can y'all recommend some folks on tumblr that write and post their queer/lgbtqia+ fiction? if you are one of those people, rec yourself! send me your wip intros or whatever, I'm down for that, tag me in posts, whatever
I'm not saying I'm back-back but I want to like, dip my toes back into this thing in the hopes it'll help me get back into writing and I need writerly folks to surround myself with to get there
I mostly post on Wattpad these days and am fairly inactive on tumblr. Am currently working on Covenant; a story about a trans dhampir girl who is forced to become apprentice/servant to an ancient powerful vampire.
I'd like to get more involved in the writeblr and artblr community, but am (sadly) a very shy individual. So please, if any of the following fits your wip's or your interests and you'd like to talk, interact with this post, so I can find you. <3
• a diverse cast (poc, lgbtqia+, disabled and/or mentally ill mc's)
• a love for redemption and/or corruption arcs
• slowburn romances/friendships/dynamics (I love the disliked to I trust you completely pipeline that takes years and years)
• philosophical themes
• dark fantasy/sci-fi wip's, or contemporary/historical stories that deal with the problems individuals/societies face
• a love for world building, especially when it comes to magic systems, religions and cultures
• complicated relationship webs and group dynamics
• morally ambiguous characters, character driven stories and/or character arcs that go deep into their psychology
• Bonus points if you illustrate your work, I love you, you can do it!!! (lets suffer together)
Also, everyone in general who wants to talk about writing/reading, scream about their oc's or would like to do some reading challenges together! 🌻
we all love ea-nasir on here but i'd like to give a special shoutout to hegestratos, a greek merchant in the 4th century bc who tried to commit insurance fraud using his ship and fucked it up so bad he drowned
Would you love a banner or book cover to share alongside your wip posts, but just don’t have the time and/or skills to dedicate to making them?
Well, I offer to you my limited graphic design skills!
Simply tell me your book’s title, genres, what your ideal cover would look like, preferred colors, and tag me in a post about the story. Of course, do also add whether you’d like a cover, banner, or similar art piece.
someone put this screenshot in my notes and i wasn't gonna put the op on blast but i cannot stop thinking about it. this is up there as one of the funniest doubling downs i've ever seen. "it's called craft. it's called storytelling." is going to enter my meme vernacular and no one is going to have any idea what i'm talking about. the count of monte cristo shows a clear lack of craft in its wordcount. if only ernest hemingway's editor had killed more of his darlings while he wrote for whom the bell tolls. readers and editors alike are always complaining about how fucking long to kill a mockingbird is.
Day 24093
This is my house.
I won’t allow anyone to harm it.
There should have been no more intruders after the last one.
I do not want these people here. They will leave-
Day 24095
They are siblings. They are loud.
Always singing and talking and stomping. As if they must be louder than anything else.
Day 24106
There are bolts on the door now. Bolts and hideous, gaudy new locks.
How dare they-
Night 24112
I was going to fill the night with terrors. But he woke up screaming before I began. She came running from the other room. They sleep right across the hall from each other, with the doors on a crack.
…they are young, are they not, to be living on their own. Was I ever so young?
Day 24129
She has fixed the squeak in the door at the top of the stairs.
It never squeaked when I still lived.
Day 24121
The noise of the doorbell scares them. But they get so many deliveries.
It is a good bell. It has worked all these years-
I can see one of the men coming now with his packages, trudging up to the door.
…perhaps if I knock before he is here, they will come and look before he can sound the bell.
Day 24114
He is planting flowers in boxes on my windowsills.
I always wished I could have some flowers.
Night 24137
She is afraid of the dark. I could see it in her eyes when she got out of bed.
…I lit the lamps for her.
Day 24142
They have moved the couch to the sun spot a little to the right of the window.
That is where I used to have my armchair.
It is the only sensible place for it.
Day 24163
Sometimes the noises of the world are suddenly too much for him. He winces and tries not to sway his head.
This is my house.
…I can keep it calm and quiet for a while.
Day 24178
She just got a phone call and now they are both laughing.
Laughter is a good sound, isn’t it.
They said this house has been good luck…
Night 24205
They are singing in our kitchen.
He found my cookbook in the gap at the back of the kitchen cabinet and now they are trying to cook.
They wanted to start with the soufflé. They don’t even know how to make béchamel!
I turned the page to the casserole instead.
Day 24236
This is my house.
These are my boarders.
I won’t allow anyone to harm them.
This is Good Bi Gender. A comic I made to express some feelings I have about my gender. I don’t really have that much else to say about it. Here it is.
No we don't. Respect ppls boundaries. If respect isn't normal anymore what will be normal then? Anything, no matter how it impacts or scars other peoples lives? Kink doesn't belongs to pride.
Look around you. Do you see where “No Kink At Pride” has led? Being transgender is illegal now. Exactly what people said would happen. You know what’s going to be next? Being gay is going to be illegal. Because being gay is not “respecting straight people’s boundaries”. They don’t want to see you. They want to kill you.
In support of the OP, let me clue the reply poster in to some of how the worldview of conservative bigots works:
If you are trans you are a sex pervert
If you're gay you're a sex pervert.
If you're the world's most chaste and godly nun praying in a convent, who has a lesbian thought once while delirious from a fever, you are a sex pervert.
If you're a family with a white picket fence house, a breadwinner, a stay-at-home parent, two cars, a dog, and whose politics are right wing... if you happen to be a same-sex couple, you're sex perverts and probably pedophiles.
If you're a closeted, self-hating, self-hurting, self-repressing queer going through every torturous form of conversion therapy, who condemns the other queers, who screams at the people who seek abortion help outside Planned Parenthood... you are a filthy, irredeemable sex pervert, a danger to children, and the most sympathy you deserve is transient pity if you admit to struggling.
There is nothing you can do, no behaviour you can engage in, no thought you can have, no clothes you can wear, no existence you can lead that is not an unacceptable sex perversion in the minds of these people. Your existence is kink, and you cannot appease them into thinking otherwise.
The bigoted conservative mind cannot conceive of queerness except as perversion, except as hedonistic degenerate thrill-seeking. They don't know another reason to do any thing, except as an exercise of power over someone else. Their entire world revolves around this idea. Everything is power, everything is control.
Therefore you can never appease them. Your mere existence is to them a totalizing threat, to their worldview, to their sense of normalcy, to their positions of social power, to their patriarchy, to their holiness. The only thing you can do that will ever satisfy them is die.
Which leaves us with this:
Either we have solidarity with our queer siblings - yes including the ones you don't understand, yes including the ones who have that weird sex that you think is fucked up, yes including the cringe annoying ones who "make the rest of us look bad," yes including the fucked up problematic ones who need to change and make amends, but who deserve their human rights whether or not they ever do that.
Because to the bigot, to the conservative, you're every bit as much of a pervert as Jenny Piss Kink and their polycule of submissive puppy-masked gender sluts. You throw your bricks when they come for Jenny, because when they come for the Piss Puppy Polycule, they're coming for you too.
hi, hi! my dashboard's been pretty empty since restarting my writeblr journey, and i'm looking to populate it with like-minded folks. interact with this post and i'll immediately check your blog out!!! :)
i'm looking for...
beta/alpha readers (we can swap!!)
people whose tastes are INCREDIBLY eclectic (because mine defo are and i'm pretty much into everything at any given moment)
high-fantasy enjoyers (particularly folks who can create absolutely MASSIVE worlds with different species, magic systems, etc.), but if you're into fantasy in general, it's pretty much an instant follow!
slow burn masochists
lovers of familial and platonic relationships
dudes gals and pals who are BRUTAL with constructive criticism
people i can throw my ideas at and who throw their ideas back at me!! the best way to get me to write about my sckrunklies is to talk about them!!!
LOVES CATS !!!!!!!!!!!
i can offer...
feedback!! apparently good feedback, too, since i've helped people become published!
myself as a sounding board and someone you can brainstorm with!
constructive criticism!!!!! a very important thing for writers to have
a shitton of hype and motivation!!!!! according to A Great Many People, i'm good at bullying people into writing, so if you want those blank pages to stop haunting you, i can help with that :)
some other things...
once we're comfortable enough, i might give you my discord tag!! i'm much more active there.
i'm looking to join any servers/groups/etc. of writers, so if you know of a place i can hop into, pls lmk!!
i'm not very active and i dont have very good subject permanence, so i might end up forgetting you exist every now and then, but i'll always try to respond whenever i remember!
please do not drag me into drama or vent to me or bring up politics or anything that involves irl dark subject matter unless i specifically say i am comfortable with it!! im limiting this blog and my interactions to be as writing-centric as possible :)
Captain Thunderclaw’s Cookbook for the Adventurous Sailor
[These recipes were written for a pirates themed D&D campaign, these are the personal recipes of Captain Thunderclaw, the greatest feline captain of the seven seas!]
The question of feeding sailors has been one which the victual officers of every navy has wrestled with since the first sailors went out to sea. One must find provisions which are possible to keep for long voyages while provising sufficient nutrition to keep sailors strong enough to work and to ward away the dreaded scurvy that has plagued vessels for so long.
These here are recipes I have collected throrough my voyages, some of which are meant to make use of provisions while others are special treats that make use of fresh produces in the days after departing port or while moored.
[Recipes under the cut]
Appetizers
Plantain and beans soup
To make this dish soak beans overnight so they are grown by morning. At dawn put them in fresh water and boil them with a little stock of fish or poultry until they can be crushed with a spoon. Then cut onions and peeled plantains into small cubes, add them to the beans with fresh herbs.
Turtle Salad
Turtles are plentiful and easy to catch while at sea. Chop into a small chunk the meat of a turtle and roast it until cooked. Add the meat chilled to chopped greens, salted herring, hard boiled eggs, onions, hearts of palm, olives, and diced mango. Season with mustard, salt and pepper. Mix well and serve as a mount onto a large dish.
Kievan Sour Soup
Known to ward away scurvy, to prepare this soup you must use pickled cabbage which you must drain of its liquid and chop finely. In a pot render bacon until the fat is melted. To this add the crout and cook for a few minutes before filling with water. Chop potatoes and carrots into small pieces and add them to the pot. The soup is ready when the potatoes are soft. If available you may add soured cream.
Side Dishes
Burgoo
This recipe is common among sail ships. Boil one part of oatmeal to four parts of water until they are soft. To this add molasses and sweet lard of hogs.
Pease Porridge
First you must soak yellow split peas overnight so that they may cook easier. Then set them to boil with not too much water lest it be too watery. When the peas are a soft puree add in cooked ham and season generously with butter and mint until the ham is warm.
Keshiite Mush
To make this stable of the Keshiite one must first boil the flour of corn, cassava or plantain in water until it thickens into a thick and heavy paste. It must then be divided into portions before it cool and firms up. This food has little taste on its own but is served doused in soup or stew for flavor. It may be mixed with a little milk or cream to make smoother.
Savory Rice
First one must wash and boil the salt meat of their allotted ration, then remove it from the pot. In the pot put rice with herbs and cook until it is plump, then return the meat to the dish and mix it well.
Naval Cheese Sauce
To rescue the horror known as Naval Cheese one must in great effort, first grate it as fine as can be done and then add it to a pot covering with water and a large amount of butter to provide fat to the unfortunate mixture. Cook on a very low heat until the cheese finally deigns to melt and mix it well. Serve this sauce warm and let sailors dip in ship bisket to soften them.
Sweet Beans
Take small beans soaked overnight and rinse them, put them in a ceramic cooking pot with pieces of fat cut into chunks, and molasses or the sugar of maple trees and cover with water mixed well. Put the dish upon a low flame so it does not burn for several hours until the beans are tender.
Osloth Beer Porridge
Take a loaf of stale dark bread and pound it into crumbs. In a pot bring beer to a boil and to it add the crumbs, stir well so it does not stick. It is ready when the porridge is soft and swollen. It may be served savory with butter and pickled herrings, or sweet with butter, sugar and dried fruits.
A Sauce of Oysters
Open a jar of oysters pickled and wash them well but keep some of the liquid, then bring them into a pot of white wine and some of the liquid and boil them well with a small onion within which are cloves speared through. Remove it from the fire when the wine has reduced, remove the onion and serve the sauce as you please.
Main Dishes
Buccanneer's Sweet Hog
Take a large hog full with guts and organs removed. Smear the carcass with salt. In a bowl mix water, a splash of vinegar, a large heap of molasses and crushed hot peppers, it must be thick and drip slowly from a spoon. Smother the hog in this glaze and put it upon the boucan for several hours until the meat falls off the bone.
Coconut Crabs
Take a number of crabs living and wash them, then cut their head so they die with a sharp cleaver, then chop them into small pieces. In a pot filled with coconut water put the crabs with curry powder, garlic crushed roughly. Boil the mixture until the crabs are done.
Lobscouse
This dish is the common way sailors prepare their rations of meat and ship biscuits. First dice an onion and fry it at the bottom of a large pot with lard until fragrant, while it does take the bisket and pound them into small pieces with a mallet. Fill the pot with water and let it boil before adding the salt pork or beef. Season with a little pepper, leaf of bay. If you have any potatoes, carrots or parsnip you may add them. Add the bisket to the stew and let it all simmer for a time until they and the meat are soft.
Sea Pie
This recipe is made by ship that lack a proper oven for baking. First you must make paste for a pie and line a tall dish. Then plate a layer of the meat of your choice. Cover this layer with another layer of your paste and add a new layer of meat, continuing so forth until you reach the top of your dish, cover it with a crust then set a plate to seal it tight, wrap the pot in a cloth and string it tightly shut. Boil the pie and its pot for an hour and it should be done.
Islander Pepperpot
To make this stew one must first cut the meat of any beast they have; beef, pork, goat shall do, and cut it fine. In a pot one must render lard and diced onion with the meat until browned, then cover with with water. To it add a good among of hot peppers, a few leaves of bay, a stick of the bark of cinnamon, and cassareep which is the bittersweet juices of Cassava reduced to the consistency of molasses. Let it simmer until it is tender and the sauce is thick. You may serve this dish upon rice or mush.
Stockfish Stew
You must begin by soaking the fish in water so that it may soften, you may then remove the bones and skin. Cut it into pieces and bring it into a boiling pot along with potatoes. To this stew add dried tomatoes cut finely, and dill. When it is about ready add the crumbs of stale bread or ships biscuit to thicken it.
To Boil Fowl
Take a fowl of your choosing, chicken does this dish well. In the cavity of your bird fit in whole grapes or re-hydrated raisins, as well as a whole nutmeg smashed into two, as well as sweet herbs. Sew it shut and put the bird in white wine to boil until it is cooked. Remove it from the fire and then stir in the yolks of fresh eggs upon a light fire to thicken your broth into a sauce.
Mince Pie
This dish is most excellent to use the pieces of meat such as the tongue many would refuse as their ration. First peel your tongue and cut is quite small, to it add dried raisins, currants, and dried apple cut equally small. Mix it grated mace and the shredded peel of a lemon, soak it all with a splash of brandy or sweet sherry. Fill a dish lined with a pie dough with this mixture and bake it well until flaky and golden.
Sweets
Banana leaf sweet
Take a measure of flour sifted fine. Mix to it water to make it into a dough and add sugar, kneed it into a ball and wrap them individually sealed tightly in the leaves of banana. Boil them for a third of an hour and they should be ready to be enjoyed.
Boiled Pudding
Take flour, sugar, dried fruit and grated suet and mix it with cold water until it forms a dough, careful not to overmix or to melt the suet. Shape it into a ball and then wrap it inside of a floured cloth. Tie it tightly (leaving a fold so it may expand) to avoid water coming in and put it to boil in a pot for two hours. Then take it out and slice into portions, serve it with molasses or a sauce of sugar and butter.
Pepper Cakes
Take flour and suet and mix it well, to this add a generous amount of pepper and ginger, then add molasses and a little bit of water to make a stiff paste. Mix it well and form it onto small cakes upon a greased dish, then bake it until it has firmed.
Jam Roll
Make a pastry as if to bake a pie but cut it into a rectangle. Layer it with a jam of your choosing leaving a thumb's width clear upon the edges. Then roll it tight into a spiral and seal the edges well by pressing them firm. Wrap this roll in a clean cloth and with strings tie it well at each end and center. You may now boil this for an hour or until it is firm. To serve cut a small disk through the roll and lay it flat on a dish.
Apple in dough
Take small sweet apples and remove from it the core and skin. Soak it in water so it does not brown. Then prepare a dough of flour, water, suet and a little sugar. Take your apples and dry them, then each cover with dough sealed properly. You may bake these treat but if you do not have an oven they are fine boiled as well. Serve them with a light sauce of caramel
Sweet Stewed Pears
Take winter pears and cut them into quarters, lay them into a ceramic dish with a few pieces of cloves, a half a lemon peel and a generous amount of sugar. Cover them with red wine and bake them enough slowly. Serve them hot or cold as you please.
Sweet Rice Dessert
Take a measure of rice and milk and boil it in a pot, to it add raisins and sugar. If you do not have milk you may use water, add a little butter to it. Cook it slowly until the rice has broken, long past softness. Serve it in a bowl with a spoonful of jam.
Drinks & Beverage
Captain Thunderclaw's Spiced Grog
Take a cauldron of fresh water and boil within a stick or two of cinnamon, a smashed nutmeg, and the peels of several limes and oranges until the water has become fragrant strain out of the material then return it to the fire. Add brown sugar generous and stir until it is dissolved. To it mix one part rum to four part liquid and the juice from the citrus reserved earlier. Serve still warm if prefered or let it cool. Garnish with a leaf of mint (or catnip) if available. This Recipe seem to please the crew and helps ward away the dreaded scurvy while making sure they do not get inebriated too fast.
Island’s Punch
In a bowl combine rum, the juices of orange and pineapple, coconut milk, a little lemon juice. Stir them together well, garnish with slices of oranges or twirl of citrus peel.
The Catfolk’s Delight
This drink is particularly beloved by feline members of the crew. Get fresh milk (For which my crew keeps a few goats aboard) and bright it to a gentle heat upon the fire, add a stick of cinnamon, a few cloves, and pieces of ginger. DO NOT LET IT BOIL, keep on the fire until it is aromatic then strain. Mix in a little clear liquor and several leaves of catnip, serve lukewarm.
Synopsis: After running out of options 19 years old Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Carpenter is left with only two option; Return to her abusive family or become a supervillain’s henchman.
Liz ran through the streets of the city, her breath ragged and hair glued to her scalp with sweat, she was late and didn’t have time to wait for the bus. Ragged of breath and drenched with sweat she made it to a little café on Wellington street, quickly drawing some stares from the customer.
She waded through the crowded lunch-time service and went to the back locker room, drying herself with a towel before putting on her uniform.
She was half finished when Mrs Cookham, owner of Walnut Tree café came in, arms crossed and looking severe.
“You’re late by an hour, this is the third time this week.”
“I’m so sorry, my sister got into a fight at school and I had to go and get her for her suspension and find—”
“Enough excuses, I’m going to have to let you go.” She said, “I’ve been understanding but this sets a bad example for the others, your last paycheck is in my office.”
“But, please, I need this job, I know—”
“Elizabeth, I’ve had enough, just go, you work hard but you miss too much time.”
Elizabeth’s shoulders sank. She’d lost four jobs in as many months. She changed back into her wet clothes and Mrs Cookham brought her a cheque for the past ten days. She gave her thanks and left the café this time waiting for a bus to take her back to the subway station.
She’d need to find another job, she only hoped the money would last her the intervening time…
When she got home she went onto her laptop for another round of job hunting, staying until eight when it came time to go pick up her sister from her friend’s home.
Synopsis: After running out of options 19 years old Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Carpenter is left with only two option; Return to her abusive family or become a supervillain’s henchman.
Liz ran through the streets of the city, her breath ragged and hair glued to her scalp with sweat, she was late and didn’t have time to wait for the bus. Ragged of breath and drenched with sweat she made it to a little café on Wellington street, quickly drawing some stares from the customer.
She waded through the crowded lunch-time service and went to the back locker room, drying herself with a towel before putting on her uniform.
She was half finished when Mrs Cookham, owner of Walnut Tree café came in, arms crossed and looking severe.
“You’re late by an hour, this is the third time this week.”
“I’m so sorry, my sister got into a fight at school and I had to go and get her for her suspension and find—”
“Enough excuses, I’m going to have to let you go.” She said, “I’ve been understanding but this sets a bad example for the others, your last paycheck is in my office.”
“But, please, I need this job, I know—”
“Elizabeth, I’ve had enough, just go, you work hard but you miss too much time.”
Elizabeth’s shoulders sank. She’d lost four jobs in as many months. She changed back into her wet clothes and Mrs Cookham brought her a cheque for the past ten days. She gave her thanks and left the café this time waiting for a bus to take her back to the subway station.
She’d need to find another job, she only hoped the money would last her the intervening time…
When she got home she went onto her laptop for another round of job hunting, staying until eight when it came time to go pick up her sister from her friend’s home.
Synopsis: After running out of options 19 years old Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Carpenter is left with only two option; Return to her abusive family or become a supervillain’s henchman.
Liz ran through the streets of the city, her breath ragged and hair glued to her scalp with sweat, she was late and didn't have time to wait for the bus. Ragged of breath and drenched with sweat she made it to a little café on Wellington street, quickly drawing some stares from the customer.
She waded through the crowded lunch-time service and went to the back locker room, drying herself with a towel before putting on her uniform.
She was half finished when Mrs Cookham, owner of Walnut Tree café came in, arms crossed and looking severe.
"You're late by an hour, this is the third time this week."
"I'm so sorry, my sister got into a fight at school and I had to go and get her for her suspension and find—"
"Enough excuses, I'm going to have to let you go." She said, "I've been understanding but this sets a bad example for the others, your last paycheck is in my office."
"But, please, I need this job, I know—"
"Elizabeth, I've had enough, just go, you work hard but you miss too much time."
Elizabeth's shoulders sank. She'd lost four jobs in as many months. She changed back into her wet clothes and Mrs Cookham brought her a cheque for the past ten days. She gave her thanks and left the café this time waiting for a bus to take her back to the subway station.
She'd need to find another job, she only hoped the money would last her the intervening time…
When she got home she went onto her laptop for another round of job hunting, staying until eight when it came time to go pick up her sister from her friend's home.
***
In the morning Liz came out of her room with heavy bags under her eyes, having stayed up filling forms online. She would call the temp agency and hoped they might have something for her.
Her sister came out of her bedroom, still wearing her pajamas.
"Aren't you getting ready for work?" Zoe asked with a yawn, "I thought you worked this morning?"
"I got fired, again."
Zoe went quiet. "It's my fault isn't it? You were late."
"It's okay pumpkin, I'll find another job," Liz sighed.
"But If I hadn't gotten into that fight—"
"Kids do dumb stuff, you shouldn’t have to worry about me." She put a hand on her sister's head, "I'll find another job, I always do."
Zoe wrapped her arms around her sister and squeezed tightly. "I love you," she said.
"I love you too, now get ready you can't be late for school."
She quickly made breakfast and a bagged lunch for her sister hushered her out of the door. Liz got dressed and went down to the bank, cashing in the money only to spend all of it paying due bills.
She had a little cash left for food, but that was it.
She went back home, calling the temp agency, who did not have any space for her but would call her as soon as they had an opportunity. As noon came about Liz put on her uniform as she had an afternoon shift for her other, now only, job.
Liz arrived at the mall on time and clocked in to her job. It was just any other day in retail; restocking shelves, cleaning the aisles, dealing with rude customers blaming her for their favorite soda being out of stock.
A typical day in retail. Retail was the worst, Liz thought, but she needed money.
Liz was in the middle of checking out customers when an alarm blared loudly through the store. "Seek shelter, battle in progress." Liz dropped her scanner only for the old lady to call,
"You can't just leave!"
"Ma'am there's an alert in progress we need to clear out."
"But you finished scanning, just need to pay, I have my credit card!"
"I cannot help you, the system locks when there's an alarm."
"How rude, I want to speak to your mana—" The lady was cut off as something crashed right through the store's roof, sending dust and debris all over. Liz dunked behind the freezers, hoping it would shelter her from any danger.
She gazed back and saw the 'something' was a man in full superhero costume.
Great, Liz thought, superhero nonsense was about to ruin her day. Another cape flew in, this one in a darker suit. Liz assumed the villain.
The two fought, exchanging punches and energy blasts.
The fridge next to Liz exploded when it was hit by a stray blast, a piece of glass blew out and hit her in her forehead, leaving a long bleeding cut.
"There's civilians here you assholes!" Liz snapped.
She removed her apron and applied it to her forehead to staunch the blood.
The capes kept fighting, crashing through displays, blowing things up.
Liz sighed and went down on all four, crawling toward the back of the store. She fucking hated capes.
By the time she made it out back another cape had joined the fight, making it two one one. Liz pushed herself out of the door and ran out into the parking lot. She ran over to the shelter.
Concrete stairs lead into a small bunker where other people were waiting. Her boss saw her.
"Liz, what happened?"
"Shrapnel."
Mr. Ramone went and got the first aid kit, carefully cleaning the wound and applying medical tape to help seal the wound.
"You'll have to see a doctor," he said, "it looks bad."
She didn't bother telling him she couldn't afford a doctor's visit if she wasn't actively dying.
She sat down, ice on the wound as the chaos above continued for a few minutes until an uncomfortable silence settled on the city.
"Is it over?" One of Liz' coworkers asked.
"I think?"
They waited with bated breath for a few minutes until the alarm siren rang a different tone. "Situation has been resolved," the automatic voice said, "It is now safe to leave the shelter."
Mr. Ramone was the first to leave, cautiously looking around. Liz followed, feeling light headed from losing blood. A large police van pulled up and the capes hauled the presumed-villain into it.
"Thank god it's over," Mr. Ramone said, "Capes, so inconsiderate!"
"If you ask me the customers are worse," Liz grumbled.
They cautiously went back inside. The store was in a bad shape; shelves had been knocked all over, fridge ripped out of their place, the windows had exploded. The only saving grace was that the damaged electrical hadn't started a fire.
Mr. Ramone went and cut the power to be safe.
Liz grabbed a broom and began cleaning up the mess of glass. It would be a long and horrible shift, her Co-workers made their best trying to set the shelves right and throw away all the damaged product.
Police came and spoke with Mr. Ramone but Liz didn't pay attention until he stepped upon a cash register and called everyone.
"Everyone, thanks for coming and for your help cleaning, but we'll be closed for a few weeks while the place is fixed, thank god we bought that extra insurance."
"I can't lose this job," Liz protested, "Can't we fix it?"
"It's just until the repairs are done, I'm sorry, it's the law, they have to condemn the building until engineers assess the damage."
Liz wanted to scream. Or pass out. Or both.
A co-worker volunteered to drive her home, worried about her condition. She offered to get her to a clinic but Liz declined repeatedly, saying she was fine. Liz came home and crashed on the couch, passing in and out.
She was woken up by Zoe coming back from school.
"Liz! What happened?" She asked, seeing the bandage over her head.
"Fucking superheroes happened!"
"Is it bad?"
"I'll be fine," Liz said, "I just need some rest."
"I'll make dinner!" Zoe declared, "You rest!"
Liz smiled weakly, proud of her sister. She laid back and closed her eyes again.
