#regardless of if that person paid $5 or $25
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and lemme touch y’all’s hand when I say this…when I say you are not special, I mean that. Meaning I don’t write or reblog with ur feelings in mind. This is my blog where every insane, intrusive and inappropriate thought can come spewing out at any given moment. Where my stories are a love letter to myself and the other blk women I write for. I am not a machine meant to constantly pump fics out for your enjoyment. I am a regular girl who uses this as my lil safe space of the hellscape we call the internet. Some of y’all got the game fucked up in thinking that being a writer is who we are and not just something we do. If you don’t like the way I or someone else uses this space, then leave the same way you came. I suffer from ADHD burnout horribly and I may go for days at a time without posting actual work bc my brain is in a fog and I can’t focus. When it begins to feel like a chore, I back out for a few days and if that’s not acceptable, then I truly don’t know what to tell you. Not apologizing for that shit.
#this includes commissioned work as well#I paid for a piece of my own on my birthday and I honestly have to say I felt as if I got robbed for the quality of work#so I will never feel bad for taking longer to flesh out a better story esp when it’s being paid for#regardless of if that person paid $5 or $25#and in general#I will take as long as I need to make the best fic possible#but I won’t burn myself out to do so#sorry not sorry#cherry chats 🍒#had to get this off my chest#and don’t come under my rb’s commenting stupid shit either#if sum don’t apply let it fly
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long (like ridiculously long) rant about watcher entertainment
Whilst the vast majority of the response to the watcher drama has been negative I still have seen a few people expressing opinions along the lines of ‘oh its just $6’ ‘shouldn't creators be paid for their work’ etc. I also think this situation is getting a lot of attention from people who don't necessarily watch Watcher, or haven’t keep up with them in years so here is my breakdown of why people are unhappy with the announcement that Watcher will be putting ALL upcoming content behind a $6 a month streaming service (with the exception of the premiere episode of each season going to Youtube.)
The issue is not that it's $6.
The success of other internet companies like dropout and smosh is proof people are willing to pay for content they enjoy and to support independent content creators. I personally have given money to kickstarters, patreons, digital downloads etc in the past. But I do that because I know I’m valued as a fan with and without my money. I still get access to content on youtube for free. Even Dropout, who is a much larger and more expensive operation than Watcher, releasing 5 show a week, still maintains a steady Youtube presence.
The thing with these internet companies is they can be successful in creating something but they do have to understand that you are on the internet. You're not netflix or HBO or hulu or whatever. Watcher’s obsession with creating ‘television-calibre content’ worth $6 a month whilst also only having one show a week is unrealistic. They want to be independent creators but also television producers… but you’re not! They hate being youtubers so much but YOU ARE. That’s how you gained a fanbase in the first place and you were successful at it! If you’re not happy being a youtuber that’s fine, move on and do something else. But you can’t expect it to be funded by the fans. So many famous artists create content they care less about that has a larger audience, and that in turn funds the stuff they DO care about. If you’re so dedicated to making expensive, high-quality productions you should be using these smaller cheaper shows to save money and fund them, rather than forcing everyone of your fans to pay a monthly subscription fee that I’m sorry, just isnt worth it or is simply unaffordable for the majority of your audience who you have now essentially told aren’t welcome or valued by you. And which one is it?
Such a large percentage of your audience are casual viewers too. Why cut out that completely? What fans are you expecting to follow you to this ? Your most dedicated fans are there because they like Ryan and Shane, so why not push that? Are you trying to appeal to your fans or are you trying to make the content you want. There’s no clear creative direction that makes sense with this move and that’s why people aren’t supporting you.
Also I’m sorry but how can we suddenly trust the content is gonna improve once we start funding it when there’s already been so many missteps both in their content and their business. Look at how many fans have said Ghost Files and Mystery Files have started feeling phoned in. Their patreon has been mismanaged for years, they barely promote it and the perks on there aren't really worth it (but they have 6000 paying members because people can and do want to support them!). They go months having barely any merch. There are ways to make money on youtube, they’re just not doing it well .
And I’m sorry. But there is just absolutely no reason to have 25 employees. Shows like Survival mode should be cheap and easy to produce, and help bring in money to support larger ventures like ghost files. So why are there 18 people credited for a video of you playing Minecraft? And of course I don’t want people to lose their jobs. But continuing with this is going to cause EVERYONE to lose their jobs regardless.
They also barely have a plan for their new content. People watch for Ryan and Shane, you KNOW THAT. So why is your first new big show hiring the worth it boys and doing a globe-trotting, crazily expensive show. Are you even really expanding your content if you’re still sticking to a one-video-a-week schedule with no present plan to change that? They have a survey for subscribers to vote which past show to bring back, but there’s obviously a major budget difference between filming something like Weird Wonderful World and something like SD&D&D… or at least there should be but there isn't when you employ 20 people to make one video. There’s such a clear lack of thought put into it that makes me even less likely to want to support.
I want to say that they probably expected a negative backlash and thought they could just wait it out… but did they? Because WHY did they hype this up like it was an insane new announcement fans would go wild for. WHY do this several days before you have live shows where you let fans ask questions live to your faces? So much of this roll out makes absolutely no sense and makes Ryan, Shane, and Steve look so ridiculously out-of-touch with their fanbase, which only makes fans feel even less supportive.
I think their defenders think we want to see Watcher crash and burn but the majority of us don't. I want them to be successful but this isn't the way to do it and I truly do believe it’s going to ruin their company. Unfortunately as much as I love them, I wont be supporting them.
#watcher#watcher entertainment#ryan bergara#shane madej#steven lim#buzzfeed unsolved#ghost files#mystery files#seriously though... what the hell#i dont even use tumblr anymore but i just had to get my thoughts out#sorry i don’t know how to do the read more function i haven’t properly used tumblr since 2016
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P a i d R e a d i n g s
ʚɞ ⁺˖ ⸝⸝ Hi and welcome to our paid readings post, we hope you will have fun while looking around. thank you for your time 𓆩♡𓆪
➥ CURRENT SALE: none for now.
✦ if you will be interested in a reading or multiple ones please text us the name of the readings you would like to purchase, your initials, email and anything you think might be relevant, then we will provide a link/email where you can send your payment to. ✧ ˚ · .
͏✿ if none of our listed paid readings interest you, we can always modify one of the readings for you or make your very own reading with your own chosen questions (whole sections) we can decide the price for those in our dms ✧
𝐈. ASTRO ·.༄࿔
ᡣ𐭩 our astrology readings might take a bit longer to deliver, so please keep that in mind while looking through options. we also excel at tarot more, as that is requested more for us. regardless we will do our best with your reading.
𝓒. Future Lover ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . details about your future spouse 50,50£
𝓒. Fire x Water ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . the fate between you and your twinflame 40,50£
𝓒. Us, Now & Forever ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . compatibility reading between you and the person of your choice 55,50£
𝐈𝐈. Idol ·.༄࿔
ᡣ𐭩 please keep in mind that we will be respectful of idol’s privacy while doing these readings! if their higher self doesn’t allow us or you to know something we will simply not put it in the reading. not as a way to do it half heartedly, but to respect them even in spiritual terms. these readings are for fun, not to be taken seriously.
𝓒. Ace of Coins ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . what is it like to live together with the idol of your choice 35£
disc.: includes 7 section’s & pictures (moodboard~)
𝓒. The Star ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . you as the new member in your fave group 32£
disc: you don’t have to be the same gender.
𝓒. The Lovers ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . you and your bias in a romantic relationship 25£
𝓒. Three of Cups ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . friendship between you and an idol of your choice 25$
𝓒. Knight of Cups ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . your soul connection with idol of your choice 25£
𝓒. The Sun ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . how does the group of your choice view you 32£
disc.; for groups over 7 members it’s 32£+ as this is a reading that requires a lot of energy.
𝓒. Ace of Wands ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . which idol(s) are most similar to your future spouse 25£
𝓒. The World ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . .how will your biases next year be like? 25£
𝓒. The Wheel of Fortune ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . .how will your will your life go next year? 25£
𝓒. Chanel N° 5 ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . you and your celebrity crush in a romantic relationship 25£
𝓒. Seven of Cups ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . your idol’s ideal types 10,50£
𝓒. Go Big or Go Home ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . detailed dynamics between the group of your choice 25,50£
disc.; for 7+ members it costs more
𝓒. BFF ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . you and the idol of your choice as best friends 25£
𝓒. Peekaboo ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . how the idol of your choice if viewed by people 27,50£
𝓒. Sweet Venom ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . compatibility between you and the kpop group of your choice 18£
𝓒. Polaroid Love ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . did you share a past life with your idol/bias? 22£
𝓒. When I Grow Up ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . your life as a celebrity/idol 16.50£
𝐈𝐈𝐈. Romantic ·.༄࿔
ᡣ𐭩 these readings can both be about your future spouse or crush. we do not judge, so pick whatever is most comfortable for you.
𝓒. Red String of Fate ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . a person who will serve a romantic purpose in your future, but is not your future spouse 32£
𝓒. Aurora Lights ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . compatibility between you and your special person 15£
𝓒. Love ABCS ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . describing everything your person loves about you 30£
𝓒. Red light Green light ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . red and green flags of the person of your choice 10£
𝓒. Serendipity ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . your future partners initials and zodiac/birth month 5£
disc.; this is done through pendulum. not an indepth question.
𝓒. Starlight ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . your crush’s view on you 16£
𝓒. Tied to The Soul ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . have you already met your future spouse? 18,50£
𝓒. Crush on You ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . would your crush reciprocate your love? 15,50£
𝓒. Love Potion ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . what do people love about you 15£
𝓒. Tell Me Tell Me ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . channeled message from your future spouse 6,50£
𝓒. Heart to Heart ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . your future spouse as a person 18£
𝓒. My Universe ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . a reading on you and your fictional other 10,50£
𝓒. Pretty little Liars ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . we will tell you if x and y are/were/will be in a relationship or if one has a crush on the other 22,22£
disc: this can be about anyone you desire as long as it’s within appropriate limits / boundaries
𝐈𝐕. Intimate Readings ·.༄࿔
ᡣ𐭩 these are 18+ readings and can get very explicit with descriptions, please keep that in mind before buying! these readings are preferably about future spouse, you alone or people you have already had positive interactions with. minors cannot purchase anything from this section.
𝓒. Dirty Dancing 18+ ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . the intimate life of you and your future spouse 26,50£
𝓒. The Devil 18+ ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . what makes you desirable to others? 18,50£
𝓒. Lover 18+ ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . what will your first time be like? 18,50£
𝓒. Lucky Charm 18+ ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . the kinks of your future spouse/crush 15£
disc.; crush must know you on a personal level
𝓒. Honeymoon 18+ ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . everything about your honeymoon 25,50£
𝐕. Generic ·.༄࿔
ᡣ𐭩 these are a mix of readings that you can apply to life as a whole. feel free to choose whichever you wish to.
𝓒. Lady Dior ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . your story as royalty 18,50£
𝓒. Silver Dragon ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . you as a mythical being 15£
𝓒. Jeanne D’arc ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . what would it be like for you to live in the past 15£
𝓒. To Be or Not To Be ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . should you do/purchase the thing you are thinking of? 12,50£
𝓒. Cat Eye ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . things you might be good at but not realise 12,50£
𝓒. Dynamic Duo ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . dynamic between two people you are curious of 15£
𝓒. Upper Side Dreaming ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . what your dream is trying to tell you 10,50£
𝓒. Paw in Paw ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . a reading about your animal guides 13,50£
𝓒. Two of Wands ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . career advice from your guides 15,50£
𝓒. Aurora ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . what does your aura look like? 15£
𝓒. One In A Billion ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . what was your past life like? 20£
𝓒. Me, Myself & I ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . your life in another universe 15,55£
𝓒. StarFire ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . who are your spirit guides 10,50£
𝓒. Teddy Bear ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . a reading on how you can connect more to your inner child 10,50£
𝓒. 7 Days A Week ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . a reading about how your next week will be like 12,50£
𝓒. Day to Day ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . a reading about how your next year will be like 18,50£
𝓒. Yes or No ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . simple yes or no question, but in depth 4,44£
disc.; if you don’t want an indepth answer it’s only 2£
𝓒. Mirror, Mirror ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . general reading of your choice 4£
disc.; 4£ per question
𝐕𝐈. Platonic ·.༄࿔
ᡣ𐭩 these readings are about platonic connections, with whoever your heart desires to get them with.
𝓒. Other Half ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . initials and zodiac/birth month of your most important platonic soulmate 5£
𝓒. Sound of The Wind ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . 5 long channeled messages from different people in your life 15£
𝓒. Melody & Kuromi ୭
𓈒 ࣪ ˖ ୭ৎ ࣪ . . . the dynamic between you and your friend 15,50£
꒰ ౨ৎ 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 .ᐟ .ᐣ
please read our rules before purchasing as they exist for a reason! we do appreciate the time you spend on reading it. the list could potentially become longer in the future.
✦ payments are made through paypal or ko-fi.
✦ as of now, we do not offer refunds.
✦ readings can take up to 7-9 days maximum depending on circumstances.
✦ by purchasing from us you agree that any sort of tarot, astrological or spiritual reading of the sort is for fun and entertainment purposes and not to be taken seriously. as well as that we are not responsible for any sort of action, behaviour or mentality you do or believe because of them. our readings aren’t meant to be taken as stone cold truth but as a grain of salt. an entertainment form meant to ease the curiosity of your mind, or cure a boredom you might have.
✉️ example message: “ Hi, I am (initials/nickname) and I would like to purchase (reading name)! “
. . . . thank you for your time and for giving our paid reading’s page a look! we appreciate you, your interest and for getting through all that! if you ever have any questions you’d like to ask please feel free to go ahead and do so, we do not mind! 🫶🏻
#tarot#tarot reading#kpop tarot#kpop reading#kpop#intuitive reading#kpop related#paid tarot readings#oracle community#spiritual community#spiritual#tarot kpop#paid readings#paid services#paid tarot#astroblr#astrology#kpop astrology#paid astrology#masterlist
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Thank you for playing HATSUNE MIKU: COLORFUL STAGE!
Announcing the latest in-game Event!
[Event] Memories That Come With The Scent of Candles
■Event Details
The Cheerful Carnival Event is an event in which players are divided into two opposing Crews based on a theme.
During the event period, the Co-op Shows will turn into Cheerful Shows. Players will be sorted into 5-person teams, where they will play a show against a team from an opposing Crew in a 5v5 match.
The team with the higher score will be the winner and earn more Crew Points.
At the end of event, the Crew with the most amount of points will be declared the winner. Rewards will be given accordingly based on wins and losses, and an item featuring the winning crew's motif will appear in the Virtual Show's Lobby.
During the event period, play Solo Shows, Cheerful Shows and Challenge Shows to earn Event Points and Event Tokens based on your score.
Collect Event Points to unlock the Event Story and place in the rankings. After the event ends, you'll receive rewards based on your ranking.
Event Tokens that you collect can be traded at the Event Exchange for items and new Characters from the event.
■Event Period
Jan. 31, 2024 3:00 p.m. (PST) - Feb. 8, 2024 8:59 p.m. (PST)
Themes & Crews
In Cheerful Carnival Events, you can select one of two Crews to join based on the set theme. By selecting a Crew, you can obtain an Avatar Costume with the selected Crew's icon on it.
In addition, you can only change Crews once during the event period.
*You are able to change Crews up until the Mid-Event Results 1.
- Current Theme
What kind of fragrance do you like?
- Crews
Citrus
Floral
Cheerful Show
- Crew Points
By playing a Cheerful Show, you can obtain 1 Crew Point or 2 Crew Points if your team wins the Show.
In randomly occurring Special Matches, you can earn 10 or 100 times the amount of Crew Points.
- Crew Rewards
In Cheerful Carnival Events, there are two Mid-Event result announcements and the Final Results. Rewards are decided based on these results.
Mid-Event Results
Bonus Energy Drink (S) x2
*Bonus Energy Drink (S) x3 when your Crew is in the lead.
Final Results
Crystals x150
*Crystals x200 when your crew wins overall.
- Give Bonus Energy
Within the event, you can gift other players in your team Bonus Energy Drink (S) using Paid Crystals to help support your Crew.
*You are allowed to gift Bonus Energy Drinks for free up to three times a day. You are also allowed to claim Bonus Energy Drinks gifted by up to three times a day.
*There is no limit to the amount of Bonus Energy Drinks gifted with paid crystals you can claim. There is also no limit to the amount of Bonus Energy Drinks you can gift with paid crystals.
Event
-Event Points
Earning Event Points lets you unlock the Event Story and participate in the Total Event Point Rankings.
The Total Event Point Rankings are used to determine players' rewards based on the total amount of Event Points earned during the event period. Players can also earn Memories That Come With The Scent of Candles Titles based on their ranking.
-Event Story (8 Episodes)
-Event Bonus
Include Event Bonus Characters in your group to earn an Event Point Bonus.
Bonus Type:
Cool
Bonus Members:
Ichika Hoshino
Honami Mochizuki
Nene Kusanagi
Kanade Yoisaki
Kagamine Len [Nightcord at 25:00]
Character Bonus:
4★ [Warmth In The Dim Light] Ichika Hoshino
4★ [Hold Them In Your Mind] Nene Kusanagi
4★ [Thinking Of Who It's For] Kanade Yoisaki
Each member in your group that matches the specified Bonus Type or is one of the Bonus Members earns you a 25% Event Point Bonus. Each member that is both the specified Type and one of the Bonus Members earns you a 50% Event Point Bonus.
Furthermore, you can earn an extra 20% with certain Characters!
When a VIRTUAL SINGER is one of the Bonus Members, their Characters with no subgroup will receive a 15% Character Bonus from events regardless of the subgroup listed under Bonus Members.
■Please Note
- Please note that the event schedule and details are subject to change without notice.
Memories That Come With The Scent of Candles After Show
A Virtual Show will be held after the event ends. This Virtual Show takes place in a new location.
Event Items will also be available beforehand from the Virtual Shop.
■Schedule
Lobby Unlock
Jan. 31, 2024 3:00 p.m. (PST) - Feb. 10, 2024 2:59 p.m. (PST)
Show Period
Feb. 8, 2024 11:00 p.m. (PST) - Feb. 9, 2024 9:00 p.m. (PST)
■Added Items
Added Items
- Accessory: Soft Choco Hat
Sale Time and Dates
Jan. 31, 2024 3:00 p.m. (PST)
■Please Note
-Please note that the event schedule and details are subject to change without notice.
We hope you continue to enjoy HATSUNE MIKU: COLORFUL STAGE!
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I’m opening up writing commissions!
If you’re interested, DM me with a description of what you would like me to write, along with the desired word length.
(I’ve been in many, many fandoms. I’m not gonna list them all here, so if you’re not if it’s something I write for, feel free to just DM me and ask.)
Pricing and commission rules under the cut.
Pricing:
0-999 ~ $5
1000-1999 ~ $10
2000-2999 ~ $15
3000-3999 ~ $20
4000-4999 ~ $25
5000-5999 ~ $30
6000+ ~ Tell me, price is negotiable.
All fanworks will be posted publicly. If you would like me to write your own original characters, or to not post it publicly, it is an additional $5 fee.
I do money exchanges through PayPal. Half of the price will be paid upfront, with the other half paid once I give you a finished product.
I do not currently have any hard and fast rules on what I will/will not write. However, I have the right to turn down any prompt I personally feel uncomfortable writing.
All prices already listed are non-negotiable, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Of course, you may cancel whenever you like. However, once I send you the first draft of the piece, the first half of the payment is officially non-refundable. Once i send you the final draft, the entire price is non-refundable, seeing are regardless of it you want to the product or not, I’ve already done the work of writing and editing it.
I do not ghostwrite. I expect credit for any and all of my work (ie, even though you’re paying me, it is still my work and you cannot pass it off as your own).
That’s all, I hope to write for you! 🤗
#writing#whereconfusionisarhyme#bare a pop opera#criminal minds#fanfiction#fic#across the spiderverse#spider man: across the spider verse#writing commissions#commisison#commissions post#musical theater
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After All (Part 20/?)
Pairing: Riff X OC Jet Girl
Warnings: Explicit Language, Racism, References to Violence
Summary: Despite Tony’s disclaimer just a few seconds before, Riff started to wonder whether Tony’s question was actually posed sincerely, or if he really was trying to mess with him. After all, although they were brothers in all but blood, deep talks between them about emotions and feelings were about as common as a flying pig, and always had been.
Word Count: 13,600 ish.
DISCLAIMER
Please note that this is a reimagining of the film West Side Story (2021) and as a result is slightly AU.
Masterlist /// Part 1 /// Part 19 /// Part 20 /// Part 21
A/N: You guys... how are we already on Part 20?😅 I wasn’t sure how many parts this was gonna be when I started this, but I don’t think I anticipated this many. And it’s pretty much single-handedly because of you guys- I was encouraged to keep going, and I found a whole bunch of plot I hadn’t planned on along the way. Crazy.��� The plan is to post Part 21 on 5/25, and another oneshot by next Wednesday, 5/18. Speaking on oneshots, this part specifically references my most recent oneshot, which can be found here.
I wish this part had more fluff, but I felt like I had to establish quite a number of things in order to set up the rest of the story. The next part is going to take a dramatic turn... and the part after that will get into the events of the movie. But if you’ve got a request, particularly if it’s fluffy, please feel free to send it in! We’re gonna need some fluff to break up what’s gonna go down. If you have a comment or question, even if it’s random, that’s fine too. I really do love hearing from you.😊
Thank you all for your support and encouraging words. I hope you guys enjoy, and that you all have a great rest of your week.💙
Part 20: Something in the Air
Times were changing.
As hard as it was to believe, it seemed that more changes occurred over the next two weeks than throughout the entire summer thus far.
First, school had started up again. Baby John, Little Moly, and Mouthpiece, when Riff repeatedly kicked him out of the shop during weekday hours, were suddenly busy for the majority of the week. Fortunately, none of the older Jets had yet to successfully convince the younger ones of their questionable-at-best life advice and drop out. If Riff had his way, it would stay like that.
Second, the auto shop had secured its first repeating customer, who had promised to supply the shop with steady business. They’d fixed up a cab for a guy who owned a whole string of them earlier in the summer. The guy either really liked the service, or he discovered the hard way that any of the other shops in the area weren’t willing to do business with him for nearly as cheap. Regardless, Riff and the rest of the guys were more than happy to take what they could get for some guaranteed work, even if it was short term.
But even as it was, a little hefty sum of a deposit had been paid upfront, and everyone who worked in the shop regularly got a cut of it. Riff’s first thought was to put his own share to the few outstanding loans the shop still had. But, upon further reflection, he decided to keep his cut for himself. He had contributed half of his measly personal savings towards the outstanding mortgage payment just a few weeks back.
Riff had no idea or plans on what to use his small, but steadily growing pile of savings on. All he knew was that it was all his, fit for use however he saw fit, and that was enough to satisfy him.
Third, and easily the most noticeable change in Riff’s life- Roxie had moved in.
She had moved in just a few days after she originally agreed to do so. Roxie had told him that there was no use living out the final two weeks she was allowed to in her apartment; especially not when she already knew where she was going to move to.
So, she packed her things, and bid her roommate a goodbye. Roxie didn’t have too many personal belongings, and the majority of her things were her clothes. Still, Riff readily agreed to help her, and he recruited several of the Jets to assist. One afternoon, the oddly assorted group walked from Roxie’s old apartment down to the shop, all of her bags in hand.
After Roxie moved in, there was an initial adjustment period which was admittingly bumpy.
True to his word, Riff had scrubbed the entire bathroom clean himself. It was a long, tiring process, and one that he didn’t care to think too much about in hindsight. When he was done, Roxie politely- though plainly- informed all of them, Riff, Gee-Tar, Snowboy, and Diesel, that keeping the bathroom in a clean condition would be a responsibility that would fall upon the entire group, and not just any one of them. Riff sensed some initial opposition to the idea, but when push came to shove, a verbal agreement was reached by the entire group.
Another issue that had come up was about food in the apartment. Or rather, the lack thereof. Roxie had informed them all, even Riff, that having just bread on hand was not sufficient, nor was it sustainable for a long period of time. Snowboy had pointed out that, although he agreed with her, groceries cost money. Gee-Tar proposed they all chip in a little bit each week or so for some basic groceries to lessen the financial burden on each of them. Another verbal agreement had been reached.
But beyond cleaning the bathroom and keeping the kitchen well-stocked with staples, the rest of the transition was relatively smooth. Roxie stayed with Riff in his bedroom during the night. She’d wake up in the morning, do a little work on the shop’s books, and then go about her day however she liked until she headed off for work in the evening. She even cooked meals sometimes.
However, Roxie made it immediately clear that she did not want to be thrust into the role of homemaker by Riff or the rest of the guys, which she very easily could have. So, she was intentional about when she cooked meals for more than herself, and who she let have some of the food that was prepared. But, if she was in a good mood, and she just felt like cooking, it wasn’t unusual at all for Roxie to prepare breakfast for the bunch. But on other days, Roxie would make a meal for herself, and not even Riff was spared as the rest of the guys were left to their own devices. In hindsight, Riff should have known better- they now all had access to some basic groceries, and they were adults entirely capable of making themselves their own meals. Besides that, Riff agreed with Roxie full-heartedly; he didn’t want Roxie to become some sort of housewife, anyways.
Very soon after Roxie moved in, Riff realized just how well he could get used to the new routine. After only a few days, it became far too easy for Riff to start daydreaming about their future together, if there was to be one. While he dared to let his mind wander, he was curious as to whether it would look anything like the scenario they had suddenly found themselves in.
“Is there somewhere else I can put this?” Roxie asked him, holding the small shoebox of her personal items, which included her mother’s necklace, the photo of her mother, and those poker chips of mysterious origin Riff still had to learn about. “I was thinking of just putting it underneath the bed, but there isn’t enough room.”
It was the Saturday before the Dog Days Dance. It was still early in the morning, and the pair had just woken up a few minutes before. But Roxie had taken her time to settle in, and was slowly, but gradually, finding permanent spots for her few belongings within Riff’s room. Every day or so, she’d find something else to unpack and put away. After two weeks, she was mostly unpacked entirely, but a few things, like the shoebox she held in her hands, remained to be sorted through.
Riff smiled as the perfect spot crossed his mind. “Over here.”
He led her across the bedroom and over to his desk. He leaned down and swiftly opened one of the bottom drawers, revealing a few small stacks of cash.
“Personal savings,” Riff explained with a sheepish smile. He shuffled the stacks aside, revealing another small shoebox, which held some of his own, very limited personal belongings. There was a photo of his ma inside his own shoebox, and a few other knick knacks. It made a good hiding spot, if he ever needed it.
If Roxie were one to pry, she’d probably have quite the field day going through his belongings so dear to him he refused to have them out in the open. But Riff trusted Roxie. And now, given that they had moved in together, what was his was now technically hers, right?
Roxie took the hint and gently placed her shoe box beside his inside the drawer. Once it was settled, Riff slid the small stacks of cash back into place, and pushed the drawer closed.
“Perhaps we oughta look into gettin’ a bigger bed,” Riff suggested to Roxie as they proceeded to get ready for the day.
The bed situation had been a slight oversight on his part. He’d only ever had Grazi, and then Roxie, over for a night at a time before. The single bed was hardly a concern worth pointing out at any of those times. But now that Roxie’s presence was a semi-permanent fixture for the foreseeable future, Riff couldn’t help but feel a little bit embarrassed at the fact that they both were forced to cram themselves onto the small mattress night after night.
Roxie laughed lightly in response as she looked through her dresses on the nearby hanger. “Please- there’s so many better things that our money can be put towards.”
Our money… Riff liked the sound of that.
“ I don’t mind it, really,” Roxie reassured him. “Unless it’s bothering you, of course.”
It wasn’t bothering Riff physically, just mentally. Hell, he’d be the last person to complain about the fact that they practically had to sleep on top of one another in order to fit on the bed without the risk of either of them falling over onto the floor.
Roxie took Riff’s failure to comment further on the topic as his answer. She selected a dress for the day, a light blue one that Riff thought suited her particularly well in his completely unbiased opinion. She slipped it over her head, and then turned to him. “Do you mind?”
Riff walked over to her, and as he approached, Roxie turned her back to him and swept her hair off to the side, up and out of the way. Riff zipped up the back of her dress and placed a kiss on her shoulder. Roxie blushed and turned around, but before she could get her hands on him, Riff walked away to the nearby dresser. He innocently began to rummage through the top drawer for a shirt as Roxie narrowed her eyes at his teasing.
Riff enjoyed the innocent games of cat and mouse between them, and it was clear to him that Roxie did too. And now that they were in each other’s presence for large parts of the day, said little games were becoming more and more frequent. It was just another thing between them that had developed as a result of their continuous, playful need to challenge each other.
“What’re ya up to today?” Riff asked her conversationally, still feigning innocence as he made a show of contemplating between two nearly identical button up shirts.
Roxie reigned in her playful glare and resumed getting herself ready. “I’m going dress shopping with the girls, remember?”
“Right…” Riff finally chose a shirt and slid it on.
“Did you forget?”
“No.” But maybe I was hopin’ you would. “How long are ya gonna be? And whose all gonna be there?”
Roxie gave him a look which told Riff that she was onto him. “I’m sure it’ll only be a few hours, but we’ll see. All the girls will be there, which means we’ll all need to try on dresses…I think Grazi’s supposed to be there, too.”
Given Riff’s understanding of what conversations had occurred between her and Grazi, he had nothing but sympathy for Roxie upon learning that information. As such, he fell to temptation and used it to his advantage. “I’m sorry, Doll. Maybe you should just stay here- with me- instead.”
Roxie rolled her eyes as she hopped around, performing a small balancing act as she put on her flats. When both shoes were on, she stood up straight, and walked over to stand before him. “The dance is next weekend,” she reminded him patiently. “I have to find a dress. Don’t you want me to look my best?”
“Of course I do,” Riff answered quickly. “But I just hope ya know that ya don’t need a new dress. You could go to the dance in a damn potato sack and you’d still be the most gorgeous girl there.”
His phrasing earned him a smile from Roxie. “Really? A potato sack?”
“M-hmm.”
“I’m not Marilyn Monroe, Riff.”
Roxie wasn’t the rest of the world’s Marylin Monroe. But in Riff’s world, she was.
Roxie had just finished getting dressed, so naturally, she had yet to see to her hair. Because of this, large sections of it fell forward and dangled in her face. Riff swept some of it back and tucked it gently behind her ear.
In response, Roxie stood up on her tiptoes and gave Riff a light peck on the cheek. The gesture was small, but Riff was starting to find that the small moments between them had the most tendency to drive Riff’s heartbeat into overdrive.
“I should get a move on,” Roxie said apologetically. “Tessie will be here any minute, if she isn’t here already.”
The mention of the youngest Jet’s girlfriend reminded Riff of another interesting situation that had developed as of late- Baby John had been having some trouble at home. Baby John had confided in Riff about his mother’s new boyfriend and his concerns previously, and initially, Riff opted to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. But after seeing how upset Baby John was that one night, Riff realized that perhaps the guy could’ve stood to have some judgment passed on him.
It had been just as they all were getting ready to lock up the shop for the night. The youngest Jet had rushed in, and the rest of the guys immediately tried to pry for answers as to his erratic behavior. His chest was heaving, and if it had been from anger or if he was just severely upset, Riff couldn’t say for certain. Either way, the only responses they’d gotten from Baby John in those moments were hurried mumblings that were mostly indiscernible.
The following morning, Baby John was more open to talking, and what he told Riff about the bastard made his blood boil both on Baby John’s and his ma’s behalf. Riff allowed dark thoughts to creep in as he wondered just what he would do to the guy if he ever saw him on the street. Baby John would’ve had to point the guy out, of course, but Riff wouldn’t hesitate with a guy who was capable of such horrific actions.
Especially not after being a silent bystander while his father treated his ma terribly for many, many years.
After that, Riff allowed Baby John to crash in the apartment whenever he wanted, no questions asked. And he had- Baby John had crashed there for the majority of the past two weeks. Some nights, the living area was beginning to look like a damn campsite, with numerous cots and dozing Jets taking up almost the entirety of the free room. But no one said a peep; cramped conditions paled in comparison to far darker things that waited for each of them if they were to return home, or risk staying out on the streets overnight.
Because of Baby John’s extended stay, his girlfriend Tessie had started coming by the shop. Tessie was Baby John’s age, and they both went to school together. She was sweet.
Riff couldn’t speak for Roxie, but in his opinion, it seemed that she and the younger girl hit it off almost immediately. The two couples had even gone on a relaxing double date the previous week. They’d gone to see a movie- some comedy- and it had been one of the most easy-going dates Riff could ever recall having gone on. Baby John and Tessie still seemed to be in the puppy-dog love stage of their relationship, but whatever one wanted to call it, it must’ve been contagious. Perhaps it was the fact that he and Roxie had been accompanied by two kids several years their junior, but it had been relatively easy for both of them to just relax and have some fun.
“Well, in that case, I wouldn’t want to make ya late,” Riff told Roxie, though his mischievous tone completely contradicted his words.
“You stay over there,” Roxie ordered him half-heartedly as she brushed through her hair. “I’m not going to fall for this.”
“What was that?” Riff asked.
“Riff-”
“I didn’t quite catch that,” Riff said coyly, walking across the room and coming up behind Roxie anyways. “What did ya say? … Don’t come over here?”
Roxie gave him a warning look through the corner of her eyes, but she did not pause her brushing. “Once again, Riff, you are incorrigible.”
Riff left a trail of feather-light kisses on her bare shoulder, mindful to keep a distance from her hairbrush as she continued to try and smooth out her locks. “Once again, Doll, that’s some fancy speech.”
Roxie placed the brush on the nearby nightstand and turned around to face him. Riff smirked as he had gotten the exact reaction he wanted from her, and she stood up on her toes to press her lips to his.
————————————————————————————
“Uh oh, here comes the warden!” Snowboy announced theatrically. “Better stand to, fellas.”
Baby John, the rest of the Jets downstairs in the shop- Snowboy, Diesel, Gee-Tar, and Ice, as well as Tessie- snapped their heads up towards the landing and watched as their leader and his girl exited the apartment above.
Roxie rolled her eyes as she began to descend the stairs with Riff right on her heels. “Please,” she said, not bothered by Snowboy’s antics, and in fact, playing into them instead, “If I was the Warden around here, you all would’ve been tossed into solitary by now.”
Diesel whistled. “That’s cold Roxie. Hell, that’s somethin’ Ice would’ve said.”
Ice deadpanned. “Ha, ha.”
“I’ll be back in a few hours,” Roxie announced to the room, leaving Riff’s side and crossing the floor to head towards’ the open garage door.
Tessie, who had been leaning up against the work bench beside him, turned to Baby John with a shy smile. “I’ll see you later, Johnny.”
Baby John opened his mouth to respond, but was stunned to silence when Tessie pressed a swift kiss to his cheek. After that, he could do nothing but smile and nod as he watched her walk away to join Roxie.
“Please, Roxie,” Riff called after her, “No red dresses.”
“I’ll wear whatever I please,” Roxie retorted, exchanging a conspiring look with Tessie as the pair exited through the garage door and disappeared from view.
While Snowboy ooo’ed, and Diesel, Ice, and Gee-Tar looked downright amused, Baby John looked over at Riff. Though he had initially been worried about the older Jet’s reaction, he was surprised to find that he was merely smiling at Roxie’s comeback.
“Ya alright, kid?” Riff asked him once he noticed his staring.
“Yeah, your face is as red as a stop sign,” Snowboy added, referencing the blush that apparently was still very evident on Baby John’s cheeks.
Baby John took a few swipes at his cheeks, willing the color to fade away. “I’m cool.”
“I don’t know,” Diesel said, “Ya sure your girl ain’t got ya flustered?”
“Come on now, cut the kid some slack,” Gee-Tar interjected good-naturedly. “The kids smitten with her. Let him be.”
“And who are you to talk?” Snowboy countered jokingly. “Your head’s been up in the clouds for weeks now!”
There was a small grumble of audible agreement from the rest of the guys.
Gee-Tar was unbothered. “So, what? Maybe I am! You should try it some time.”
Diesel’s smile faltered a bit at Gee-Tar’s quick admittance of Snowboy’s joking accusation. “That mystery girl of yours- she’s got ya all bent outta shape, pal,” he declared.
“Are ya kiddin’ me? I’ve never felt better!” Gee-Tar proclaimed proudly. “This girl– she’s it, fellas. I’m gonna be with her forever. I just know it.”
A silence fell over the room as the entire group’s full attention went to Gee-Tar.
As long as Baby John had known him, which although wasn’t as long as some of the other Jets had, he had considered Gee-Tar to be a typically easy going, complacent type of guy. So to see Gee-Tar make such a proud display of his declaration of feelings for the mystery girl he had been seeing was extremely odd behavior for him, intriguing though it was.
“Those are some big words, Gee-Tar,” Ice noted, though he sounded more observational than condescending. “Ya really that serious ‘bout this girl?”
“Sure am,” Gee-Tar confirmed with a beaming smile.
“Well then, when do we meet her?” Riff asked. He glanced around at the other Jets for support as he continued. “You’ve been goin’ on and on ‘bout her- but we don’t even know who she is!”
“I’m with Riff. It does seem a bit odd,” Snowboy agreed. “What’re ya gonna do- run off and get hitched or somethin’ without even tellin’ us?”
Snowboy’s attempt to ease the tension was successful, and a round of laughter rang out throughout the garage at the bizarre suggestion. Gee-Tar shook his head at the rest of the Jets’ reaction, but he didn’t look too offended.
“Well, if you’re that serious ‘bout this girl, ya should really bring her to the dance,” Riff suggested. “I think we’d all like to meet her before ya go runnin’ off into the sunset and whatnot.”
“Sorry, fellas- I don’t think she’ll go for that,” Gee-Tar replied.
“Why not?”
Gee-Tar shrugged. “We like keepin’ things as they are. Things are more fun when it’s all secret.”
Baby John couldn’t imagine a world where he didn’t want it to be public knowledge that a girl like Tessie had decided to start seeing him. Did Gee-Tar know something that he didn’t? Did the rest of the guys know something he didn’t?
Baby John glanced around the room, gauging everyone else’s reactions. Ice, Snowboy, and Diesel looked just as confused as Baby John felt. But Riff- Riff had an odd look on his face, almost as though he was a little bit sympathetic to Gee-Tar’s explanation.
“Fine, you can keep your secrets,” Riff relented. “Though, if ya can’t talk this girl into goin’ with ya to the dance, it’ll be really hard to convince some of the guys ya ain’t been seein’ a ghost this whole time.”
Baby John knew exactly what Riff was referring to. Word of the mystery girl Gee-Tar had been seeing had made its rounds throughout the gang. Half of the Jets weren’t too worried about it, but the other half refused to believe the girl was real unless they saw her with their own eyes.
Baby John might have had his suspicions when he first learned about it, but after hearing Gee-Tars sincere proclamations, there was no longer any doubt in his mind that the girl, whoever she was, was very much real.
“Let ‘em think what they want,” Gee-Tar denounced. “Just ‘cause it’s a secret, that don’t make it any less real.”
————————————————————————————
It was another beautiful day outside. And another day Tony found himself wishing that he wasn’t stuck inside Doc’s.
Three weeks had gone by since he’d last seen the girl. She had yet to come back to Doc’s… unless she swung by the store during one of the few moments he was absent.
Tony halted his efforts to wipe down the counter, and stood up straight. Alarmed with that sudden thought, Tony quickly glanced underneath the bar.
No umbrella.
Alright, so the girl hadn’t given Valentina her umbrella back. Or, rather, if she had, Valentina had yet to put it in its normal spot. The more he thought about it, the more Tony was almost tempted to ask Valentina about it outright. But Tony had noticed the way she looked at him after catching him basically gawking at the girl the last time she was in Doc’s. If he brought up the girl again, he’d never hear the end of Valentina’s teasing.
Which left him there, exactly as he already was- resigning himself to be trapped inside of Doc’s as much as possible in the hope that he might see her again.
Sounds familiar. Tony shook his head and laughed to himself as he resumed wiping down the counter. He’d staked out at Doc’s for a couple of weekends a few years back, hoping to run into Graziella and ask her to an upcoming dance.
The thought of Graziella provided a much welcome distraction. Even Tony had to admit that it was odd how she had apparently disappeared from the neighborhood for several weeks, only to reappear, seek him out, and drop what she perceived to be a proverbial bomb on him.
But Tony had heard Graziella out just the same, not wanting to be impolite or give her any cause to take offense. But in reality, it didn’t bother Tony that she had hooked up with Riff a while back. Tony was in prison, and even if he hadn’t been, the pair had been broken up for months before the new fling started. Besides, Tony was hopeful, and looking towards the future, and Riff had Roxie.
In light of everything, Tony still did not wish her any ill will. Graziella was a great girl. She’d find someone worthwhile, if she hadn’t already. Tony was sure of it.
The bell of Doc’s front door rang out, and Tony lifted his head to greet the incoming customer. Who he saw immediately gave him great pause.
It was the girl.
The universe had an odd way of working sometimes.
She took a step into Doc’s, allowing the door to swing shut behind her. She looked around the room, allowing her eyes to adjust from the harsh sunlight outside. In her hands was Valentina’s umbrella.
When the girls’ eyes finally landed on Tony, where he was still standing behind the counter, Tony’s heart involuntarily skipped a beat.
“Hola,” she greeted him, with a smile as bright as the sun’s rays she had just escaped from.
“Good mornin’,” Tony greeted hurriedly without skipping a beat.
The girl said nothing else as she crossed the distance between the door and where Tony stood. His feet felt like anchors locking him in place as watched her walk towards him, not yet fully believing that she was really in front of him.
It was mighty hot outside- it could have very well been a hallucination.
The girl stopped on the other side of the counter, less than a yard away from him.
On second thought, if this is a hallucination, I can live with a little heat stroke.
“Donde esta Valentina?”
Tony was still in such a shock that the girl had finally returned to Doc’s, it had completely slipped his mind that the last time he talked to her, it seemed that she didn’t understand a whole lot of English… if any at all. Hell, if Tony had given any decent thought to it, he should’ve listened particularly closely to Valentina, especially when she interacted with other Spanish-speaking customers. If he had paid even a lick of attention, instead of daydreaming about the next time he would see her, he might’ve actually had something substantial to say to the girl.
“Valentina?” Tony asked. Valentina was busy- checking the dates of the goods in storage downstairs. But if the girl wanted to speak with her, Tony would run and get Valentina for her in a heartbeat.
The girl nodded in confirmation.
“She’s, uh…” Tony dug through the very back reaches of his mind, desperately trying to force any Spanish terminology hidden away within it to the forefront. Unfortunately, he was coming up blank.
Instead, he settled for what seemed like the next best option. He pointed over her shoulder, over towards the open door leading to the basement.
“Oh, downstairs?” the girl questioned.
Tony’s eyes widened in surprise. “Sí!” he said, the word sounding and feeling extremely foreign to his tongue. “She’s downstairs.”
“You could have just said that.”
Tony was floored. “You speak English?”
“I am working on it,” the girl replied, with a laugh that sounded like pure music to Tony’s ears. “I know more now than I did the last time I saw you.”
“I couldn’t tell,” Tony lied shamelessly.
That seemed to tickle her; if Tony were to snap out of his love-sick daze, he might have realized that she didn’t believe him. She humored him anyway.
“Tell Valentina I dropped this off, ¿por favor?” the girl asked then, placing Valentina’s umbrella onto the countertop.
Even though Tony had been in the process of wiping it down, he didn’t mind in the slightest. “Yeah, sure. No problem.”
The girl looked at him strangely for a moment, and then gave him a smile as she turned to walk away.
“Wait!” Tony instinctually called after her.
The girl stopped, and looked at him expectantly.
Tony scrambled for something to say- he had just wanted to prevent her from leaving, if only for a minute longer. Be smooth, Tony, he chided himself. “Ya know, you could tell her herself… if ya wanted to swing by again sometime.”
The girl’s eyes narrowed as she processed his words. “... ‘Swing’?”
“Stop by,” Tony corrected himself with a chuckle.
The girl’s smile shifted to one more mischievous, if not downright flirtatious, as she realized Tony’s suggestion. “Oh, sí? And, if I did swing by, would you be here, too?”
“If ya wanted me to be.”
The girl looked highly amused at this point. In fact, Tony was starting to worry whether his attempts to swoon her were even successful, or if he was striking out and she was merely having a laugh at his expense. The girl didn’t seem like the type to be so cruel, but for some reason, she had charmed him into acting all out of sorts- Tony probably wouldn’t have been able to tell either way.
The last thing Tony wanted to do was to scare her off by putting his foot in his mouth and saying something stupid. The longer she did not offer him a reply, the more worried he became of doing just that. He sifted through his brain, trying to come up with a new strategy.
… Wait.
… It had worked with Graziella…
“Say, do ya like dancin’?” Tony asked, throwing all his usual coolness he tried to uphold while flirting with women out the window.
“Sí- who does not?”
I mean, I ain’t the biggest fan myself… “Are ya goin’ to the dance next weekend?”
If she was going to the dance, Tony would be very tempted to break his parole officer’s rule of not going out.
The girl opened her mouth to respond, but suddenly closed it shut. Now, there was no doubt- the look on her face was entirely mischievous. “Maybe… maybe not.”
Before Tony could respond, the girl had turned around on her heels and began heading towards the exit, leaving Tony staring after her. When the girl reached the door, she opened it, and paused. She looked over her shoulder, and with one last smile at Tony, she said, “I think I will swing by in a few days… Espero verte pronto.”
With those final words that Tony had absolutely no comprehension of, the girl exited Doc’s, walked down the sidewalk, and disappeared from view.
“Tony?”
Valentina came up the stairs, wiping off the dust on her hands on her pants as she walked. “¿Quien era ese? Did I hear you talking to someone?”
Tony tore his eyes away from the store’s entrance reluctantly. “Yeah… that girl, the one who borrowed your umbrella? She brought it back.” He held up the object in question for her to see.
“Ah, sí. Do you mind putting it back under the bar?”
Tony's eyes had involuntarily drifted back over to the store entrance once again, and he failed to process Valentina’s words.
“Tony?”
“Huh?”
“The umbrella?”
“Oh, right!” Tony replied, scrambling to put the umbrella back underneath the bar as instructed. When he collected himself, he looked back at Valentina, who was watching him with an amused look on her face.
“Are you feeling well?” she asked. “You look… confused.”
“Confused? Nah, I’m good.”
Tony could tell that Valentina didn’t believe him, but fortunately, she dropped the subject. “Si tú lo dices. I’ll be downstairs; shout if you need something.”
“Will do.”
As Valentina headed back down to the basement, Tony busied himself with wiping down the counter once again in order to avoid any further questioning. Once he was sure that she was out of hearing range, he looked over towards the store entrance one last time, and let out a wistful sigh.
Well… Tony hadn’t received a solid answer about the dance, and the entire conversation he had with the girl left him feeling like a blubbering mess. But what did that really matter? He’d seen her again!
So what if he had possibly been acting like a fool in his attempts to charm her? Maybe she had found his nervous, far less than suave ways endearing. Regardless, she must’ve liked something about him. If she kept true to her word, he was likely to see her again in just a few short days.
He couldn’t wait.
Tony was over the moon, and the overwhelming feeling gave him a sudden urge to get what had happened off his chest. Given their recent reconciliation, Riff would likely lend him an ear.
But wait- what would he call her?
…
He’d never gotten her name.
————————————————————————————
The entire group of Jet girls, plus the addition of Graziella, managed to get together that Saturday morning to go dress shopping for the upcoming dance. The large group of girls- many of whom did not look like they lived in the neighborhood- probably drew a lot of questioning looks from the locals. But the sun was out, it wasn’t too hot just yet, and with the excitement regarding the dance coming up the following weekend, there was little that could interfere with contagious jovial feeling among the group.
Graziella led a majority of them in the front of the pack. During her absence of a few weeks, she had been greatly missed. While she entertained the girls who flocked to her and still looked up to her for guidance, a smaller number of the Jet girls walked a bit behind them in a comfortable silence.
The sounds of footsteps along the sidewalk and amicable chit chat echoed in Roxie’s ears and filled the remaining spaces between her mind where her thoughts about the previous two weeks had not already taken up residence.
“Are you alright, Roxie?”
Velma’s question pulled Roxie from her thoughts. She looked over at her friend, who was keeping pace on the sidewalk beside her, and upon seeing her concerned expression, forced herself to give Velma a convincing smile and nod.
“I’m alright, just tired.”
Velma gave her a suggestive look but changed her mind a second later. “I can hardly blame you,” she said. More quietly, she added, “Diesel snores like the dead.”
Roxie laughed quietly, thankful for Velma’s excuse.
“I can’t imagine what it’s like living with all those boys,” Rhonda chimed in from in front of them, turning around over her shoulder to give Roxie a sympathetic look.
Karen hummed in agreement from beside Rhonda.
“It hasn’t been too bad.”
“Don’t spare us,” Rhonda laughed. “Do the rest of us a favor, and let us know exactly what we’re in for some day.”
In all honesty, moving in with Riff, along with technically Diesel, Snowboy, and Gee-Tar, hadn’t been too bad. There were some bumpy moments during the first few days, but things had since smoothed themselves out. Riff had scrubbed the bathroom clean, and everyone was under agreement to do their part to keep it that way. There’d been more than just bread in the apartment lately, which every single one of them stood to benefit from, despite whether they were too stubborn to realize it.
Riff did his part to make her feel as welcome as possible. When she was in a good mood, she’d cook a meal or two for him and the rest of the guys. But it wasn’t every meal, and Riff made it known that she was not a cook or maid from the very moment they entered the apartment with her bags of belongings. In addition to that, Roxie came and went as she pleased. Like he had promised, Riff didn’t say a thing about it, even when she could tell he would miss her or would be worried about her. Fortunately, those moments didn’t occur very often. Most days, Roxie would wake up, help out with the books and few other things around the shop, and then go to work that night.
Despite the relatively easy transition, along with Riff’s reassurance that this situation would not be detrimental to either of their wellbeing in the long run, it was still uncomfortable territory for Roxie for several reasons.
The first reason was her struggle with balancing her desire to not be dependent on anyone, let alone a man.
Riff wasn’t perfect, but even with all things considered, she could have chosen a far worse companion with which to move in and potentially begin a life together with. And, given the predicament she had been forced into by her landlord selling the building her apartment was in, Roxie really didn’t have any other choice but to take Riff up on his offer to move in with him.
Still, the mistakes her mother had made with the men she allowed in her life, with one exception, had always lingered in Roxie’s mind, haunting her and causing her to worry whether she would regret rushing into the decision. She had yet to see any warning signs from Riff that indicated that her worries would be proven true, but that was not enough to soothe the voice in her head warning her to not get too comfortable with her situation.
The second reason was less of a mental struggle, although it did challenge her conscience. It was about Gee-Tar.
Keeping whatever had happened to Gee-Tar a secret from Riff was as difficult as Roxie feared it would be. Though the Jet had not returned to the shop in anything less than considerably alright condition since that one night a few weeks back, and she had confirmed as much with Diesel, Roxie was still concerned about him. If Gee-Tar was possibly in trouble, she believed that Riff had a right to know. Gee-Tar was his friend, and had been a good friend at that for years. In addition to that, there was also the fact that Gee-Tar taking any trouble back with him to the shop had the possibility of creating new trouble for anyone else who was living there too. Riff, Diesel, Snowboy, and even Baby John lately would be sitting ducks if Gee-Tar was followed back to the shop by assailants. They could probably hold their own, if push came to shove, but Roxie certainly wouldn’t want to be a witness to such an event, let alone have them experience such a thing.
The unanswered question about Gee-Tar bothered her the most about the situation. What had Gee-Tar been about to tell her that night before Diesel interrupted them?
He had been tight lipped since that evening, no matter how many times Roxie had found a way to corner him for a second, and how many prying suggestions she made. The fact that Gee-Tar hadn’t told her the truth, combined with the other fact that she believed very little of what he did tell her about what had occurred to him that night, only gave her cause to worry about all the possibilities. Had it really been a mugging? … Or did Gee-Tar know his attackers, or at least know of them, and simply refused to admit it for some reason?
On a lighter note, at least the shop’s business was improving; the steady work they’d be getting to perform some routine maintenance on a string of cabs gave Riff and the other guys something legitimate to focus on, if only for a little while. The cut Roxie had gotten from the upfront deposit had been a perk, too. While most of the cut went towards her savings and funds she planned to use for the spring semester’s tuition, she had taken part of it with her to buy a new dress.
“I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough, Rhonda,” Karen assured her, bringing Roxie’s focus back to the conversation at hand and sparing her from having to answer Rhonda’s question.
Roxie gave her an appreciative look.
“You’re probably right,” Rhonda said. “I need to move away from my folks yesterday. I’ve been trying to save up for an apartment, but with the cost of rent these days, it’d be a lot easier to do with someone else bringing in some money.”
“Action’s planning to live with you, isn’t he?” Velma asked.
“Of course,” Rhonda answered. “And I keep trying to talk him into helping out with the shop- especially since they got that new business with the cabs- but he just says it ain’t for him. It seems like no job is ‘for him’.”
Since rekindling her relationship with Riff, Roxie had gotten to know several of the girls decently well. Largely in part of who they were dating, she’d spent a lot of time with Rhonda and Karen as of late. She’d actually formed genuine friendships with each of the girls. Despite her feelings about Action, Roxie did sympathize with Rhonda.
“Just give him some time,” Karen reassured her, placing a comforting hand on her arm as the group continued down the sidewalk. “He’ll get it one of these days. Ice is the same way. He says there’s too much going on right now for him to take the time to find a real gig.”
‘Too much going on right now’ was a mild, but polite way to describe the state of things with the Sharks. While no recent fights or even altercations with the Sharks came to the mind of any of the girls, that did not mean that relations between the rival gangs had improved. On the contrary, the Jets had become better at hiding such skirmishes from the girls. And what they were unable to hide, they downplayed.
It was almost comical, really- as if the women they’d chosen to be with weren’t smart enough to deduce the information themselves. Even the most naive among them, not to be specifically named, had their suspicions raised immediately when the guys suddenly seemed to be getting into a lot less trouble with the Sharks than what they had been. The Jets’ determination to hide the truth of what was going on with the Sharks was alarming, and it had been a frequent topic of conversation amongst the girls.
Though the shopping trip and upcoming dance provided a much welcome distraction, Roxie would venture to guess that the looming threat of a rumble wasn’t too far out of the rest of the girls’ minds. It certainly lingered in hers.
Tessie, in particular, looked troubled by Karen’s phrasing. She walked along the other side of Roxie, remaining silent but still attentive to the girls’ quiet conversation. Judging by the concerned look on her face, the subtext of Karen’s words cleared worried her.
Roxie could hardly blame her; Baby John was young, and so was she. Roxie could easily recall what it was like waiting for Riff to come back after the first rumble with the Bishops. She had yet to find another girl she’d wish that feeling upon, let alone the sweet girl walking beside her.
“Riff and I really had fun going to see that movie with you and Baby John last week,” Roxie told her, pivoting to a new subject.
Her attempt at a distraction was proven to be successful when Tessie’s worried frown was replaced by a small but steadily growing smile. “We did too.”
“We should do it again sometime,” Roxie suggested.
“We should do another group date!” Velma proposed in turn.
“Yes!” Rhonda agreed enthusiastically. “The last one we had at the diner was a blast.”
Roxie forced her expression to remain neutral as she recalled the group date in reference. It had been a decent outing, she supposed- before she and Riff had been promptly escorted outside and all but shaken down by a mobster.
“I still can’t believe Riff paid for everyone’s food,” Karen added disbelievingly.
Well, technically it was Mr. Barone’s money, but-
“Maybe we should try another venue,” Roxie recommended, careful to not let her tone indicate that any ulterior motives behind her suggestion existed. “But yes, Tessie- you and Baby John should join us next time.”
Graziella and the rest of the girls up ahead had reached the dress shop by then. As they opened the door and filed inside one by one, it was evident that their excitement had only increased during the few blocks walk.
Once Rhonda, Karen, Velma, Tessie, and Roxie entered the store behind them, the group split up. Rhonda and Velma went to one side of the store, where a majority of the girls had claimed dominance and already began perusing through the many racks of dresses. Meanwhile, Karen, Tessie, and Roxie joined Grazi and Dot as they browsed through the remaining racks of dresses along the other side.
“What color dress were you thinking?” Roxie asked Tessie conversationally as the trio began to skim through the nearby garments.
“Well, I should look for something blue… right?”
“You don’t have to wear blue,” Karen acknowledged politely. She analyzed a nearby greenish brown dress favorably.
“No, I know,” Tessie assured them readily. “But I want to.”
“Meh, let her wear blue,” Grazi interjected from a few racks over, having overheard their conversation. “The girl’s just as much a Jet girl as any of us.”
“Even you, Grazi?” Karen half-joked. “What’s this I hear about some fella taking you to the dance? Would we know him?”
Grazi smiled coyly. “I could tell you about him… or I could just let you wait and see for yourself. And I’m thinking the second option sounds way more fun.”
“I’m with Grazi on this one,” Dot chimed in. She took the sucker she had out of her mouth and plucked a nearby navy dress off the rack. As she looked it up and down, she added, “Tessie should go for a blue dress. Besides- who knows the next time she’ll get the chance? The next dance won’t be until well after the rumble, mark my words.”
There it was again. That word.
An awkward silence fell over the group and any of the other girls nearby who happened to hear it.
As much as Roxie had begun to develop friendships with most of the other Jet girls, unfortunately, her friendship with Dot still left a lot to be desired. Perhaps it was the other girl’s blunt honesty, which came off as a severe lack of tactfulness, that put a poor taste in her mouth. Whatever it was, Roxie wasn’t very agreeable to it.
Especially when it came to mentioning that word around the younger girls, like Tessie, who was clearly all but petrified at merely hearing it. Hell, her face visibly paled right then and there.
“Dot, come on,” Roxie chided her, pretending to fixate on a nearby dress in order for her warning to come off a bit more amicably.
“What?” Dot looked around, seeking support for her statement. She immediately frowned when she found none. “You all know it’s true. Why sugar coat it? We ought to be prepared.”
“Roxie’s right,” Grazi concurred. “Let’s drop it.”
Roxie and Grazi exchanged an understanding look.
After their recent uncomfortable conversation regarding the nature of her and Riff’s relationship and her intent, the girls had reached somewhat of an understanding. Perhaps a friendship between them was in the works, but it was too soon to tell. In light of everything that had happened between them, Roxie was greatly relieved to have Grazi’s support on the issue at hand.
Grazi guided Dot away by the arm, trying to draw her attention to another nearby navy dress a few racks away.
“Nothing’s been decided yet,” Karen assured Tessie, quietly enough so that Dot would not overhear. She placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “And until something is decided, it’s best not to even think about it, if you can help it.”
“Exactly; there’s no sense in working yourself up” Roxie added. “Nevermind what we said; you should wear any color dress you want… though I think blue would fit you very well.”
As Tessie finally began to look relieved, the bell on the front door to the store rang out, and the trio turned their heads without a thought to glance at who was entering the store. They froze.
If their physical appearance was not enough of an indicator, the bright, warm color clothes they donned would have been a dead giveaway.
Puertorriqueñas.
The group of young women, who were fewer in number than the Jet girls already inside the store, were still a considerably sized bunch. As they filed into the building, they were all smiles, and their heads were held high as they were completely oblivious to the sudden silence and the audience of Jet girls that had paused their shopping to watch them enter the store. The second group of young women continued to remain unbothered as they immediately set to sifting through the nearby racks of dresses just as quickly as the Jet girls had not but a few minutes beforehand.
Though many of the Jet girls continued to warily glance at the newcomers out of the corners of their eyes, they slowly returned to their browsing after a few moments once they realized the new group was not going to acknowledge them.
“Ahora recuerde, solo estamos aquí para obtener ideas,” one of them said.
“Sí Sí. ¿Por qué comprar lo que puedes hacer tú mismo?” said another.
A third woman laughed. “No estás bromeando. ¿Puedes creer el precio de algunos de estos vestidos?”
“Dios mío,” the second woman sighed. Then, she grabbed a nearby red, poofy dress and presented it to the woman who had first spoken. “Anita, ¿podrías ayudarme con algo como esto?”
The woman who had been posed a question looked over the garment for a moment before giving her companion a curt nod and warm smile. “Sí, pero será mejor que tengas cuidado, Luz. No querrás darle a Manolo ninguna falsa esperanza, ¿verdad?”
The second woman laughed.
“Right there!” Karen whispered in a hushed tone in Roxie’s ear, breaking her focus on the other group of women. Roxie looked at her, and then followed her line of sight to the woman who had entered the store and spoken first. “That’s her… She’s Bernardo’s girl.”
Bernardo, leader of the Sharks. Riff had mentioned his name a few times, though perhaps doing so had been an error on his part. Upon hearing this new information, Roxie looked over the woman with a newfound sense of curiosity.
Her Shark counterpart’s hair was short and precisely styled. Her every move, from the turn of her head to make a comment to a friend, to a flick of her wrist as she looked through dresses, suggested exuberant confidence. Roxie severely doubted that the woman had ever been afraid of anything, or anyone.
As though sensing Roxie’s and Karen’s inquisitive eyes, the woman's friend nudged her arm to get her attention. Once she had obtained it, her friend pointed over at the two.
Roxie and Karen immediately feigned a captivated interest in a nearby pale pink dress. Though neither of them were likely to ever wear such a color to a dance, they’d rather be caught dead than be caught staring at the women across the store. A confrontation in a dress shop, of all places, would be rather embarrassing, if not just a little bit sad.
“Esa es ella,” the second woman informed the other. “La vi en el parque hace unas semanas, cuando volvíamos de la iglesia.”
Roxie switched her fake focus to another dress, still very much aware of the several pairs of eyes upon her and Karen.
“La vi con él,” the woman continued. “La vi con Riff.”
Upon hearing the quiet yet very clear mentioning of Riff’s name, Roxie could no longer feign an interest in the dresses before her. She lifted her head, and looked across the room without hesitation.
She locked eyes with the woman that Karen pointed out to be Bernardo’s girlfriend. Initially, the woman’s friend was staring at her as well, but Karen took a step forward to stand beside Roxie, drawing the friend’s attention to her instead.
Whatever it meant, there was most certainly a look that was exchanged between the other woman and Roxie as they held one another’s gaze. Unbeknownst to either of them, the rest of their respective groups had immediately dropped what they had been doing and were bearing witness to the intense staredown that was occuring in front of them.
Perhaps it was a look of understanding that had been exchanged between them.
On the other hand, perhaps it was a look of resentment.
————————————————————————————
Twenty One… Twenty Two… Twenty Three…
The bell attached to the front door of Doc’s rang out, breaking Valentina’s concentration as she had tried to take inventory of some goods on the shelves.
“Good morning, Valentina.”
Valentina looked over towards the store entrance and saw Roxie entering the store with a garment bag in her hands.
As happy as Valentina was to see the girl- it seemed like it had been quite a while since she had seen her last- she had a few qualms with her at the moment that gave her mixed emotions upon seeing her once again.
Valentina turned away from the shelves and walked behind the bar. “Buenos dias.”
“Is Tony in?” Roxie pondered as she crossed the store. She came to a still on the other side of the counter. “I have something I wanted to ask him about.”
“He’s downstairs, counting,” Valentina answered. “It’s best if we leave him alone.”
Though Valentina currently had mixed feelings about the younger woman in front of her, she still didn’t want to be rude. However, Tony had just begun to improve his inventory skills. Interrupting his counting for something that was likely to be little more than a social call would be a hindrance.
“Oh,” Roxie replied quietly. “I don’t want to bother him, then.”
Despite Valentina’s intentions, she could tell Roxie had read into her short response and jumped to her conclusions about their meaning. Feeling sympathetic, Valentina asked kindly, “What did you want to ask him?”
“Nevermind that, I can ask him about it later,” Roxie dismissed. “Could you do me another favor, though?”
“Sí?”
“Can you let him know that if he wants to meet up with me after work, I get off at midnight? He mentioned walking me home the other day, but I wasn’t sure if he remembered what time my shift ends.”
If Tony had forgotten that information, it would not have surprised Valentina. She knew that Tony had walked Roxie home from the factory on occasion, but that had been well over a year and a half past. And although Tony had walked Roxie home before, he had not walked her home since he was released from prison, at least not to Valentina’s knowledge. From what Tony had told her, there had been another individual who had taken it upon himself to walk her home instead.
“Will Riff be there?” Valentina wondered out loud.
“Yes.”
Valentina forced herself to maintain a calm composure. “Then why does Tony need to walk you home as well?”
Roxie shrugged, not understanding Valentina’s question. “We are just going to walk and talk for a bit. You know- hang out.”
‘Hang out’? Valentina’s neutral expression quickly faded and was replaced with a look of suspicion.
“I don’t think you understand, Valentina,” Roxie added hastily upon seeing the older woman’s less than favorable reaction to her explanation. “Riff and Tony are friends. Tony is my friend, too. It’s been that way for years.”
Valentina could have laughed, if she wasn’t so alarmed. “No, you do not understand,” she corrected. “It is not your friendship with Tony that concerns me.”
“I know Riff and Tony haven’t been getting along that well since Tony got released- but they’ve talked things out for now,” Roxie informed her, pointlessly trying to persuade Valentina to see her reasoning.
Valentina remained unmoved.
“Riff is trying to be a better person, Valentina,” Roxie added sincerely in a softer voice.
Word on the street was that the Sharks and Jets were just as much at each other's throats as they were when Bernardo and his friends first started moving into the neighborhood. Things had certainly not gotten ‘better’.
Though Valentina severely questioned the truth of her statement, she had no doubt that Roxie believed her own words to be true.
“He’s got a lot going on,” Roxie continued, speaking in a way that suggested that she had made the same case at least once before. “And with all the guys who look up to him for every move-“
“Saying you are going to be better and doing things to be better are two different things,” Valentina retorted. “Besides, he should be leading by example, not sitting idly by while his friends continue to cause trouble for Puerto Ricans.”
Roxie opened her mouth to respond, but clenched her jaw tight a second later..
Valentina took the opportunity to address the issue that had been bothering her since it was first brought to her attention. “Is it true what Tony tells me, Roxie?” she asked, making a point to speak more gently than just a few moments before so as not to scare the young woman away. “Did you move in with him?”
Roxie’s immediate, visibly hesitancy provided Valentina with her answer. “… I didn’t exactly have any other options-“
“Ah ha! Me diviertes,” Valentina laughed sarcastically. “For you, I would’ve found the room here.”
“I couldn’t impose on you like that.”
“It wouldn't be imposing- it would be ensuring that your mother’s ghost does not haunt me,” Valentina replied. She sighed tiredly, and looked the girl up and down thoughtfully. “You look so much like her, Roxie. And knowing the choices she made, and seeing the choices you make now…”
Based on the look in her eyes, Roxie knew very well about her mother’s choices that Valentina had referred to. But she remained silent, eyes cast down towards the glossy surface of the counter.
In that moment, she looked downright sad, if not borderline pathetic. Though Valentina knew in her heart that she had spoken nothing but the truth to Roxie, and that Roxie needed to hear each and every word she had said to her, Valentina couldn’t help but pity the girl.
“Lo siento,” Valentina apologized with another, but this time deeper, sigh. “I am just worried about you and Tony.”
Roxie looked up from the counter and finally met her eyes with a determined, genuine look. “We’ll look out for each other.”
… But will that be enough?
The moment for scolding Roxie had come and passed. The store was still vacant, save for the two of them, plus Tony downstairs. They would have continued to remain in an uncomfortable silence as they were, but Valentina didn’t want Roxie to leave Doc’s on that note.
She glanced down at the garment bag, which was still perched over Roxie’s arm. “That wouldn’t be your dress for the dance next weekend, would it?” she asked.
Roxie offered her a small smile. “Maybe... Do you want to see it?”
Upon hearing Roxie’s offer, Valentina relaxed a little bit, knowing that her words had not struck too deep a chord. Valentina nodded with a smile of her own.
Roxie lifted the garment bag up onto the counter, and slowly zipped open a few inches along the side. The opening revealed enough for Valentina to get a look at the dress’s fabric and color. Unsurprisingly, the dress was a shade of blue. However, Valentina didn’t need to see the dress in order to have known that would be the case.
“Es muy bonito,” Valentina complimented, which garnered another smile from Roxie. “That boy better consider himself lucky.”
Roxie’s smile faltered a bit when Valentina referred to Riff again. However, she continued on. “It’s actually a size larger than what I usually get; they didn’t have my size. But just look at the color- I couldn’t pass it up. I’ll deal with it, even if it is hanging off of me.”
Though Roxie's story suggested that it was more of a narrative tale than a legitimate complaint, Valentina was suddenly struck with a solution to her problem. The idea had the potential to backfire terribly… But if it didn’t, it would likely open up some eyes. Or at least, that was her hope.
“I know someone who would be willing to take it in for you.”
Roxie’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You do?”
Valentina nodded once.
“And they could make the alterations before next weekend?”
“If I’m the one asking her to, then yes.”
Roxie was visibly surprised, especially in light of their earlier conversation. However, and to Valentina’s relief, she did not look the gift horse in the mouth. “Thank you, Valentina.”
“You’re welcome,” Valentina waved her off. “Leave the dress with me, and I’ll take care of it.”
Roxie zipped the garment back closed and slid it across the counter.
“In fact,” Valentina continued, picking up the garment, “I’ll have Tony let you know when it is finished. You can stop by and pick it up then.”
“What ‘bout me?”
The boy in question finished walking up the stairs. He took a few more steps into the room as he wiped dust and dirt off his hands. Upon seeing Roxie, he offered her a small wave and a smirk. “What’re ya doin’ here, Roxie?”
“Did you finish the counting?” Valentina asked before Roxie could respond, giving him a pointed look.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“... Fine. In that case, Roxie has something she wants to talk to you about.”
“Thank you again, Valentina,” Roxie thanked solemnly, her eyes locking with Valentina’s for just a moment longer than they usually would have. She spun on her heels and walked over to Tony.
As Tony and Roxie began a hushed conversation, Valentina walked back around the counter to resume her inventory. However, her eyes glanced over to the pair more often than she cared to admit as her mind wandered.
What was she going to do with these two kids whom she had taken under her wing? Whether or not they realized it, it seemed they were each on a path of self-destruction. And both paths were riddled with one person in common.
Some life lessons were meant to be learned the hard way, and she had a feeling that Tony and Roxie were about to learn a few. But if Valentina had a say in it, she would do anything in her power to help lessen the blow.
————————————————————————————
“Ah, shit… I think I forgot my lighter. Do ya mind?”
Riff smirked at Tony’s forgetfulness and handed his lighter over to him after he had lit his own cigarette. At least Tony brought his own pack of smokes this time.
Tony promptly handed Riff back the lighter after his cigarette had been lit with a mumbled thanks. He took a drag, and exhaled a long, drawn-out sigh.
The pair had taken up temporary residence at a street corner, leaning up against the wall of a nearby hardware shop that had closed for the evening. Down the block was a string of factories. Many of them were accompanied by large stone stacks with billowing smoke flowing upwards and out into the night sky.
“I wanted to thank ya again,” Riff said, “for not lettin’ Roxie know about all that ya know.”
“Of course,” Tony assured him. “Womb to tomb.”
“Sperm to worm.”
“Ya know, I’m still havin’ a hard time wrappin’ my head ‘round it all.”
Me too. Witnessing a murder? Getting accused of a crime they didn’t commit? Being shaken down by a mobster? It all sounded a lot like a book Roxie would read, and not events that had actually occurred in their lives.
“Any idea what time it is?” Tony wondered. “Roxie should be headin’ over here soon, right?”
Riff wasn’t super concerned about Roxie’s wellbeing just yet. The factory was only down the block, and if anyone was to try and give her any trouble between the factory doors and where he stood, Riff would see it right away.
Riff shrugged and flicked away some ash. “Beats me… quarter ‘til, maybe? I’m sure she’ll only be a few.”
While they waited for Roxie to get off work, make her way out of the premise of the factory she worked at, and walk their way, the pair had mostly been in a comfortable silence. When they weren’t, they had opted for small talk. Though they had recently reached their compromise, which, to put it simply, was for Riff not to bring up Tony re-joining the Jets, and for Tony to not bring up his spiel about keeping his nose clean and walking a straight line, the agreement was still fragile. Neither of them felt comfortable pushing the boundaries of temporary verbal cease-fire just yet.
In all honesty, Riff was surprised Tony had managed to keep himself relatively quiet, only ever making small comments about things here and there. It was abundantly clear to Riff that Tony had something on his mind, and whatever it was, it was putting him over the moon.
“I gotta come clean with ya about somethin’, Riff,” Tony announced, breaking the several minute silence.
Riff had thought the pair had already come clean about everything… Had Tony been holding something else back? “What is it?”
“I think Roxie’s plannin’ a little get together or somethin’ for your birthday,” Tony informed him.
Oh.
That was better than what Riff had initially thought.
In all honesty, he shouldn’t have been surprised. He knew Roxie planned to take off the upcoming Wednesday night for his birthday. However, in regards to the actual plans for the day itself, Roxie had been pretty tight-lipped.
On one hand, Riff didn’t think taking time away from the Jets- even for just a few hours- was wise considering the state of things with the Sharks. What if something happened to one of them while he was off having fun? It wouldn’t sit right with him.
On the other hand, if Roxie was that hellbent on actually planning some festivities for his birthday, and hellbent seemed an adequate way to describe her recently, Riff would try and humor her, if only to make her happy.
“Is she now?”
“She asked me ‘bout what I was doin’ Wednesday night,” Tony explained. “When I remembered what date Wednesday is, I put two and two together.”
Figures. That was his Roxie- meddlesome, but with good intentions.
Tony took another quick drag before promptly exhaling. “Whatever she’s plannin’, I won’t be able to make it Wednesday night, though.”
Riff looked over at Tony curiously. “Is that what’s got ya in a good mood?” Riff joked, unable to help himself. “Ya happy ya don’t have to come ‘round and play nice with the rest of the guys?”
‘No,” Tony answered immediately. “Ya know me- I wouldn’t miss your birthday unless I had to. I got a meetin’ with my parole officer that night.”
“Oh… Well, don’t worry ‘bout it.” Riff still wasn’t too keen on the fuss that was apparently planned for his birthday, so it wouldn’t be much skin off his back if Tony was absent.
Tony, on the other hand, looked guilty, despite Riff’s dismissal. “Well, I got ya somethin’ anyways.”
“Ya did?”
Tony stuck the cigarette in mouth as he reached into his pocket. He withdrew an item a second later, and Riff caught a flash of something shiny underneath the streetlamp as Tony held out the object for Riff to take.
It was a Milky Way.
Riff took the candy bar from Tony’s hands slowly. “Ya pay for this?”
“What?” Tony demanded, taking slight offense. “Of course I did! I work there now, remember?”
“Tony, Tony!” Riff said, holding out a hand to defend himself. “I’m just messin’ with ya, pal.”
Tony deadpanned, shook his head at Riff’s antics, and took another drag of his cigarette to calm himself down. As much as Riff wanted to preserve their temporary peace, he couldn’t resist the urge to take a few jabs at Tony.
Riff believed him when Tony said he paid for the candy bar, but if he had stolen it from Doc’s, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time. Valentina used to refer to him and Tony as “little menances”- or, if she was feeling particularly angry on a given day, “pequeños amenazas”- for good reason.
Tony reached up to scratch the back of his head awkwardly. “I know it ain’t much, but-”
“Thank you, Tony,” Riff said, nodding to the candybar.
Riff didn’t have a lot of stuff, which meant he needed more stuff just because it was a birthday present even less. But a Milky Way- Riff couldn’t complain too much about that. It was his favorite candy, which Tony was well aware of.
In all truthfulness, it was more than Riff would have expected from Tony, given that they’d spent most of the summer so far at odds. But, on the other hand, Riff supposed that Tony was always more thoughtful with that sort of stuff than he tended to be.
Tony smiled in relief. “Don’t mention it, pal.”
“Remind me to double up on somethin’ for ya next year,” Riff joked, referring to the birthday of Tony’s that he’d missed.
Tony rolled his eyes.
“Are ya sure that was all that was on your mind?” Riff pried.
Tony’s smile faltered. “Actually… Can I ask ya somethin’, Riff?”
“Sure, pal,” Riff answered, unable to stifle a little laugh at his old friend’s sudden formalness. “What’s on your mind?”
Tony took another drag, and exhaled. “It’s ‘bout somethin’ serious.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“When I ask ya this, you’re probably gonna think I’m messin’ with ya, but I swear, I ain’t.”
Now, Riff was beginning to get very intrigued. “Well… don’t keep me in the dark, Superman. What’s botherin’ ya?”
Tony looked over at Riff warily for a long moment. Then, he broke eye contact, and looked down onto the sidewalk beneath his feet as he kicked a small rock away and out onto the street.
“What does it feel like when ya know a girl is… when a girl is the one for ya?”
Upon hearing his friend’s question, Riff took a purposefully long drag of his cigarette while he waited for Tony to continue. Despite Tony’s disclaimer just a few seconds before, Riff started to wonder whether Tony’s question was posed sincerely, or if he really was trying to mess with him. After all, although they were brothers in all but blood, deep talks between them about emotions and feelings were about as common as a flying pig, and always had been.
“What does it feel like when ya just know that there’s no other girl for ya, and never will be?”
Riff exhaled the smoke he’d been holding in and rolled his head over towards Tony’s direction. Although Tony was still looking down towards the ground, there was enough light from the nearby street lamp for Riff to be able to see most of his face. From what he saw, Tony’s face lacked any indication that he was being anything but serious.
“Ya gotta say somethin’ Riff,” Tony said then, “You’re makin’ me nervous.”
Tony finally lifted his head, and looked over to Riff. Riff watched him double take in reaction to what must have been a bewildered look upon his own face.
“Christ, is there something in the air today?” Riff wondered out loud, to no one in particular. “First Gee-Tar, now you.”
Tony frowned. “What’s goin’ on with Gee-Tar?”
Riff sighed tiredly. “Nevermind what’s goin’ on with him. What’s goin’ on with you?”
Tony hesitated, which led Riff to believe that he thought his question was difficult to answer.
“Wait, this ain’t about Grazi, is it?” Riff questioned, jumping to conclusions about Tony’s reluctance.
That would’ve made some sense- Riff knew that Grazi had gone to see him in Doc’s a few weeks earlier. Riff wasn’t Tony’s keeper, and he sure as hell wasn’t Grazi’s. Who's to say that they two hadn’t been catching up even more recently?
Although the running theory made sense to Riff, Tony seemed completely thrown off by his suggestion.
“What?” Tony asked. “No, no… she’s great and all, don’t get me wrong. Ya know what I mean?”
Riff did.
“But,” Tony continued, not bothering to wait for Riff’s redundant response, “I ain’t talkin’ about her.” Tony took a drag, and then exhaled smoke. He looked away from Riff, and instead of looking back down towards the ground, like Riff would have expected, Tony looked up instead.
Deciding to humor his friend, Riff tilted his head upwards as well.
Though the sky was clouded by smoke from the nearby factories, a few bright stars still stood out amongst the otherwise pitch black sky. Riff was hardly one for stargazing, but right then, it seemed like a relatively harmless way to pass the time and soak in the moment. As Riff stood beside his best friend, and waited for his girl to join them shortly, he was content, and, should he dare to even think it- happy. Despite Tony’s touchy-feely blubbering.
“She must be a heck of a girl, to get ya all flustered like this,” Riff declared then, deciding to give Tony some slack.
“That’s the thing- I don’t really know,” Tony admitted regretfully. “I’ve only seen her twice, but there’s just somethin’ about her. And I couldn’t tell ya what it is, even if I wanted to. I want to get to know her… I’ve got to get to know her. And I’ve got this feelin’ that once I do, that’ll be it. There’ll be no one else.”
Though Riff remained looking up toward the night sky, his mind started to wonder as he pondered Tony’s thoughtful, earnest speech. Perhaps speaking about emotions and feelings had not been commonplace in their relationship up until then… but maybe now that Tony had broached the subject, doing so in the future wouldn’t be quite so taboo. As foreign a concept as it was, maybe, just maybe, the two of them were finally growing up.
… Had to happen sometime.
“Am I crazy, Riff?” Tony asked.
Though Riff’s gut reaction was to crack a joke at Tony’s expense, he knew that that was not what his friend wanted to hear. Tony had come to him, of all people, asking for advice on a subject he obviously considered quite serious.
Tony was no stranger to falling absolutely head over heels for a girl whom he had just met. Case and point: how fast he had fallen for Graziella. Tony had met her one single Saturday afternoon in Doc’s a few years back. For the next few weeks, Graziella had been all that he was able to talk about, despite the fact that had yet to see her again. Tony camped out in Doc’s over the next few weekends, desperate for a chance to see and speak with her again. When that opportunity did come along- with Riff and Roxie there as witnesses- he sntached it up like a bandit. He’d taken Grazi to the upcoming dance, and the rest was history.
Riff would’ve thought Tony would’ve spent the time following his release dating whomever he wanted. The guy had been surrounded by no one but other men for over a year; not a single person who knew Tony would have batted an eye if he had decided to be a casanova for a while.
But that hadn’t been the case. Though Riff and Tony hadn’t seen eye to eye earlier in the summer, Riff figured Roxie would have at least mentioned if Tony had been seeing anyone, and she hadn’t.
The more Riff thought about it, and despite the leeway he would have been given post-prison, Tony never had a habit of going through girls quickly. Though he definitely could have- girls had been throwing themselves at Tony for as long as Riff could remember- he didn’t always engage them. Graziella had been his longest relationship by far. Given who he was, Tony was a bit of a romantic, and he’d always been careful about who he chose to date seriously.
So, if Tony insisted that there was just something about this new girl, and he was caught up on her, and only her, that was particularly interesting to Riff. Maybe Tony wasn’t so crazy. Riff knew that Tony had sensed that there was just something about Grazi, even before he started dating her, just as Riff had known that there was just something about Roxie.
Riff looked back down at the ground, and took another drag as he contemplated his response. Although Tony had asked Riff a question, the question was a loaded one. Riff wasn’t even sure he knew the answer to it, so he settled for what he could say truthfully.
“Well, pal, there’s no need to rush. Just keep seein’ this girl, and if that’s how it goes, that’s how it goes… you’ll just know.”
Tony nodded, finally lowering his head. He didn’t look completely satisfied, but Riff suspected that just talking about the subject that had clearly been on his mind for a while was enough to at least offer him some relief.
“What’s her name?” Riff asked, sensing that Tony wasn’t quite done talking about the subject.
“... I don’t know.”
Riff snickered to himself as he dropped his cigarette and stepped on the butt. Leave it to Tony to get smitten with a girl and not even know what to call her.
“Well,” Riff began, a trace of his smile still on his voice, “I’d recommend at least learning that before ya go running off to the chapel.”
“Yeah, guess ya got a point there,” Tony acknowledged with a smirk. “Thanks, Batman… I really appreciate it.”
“Don’t sweat it, buddy boy,” Riff replied easily, although his willingness to continue the emotional talk was quickly decreasing.
Tony extinguished his cigarette on the wall behind him. He laughed once to himself. “Hell, who thought we’d ever be here?” he pondered. “With me, asking you, for relationship advice?”
“Take it with a grain of salt,” Riff disclaimed sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.
“Oh, I will,” Tony joked. After a beat, he added off-handedly, “I’m kinda surprised you and Roxie haven’t run off to the chapel yet yourselves.”
Riff began to laugh until Tony’s words processed in his mind. He did a double take that was so sharp, he had a feeling he’d have a kink in his neck later. “Me and Roxie?!”
“What?” Tony said, slightly defensively in response to Riff’s sharp tone. “Don’t try to pull one over one me, Riff. I’ve seen the way you look at each other, and I’ve heard more about each of yous from the other than I’ve ever really cared to know.”
Riff was still in a stunned silence at Tony’s suggestion.
Tony raised an eyebrow at him. “Ya really tryin’ to tell me that the thought’s never crossed your mind?”
Not so explicitly.
Riff would be lying if he said he hadn’t had feelings that he and Roxie were going to be it for each other. They’d been dating for years, despite the year and a half separation, and now, they lived together. But thinking, let alone talking, about such a serious step as getting married? It hadn’t crossed Riff’s mind.
Did Riff even want to get married someday? His parents hadn’t exactly set a stellar example of what a marriage should look like… A deep part of him feared that if he got married to someone, whether or not that person was Roxie, that eventually he would end up as exactly like the thing he loathed the most: his father.
Even if Riff came around to the idea, would Roxie even want to get married? Riff knew Roxie’s father had been sent to Rikers when she was but a few months old. And while she didn’t like talking about her mother all that much, she had said enough for Riff to be able to deduce that her mother had not gotten married after her father died. She dated, and maybe had gotten close to marrying again, but regardless, if she had a stepfather around somewhere, Riff knew Roxie would have mentioned him. Her aunt had never married, either… but Riff didn’t know or care about her dating history. Anyway, It was probably fair to state that Roxie hadn’t exactly had any outstanding marriage role models while growing up, either.
But still… if they were only going to ever be with each other, wasn’t that what people did? … If Riff had to be tied down and make that kind of commitment to someone for the rest of his life, he’d choose Roxie in a heartbeat.
“Well,” Tony said, eyeing Riff carefully as he continued to drown in his thoughts. “It’s like you said pal- ‘No rush… if that’s how it goes, that’s how it goes’.”
Riff offered Tony a nervous laugh, if only to cover up the fact that he was still in a minute mental turmoil.
All Riff knew with the most certainty and confidence was that for him, Roxie was it. Like Tony had said about his own girl- or whatever the mystery girl was for Tony- Riff knew that there was no other girl for him but Roxie. And since he had no plans to break things off with her, it was safe to say that Roxie was going to be in his future.
…
The realization was a bit shocking, but Riff wasn’t scared. In fact, the finality of it all brought him a new sense of inner peace amongst the chaos of the world surrounding them.
The word “marriage” scared Riff, but he knew he wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea. And, who knew? … Maybe Roxie wouldn’t be opposed to the idea either. Only time would tell.
It was just like Riff had told Tony. He would just know.
A/N: Thank you for reading! Any and all feedback is welcome and appreciated. If you would like to be added to the taglist, please let me know.😊
Taglist: @whisperofsong @disguisedbassethound @lingerasthesmokeoncedid @westsidelegendary @sallymakesstuff @youngteenagehearts @wombtotombx @loverisi @wnygirl2012 @b-bella9 @princessmiaelicia @childesbbyy @amberash05 @robin-jackkelly @eatslothsat @mikefaistgf @acciosiriusblack @jaemsslut4 @makaelahdelvalle @mixed-theater-faisty-tings @girlygirl-20 @that1fanficwriter
Part 21
Masterlist
#west side story#west side story 2021#wss#wss 2021#west side story fanfiction#west side story fanfic#west side story riff#riff west side story#wss riff#riff fanfiction#riff fanfic#riff imagine#slow burn#slowburn#angst#oc jet#west side story riff x oc#mike faist
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FRESH MANNA
VOLUNTARY SERVICE
John 13:5-9
A service is the act rendered to others, the performance of labour for the benefit of another, or at another's command. Service is mostly the attendance of one working and serving another on a superior, employer, master, or system.
A popular concept in personal life is the ability to afford the luxury of hiring others to serve us in whatever capacity we require, to cook, clean, drive, and many others- that means a servant, the lowest paid (most don’t get paid), mostly ignored and looked down on in the household and society.
Jesus in His teaching in Matthew 20:20-28 turns this idea upside down by saying that the highest goal in life is not to have servants but to be a servant.
The essence of an effective Christian life is other-centred just like the servant and not self-centred. In God’s system, serving others is the opposite of selfishness.
Can you imagine the state of the disciple’s feet on the night Jesus washed them? Gnarled from years of trampling over the rough paths and rocky terrains of Palestine; dusty, muddy, and unsightly feet. Yet Jesus, the Kings of kings, stooped down and washed each big, smelly foot with love and devotion. Jesus took on the job normally meant for slaves and servants offered to a guest as part of hospitality; no one, other than them would volunteer for such a menial and distasteful job. But Jesus did.
We often agree to serve after repeatedly being asked, cajoled, and if there’s a perk in it for us but Jesus here shows that there’s no job or service too inconvenient, too mundane, or too disgusting to do when we understand who it is we are serving, and according to Matthew 25:40, we must serve willingly, joyfully and with love as unto the Lord.
How can we serve God in our lives today? Joshua 22:5 tells us to serve the Lord and everyone with loyalty and obedience even if it’s not convenient, regardless of what other people may think, serving and following God is the only way to live a fulfilling and victorious life.
To serve God starts with serving our families. We work, clean, love, support, listen to, teach, and endlessly give of ourselves to the members of our families, church, ministry, and friends. We may often feel overwhelmed with all that we must do, but we must know and understand our capabilities and limitations and then pace ourselves, allocating and prioritizing our time, attention, and resources to wisely help others, including our families because we can’t give what we don’t have.
The kind of service that makes God look valuable and thrilling is the kind that serves God by constantly receiving from God. 1 Peter 4:11 divides spiritual gifts generally into speaking and serving gifts saying those who serve must not depend on their strength but draw strength from God, so that God may be glorified, so, serve the Lord by serving humanity.
Hebrews 11:2 says to serve God by Faith.
James 5:16 says to serve by praying with others,
Deuteronomy 15:11 says to serve God in your Community.
God expects us to have a servant’s heart, Jesus served, so we can learn from Him and serve others, if we want to be great in God’s kingdom, we’ve got to be the servant of all.
PRAYER: Father, may I learn to serve with enthusiasm, and allow my attitude to not only energize me but also rub off on others in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Shalom
WOMEN OF LIGHT INT. PRAYER MIN.
#spotify#devotional#christianpost#women's ministry#biblestudy#biblestudy christianpost women's ministry#biblestudy christianpost 'women's ministry#conference#family#prayer meeting
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25 rules for young men:
1. Know the difference between love and lust.
2. It’s OK to go to movies by yourself.
3. Hygiene is more important than you think.
4. Never date a friend’s ex.
5. Stay informed on what’s going on. Don’t be a sheep.
6. Have a sense of humor but don’t joke about dreams and goals.
7. Study the type of people who upset you and why.
8. Stand up to bullies. You’ll only have to do it once.
9. Don’t bully people weaker than you.
10. Learn how to tell stories.
11. Don’t lean on porn to be better in bed. Read the right books.
12. You never marry a girl. You marry her entire family.
13. Don’t complain– you seem helpless. 80% / 20%
14. Be impressed by the right things. Things that matter.
15. When coming across a successful person talk / impress less. Ask more.
16. Have a memorable style.
17. Don’t feel guilty for being ambitious.
18. Be mentally and emotionally ready to lose loved ones.
19. Always have some cash,
and a power bank.
20. Be aware of your level of sensitivity.
21. Regardless of what you get paid per hour, give your best. Effort + Attitude matters.
22. Always beat your prior best in everything you do.
23. Acting “as if” all the time will eventually require you to become who you’re acting like.
24. Work for a great leader to shadow and duplicate. The right leader matters more than the right industry.
25. Don’t have too many rules. It’ll overwhelm you..💡
Cool thought | Business idea 📊
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I wish I was useful and had a skillset I could turn into an income. Something where I could afford the need to only work part time elsewhere and have a mostly reliable second income. As time goes on the more I realize there isn't much security in working for someone else. I hate having to rely on someone else for income and my well-being in exchange for the autonomy over my life, schedule, and in some instances up for debate-- body. After the pandemic changing a lot of things in the economy (for the worse) and being laid off twice, employers becoming increasingly flakey and dishonest.... I just don't think selling my soul to a corporation for 25 years to MAYBE earn an adequate retirement savings that's vulnerable to market/bank crashes and inflation is really the best option anymore. As far as I see it if I'm fucked regardless I may as well as crash and burn trying to do something myself. What would I even do. Sell more landfill fodder that wont even break even? Go back to school for a monkey degree and pray it will get me a job this time that I'm going to inevitably hate? You can see that there are good and services people want, but what could the average person reasonably provide without commodifying the fuck out of it and ending up burnt out? There are things I could go to school for that are logical but I know I'm not cut out for them. They may not be relevant and useful by the time I'm done like what happening to graphic design degrees. You hear of people managing to make a decent living off things like knitting stuff and selling on Etsy. A lot of the times they are supported by a second income.
There HAS to be an alternative way to get extra income that isnt gig work like Uber. Call me a spoiled brat, but I don't see a life worth living as working 5 days a week for some asshole to never be able to afford having a normal life of a reasonable quality. I don't care if I get a one week paid vacation or ALLOWED family/sick leave. Or insurance that costs just as much through my employer as it does buying it privately. I will never be selfish enough to bring children into this world so this stuff is mostly pointless to me. I don't want to spend my 'best' years doing this shit. I don't want this for anyone. No one should have to do this anymore. If this is my fate and destiny I will certainly kill myself. This isn't a life worth living. I have seen people like my mother and grandmother, trapped in the corporate workforce, for whatever reason, and how sad and unhealthy they all turn out. My grandma retired, still had to work a few days a week to afford to live, and died less than 2 years later. So many people die right after they retire and still can't afford a full retirement. I'm not playing this game. I want to live now. All I think about is how I'm going to get out of this and somehow support myself. When I have a job its "How I'm going to find something better?", or how much I hate this current job, and I look at my checks and see how it will never be enough despite all that time I sold. It is ALL I've thought about since 2020 losing my one and only stable job since, as hard as it was. My location makes it worse because decent paying work just simply doesn't exist within a reasonable transit for me. I can't hope to afford to relocate. I understand what I have to do, but its the skills I don't have. What I have I don't even know how to use. It is becoming so painful that I will have to do something even if I'm just spinning my tires AGAIN.
Working itself doesn't bother me. I get its a part of life. When the job is a decent one and there is work-life balance, its fine. I've worked two jobs in my life where I actually content to be there, its possible to LIKE your job. The irony is these were the two jobs I ended up being laid off from unfortunately. Working for someone else becomes miserable to the point of suffering when it consumes your every waking moment. Its when the environment is high stress, scheduling is bad, coworkers/management are needlessly assholes, and pay is shit compared to what you are required to put in, and you just resent what you do. It is so hard to find good work now. I'm tired of this rollercoaster of uncertainty. I don't want to do it anymore. I had one job recently I REALLY wanted. I ACTUALLY wanted this job, it made me excited at the thought. I was totally qualified for it even! Everything about it worked. I even got in the first round of interviews. Then I didn't get it. Its like, ok if I have to work for someone else can I at least like the job? No? Ok. I'm just so done with this losing game called life. I want to do something about it but then I'm reminded I cant because I don't have money. I want a beautiful life. LET ME LIVE.
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1. First thing you wash in the shower? - My face.
2. Are you more of a coffee or alcohol drinker? -
Neither, I'm a diet soda addict.
3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? - Yes over and over if he'd let me.
4. Do you plan outfits? - When I go to yoga class.
5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? - I feel bored and stir-crazy. I have been worrying about my future and I think the incense has a tendency to aggravate my eye allergies.
6. Whats the closest thing to you thats red? - My left eye or the back of my phone.
7. What would you do if you opened your door and saw a dead body? - Throw up because I'd smell it before I saw it.
8. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? - I was being sensitized to a dude and well it was a strange incubus dream.
9. Three of your current feelings? - Bored, irritated and worried.
10. What are you craving right now? - To have my car back.
11. Turn ons? - Skinny guys with big dicks.
12. Turn offs? - Slobs, cheaters and polygamists.
13. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? - Uncle Charlie farting.
14. When was the last time you cried? Why? - 2 weeks ago when I called my mom because I haven't seen her in 2 years and she thinks it would be breaking the bank when if her sister really loved her she'd help out with the animals in my mother's absence.
15. If you could be a superhero, who would you want to be? - Mystique from X-Men because then I'd have invisibility powers and I could change my appearance or I could emulate Angel and fly.
16. Did the one person who hurt you most in your life apologize? - Somewhat, but he didn't realize the damage he did.
17. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? - Both. It depends on the flavor.
18. Favorite movie ever? - I always liked Beetlejuice.
19. Do you like yourself? - No. I'm mad at myself for overeating today.
20. Have you ever met a celebrity? - Politicians.
21. Could you handle being in the military? - At one point fresh out of high school I could have.
22. What are you listening to right now? - Super Freaky Girl by Nicki Minaj
23. How many countries have you visited? - Just the States and Puerto Rico.
24. Are your parents strict? - In my youth hell yes! I still don't know how my mom isn't freaking out on me.
25. Would you go sky diving? - At Disney with a simulator.
26. Would you go out to eat with a stranger? - If somebody else they knew well said it was safe.
27. Whats on your mind right now? - What my gameplan for college will be.
28. Is there anything you want to say to someone? - I'd ask a certain somebody for closure and to explain what the hell went on.
29. Have you ever been in a castle? - A Disney one and a seaside one in Puerto Rico. I don't think a Playschool one counts either.
30. Do you rent movies often? - Nope I stream them for free to save money.
31. Whats your zodiac sign? - Aries.
32. When was the last time you had sex? - None ya' business.
33. Name five facts about yourself. - 1) I love the art of dance 2) I love karaoke 3) I love animals 4) I want to get a new used Mustang 5) I'm in the process of comitting to an old fitness routine and therefore starting a new fitness challenge
34. Ever had a near death experience? If so, what happened? - I thought I had a heart attack and the dude behind me prevented a major accident that would have crushed my car
35. Do you believe in karma or predestiny? - Not whatsoever. I think shitty things happen to good people regardless of how kind they are.
36. Brown or white eggs? - Blue layers or brown
37. Do you own something from Hot Topic? - I no longer have any of those band tees.
38. Ever been on a train? - Yes. The last time I took one was in 2012 between Charlotte and Raleigh.
39. Ever been in love? - Yes, but I don't know how the person felt about me.
40. If you were paid 1 million dollars to spend the night in a supposed haunted house, would you do it? - I'd have them chain me to the floor are you fucking kidding me!?
41. If you could trade places with any person living or dead, who would you trade places with? - Probably a singer/dancer/performer.
42. If you could shorten your life expectancy by 10 years to become more attractive, would you do it? - I might consider it. Who the fuck wants to live to 80?
43. Whom do you admire and why? - My mother because she said she's proud to have me as her daughter and I wouldn't want anybody else as a mom either.
44. What was your favorite bedtime story as a child? - Jack and the beanstalk.
45. You’re walking down the street, you come across a burning building. A woman says her baby is trapped inside, what would you do? - Contact the firestation while trying to help.
46. If you could choose the future profession of your son or daughter, would you? - I don't think I'll have children.
47. What was your best experience on drugs or alcohol? - I spent time with the love of my life on alcohol and I didn't need it to feel high.
48. What was your worst experience on drugs or alcohol? - I drank 8 shots of aged gin and puked in a toilet. Never again.
50. As your walking down the street you find a suitcase full of money sitting next to a parked car, would you take it? - I'd see if anybody were missing it and if not I'd go help the kids at the Carousel Center.
51. If you found that a close friend has AIDS, would you still hang out with them? - Yes. It's treatable and supposedly somebody in Germany figured out a cure.
52. In front of you are 10 pistols, 5 of which are loaded. If you survive you’d receive 100 million dollars. Would you be willing to place 1 to your head and pull the trigger? - Nah. With my luck the first five I'd consider pulling would all be loaded.
53. How old were you when you lost your virginity? - None ya' business.
54. Do you believe in ghosts, werewolves or vampires? - Not at all, just emotional vampires.
55. If you could live forever, would you want to? - Yes if I had eternal youth.
56. Which fictional movie character most resembles who you are? - I have no idea. I look like a Navi but I can't relate to any Stephen King or Harry Potter universe characters.
57. If you could go back in time, which time period would you visit? - Prehistoric, but I'd want a water purifier, advanced weaponry and my own secure bio-dome to live in.
58. If they were to televise a live execution, would you watch it? - Yes.
59. If you could be the president of the USA, would you be willing to do it? - Nope. I don't care for politics.
60. If you could choose the sex of your unborn child, would you want to? - I don't think I'll have any.
61. Would you rather live longer or be wealthy? - I think I'd choose to be wealthy and live to age 60 because think about it, wealthy people don't work and then I wouldn't have to wait until my golden years to finally afford a drop-top sports car.
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Livegood Business
In fact, you can earn up to $2,047.50 per MONTH when your matrix gets filled up... Even if you aren't able to enrol a single person!
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Thank you for playing HATSUNE MIKU: COLORFUL STAGE!
Announcing the latest in-game Event!
[Event] In This Singing City
■Event Details
The Cheerful Carnival Event is an event in which players are divided into two opposing Crews based on a theme.
During the event period, the Co-op Shows will turn into Cheerful Shows. Players will be sorted into 5-person teams, where they will play a show against a team from an opposing Crew in a 5v5 match.
The team with the higher score will be the winner and earn more Crew Points.
At the end of event, the Crew with the most amount of points will be declared the winner. Rewards will be given accordingly based on wins and losses, and comparatively more items featuring the winning crew's motif will appear in the Virtual Show's Lobby.
During the event period, play Solo Shows, Cheerful Shows and Challenge Shows to earn Event Points and Event Tokens based on your score.
Collect Event Points to unlock the Event Story and place in the rankings. After the event ends, you'll receive rewards based on your ranking.
Event Tokens that you collect can be traded at the Event Exchange for items and new Characters from the event.
■Event Period
Mar. 30, 2024 3:00 p.m. (PDT) - Apr. 9, 2024 8:59 p.m. (PDT)
Themes & Crews
In Cheerful Carnival Events, you can select one of two Crews to join based on the set theme. By selecting a Crew, you can obtain an Avatar Costume with the selected Crew's icon on it.
In addition, you can only change Crews once during the event period.
*You are able to change Crews up until the Mid-Event Results 1.
- Current Theme
What would you go see at an aquarium?
- Crews
Goldfish
Guppy
Cheerful Show
- Crew Points
By playing a Cheerful Show, you can obtain 1 Crew Point or 2 Crew Points if your team wins the Show.
In randomly occurring Special Matches, you can earn 10 or 100 times the amount of Crew Points.
- Crew Rewards
In Cheerful Carnival Events, there are two Mid-Event result announcements and the Final Results. Rewards are decided based on these results.
Mid-Event Results
Bonus Energy Drink (S) x2
*Bonus Energy Drink (S) x3 when your Crew is in the lead.
Final Results
Crystals x150
*Crystals x200 when your crew wins overall.
- Give Bonus Energy
Within the event, you can gift other players in your team Bonus Energy Drink (S) using Paid Crystals to help support your Crew.
*You are allowed to gift Bonus Energy Drinks for free up to three times a day. You are also allowed to claim Bonus Energy Drinks gifted by up to three times a day.
*There is no limit to the amount of Bonus Energy Drinks gifted with paid crystals you can claim. There is also no limit to the amount of Bonus Energy Drinks you can gift with paid crystals.
Event
-Event Points
Earning Event Points lets you unlock the Event Story and participate in the Total Event Point Rankings.
The Total Event Point Rankings are used to determine players' rewards based on the total amount of Event Points earned during the event period. Players can also earn Titles based on their ranking.
-Event Story (8 Episodes)
-Event Bonus
Include Event Bonus Characters in your group to earn an Event Point Bonus.
Bonus Type:
Happy
Bonus Members:
Shiho Hinomori
An Shiraishi
Nene Kusanagi
Ena Shinonome
Hatsune Miku (Leo/need)
Character Bonus:
4★ [Our Sounds Combined] Shiho Hinomori
4★ [Meeting On An Errand] An Shiraishi
4★ [Turn Feelings Into Art] Ena Shinonome
4★ [Intro To Street Music] Hatsune Miku
Each member in your group that matches the specified Bonus Type or is one of the Bonus Members earns you a 25% Event Point Bonus. Each member that is both the specified Type and one of the Bonus Members earns you a 50% Event Point Bonus.
Furthermore, you can earn an extra 20% with certain Characters!
When a VIRTUAL SINGER is one of the Bonus Members, their Characters with no subgroup will receive a 15% Character Bonus from events regardless of the subgroup listed under Bonus Members.
■Please Note
- Please note that the event schedule and details are subject to change without notice.
In This Singing City After Show
A Virtual Show will be held after the event ends.
Event Items will also be available beforehand from the Virtual Shop.
■Schedule
Lobby Unlock
Mar. 30, 2024 3:00 p.m. (PDT) - Apr. 11, 2024 2:59 p.m. (PDT)
Show Period
Apr. 9, 2024 11:00 p.m. (PDT) - Apr. 10, 2024 9:00 p.m. (PDT)
■Added Items
Added Items
- Glow Stick: Goldfish Glow Stick
Sale Time and Dates
Mar. 30, 2024 3:00 p.m. (PDT)
■Please Note
-Please note that the event schedule and details are subject to change without notice.
We hope you continue to enjoy HATSUNE MIKU: COLORFUL STAGE!
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Amazon Gift Card Codes Free Today 2022 (Working 100%) Amazon Promo Code Redeem Online
Free Amazon Gift Card Codes (#September 10, 2022) Get 10$, 50$, 100$ Amazon Promo Voucher Redeem Codes: Amazon provides enough products to give you what you need, so you are sure to find something that interests you. They provide many different ways of getting deals, such as through discounts, gift cards and vouchers.
Amazon strives to exceed expectations by giving customers a wide variety of things for them to purchase, regardless of the situation. Amazon is a great place to find the products you need, and saves you money with Amazon Pay promo codes. Enter an Amazon Pay promo code, and see if the item is in stock.
Free Amazon Gift Card Code
Amazon has a wide selection of products available for shopping online, so you can find what you need easily. Search Amazon for working promotional codes that grant free amazon gift vouchers whenever you use them during checkout – these are always changing, with the newest ones showing up on the first page.
And if you’re looking for something in particular that isn’t shown on the website, enter your Amazon Pay promo code into the search bar and see it on either their website or in store later. Amazon continually improves their service by giving customers various free gift cards and vouchers that are valid at any time.
There are a lot of ways to acquire one amazon gift code including play games, online shopping, watch videos paid surveys from various survey sites and more. we will talk these methods in detail later.
Amazon Promo Voucher code Details
Post Name Amazon Promo Codes Status Latest Promo Codes Eligibility Anyone can redeem Benefits Free Gift card, Discount Coupons, Free Amazon pay balance Category Redeem Codes 2022 | Amazon Gift Card Generator Here Gift card/ Voucher code value $5, 25, $10, $100, $ 200, Rs 10, 50, 300, 1000, and Many more Official website www.amazon.com
What is Amazon Promo Codes?
Amazon Promo Code Today is a website that helps you find and use Amazon promotional codes. These codes allow you to take up to 50% off on products you purchase on Amazon.com. If you enter the code when checking out, you will be able to save money on your purchase.
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Amazon promo codes may not work on certain items, so make sure to do your research before using one.
Amazon Promo Code 2022
If you are looking for a voucher Redeem code in order to get discounted amazon purchase during checkout, this page is for you. We also manually take the time to generate Amazon pay promo codes, which are considered as genuine by our team.
You can use these codes to add a specific amount of money to your account on your Amazon pay balance after the checkout process. There are codes on this page that give you an Amazon bonus to your account. You can use the money from your balance after a code is added and used for taking advantage of Amazon’s services.
Free Amazon Gift Card Code Today (#September 11, 2022)
If you want to give the perfect, personalized present for your loved one this holiday season, an Amazon gift card may be a great choice. With free amazon gift cards, you can customize and purchase a gift on the recipient’s favorite site.
Below is a list of all the most up-to-date amazon gift card code. Our team will provide you with every updated code so that you can always find what you’re looking for.
PBKK-TCWQCD-HE3A
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76JA-6WTNP4-VR8N
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BMJ6-6M68VM-RGE4
VQEX-BY6GGD-BD4K
J7TV-A8VJUC-XJJ8
VJGX-KTGCQ4-HE4V
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GRRE-FNYFN4-PRT6
KFPF-BB43QJ-YGAG
UDD7-8QD3C7-GFUB
BUNC-JM8YF3-674H
76H8-ACGNNG-7QT4
BE8H-BPVPVR-8FUK
PG4R-VBFMKP-GJ3M
RCM3-37GNWH-M76W
R6RF-RK7P6C-TX66
BQCH-MKPADM-NN7F
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Latest Amazon Promo Codes Today (September 11, 2022)
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Free Amazon Gift Card Generator
Amazon is great way to save time and money, and they make it even more convenient when you need to shopping online something for someone else. However, what if you don’t have an Amazon account? Luckily, free amazon gift cards generator tool is here to help!
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How do I get an Amazon Promo Code Today?
Amazon provides promo codes in various ways, with the most popular methods online. You can find promo codes on Amazon’s website or from retailers, stores, websites and even email. If you sign up for emails you will be alerted when new Promo Codes are available.
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When redeeming an Amazon gift card, the first step is to find your Amazon gift card number by visiting the Amazon gift card page on your account.
for redeem a free Amazon promo code or voucher, follow these simple steps:
First of all Open the Amazon App on your Mobile
Then Go to “Amazon Pay“
Now click on “Amazon Pay Balance“
Scroll a little bit then, you will get “Add the Gift card to balance” button
Click on that, then copy the code from our available promo code list and past it to the Empty text field
Then Click to “Add to your balance” button
Here amazon gift card balance will be added to your amazon pay
Now Use this balance to get a discount for every purchase.
Official Website – Amazon gift card redeem
How to Buy Amazon Gift Card Online by Amazon App?
If you’re looking to buy amazon gift card online by Amazon App or Amazon page, then you’re in luck! Amazon offers a variety of ways for you to purchase a gift card, and the process is simple and easy.
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From here, Tap on the “3 horizontal icons” located in the lower right corner of the screen
Now tap on “Amazon Pay“
Then After landing on the AmazonPay homepage, slowly scroll down the page
Now You’ll see several gift card options under “Gift Category“.
Then Select “AmazonPay E-Gift Card“
Now In this section of “Amazon Pay Gift Card Store“, you can choose any option as per your requirement
Generally, the first two options (i.e., Add Gift Card and e-Gift Card) are used frequently by normal Amazon customers.
So if you want to buy Amazon gift card then select “eGift card“. Select the relationship/occasionfor which you wish to buy.
now You can also enter the recipient’s email address and choose the format of the gift card – physical or digital.
choose the Amazon Pay eGift Card for Best Friends.
Then Enter minimum amount of ₹10 and choose delivery option from these two options Email and Share via link
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How to Check Amazon Gift Card Balance?
If you have an Amazon account and a gift card, you can easily check the balance on your gift card by following these simple steps:
Log in to your Amazon account.
Click on the “Your Account” tab on the top menu.
Under “My Account Settings,” click on “Gift Cards & Promotions.”
On the “Gift Cards & Promotions” page, click on the “View your gift card” link next to the gift card
On the “View your gift card” page, you will be able to see the balance and expiration date of your gift card.
How To Get Free Amazon Gift Card Code (5 Best Apps)
If you’re looking for a way to get free amazon gift cards, there are a number of apps that you can use. These apps will reward you with points for various activities such as shopping, watching videos, and more. Once you have accumulated enough points, you can use them to purchase an Amazon gift cards, aci gift cards or paypal cash.
Earn Free Gift Card with the mRewards app
MREwards is a mobile app that allows users to earn rewards for shopping online and dining. The app has a variety of features, including a rewards catalogue, loyalty program, and surveys. MREwards also offers special discounts and deals on products and services.
you can earn extra money by completing different tasks like playing games, taking surveys, refer friends, watch videos and earn reward points which you can convert later for amazon gift card balance or you can it on your bank account. They having a free browser extension which you can use to get discount codes and egift cards to buy online from amazon online catalog or grocery stores.
Get free Amazon Gift Card with Cred App
The Cred app lets you make payments on your credit card bills and earn a bonus Amazon Gift card worth Rs. 1,000. You can also refer your friends to earn free Amazon Gift cards with the app which you can use to purchase goods online. Cred has an amazing referral program where users can earn money by inviting their friends to their app.
Earn Free Amazon Gift Card With Sikka Pro App
If you’re looking for a way to make some extra cash, then you should check out the sikka coin earning pro app. This app allows you to earn coins by doing simple tasks like watching videos or filling out surveys. Once you have enough coins or pay points, you can then use them to exchange for free amazon gift card code or amazon prime membership from the app’s store.
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Earn Free Amazon Gift Cards with the Swagbucks app
Swagbucks is a rewards program that allows users to earn points for doing things like watching video, taking online surveys, and shopping at participating stores. Once users accumulate enough points, they can cash them in for free amazon gift card code or amazon cash without doing any human verification steps. There is no obligation to use Swagbucks; users can simply collect the points and store them away for when they need them.
Get Free Amazon Gift Card And Gift Vouchers With prize Rebel
If you’re like most people, you love getting rewards for doing things. And what could be more rewarding than winning prizes? It is the perfect Survey Rewards Site for you. Here, you can earn prizes by answer surveys. And unlike many Survey Rewards Sites, PrizeRebel offers a variety of different prizes.
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How can I get free discount coupons on Amazon?
If you shop on amazon.com often, you can sign up for the amazon email list to receive special discounts and deals. To stay in touch with Amazon’s latest promotions and offers, follow them on social media as well.
You can search for an Amazon deal online and print it off. You can also find a discount through a promo code by entering the code at checkout and you will be eligible for a discount.
To keep up with the deals and promotions on Amazon, bookmark their homepage. There is always something new to find on Amazon!
Where can I find Amazon promo codes that actually work?
To find Amazon promo codes, you can go to websites that specialize in providing them. A search engine like CouponCodes.com is a good option for this. Additionally, try looking on social media platforms, such as Facebook or Twitter. Make sure to read the terms and conditions of the code before applying it, because sometimes promo codes only work for a limited time period.
How can I get a coupon code for Amazon Prime?
Prime is a service that offers you two-day shipping on eligible items, as well as access to TV shows and movies. However, in order to take advantage of these benefits, you need to be a Prime member. If you are not a Prime member yet, now is the time to sign up!
When you are a Prime member, you will get discounted membership with the code “primeCoupon.” This code offers a free month of Prime membership.
Amazon.com App or website Click Here Gemwire Homepage Click Here
The post Amazon Gift Card Codes Free Today 2022 (Working 100%) Amazon Promo Code Redeem Online appeared first on Gemwire.
source https://gemwire.gg/en/amazon-gift-card-codes-free-today/
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