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puppy-steve · 5 months

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steddie | wc: 1,425 | cw: none | songfic | ao3

have some hurt/comfort, cj style. happy thanksgiving even though it's already 1am my time <3

The kitchen is so thick with tension you could cut right through it like butter. Eddie’s washing the dishes and Steve’s putting away the leftovers from dinner. They haven’t spoken a word to each other the entire night, not since that afternoon when they were screaming at each other.

Other people would say that they don’t remember what or who started the argument in the first place, but Steve knows exactly what happened. All because he let his dumb mouth get ahead of his brain. And it’s not like he hasn’t tried to apologize—he tried the second the words left his mouth and then five more times after that but Eddie wasn’t having any of it.

Which is fine, he’s allowed to stew in his hurt feelings for as long as he likes, but Steve is worried that this might be the first time they go to bed with one of them still mad, and he doesn’t know if he can handle that.

He shuts the fridge and turns around to lean against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest, letting out a quiet sigh. Eddie’s back is turned to him so he can only see the movement of his shoulders as he scrubs the dishes harder than he ought to.

He’s still pissed, then.

Steve lets out a quiet sigh. He’s the one that started this whole mess so he’s got to be the one to fix it. He needs to come up with something to get Eddie to at least look at him.

He stands there for a few more minutes as he thinks but then the light bulb in his brain flicks on and he leaves the kitchen.

Eddie’s probably washed this bowl three times already but he doesn’t care. He’s still worked up from his and Steve’s fight earlier, he could drop the bowl and it could shatter in the soapy water and he wouldn’t even blink an eye.

How dare he, Eddie thinks bitterly, rinsing the soap off and placing the bowl in the dish drainer a little harshly. How dare he think he has the right to even insinuate.

All he wanted was to spend the extra little bit he’d had left over from his paycheck on some new mini’s he’d seen down at the bookstore and a couple of books that had been on his list for ages. He made sure to put back enough to cover his half of their rent and bills. He was careful.

But Steve still had to go and open his stupid rich boy mouth.

Eddie feels the familiar prickle of white hot anger on the back of his neck and he takes a deep breath to calm himself. It’s not his fault that he grew up poor. Wayne did what he could to support the both of them on his single paycheck every month, but that money only went so far. There wasn’t enough to spare to open an account with the bank, so they just went without.

Unlike the Harrington’s, who apparently had accounts open across multiple cities and even a couple overseas.

Steve’s father had drilled the importance of wealth management into him from an early age and made him use his first allowance to open a savings account at the age of ten. His boyfriend had a goddamn retirement account by the time he was eighteen.

So when Steve goes and assumes that Eddie doesn’t know how to handle money just because he wants to splurge for once and buy something he enjoys, Eddie thinks that his anger is a little more than justified.

Eddie’s eyes sting with oncoming tears and he blinks them away with a shake of his head. He doesn’t need to cry right now.

As he reaches for another dirty plate, music suddenly fills the kitchen from the Bluetooth speakers on the counter, soft piano trilling and the melodic humming with an R&B beat.

He freezes when arms slowly circle his waist from behind and Steve rests his chin on his shoulder.

Some people live for the fortune

Some people live just for the fame

“Dance with me,” Steve murmurs, pressing a gentle kiss to Eddie’s shoulder.

Eddie suppresses a shiver and the instinct to lean back into him. “I don’t-”

“Eddie.”

Another kiss, this time under his ear. Fingers gently trace along his arm.

Some people think

That the physical things

Define what’s within

Eddie’s walls crumble like sawdust when Steve laces his fingers between his own soapy ones. He lets Steve pull him away from the sink and they slowly sway in the middle of their kitchen. He can see straight into the living room, where they’ve already set their Christmas tree up in the corner by the window, fully decorated even though it’s still November. They’ve got a hodgepodge of decorations and knick knacks already set on various shelves and tables with Christmas lights strung in almost every doorway.

As they dance in a slow spin, their cheeks pressed together, Eddie thinks back to how much fun they had setting all of it up. How Steve held the mistletoe above his head every chance he got just to be able to kiss him. All of his remaining anger slowly melts away and he’s left with the overwhelming feeling of how much he loves this man.

Some people want diamond rings

Some just want everything

But everything means nothing

If I ain't got you, yeah

“I’m sorry,” Steve says, and he sounds like he means it. “I didn’t mean what I said earlier, when I said you should be more responsible. You were right. It’s your money and you’re the only one who gets a say in how you spend it.”

Eddie sighs and tightens his arms around Steve’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, too. I got defensive, but I shouldn’t have yelled at you like I did. I should’ve listened to you when you tried apologizing the first time.”

Some people search for a fountain

Promises forever young

Some people need three dozen roses

And that's the only way to prove you love them

Eddie pulls back a little and looks at Steve for the first time in what feels like ages and is flooded with emotions that make his chest tighten when he sees the soft smile on his boyfriend’s face and the love in his eyes.

Eddie cups his cheek and leans in to press a soft kiss to his equally soft lips before resting his head on Steve’s shoulder with a soft sigh.

Some people want it all

But I don't want nothing at all

If it ain't you, baby

If I ain't got you, baby

“Are we really slow dancing to Alicia Keys?” he asks after a moment. Steve shakes with silent laughter and Eddie gently smacks him in the shoulder. “It’s a serious question, Stevie. I need to know if it’s a contender for our wedding playlist.”

It’s Steve’s turn to freeze now and Eddie can’t hold back his giddy smile when he pushes him back by the shoulders and gives him a wide-eyed look.

“Wedding playlist?”

“Well, I was planning to wait until Christmas to pop the question, but. Yeah. I even got a ring.”

Steve gapes at him like a fish before yanking him in for a kiss by the front of his shirt. It’s more teeth than lips because they can’t stop laughing long enough, but they eventually get a hold of themselves when Eddie wraps his arms around Steve’s neck again and presses close, thier lips slotting together seamlessly.

“So I take it that’s a yes?” Eddie asks between kisses.

Steve nips at his bottom lip. “Only if you learn to stop kicking your socks off in your sleep and leaving them under the covers at the end of the bed.”

“They twist around my toes, Stevie,” Eddie pouts, trailing kisses along Steve’s jaw. “Makes ‘em feel like pigs in a blanket.”

Steve tilts his head back to give him more room, the music completely forgotten. “Then don’t wear them to bed at all.”

“But then my feet will get cold. Do you want me to put my icicles on your legs, Steven? Would that make you feel better?”

Steve throws his head back for a completely different reason and groans. “You’re going to be even more difficult once we’re married, aren’t you?”

Eddie grins against Steve’s throat. “Absolutely, oh husband of mine.”

Some people want diamond rings

Some just want everything

But everything means nothing

If I ain't got you, you, you

permanent taglist: @yournowheregirl @judasofsuburbia @steves-strapcollection @thefreakandthehair @stobinesque @vecnuthy @scarcrossdlvrs @starrystevie @inairbinad @flowercrowngods @starryeyedjanai @matchingbatbites @corrodedbisexual @theheadlessphilosopher @patchworkgargoyle @sentient-trash @wormdebut @legitcookie @corrodedcoughin @steddieas-shegoes @wynnyfryd @sidekick-hero

#cj talks #cj writes #steddie #steddie ficlet #steddie fic

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terriwriting · 23 days

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Hi. My name is Terry and I went into debt during the pandemic lockdowns. Some of it was because I had to break a lease to escape a building the landlords were turning into a slum (elevator was broken for nearly a year, roaches overran the place, next door neighbour was throwing coke parties all night). For a while things were okay, but then the rising cost of living and rising interest rates made that debt unsustainable. Now I'm lurching from one crisis to the next and I need to get out from under this debtload before it crushes me. Everything donated to this fundraiser will go directly to paying down that debt, because it is the single biggest problem in my life and makes every other problem worse.

I actually owe over $10,000, but I have one Guaranteed Investment Certificate left over from years ago when I was able to save money. That matures in August and I've already made arrangements with my bank to have it applied directly to my debt. The GIC is for just over $7,000, which leaves me with $3,000+ to pay off somehow.

Currently I make just enough to cover bare minimums (rent, utilities, groceries) and if I can get extra shifts I can keep up on interest payments. But if I can't get those extra shifts or if I miss a shift I fall further behind. And sometimes I get enough to pay the interest, but I get it too late in the month to pay by the due date and still end up being charged a late fee. For a while I was making headway on the debt, then the cost of living went up and I was just breaking even. Then both the cost of living and interest rates went up and now I'm barely hanging on by my fingernails.

I have tried to make up the difference by cutting back. I've reduced my phone and internet services to the lowest levels available, and I try to keep my power usage to a minimum. Water is included in my rent but the area I live in is in drought conditions and water bills are going up. Property taxes are also going up in the region. My rent will probably go up at the end of my lease, whether I stay in this place or try to find a new one. Every apartment in this city is too expensive now, and my landlords have actually been comparatively reasonable in raising rent.

The cost of living has gone up too fast for me to keep up with, and I can't make my interest payments or reduce this debt on my own. Every small setback becomes a crisis, and I've made two posts here to cover things like vet bills and end of month bills. If I can reduce my interest payments immediately and reduce my debt over the next few months, I can get out of this spiral. If I can't, I'm going to keep tripping from one crisis to the next until I fall completely.

It's not all bad news. I have a couple of ongoing writing projects that might actually earn some money. My cats are healthy (thanks to everyone who donated to my previous fundraiser). And I have an apartment that is close enough to shopping and work that I don't need a car. I'd be doing alright if not for this debt. So: Everything donated to this fundraiser will go directly to paying down that debt, because it is the single biggest problem in my life and makes every other problem worse.

Thank you for reading this.

$100/$3100. Thank you!

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franki-lew-yo · 22 days

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Still unemployed

Sorry as always for the open rant you all witnessed two nights back from me. I'm genuinely very stressed about money. In summer and fall 2023 my concern was just trying to make myself noticed somehow, bit-by-bit through social media and gaining a substantial following just to better myself as an artist.

Now, I need any income I've got just to afford my rent and utilities.

To put it into perspective (besides the Ko-fi produced Shelby-fund, which was successfully breached and will be used this coming week on her vet bill) my ssi income's been reduced to 530$ a month while my rent is 760$. My old job supplied at least 300$+ but I don't have any of that coming in now. The stimulus money I was given as a parting gift instead of a final paycheck can't be withdrawn from or transferred to my main bank. I have at least 140$ left on that stimulus just for other expenses like busfair, art supplies, dog and home care.

I'm INCREDIBLY grateful to have my EBT card covering my groceries, my jobcoaches assisting with printing out cardstock for any (eventual) upcoming events or cons and getting me a buspass discount, and of course the backers to my Shelby fund to cover that for the year (much love to Brandon, Misty and Cheatsy on Ko-fi). I will be receiving unemployment soon, though still not enough to cover my rent and utility cost.

But, I need to pay for services on Upwork, Linked In and Vograce, for sensitivity readers and animators and shipping costs for any physical Etsy merchandise, possible venue space for real-life events, professional art prints, computer and tablet maitanance, and that's not even getting to possibly subscribing to sites such as instagram or Facebook. I still have a lot to save up for and do WITHOUT being unemployed.

As a reminder, I need to take commissions especially at this time, both 'quick' ones and more complex pieces.

5$ USD for Sketches (traditional or digital)

15$-20$ USD for Inked, flat colored art without backgrounds

30$ USD for complete pictures

3$ USD = specific medium (completely digital, colored pencil, ink/watercolors, chalk)

5$ USD = extra characters

5$ USD = shading/lighting

10$ USD = Physical shipping of the drawing if it’s traditional

This is also a reminder to please assist and support me however you can via my Ko-Fi, Etsy shop, Redbubble shop and my Patreon.

Thank you, everyone.

#franki lew #artists on tumblr #artist support #disability advocacy #disability #disabled artist #ssi help #patreon #etsy #artist on kofi #ko fi support #buy me a kofi #redbubble artist #redbubble #support #mutual aid #unemployment #unemployed

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max-nico · 7 months

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Sonic World Building Headcanons

For the soul

Any fic of mine that you read uses all or almost all of these Headcanons btw

Covering your hands and feet is the equivalent of covering yourself for decency. It's taboo to talk about what someone's hands look like if you've seen them before

Fingerless gloves give the same vibe as micro skirts and sheer tops with nothing underneath

All (or at least most) Mobians/anthropomorphic animals start off showing a lot more animalistic traits. For example, young children might sniff each other in greeting or get territorial over their bedroom or house

Children who go to school get taught to use their "grown up instincts" and essentially get trained to be "normal"

There are Mobians who are outliers of course, Knuckles for example grew up secluded on a floating island. Over the years he's learned how to fit in better with the general populace but he still comes off as very naive, or not mentally developed (I probably should just say what autistic look like to neurotypicals huh)

Shadow would be an even more extreme example since he's literally an alien

Because of this, kids aren't allowed to move up a grade if they're smart enough to test out, like Tails. If they did that, they would miss crucial developmental skills specifically targeted toward their instincts

Different types of Mobians need different types of diets. For example, spider Mobians can't have mint period. Whether artificial or real. Unless they had been fed little bits of mint at a young age to build up the immunity by the time they reach adulthood

In the comforts of their own home most Mobians fall back on their animalistic traits. Like cat types purring in the sunlight or bird types preening their feathers

It's rude to refer to people as their species. Not like, super offensive, just rude. (Ex. Shadow refers to Sonic as "hedgehog")

Most Mobians aren't one type of animal, most are mixed between two or more. For example, someone mixed with a jackal and a raccoon. Which one they get referred to depends first on appearance, so sometimes children don't get classified until three or four. If they truly look like a 50/50 split between the two species then they get DNA testing done and are referred to as whichever one is higher

The village Tails comes from is a small village completely comprised of Mobians from the canidae family, small villages being completely one animal family is regular, but cities being this way is unheard-of

Sonic is a famous hero and does have a heavily filled bank account. Not because he asked of course, but because of public outrage when he off handedly mentioned he doesn't get paid for saving the world

Off topic, but Tails manages the bank account because he uses the most of the money. Inventions aren't cheap. Any bills they have are on auto pay so they don't worry about them.

Most Mobians are left handed

Okay, I don't really like humans in the Sonic world. If I had my way the Robotniks would be robins, Maria would be a mixture of hedgehog and bird in a way that's off putting to Mobians but we would think looks cool, that being said she'd be classified as a hedgehog

Anyway, this is not the case and humans do exist. In my head there're three different planets, one with humans, one with Mobians, and one with humans + Mobians

That being said, I think space travel isn't a super regular thing for Mobians to do but it's not unheard of. It's probably just super expensive if anything

Aliens are still fucking crazy to them tho

Some companies/governments (like GUN) span across two or more planets

There's generally a lot of animosity between Mobians and humans but in like a modern day racism (specism??) way and it is not the Mobians fault

Money also works differently Mobians (don't ask me how it works tho I got no fucking clue man), and a lot of the time Mobians just exchange favors for favors

Character Headcanons pertaining to world building

Reiterating: Sonic is famous and gets money transferred to his(read Tails') bank account. Tails village is full of dingos, foxes, jackals, wolves, coyotes, even some dogs.

Most of Sonic's friends are pretty loaded tbh. Obviously team rose, team dark, and team Sonic make the most money, but you know.. details

Very few things tip people off to Shadow being an alien. Like yeah he has canines but he might just be mixed species? He's right handed but some people just are so that's normal. Yeah he might hiss in public but you don't know his life. Maybe he can't control it.

I headcanon Amy as a hedgehog/echidna mix, but she simply looks more like a hedgehog in the face and body, but her quills are what really give her mixed heritage away (I am projecting)

Depending on which continuity you're looking at, Sonic was taught to control his instincts either from an orphanage, his uncle, his mom, or some secret 4 thing I'm forgetting.

He doesn't teach Tails about the whole instincts thing, but Tails has always been in a rush to grow up. He's smart and observant, he's the king of repressing them instead of learning at a slow and more natural pace that won't hurt him in the long run

Cream and Amy are the most socially competent by a longshot. Rouge could be if she, first of all, didn't spend so much time with Shadow and Omega, and also didn't find it funny to act like she does.

Okay, that's it for now. If I think of more I'll reblog the post with another headcanon, otherwise please add your own. I love headcanons, please let me add them to my arsenal. You're welcome to message me or go to my asks box as well as long as your nicest to me <3

I'm eventually going to do a post detailing what I think social media is like in the Sonic world.

If you have any headcanons put them in the tags, reply, or my ask box ! Any character you want me to focus on ? Message me, or hit my ask box ! Suggestions are always welcome .

#sth #sonic the hedgehog #miles tails prower #i have the mic #shadow the hedgehog #amy rose #sth headcanons #sonic headcanons #sonic fanfiction #sonic fandom #sonic #knuckles the echidna #rrraarrrrr i love them all so much i love sonic the hedgehog come talk to me about it right now rrrrrrrreeeerrrr

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riverthebooknerd · 2 days

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OPENING COMMISSIONS, BROKE QUEER 18 Y/O, PLEASE READ <3

Hey everyone!! For those who don't know, I finally got a decent job after months of searching! Unfortunately, I'm still dead broke, and in order to start my job, I need a bunch of training and verification. No biggie, except the verification is, in total, a few hundred dollars… plus I'm still having to pay for gas and phone bills and insurance…

I'm going to be completely transparent with y'all. I'm almost out of savings, and if I'm not able to get some kind of money, I'll have to ask my parents for help. They'd do it, and they've made it clear that they have no issues with lending me money if I need it, but I would REALLY rather not have to ask them. They've already given me way too much, and it's… embarrassing, for me, to be depending on them as much as I am.

Another thing is that I'm trying to save up enough money so that I start going on testosterone. It's basically my dream to start medically transitioning, but with my dwindling bank account, I don't really have the money to spare. This new job pays better than my last couple of ones, and if I budget right, I'll finally be able to afford t without asking my parents for help, since insurance won't cover it.

So, I'm gonna be opening commissions and accepting donations! If you happen to like my work on ao3 even a LITTLE bit, please consider commissioning me! I've never been paid for writing anything, this is a bit of a new experience, so please be patient! I'll have my kofi and my prices down below! I made the prices based off of what I've seen from other people who make similar work, and what I believe is fair for the amount of time it takes to write!

Anyways, don't feel obligated to help! If you can, even if it's just a couple of dollars, that would be AMAZING, but there's absolutely no pressure! Thank you all so much!! <3

kofi- ko-fi.com/riverthebooknerd

ao3- https://archiveofourown.org/users/riverthebooknerd

tiktok- https://www.tiktok.com/@someofusarealiens

(PS- if you can't donate, sharing and reblogging helps a TON <3333)

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ambreeskyewriting · 6 months

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Hi! It's ambree, I'm 29 and queer. She/it/he/any pronouns.

So I really hoped I wouldn't have to make this post again but here we are.

I have a job now but even when I am able to make all my shifts and not go home sick it's still barely going to cover my rent let alone food and bills.

If anyone has some spare change I would greatly appreciate some help! I'm going to list the major things I'd put money towards and my general monthly goals down below.

My kofi

Rent: 0/$500 (zero for now bc I will have enough when I get paid on Friday to cat h up on Oct rent but idk if I'll make Nov)

Bus pass: 0/$60 no work with no bus

Utilities: 0/$ 100

Laundry: 0/$20 (I don't do laundry nearly often enough both bc of spoons and also money)

Food 0/$200 (it's not a lot but I can make due w Abt this per mo for food for myself, I use the food bank but they don't always have things my mental health allows me to make) (I am currently applying for food assistance but haven't heard back)

Again anything helps and I'll update above when I use a donation for something. I'm hoping to figure out something I can do from home to make money as well but it depends heavily on my physical and mental health which change often and drastically.

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cbjustmusic · 9 months

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youtube

Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" is the #1 Country song in the United States. It is great for Chapman's song to get the recognition, and even better for her bank account. At the same time I wonder why anyone would want to hear anyone other than Chapman perform this song. Any attempt to recreate perfection is always going to fall short. _____________________ Fast Car Songwriter: Tracy Chapman

You got a fast car I want a ticket to anywhere Maybe we make a deal Maybe together we can get somewhere Any place is better Starting from zero, got nothing to lose Maybe we'll make something Me, myself, I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car I got a plan to get us out of here I been working at the convenience store Managed to save just a little bit of money Won't have to drive too far Just 'cross the border and into the city You and I can both get jobs And finally see what it means to be living

See, my old man's got a problem He lives with the bottle, that's the way it is He says his body's too old for working His body's too young to look like his My mama went off and left him She wanted more from life than he could give I said, somebody's got to take care of him So I quit school and that's what I did

You got a fast car Is it fast enough so we can fly away? We gotta make a decision Leave tonight or live and die this way

So I remember we were driving, driving in your car Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk City lights lay out before us And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder And I-I, had a feeling that I belonged I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car We go cruising to entertain ourselves You still ain't got a job And I work in a market as a checkout girl I know things will get better You'll find work and I'll get promoted We'll move out of the shelter Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs

So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk City lights lay out before us And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder And I-I, had a feeling that I belonged I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car I got a job that pays all our bills You stay out drinking late at the bar See more of your friends than you do of your kids I'd always hoped for better Thought maybe together you and me would find it I got no plans, I ain't going nowhere So take your fast car and keep on driving

You got a fast car Is it fast enough so you can fly away? You gotta make a decision Leave tonight or live and die this way

#tracy chapman

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poppyandzena · 1 month

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Yeah, Saige is very done for me at this point. Her willingness to editorialize the narrative just to support her abusive partners is disgusting.

Saige. Read the doc. Actually read the doc. Your words make it clear you didn’t. Because everything you say is barely applicable to what Spawn went through.

“I exchanged harsher words with my ex-spouse on occasion.” Yeah, and I’m sure Zena and Poppy did too- sorry you can’t have voice recordings of everything. You think Poppy/Zena would admit to harsher? Or even fully recognize it? If I recall, your own partners admit to making Spawn cry on multiple occasions. They just paint the story as “oh they cry in such a way to make me disassociate. So manipulative.” Hmm, bo red flags? To blame their kid for being driven to tears from their actions? Alright. Sure, whatever you say, Saige.

“If drawing boundaries and setting expectations is abuse, idk how you function with others.” This is just proof you didn’t read the doc more than anything. If you think having narrow (less than 10 minutes in some cases) windows for bathroom, food making, JUST GETTING WATER is boundaries and expectations, then you are delusional. And, more importantly, If you think ‘the kid’ should have to follow expectations/boundaries, but Zena and Poppy shouldn’t have to (the document makes it clear they didn’t- they skipped on dishes/chores, took up the kitchen way longer then Spawn ever did, and more), please detail why for me. I’d love to hear THAT excuse.

“I suppose it was abusive to have to check in before making purchases that weren't already budgeted bc they kept spending our income on shit we couldn't afford.” No, that’s not abusive, and also proof you didn’t read the document either. There’s a huge difference between ‘the kid’ and your ex/you- the kid had their own bank account/job/trust fund. That was only their money. Not Poppy’s. Not Zena’s. Your ex and you? Joint money, most likely. If Spawn was on their bank account/using Poppy/Zena’s money to buy things? Yes, completely reasonable to monitor and discuss buying things. The kid’s own money? No, Poppy/Zena had literally 0 rights to control that. You would tell a 18 year old that if their parents are trying to control their kids spending- you’d say “fuck them” I bet- you should in most cases. Why not Poppy/Zena’s kid? Literally just because it’s Poppy/Zena? The only way you could argue this point at all is if you could prove, actually prove, that the kid spent enough that it affected Zena/Poppy (by forcing them to cover for rent, utilities, food, something on Spawn’s behalf).

"Saige Alexis was an abusive spouse bc fae asked her spouse to do things for themself & not constantly expect faer to do everything for them” Saige. Just scroll through until you find Spawn’s chore list for one day. You articulate to me what is POSSIBLY left for Zena/Poppy to do. Spawn did everything FOR Poppy/Zena. Your precious partners are the ones that could afford to do more for their kid WITH A LITERAL, DIAGNOSED HEART CONDITION

I notice a distinct lack of mention of internet restriction. So just because they have physical and mental disabilities, Poppy and Zena had a right to completely restrict internet access? Restrict Spawn from friends and support systems? Reminder- Spawn is an adult that was paying bills too- paying for that internet. But they were still allowed to be punished and have it taken away completely? I have a feeling you and your ex spouse never turned off the internet for each other. “Oh but Spawn had a hot spot.” 10gb. That’s literally nothing. If it was enough to do anything? Spawn wouldn’t have had to go to the library for job applications. So please, give me an excuse for this one this time. Love to hear it.

Just… Saige, either actually read the document, or stay in your fucking lane. You talk a big game about not being believed on your abuse and experiences yourself, but when there’s an abuse victim that’s right there, right in from you, basically begging to be believed- you continue to just blindly believe your partners. You’re no better than everyone you have villianized for not believing you.

You don’t deserve awful shit to happen to you as you are a fellow human being. But you don’t deserve to put victims names into your mouth and minimize their stories just to try and validate your path and make yourself feel good about your life choices.

Read and actually learn or go away, Saige. Live in denial about your choices, or bother to learn your partners may not be these perfect, do no wrong people they try to pretend to be.

#poppy #poppy and zena #zena and poppy #poppy diabolique #ladydiabolique #poppy & zena #zenaandpoppyonyoutube #zena #spawn #saige #saigealexisyt #saigealexis10

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magicalqueennightmare · 11 months

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Sins & Amends Chapter 51

Billy Russo x Female Reader (60 part story)

This follows pre- the punisher into the storyline of daredevil, punisher season 1 and beyond

This is NOT Canon Billy. This is decent human being Billy left with bad options over worse decisions

This was also posted to A03 under: WaywardGaPeach. That account and this one is the only place you'll see me post this. If you see it on any other platform/account know it's not me.

Chapter Summary/Warnings: You and Billy are working your way back to each other

It seemed that the tension between Frank and Billy needed you in the middle for it to finally break. After the blow up at your apartment resulting in you in tears and the two of them finally laying their cards on the table everything started to run more smoothly in your life.

There was an understanding between them now. You knew Frank couldn't forgive Billy for the past anymore than Billy could ever forgive himself but when you would see the two of them together doing something as simple as drinking a beer you had hope for the thought of having them both in your future.

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

There were still times that doubt reared it's ugly head into your mind. You'd had to push back going car shop because you'd had to cover someone's shift at work then Frank and Billy had both been working so much they hadn't had a full day off.

Karen had offered to go with you but the honest truth like it or not if car dealers see two women they try their best to fuck them over. Wasn't like you hadn't went long without a car anyways. A little longer wouldn't hurt.

You'd taken the advantage of a rare weekend off to spend a saturday with Adi. The two of you had met Karen at the aquarium which was a must for Adi then ended up going to see a movie of her picking while Karen went to run some errands.

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

When you put her to bed that night she'd yawned sleepily and asked "Mommy can we see daddy tomorrow?" You thought about it for a second. He should be off since the following day was Sunday.Hell Karen had taken them all lunch while you and Adi were at the movies which had resulted in you getting a text from Frank that read "Well Bill didn't get to see you and little bit so now he'll pout the rest of the damn day"

Not to mention Adi hadn't seen Billy in a couple days, not due to any fault of his but because his schedule had been insane and so had yours and Karen's so neither of you had gotten a chance to take her by the Homeland office. "I'll call daddy to tell him you want to see him tomorrow ok baby?" She nodded and grabbed Coco "Love you mommy" "Love you too baby"

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

You pulled Adi's door shut and walked into the living room to put away the few toys she'd left out. Your phone was laying on the table so you grabbed it to see you had a text from Billy "If you and Adi aren't busy tomorrow morning I'd love to take the two most beautiful women in New York out for breakfast"

You rolled your eyes even though your stomach flipped slightly before hitting his number to call him back. After two rings he answered "Didn't expect a call but I'm not complaining" you smiled then said "You actually have good timing. Adi told me when I was putting her to bed she wanted to see you tomorrow"

You could hear the smirk in his voice when he said "See me and my babygirl were already on the same page. What about you? Do you want to see me considering Karen is the one that bought lunch" you shook your head because you knew what he was asking even reading between the lines it was clear "I wasn't avoiding you Billy. There's a new Disney movie out and what can I say our daughter loves giving my paychecks to the rat"

He let out a breath that sounded like he was relieved before saying "Well you could've come by before the movies. I would've gave you the money" "Billy you give me more than enough already not to mention what's still in the bank" since finding out about Adi he'd started buying anything she needed and giving you money every time he got paid despite your protests that you could handle your bills on your own.

A silence fell back between the two of you heavy enough you could feel it over the phone. Hard to believe this was the same man you'd spent so much of your adult life with, the father of your child yet now the two of you had trouble talking at times. Hell it had gotten where it seemed talking between him and Frank had become easier than it seemed between you and him.

It was hard being close to Billy and yet having to force yourself to keep enough distance between you and him. You knew he wanted to take things slow to make sure everything was how they needed to be but God a big part of you wanted to tell him the way things needed to be was him there with you and Adi. Not blocks away in that little one bedroom apartment.

It didn't help matters that he'd told you he loved you every time you talked since the night he stayed with you.It snapped you out of your own thoughts when he said "I'm just glad that taking Adi to the movies is why you didn't come. I was worried it still might be that other thing"

The other thing being how Frank had busted you out over being jealous towards Dinah. You honestly hadn't thought too much about it. After everything that had happened the night he'd stayed at your place and the morning after a part of you that you hadn't even realized was in chaos had calmed.

"Billy I know you meant everything you said. And yes I want to see you" you finally said after a moment and he chuckled "Good.. I'll be over bright and early" "We'll be waiting" you replied with a smile and started to hang up when he said "Goodnight sweetheart. I love you" like every other time he said it you simply said "Night Billy" and hung up.

You couldn't say you loved him. He knew you did but god it would only make it hurt worse having to go to sleep without him there. You sighed and stood to head to bed. At least you could get some sleep and maybe come morning you could face him easier.

Billy stared at the phone after he'd hung up. He hated being away from you and Adi. He hated when work drug on, that meant another day he'd go without laying eyes on the two most important people in his life. He hated that he heard you hesitate every time he'd tell you he loved you like you started to say it back but changed your mind.

He clicked his photo album on his phone and scrolled through the pictures of you and Adi.

One of his favorites was one of Adi where her smile was a mirror of his and she was wearing his leather jacket. The smile might have been his but god that look on her face was all you. She'd been mid saying "Look mommy!" When he'd snapped the photo.

One of his other favorites was one Karen had sent him actually. You were sitting on the couch at your place with Adi curled up next to you. He didn't know what the two of you were doing but you both looked so happy it warmed his heart just seeing it. God he loved the two of you more than life itself.

He could remember flashes of himself making bad decisions, remember himself doing shit he was ashamed of. Looking at you,the only woman he'd ever loved and his babygirl he couldn't wrap his head around how he'd ever done those things. How he'd put you and Frank's family, everyone at risk. He didn't know how he'd gotten this second chance, not only with you either.

The memory of the way Frank had teased him about quality over quantity when the two of you had first shifted your relationship into more than friends popped into his head and he laughed despite himself. "Man Bill you finally got a good one don't fuck it up" "I don't plan to Frankie. Believe me. I know she's a keeper"

He wanted to be laying on your bed while you curled up on his chest and Adi slept one room over not blocks away from the two of you but for now he'd have to be grateful for the fact that he'd be seeing you both come morning. Life could be a lot worse.

When you woke up the sun was just creeping through the small crack in your curtain and you started to pull the blanket up and roll over but you remembered that Billy was coming over to take you and Adi for breakfast.

You knew Billy's bright and early had always meant just that so since Adi still had about another hour of sleep in her you figured you could get a shower and pick her some clothes out before he got there.

Once you were dressed in leggings and a sweater dress you simply put enough product in your hair you could wear it down without it blowing away and did simple makeup. You looked cute but not like you were desperate for attention or anything.

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

You walked into Adi's room to pick her some clothes out for the day and grinned when you saw she was waking up "Hey pumpkin. I got a surprise for you!" That made her wakeup fully and she was watching you go through her drawers to find clothes "What?"

You found her favorite cooler weather outfit which consisted of black leggings and a dark pink long sleeve shirt that had two black birds on it that you'd initially bought without thinking until Frank had reminded you of his and Billy's call signs and it seemed that revelation made Adi love the shirt ever more "Cause it's got daddy and uncle Frank on it"

You turned back to her, clothes in hand and heard a knock on the door. "Wanna go see who that is?" You held out your arms as you asked and she jumped into them.

You laid her clothes down on her bed then walked back into the living room "We're coming!" You called out so not only Adi knew whoever was at the door was expecting her but so Billy knew you were both awake.

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

When you opened the door Billy was standing there with a huge smile. "Daddy!" Adi screamed and both you and Billy had to lurch towards each other so she could make the leap into his arms.

He walked in with her wrapped securely around him and winked at you "Too bad you're not this happy to see me Y/N" you shook your head and smiled before Adi started asking him if he could spend some time with her. "Actually baby I was wondering if you and mommy could come to breakfast with me and I know you went to the aquarium yesterday but I'm sure if you don't want to go back today we can find something fun because I plan to spend all day with you and mommy"

She smiled back at you "Can we?" You nodded "Sounds good baby. We can show daddy all our favorites spots but first we gotta get you dressed" she kissed Billy on the cheek then held her hands out for you to get her.

You got her on your hip then motioned to the living room "Make yourself at home. We'll be out in a few"

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

Billy watched as you grabbed everything Adi would need for the day and put it in the little black backpack he knew was for her. You were biting your bottom lip while you did a final mental check list to make sure you hadn't missed anything.

You turned back to look at him where he was sitting with Adi on the couch and smiled. He felt his heart clench at the sight. You looked genuinely happy, like having him and Adi was everything you wanted. He knew the feeling because being with you both made him feel whole like he never had before.

His attention was pulled back to Adi when she asked "Daddy can we go to the aquarium and the zoo?" With those big brown eyes staring up at him it was hard to say anything else then yes but he managed to say "As long as mommy's ok with it I'd love to baby"

You chuckled as you walked over with Adi's jacket in your hands "Aquarium and zoo sounds good to me but first get your jacket on then we need to get some breakfast in you little miss"

You helped Adi slip her jacket on then she looked up at him "Pick me up daddy!" He gladly leaned down and plucked her up off the floor then looked back at you "Ready to go darling?" He noticed a light blush color your cheeks as you said "lead the way" and motioned to the door.

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

Breakfast went extremely well. In fact nearly everyone in the diner had commented on how cute of a family you had. Kaitlyn had even insisted on getting a photo of the three of you which you sent to Billy's phone so he'd have a copy.

Once Adi was through with her pancakes you cut your eyes at Billy and smiled "So daddy zoo first or do you want Adi to introduce you to simba and nala first?"

That patent Russo smirk had slipped onto his face when he glanced down at her "Baby who's simba and nala?" "The sharks!" She replied with a mirror image of his own look.

He glanced up at you and you shrugged "She loves the sharks and her favorite stuffed animal is a wolf. She's our child after all" your eyes were glued to the two of them. Spending time with them like this? God it felt like the most natural thing on earth. You'd dreamed about this when you were pregnant with Adi but never would've imagined it becoming reality.

"Sharks it is" he said after a moment and Adi climbed up to stand next to him in the booth as she started telling him all about the aquarium while he listened dutifully only taking his attention off her long enough to pay the bill when Kaitlyn bought it to the table.

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

After spending hours at the aquarium while Adi properly acquainted Billy with all of her favorite animals the three of you headed to the zoo like she'd asked. You were walking to the penguin exhibit when Adi tugged on your arm "Mommy will you or daddy carry me?"

Billy winked at you then held his arms out "C'mere babygirl. Daddy will carry you" once she was secure against his chest he barely made it ten feet before her head was over on his shoulder and she was fast asleep.

"Yeah I was expecting that" you said as you reached over to pull her hood up on her head. "Well wanna take her home? We can order pizza or I can cook us some dinner and when she wakes up we can watch a movie with her?" You offered hoping he would want to stay while she napped and weren't disappointed when he nodded "Sounds good to me"

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

After Billy laid Adi down on her bed you pulled the door almost closed then turned to face him with a smile "She'll sleep for about forty five minutes or so"

His dark eyes watched you closely as he said "Well how should we pass the time then?" You blushed thinking of how many times he'd asked you that in the past then cleared your throat hoping he hadn't seen the initial reaction "Well um we could just talk? Like you've been busy the last week so let's catch up"

His smile was deep enough to reach his eyes when he said "That sounds good to me"

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

"Alice looks at me. I look at her and we're both like hell no this isn't even anywhere near our job description" Billy's head fell back with a laugh while you told him about a few of the worst calls you'd went to over the time he wasn't there.

"I've always been so proud of you. Even when me and Frank would be deployed I'd tell everyone my girl was working to save the people of New York" you ducked your head at his words because you could feel just how warm your face was "I've done my best to help who I can. Hell I've put Frank back together more times than I can count"

He ran one finger down the side of your face then hooked it under your chin to tilt your face up to him "You have a habit of always pulling people back from the brink. Even at times that they're too stupid to realize it" his eyes flickered down to your lips then back up again to meet your gaze. You smiled slightly before saying "You know you can kiss me if you want Billy"

"Thank god" he mumbled before quickly leaning in to catch your lips with his own. You laughed lightly against his lips "Billy Russo thanking god. I must be special" he laughed "You're talking I must be losing my touch"

When he slid his tongue into your mouth it took every ounce of control not to deepen the kiss further. Thankfully things went any further you heard Adi holler "Mommy! Daddy!" And both of you froze. Billy dropped his head down and chuckled against your neck "Go ahead sweetheart. I'll be right behind you" you left another quick kiss on his lips before standing up to head to her room.

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

The rest of the evening both yours and Billy's attention was solely on Adi. After she'd woke up from her nap she wanted daddy to play tea party with her and seeing Billy sitting on the floor with a pink tiara on his head while he sipped pretend tea from a cup was a defining moment in your life.

Cooking dinner while Billy helped and played with Adi felt like something out of a dream. After dinner while you bathed Adi Billy had cleaned the kitchen, put Adi's toys away and even had a Disney movie waiting for her.

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

You somehow ended up falling asleep yourself with Adi tucked close enough between you and Billy that both her head and your head was leaned against his left side. Her head was over on his stomach while yours was against his shoulder.

You woke up when the credit music started playing and blinked sleepily up at him. "Sorry we knocked out on you" you whispered and he shook his head "Don't apologize. I had you both cuddled up to me. Why would I complain about that?" You smiled then cut your eyes down at Adi "Awe she looks so comfy I don't want to move her!"

You slowly slid off the couch then turned to pick her up, being careful not to grab a handful of Billy's shirt by accident. "I'll be right back" you whispered and he nodded "I'll be waiting"

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

Billy watched you walk into Adi's room swaying gently back and forth with her on your shoulder. He would've offered to carry her but if he was being honest his left arm was dead from you and her both being asleep on it. Hell the two of you could ask him to cut off that arm and he'd be caught trying it.

He shook it a few times to get the feeling back while he thought over the day. Things had been slowly getting better between the two of you but today showed him just what he'd been missing. He got to spend an entire day with his girls and now had to leave? It didn't seem right.

He was saved from his mind trying to go into overdrive on him by you stepping back out of Adi's room with a small smile. "So I guess you gotta leave?" You seemed almost sad when you asked so he shrugged "I'd ask for the couch but I don't have any clothes here"

"Oh I understand" you said with what he knew was a forced smile. "Can I come by tomorrow?" You rubbed the back of your neck before saying "Um Adi will be at Karen and Frank's. I've got a sixteen hour shift. Six to ten"

He wanted to offer to come stay at your place with Adi..hell he was her father and had yet to have her overnight. He could understand. The apartment Homeland set him up in wasn't exactly the place he'd want to take her in and out of.

"Well in that case I'll bring you lunch,get dinner with them then I'll come back to the station house and walk you home" when the words left his mouth a smile spread across your face "I'd love that" he realized how late it was getting mixed with how early you had to be to work and tilted his head towards the door "Walk me to the door?" You rolled your eyes but the grin that followed the action told him you liked that he'd asked "Of course"

You waited while Billy grabbed his jacket then he stopped in front of you for a moment. You knew him well enough to know when he wanted to ask something so you said "Go ahead Billy whatever it is"

He looked back towards the couch then cleared his throat "The way you kissed me earlier. It felt amazing but why do you say you want us to be something again and kiss me like that again only to never say you love me out loud?"

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath to keep your voice steady before saying "This is why. I have spent all day with you and Adi. It felt like a fucking dream it was so close to being what I want but now's the part where I have to wake up because you're going to your place and I'm gonna go in there and sleep alone. It hurts being so close to you yet there still being so much room between us. Billy you know how i feel without me breaking my own heart every time I say the words only for you to go home and it not be here"

He nodded those dark eyes never leaving yours before he said "Can I kiss you before I leave?" "Of course" you replied and stepped closer to him.

The kiss was as if he was trying to pour everything he felt for you into it. You ran your hands up his back feeling the way the muscles moved under his jacket as he deepened the kiss flicking his tongue across your lips for access which you willingly gave.

A low moan fell from your lips when he licked into your mouth at the same time his hands came down to rest on the small of your back holding you flush against him. When both of you finally pulled away your chests were heaving with the force of the kiss.

He leaned down just enough to be eye to eye with you then said "Y/N I love you. You're the only woman I've ever loved. You're the mother of my child. We will be back together hell it's inevitable like Frankie said. Me and you? We were made for each other cause who else could handle us? I don't care if you never say the words to me again because I know you do and sooner or later I won't have to leave but I hope you know my home? It's you and our daughter. No apartment. just the two of you"

You smiled at his words and left another quick kiss on his lips "I'll tell Karen you're coming over for dinner and I'll be looking for you when I get off" he smiled and said "And I'll be right outside the door waiting for you then the very next day you have off me and Frank are taking our lunch hour to go find you a good car if need be"

Right as Billy walked into the hall he turned around and grinned before saying "Oh yeah Y/N by the way?"

"What Billy?" You asked with a laugh tugging at your lips before he ever said the next words "I love you beautiful" "Night Billy" "Good Night love. Call if you have any bad dreams" was the last thing he said before stepping onto the elevator.

@intothesoul

@weallhaveadestiny

#au billy russo #billy russo x y/n #billy russo au #billy russo x you #billy russo fanfic #billy russo x reader #sins and amends masterlist

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masterweaverx · 9 months

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So let’s talk about the Patreon Paradox.

I’ve set up my patreon so that I get paid per chapter published per month. Seemed fair at the time, and I don’t get enough on a single paid post to make bank, so you know, I’m stuck with it. And hey, Patrons can willingly decide to cap off their monthly donations at any amount. So my income isn’t X=N times Y, it’s “For the first post you get full pay, for the next post less than that, for the next two less then that, and by the time you’ve published eight chapters you’re not even getting thirty dollars per post.”

Diminishing returns. Still returns though, and I literally have no other source of income. Like I’ve tried every job application method I know of, and nope, nothing. Nothing has ever come of it. This is my income method. So, logically, you’d think that if I published more chapters I’d get (at least a little) more money, right?

Well, as it turns out, if I publish more chapters, my patrons say “Wow, I can’t actually pay that much, I’m reducing my donation count!” Which, fair, the economy being what it is, but it also means I have less money coming in. And that, in a nutshell, is the Patreon Paradox.

Now for big name patreon people, who got on twitter back when it was still functional, that’s a minor concern. For artists, too, because somehow actual pictures continue to sell more than words in fan spaces. For me, though, the constant drop of patreon support is slowly but surely wrecking my standards of living. I regularly have to beg for donations to cover unexpected increases in my bills. It’s very... draining, emotionally, which means I have less mental wherewithal to put toward fanfic. And after the AO3 attack, I’m sure the general importance of fanfic in modern culture is being quite openly discussed, and how much it would such to lose a fanfic author... yeah.

And on top of all that, it’s the hottest summer on record. Which means my water bill actually hit ninety dollars. Ninety! I remember when it comfortably sat around fifty!

The point is: I need support. I need patrons. I need people who are willing to put money toward my writing, consistently--even if it’s only a little. Because when I say ‘every little bit counts’ what I mean is ‘ten people paying five dollars each is more valuable than one person paying a hundred, because that one person can leave at any time.’

Also, AT&T upped their internet bill again, so now I need 70 dollars by the 25th. I should probably change services soon...

Anyway, here is my Patreon if you want to support me long term, and here is my ko-fi if you want to support me short term.

#Call For Help #I need money

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secretgamergirl · 8 months

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I hate this, but it's kinda telethon time.

We are closing in on the end of the month, which means it's going to be the first of a new month, which means that A- I must write a check to my landlord for $1100, and B- That patreon page I keep forgetting to link at the end of posts is going to lock in donations for the month... and then probably take a week or two to forward me the money. For quite some time now, the amount I'm getting out of Patreon has been significantly less than that magic $1100, and that's not even the total amount of money I need to have every month to continue to be alive. There's also food and electricity and a frankly unreasonable ISP bill and all. Specifically, just putting the cards on the table here, the current expected cash ball coming in is... "$762.4" and yes it is super weird that Patreon will list 40 cents as ".4" like that.

So, this month is not The Month. Scraping stuff together, calling in favors, having a nice windfall from putting that little RPG in a bundle, I in fact have enough cash en route to my bank that I can cover rent for September BEFORE Patreon gives me that $762.40, and still have a couple hundred bucks to cover having power and eating enough to stay alive. But when October 1st gets here, yeah, I'm just going to have what Patreon is gearing up to send me here, and if I manage to convince my landlord to give me an extension and wait for that month's payment, I can... MAYBE live through that month? Don't think buying Halloween candy to hand out is in that budget though, and based on current projections, yeah, by November there is going to be A Problem.

I'm trying every angle I can to scrape cash up, but my primary source of income at the moment is still... put entertaining/interesting/informative things up on the internet and hope people enjoy those enough to want to throw some money my way. And this blog here has kinda been the only platform I've had for sharing stuff, so basically what I'm asking is...

WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE WANT FROM ME!?

But no, for real. I have a lot of different irons in the fire right now, and haven't been sharing much on most of them, but if there's a particular sort of thing you'd like to see from me, and particularly if seeing that would leave you predisposed to throw a little money my way, please just flag me down via message here on tumblr or discord if you know how or... some e-mail I'll maybe remember to check, and let me know? I know people still love that Ranma thing I wrote up years ago, I could maybe find more things to do trans readings on? Did people like that FF14 plot summary? Want more like that? Movie reviews maybe? Updates on games I'm working on? I've been spending a ton of time on this really ambitious electronics project. I could talk about that more? Explain how computers work in great detail? Shove everything aside and get back to Twitch streaming? I'm desperate over here.

#begging

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deanlighful · 1 year

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This is a mutual aid post. I’m sorry for asking but this has me fucked at the moment I just recently changed my name and in the time i was changing it at the bank my SSI deposit hit. Sometimes it hits early with this bank so they reject it as my name didn’t match my deposit. I am now fighting between SSI and my Bank to get my money back but apparently there is processing window that have to close before i can even get them to try to send it back. Its the start of the month and bills are due and i need to get my meds but I can’t because I’m fighting with them to get the money i need to do so. A friend was nice enough to cover my rent for now but i still need to pay my internet, Phone and get my meds. My internet is 40. My phone is 60. My meds are probably gonna be 20 after everything. So thats 120$ All I’m asking is if you can’t donate please boost this. I’m stressing on how I’m gonna get all of this done. Cash app $Snarkykd Paypal Snarkykd

#mutual aid #mutual assistance

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salty-dracon · 1 year

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ELI5: The Silicon Valley Bank Collapse

TL:DR SVB made a somewhat risky investment which went poorly in changing market conditions, and didn’t have the money to pay back their depositors. The FDIC has decided to fund the remaining bank accounts, but shareholders will realize a total loss on their stock.

If you haven’t been following the news, the second biggest bank collapse in American history just happened. But you probably have no idea what that means, so I’m going to explain it all in simple terms, with no frills, no biases, and no opinions.

Please let me know if I get anything wrong here. While I do work in finance, I’ve heard conflicting sources on some of the events.

The Basics of How Banks Work

Left to their own devices, people ordinarily wouldn’t just give their wealth to someone else for safekeeping. But these days there are many incentives for the average person to lend their money to a bank. Yes, there’s the matter of security (robbers can steal physical tender, such as physical bills and valuables), but there is also interest. By lending your money to a bank (like a loan!), the bank then uses your balance to invest in the stock market or major projects such as other peoples’ mortgages, with the promise that all of the money you’ve placed with them will be returned to you when you ask... with a little bit extra as interest. That’s your incentive for placing your money with them.

The point is, you placed your money with a bank, and in exchange for you lending them your money, they’ve promised to give it back to you when you ask, with a little bit extra. That’s important to understanding the next topic.

Investments, Reserves, and Insolvency

Okay, but how do banks generate the “little bit extra” that they promised to give you in exchange for borrowing your money? Through investments!

Investments can be a lot of things. Mortgages are investments- a bank can lend someone a big chunk of money, and in exchange the bank receives cash monthly that ends up being worth more than they loaned out. They can be investments into the stock market- buying stocks at low price, watching the price rise, and selling them high is a way to net profit. There are other types of investments too, like bonds (mini loans), CDs (low risk, long-term investments that guarantee profits that bank customers can take out), and options (very complicated). What they have in common is that you lend your money, and hopefully get more back (though there’s some risk of loss).

As an example, let’s pretend you’ve put $20,000 in a bank account. The bank could then take $10,000 and put it into a risk-free investment that returns at 2%. One year later, the return is $10,200, at least $10,000 of which must return to you. The bank may take $100 of that as their own profit and return the remaining $10,100 to your account- the remaining $100 is your interest. (This is a theoretical example. My own bank account hasn’t generated nearly that much in interest.)

But let’s say the investment isn’t risk-free. They’ve taken $10,000 of your money, invested in that 2% return project, and it flopped. Ouch. Now they’re out $10,000- of your money! That doesn’t seem fair!

That’s why banks have reserves. It’s a buffer/stockpile of cash or liquid assets (things that can be converted to cash really quickly) that covers a depositor’s finances should the bank’s own investments go south, OR if people need to pull out their money. Banks usually have a dedicated team of analysts that calculate the amount of reserves a bank can safely set aside to cover these sorts of events. This covers souring investments as well as times when a big customer is planning to pull out a ton of savings. That $10,000 is a drop in the bucket for them, but something like $1 million is more concerning.

So, even if the investment goes south, at least you’ve still got that guaranteed $20,000 on demand in case of, say, a medical emergency.

... At least, that’s how it should work.

If a bank doesn’t have enough reserves/quick money to fulfill its obligations of money on demand to everyone who lent it to them, it becomes insolvent- basically bankrupt unless they do a lot of stuff to get money fast really quickly. This can involve pulling money out of investments (which costs money to do, and is not something any investor would want to do unless they need a lot of money really really fast). This is the worst case scenario for any financial institution and one they want to prevent at all costs.

Understandably, the insolvency of the bank you’re keeping your money at is a terrifying situation for people who really need that money. And it was a common situation up until the 1930′s.

Bank Runs

You probably know someone who lived through the Great Depression who has a large stockpile of cash and refuses to use credit cards or banks. Some people probably even call them stupid for doing so. I’m not going to call your money hoarding grandparents stupid, since they’re operating off a very real fear- the fear that a bank won’t have the legal tender to give them their money when they ask. That situation was VERY COMMON before the FDIC was created in 1933 to insure the deposits of its member banks.

What would happen is that you’d hear that some news about how a certain bank was having financial trouble, and might close very, very soon. You freak out and realize that if they close, you’ve given your money to them, and now you’re not going to get it back! You go to a branch of the bank to withdraw all of your money, only to find that everyone else had the same thoughts as you, and the branch is already out of physical tender. As more and more people realize they’re about to lose all of their savings, the bank is drained at an exponentially increasing rate- and soon, the bank has become insolvent.

Banks have defenses for this- suspending withdrawals, limiting withdrawals, and asking their central bank for more liquid funds. But in the case of a bank run, or a bank panic, which is a bunch of banks experiencing bank runs at once, those defenses might fail entirely.

The FDIC, an American Government Corporation, was created as an insurance company for banks. Basically, banks pay dues to the FDIC, and in the case of the bank’s insolvency, the FDIC guarantees deposits up to about $250,000. It was created partially as a way to avoid future bank runs and protect consumers in the case of a bank collapse.

Interest Rates and Inflation

You’ve probably heard about the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates or keeping them low throughout the recent pandemic, but what does that actually mean, and why is it relevant here?

The Federal Reserve sets target interest rates- basically, setting the price at which major banks can borrow from the government. This ends up forming the basis for other types of loans you can get from banks- mortgages, car loans, etc.. Periodically these are revised with regards to economic conditions.

Basically, raising interest rates is used to encourage people to STOP borrowing money and START lending money- the return for lending is higher, and the price of borrowing is higher. Lowering interest rates is used to encourage people to START borrowing money and STOP lending money- the return for lending is lower, and the price of borrowing is lower.

(This is why you always want a loan with a low interest rate, btw!)

(And keep in mind that these are with regards to major economic decisions, and not necessarily the types of loans an ordinary person would get.)

Now, why is inflation relevant? Yes, it’s really high right now, and that means that the prices of everything are increasing a lot! The Federal Reserve’s answer to that is to increase interest rates- by making it more costly to borrow money, they’re hoping to stop an unsustainable level of price increases in everything else.

I think I get it. Now what’s going on?

Silicon Valley Bank was a fast-growing bank that, in recent years, held a lot of funds for entrepreneurs and tech startups- about 50% of all venture capital money in the US! What this means is a. a lot of large accounts in b. mainly one sector of the economy (technology).

That being said, the bank would most certainly not outpace inflation if they didn’t invest it. However, at the time, they couldn’t find any places they could loan money to.

Furthermore, the tech/crypto/startup sector of the economy has been going through hard times for a while. Many needed to slowly pull out funds from the bank, further straining the amount of liquid cash on hand.

In 2021, SVB instead decided to invest in mortgage-backed securities with the deposits placed with them. Mortgages are basically very long loans, but they can also be very risky. Mortgage-backed securities are based on mortgages. (The risk surrounding mortgage-backed securities is one reason for the housing crisis of 2008.) It should also be noted that they’re very susceptible to changes in interest rates- if interest rates increase, mortgage-backed securities lose their value.

In 2022, we got severe inflation.

And then, the Federal Reserve’s answer to severe inflation: raising interest rates.

And the mortgage-backed securities that SVB took out became unprofitable!

Now remember how I said that banks need to be able to not only provide customers their deposits on demand, but also give it back with interest? Because the investment in mortgage-backed securities failed, SVB didn’t have money for interest OR deposits, and not enough in reserves to fill the gap. They would be insolvent, if they didn’t come up with a lot of money really, really fast.

Word spread fast- depositors had already realized that the bank had become insolvent, and they demanded their deposits back. In other words, SVB went through a bank run, losing their money over the course of three days.

The FDIC then stepped in. Now this is a bit of an unusual case, because the FDIC only insures accounts up to $250,000. Most venture capital startups have accounts that are many times that. However, the FDIC has decided (with their own member deposits, not taxpayer money) that all of the venture capital money will be paid. All of the bankers will get their deposits back.

SVB is still closing, however, and shareholders and stockholders will not be compensated for the stock loss.

So while shareholders lose out, every creditor/depositor who invested will be getting their money back. As for Silicon Valley Bank, it’s being administered by the FDIC up until it’s time for it to close down.

#silicon valley bank #eli5 #economics #finance #the more you know!#life as an aj #okay what other tags should i put in here #please reblog if you found this informative i worked VERY hard on it!#this is 1.8k words

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