills but after the first three targets, Damian decided that that would be unnecessary.

The gala went by faster, the two pointing out specific people or placements of the marketers to each other. They both had surprisingly their fair share of failures as well as success. In the end they both had a draw and were on their last page marker to place.

"This is going to be the final decision between, win, loss or draw." Daniel hyped up the game and Damian shook his head lightly at the others foolishness that reminded him of Jon.

"Well then, it would be only right to select the most difficult targets for each other."

"Well if that's the case, see the guy over there, the one with gray hair and a ponytail? That's the fruitloop. Place your last marker right to the left on his lower back, where his jacket covers over his belt."

Damian arched an eyebrow but the teen only grinned. He smirked if the other wanted to make it apparently difficult then Damian could provide him with a real challenge. "For you target, my father is currently talking to this 'fruitloop' as you call him. Place the marker on his back on his left shoulder blade."

Daniel would not be able to so, his father was vigilant and despite his act, very aware of his surroundings. His newly made gala acquaintance would fail and Damian would be the winner of this game.

"That's all? Easy."

The two boy's started to move towards the two adults. They shared one last glance before splitting up slightly in two different directions to approach their targets. Damian was close, his steps silent as he neared his target the 'fruitloop'. The page marker was tagged to the tip of one of his fingers. Once he was close enough he would be able to place it without even having to get too close.

His father noticed him and Damian gave him a polite smile as he moved like he was going to pass the man in his way towards his father. He did however not anticipate for his target to place his hand on the hip obscuring his target placement. Damian's hand instantly hid his hand behind his back transferring the page tag to his other hand and unconsciously clicked his tongue. He would have to try again.

"Fruitloop! Who are you talking to?!" He heard Daniel shout out of nowhere suddenly, his head wiping around to see the other clapping his hand on his fathers shoulder. The shoulder where he had told the other to place the marker. Damian ground his teeth. He was not going to accept a loss here.

"Daniel! Where are your manners?! This is Bruce Wayne. CEO of Wayne Enterprise. I am so sorry Mr.Wayne."

"No worries Mr.Masters. He is just like how my sons were at his age. It is good for teens to be so full of energy."

Damian narrowed his eyes as the other teen gave him a peace sign and mouthed the words 'I won.' As the adults returned to their discussion Damian glared at Daniel, his last page tag crumpled in his hand, he switched to stand on his fathers other side so that he was next to the teen now.

"I demand a rematch." He hissed agitated, to which Daniel only grinned wider. "Sure. The next time we see each other at a gala again. I will have two packs ready for our rematch."

Later that night when Damian had returned home from the Gala, he took off his jacket only to notice something green peaking through the folds of it. As he lifted it to inspect where the Color on it game from his eyes narrowed and his grip on the jacket tightened. On his jacked he found several green page markers tagged on it one of them even had a little ghost drawn on it. "Well played Fenton, well played."

updated a little flashback Vladlence script thing that I started writing in like 2020. some of you may remember this comic

Smile :)

•••

[The year is 1990-something-- before Vlad betrayed and temporally displaced Silence that one time. Vlad and Silence (in human disguise) are at some kind of businesspeople shindig. They've stepped outside for some air and are basically alone. Vlad has a glass of wine.]

S: Lord. I'd forgotten how tedious these are.

V: They're really not worth it unless you can drink. It was so much worse when my parents would drag me to these as a child.

S: Hm. I didn't mind my father's business functions, but my ex-husband's were insufferable.

V: [chokes on wine] "Ex-husband?"

S: Well... "Ex" in that my untimely departure left him a widower, yes.

V: ...is he a--

S: [rolling eyes] NO, he is not a ghost.

V: Still! How have you not mentioned him once?

S: [shrugs] It didn't come up.

V: That isn't fair! I've spilled my guts to you for your research. You HAVE to tell me something!

S: You're being ridiculous.

V: ...That's it. I've decided.

S: Decided what?

V: The favor you owe me for bringing you along as my plus-one tonight!

S: Oh, please! All I've learned this evening is that you're still capable of being intoxicated by normal amounts of human alcohol.

S: Now, you've learned that I had a husband once, a very long time ago. I'd say we're already even.

V: [pouts]

S: Why does it even matter to you?

V: .........if I say, will you tell me more about your human life?

S: I--! Oh, fine. Whatever. Yes.

V: Because marriage is--! It's--! Marriage is everything! It changes your whole life! You finally have someone to always be there for you, in sickness and in health and all that.

V: How could you just...[mimes swatting something out of the air with his free hand] move on, after that? It makes no sense!

S: [tuts, rolls her eyes] You're insufferably romantic, you know that?

S: Marriage is not "everything." My marriage had everything to do with finances, and precious little to do with anything else.

V: ...Oh.

S: That's less common these days, I'll admit, but forgive me if I still feel you're overselling it.

V: ...Well...Still, he was there, right? At least you had someone.

S: [annoyed] Sure. Can we talk about something else now?

V: Did you have a family? [leans against the balcony, resting his chin on a hand, smiling expectantly]

S: [frowning] ...Not the change of subject I was hoping for.

V: [just keeps looking expectantly]

S: [sighs heavily] [trying to be annoying on purpose] Well, I had a mother and father, two siblings-- both of which died in infancy-- and on my mother's side, my cousins--

V: [impatiently] I meant with your husband!

S: [twitches] ...No. It was just he and I, and then I died.

V: Oh.

S: [snarky & bitter] ...Then, he remarried a nice young lady who got to keep all of our money. They, I believe, had several children together.

[Silence is quiet in a sort of uncomfortable angry way. Vlad, oblivious, gets lost in his own thoughts.]

both: .......

V: [CLEARLY thinking about Maddie. a bit dreamily] ...do you ever wish that you could do it all over?

[Vlad is looking at the sky, and doesnt see the judgemental, incredulous look Silence immediately shoots him]

V: That you had more time to make it work?

S: [humorless laugh] HAH! No!

V: [snapped out of his reminiscing, looks at her, surprised] No?

S: [like its an uninteresting, obvious fact] My life didn't have anything worth going back to.

V: [disgust directed at the percieved failure of the faceless husband figure] He was that bad?

S: [waves dismissively] No, no. Our marriage wasn't bad. It just wasn't--

S: ......well, it wasn't much of anything, I suppose.

V: [furrows eyebrows] Hm.

S: [after a short pause] I much prefer this.

V: [for some reason, his heart skips a beat] This?

S: [a bit frantically] My research! In the Ghost Realm. The achievement, the influence, you know. Much more fulfilling.

V: [nods, a bit spacey because of a weird inexplicable feeling he's having] Ah. I see.

A Petty and Subtle Danny

Danny as Phantom has during the past month or so being almost shoot by his parents a few to many times,

And as Danny he has been kept awake by their noisy work, been spun around inside the GAV (he had no clue why he needed to be there) and hear their very detailed dreams of tearing Phantom limb from limb at the dinner table (when they bothered to turn up at all).

3 weeks into this unusually bad month he downloaded a bunch of their research papers in a desperate attempt to get himself to sleep.

This works for a night or three.

But on the fourth night he started to notice something.

It was contradicting other papers.

It would take him another 2 weeks, but in the end he had read every single academic paper his parents had written on ecto-biology and other ecto-science adjacent topics.

It was about 109 papers written between his parents over a period of 23 years.

98 of them was about ecto-science, the other 11 was about energy sources, mechanics and weapons. all that seemed to have been patented and the sold to various industries (Hammer Industries, Lexcorp, VladCO, among others).

Probably what financed them outside of all the tax fraud.

But those 98.

Out of those 98, 76 in some way or form contradicted each other.

And since there was always a note somewhere in all the papers referencing another paper, none of the could be disregarded as obsolete.

Not to talk about the Ecto-Biology and Ecto-Psychology ones.

Where the idea that ghosts can not feel pain and ar all evil is just....... made up.

There is about 43 dissections refernced (yikes), all with videos (fuck me, my eyes!!!)

30 other experiments and 20 odd other things.

Not a single one of them proves their theories and most actively talks against them.

But all evidence is ignored (Danny starts to think of them as being in a cult).

Danny is dead tired (ha) and quite angry.

As the third explosion of the night goes out this one almost throws him out of his bed.

Now, he is not only angry.

Now, he feels very Petty.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

It takes a little while.

But with some help from Tucker and Sam after they had both read his findings.

But both had very technical skills.

Tucker who could sent out mass email without them turning into spam and made sure that the computers themself wanted to show this mail to it’s owner.

And Sam who could speak “Upper Classism” and write invites in away that rich and (People who saw themself as) important would come.

And she had the spending money that she could convince a high grade university to be the battle ground (it did not even take as much in Donation as they thought it would).

Danny made sure that the 98 research papers ended up in the right hands, together with a dokument and slide show that showd how impossible the research was if it was all in the same file.

-----------------------------------------------------

The Fentons was lured to the University thanks to promises of Research grants/titles/A fudge festival whatever.

And in front of a whole load of professors, industry people, mystics, rich cunts, and others, they now have to defend their research.

Not because they are kooks.

Not because they are ghost believers.

Not because they are a danger to themself, their children and Amity Park.

But because they are bad scientists.

And if they fail, they might loose the Doctors title.

Danny and the rest will watch, with bated breath.

----------------------------------------------

Afterwords

You can see this as a very long writing prompt.

 Or if you know any similar fics, tell me.

-Have a good one.

Can you share some headcanons of jily or hinny

If jily had lived…

Lily is a great potionner and a specialist in werewolf. At the beginning she didn’t manage to obtained money for her studies but a very “anonymous” donator financed her research until she did great progress and then many officials laboratories tried to hire the brilliant professor Evans-Potter. Her work greatly improves the lives of patients. Her action with the support of several Puddelmere United popular players also helped to change the public opinion on the werewolf and their place in the society.

James is for a moment a brilliant quidditch player but being wisely advised, juggle in the same time his sport career and advanced study. after his quidditch retirement he specializes in Transfiguration theory and  co-signed books  with the eminent Professor McGonagall.

They would have a family of 4 before their thirties -Harry then two girls and another son- and a very unexpected 5th baby girl in their older days (it seems they are the specialists on unexpected babies…). Harry is be delighted of this new baby meanwhile his still teen little brother is ashamed at the simple idea of his parents still having a s*x life!

Harry is still Teddy’s god father in a sort of bound between Marauders descendant!

I only can recommend you to read @startanewdream and @sweeethinnyethinny fantastic works on their if they lived jily because they shaped my vision of harry/jily relationship.

So let’s talk about my mental health some. I’ll try to give the gist of what I battle with. Have you ever thought about killing yourself? How would you do it? Would you write a suicide note to leave behind? If you’ve never had those intrusive type thoughts maybe you’ve just had thoughts of what it would be like if you died suddenly and unexpectedly? Would people mourn your loss? How would your family go on without you? These questions that a normal person may intrusively experience once or twice in their lifetime are a 24/7/365 intrusive thought occurrence for me. Doctors call it being passively suicidal or suffering from suicidal ideation. Perhaps you don’t really have a clear plan to act on but you think about committing suicide regularly and demonstrate risky behaviors (ex: driving recklessly with no seat belt) that could result in your death. Then there is being actively suicidal. You have a plan. You’ve maybe even researched how you want to carry it out. Perhaps you’ve written suicide notes to leave behind. You begin to give away things or prepare for your death in other ways such as saving money for funeral expenses. I teeter between being passively suicidal (most of the time) and actively suicidal (occasionally). Have I ever attempted suicide before? Absolutely. Multiple times.

One of the first times I ever truly attempted was after my ex fiancé and I got into a heated argument. She threatened to end the relationship and left our apartment. I tried to hang myself while she was gone. She found me and cut me down. The most serious of attempts? When my ex fiancé and I finally did split for good, I was a wreck. I’ll detail the story of she and I in another post but for now just know that we were engaged and she was a narcissistic abuser. She left me and I discovered she had feelings for her ex husband. I was devastated because I felt like I had given my all to make the relationship be the total whirlwind romance it initially was. Maybe a month or so after we split and I moved back into my parents home, I decided to kill myself. I had lost my fiancé, home, friends, her family which was like my own, pets, finances, all of it gone. I wanted to go painlessly and quickly just like anyone would. Hanging myself? Too much of a struggle. I watched dark web videos of people hanging themselves only to slowly suffer in agony when they weren’t killed instantly from the fall. (I did at one time attempt asphyxiating myself the way Robin Williams had. Loop a belt around your neck then close the tail in the top of the door and sit down.) Death by cop? Well that would just make me look like a psychopath, which I’m not. Drowning? Too easy to come back up for air and fight it. Slitting my wrists? Painful and if I didn’t do it just right I might end up in the hospital’s psych ward on an embarrassing involuntary hold. Shooting myself? Seemed the way to go. It’s quick and from research depending on where I aim the barrel, I could be precise in ensuring that I don’t fuck up and live a life as a vegetable. What made this even easier was when my grandpa died in 2019, his pistol became mine. I’d never owned a gun and now I had a .45 caliber revolver at my disposal. I wrote 3 letters. 1 to my mom. 1 to my ex (letting her know I don’t blame her) and 1 to a friend. The 4th note detailed where my mother could locate my body and instructed her to call the police and not to attempt to come to me herself. I didn’t want my mom to see me dead like that. I left the 4 pieces of paper out for her to find them. Packed up a couple of beach towels, trash bags, and my pistol. I chose the location with great purpose. I drove 30 minutes out into the country to a small one lane road called Groce Road. It is at this location I was in a nearly fatal car wreck in high school and I knew how isolated it was. At the end of the road there is a park. It was fall and the leaves were beautiful. I smoked as much marijuana as I could thinking if I was out of my mind, I wouldn’t be so scared to do it. I laid out the towels and trash bags so my brain matter didn’t make a mess of my truck. I pointed the pistol behind my right ear at the base of my skull to ensure the damage down would cease all life function capabilities. As I sat there, I noticed how beautiful the fall leaves were and I thought about how my actions were going to hurt those that loved me. If you’re going to kill yourself, thinking can really fuck up the process. I decided in my state of delirium that I would rather suffer with the feelings I was feeling than to make those I wrote letters to suffer my loss (ex fiancé included). I drove home and hid all the evidence of my attempt and nobody ever knew the difference. Do I regret not following through? Every day. Do I also think I made the right decision? When I see my mother or help someone at work, yes.

Suicidal ideation, severe depression, PTSD, and anxiety are my diagnoses. I started this blog because right now I am leaning more towards being actively suicidal than passively suicidal. I guess this is my way of both documenting my struggle should I commit to killing myself and me reaching out for help from others who may sympathize with what I’m going through.

Do you know if dowries for wealthy families were usually predetermined standard amounts, or whether it was some function of income / number of daughters?

Looking at Pride and Prejudice alone, it seems that it’s about (income x 3) / # daughters: Mr. Bennet’s 2000 gives each girl about 1000 pounds, and Darcy’s 10,000 gives Georgiana 30,000.

I feel like that’s the wrong way to go about calculating a dowry, since I’m sure if Darcy had another sister she would also get 30,000, but I’m not sure how it was done, and some (light) research didn’t help.

Short answer: it seems like many women’s fortunes are made up of their mother’s former dowry, split between them. This may be added to, but the wealthiest unmarried women in Austen’s novels are usually from small families (or have few sisters), meaning less division of the original fortune took place. 

Long and kind of rambly Answer:

First, we must remember that the #1 rule of Jane Austen finance is Never Spend the Principle. These people for the most part are living on the income of generational wealth. A good portion of this wealth is in land, but some is in investments. They never spend that money. (Also, a lot of the time, they literally can’t spend the principle, it’s in trust and protected by legal agreements)

When a woman marries, her fortune can be, and it seems like often is, preserved for her children in the marriage articles (legal agreement made at the time of marriage, similar to a will). We see this with Mrs. Bennet. She brought £4000 into the marriage, one additional thousand must have been supplied by the Bennet family, resulting in a safe £5000 for the mother and daughters. Now if Mr. Bennet was prudent, he could have reinvested the income on that fortune, resulting in very healthy dowries for his own daughters, but if course he didn't. (I have a whole post about that here)

Now here is an interesting point, the £5000 set aside for Mrs. Bennet and her daughters is not already divided. This means if the Bennets wanted to tempt a man to marry one of their daughters, they could offer the full £5000 as one daughter’s dowry. However, that isn’t what we see most commonly in Jane Austen’s novels; we see equal division. But we do see many fortunes that are not released until the death of both parents.

For example, here is Anne Elliot’s fortune: “a small part of the share of ten thousand pounds which must be hers hereafter”. Anne’s dowry is most likely in trust, unable to be touched by her father. However, the wedding articles probably give him a life interest and since he needs the income, she doesn't get it right away. Anne will probably get her money upon her father's death. This amount is most likely Lady Elliot’s dowry, divided between her daughters. Henry Tilney is getting a similar inheritance: Of a very considerable fortune, his son was, by marriage settlements, eventually secure. But it does not go to Henry until his father dies. John Dashwood inherits a similar fortune from his mother.

You can see here why it’s a problem if you marry someone who is penniless and you don’t have a big income! Mr. Bennet doesn’t have a big fortune to start with so he really, REALLY needed to save...but even Darcy is going to have to be prudent to give his daughter’s sufficient fortunes down the road having married the poor Elizabeth Bennet. Marrying for wealth wasn’t only greedy, it’s about maintaining this generational wealth. If too much leaves in dowries, you get into trouble. Or you have to provide less money and your daughters don’t marry as well as you desire.

Some of the large dowries we see are from trade: Caroline Bingley’s 20k, Sophia Grey’s 50k (the future Mrs. Willoughby), and Augusta Hawkins’s 10k (the future Mrs. Elton). Lady Middleton and Mrs. Palmer are the daughters of a tradesman as well. This is important because this money is new, which a lot of old families desperately needed after getting into debt. Many properties were entailed, meaning they could not be sold. If you got into debt, it was hard to get out because you can’t sell anything. And for families in trade, well-educated and wealthy daughters had a good chance of marrying up.

So, Georgiana Darcy’s fortune may well be the money that Lady Anne brought into her marriage. Importantly, Georgiana is an only daughter. I actually doubt if she had a sister that they would both have 30k, they might have 15k or 20k each. The wealthiest women we see come from very small families, like the wealthy Caroline and Louisa Bingley, Emma and Isabella Woodhouse,  Anne de Bourgh, and Miss Morton, the only daughter of Lord Morton (S&S). Even Agusta Hawkins is one of only two children. Which makes sense because it’s hard to save, but it’s easy to just take the dowry and pass it on, which if you are an only daughter works out great. If you are Catherine Morland it might not work so well.

Further reading (though I must note this article has a misquote from P&P)

Also, Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell really gets into the problem of generational wealth and gentry slipping into poverty. Makes for an interesting study (The Hamleys of Hamley are the family)

( jacob elordi .  cis man .  he/him )  - the  new  york  city  resident , holden newman ,  was  seen  sporting  bruno cucinelli  on  park  avenue  today .  the  twenty six  year  old  is  a  journalist  in  the  city  &  has  been  here  for eight years .  since  being  here  ,  they  have  been  told  to  be  cynical  ,  but  also compassionate ,  who  really  knows  !  according  to  nycslam  ,   he has been covering up certain unlawful activities that his mother's family has engaged in .  anyways  ,  guess  we'll  find  out  for  ourselves  !

full biography • playlist • pinterest

I. STATS

full name: holden theodore newman

gender & pronouns: cis-male, he/him

age & birthday: 26, april 13th, 1997

occupation: journalist

time in nyc: 8 years

II. BACKGROUND

born in new canaan, ct. his mother was a broke socialite (not really broke, she still was richer than the average person but ya know nowhere as rich as before) and a doctor.

back to his mom, she belongs to a very known and old family in the us (think the vanderbilts bc yes that’s the family i based this from) but holden doesn’t really talk about them and really doesn’t know that side of his family well.

his dad, au contraire, had humble beginnings and worked hard to pay his way through college and med school. they met in 1994, at the hospital he worked at and well they fell in love and holden was born 3 years later.

was the perfect mix of his parents’ personalities. he share his mom’s love for art and his father’s thirst for knowledge. overall, he was very curious and sensible kid.

not the most committed student. he was always living in his own world, dreaming of the worlds he read in books or watched in films. however, he was naturally smart and so he did good at school.

death tw: his father passed away when he was eleven years old and from that moment on it was as if something within him died as well.

holden and his mom drifted apart after that since none of them knew how to share their grief with the other.

his mom began spending a looooot of money. so much that made holden anxious and he used to go to bed thinking about the family’s finances which, ya know, no thirteen year old should be concerned about that.

matured very fast, pretty much missed his teenage years and couldn’t wait to go to college and idk being thirty, flirty and thriving.

attended university in columbia where he majored in literature.

holden always loved writing and researching. he started in high school and later decided to study literature and journalism in college. after graduating, he tried to get a job with the new york times but didn't succeed.

struggling to become an on-air reporter, holden asked a friend for help, and they made a fake press pass. he sneaked into important events, recorded news reports, and sent them to networks in the hope of getting a break. this led to an internship at cnn. in the last three years, he moved up quickly and is now a reporter and writes a column for the new york times.

III. PERSONALITY

if you are into personality tests and all that stuff here’s the tea: intj, type 6 (enneagram), type a, phlematic (temperament), lawful good, aries, ravenclaw.

cynical idealist, skeptical by nature, covertly hopeless romantic, walking paradox, inadvertently tactless.

has a very quixotic personality and even if he tries to conceal it, he still daydreams a lot.

he is still very sensible not even life can take that away from him so please no one cries in front him or he will leave so he doesn’t cry and start a vicious cycle of crying. no one wants that.

a worrier. he worries about everyyything and he just can’t help it which makes him a bit uptight.

very organized, i guess some could say, he’s a bit neurotic.

competitive so don’t invite him to trivia night

wouldn’t say he’s shy but he is indeed very reserved and rarely talks about himself.

extremely critical and most of his criticism is directed at himself but he can be a bit judgmental but never with malice.

dry, dark and sarcastic sense of humor that sometimes is not welcomed. especially because he’s very tactless so he doesn’t have that comedic timing so it comes across as questionable. the type that makes him go like “it’s a joke btw” and people just awkwardly laugh and walk away.

actually fun to be around when he feels comfortable or stress free aka once a year.

IV. PLOTS IDEAS

they’re closing the bar and they want us to leave: holden doesn’t even know how he became ‘friends’ with this person as they don’t have many interests in common. somehow, when this person gets too drunk to drive calls holden to help them and since he can’t really say no, he always complies.  with nico

i’ll tell you the truth, but never goodbye: he struggles to keep close relationships as he is the kind of friend who will leave you on read for weeks or decline plans every weekend. however this person has always been there, even when it seems he’s trying to push them away. maybe they haven’t said it out loud but actions speak louder than words and these two are best friends. with grey

do you have the time to listen to me whine?: i guess his mom gave him that name because somehow she knew he would like to complain about many things. so this person could be the one who is there to tolerate all his rambling and at the end give him some advice. holden considers them good friends as he usually is not this chatty unless he feels comfortable around someone. 

we locked eyes from a distance, so close but i missed it: i wouldn’t say holden has a crush on this person but he’s definitely intrigued by them. they run into each other often but either holden avoids the conversation or he keeps it short even when he’d rather do the opposite. 

they’ve been sayin’ you’re sophisticated: he has tried to keep this as a secret, to the extent of lying about where he grew up. maybe this person met holden back when he lived in the us or their family knew holden’s mom. idk the details but hopefully you get the idea. with yesenia

school yard conversations taken to heart: he grew up mostly in connecticut but after his father passed away he and his mother moved back for a couple of years to new york. maybe they went to the same school and idk connection from the past pretty much.

do you know what it means when you think on a screen?: pretty much they matched on a dating app and they’ve been talking for some time but they haven’t really met in person yet. it’s not really romantic but they have a connection (could become romantic tho depends on chemistry) with yildiz

the devil’s in the details, but you got a friend in me: while he’s not a social butterfly, in the past year he has formed a small group of friends and he feels comfortable around them to let them see more of his personality.

i wanted to believe in all the words that i was speaking as we moved together in the dark: maybe it all started as a hook up and it evolved to a friends with benefits sort of situation. maybe the other person started to get feelings but to holden is was purely physical. he tried to force feelings for this person but it simply wasn’t there and now they ended up in bad terms.

i know your heart belongs to someone you’ve yet to meet: maybe they dated a few years ago (we can work out the logistics) and he was very into this person and thought it would become a serious thing but then he moved to london and the distance made him realize that his feelings were not as strong.

right where you left me: the opposite of the previous idea. pretty much the roles reversed and it’s them who left holden with really no explanation.

everybody wonders what it would be like to love you: holden had a massive crush on this person. sometimes they talked but he never told them anything. he might still have some feelings for them but it’s nothing but the leftovers of an unresolved crush. with eloise

you wouldn’t be the first renegade to need somebody: this could be a friendship that could turn into something more kinda connection. it could be angsty idk. but pretty much this is someone that wants to get to know holden or at least become friends but he keeps putting these walls between them even if he really enjoys their company.

friends don’t get chills with every accidental touch: they’ve been very good friends for some time and they are comfortable with each other, so comfortable that it seems there’s something else there. with moira

In Russia, you don’t have to look too hard to find “tough guys” offering to help you deal with sensitive issues, whether they be business-related or personal. These men, referred to as “fixers,” are considered to have reached their heyday in the 1990s — but they continue to offer their services in dealings between business partners, embittered exes, or even in matters involving the state. Olesia Ostapchuk, a special correspondent for independent media outlet Holod, dove into the world of Russia’s “fixers,” learning more about their main clients, their work both inside and outside the bounds of the law, and how their profession has changed since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Meduza in English is publishing an abridged translation.

‘Apply a little pressure’

It’s unlikely that anyone who knows 33-year-old Marcel Gasanov was surprised when, in October 2023, police caught him outside of Kaspiy, a notorious cafe known to be a hub for crime bosses in the city of Yekaterinburg. This wasn’t the first time Gasanov had been involved in local criminal affairs: he’d previously served a stint in prison for robbery and received a suspended sentence for possession of firearms. Now, Gasanov works as a “fixer,” according to local media reports.

“Fixers,” as they’re commonly referred to, are hired to resolve a wide variety of issues for which a client either can’t, or doesn’t want to, contact the police or state authorities. While requests most often entail debt collection, they can range from “problems with unruly neighbors, troublesome employees, and unreasonable relatives” to helping those who have been “scammed out of large sums of money by their ‘loved ones’” and even getting people out of cults. “I do the work that others won’t take on,” says one fixer from Vladivostok.

According to Yekaterinburg outlet E1.ru, Marsel Gasanov “doesn’t even wear a mask” when he’s on assignment — he knows he has the support of the authorities. Tellingly, he didn’t face any criminal charges for the incident at Kaspiy or for his involvement in another conflict between rival management companies in February 2022.

Fixers’ services are often publicized on Avito, Russia’s most popular classified ads website. Though Dmitry Krylov’s (name changed) listings on Avito don’t explicitly mention his profession, he offers to “resolve any unusual issues,” “restore justice” and “get back your child, finances, or property.” “We can do anything for money, and for good money, absolutely anything!” reads one ad.

Recently, a worker at an auto repair shop told Krylov about an individual who owes him money, and asked him to “apply a little pressure, you know, give a bit of a nudge.” Krylov receives all sorts of offers — once, a teenager even asked him to “deal with” one of his teachers who had “said too much” to his parents, prompting Krylov to clarify that he doesn’t commit murder.

“We try to do everything within the bounds of the law,” Krylov explains. “Though there are, of course, some exceptional circumstances.”

‘Fixers used to be gangsters, now they’re more likely to be officials in uniform’

In Russia, “fixers” refer to a wide range of individuals — well-connected scammers who have influence over lawmakers, lawyers who can be bribed into ensuring a desired outcome in a criminal case, and those willing to have tough conversations with noisy neighbors.

One researcher says fixers fall into the two following categories: those in the criminal world who collect debts and help squeeze out competitors, or middlemen who know the right people in government and can achieve results faster or without the red tape. The first category is extrajudicial, while the other takes advantage of the law.

“In my understanding, the most important ‘fixers’ are corrupt middlemen who take bribes,” explains one of Holod’s sources. “They’re usually former employees from the police force, law enforcement, the prosecutor’s office, or agencies addressing economic crimes.” “Fixers used to be those gangsters from the 1990s,” the source adds. “Now they’re more likely to be officials in uniform.”

Some fixers lobby for semi-legal or illegal businesses that produce bootleg alcohol, sell counterfeits, provide sex services, or run underground casinos. “They need a person who has influence, so that [the authorities] won’t touch [their] interests, or when they do, it’s coordinated,” explains one insider.

But there’s another group of fixers — those willing to get involved in even the smallest assignments such as “punishing” an unfaithful husband. “It all depends on the amount of money offered,” said one source. “[They will engage in] all kinds of petty crime: torching a car, beating someone up.”

Asked if fixers face punishment or prosecution, one of Holod’s sources said they’re “only jailed when they step out of line.” “Or if they go too far. For example, [if] the person they beat up ends up dying. Or they set fire to a car, and it’s outside the mayor’s house.”

‘Even the state occasionally turns to us’

Andrey Petrov (name changed), a fixer, says people usually come to him for problems related to debts and fraud. But he “carries out delicate assignments” all around the globe — helping locate people, accompanying and transporting cargo. “We have employees in China, in Vietnam,” he says. “There are some who work in Europe, although it’s difficult now.” Petrov says that he’s often enlisted to help people look for someone, given that so many people have now left Russia. “Even the state itself sometimes turns to us instead of to the police,” he adds.

When it comes to requests involving violence, not all fixers abide by the same principles, says Dmitry Krylov. “There are shadier guys who will come and do it.” “They’ll set apartments or cars on fire for 5,000-10,000 rubles ($54-$110),” Krylov explains. “Someone gets cut off while driving, they remember the license plate, and they have the cash. And they’ll say ‘We’ll find out where it’s parked, it needs to be torched. We have the money.’”

These types of fixers aren’t usually found through Avito but via word of mouth. One of Holod’s intermediaries inquired whether any of these “shadier” fixers were willing to speak with journalists. In response, these fixers promised to “smash their faces in.”

‘Requests have become increasingly violent’

After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, fixers started receiving new types of requests, says Petrov: “Those who left during mobilization want to know if they’re being pursued [by law enforcement agencies], and how they can return without getting in trouble.”

Active-duty military personnel also contact fixers. “Mainly to check on their wives while they’re away,” explains Petrov. “Imagine, a person is at war for a year and they don’t know what’s going on at home.”

In the two years since the start of the war, fixer Dmitry Krylov says the requests he receives have become increasingly violent. Before, most clients would contact him for debt collection. Now, he says, they ask him to “beat someone up or break their legs.”

“People have less trust in the authorities,” Krylov continues, reflecting on how the work of fixers has changed. “Now, they’re more likely to believe that some sensible guys will be better able to solve things than the police. God forbid it turns into a situation where thugs are more trusted than the authorities. Although it seems like that’s the direction we’re headed.”

Re:"send me an au and i’ll give you 5+ headcanons about it": This would be a good opportunity to talk about the "Mamusu Grant becomes a librarian after all" AU you mentioned now and then. Or was it the "Peter grows up at the Folly" AU? I'd love to hear headcanons and ideas for any of those, if you want to talk about them.

Both of those are more on the side of "prompts for AUs for people to write in a fic exchange" than they are "this is a fully-fleshed out story for me and here it is." I can flesh it out, I can give you headcanons, but I'm not married to any of them, so if you ever are assigned to write for me in an exchange and want to go take the prompt and go in a completely different direction, please do.

But! Five headcanons for "Mamusu Grant becomes a librarian"

She was a librarian back in Sierra Leone, and that's how she and Elsie Winstanley met, but would need to go back to school for more qualifications to work in an English library. If it were just a matter of "can't get her foot in the door because racism" then surely a recommendation from "Hatbox" Winstanley (legend among librarians, high up at the British Library, connections at Oxford) would open some doors.

In order to get those qualifications, Mamusu would need either financial help or help taking care of Peter or both. (Preferably both.) She's barely keeping the family head above water financially in canon, with a husband who can't contribute to the family finances or be trusted taking care of their one child. She doesn't have time to go back to school. Things that might change that: Richard "Lord" Grant being healthy enough to continue his jazz career at least enough to support the family (even if he doesn't ever make it big). Richard dying when Peter was young, so at least she doesn't have to deal with his dead weight. Extra family support (maybe one of the relatives steps in and takes care of Peter while Mamusu is at school). Financial support from somewhere else (maybe Richard died because of the Jazz Vampires, and Nightingale feels guilty he didn't catch it, and lets Mamusu and Peter live rent-free at the Folly). But whatever the reason, it's not just "Mamusu decides to go back to school and it changes everything!" There's something else that helps make "going to school" possible.

Once she's through school, and Elsie as a reference has helped open doors to beginning her career, Mamusu is a kickass research librarian. She's not the one manning the front desk and helping people check things out, she's the one manning the research desk who you go to when you have a really thorny research question and nobody else has been able to help. She is really good at it.

If the reason she's able to get through school is "Richard supports her financially and takes care of Peter," she and Richard have another kid or two after she's settled in her career, because they have the money and time in a way that they don't in canon (and Richard has proven himself a better father so the burden of childrearing isn't all left on Mamusu's shoulders). There's a large age-gap between Peter and his younger sibling(s), and they grew up in a much different household, and Mamusu was much more relaxed with them (as parents often are with second and third children, having made all their mistakes with the oldest kid). Peter cares about his sibling(s) but also has some mixed feelings about the whole thing.

When Peter was a kid, she figured out he had ADD/ADHD, and got him a diagnosis and treatment. Given medication and/or help developing better coping skills, he did better on his A-levels and developed his drawing skills enough to get into university studying architecture.

This is a response to the ask meme "send me an au and i’ll give you 5+ headcanons about it"

My box is open, and you can come up with your own AU (as long as it's in a fandom I'm familiar with).

Here's some Templars whose research distracted me very well from the happenings in Paris and the fact I'm ordering food via phone to go out as little as possible. Okay. Here's what I found:

Transcript of the first and second page:

André de Montbard was born on November 5th 1097. All we know is that he had richt even noble parents and that he was the fifth Grand Master and founder of the Templars.

Bertrand de Blanchefort was the sixth Grand Master and was born sometime in 1109. He fostered the Templars as guardians of travelling Christians rather than brutes despite their weaponry. For three years he was a prisoner of was and went on one single expedition, declining a second.

Philip of Nablus, also: of Milly actually a Jerusalem-born man in 1120. Wasn't too fond of being Grand Master yet submitted to Almaric pressuring him. He became seventh Grand Master and resigned in 1171.

Ode de St. Amand was the eigth Grand Master born in 1110. He was captured by Saladin in the battle of Morj Ayyun, to the dismay of his fellows since he was described as a headstrong guy, leading in both praise and resentment and being a valuable member.

Arnold of Torroja born in wherever and whenever, he was the ninth Grand Master at the ripe age of 70. He worked on Hispaniola in the Reconquista. His capability in negotiating even with Saladin made him an important GM, so important that his tomb was only discovered in 2018, very well hidden from others.

Gerard de Rideford hid his birth year but died in 1189. Used to be the 10th Grand Master of the Templars. He used king Henry II's money to bring more troops to Jerusalme. Apparently he was pretty beloved, as Saladin offered his life for a peaceful surrender, which succeeded and he was released to Tortosa.

Transcript of the third and fourth page:

Robert de Sablé was born a lord of Sablé in 1150. Not only was he the eleventh Grand Master but also member of the Valiant Order. Helped Henry Hunior revolt against his daddy Henry II and also convinced Islamic troops to retreat in the third crusade.

Gilbert Erail (or Horal) born whenever, died in 1200. He was the twelfth Grand Master and aspired to wage peace, not war, in between Christians and Muslims.

Philippe de Plessis castle-forn or rather fortress-born in France in 1165. Was the thirteenth Grand Master of the Templars and had semi-good relationships to the Hospitallers (kinda like the Templars but evangelican Maltesers). Suggested a peace treaty with Malek Adhel.

Pedro de Montagut (or Montaigu) died in 1232 while still being a Grand Master and ways a friend of Guillaume de Chartes, whoever that was. Made a deal with the Muslims: they gave up Jerusalem while the Templars stopped the siege of Damietta. Most importantly he got a piece of the True cross, I wonder if that's still somewhere?

Armand de Lavaie he was born in 1178 in Calabria and elected Grand Master. Death is really unclear, some say he died in battle, others say he survived capture. In 1239 he arrived in Acre for a treaty with a sultan.

Richard de Bures is somewhat of a ghost since all we know is he died in May 1247 and was the seventeenth Grand Master.

Transcript of the fifth and sixth page:

Guillaume de Sonnac a noble-born Frenchman whose birth date is unclear. Took part in the successful 7th crusade. He worked as a chronicler for the Templars, lots of information we know on them cites him as source. He replaces Périgord while this guy was captured, and his death was the end of the 17th crusade.

Renaud de Vichiers was the 19th Grand Master of the Templars and the preceptor of Saint Jean-d'Acre. He was having issues with Hugues de Joug and had to throw him out of the order to stop their fight. Lois IX of France was a supporter and financer of Renaud, but he again fought with him and parted int he end over a diplomatic mission. He retired in a monastery, and if not alone, he argues to this day.

Thomas Bérard wrote letters of misery to king Lois despite being twentieth Grand Master and somewhat respectable. He initiated a cooperation with the Hospitaliers Teutons and yielded the last island's fortification in June. Asking the Pope for help he waged the 8th crusade which became the last since Lois died. His most significant win: a 10-year-truce for Muslims and Christians.

Thibaud Gaudin another man with rich parents boen in 1229 was the 22nd Grand Master of the Knights Templars. Demanding people from Cyprus for a siege in Sidon wasn't successful since the reinforcements never came, so he left the Holy Land in ashes.

That's Jaques de Molay, the 23rd and last of the Knights Templar's Grand Masters. I found a painting depicting him and it showed me how Templars looked like, from an ancient point of view, not one in Hollywood. Templars were called Knights Templars and would own and wear a normal knight's armour during the day. Above that, they had a white cloak with a black Christian cross on it, and a leather belt in which they could carry their swords in.

Molay lead the order from the 20th April of 1292 until Pope Clement V was having none of it and dissolved the order in 1312. After the fall of Acre the Catholics retreated to Cyprus, the headquater of Jerusalem. He wanted to obviously keep the order and tried to rebuild the Templars, raiding several cities in the 1300s at the coast of Egypt and Syria (not very Christian huh?). They lost in Ruad and had to retreat to the shore, always feeling the pressure to collaborate with other Christian forces. Molay was sent to France to meet up with the Pope and arrived in 1306 or 1307. He even asked the Pope to wipe the name of the Knights templars clear and adress the rumours and accousations.

What I gathered from all of this? There is no mention of the Lux Veritatis and the order was dissolved and never officially continued. Now, theory: what if someone started over and renamed the club into the LV? Could that be possible? I mean, there's plenty of ties to France...

By Juliana Kim

NPR

June 27, 2022

There's a mounting body of evidence on how having or being denied an abortion affects pregnant people, including impacts on their mental health and the finances of them and their children. The effects on their male partners have received less attention.

In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, experts say that no longer should be the case.

"It's really naïve to think that the repeal of Roe is only going to impact women and pregnant people," said Dr. Bethany Everett, a professor of sociology at the University of Utah.

While the issue disproportionately impacts people who can get pregnant, Dr. Everett says it's important to look at abortion access from all sides, as limits on abortion access likely will have broader implications for society as a whole.

One in five men have been involved in an abortion, one study finds

Research on the impact of abortions on male partners has been limited, but that doesn't mean the issue isn't relevant to men.

Using existing data from the National Survey of Family Growth, a recent study estimates that one in five men have impregnated someone who's had an abortion. That's likely an undercount, according to Dr. Brian Nguyen, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Southern California, who helped oversee the project.

"Not all men are aware of the pregnancies they cause and those that end in abortion," said Dr. Nguyen. "For some men who may see abortion as a failure on their part to be a better partner or potential father, or for those whose social and cultural backgrounds have made them feel as if abortion is wrong, disclosing an abortion can be challenging or uncomfortable."

In a separate survey of more than 200 male partners of women seeking procedures at abortion clinics, Dr. Nguyen and his team found that about half of them already had children, and supported termination of a pregnancy in order to better provide for their existing family.

Young men who have been involved in abortions are more likely to pursue college and earn more

In her study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, Dr. Everett and her team found that young men who were involved with a pregnancy and whose partners had an abortion were nearly four times more likely to graduate from college than those whose partners gave birth.

Her research also suggests that males under the age of 20 who were affected by an abortion were likely to earn more money than those who became parents but did not live with their child. Earnings between those who became parents and lived with their child and those whose partners terminated a pregnancy were about the same, Everett said, possibly because those who became teen fathers entered the workforce sooner.

"But still, you likely would see later down the road economic capital build among those who were able to pursue their educational careers," she adds.

Those differences are significant but not surprising. According to Dr. Everett, previous research generally has linked delayed parenthood with greater educational achievement and future socioeconomic status for both men and women.

"Parents should really think hard about not just what the repeal of Roe is going to mean for their daughters, but what it's going to mean for their sons," Dr. Everett said. "Their sons may become dads much earlier than they're prepared for."

Debunking the "us v. them" narrative between men and women

Dr. Nguyen has been working to help people recognize cis men's role in reproductive health for more than a decade. He sees his work as inherently female focused and in pursuit of gender equality, but to others that hasn't always been clear.

"The gender-based discrimination and disparity that women have faced because of patriarchal power structures have really put a rift between the public's mental image of men and women when it comes to reproductive rights," Dr. Nguyen said.

He believes that the fight for abortion access would benefit if cis men fully engaged in the cause, and demonstrating their tangible stakes could help.

"When it comes to reproductive rights, we hear a lot of 'her body, her choice' and 'I'll support her no matter what.' But that's passive support," he said. "To me, what men need to be risking is their own comfort of having to grapple with an issue that women are forced to do biologically."

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February 5th, 2024

I woke up at noon again today, but what I did end up doing was all of my laundry and cleaning my room. I'm counting that as a win, especially because I wiped down my windowsills and they've been desperately needing that.

I think someone has the drying rack so I payed the extra money to use the dryers. I wouldn't mind that so much if my clothes actually came out dry, but no matter what setting I put it on they're always a little damp. Last semester I talked about that with former Italian roommate and she said it's probably because I left the clothes in there too long and the condensation made them wet again. Today I know that's not true because I stood and waited during the final seconds of the cycle. It's still nice to have a fresh room. I sprayed lavender everywhere and had the windows open all day too. It's starting to get warmer and I can't wait until I can have the windows open all the time.

I had a reminder to message one of my friends (German Sri lankan) and ask to hang out because (1) I need to get out of the house and (2) I need to be a better friend to her. She ended up texting me first, though, to ask where a place in our faculty is. I still need to ask her to hang out, but I think I'll do that when I'm back from visiting my sister, so my schedule will be more free.

My dad also called today to tell me that he put some money in my bank account. He had asked what my balance was on my credit card, and I lied and told him half of what it was so he wouldn't give me too much. He still somehow gave me the amount I needed. I told him that now that I'm not paying for therapy my finances were under control and that he didn't need to give me anything, but secretly I was pretty relieved. This did unfortunately mean i had to listen to him rant about my mom, which never stps no matter how many times he's told not to do it. My parents have very rigid views about eachother, so even though I agree with some of what my dad was saying, I dislike his inability to show compassion or empathy for her. It is shitty that she had me pay for therapy, but I also understand that she's pretty broke and it was something I asked her to do. I also understand that the reason she's broke is that she keeps making bad financial decisions and refuses to get a job but spends hours volunteering. The only person I defend my mom to is my dad. He also told me that he had been doing some research into what I was studying. Everything he told me is stuff I've known forever, but it was still sweet that he wanted to understand. He told me I should do my PhD in neuroscience because the future of the field is machine learning and was shocked when I told him I already do neuroscience and programming. I also hope that I've finally set the record straight on me not wanting to go into clinical. It is a little concerning though, because the more he knows the more advice I'm going to have to sit through. Nothing can top "if you want to make easy extra money, why don't you start a YouTube channel? People make thousands with those" though.

T was also still in a bad mood, but it was really difficult to deal with today. Texting always makes things worse too, and I've been worried with how much he's been wanting to text recently. It would be a little easier to handle if he told me how he was feeling for the sake of telling me, but his brain funnels everything through a series of cost-benefit analyses and prediction models before he says anything. So instead of telling me what's wrong or naming an emotion, he instead tells me that he's not going to tell me what's going on. I've tried to think of ways to respond to him telling me that without making him feel like I don't care or I'm not listening, but what can I say? There's only so many ways to be there for someone when they are actively telling you that you're not helpful. I'm trying to help him understand that saying something out loud is helpful in itself, but if there's no solution to stop the inciting incident from happening again he decides that he just has to deal with it. These are the days where I find long distance the most challenging.

German American is in the middle of her first year of engineering exams and I see the same broken look in her eyes that I had last semester. She's adopted the word "rat" to describe the state she's in as well, so I'm pretty proud of that. She also spends a lot of time playing monopoly go on her tablet. I've never felt more in tune with her than I do now.

Third culture Australian continues to annoy me, I desperately need space. I'm a little concerned about the Amsterdam trip since I'll be spending a lot of time with him then, but hopefully being away from everyone on Thursday will be good for me. I just wish leaving the house wasn't so expensive, and weirdly I miss having classes every week. I would gladly take some back if they weren't at 8:30 I the morning like all my classes seemed to be last semester, and there were no exams. If I had been Journaling last semester 99% of my entries would have been talking about the insane mental and physical stress I was under. I was quite literally sleeping on average 4 hours a night. The thought of everything having to step foot in that fucking exam hall ever again makes me physically ill. And now I miss it! Retrospective memory is a bitch.

In conclusion, I've been listening to a lot more music and I started watching modern family. I genuinely can't handle having to choose what will entertain me next at the moment. My brain feels like hot static, and it smells suspiciously like burnout.

Key Things To Know When Car Shopping

It is not uncommon for people to become unnerved while looking for a new car. With the various financing options and cars out there, a consumer can feel overwhelmed. Use the tips in the article to make your next car purchase stress-free. Do not let a dealer talk you into buying more car than you can afford. Some salesmen can talk you into an expensive car you cannot afford. Remember that the salesman wants his commission! Do your research online in order to find the best deals. A simple Internet search can help you save a lot of money. Find what you like, and have your dealership order it for you. If the dealership is close, think about going to them to save a little more money. Bring in an impartial mechanic before purchasing used. If they say no, leave. A professional mechanic is going to be able to give you objective feedback about the state of the car, including signs of previous wrecks or exposure to flood waters. Take someone with you when you are car shopping. Your person will be your second set of eyes and ears. This can be anyone you trust like a parent, spouse or friend. Ask your family and friends about what they know about cars. Are they happy with their purchases? Are they sorry they purchased the vehicle? What do they know about other cars out on the market? When you're in the market for a car, this is a good way to get some preliminary information that you can start with. Get your budget straight before you head to a car dealership. You should never purchase a vehicle if you cannot really afford it. The salesman is not the person that make six years worth of car payments. It's very important to go for a test drive before making a purchase. Even if you have previously test driven the same make and model, you need to make sure that this car drives well. You might find that there are some small things that are not the same or that there is something wrong. MPG plays a huge role in a car purchase. For instance, you may want a large vehicle so you can tow your camper during the summer months. Think about when you would actually use this and then factor in all that extra gas. Don't feel that you necessarily have to buy from a car dealership. You can go to smaller lots or buy from private owners and get some really good deals. Even social media can be a good way to find the perfect price point for the car you want. Take advantage of online resources for car buyers. Almost every make and model is available online. Do all your research well before heading to a dealership. The Internet is a great place to find information such as prices, reviews, vehicle specifications and a lot more. Car salesmen have quotas to meet. If you go car shopping at the end of the month, you will be able to get some interesting deals. Salesmen who have yet to make their expected number of sales will be eager to close another sale. These quotas will help you be able to argue out a better deal. Buy your car at month's end. Salesman are often struggling to fulfill quotas at this time. Toward the month's end, salespeople may be behind in their quotas, and this could be a great time for you to get a good deal. Car shopping can be both exciting and exhausting. You can do much of your shopping online. Multiple websites exist that allow for car shopping from both dealerships and individual owners. You can do car-to-car comparisons and filter by features and prices. Doing so reduces viable options, saving you money and time. This first thing you should do when you are considering purchasing a car is figure out what your budget is. It is best to know exactly where you stand before you begin looking at cars. Determine how much you'll be able to spend on a monthly car payment. Even look for a loan prior to your car search. You will now be better prepared to buy a car. Refer back to them as you explore your options and compare different vehicles. You'll come away with the car you want -- and the financing choices that you need.

Key Things To Know When Car Shopping

It is not uncommon for people to become unnerved while looking for a new car. With the various financing options and cars out there, a consumer can feel overwhelmed. Use the tips in the article to make your next car purchase stress-free. Do not let a dealer talk you into buying more car than you can afford. Some salesmen can talk you into an expensive car you cannot afford. Remember that the salesman wants his commission! Do your research online in order to find the best deals. A simple Internet search can help you save a lot of money. Find what you like, and have your dealership order it for you. If the dealership is close, think about going to them to save a little more money. Bring in an impartial mechanic before purchasing used. If they say no, leave. A professional mechanic is going to be able to give you objective feedback about the state of the car, including signs of previous wrecks or exposure to flood waters. Take someone with you when you are car shopping. Your person will be your second set of eyes and ears. This can be anyone you trust like a parent, spouse or friend. Ask your family and friends about what they know about cars. Are they happy with their purchases? Are they sorry they purchased the vehicle? What do they know about other cars out on the market? When you're in the market for a car, this is a good way to get some preliminary information that you can start with. Get your budget straight before you head to a car dealership. You should never purchase a vehicle if you cannot really afford it. The salesman is not the person that make six years worth of car payments. It's very important to go for a test drive before making a purchase. Even if you have previously test driven the same make and model, you need to make sure that this car drives well. You might find that there are some small things that are not the same or that there is something wrong. MPG plays a huge role in a car purchase. For instance, you may want a large vehicle so you can tow your camper during the summer months. Think about when you would actually use this and then factor in all that extra gas. Don't feel that you necessarily have to buy from a car dealership. You can go to smaller lots or buy from private owners and get some really good deals. Even social media can be a good way to find the perfect price point for the car you want. Take advantage of online resources for car buyers. Almost every make and model is available online. Do all your research well before heading to a dealership. The Internet is a great place to find information such as prices, reviews, vehicle specifications and a lot more. Car salesmen have quotas to meet. If you go car shopping at the end of the month, you will be able to get some interesting deals. Salesmen who have yet to make their expected number of sales will be eager to close another sale. These quotas will help you be able to argue out a better deal. Buy your car at month's end. Salesman are often struggling to fulfill quotas at this time. Toward the month's end, salespeople may be behind in their quotas, and this could be a great time for you to get a good deal. Car shopping can be both exciting and exhausting. You can do much of your shopping online. Multiple websites exist that allow for car shopping from both dealerships and individual owners. You can do car-to-car comparisons and filter by features and prices. Doing so reduces viable options, saving you money and time. This first thing you should do when you are considering purchasing a car is figure out what your budget is. It is best to know exactly where you stand before you begin looking at cars. Determine how much you'll be able to spend on a monthly car payment. Even look for a loan prior to your car search. You will now be better prepared to buy a car. Refer back to them as you explore your options and compare different vehicles. You'll come away with the car you want -- and the financing choices that you need.