#2) pitting one group of workers against another

[ahaura]

from @/JoshuaPHilll, via More Perfect Union

[rainbowloliofjustice]

What do you think of the fifth estate’s documentary on pit bulls?

I haven’t seen it fully, but honestly it comes off as fear-mongering. 

Yes, pit bulls can do serious damage with their bite... any large dog can. 

Yet the bans are only focused on pit bulls. What about german shepherds? or rottweilers? Chows?

It doesn’t help that the media and documentaries often use ���pit bull” as an umbrella term to cover around 5 different breeds of dogs and upwards of 50% of dogs in shelters that get labeled as pit bulls are just lookalikes. Given that pit bull can refer to the American pit bull terrier, Staffordshire pit bull terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, and American Bully. 

Are we going to end up banning any dog that can fall underneath what just gets labeled as a pit bull? When they’re banned, what are we going to do next? Start banning the next highest breed of dogs that cause bites?

Not to mention, pit bulls, like any dog, need to be trained to not be aggressive, need to be properly socialized, etc. just like any other dog. Of course, it isn’t helped by the fact that the media (and documentaries like this) only care about when it is a pit bull. 

Labs made up 13% of bites according to a 2008 study. pit bulls came in second at 8%. Yet people want to ban pit bulls but not labradors?

When it comes to personal injury claims of delivery workers, german shepherds, bull terriers, labs and border collies were among the most common to bite. Yet pit bulls are the only dangerous ones on the list?

And the documentary uses one man whose child was killed due to the babysitter leaving the child unattended with the dogs and that’s just like ??? that’s why you never leave children unattended with any dog that the dog is not familiar with. 

Not to mention, BSL only focuses on pit bull and pit bull-type dogs, but what about german shepherds and labs who make up a significant portion of bite statistics? Small dogs like chihuahuas that can exhibit high amounts of aggression if not properly socialized?

ya know how many times I’ve had someone’s lab growl at me and snarled despite the owners saying they were friendly? A lot

The documentary even shows dogs that are chained up and acknowledges that one person sees many pit bulls living in puppy mills and backyard breeders who sell them as status, guard, or fighting dogs... And mind you, dogfighting is illegal because it is animal abuse but then contrasts that with a woman who worked in/with a shelter that basically tried to sell dogs that they knew may not be good fits for certain homes or families. So when you have ill-bred and ill-trained dogs by people somehow the solution is to ban the breed rather than coming down hard on irresponsible owners?

And yet it’s the breed's fault and the breed should be banned for shelters deciding to lie and be deceptive about how well a dog may fit within another family? So because a shelter, run by a group of people, decided to lie about a dog’s history or past... that means it is the dog's fault and they should be banned? What logic does it make to ban a dog or dog breed when shelters and people decide to intentionally be deceptive about it in order to just rehome them? You basically have someone in the documentary who admits to being irresponsible and negligent yet... ????

Like, this lady admitted to working in a shelter that would be deceptive about a dog’s temperament, but then went on to blame the breed. 

It is only after someone dies or is bitten by a pit bull that people want to try to discuss BSL or banning them... but there was a woman, about 2 years ago, who got mauled by a pack of dachshunds yet there only concerns with pit bulls? people say one attack against people is too many yet... almost every dog breed in existence has attacked at least one person or animal. If you are banning breeds because they attack people, you’re going to be banning a lot more than pit bulls. If it is based on whether or not they are capable of killing someone, you’re going to be banning almost any medium to large size dog. 

It’s almost no secret that toy breeds are known to be very aggressive due to the way they’re often treated and pampered... Chihuahuas rank fourth in breeds that have bitten children and even though their bites aren’t comparable to pit bulls or larger breeds, if the issue is the severity of the bite then... any large breed dog should be banned because any large dog can produce a severe or fatal bite. 

Dogs are bred by people... if aggression is an issue, you can selectively breed that out the same way that certain dogs were selectively bred to be able to run or be as small as possible. If pit bulls get banned, what is going to be the next breed on the list? German Shepards? Dobermans? Chows?

Why are we coming down on breeds rather than irresponsible shelters that are deceptive about a dog’s temperament and backyard breeders that abuse and neglect dogs? Ofc when a dog comes from an abusive or neglectful situation, they’re going to have behavioral and temper issues... so that is somehow the fault of the breed itself?

The documentary ends by basically saying pit bulls are dangerous and it is a matter of public safety...By a surgeon that basically says no one will miss them after a while because there will be fewer fatalities even though other large dog breeds can cause fatalities, a woman who admitted to working for a shelter that would lie and intentionally be deceptive about a dog’s temperament in order to get them out the shelter, a father who lost his child and a baby sitter that was too irresponsible and let the child unattended with two large dogs who basically say “tell me which one is and isn’t going to attack” which can apply to literally any dog and then one pit bull lobbyist that they just portray as selfish and crazy.

Like if you show me two pictures of a chihuahua... I’m not going to know which is going to try to maul my hand. If you are banning pits, why not extend it to german shepherds, mastiffs, chows, etc.? They’re also large dogs that can cause fatal/severe bites. Why not ban chihuahuas, they’re the ones most likely to bite? is it only based on severity/fatality? If so then bye-bye to most large dog breeds. 

Yeah totally not a biased documentary at all. 

[thecelestial-art]

ok but like, here me out,,,,, avatar high school au but its just me projecting my personality and trauma

my instagram

Aang

Freshman

He's trying his gosh darn hardest

The group baby

Appa is a therapy dog so he spends the day with gyatso in his classroom :)

Hes a saint bernard 

The best man

Despite katara being the ‘mom friend’ he runs the god damn show

Momo is a shit head sphinx cat 

The gang dropped movie nights for “knitting nights” so they could all learn to knit him sweaters

Hes very fashionable

he hates it

sokkas best friend

Aang makes costumes so when halloween comes around momo is very scary as dorothy 

Track and field babey

Does not curse

He has a hard time keeping up with world events

Straight (i'm not wrong)

he and toph have an ongoing tradition of going in full dress to waffle house before school dances. 

it got to the point where now all the workers know them by name

they also accidentally crashed a white lotus meeting and just kept going

Azula

Band kid

Sophomore

Rich girl with 2 friends

Pre eng

i know most schools dont have this program, but mine did and holy shit. those were some overachievers 

The most annoying mf on the planet

Not a single teacher likes her

The know it all that will fight if you don't agree with the facts

She was the ww2 kid

Capitalist in the worst fucking way

Closeted lesbian, when she figures that shit out she gets a lil better

The one who can drive

Mai

Bisexual

She's really good at math?? Like shes the gay who can do math

But cannot drive, bitch failed her permit more times than she can count

She nearly went to an all girls boarding school at one point

Sophomore

Colorguard!!

She has beat the shit out of people she's walked in on making out in the bathroom

Genuine friends with the faculty??

She takes programming/coding as a filler class but she's pretty good and continues to pursue it.

Her tumblr looks sick as hell

has caused a teacher to cry

Ty lee

Bisexual

Lesbian earings actin mf

Sophomore

Cheerleader

She is the nicest mother fucker and everyone loves her

Despite acting like an airhead she's really science orientated

When she takes biology she passes with flying colors

Very invested in social justice

She would never hurt a fly but she will fuck you up

The one with a healthy relationship with her father

has comforted a teacher she found crying in the parking lot

Iroh

Now runs the jasmine dragon where zuko works after school w/ katara 

Knows every single kid who comes in and tries his hardest to make sure everyone feels appreciated

Former war criminal

In a book club

The white lotus? Yeah this is the white lotus

Idk if it would be the same as the show, or if its just an old person shit talking group

Zuko

Junior

His dad got full custody of him and his sister when he divorced their mom

But at 13 he got kicked out for another bullshit reason and ever since Iroh has had custody of both of the siblings

But bitch boy ozai has visitation rights but only wants to see azula

Theatre kid!!

I mean he was gonna join jrotc to appease his dad but he figured his shit out before he really joined

A republican turned leftist

Hes queer he just doesnt know which label to use

Himbo rights

He and katara are best friends idgaf about ships but they are bros

orchestra kid! (yes this is me self projecting bc we have similar trauma) 

Violist 

Teachers have no idea what to do with him bc on one hand he's very reclusive and on the other his sister has the worst opinions so they don't know

Katara

Sophomore 

Still the mom friend but this time she goes to therapy

Bc she literally raised her brother after her mother died?? And then became a parental figure to her FRIENDS???

Biggest political activist, genuinely does her best at educating herself and others about civil injustices

Also really obsessed with cults and true crime

Choir kid

She takes AP history, english, and second language classes

Is trying her hardest in math and sciences

Huge stuffed animal collection

Student council vice president

she originally ran for president but jets gang voted him in as a joke

The teachers pet

Swim team bitches

Best friends with the school janitors

This is my au so fuck off she and zuko are chaotic friendgroup parents and annoying best friends i love them

and maybe something more???

 who fucking knows theres a betting pool in the white lotus and so far aang is winning 

Sokka

Junior

Bisexual

Gym and History teachers LOVE him

On the swim team and the fishing team

Started crying when he took his drivers test

Goes to gsa w/ toph and loses his fucking mind

He's the reason suki’s car is disgusting

In all advanced/ap classes in math and science

Was the kid who carries a portable speaker around until suki put him in his place

Still has to use his hands to figure out left and right

Yue

Technically she doesn't go to school with them she goes to a nearby private school

She met the gang at a football game and has been invited to every group outing since

Junior!!

Very invested in world politics

When she joins the group at school events she ends up making friends with all the staff

Debate team kid!!!

She's not a rule breaker she just knows their limitations ;)

at one point missed school for like 2 months and everyone thought she died

turns out it was just fucking pneumonia and sokka is one dirty liar

Suki

oh? you mean yue’s best friend bc we dont respect pitting women against each other in this household?

Junior

Bisexual icon!!!

Oh god what sport would she do??

Probably basketball??

Or she would just do martial arts outside of school

And have a ‘female empowerment’ club or somethin

100% believes in self government in society and that the current gov exists purely on the theory that all humans are inherently evil

Bitch for bernie

Her car is DISGUSTING

She asks if she can hit peoples juul and then throws it in the trash

The gym coaches really like her but she fucking hates them

Is very close with her school counselor??

She never wants to run but she keeps getting elected to homecoming court

Toph

Freshman 

Former homeschool bitch

Joined the wrestling team and the fishing team??

She doesn't even like fishing she just thinks it's hilarious 

Very good a pottery and that's her arts credit

She and iroh have lunch together every thursday

If she catches wind of you putting gum on desks they will find your body in a ditch

She makes sokka and suki take her to prom 

She hates it she just likes to fuck with people at prom

Sometimes she just tells people she doesn't believe in something bc she cant see it

has been wearing the same sandles for the past 3 years bc “they’re reliable”

Cryptid hunter

Goes to gsa bc its better than any fucking reality tv show

Has nearly burnt the house down making ramen

[allisonxmoynihan]

illicit affairs (pt. 2) ~ a. turcotte

Requested: yes | no

Song: this series is loosely inspired on Illicit Affairs by Taylor Swift (you can listen here!) 

Part One: read here! 

Word Count: 1,988

The sun peeped out from behind the clouds, the first sunny day you’d seen since summer. You winced at the bright december sunlight, wiping down tables at the cafe, trying to prepare yourself for the afternoon rush of tourists and tired parents with chaotic toddlers begging to go back out in the snow 

A group of girls came in and you offered a weak smile their way, “I’ll be right with you,” you say, walking back towards the counter. 

The holiday rush was always your least favorite time of year, but it was worse now that he was gone. You hated seeing how cheery everyone was, how excited everyone was to be with loved ones for the holidays. But like the cold, bitter days outside, you were left realizing that your “warmth” was gone, off doing better things like he always said he would. 

“Hey, so can I get,” a slender, brunette girl with the most beautiful blue eyes you’d ever seen starts in an almost valley-girl voice before pausing, “Vanessa, what did you say was really good?” The girl turns to look at you, “Sorry, it’s my first time coming here, my fiance always talks about it so I need to try it!” She smiles.

You smile back, wondering where you had seen her before, but not being able to figure it out.

“Okay, yeah, can I please get a small skinny vanilla latte?” the girl says

“Of course, can I get a name for the order?”

“Sofia,”

And that’s when the images come flashing back in your mind, your hands going pale from gripping the counter so tightly. That’s her. You glance down at her hand, seeing the large diamond ring on her left hand, and your heart sinks all over again as he comes back into your mind. Him. The only guy you’d ever given your heart to, and you haven’t gotten it back after the months away from him. Alex had moved on, obviously, and your heart broke all over again looking at his fiancee, the girl who was everything you could never be for him.

“Alright, Sofia, that’ll be $1.50, and you can wait at the other counter for pick up,” you choke out, handing the order ticket off to your co-worker. 

You watch her and her friends walk across the cafe, the pictures from Alex’s instagram flooding your mind. You wanted, more than anything, for him to be happy; you knew he deserved all the best things in life and you really truly wanted him to be well. But you hated seeing that he was so okay while you were still hurting. You hated that you couldn’t be the one to make him happy. 

Your eyes follow her as she walks out the shop and runs up and hugs the dark haired boy you’d grown to love. The knife in your heart twists as he kisses her; and when he pulls away and sees you behind the counter, you swear you see hints of sadness before he’s dragged towards the town square, hand in hand with Sofia.

~*~

The sun was setting above the city skyscrapers, creating hues of pink and orange to scatter about your living room. Your head was resting upon Alex’s chest, rising and falling with each breath he took, his fingers twirling your hair round and round.

“I could stay like this forever,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

“Yeah?”

“Of course. I can see us, living out in a penthouse, coming home from hockey to you and our kids,”

“That sounds nice,” you laugh, tilting your head up to press kisses against his jaw.

“I love you,” he smiles down to press a kiss to your lips.

You smile, but the pain in your chest tightens. With each passing moment you could tell Alex was slipping further and further away from you and you didn’t know how to make him stay. You noticed he started distancing himself from you, only coming by when it was convenient or when he needed you. 

You push yourself off of him, sitting up and staring at the wall ahead of you.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” he asks, concern filling his eyes, begging you to confide in him.

You laugh slightly to try and keep the tears back, “Alex, who is she?” 

He’s immediately taken aback, “who? I don’t know what you’re talking about..”

You scoff while shaking your head, “you don’t know what I’m talking about? Alex, the girl who’s all over your social media”

He swallows hard, reaching for your hand, “baby, come on, she’s just a friend. You know you mean the world to me.”

Your expression softens at his reassurance, “but then why can’t I meet your friends? If i mean the world to you, why am I always kept a secret?”

Alex pulls you into his side, pressing a gentle kiss to your temple, “I’m just protecting you from my world,”

You relax into him, feeling better and protected. You knew the world of elite hockey players were different, that you didn’t fit the image. You believed Alex when he told you he was trying to protect you from the wrath and hate from his fans.

~*~

“We need to talk…” his stern voice fills your ears, your breath halting.

Your heart sinks as the elevator closes, “Okay, yeah, I’ll be at your place soon.” 

He abruptly hangs up the phone and you stare at your reflection in the elevator door. You felt Alex slipping away for months now, and you knew it was only a matter of time before he got bored and left. Before he found someone better and left you in the dust. 

You knock twice on his door before a disheveled Alex appears, stepping aside to let you in. He doesn’t kiss you at the door like he used to, just stares at you as you walk into his apartment. 

“So…” You start, breaking the uncomfortable silence that’s fallen over the two of you.

“This needs to stop” he states matter of factly without any hesitation. It comes out so mechanical and rehearsed, and you know he’s been thinking this for awhile now.

You look up at him, swallowing back the tears, “Alex, please, can we just try and talk this through?”

He shakes his head, “y/n, i’ve made up my mind. Whatever it is that we had, it’s over.”

“But-”

“y/n, I don’t love you, okay?” he snaps, and you take a step back.

“What did I do wrong?”

He sits back on his sofa, running his hand through his hair, “you didn’t do anything. I just found someone better. I’m moving on, okay?”

Tears threaten to spill, as you look at him in disbelief, sadness and anger combining in the pit of your stomach. “You’re an asshole,” you mutter, turning to walk out the door.

Walking down to his lobby you angrily wipe the tears away. The one boy you’d ever given yourself away to, the one boy you’d ever fallen for, the person whose happiness mattered to you more than your own was gone. And you didn’t know if you’d be okay again.

“Hey, y/n?” you hear his voice, smooth like honey, breathy from running to catch up to you, “take care of yourself, okay?”

~*~

Laying on your couch, you were thankful that the work day was finally over. For the next 12 hours you could just sit at home and relax, and forget all about Alex and his fiancee. 

You were watching your favorite tv show, stuffing oreo after oreo into your mouth when a loud knock startled you. You look at your phone to see it was almost 2 a.m., and you weren’t expecting anyone.

Cautiously, you get up and look out the peephole.

You sigh, opening the door up, “wh-?” you're interrupted with his lips harshly connecting with yours, pushing you backwards and kicking the door closed.

He lays you down on the couch, laying on top of you before reconnecting your lips and kissing down your neck.

“Alex, what are you doing here?” you breathe out, your hands instinctively sliding up his t-shirt.

He gathers some of your skin between his teeth and sucks down on it, “I need you,”

“What about Sofia?”

“We can forget about her for a minute,” 

You know it’s wrong, that he should be home with Sofia, but this is everything you’ve been craving since he pushed you away. As much as you know you shouldn’t, you give in to his desire.

He removes your clothing in a rush, admiring your body like he never has before, and you want to believe him. You want to believe that he really does love you, that he meant everything he ever said. That he only left you because he got scared of how real your love was.

He thrusts into you and you moan his name, throwing your head back.

“You like that, huh baby girl?” He asks, picking up his pace.

“Alex, please,” you pant

He kisses up and down your neck, and you know there are going to be marks tomorrow morning as he starts rubbing circles to your clit.

He grunts as he continues to thrust sloppily into you, “i know you’re close baby girl,”

You release around him, and he closely follows as he draws out your high, “i love you alex,” you say before pressing your lips to his.

He slips down your hall to get a towel to clean you up, “y/n, I’m sorry for how I treated you all that time ago,”

You hush him, “it’s okay, alex, it’s fine. We can start fresh,”

He shakes his head, beginning to redress, “y/n, i’m getting married to another woman,”

You gulp, watching him as approaches the door, getting ready to walk back out of your life.

“Thanks for tonight,” he smiles, before slipping back into the night.

You begin to cry, angry at yourself for letting him come back in so easily after everything he’s done to you. Angry that you would continue to ruin yourself over and over again if it meant he’d come back for just a moment. 

~*~

“Alright kiddo, I’m heading out for the day. I left a little present for you in the back to thank you for everything. Keep your head up and you’ll do great things,” Your manager advises.

You smile, “Thanks Carol, and I promise I’ll be fine out east, I promise.”

She smiles back, “i know, honey, you always will,”

Years had passed since that night with Alex. You sat waiting for him to come back for a year, and sometimes he did, but they always ended the same way. He and Sofia got married and you saw on instagram that he and Sofia had just welcomed a baby girl into the world: Isabella Grace Turcotte. 

Even after his daughter was born, he continued to show up drunk at your door declaring that he needed you. And each time you gave yourself away to him, hoping he’d choose you at the end of the night. 

But enough was enough, you decided you deserved more than being his mistress behind closed doors. You knew he didn’t care about you at this point anymore, that it was convenient for him that you were willing to continuously destroy yourself each time he decided to come back into your life. So you decided to leave LA and head east to Boston. 

Alex had moved on to the bigger and better things you knew were in store for him, he was the Kings best player, and you were happy his dreams were finally turning into his reality. It was time you invested the energy you had poured into him for so long into yourself. It was time you gave yourself a shot at turning your own dreams into a reality. And you never looked back.

[cryingcow]

Rikiya, Kiryu, & Haruka - Rikiya’s Lonely Struggle [RGGO]

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 .

This month’s RGG Online dice event features Rikiya! I was in a Y3 mood lately so I went and did this first :D

Apparently they’re called Sugoroku events. This one is 6 chapters long, including the prologue and epilogue, so I’ll be splitting it into 3 parts. Enjoy the sight of Rikiya in the Dragon Engine now since Yakuza Kiwami 3 might not be coming for a long time :’(

This story feels like a subtle way to attract tourists to Okinawa, what with the food specialties, the lessons in Okinawan slang (that I skipped over in here), and this banner:

Just look at that winning Dad smile! Don’t you wish you were in Okinawa right now?

Click on for the Prologue, Chapter 1 + Rikiya’s Side Comments!

.

Rikiya’s Side Comments

During the course of rolling around the board, Rikiya comments on various stuff and people.

Rikiya’s comments on objects:

Habu (Pit Viper) – “The venom of habus isn’t that strong, but they fight without fear of what kind of opponent they’re up against. How cool is that?”

Ryukyu City – “Isn’t it such a lively city? All the people here are nice. That’s why it’s my job to protect it.”

Jewel? [in-game item] – “Is this a jewel that I thought I saw fall? Haa~, it’s color is like that of the sea. It’s a waste to sell it off.”

Great dice [in-game item] – “Hey this is amazing! The same number of eyes appear no matter how many times you shake it. Hehe, let’s trick Mikio with this.”

Rikiya’s comments on people:

Patriarch Nakahara – “He’s stubborn, old-fashioned, and strange. But when he makes up his mind to do something, he does it. That’s my boss.”

Mikio – “I want to keep them smiling. I’m going to protect this group with him, so I’m going to be firm.”

Young Lady (Saki) – “She’s not good at speaking, but well, I’m not good at studying, it’s the same thing. Everyone knows how good the young lady is.”

Kiryu-no-aniki – “To think there’s a person out there like my patriarch . . . the world really is big!”

Haruka-chan – “She’s a small but firm child. There’s a lot of things going on. I want to help you keep them away.”

Ayako – “She’s a smart girl, so I don’t have to worry about her. Do you want company in your running practice?”

Koji – “He’s bright, gentle, and he exercises. Isn’t he popular in school? That’s good . . .”

Taichi – “Jeez, just because you like professional wrestling doesn’t mean I’m a lariat! I thought I was going to die . . .”

Mitsuo – “The one who knows pain can understand the pain of others. You’re already a good man.”

Riona – “Hehe, getting along with Mitsuo? It seems that Mitsuo will be laid out on his butt in another 10 years. That hurts! Don’t hit me!”

Shiro – “A great guy who can study with me. All you need is a handful of courage. Please support Morning Glory.”

Izumi – “I really like Mame. Take care of yourself when going on walks. Don’t forget to do your homework properly~?”

Eri – “I want to say that the house looks great, but that’s an adult’s excuse. One day, you’ll realize yourself.”

.

----

.

PROLOGUE

.

[Morning Glory Orphanage]

Haruka: “So you’ve never tried eating it yet, Ojiisan?”

Kiryu: “Yeah. I see it in the supermarket often, but I usually just pick up a familiar fish.”

Rikiya: “Nice to see you! Aniki and Haruka-chan!”

Kiryu: “Oh, Rikiya.”

Rikiya: “What were you two talking about?”

Haruka: “Rikiya-san, have you ever eaten a fish called ‘Gurukun’?”

Rikiya: “Of course I have! Gurukun is a fish that represents Okinawa! It’s also called ‘Takasago’ in the mainland, right?”

Kiryu: “That’s correct, but it’s not that famous in the mainland. I’ve never tried it out yet.”

Rikiya: “You’re kidding?! You can’t live in Okinawa without eating gurukun! Alright, how about the three of us head to the public market right now! There’s lots of fresh fish there!”

Kiryu: “We’re going to the market now?”

Rikiya: “Yes! I’ll be your guide!”

Kiryu: “I’m sorry. Haruka and I have something to do after this . . .”

Rikiya: “Something to do . . . then I’ll go run down to the market myself and buy you that gurukun!”

Kiryu: “Would that be alright? Sorry.”

Rikiya: “We can go to the market together next time when you have the time. More than the fish, I want Aniki to experience the kindness of the people in the market.”

Kiryu: “The kindness of the people in the market?”

Rikiya: “Yeah. Do the people at the market look scary at first glance?”

Kiryu: “Apart from the shops for tourists, there certainly is a cold atmosphere at first glance. Especially towards strangers like me.”

Rikiya: “They’re just workers who are bad at meeting new people. But actually everyone is kind, be they mainland people or Okinawa people!”

Kiryu: “Is that so. In that case, I’ll be looking forward to going to the market with you as my guide.”

Rikiya: “Well then, I’m going to run now!”

----

[Public Market]

Fish Seller A: “Hey, welcome~!”

Rikiya: “Hey!”

Fish Seller A: “Oh, Rikiya. What is it?”

Rikiya: “Do you have gurukun? I want a very fresh one.”

Fish Seller A: “Oh, we have just the right one! But it’s unusual for you to be cooking.”

Rikiya: “It’s not for me. I want to feed everyone at Morning Glory.”

Fish Seller A: “Morning Glory . . . ?”

Rikiya: “It’s an orphanage by the beach. My Aniki Kiryu-san is the caretaker.”

Fish Seller A: “Kiryu . . .”

Rikiya: “Give me all that gurukun you have. How much will it be?���

Fish Seller A: “Oh, uh, I just remembered that these gurukun have been reserved for another customer! Go hit up the other stalls!”

Rikiya: “What . . . Jeez. Whatever, I’ll try another store!”

----

Rikiya: “Oh! How are you doing?”

Fish Seller B: “Oh, Riki-chan.”

Rikiya: “Oh, you have gurukun. It’s not reserved for anyone, is it?”

Fish Seller B: “Yeah, they’re all for sale.”

Rikiya: “Alright! Now I can feed Kiryu-no-aniki!”

Fish Seller B: “Kiryu-no-aniki . . . ?!”

Rikiya: “Oh, do you know him? Kiryu Kazuma. He’s my Aniki!”

Fish Seller B: “Go home!”

Rikiya: “Eh?”

Fish Seller B: “The store is closed today! Go away!”

Rikiya: “Wh-What the hell . . . ?! Just like with the previous store, his attitude completely changed when I mentioned Kiryu-no-aniki’s name . . . ??”

Woman Passing By: “Just now, did you just say Kiryu . . . ?”

Rikiya: “Yeah. Do you know him Ma’am?”

Woman Passing By: “I overheard from someone in the market . . . that Kiryu Kazuma is trying to take over the place . . .”

Rikiya: “Aniki taking over the market?? What does that even mean??”

Woman Passing By: “I don’t know all the details, but that’s the rumor everyone’s been gossiping about. Look . . .”

{The woman points at two vendors talking.}

Meat Vendor: “Isn’t the Ryudo Family the enforcers of the market? Even if Kiryu attacks, the Ryudo Family will protect us, right?”

Greengrocer: “Idiot, the Ryudo Family can’t beat Kiryu. There’s a Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, and rumor has it Kiryu took over Tsukiji overnight.”

Meat Vendor: “Really! Then a small market like ours . . .”

Greengrocer: “Yeah, we’ll be taken over in one hour, tops. By Kiryu alone.”

Meat Vendor: “If that happens, I’ll stab Kiryu! When I see him next time, I’ll use this butcher knife, no questions asked . . . !”

Greengrocer: “Lay off. The guy who opposed Kiryu at Tsukiji was rumored to have been sold as cheap minced meat.”

Meat Vendor: “What a horrible bastard . . . ! The mainlanders are truly dreadful!”

Woman Passing By: “For the past week, the market’s been plagued by this rumor.”

Rikiya: “My Aniki taking over the public market?? Who’s been spreading these rumors?!”

Woman Passing By: “Well, there’s no smoke without fire.”

Rikiya: “Eh? What do you mean?”

Woman Passing By: “No, it’s nothing. Please excuse me . . .”

Rikiya: “What? That woman . . . ?”

{Rikiya’s phone rings. He answers.}

Rikiya: “Ah, Aniki! What is it?”

Kiryu: “My errand with Haruka ended earlier than expected. I’m heading to the market right now.”

Rikiya: “Ah, no, no! Don’t come here Aniki!”

Kiryu: “Why?”

Rikiya: “Well, the . . . the gurukan is sold out!”

Kiryu: “Is that so. Well we can walk around the market. I want to see this kindness of the people with you as my guide.”

Rikiya: “Sorry! I’ve left the market, I’m on my way back home to Morning Glory! Let’s just go to the market together some other day!”

Kiryu: “I see. I guess we’ll save the fun for next time . . . be careful in going home.”

{Kiryu hangs up.}

Rikiya: “My bad! This is dangerous . . . Aniki, looking forward to interacting with the people in the market . . . I was the one who made him expect it in the first place . . . I can’t say ‘the market is full of bad rumors about Aniki’. What do I do . . . ? Can I convince the people otherwise one by one? That’ll take a long time . . . But why did weird rumors pop up? I guess because my Aniki is a mainlander . . .”

Rikiya: “For the time being, I should head back to Morning Glory. My Aniki will be suspicious if I’m late . . .”

.

-END-

.

CHAPTER 1

.

[Morning Glory Orphanage]

Rikiya: (In the end, a week passed without me taking any measures against the rumors about Aniki spreading through the market . . . Well, it’s better to wait for the rumors to disappear on their own than panic. As the saying goes, ‘people’s rumors last 75 days’ . . . Hm? How many months is 75 days? That’s long . . .)

Haruka: “Rikiya-san, it’s a shame the gurukan was sold out last time.”

Rikiya: “Well, that’s how delicious the fish is!”

Haruka: “I’m looking forward to the day I can eat it! Now more than ever I’m interested in Okinawan food. Rikiya-san, do you know Soki?”

Rikiya: “Of course. It’s an Okinawan specialty made of stewed pork and bones. It’s delicious!”

Haruka: “The soki that Ojiisan ate a year ago was very delicious. I was going to buy Ojiisan’s soki today, but I wanted to go with you.”

Rikiya: “Oh, that’s good. Where’s this store? I want to know what soki Aniki is beating his drum for.”

Kiryu: “It’s in the market.”

Rikiya: “Ah, Aniki. I understand. It’s in the . . .”

Rikiya: “Th-The market?!”

Kiryu: “It would be nice to explore the market under your guidance. Interacting with the people in the market . . .”

Rikiya: “N-No! Two people shouldn’t go to the market together!”

Kiryu: “Why?”

Rikiya: “Why . . . that’s . . . ! It’s really hot out today! If a person from the mainland goes outside on a day like this, they’d get a heatstroke in seconds! So I’ll be the one to buy soki for the two of you, just wait! Hey Haruka-chan, lend me that shopping bag!”

{Rikiya takes the shopping bag out of Haruka’s hands and runs off.}

Kiryu: “What a strange guy . . .”

----

[Public Market]

Rikiya: “This is bad. It’s only a matter of time before Aniki and Haruka-chan come to the market . . . For now, let’s listen in to the conversations of the people of the market to see the current state of the rumors.”

{Rikiya casually eavesdrops on everyone.}

Rikiya: “Unexpectedly, the rumors seem to have died down . . .”

Greengrocer: “The story that Kiryu is taking over the market alone was just that. Apparently it wasn’t a real story.”

Meat Vendor: “That’s true. If you think about it with a calm head, it’s impossible, taking over the market alone.”

Greengrocer: “Right. Apparently Kiryu is taking over markets with his friends.”

Meat Vendor: “With friends . . . ?! Who?”

Greengrocer: “The young captain of the Ryudo Family . . . Rikiya.”

Meat Vendor: “Ah! Yeah, that guy’s always hanging out with Kiryu these days!”

Greengrocer: “Right? Rikiya’s been completely brainwashed by Kiryu.”

Meat Vendor: “Then that means Kiryu and Rikiya will strike soon?!”

Greengrocer: “Yeah, no mistake . . .”

Rikiya: “Oi! Knock it off!”

Greengrocer: “Ri-Rikiya! Are you making your attack already?!”

Rikiya: “You idiots. Aniki brainwashing me? Taking over the market? He’ll never do that! It’s all a hoax!”

Greengrocer: “But before, you loved Okinawa more than anyone else, and would never even think about wagging your tail for a mainlander! And calling Kiryu your aniki, that’s clearly brainwashing!”

Rikiya: “You’re wrong! I just fell in love with my Aniki’s honourable spirit! Kiryu-no-aniki is a real man among men!”

Greengrocer: “Look, Rikiya’s eyes . . . ! They’re the same as the eyes of my cousin who got pulled into a new religion!”

Meat Vendor: “This guy’s already been brainwashed . . . ! He’s going to attack with Kiryu soon!”

Greengrocer: “I’ll be out of business, and Kiryu will suck on my bones!”

Rikiya: “Don’t be scared, you guys. I know Kiryu-no-aniki has a fearsome appearance . . . “

Meat Vendor: “Hey! Look over there!”

Greengrocer: “Ki-Ki-Kiryu . . .”

Haruka: “The market is really lively, Ojiisan.”

Kiryu: “Yeah . . .”

Haruka: “But is it really that good?”

Kiryu: “You should look forward to it. You can even suck on all the bones . . .”

Rikiya: “Wait, Aniki! What are you doing here!”

Kiryu: “Because you came here all alone . . .”

{People are screaming around the market.}

Meat Vendor: “Hurry up and run away everyone! Or you’ll be killed!”

Haruka: “What’s going on? Why is everyone in the market running away somewhere?”

Kiryu: “Did something happen?”

Rikiya: “This is, uh . . . a disaster drill!”

Kiryu: “Disaster prevention training?”

Rikiya: “Yes. Practicing to avoid getting killed by disaster . . . that’s why you can’t shop today!”

Kiryu: “Well, that’s a shame. I wanted to eat the ‘cartilage soki’ I had eaten here before.”

Rikiya: “Cartilage soki . . .”

Kiryu: “It was stewed so well, you can even eat the bones. It was excellent.”

Rikiya: “Then when the drill is over, I’ll buy some and bring it home, so please go now Aniki.”

Kiryu: “Oh. I don’t want to get in the way of the drill. Let’s go home, Haruka.”

Haruka: “Yup. See you, Rikiya-san.”

{Kiryu and Haruka leaves.}

Rikiya: “Phew . . . that was dangerous . . .”

Greengrocer: “What? Is that bastard Kiryu leaving? Did he just come here for reconnaissance, only to come back at a later date . . .”

Rikiya: “So, now you know it’s a hoax.”

Greengrocer: “No, I heard it! Kiryu said he came to the market to ‘suck all the bones’!”

Rikiya: “No, Aniki was talking about soki . . .”

Greengrocer: “Don’t tell such a transparent lie!”

Hooligan A: “Oi, you, where’s Kiryu?”

Rikiya: “What? These bastards . . .”

Hooligan B: “We’re bouncers. We were hired to protect this market from Kiryu.”

Rikiya: “Hired by who?”

Hooligan A: “I don’t think that has anything to do with you. Is Kiryu coming or not? Where is he?”

Greengrocer: “He just left the market.”

Hooligan A: “Alright, I’ll chase after him!”

Rikiya: “Wait, my Aniki isn’t taking over the market!”

Hooligan A: “Hey I remember, you’re Rikiya, the one who’s been brainwashed by Kiryu! I don’t believe a word you’re saying! Get out of here!”

Rikiya: “If you’re really going to chase after Aniki, you can do so only if you beat me.”

Hooligan B: “Hmph, this kid is crazy! But this is Kiryu’s friend! Do it!”

{Rikiya kicks the crap out of the hooligans.}

Rikiya: “Tell me before I hit you again, where and when were you hired as bouncers?”

Hooligan A: “The market’s . . . Youth Club . . .”

Rikiya: “Youth Club?”

Greengrocer: “It’s a union of young people working together in the market. Although they’re rough, they’re more enthusiastic about the market than anyone.”

Meat Vendor: “Yes, yes. The Youth Club members knew about Kiryu’s invasion before anyone else.”

Rikiya: “Wait, so the source of the rumor is that Youth Club?”

Meat Vendor: “Well, I don’t remember much, but I don’t think the Youth Club started it . . .”

Rikiya: (If the Youth Club is spreading rumors, what for . . . ? Do I want to get in now and find the truth? No. First I have to buy cartilage soki for my Aniki and go home. If I linger too much, he’ll come back to the market again . . .)

.

-END-

.

As an addition:

Look at the new Kiryu card, living his best life in Okinawa with his orphans T^T

.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 Masterlist

[aion-rsa]

Squid Game Ending Explained

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This SQUID GAME article contains MAJOR spoilers.

For a series with a relatively well-worn premise, Netflix’s Squid Game sure does manage to pack a lot of surprises into its conclusion. It does this in large part by recognizing that the series’ success hinges not so much on who wins the game, but on how they win it and what it all means. Like the show’s beginning, much of Squid Game‘s final hour is set outside the world of the arena—this time, a year following the events of the bulk of the show. Let’s break down what happens in the Squid Game ending…

Who Wins Squid Game?

While the meat of Squid Game‘s conclusion comes outside of the game, the final round—Round Six, the series’ original title—is effective. In a callback to the series’ opening scene, which shows kids playing the titular “squid game” as Gi-hun explains the rules, the final two contestants must face off in the children’s game. It’s especially fitting (and depressing) that the final two contestants are Gi-hun and Cho Sang-woo, as the two grew up in the same town and used to play squid game together as kids. More than that, Sang-woo has been deemed a success by society (well, up until that embezzlement part) and Gi-Hun, a failure. By pitting these two against one another in Squid Game’s final contest, and making it very clear who the more humane human is, the series is calling into question the metrics by which we measure status and worth in our world.

As Squid Game progresses, the competition has become more and more encouraging of inter-contestant violence. This is especially true for the final round, in which Gi-hun and Sang-woo are allowed to use force to beat the other person—even to their death. It’s about winning the squid game or making it so your opponent can’t win the squid game… or anything else. It’s barbaric and raw and, for a moment, it seems like Gi-hun may succumb to the kind of desperate brutality that has claimed so many in this game.

After an ugly fight, Gi-hun manages to beat Sang-woo to the ground and make his way to the circle drawn in the sand that, should he step inside, would mean his victory and Sang-woo’s death. He almost does it, too—he is so angry with Sang-woo whom, over the course of the game, he has realized is willing to kill in order to secure his victory—but, in the end, human life is worth more to Gi-hun than any sum of money. It’s what Kang Sae-byeok reminded him of right before she died (at Sang-woo’s hand). We all have the capacity to do both good and terrible things. Gi-hun may have a good heart, but, more impressively, he is able to act with it.

This is exactly what Gi-hun does, realizing that he doesn’t have to choose money over human life. One of the three rules in the game allows for the competition to be canceled should a majority agree to end it. The group enacted it after the first round before deciding to re-instate the game shortly after. To the surprise of the VIPs watching from their gilded booth, Gi-hun walks back over to Sang-woo and asks him to leave with him. To end the game. Sang-woo seems to consider it, reaching out for Gi-hun outstretched hand, before he instead takes the dagger buried in the ground next to him and plunges it into his own neck.

Why does Sang-woo do it? Perhaps he is too ashamed of what he has done, both in the arena and outside of it. Or maybe he can’t stand to face his mother and others without the money. Perhaps he does the math and realizes, at this point, the only way to get the money to his mother is to make sure Gi-hun wins it and helps out the woman he’s known since he was a kid. Maybe he’s just tired and traumatized. Probably, it’s all of the above. Whatever the reason, Sang-woo kills himself and Gi-hun wins the game. In the end, though, I think it’s clear that no one actually wins Squid Game.

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Who Dies in Squid Game?

It might be easier to list who doesn’t die. None of the game’s 456 contestants make it out, save for protagonist Gi-hun and old man contestant Oh Il-nam (more on that later). Ali is tricked by Sang-woo into giving all of his marbles in Round Four, and is killed by the soldiers. Han Mi-ryeo succeeds in her promise to kill gangster Jang Deok-su when she grabs onto him and throws them both off of the glass bridge in Round Five. Kang Sae-byeok, the North Korean woman looking to get back to her brother, is killed by Sang-woo in the lead up to the final round.

Notable deaths in the series conclusion that take place outside the arena include Hwang Joon-ho, the police officer who infiltrates Squid Game pretty damn effectively, only to be killed by the Front Man, aka his own brother. And also Gi-hun’s mother, whom Gi-hun finds dead upon returning to his apartment after winning the game. Presumably, she died from complications to her diabetes, which is shown to be very serious in the second episode.

Joon-ho’s Brother: Who is In-ho?

In the eighth episode of the season, “Front Man,” Hwang Joon-ho makes it off of the arena’s island with evidence of the game. He is hunted down by the game’s Front Man and his goons. Joon-ho tries to call for back-up and to send he evidence he has gathered to his police chief, but is unable to due to cell phone poor service. He is cornered on a high, rocky cliff and asked to surrender by the Front Man, who reveals himself to be Joon-ho’s own brother, In-ho.

In Episode 5, “A Fair World,” Joon-ho discovers that his brother was a previous winner of Squid Game—in 2015, five years prior. Somehow, In-ho went from being a winner to being a main controlling force—probably in no small part because, as we see from how Gi-hun responds to winning, it is not easy to get past the extreme trauma of Squid Game. In-ho is so committed to his role as the Front Man that he shoots his own brother, when Joon-ho refuses to surrender to him. Joon-ho, who spent the entire season gathering evidence of Squid Game, falls to the water below, presumably to his death and presumably with all of the evidence he has gathered.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Who Runs Squid Game?

This is a complicated question because we don’t truly understand the scope of Squid Game. When Joon-ho infiltrates the records vault underneath the Front Man’s rooms, he finds evidence of years and years of games like the one we have been watching play out. Discussion amongst the VIPs also suggests that the game is being played in different locations around the world—this could mean that multiple games are happening simultaneously or that they happen throughout the year in different locations. We know from the labels on the (honestly very well organized) records that there are multiple games every year.

Logistically, the Front Man runs the game with the help of the workers, soldiers, and managers—aka the dudes in red coveralls. In the final episode, Oh Il-nam, aka Contestant 001, is revealed to be the Host of the game, and implied to be if not the person who runs the entire gambit, then one of the people who is in charge. He gives more of the game’s backstory from his deathbed…

Why Did Oh Il-nam Play Squid Game?

We find out in Squid Game‘s final episode that Oh Il-nam, the older man Gi-hun befriended in the arena and whom we all thought died in the marbles round, actually survived the Squid Game. This is because he is one of its creators. He chose to play the game after years of watching it because he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor that caused him to reflect on his life. As he tells an understandably very angry Gi-hun from his death bed a year following their Squid Game, he wanted to feel like he did when he was a kid, playing with his friends and losing track of the hours.

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This is pretty fucked up. To Il-nam, the game truly was a game: something to pass the time and make him feel alive when regular life wasn’t doing it for him. Of course, Il-nam wasn’t like any other player. When he lost to Gi-hun, he wasn’t killed. The Front Man may espouse the equality of the game, but it isn’t a fair competition—it’s rigged for the uber elite, just like the outside world. Il-nam’s survival proved that, if it wasn’t already obvious. His desperation wasn’t like the other player’s because he knew exactly what was going on and had an out, not only from the game but from the kinds of desperate situations that the other contestants found themselves in outside the arena.

When Il-nam is dying on Christmas Eve in the corner of a mostly barren office-tower floor, he tells Gi-hun that the very poor and the very rich are the same in that living is no fun for either. Somehow, Gi-hun doesn’t strangle him then and there. He also doesn’t strangle him when Il-nam reveals how Squid Game started: basically, Il-nam and his rich friends were bored and joyless, and decided to create the games as a way to have some fun. This legacy continues with the Squid Games of today, as demonstrated by the VIPs, a group of (seemingly mostly American) rich men who sip whiskey and tell jokes as they watch desperate people die in the game they bet on. To them, human life has lost all meaning, and, because they have an exorbitant amount of wealth (which is to say power), these are the rules others must also play by.

Gi-hun is extraordinary because he refuses to play by those rules. Il-nam tells him that he deserves the money, because that is the logic he and his ilk have lived under—as if anyone deserves the kind of immense privilege that must always be built on others’ exploitation and suffering—but Gi-hun refuses to spend it. Il-nam tells him that no one will stop for the man passed out on the side of the frozen road, and Gi-hun takes that bet. And he wins. What sets Squid Game apart from so many of the stories in this genre is its ability to balance the ruthlessness and injustice inherent in the premise with a stolid belief in the capacity for goodness. The system is rigged for people like Il-nam, who suffers no consequences for his actions. but there will always be people, like Gi-hun and the person who went to get the cops to help the man on the street, who care and who act on that caring.

No doubt this plot twist will be a divisive part of Squid Game discourse. Personally, I could have done without it. Gi-hun’s relationship with Il-nam is one of the best dynamics in the entire show, and one that underscores the series’ central theme of how important it is to value humanity, even when the system you live in does not. Episode 6, “Gganbu,” is the best hour of the entire season in no small part because of how Il-nam and Gi-hun’s contest to the apparent death plays out. To backtrack on that for a final-episode plot twist that doesn’t add much thematically to the story feels like a mistake. That being said, there is enough that works about this scene and episode for Squid Game to remain an overall rewarding watch.

Gong Yoo’s Cameo: Why Does Gi-Hun Change His Mind?

Il-nam’s deathbed confession seems to kickstart Gi-hun’s life. He dyes his hair red like a K-pop idol. He finds Sae-byeok’s brother and leaves the boy (and half of his winnings) with Sang-woo’s mother. Though it seems like Gi-hun intends to return to them following a trip to visit his daughter, who has moved with her mother and stepfather to Los Angeles, this all changes when Gi-un sees something on the subway: the same man (played by Train to Busan‘s Gong Yoo) who recruited him for Squid Game is playing ddakji with a man. Gi-Hun abandons his luggage and dashes to the platform where Gong Yoo’s salesman character is working to recruit another desperate soul. Gong Yoo has already boarded a train by the time Gi-Hun makes it to him, smiling through the glass door. All Gi-hun can do is grab the Squid Game calling card from the latest recruit, and command him not to play the game.

Or is it all Gi-hun can do? When he is on the airbridge to board his plane to LA, he takes out the calling card and dials the number, telling the voice on the other side: “Listen carefully. I’m not a horse. I’m a person. That’s why I want to know who you people are, and how you can do these horrible things to people … It wasn’t a dream. I can’t forgive you for everything you’re doing.” Like the person who stopped to help the man on the street, Gi-hun refuses to accept the status quo, if there is anything at all he can do about it. He has wealth now and, rather than accepting complicity in a horrifying system as a condition of that power, he is risking it all. He is stopping for the man on the street.

The post Squid Game Ending Explained appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[duxhess-kryzewan]

Jealous Satine please!

- Jealousy - 

- Or, 5 times Satine was jealous- 

1. 

Jumping from planet to planet with minimal supplies typically results in them having to, at some point, slip undetected into civilization to procure basic supplies. It always made her uneasy, especially after their attempt of gathering supplies on Draboon ended with a run in with bounty hunters. It seemed no matter where they went someone was always right on their tail. 

The market place was crowded, which allowed them to blend in rather seamlessly. Obi-Wan took charge of gathering what they would need - she was getting better at living hand to mouth, but he was still much more adept at knowing what to get - and she busied herself with looking at the various stalls. Once upon a time she would have been able to indulge in the various goods.

She glances around in search for Obi-Wan (straying too far from him made her a bit nervous) and finally spotted him chatting with on of the stall workers.

She had only managed a few steps in his direction before the wide smile on his face stopped her dead in her tracks. 

The girl was young, perhaps just a year shy of Satine's age, her dark skin in stark contrast with the paleness of the rest of the shop owners around her. She was laughing at something Obi-Wan had said, elbows propped up on the counter as she leans dangerously close to him and in an instant she can feel anger bubbling in the pit of her stomach. 

The girl reaching out and touching out and touching his hand was the last straw. 

"Ben," She says, marching over in his direction, "Are you ready to go?"

Obi-Wan looks surprised at her question, clearly he had not been expecting her to be so eager to leave so soon.

"If you are," He says lightly, "I was just getting the last of the things we need."

The girl  - who was alarmingly much prettier up close - bats her eyes at the young Jedi and it only served to infuriate Satine more. 

Normally she would never crass, she was raised in nobility after all, but she can't bring herself to care as she reaches out and briskly grabs hold of Obi-Wans hand. It was perhaps a bit distasteful for her to so publicly stake her claim on him, but she was no Duchess in this world.

"I'm ready." 

The girl looks suddenly dejected as they walk away, and while Satine almost never act that way towards another person, she can't bring herself to care as she all but drags Obi-Wan through the market, hand still gripping his tightly.  _____

2. 

Obi-Wan was, in her opinion, one of the better looking men to have ever graced her presence. It wasn't hard for her to understand why some of the unknowing women across their time on the run were utterly taken with him, even if he was too innocent to realize it. 

That said, strangers were one thing, but a member of Sundari Palace was different. 

Of course her safe return had been filled with everyone needing her direct attention. The aftermath of civil warfare was not easily navigated and it took away what little time she and Obi-Wan had left before he was due to return to the temple, but she tried to sneak away when she could. 

She managed to avoid her guards long enough to slip away unnoticed and head towards their normal meeting place in the gardens. It was the most secluded area they could sneak off too without being seen and she would be lying if she said the thrill of getting caught didn't make it even more exciting. 

She glances out on of the ornate windows that overlooks the grounds, hoping to spot him before making her way down, but was greeted with a sight that sent a wave of jealousy through her. 

There gathered around her Jedi was a group of handmaidens and advisors, all staring dreamily at him while he holds his lightsaber in hand. No doubt they were all smitten with his boyish charm and warrior ways. She could understand, but the gaggle of girls were cutting into their time and what little they had left. 

She huffs. Yes, she would certainly find something for them to do that was far, far away form her Jedi knight. _____

​3.

Satine had her fair share of jealous moments in her youth; what young girl doesn't? Especially when they involved the first person she ever loved. 

But now that she was older, with a few more years experience with controlling her emotions and learning what really is and isn't worth getting upset over. When it came to her relationship with Obi-Wan, or whatever it was one would classify their entanglement as, she came to understand that other women really didn't pose any sort of threat. After all, he barely had the courage to conduct any illicit affairs with her much less another woman. 

That said, she didn't realize that she would at times have to fight for him to take some time away from his former Padawan. 

"You're back awfully late." She commented when he finally entered her Coruscant apartment.

"My apologies," He says, draping his cloak on the back of her couch, "Anakin had required my help."

It takes her a bit of self control not to roll her eyes, "Yes, so you've said."

​Its a bit harsh on her part to be so detached, but their time together is always too short and she would be leaving Coruscant soon. Anakin got to have him almost everyday, why couldn't she be given a measly few hours of that time?

"Are you alright Satine?" Obi-Wan asks, and instantly her jealousy is mixed with guilt. Always so well meaning even when he was neglectful. 

"Perfectly fine." She answer, glancing over to him, "Tomorrow is my last day here."

Some selfish part of her feels relieved at his dejected expression. It gives her at least some peace of mind knowing that he would miss her when she's gone. Still, she can't help but envy how much time Skywalker gets with him. 

"I'm aware." He says lightly. Clearly he had picked up on her sour mood. 

"Are you going to spend the last few hours I have here or at the temple?" 

Despite her best efforts to sound unbothered she slips up in tone for just a second and she knows that he undoubtedly picked up on it.

"Here, I should think." He answers. 

Finally she turns to face him and takes his hand gently in her own. 

"You better." ___________

4.

Siri Tachi was a name she was quite familiar with despite never have actually having met the woman.

Obi-Wan had spoken of her in the past; about the fight they had originally gotten into before they were even chosen to be padawans to the times they spent back and forth saving each others life. Obi-Wan had respected her, recalling how she was exceptionally strong with the force and was just as lethal as she was introspective. Satine had known even back when they were on the run that Siri was someone he held in high regard.

Though she hadn't proof at the time, she suspected that perhaps they were once even more than friends, though Obi-Wan had gone on to assure her that there was nothing between them other than mutual respect.

And perhaps that was true on Obi-Wans part, but after seeing Siri and him in person together she certainly couldn't say the same from the other woman. 

Now that the galaxy had declared peace, she was able to visit Coruscant more often than not. Visiting Padme was always her excuse, and no one batted an eye at her sneaking off late in the evening to see her friend. Of course, she ended up with Obi-Wan more often than not. 

But here they were, gathered at the Senate building where Bail Organa had organized a dinner party, the few Jedi he was familiar with invited along with Satine and of course, Siri Tachi.

Satine had to admit, the woman was beautiful, with her dark blonde locks and pale eyes. She was a bit younger than Satine had expect, at least two to three years below Obi-Wan. And maybe Obi-Wan really was as oblivious as she liked to think or maybe he was too polite to indulge her, but there was no mistaking the way that Siri Tachi was staring at him. She would know that look anywhere. After all, its the way she looks at him too and it stirs up something in the pit of her stomach.

"Having a nice time?" 

He finally broke away from his conversation with Siri to approach her., something she wish he would have done sooner. But she understands; she'll never be able to have any public claim on him. That doesn't mean she has to like another woman who clearly has feelings for Obi-Wan occupying all of his time. 

"Of course," She says, "Bail does know how to throw a party. I think it's lovely of him to invite some of your fellow Jedi, rarely do I see any of them aside from you and Anakin."

There's a bit of puzzlement in his eyes though he doesn't vocalize it aloud, "It was very kind of him to extent the invitation."

"Your friend from earlier," She finds herself saying against her better judgment, "That's Siri, is it not? I remember you mentioning her before."

He nods hesitantly, "It is. We haven't seen much of one another since the war started."

Satine takes a healthy sip of the wine in her hands before speaking, "You two seem rather close."

"We're friends," He confirms skeptically, "We've known each other since we were younglings."/

Satine spares a glimpse across the room in Siri's direction and finds her stealing glances at the Jedi master, much to his unawareness. Part of her pities the other Jedi, she understands just how easy it is to fall for Obi-Wan, and the other part resents her for it. 

"Just friends?" She presses, and she can all but see the dots suddenly connecting in Obi-Wans head of what she was hinting at.

"Are you jealous, Satine?" He asks lowly, because truthfully this was not a conversation to be having in the presence of so many witnesses. 

"Should I be?" She retorts.

His confused expression shifts into amusement, "Who would have thought the poised and proper Duchess of Mandalore would be jealous of anyone."

She glares, "I’m not jealous. I’m simply pointing out the fact that your fellow Jedi master seems absolutely smitten with you, whether you know it or not.”

He spares a glance Siri’s way, who quickly averts her eyes and goes back to her conversation with Ahsoka when he does.

“Siri is a valued friend and ally,” He says quietly, “Anything more than that is purely on her side of things.”

Another mouthful of wine was her only response because really, she knows its silly of her to be concerned that Obi-Wan was anything less than honest.

“Satine,” He leans a bit closer than propriety would dictate to whisper in her ear, “You haven’t a reason in the galaxy to think I have eyes for anyone but you in this room.” _____

5.

She plops down on her - their - bed with a huff. He hadn’t so much as said five words to her since the arrival of her guest and it was driving her mad. 

Was it a preposterous reason to be upset? Absolutely. Did it stop her from feeling such? Certainly not. 

Of course the entire visit was by surprise. She had specifically arranged her schedule around his brief leave in order to spend the day with him only for someone else to snatch away his attention at the last second. It wasn’t even particularly anyones fault, but that fact alone wasn’t enough to prevent her from feeling so dejected. 

“Going to bed so soon?”

His voice startles her. She had been so deep in her own thoughts that she hadn’t even noticed he had occupied the empty space of the doorway.

“I am rather tired.” She says with a shrug, “And tomorrow I’m to sit in with the Senator meeting. You know how much that takes out of me.”

He grins and makes his way to sit beside her on the bed. 

“I haven’t seen you much today.” He comments, bringing a hand up to rub soothingly across her back. The sensation of his touch sent a spark through her and sometimes she wonders if that electricity everytime they touch would ever fade. She certainly hoped not.

“Well, you’ve been rather preoccupied with our guest. I didn’t want to intrude.”

In an uncharacteristic move, he rolls his eyes at her.

“Leia is a toddler Satine, she requires a bit more attention than you or I. Besides, I thought you loved to see the children.”

She matches his eye roll with a glare, “I do love those children, though I also appreciate a bit of notice before Padme and Anakin drop them off on the one free day I arranged for you and I to spend time together.”

Obi-Wan, bemused by her words, smiles adoringly, “Well I hardly think they planned for Luke to get sick today, and we did tell them that anytime they needed us all they had to do was ask.”

Satine slumps her shoulders a bit. He’s right of course, they had said that, she in particular emphasizing it to the couple once upon a time. Oh how she wished she could take back those words some days.

“I know,” She relents, “It’s not anyones fault, and you know I love Leia as if she were my own, though she does have a preference for you I have to say. Why do you think she was clinging on you for the entirety of the day? She would have thrown a fit if I intruded on her play time with her favorite uncle.”

He smiles widely at her and she can’t help but smile too. Yes, it was beyond silly for her to be jealous of a toddler and the undivided attention that Obi-Wan gave her. It was simply just a matter of bad timing. 

“A fair point my dear, I see why you kept your distance at times. Best not disturb a behaving child,” He leans forward and presses a kiss to her temple, lips lingering a bit longer than necessary, “But I think she’s asleep for the night. Perhaps I can use the last remaining hours of the day to make it up to you?”

She grins, “I suppose I’ll allow it.”

He leans forward and kisses her deeply and all the worries from the day suddenly disappear under his touch.  

[poepoe-thebunny]

Damien The Littlest Brother

Or: Stuff Damian does with his siblings.

Dick

Dick in some ways was another form of idolization for Damian. Damian was so very young when they first met, younger still when Ra's and the league sunk their teeth into his heart and tried their best to tear it to shreds. Dick's role, part sibling part guardian, was the first major form of stability Damian had. Little Damian had been born with the mythos of The Bat hanging overhead, and the hope of measuring up to first his grandfather's and then his father's standards had nearly broken him.

Like a lot of children Damian didn't necessarily understand or appreciate what Dick was trying to do for him until he was older. But just like other children Damian clung to the emotional support and care Dick gave him, the care he had so often been deprived of.

Damian wasn't necessarily there for the events that shaped Dick and the rest of their family, but he is growing up in the aftereffects of it. Dick chose to give Damian the love he deserved, Dick chose not to punish a child for the situation he was born into. But Dick isn't perfect. He loses his temper, he gets frustrated, he gets things wrong, he makes mistakes, he bleeds. Dick, at least initially, was real and human in a way Bruce wasn't to a little boy who already had his future decided for him.

While he may not admit it, Damian looks up to Dick because in a lot of ways Dick is a better person than most. Dick is a good man, a better man than Bruce in some ways. He shows Damian what a hero actually is, and that the concept of being a hero isn't tied to the suit. Dick shows Damian that he can and is a good person, that he can make those decisions for himself and that his own emotional needs are not anything to be ashamed of. Damian is a boy first, not a weapon.

So Damian leans into his affection. There are shared naps after patrol, and days out getting ice cream or going to the zoo. Damian wakes a tired Dick up with a pillow to the face, and pillow fights and laughter ensues. Dick comes along to the school showcases, where an embarrassed Damian has pictures and paintings of their family up for all to see. He never once mocks Damian's desires, instead listening with seriousness to every moment of Damian's vulnerability.

That's what sticks with Damian the most. That Dick wholeheartedly believes Damian is a good person, that Damian can be good and kind and soft. He sees Damian fumble with his cool demeanor, growing shy and embarrassed when chatting with students his own age. Damian knows the names of most of his classmates, takes down random details that shouldn't be important to a stranger "We're NOT friends Grayson," but Damian talks to the youngest students about animals, and how to properly hold puppies. Damian has lists of underfunded animal shelters and regularly sends them to Bruce and Tim when preparations for the Wayne Foundation charity events come up. Damian knows most of the officers in Bludhaven since he occasionally stops by with something for Dick, a late lunch or hot drink or Dick's spare clothes in case he needs out of his police uniform. After many coos, head pats and cheek pinches, Damian is occasionally "babysat" by some of them while Dick is out on patrol of the police variety. He does not realize how much he has charmed Dick's co-workers, talking about his pets or his brothers.

Dick is the kind of hero, the kind of person, Damian was told wasn't real. That heroes were childish nonsense, that mercy and love were weak. The concept that someone could love him, that he was deserving of love instead of being forced to earn it, was foreign. But Dick Grayson was all of that. So Damian puts up less and less of a fight over the silly pictures they take together. Dick buys books about animals, and Damian grudgingly wears the cute stupid animal ear headbands Dick buys him. While part of Damian knows he won't be, the part that viciously beats "heroes" and "love" and "ice cream" back with a vengeance, another part of Damian, a very small fragile part, thinks that maybe if he grew up becoming like Dick Grayson the Person (TM) it wouldn't be so bad. "Awww thanks Dami!"

Jason:

Next to Tim, the Cain Instincts are strongest with Jason. Jason is constantly ruffling his hair, calling him names, and sitting on him. Jason does not give a single iota of a damn for any sort of authority except Alfred. Jason is not afraid of Damian.

So when Damian latches onto Jason's neck ready to strangle him, he laughs like it's the best thing he's ever seen, and a wrestling match ensues. They bond over it, over the goading and the competition.

They bond over books too, over stories and musicals and words Damian shouldn't care about but he does. Damian says he's too old for fairy tales even though he never had them to begin with, never had stories told when tucked into bed unless it was for a harsh life lesson. And yet Damian will find books as gifts for Jason, and Jason will read them aloud after Damian annoys him by pressing his feet into Jason's side. He swears up and down that the exaggerated voices and accented narration from Jason are done purely to annoy him. Damian constantly interrupts him, always asking questions and Jason tells him to shut up and be patient, "learn to listen demon brat."

They watch Disney and Ghibli, Laika and Illumination, and after a very enlightening conversation with one Tim Drake, Jason introduces Damian to theater. From Antigone to Romeo and Juliet, from West Side Story to Hadestown to Heathers the Musical. Bruce has walked in on them recreating various iconic sword fights too many times to count, quoting lines while dressed in blanket robes and crowns made of craft feathers and stick on jewels. Alfred thorough enjoys their riveting performances.

Like a lion teaching his cubs through play, Jason teaches him that he's never too mature for anything and screw anyone else who doesn't like it. Jason teaches him fun in a way Damian never allowed himself to have before, to look past his mission, and do things for enjoyment. He teaches Damian defiance and rebellion, two very important things for him to learn even if it's only interrupting rude rich people and disagreeing with his father over whether he needs to attend another gala.

Damian and Jason have a strange relationship, and initially aren't quite sure how to act around one another. Such large parts of their identity and experiences were formed by an indirect overlapping influence. Jason's death and the effect it had on the family and how they treat Damian, Jason's time with the league and the lazarus pit. But at the same time they understand each other in a way some of their other siblings don't. The strength and struggle in establishing their independence and identity means that their grudging respect turns into fondness with time.

Tim:

It appears that Cain Instincts don't particularly care if one is related or not, given the sheer amount of times Tim and Damian are at each other's throats initially. But with time they settle and grow more comfortable with each other, the words turn from anger to a grumbly sort of discontent, like irritated puppy's more than anything.

They bond over pride. They bond over failure. The two aren't that different really. They've seen each other at their worst. Missions with too many close calls, where the knife wounds cut too close and the bullets bit to deep, when the snap of Gotham's jaw came to close to closing over them and the only thing saving Gotham's Rogues from the collective wrath of two angry Robin's was the weight of their family's morals.

They had to learn to trust each other. But they do.

The insults are more to fill the silence, partially affection and partially with the need to annoy. They watch reruns of Star Trek and play Legend of Zelda in pajama pants (Tim) and hoody's (Damian), half draped over each other with his feet in Tim's lap. When Damian couldn't find one to his satisfaction, he gifted Tim a new skateboard with his own hand drawn and painted design. He sends a video to the family group chat of him laughing when Tim faceplants.

They are the DEFINITION of annoying to each other. Damian chucks clothes at Tim to make him shower, they get into slap fights over breakfast, they sneer at each other's drinks. "With all the coffee it's no wonder you don't grow Drake," While handing a sick Tim herbal tea for his throat.

It's an underlying trust that rarely needs to be affirmed. But when it does Damian won't hesitate to let his opinion be known. Whether it be high school bullies mocking his gangly brother, reporters trying to pit the "blood son" against the "Boy CEO", or shady members of the Gotham elite with too much interest in his family and his company, Damian's blunt attitude comes back with a vengeance. There will be no Wayne Charm, no shop talk, no backhanded compliments, when Damian Wayne gets between them and his brother. It's "I trust my brother," and "No business with the likes of you," or even "When I said you two weren't on the same level, I meant that you were the incompetent one."

Tim always tries to scold him, tells him he shouldn't be petty, I can protect myself demon, but he smiles while he says it.

Stephanie

She teases him mercilessly, will smile sweetly while "blackmailing" him and challenges him to do things he has never done before. Damian won't admit he enjoys any of it even upon threat of death. She's loud, annoying, and demanding and unapologetically so and Damian is convinced she was dropped on her head as a child. Stephanie is his sister and he loves her as a younger brother would, hurling insults at each other while fighting over french fries drinking smoothies in some fast food restaurant at 2 in the afternoon on a day out.

What strikes him about Stephanie is that she demands respect because she knows on a fundamental level that she deserves it, that all of her hard work was her own and she knew she could do it even when everyone else thought she didn't belong. As he grows Damian comes not only to admire her, but finds this a very important lesson to learn for himself.

Stephanie pushes him, she encourages him even if it's hidden under mutually shared insults. On days where she "babysits him" (she does not, Damian tells himself he doesn't need a babysitter he doesn't) she's perfectly happy to work on their motorcycles together, or have random picnics in the park with bags of fast food, or challenge him to rounds of ping pong. They learn eventually that they make a very good team together. Either destroying Tim and Jason in video games, the occasional local ping pong or DDR tournament when visiting Gotham U, or spur of the moment plans in a night time fight. Stephanie is crazy enough to believe it will work, and Damian is crazy enough to believe Stephanie will follow.

Stephanie understands what it feels like to constantly have to justify yourself, to be told you can't measure up and that you're place isn't here, even though you know it is. To have the weight of your family's decisions hanging overhead for the judgment of others.

So they learn to love each other through healthy competition and teasing remarks. Stephanie shoos him off to "talk to kids your own age, don't be so serious!". It's normal, in some ways the closest to normal Damian has had in a long time. And though they won't say it out loud, it's nice to know someone else agrees that they are entitled to these moments of happiness, these moments they were stripped of and denied for so long. They believe in each other and their right to happiness. Damian will never doubt Stephanie's strength, as spoiler or Batgirl or robin or Stephanie, and in return she will never doubt him or his place in their family.

...

Even if that means trying to escape when she wants to play dress up. "I am not your doll Brown," "Fine fine, whatever you say short stack."

Cass:

The moments between Damian and Cass are silent, but if you believe nothing is said then you are entirely wrong. They speak to each other quite often even if they don't use words.

He watches her dance, and thinks she is so strong. Damian swears she could have been a princess in another life, if life had not sunk its fangs in and poisoned her with pain instead. Just as he would have been a prince. While he initially tried to hide it, Cass always knew he was there. Damian watches her. Damian hears her words, her joy and her tears, and puts it down on to charcoal and paper. I hear you, and he shows them to her, how her form litters his pages as she pats his head. There is, Damian thinks, a poetic irony in seeing something so dangerous create something so beautiful. She is art and deserves to be heard, and Damian is grateful that she hears him too. He lets her look at pages of charcoal and ink, at canvases of paint full of everything Damian can't put into words quite yet, and finds understanding.

But while he is a Wayne, he was an Al Ghul at one point and his mother gave him the training every prince should have, skills beyond his sword. So one day, as she stretches, he brings in a case and sets it down with a clunk. He tunes the strings and plays Tomaso Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor, as she watches him with eyes that understand far too much, eyes that say I know, I hear you baby brother. Damian almost wishes she didn't, partially due to the struggle of his own pride, but also because no one should ever have to understand that kind of pain.

Moments with Cass are quiet, but they are never silent. Cass teaches him understanding, helps teach him empathy. And while Damian knows he can never dance the way she can, he can play and sketch and paint and between them their secrets can no longer be secrets. Cass doesn't teach him how to feel ,no, he's always been too good at that. Instead she teaches him ways to coax them out when the words won't come, to look around him with the wonder he wasn't allowed to have before, to let him be defined by a different set of skills that shows he can create something beautiful too.

Duke:

Damien thinks Duke is "cool", like the kind of cool you see in movies and TV shows, the average teenage boys in jeans and sneakers who fight for the underdog and stand up to bullies in a 3-on-1 fight even if they know they won't win. There is a conviction in Duke that rivals Damian's own, and Damian can't help but admire someone willing to strike out on their own and do something when they felt others were failing.

Duke is "Chill" as Jason likes to say, he's low pressure and not pushy in a way that Damian appreciates. He's calm, not in the stoic way of some of the others, but in a way that doesn't put Damian out of his comfort zone with expectations.

Time spent with Duke often consists of puzzles and card games, or movies. Duke is very good at using Damian's own pride against him to "trick" him into playing, but together they do everything from DnD to Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters. It's relaxing.

Duke tells him about school and if Damian is having trouble with the more normal things of being a tween, like worrying whether other kids like him, or wearing something embarrasing, Duke brings him out of his own head. Duke plays along with his competitive nature, challenging him to races the few times they patrol together. He finds Damian outside drawing, and teaches him soccer. Other times they sit there together, Duke writing whatever comes to mind while Damian sketches. Damian gifts Duke a detailed portrait of himself; standing in the center of the crowded streets, body spliced into neat clockwork-style segments with patches of his Signal uniform, the red jacket from his time in the "We R Robin" crew, his sports uniforms, and casual clothing, the bright light of his powers bursting from within in a halo under the Gotham smog. He is Gotham's daylight protector, unique and gifted, and Damian respects that.

It's not easy, Damian is still young and cocky, still isn't very good at saying what he feels. But Duke sees right through his attempts to play it off, and it's always met with head pats and a "Whatever you say lil' D." Damian won't say it out loud but he thinks that the sheer conviction Duke has for doing what's right bleeds into every aspect of him, and that maybe with time it will do the same for himself. Damian admires his strength of will and determination, and the work Duke is willing to put in to get what he wants.

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Global defense spending (Foreign Policy) Global defense spending increased in 2020, despite a sharp downturn in the global economy, according to an annual report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Overall spending reached nearly $2 trillion, a 2.6 percent increase from the 2019 figure. Defense budgets in the Middle East fell by 6.5 percent, helped by a 10 percent cut by Saudi Arabia. The five biggest spenders—the United States, China, India, Russia, and the United Kingdom—all increased their defense spending in 2020.

Canadians avoiding hotel quarantines for air travellers fuel taxi boom on U.S. border (Reuters) U.S. taxi and limousine services are seeing a boom in business from customers seeking to enter Canada by land to avoid a restriction on international travel that applies only to air traffic. While both Canadian land and air travellers are required to take a test within three days of departure, and again on arrival, only those flying to Canada must spend up to three days of the country’s 14-day required quarantine period in a hotel. That has led to a surge of calls for taxi and limousine services from Canadians who fly through U.S. airports in states like New York and then cross over the land border. A taxi trip across the border can cost around $200 or $250 compared with a three-day hotel stay of more than C$1,200 ($961), Canadian travel insurance broker Martin Firestone said. With the Canada-U.S. land border mostly closed for more than a year due to the pandemic, and overall tourism down, the recent surge in business has come as a relief to some struggling taxi operators. Some Canadians ask to be driven home, while others take rides to the border, cross on foot and get another ride in Canada, drivers said.

Armed Groups Step Into Venezuela as Lawlessness Grows (NYT) They bring drinking water to residents in the arid scrublands, teach farming workshops and offer medical checkups. They mediate land disputes, fine cattle rustlers, settle divorces, investigate crimes and punish thieves. They’re not police officers, civil servants or members of the Venezuela government, which has all but disappeared from this impoverished part of the country. Quite the opposite: They belong to one of Latin America’s most notorious rebel groups, considered terrorists by the United States and the European Union for carrying out bombings and kidnappings over decades of violence. Venezuela’s economic collapse has so thoroughly gutted the country that insurgents have embedded themselves across large stretches of its territory, seizing upon the nation’s undoing to establish mini-states of their own. And far from fleeing in fear or demanding to be rescued by the authorities, many residents here in Venezuela’s borderlands—hungry, hunted by local drug gangs and long complaining of being abandoned by their government—have welcomed the terrorist group for the kind of protection and basic services the state is failing to provide. The insurgents “are the ones who brought stability here,” said Ober Hernández, an Indigenous leader on the Guajira peninsula next to Colombia. “They brought peace.”

Peru’s election (Foreign Policy) Left-wing candidate Pedro Castillo is heavily favored by Peru’s electorate ahead of the country’s June 6 presidential runoff, according to a recent poll; 41.5 percent of respondents backed Castillo in the Instituto de Estudios Peruanos survey, with his challenger Keiko Fujimori receiving only 21.5 percent support. Decisions surrounding the economy seemed to drive support for Castillo, with more than half of those expressing support for him saying they would support a total change to the country’s economic system. There is still a chance that the vote could be competitive: 34.7 percent of those surveyed wanted neither candidate or were undecided.

E.U. Set to Let Vaccinated U.S. Tourists Visit This Summer (NYT) American tourists who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to visit the European Union over the summer, the head of the bloc’s executive body said in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday, more than a year after shutting down nonessential travel from most countries to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The fast pace of vaccination in the United States, and advanced talks between authorities there and the European Union over how to make vaccine certificates acceptable as proof of immunity for visitors, will enable the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, to recommend a switch in policy that could see trans-Atlantic leisure travel restored. “The Americans, as far as I can see, use European Medicines Agency-approved vaccines,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said Sunday in an interview with The Times in Brussels. “This will enable free movement and the travel to the European Union. She added that resumption of travel would depend “on the epidemiological situation, but the situation is improving in the United States, as it is, hopefully, also improving in the European Union.”

Italy’s Problem With School Dropouts Goes From Bad to Worse in Pandemic (NYT) Even before the pandemic, Italy had among the worst dropout rates in the European Union, and the southern city of Naples was particularly troubled by high numbers. When the coronavirus hit, Italy shuttered its schools more than just about all the other European Union member states, with especially long closures in the Naples region, pushing students out in even higher numbers. While it is too early for reliable statistics, principals, advocates and social workers say they have seen a sharp increase in the number of students falling out of the system. The impact on an entire generation may be one of the pandemic’s lasting tolls. Italy closed its schools—fully or in part—for 35 weeks in the first year of the pandemic—three times longer than France, and more than Spain or Germany. And experts say that by doing so, the country, which has Europe’s oldest population and was already lagging behind in critical educational indicators, has risked leaving behind its youth, its greatest and rarest resource for a strong post-pandemic recovery.

Virus ‘swallowing’ people in India; crematoriums overwhelmed (AP) With life-saving oxygen in short supply, families are left on their own to ferry people sick with COVID-19 from hospital to hospital in search of treatment as India is engulfed in a devastating surge of infections. Too often, their efforts end in mourning. On social media and in television footage, desperate relatives plead for oxygen outside hospitals or weep in the street for loved ones who died waiting for treatment. For the fourth straight day, India on Sunday set a global daily record of new coronavirus infections, spurred by an insidious new variant that emerged here. The surge has undermined the government’s premature claims of victory over the pandemic. The unfolding crisis is most visceral in India’s overwhelmed graveyards and crematoriums, and in heartbreaking images of gasping patients dying on their way to hospitals due to lack of oxygen. Burial grounds in the capital New Delhi are running out of space. Bright, glowing funeral pyres light up the night sky in other badly hit cities.

In leaked audio, Iran’s foreign minister laments interference by Revolutionary Guards (Washington Post) In leaked audio recordings made public Sunday, Iran’s foreign minister complained about interference by the Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran’s diplomatic affairs, including efforts to undermine the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. The audio, which was released by the London-based Iran International news channel, came from a three-hour interview with the foreign minister, Mohammed Javad Zarif, that the channel said was conducted in March. Taken together, Zarif’s unvarnished comments and the fact the audio had leaked, highlighted the sharpening public rivalries within Iran’s political circles, as Tehran engages with global powers in a fresh attempt to revive the nuclear deal, and as Iranian elections approach. The leaked conversation was the latest salvo in what has become an increasingly caustic domestic Iranian debate over the nuclear deal, pitting “pragmatists” represented by Rouhani against a conservative camp wary of any engagement with the West. The factional fights are not a secret in Iran, which hosts political debates that are more expansive and vigorous than most countries in the Middle East.

[jonathanvik]

Starlight Dream - Chapter 1

The slop squelched onto Seina's plate. Pieces of her dinner splashed onto her plain blue dress, staining it. Not that the server cared, glaring at her to keep moving. The workers only had two twenty-minute breaks in their thirteen-hour day. The servers tolerated no dillydallying, especially from rambunctious young girls like her.

Seina kept her head down and kept moving, else she draw more attention to herself. She'd have to spend some time before bed cleaning it. By rule, the higher-ups allowed the workers only one outfit.

Her parents waved her over, and Seina joined them. Before the darkness, her father had worked at an insurance firm as a salaryman. Years of hard labor and ill nutrition had left him gaunt and bony, losing most of his hair during the process. Despite this, he kept a positive attitude. Her father never stopped smiling, always saying there was a silver lining behind anything. Seina wasn't sure what silver lining existed to a life with a 78-hour workweek of menial labor, and being fed food even dogs would be reluctant to eat. Still, she appreciated the encouragement.

"Oh dear, did you receive a stain, Seina?" Seina's mother said as she approached the grimy rusty table her family sat around. While somewhat plain, the matronly woman wore a face people instinctively trusted. "I'll ask around to see if I can get an extra detergent ration. Can't have the taskmasters seeing my daughter walk around in soiled clothes." Like her father, her mother was also always smiling. It made Seina feel guilty for being miserable most days.

Not that they really had days anymore. Thick smoke covered the sky, making even the sunniest days hazy and ugly. The masters' power had ensured the sun would never shine again.

Seina gave the nearest taskmaster a nervous sideways glance. Pointed teeth glistened from under his lips, marking him as the monster he was. She gave him a respectful nod, not showing an ounce of disrespect. She'd seen people staked for less. Their boss enjoyed twisting people into grotesque art pieces to mock their human workers. For the majority of Seina's ten-year existence, vampires had dominated the world.

Somehow, Seina got her stomach to agree with the slop they'd served her. Her parents weren't as picky, happily sipping away at their meal. After another tentative bite, an interruption caught her attention, making her blood turn cold. A high-ranking vampire had entered their eating area, a black silk cape flowing behind him. They were never a good sign.

"Attention. The Dark Lord is looking for volunteers for tonight's entertainment, and you're the lucky bunch, 2-B!" The man gave them a cruel smile. "Come this way. I'd advise not to keep Master Lothaire waiting."

Fear rooted Seina's feet in place, knowing the likely fate which awaited them. She'd seen it often enough. Master Lothaire loved making them watch his entertainments. Her father put a comforting hand on her shoulder, wearing a bright smile.

"Don't worry dear. Most groups come back alive afterward. They can't afford to kill entire scores of us. They'll pick a few and leave the rest alone."

Her mother nodded in agreement, also wearing a wide, encouraging smile. "He's right, Seina. I better take care of that stain. Have to look our best for the vampire lord! How's my hair look?"

"Just smashing honey!" Her father replied. "You'll knock them dead!"

Her mother blushed. "Stop it!"

While not as optimistic, Seina got her feet moving. She joined the others in her workgroup towards Master Lothaire's favorite colosseum, allowing the head vampire to shackle her.

"What a dreary place!" Colten said, examining the strange new world he'd found himself in. He flew high into the smoky area, examining everything with interest. What a terrible place to find himself. The people looked shabby, dressed in rags. Their living conditions seemed little better. Most buildings were either dilapidated or empty. The fear behind the human's eyes broke his tiny heart. Something terrible had happened here.

As he scanned his surroundings, something caught his eye. Were those people in chains? Dark creatures were guiding their captives towards one of the few well-maintained buildings in the city. It was a massive dome-like building and, unlike most structures, had bright flashing lights. From the captive's expressions, most believed they were going to die. It shocked him to see children among them.

Colten screamed in frustration. What could he do? His power was limited, drained from his trip, and he was only a tiny fairy. Dark energy spilled from the people's captors. They were powerful creatures of pure darkness. The evil intensified when he looked towards the shining dome. He sensed great malice there.

"Darn it!" He looked towards the scared people again and made a decision. Moments later, he flew towards the colosseum, praying he could do something.

People packed the stadium. They bumped and jostled Seina as she attempted to walk through them. Master Lothaire must have called everyone in the Osaka district to attend his games. The vampire elite were jeering and having fun, watching the helpless, terrified humans with amusement. One grabbed a random passerby, and Seina looked away, not wishing to see what happened next. She'd heard and seen enough to know the rest.

The entire building was a testament to the master of humanity's power. Statues of people wearing expressions of agonizing pain decorated the walls. Rumors said they were actual people, turned to stone through a vampire's power during their death throes and maybe even still suffering. The details on them gave some unsettling credence to this theory.

Soon they reached a large circular room with countless bleachers, each occupied by a vampire eager for tonight's festivities. Master Lothaire himself sat on a throne of ivory, looking down upon his domain from the balcony. The vampire lord was handsome beyond words, taking Seina's breath away, despite knowing his true monstrous nature. The proof hung around his neck. He wore a necklace of skulls, each of a world leader he'd killed after taking their country for his own. In the throne beside him sat Lilha, his queen. She also shared her husband's inhuman beauty, only her eyes betrayed her lack of humanity, and Seina shivered when they shared a glance. She was only a toy Lilha would enjoy before throwing away.

"Welcome, friends!" Master Lothaire said. Despite not raising his voice, Seina could hear him despite the distance. "Tonight marks the fifth anniversary of my conquest of the world. In honor of that victory, I've provided entertainment and games for all to enjoy. Eat, drink, and be merry! For this kingdom will last a thousand years and beyond!" The vampire crowd broke into uproarious cheering and applause.

Seina's legs shook. This was worse than she'd first suspected. The odds of survival seemed almost impossible. She calmed down somewhat when her father put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, we'll get through this." Her father said, wearing a warm smile.

"Our first entertainment will be a favorite of mine, a battle to the death!" Master Lothaire said, continuing. "Against your favorite and mine, Dreven the Unkillable!"

Bar doors opened in the fighter's pit, revealing a shirtless vampire. Unlike most of his kind, this vampire had a powerfully built body, seeming more alive than his undead kin. He played to the crowd, who gave him cheers and tossed him decayed flowers.

_Wow, Dreven the Unkillable. I feel sorry for anyone who's going to face him. He's never lost a fight, ever. _Wasn't his win count eight thousand to zero or something?

"And his opponent will be a volunteer from worker group 2-B!" Master Lothaire said, surprising Seina out of her pondering.

_This is so bad! _That meant someone she'd know for most of her life would soon die. It was too horrible to even consider. The girls in her division openingly wept, almost terrified beyond reason. Uncle Kenji offered brave words, but they fell on deaf ears.

"No need to rush." A vampire dressed like a cheesy announcer, complete with a tacky polka-dot bow tie, said. "But if you don't volunteer soon, there will be consequences."

The captive humans remained silent, too frightened to do anything. The vampire announcer's annoyance grew by the moment.

"Still no response? Oh well." The announcer shrugged. "I'll make it easier for you. The fighter will come from chapter D. That simplifies things. You better choose quickly, or you will all die in one minute."

D? That was Seina's division. No, please no. Anything but that. Usually, divisions had five people, but 2-B was missing two. One died of exhaustion last week, and the other suffered a terrible mining accident.

It was too horrible to consider. Would this mean that... Seina yelped in surprise as someone pushed her forward, howling in pain as she landed face-first on the fighter's pit floor. She spat after getting some dirt into her mouth.

"Well, well! Looks like we have a volunteer!" The announcer said. The crowd burst into laughter.

"What? No!" Seina's eyes widened in horror. What had just happened? Who pushed her? She looked up to see her father with a hand extended outward.

"Dad?" Seina said, too stunned for words.

"Sorry honey, but it was either you or us!" Her father replied.

"Don't worry, Seina. We'll always remember you!" Her mother added.

"W-what?"

"We'll be sorry to see you go. But don't worry, we'll have a new daughter in your honor!" Her father continued.

Her mother gave an emphatic nod. "Yes, Seina is a beautiful name. I'm sure she'll love it!"

Seina just stared, unable to believe what just happened. The crowd broke into more laughter and cheers, and the vampire king gave a nod of approval.

"Silly child," Lothaire said. "Haven't you listened to my teachings? In this world, it's kill or be killed. Love is only a weakness. Your parents were right to sacrifice you."

"Yep, sorry dear, but he's right!" Her father said, nodding in agreement. "You should have known."

"Hopefully, the new Seina will be smarter." Her mother added.

"Bring out the weapons. This should be entertaining." Lothaire said.

"What?" The shock of her parents' betrayal still hadn't left her. Seina had trouble adjusting to the concept that they expected her to fight for life. "But I'm only a ten-year-old girl!"

Dreven smirked and shrugged. "Them's the breaks, kid." From the audience's expression, they would enjoy seeing her torn limb from limb. The humans, except her parents, looked away, not wishing to watch Seina's gruesome fate.

A vampire pulled a wide variety of weapons into the fighter's pit. They ranged from swords to guns. None looked light enough for a ten-year-old to wield. Seina broke into tears, beyond terrified, unable to even stand straight. She didn't want to die. How could this happen?

With an exaggerated swagger, Dreven walked over to the weapon rack and withdrew a sword larger than Seina's entire body. With his vampiric strength, it seemed like a toy in his hands.

Since fighting back was pointless, Seina closed her eyes, preparing for the end. She prayed it wouldn't be too painful.

"Please don't cry! Be strong!" A kind voice said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Seina blinked through watery eyes, looking towards the kind stranger who comforted her in her final moments. She gasped in shock when she got a good look at them.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves, you jerks! You're the worst of the worst!" The strange creature said, berating the vampire horde.

Her rescuer was the purest white she'd ever seen. His head was bulbous, larger than his torso. The face somewhat resembled a cat, but with longer ears. Puffs of fur popped out from his enormous ears. Somehow, tiny wings supported the creature's weight, allowing him to fly around. He was also the cutest thing Seina had ever seen.

"What are you?" Seina asked in amazement, wondering if she was dreaming, or if the recent events had shattered her sanity.

"My name's Colten. And I refuse to allow this farce to continue any further!" The cat creature puffed out his chest.

"And what are you supposed to be?" Dreven said, pointing his enormous sword at the intruder.

"Um, just a fairy here to help." Despite his obvious fear, Colten refused to back down.

"A creature of good?" Lothaire snorted in derision. "How ridiculous. Another fool rushing to their death."

"He's right! You'll only get yourself killed!" Seina refused to allow someone else to die for her sake.

"No way!" Colten shook his enormous head only to scream in pain a few seconds later as Dreven struck him with the blunt edge of his enormous sword.

"Colten!" Seina rushed to her fallen friend's side. Thankfully, he only seemed bruised and not dead. A wing looked damaged, though. It seemed unlikely he could fly anytime soon.

"How adorable. Wanting to die together, I see." Dreven turned towards the announcer. "Hey, is it alright if the fairy joins the girl's side?"

The announcer gave a thumbs up. "Sounds like a plan!"

"Looks like we're in this together." Colten gave Seina a weak smile as she cradled him in her arms.

"Yeah." Tears dropped onto Colten's little head as Seina broke down.

She'd just made a friend, and he was now dying for her sake. Seina hugged him, holding him tight and began sobbing. The vampire crowd broke into mocking laughter, enjoying seeing this helpless girl suffer. Seina didn't care or even notice, focusing on her new friend instead. She supposed at least she wouldn't die alone. Seina held one of the fairy's legs as they waited for the end. Somehow, despite everything, some happiness bloomed in her heart. Seina was glad she'd met someone as wonderful as Colten.

"You're lucky, little girl. Two on one is much fairer odds." The vampire warrior broke into uproarious laughter. "Start the round already. I'm ready for some carnage!"

_This is it. _Seina cried out in pain and surprise as bright light blinded her, almost dropping Colten. The light faded, leaving a very confused Seina.

"What was that?"

"No way!" Colten said.

"What is it?" Colten's expression surprised Seina. Was that hope on his tiny face?

"Look down!" Colten pointed towards a strange object that hadn't been there before. Seina grabbed it without even thinking, turning it around in her hand. It was a pink-colored diamond-encrusted brooch.

"It's so pretty." Seina had seen nothing so beautiful in her life. It made the splendor the vampire lord surrounded himself with seem dull in comparison.

"You're a magical girl, Seina? I don't believe it! I'd thought only a special few could become one!" Colten was ranting, speaking at speeds almost impossible to understand. "This is amazing, spectacular!"

"What? Magical girl? What are you talking about?"

The tiny fairy's expression turned smug. "It means we can wipe the floor with these vampire creeps!"

Dreven snorted in derision. "Really?"

"I'm not following." Seina was beyond lost. How could a brooch allow her to fight? Blind the vampire to death?

"Hold you brooch up into the air and yell, Change Change, Magical Love Dress Up!"

"Okay." While certain it would make her appear ridiculous, she'd try anything at this point.

Seina stood up and gave Dreven a determined glare. She sent another one towards the vampire king himself. If this gave her power, she'd put an end to this nightmare herself. "Change Change, Magical Love Dress Up!"

Bright light engulfed Seina, and her entire body glowed a transparent blue. In a flash, everything about her body changed. Her short black hair extended into two long, luxurious braids. The bland rags she wore transformed into a pink frilly dress with a short skirt. The elaborate new costume gave Seina the vague impression of the long-dead lotus flower she'd seen in old books. A large yellow bow was across her chest, and her brooch stood in its center.

Colten laughed. "I knew it! You are a magical girl!"

"Huh?" Seina blinked and looked down at herself, both amazed and baffled.

"That's the terrible power that will destroy us all?" Dreven broke into mocking laughter, and the other vampires joined him. Lothaire chuckled, sipping at his wine. His wife only looked confused.

"That was disappointing. I was hoping for something more exciting!" Seina's mom pipped it.

"How am I meant to fight with this?" Seina gestured to herself. Except for her new pretty outfit, she didn't feel any different. How could a simple dress protect her from bloodthirsty monsters?

"What do you mean? You can totally floor him now!" Colten argued back with far more confidence than she felt. "Hold out your hand and focus. You can summon your special weapon that way."

_A special weapon! That might change this situation around! _Seina did as instructed, and a long staff appeared in her hand. Attached to its end, was a bubble blower?

Dreven snorted. "That's your great weapon?"

"Yeah! What the heck!" This magical girl deal was a rip-off!

"Well, with that mighty weapon, I better switch to something more dangerous." Dreven threw aside his sword and withdrew a pistol from the weapon rack. "Start the fight already. I'm curious what this magical girl can do."

"Don't worry, you got this," Colten said with the utmost confidence.

"What are you talking about! I have a bubble blower, and he's got a freaking gun! This isn't even remotely fair!"

"Alright. The battle will begin..." Before the announcer could finish his pronouncement, the sound of the gunshot echoed through the stadium, and Seina toppled over.

"What?" Colten said in shocked outrage. "You can't do that!"

"I'm a vampire. I don't fight fair," Dreven replied, and the crowd broke into mocking laughter. They berated the magical girl who believed anyone could defeat the ruthless, unstoppable vampires.

"Seems the fight's over with, folks! The winner is Dreven!" The announcer said, not caring about the vampire warrior breaking the rules.

"Um, actually I'm fine!" Seina stood up, shaking the dust from her dress. "It just startled me."

Much to her amazement, the bullet hadn't even scratched her skin despite striking her right in the forehead. It amused her to see the vampires shocked at her survival. Maybe victory wasn't impossible after all?

Dreven, however, didn't seem that impressed. "You survived, so what? A vampire can survive much worse." He threw away his gun and took back his sword. Without waiting for the announcer to begin the fight, he charged forward with blinding speed, sword raised to sever his opponent's head.

The colosseum's roof exploded as Dreven crashed through it, exposing the building to the chilly night air. Vampires screamed in fear and surprise as pieces of the roof collapsed on top of them. Seina stared at her extended arm in amazement.

"Wow." Seina couldn't believe her strength. She could have sworn she'd only tapped the vampire.

"Um, Seina. Your bubble blower is meant for casting spells, not a blunt weapon." Colten said. "But that works too I guess."

"Oops." Seina blushed with embarrassment.

"She won." Lilha, the vampire queen, said in the dead shocked silence.

"She has some power, I suppose." Lothaire didn't seem too impressed despite Seina's astounding display of strength.

A strange thought popped into her head. "Does this mean I win? The announcer didn't actually start the fight."

"I guess so. Congratulations!" Colten patted her on the leg.

"I'm not finished yet!" Dreven tossed people out of his path as he stomped back towards the fighting pit. The vampire warrior was soaking wet and pieces of seaweed latched to his body. Had Seina knocked him to the ocean? That was miles away.

"Oh, you're back. Ready for another butt-kicking?" Colten said. Seina nodded, not sure why the vampire had returned after she'd beaten him with little difficulty.

Dreven broke into a disturbingly wide smile. His grin stretched out unnaturally, cackling while doing so. "Foolish girl. You think you can beat me?"

The vampire warrior extended a hand and drove it into his chest. Much to Seina's horror and shock, he withdrew something red and beating. Had Dreven just torn out his own heart? Clenching his fist, he crushed it. Gore and blood oozed down his hand. Dreven's grin extended as the hole he'd torn into his chest vanished like it never existed.

"I'm not like other vampires. Destroying my heart can't kill me. Nothing can! As long as a single atom of my body exists, I can't die!"

"Okay, but was that really necessary?" Seina's stomach felt queasy, horrified by the display. He could have just told her.

The vampires in the crowd broke into mocking, jeering laughter. They sent praises towards their champion and insults towards his magical girl opponent. Lothaire gave them a tilt of his head in respect.

"Hold on!" An irritating realization struck Seina. "Why are you fighting in a colosseum if you literally can't die? That doesn't seem fair at all!"

"We've vampires, kiddo. We don't play fair." Dreven said in a purr.

"No, you're just being a jerk," Colten replied.

"So, shall we begin our game again?" Dreven withdrew a nasty-looking rusty spiked mace from the weapon's rack.

Seina, however, was unimpressed. Already, she'd grown tired of the vampire's nonsense. An idea popped into her head, and her lips curled into a small smile. Yes, that would solve her problem nicely.

"Ha! You'll find Seina not so easy to beat!" Colten said. "Use your magical bubble blower to finish this fool!"

"I can't agree more." Seina walked up to her opponent, who watched her in bemusement. She gripped her staff tight, adjusted her aim, and swung with all her strength. Dreven screamed in pain and terror as the magical girl launched his body high into the air, flying the hole in the ceiling. Seina watched as the vampire flew higher into the sky, bursting a hole through the smoke cover and disappearing into the starry night sky.

"There, he won't cause anyone any more trouble!" Seina said, proud of herself. "If he can heal himself forever, fine. But that doesn't matter if he's stuck floating in space!" It amazed her that the plan worked. Just how powerful was she now? The entire audience broke into another stunned silence.

"Seina, that isn't what I mean at all," Colten said.

"Sorry?"

"I meant for you to use your magical powers to obliterate him."

"I can do that?" Seina blushed with embarrassment.

"Yes, you're a magical girl. It's in the name." Colten sighed, then shrugged. "Well I guess a victory's a victory." A clap interrupted their conversation.

"Very amusing," Lothaire said, standing from his throne. "It appears you have some power."

"Lord Lothaire, are you going to face this child?" The vampire lord's wife asked. "Surely it's beneath you. Let me handle her. I'd love to punish a misbehaving child."

"No, this girl represents something that I can't allow to stand. The pathetic scum down there must learn that no such thing remains." Lothaire gestured to the humans, watching the scene. Seina saw what the vampire lord meant. They stared at Seina with awe, their eyes sparkling with an emotion she'd rarely seen in her short life. It created a strange bubbling feeling in her stomach.

"It looks like we're fighting the big boss guy now," Colten said. "Good, that saves time."

"Understand this, child," Lothaire said. "Dreven was the weakest of our number. A vampire of lesser capabilities. I won't be such an easy opponent."

Seina gulped and her hand trembled, not doubting the vampire king's pronouncement for a moment. When humanity fought against him, no weapon could stop him. Even a barrage of nuclear weapons had proven useless. Rumors whispered that his vampiric power made him invincible.

"Smart girl. You understand the trouble you're in. You won't even lay a hand on my husband." Lilha said. "You will die, not even realizing it until it is too late."

Lord Lothaire stared down at his opponent. His expression was unreadable, but his confidence was undeniable.

"Did you know, no weapon has ever even touched Lord Lothaire?" Lilha said, continuing her boast. "They can't. He has utter mastery of eternity."

Colten, however, seemed unperturbed. "So what? Seina will kick his pointy teeth in."

"Understand this, little fairy," Lilha said, her tone superior. "My husband's power allows him to control time. Any timeline he doesn't care for, he discards like trash."

"Time control?" Alarm had crept into Colten's face. Seina's hand trembled, realizing how much trouble they were in. What a fool she'd been thinking anyone could defeat the masters.

"He sifts through the possibilities until the one he desires comes into fruition." Lilha extended a hand, gesturing to everything around her. "Nothing ever happens unless Lord Lothaire wills it!"

Seina put her hands into her face. With some difficulty, she fought back tears, refusing to cry again in front of these monsters. So much for hope. Fate had a twisted sense of humor.

"That's not good." While Colten's confidence had faded somewhat, he continued putting up a brave face.

The entire crowd of vampires broke into applause, and Lilha soaked in their admiration. Lothaire continued to stay where he stood, impassive.

"Give us a good show, magical girl. It should be quite entertaining. Wouldn't you agree, my husband?"

Lothaire continued to stay where he stood, unresponsive. Seina blinked in confusion. Why was he just standing there, motionless? Why wasn't he bragging and jeering, as usual?

"Husband?" Lilha asked in concern.

Lothaire's body jerked uncontrollably, foam gathering around his mouth. He stumbled forward, each step clumsy and awkward. With a strangled gurgle, the vampire king toppled forwards, landing in the fighter's pit. His body jerked several more times before stopping to a halt. Dead.

"No, has he overused his power?" Lilha's voice barely rose above a whisper. Her eyes were wide in horror and disbelief.

Siena blinked. "Eh?”

[fatehbaz]

June 2020: Minnesota resistance against Alberta-based pipelines near several reservations and through expansive wetlands near the prairie-forest border in the Iron Ranges; En/bridge Line 5 fossil fuel pipeline is now delayed. (I don’t see publicity/news which actually discusses the Line 5 and Line 3 projects in the same context, but both are related, and both are facing local and Native resistance.) Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and Bay Mills Indian Community have been challenging the Michigan Public Service Commission’s potential approval of En/bridge Energy’s Great Lakes Tunnel Project, which would service En/bridge’s Line 5 pipeline which brings Alberta tar sands fossil fuels from Superior (Wisconsin) to Sarnia (Ontario). (En/bridge is based in Calgary.) Another En/bridge project being considered by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, the $2.6-billion Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota, would bring oil from Alberta to the same Superior (Wisconsin) site. But this Line 3 pipeline might be thwarted due to a combination of the ongoing chaotic implosion of Alberta’s oil industry and community resistance in Minnesota. An announcement from the first week of June: The pipeline, 340 miles of which was supposed to be constructed in Minnesota this summer, has been delayed for at least a year.

From 4 June 2020:

Excerpt: The MPCA had an Aug. 15 deadline to decide on water-quality permits for construction of the 340-mile pipeline across northern Minnesota. That deadline will be moved to Nov. 14 because of the “contested” status. Enbridge said Wednesday it expects the majority of the new Line 3 in Minnesota to be built next year, missing the summer construction season for the second consecutive year. [...] Line 3, which Enbridge said will employ more than 4,000 trades workers, would be one of the largest construction projects in Minnesota in recent years. Enbridge’s new pipeline would replace its aging Line 3, transporting crude from Alberta, Canada, to Superior, Wis. [Source: Hughlett. “Minnesota pollution regulators make decision that will delay $2.6B En/bridge pipeline project.” Minneapolis Star-Tribune. 4 June 2020.]

From 2 June 2020, from Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

From 5 June 2020:

Excerpt: A regulatory agency’s decision to take a closer look at a water permit for a controversial pipeline project in northern Minnesota came on the heels of an unusually active public-comment period. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) this week agreed to review concerns about its permit for the Enbridge Line 3 project after four groups – three consisting of environmental organizations and one comprising two Native American bands – and 16 individuals petitioned the agency for a “contested case hearing.” [...] Besides the petitions, the agency fielded more than 10,000 comments – either online, through the mail or during three “telephone town halls” – during a public comment period that ran from March 2 to April 10. That’s 10 times the number of comments the agency received after it granted a so-called “401” water permit for another hotly contested project: the proposed PolyMet Mining copper-nickel mine on the Iron Range. [...] Enbridge wants to build a $2.6 billion oil pipeline that would replace an aging pipeline known as Line 3, which cuts across northern Minnesota. Earlier this year, the state’s Public Utilities Commission signed off on the project. [...] The Minnesota Environmental Partnership posed a question about the pipeline’s potential impact on the climate, which the MPCA dismissed. [...] The hearing, before an administrative law judge, is expected to be held this summer. [Source: Aamot. “Twenty petitions ...” MinnPost. 5 June 2020]

---

Headlines asking “is Alberta’s oil industry dead?!?!” were already being published in February 2020, before widespread pandemic and quarantine policies, in response to the defeat of the Frontier project, a $21-billion project that the federal Canadian government had been negotiating for 9 years. The project would’ve increased Canada’s oil production by 5%, caused devegetation of at least 25,000 acres of boreal forest. In preceding months, global oil giants including Ro/yal Dutch Sh/ell and Con/oco/Phi/llips had announced they were ending investment in Alberta oil fields. Then, in Alberta, during April/May 2020: The provincial government invested about $7 billion in the Keystone XL pipeline days before a US court halted portions of the pipeline’s construction. Alberta reports a $15-billion deficit. By 2 April 2020, Alberta oil companies have cut staff due to covid, some companies losing up to 50% of staff. Alberta’s highest appeals court cancelled a $440-million oil sands project, ruling in favor of Fort McKay First Nation.

By mid-May 2020, Alberta provincial government announced that oil companies no longer have to report environmental damages and reviews of waste disposal (at least temporarily). Even before pandemic, Alberta Energy Regulator, the province’s review board that issues mining/oil permits, basically only existed for show, and pretty much approves any and every mining project. Then, Alberta provincial government announced that it would be allowing open-pit coal mining in vast areas of the the Rocky Mountain foothills, which had been off-limits for coal mining for decades, announcing that Alberta Energy Regulator would immediately begin issuing coal mining permits. This announcement came during the same week that Alberta’s energy minister said publicly that covid pandemic is a great time to open new fossil fuel mines, because lockdown/quarantine policies mean that people (especially First Nations people) cannot gather in public to protest against the infrastructure. Finally, by the end of May, Alberta provincial government is considering a bill that would essentially criminalize protesting altogether, outlawing any gathering that obstructs, like, a sidewalk or something.

[favoritefightingfrenchgoth]

 huge masterlist of leftist (mainy, some lib) videos, some docs, some articles, divided by topic: that i will edit and add more to later:

Far Right/Alt Right/Fascists:

Charlottesville: The True Alt Right (Goes over the entire Charlottesville rally while using footage/images from the rally and march, including footage from the Nazis that they had livestreamed, how the Nazis began assaulting antifascist protestors, responses to the incident, and how ALL of them are Nazis)

The Cult of Tradition (Goes over the myths and truths of the Founding Fathers/ colonizers, slave owners, American Revolution. Argues against the defenders of statues and monuments)

Philosophy of anti-fascists

Decrypting the Alt Right, how to recognize a fascist + Debating the Alt Right + How to Never Lose a Debate with a Fascist + The Alt Right Playbook series

Handmaids Tale: Spotting Fascism (shows clips from the show including gore),

How to lose an argument

Fox News keeps breaking its own rules

Why the Alt Right is Wrong + What the Alt Right fears + The Lies of Red Ice TV (don’t go into comments, full of Nazis) and part 2

Pewdiepie and the rebranding of white nationalism + The PewDiePipeline: how edgy humor leads to violence    Part 2 + Pewdiepie is a Nazi + Pewdiepie and the problem with (fake) racism + Pewdiepie mask off + Pewdiepie doesn’t understand hate symbols

How Cultural Marxism became the Far Right’s scapegoat + Hbomberguy’s Cultural Marxism 

Debunking the Alt RIght: Pool parties +  + The Golden One: A measured response

How PragerU is lying to you    Part 2    Part 3 + Brexit: PragerU vs Reality + PragerU - Big Joel + Dennis Prager is a dick to Holocaust victims + PragerU is conservative junk food + PragerU and Poverty: Misinformation Amateur Hour + PragerU and Justice: a conservative nightmare + PragerU and Marriage: a conservative fever dream

Guns in the Third Reich: A response to Shapiro + others  + Ben Shapiro and the politics of Imagination + Leftist’s response to Ben’s 10 tips 

The Easy Answers of Youtube Conservatism

Who’s at fault for the refugee crisis? + Stochastic Terrorism and Christchurch

Is Black Panther Alt Right? (No)

Fox News: How to whitewash an atrocity

Getting Sweaty about globalism

The West + Does the West hate itself? + Why do They hate The West?

How societies turn cruel

Were the Crusades defensive? (No) 

Stefan Molyneux’s Fall of Rome + Stefan Molyneux, Star Wars The Force Awakens + Stefan Molyneux, The truth about the truth about Wonder Woman + We don’t talk about Elliot Roger - response to Stefan Molyneux + Stefan Molyneux, Aboriginal Australian History and ‘White Guilt’

Racists only have one solution

Trump

Jordan Peterson and The Story of Jordan Peterson + Peterson doesn’t understand Nazism + PhilosophyTube’s Jordan Peterson & The Meaning of Life  + Peterson is not profound + Peterson is everything he criticizes and can’t read + The wasteland of Jordan Peterson

Taking feminists out of context + Power fantasy, male objectification, & lady fanservice + Anita Sarkeesian and the people who hate her + InnuendoStudios Why are you so angry? series

Do women destroy civilizations? (No)  + She-Ra broke the brains of Anti-SJWs + Does Intersectionality destroy Individuality?

Anti feminism (Ableism abound) + Anti feminism (Warning: Lauren Southern) + Anti feminism (guy uses ableist slurs) + Anti feminism vs facts  + Red Pill: Strange Art of Men’s Rights Activism and part two + Women in video game history - The Serfs + Lauren Southern is wrong about tradition

Why Paul Joseph Watson is wrong about everything

The Serfs Steven Chowder

Outrage News + Soyboys: A measured response

How to fall down the Anti SJW rabbit hole

Stonetoss and how hate speech spreads

Sargon of Akkad can’t read (Anti feminism, racism) + Sargon’s petition: a measured response + #FreeSargon: a measured response + Big Joel’s Sargon of Akkad + On Sargon

Joe Rogan Gateway into the Alt Right  and part 2  + Pakman gobbles Joe Rogan

FarradaySpeaks - My descent into the alt right pipeline

Dave Rubin gets Orbed + Dave Rubin: Lazy Propagandist

Can women chess? (Yes)

What is virtue signalling?

Bolsonaro & Brazil’s struggle for truth & memory + Bolsonaro & Latin American Fascism + Why Pinochet Apologists Are Wrong (RIP Allende) + Venezuela: The True Face of the Opposition and this + Bolivia is descending into Dictatorship, here’s why and part 2 + Joanna Hausmann is lying about Venezuela (also, German name, south american heritage... 👀👀👀)

Snowflakes-- The Right's War on the Individual

Sports

Hats off to Tim Pool + Tim Pool completely unraveled and backfires bad (self own)

Debunking Steven Crowder on Universal Healthcare

Cuphead: The Fake Outrage

The Boy Who Cried Racist

Denial as a tool of the radical right

The Limits of Logic - Examining Right Wing Logic Through Star Trek and Wittgenstein

Refugees and Human Rights and Part 2 (ties into far right) + Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Laws

Was Hitler a Socialist? (No) + Were the Nazis Socialist? (No) 

I can go a bit over Nazis not being socialists also bc I have gotten into arguments about this topic.

 Nazis cuddled up with monopolists/big business, protected private businesses, the English word “privatization” was invented to describe their economic policy by the magazine The Economist. They were always anti socialist and anti communist and combined it with antisemitism often using the phrases “Jewish Bolshevism” and “Jewish Marxism”. 

Quotes from Hitler’s Mein Kampf, (there’s much more than these, he got very angry over Marx and other Jewish leftists, equating Judaism and communism/Marxism) warning: some antisemitism:

“In the years 1913 and 1914, I, for the first time in various circles which today in part faithfully support the National Socialist movement, expressed the conviction that the question of the future of the German nation was the question of destroying Marxism.”

“While the Jews in their Marxist and democratic press proclaimed to the whole world the lie about 'German militarism' and sought to incriminate Germany by all means, the Marxist and democratic parties were obstructing any comprehensive training of the German national man-power.”

“Marxism represents the most striking phase of the Jewish endeavour to eliminate the dominant significance of personality in every sphere of human life and replace it by the numerical power of the masses.” 

Hitler on coopting leftist language and symbolism to get the workers on their side:  “The fact that we had chosen red as the colour for our posters sufficed to attract them to our meetings. The ordinary bourgeoisie were very shocked to see that, we had also chosen the symbolic red of Bolshevism and they regarded this as something ambiguously significant. The suspicion was whispered in German Nationalist circles that we also were merely another variety of Marxism, perhaps even Marxists suitably disguised, or better still, Socialists. The actual difference between (National) Socialism and Marxism still remains a mystery to these people up to this day. The charge of Marxism was conclusively proved when it was discovered that at our meetings we deliberately substituted the words 'Fellow-countrymen and Women' for 'Ladies and Gentlemen' and addressed each other as 'Party Comrade'. We used to roar with laughter at these silly faint-hearted bourgeoisie and their efforts to puzzle out our origin, our intentions and our aims. We chose red for our posters after particular and careful deliberation, our intention being to irritate the Left, so as to arouse their attention and tempt them to come to our meetings – if only in order to break them up – so that in this way we got a chance of talking to the people.

“First of all they appealed to their followers to ignore us and keep away from our meetings. Generally speaking this appeal was heeded. But, as time went on, more and more of their followers gradually found their way to us and accepted our teaching. Then the leaders became nervous and uneasy. They clung to their belief that such a development should not be ignored for ever, and that terror must be applied in order to put an end to it.”

Here’s a 1923 interview transcript with Hitler saying the “Socialist” in National Socialist isn’t about socialism  and how he tried to redefine socialist in a nationalist and a “by Aryan people, for Aryan people, while everyone still has private property and stuff” way.  Here he also kinda goes over this in Mein Kampf.

Nazis who were left economically only are Strasserists, Strasserists in the Nazi Party were killed in 1934′s Night of the Long Knives with George Strasser being killed while Otto Strasser had been in exile from 1930. In 1933, Nazis came up with Reichstag Fire Decree + political prisoners (mainly communists and socialists) were rounded up and were put in the first concentration camps)

Canada’s 10,000 person Antia Riot - Battle of Christie Pits

Manufactured Milkshake hysteria + Revenge of the milkshakes + The Ballad of Andy Ngo

Free Speech:

Freeze Peach + The fatal effects of Hate Speech + Ur-Fascism, Free Speech, and those who forgot

The Snowflake Generation? A Response

It’s Just a Joke + Just be nice you nerds

The Marketplace of Ideas: Germany vs USA + Why Political Correctness kinda rules + Steven Crowder and the silencing of dissident media + The Serfs on Deplatforming

Race:

America is racist + Is the 2nd Amendment racist? (Yes in its implementation)

Systematic/normalized racism + Race, Law, & Politics - PhilosophyTube and Part 2

Implicit bias + Group Bias & Black Pigeon Speaks

The danger of white moderates + Friending and forgiving racists - Kat Blaque + Be honest, you don’t care if they’re racist + Jeffree Starr and performative activism

What is race?  + What is white supremacy? + White identity + History of whiteness  Also this +  'Humans Are Not Equal': The Dishonest History of Race  Genetic Betrayal: The Truth About Race  Behind The Misconceptions of Race

Why we have a black history month

Book Chat: "Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race"  + Robin DeAngelo’s wonderful paper on white fragility

What is Blackface? + Blackace: A cultural history of a racist art form + Montage from the ending of Spike Lee’s Bamboozled + The New Jim Crow Museum 

Racial comparisons

Quebec Mosque Shooting: Manufacturing a conspiracy

The fate of the frog men (Pepe) + White supremacist propaganda vs truth + Do racists “just love their country”? (No)

Moderate Muslims and terror attacks

Abusing statistics (immigration) + The Bell Curve (isn’t real) + The Great Replacement isn’t real +  Germany’s demographic demise: a response

Immigration and the fall of Rome + Stefan Molyneux’s Native American Genocide

The Many Lies of Lauren Southern’s Borderless

The killing of Trayvon Martin

on alllivesmatter + on privilege

Shaun’s response to “People of color: You are not oppressed”

European histroy is not white history + Does the Left want to destroy history? + Is Philosophy Just White Guys J3rk!ng Off? + A white man’s war? A response to NoBullshit (People of color and women fighting in MY WW2? More likely than you think)

LGBT (mainly T) stuff: 

What is gender? + There are more than two human sexes + Bill Nye vs Pseudoscience and part 2 (Bill said trans rights!!!)

Transphobia in the UK + Transphobia: an analysis by PhilosophyTube + Ben Shapiro’s weapons grade bad takes + Joe Rogan is an idiot and a transphobe  + Debunking Trump on LGBT rights

Debunking trans athletes myths (8 video playlist) + Is Trans Inclusion a Threat to Cis People in Gendered Spaces? (No)

Why Trans Roles for Trans Actors?  + Trans male visibility

Kat Blaque’s monologue on cis nonsense: “Cis people please stop doing this” + Kat Blaque’s take on JK Rowling

What is a TERF? (Don’t go into the comments!!!) + The Transphobe’s Paradox + Why is the trans suicide rate so high?

Red Scare:

Red Scare and xenophobia + racism + Why they still need their big lies about socialism

“Socialism no food”  CIA even said Soviets eat abt the same as Americans , short video going over food shortages

Animal Farm is commonly used in schools to teach about the evils of socialism/communism like mine did:

George Orwell was a socialist anti Stalinist writing about the dangers of authoritarianism. The pig named Snowball (Trotsky) was depicted as good: he wrote the original commandments, was at odds with Napoleon, and he was forced to flee after being attacked by Napoleon’s orders. But Orwell was also a snitch that happily gave out a list of suspected communists to the govt while dying of TB so

McCarthyism

Smith Act trials of Communist Party leaders, domino theory and containment, Eisenhower doctrine, Kennedy doctrine, Johnson doctrine, Reagan doctrine.

CIA funded anti-leftist propaganda campaigns like this

The American Govt often supported coups, wars, and other interference against countries that tried to implement socialism, had strong leftist movements, otherwise just elected leaders that were leftist, many from Operation Condor: Chile, Argentina, Vietnam, Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia (1971 and 2019), etc

COINTELPRO targeted American leftist, Civil Rights/Black Power, antiwar, Native American rights, and environmental protection movements among others. The FBI targeted and threatened MLK. Spied on and kept files of Einstein and Helen Keller. The FBI drugged and then murdered Black Panther Fred Hampton. Etc

Socialism/Communism:

Before their revolutions, Russia and China were pre-industrial, agricultural, largely illiterate societies whose masses were peasants spread out over truly vast expanses of land. From their revolutions, they rapidly industrialized, became largely literate, and became world powers. With the Soviet Union even flourishing and doing great from their planned economy (5 year plans) while the rest of the world was suffering from the Great Depression. 

Important to note so I don’t get accused of being a Tankie: Soviet Union + China also did terrible things, for example there was the persecution/oppression of minorities under Stalin (like Cossacks, Jewish people, his govt was kinda antisemitic), Stalin would also have his political opponents killed (mostly anti Stalinist comrades), they weren’t good on LGBT rights: Lenin decriminalized gay sex in 1917, Stalin recriminalized it in 1936, Stalin reversed a lot of Lenin’s gender equality policies, Mao getting citizens to smelt their own steel and iron wasn’t smart or efficient,  etc. Critical support.

Modern day China is state capitalist. China has the second highest number of billionaires in the world just behind the USA. And Former Soviet countries are now also capitalist with Russia #4 on the list of most billionaires.

Cuba

Cuba has a literacy rate of 99.7%, one of the highest in the world thanks to the Cuban Literacy Campaign of 1961 right after the Cuban revolution. Universal, famously high quality healthcare (doctors are their biggest export, plus they have medical internationalism) and education. Almost half of parliament members are women, Cuba has made great strides in gender equality. Cuba is a direct democracy, while the US is more of an oligarchy, with people mainly winning elections based on their wealth or the wealth of their supporters.

Cuba’s biotech industry is considered the best in the world among developing countries, and has generated important innovations in cancer research, HIV/AIDS research. Cuba created the world’s first vaccine against meningitis B.

Discrimination against LGBT people is illegal in Cuba. It is legal in 30 US states. Cuba has healthcare for all, including trans people, and allows trans people to legally change their gender without surgery. From my understanding, the rights and treatment of LGBT people aren’t perfect but better than US.

Assata Shakur:  “Revolution is a process, so I was not that shocked to find sexism had not totally disappeared in Cuba, nor had racism, but that although they had not totally disappeared, the revolution was totally committed to struggling against racism and sexism in all their forms. That was and continues to be very important to me. It would be pure fantasy to think that all the ills, such as racism, classism or sexism, could be dealt with in 30 years. But what is realistic is that it is much easier and much more possible to struggle against those ills in a country which is dedicated to social justice and to eliminating injustice.”

Book  Another Book The Cuba Libre Story 

Who Did Che Guevara Murder? + Che Guevara: Homophobic racist?

Majority of East Germans miss socialism warning: article is biased red scare stuff. Krupp und Krause, a nice pro East song from West Germany that also explains surplus value. Ich suche die DDR, a nice pro East rock song from Feeling B, which was a band of former East Germans, saying they are looking for the GDR and it had been stolen. Two members are now in the famous rock band Rammstein, the whole band is leftist.

People who actually lived through the Soviet Union miss it, while young people who haven’t say the Soviet Union collapse was good. Far majority of Soviet citizens voted to keep the Union in 1991.

Human nature & socialism + Why the web is communist

In defense of socialism + “X Socialist Country has failed!” is a stupid argument

Authoritarianism in socialist countries

Soviet Union through the eyes of an American + Socialism gives a better quality of life + Soviets had a better record of training women in STEM than modern USA + Space race meme

But how come revolution? + How to defeat your boss + A Beginner’s Guide to Overthrowing Capitalism + The Socialist case against billionaires

Intro to Anarchy + PhilosophyTube’s series on Marx +  What 'To each according to their need' Means + Private vs Personal Property + V For Vendetta - What is Anarchism? + Was the CHAZ (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone) a living heck?

How would anarchism work irl part 2 part 3 part 4

Witchcraft, Gender, & Marxism + Black Rad Leftism vs Black Liberalism

Internet archive with Marxist texts + Easy direct action + Speech Synthesis: Bernie Sanders reading Communist Manifesto, Alex Jones reading Communist Manifesto + Communist Maniesto Summary video with quotes

Black Panthers

The good man himself, President Thomas Sankara

Sankara declared the objectives of the “democratic and popular revolution” to be primarily concerned with the tasks of eradicating corruption, fighting environmental degradation, empowering women, and increasing access to education and health care, with the larger goal of liquidating imperial domination. During the course of his presidency, Sankara successfully implemented programs that vastly reduced infant mortality, increased literacy rates and school attendance, and boosted the number of women holding governmental posts. On the environmental front, in the first year of his presidency alone 10 million trees were planted in an effort to combat desertification. 

Socialism in America doc

Albert Einstein? Socialist.  “Why Socialism?” Video Summary and Quotes

“Production is carried on for profit, not for use. There is no provision that all those able and willing to work will always be in a position to find employment; an “army of unemployed” almost always exists. The worker is constantly in fear of losing his job. Since unemployed and poorly paid workers do not provide a profitable market, the production of consumers’ goods is restricted, and great hardship is the consequence. Technological progress frequently results in more unemployment rather than in an easing of the burden of work for all. The profit motive, in conjunction with competition among capitalists, is responsible for an instability in the accumulation and utilization of capital which leads to increasingly severe depressions. Unlimited competition leads to a huge waste of labor, and to that crippling of the social consciousness of individuals which I mentioned before..

...I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals. In such an economy, the means of production are owned by society itself and are utilized in a planned fashion. A planned economy, which adjusts production to the needs of the community, would distribute the work to be done among all those able to work and would guarantee a livelihood to every man, woman, and child. The education of the individual, in addition to promoting his own innate abilities, would attempt to develop in him a sense of responsibility for his fellow men in place of the glorification of power and success in our present society.”

Stephen Hawking? Socialist. “If machines produce everything we need, the outcome will depend on how things are distributed. Everyone can enjoy a life of luxurious leisure if the machine-produced wealth is shared, or most people can end up miserably poor if the machine-owners successfully lobby against wealth redistribution. So far, the trend seems to be toward the second option, with technology driving ever-increasing inequality.”

Martin Luther King Jr? christian socialist. an interview with him about a year before his murder, he goes over wealth equality, slave reparations. mainly 16:30 to the end

he supported labor strikes, unions, workers. 

‘You are reminding, not only Memphis, but you are reminding the nation that it is a crime for people to live in this rich nation and receive starvation wages.

...��Do you know that most of the poor people in our country are working every day? And they are making wages so low that they cannot begin to function in the mainstream of the economic life of our nation.

...”If America does not use her vast resources of wealth to end poverty and make it possible for all of God’s children to have the basic necessities of life, she, too, will go to hell.”

“This will be the day when we bring into full realization the American dream—a dream yet unfulfilled. A dream of equality of opportunity, of privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a land where men will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few; a dream of a land where men will not argue that the color of a man's skin determines the content of his character; a dream of a nation where all our gifts and resources are held not for ourselves alone, but as instruments of service for the rest of humanity; the dream of a country where every man will respect the dignity and worth of the human personality.”  AFL-CIO Convention, December 1961

In a story published a week before his assassination, King told Jose Yglesias in the New York Times magazine, “In a sense you could say we are engaged in the class struggle.” The civil rights movement had not cost a dime, he said, but the movement to uproot poverty and inequality throughout the country would “be a long and difficult struggle, for our program calls for a redistribution of economic power.”

Paul Robeson was a socialist and supported the Soviet Union, saying (since the Union had Article 123, banning racial discrimination)  "In Russia I felt for the first time like a full human being. No color prejudice like in Mississippi, no color prejudice like in Washington. It was the first time I felt like a human being.. Where I did not feel the pressure of color as I feel in this committee."

When asked why he didn't move to Russia, he replied: "Because my father was a slave, and my people died to build this country, and I am going to stay here, and have a part of it just like you. And no fascist-minded people will drive me from it. Is that clear? I am for peace with the Soviet Union, and I am for peace with China, and I am not for peace or friendship with the fascist Franco, and I am not for peace with fascist Nazi Germans. I am for peace with decent people." Here he is singing the USSR anthem and Warszawianka

Muhammad Ali on the Soviet Union: Ali had just returned from a twelve-day visit to the Soviet Union at the invitation of the Soviet Ambassador to the United States to promote the upcoming Moscow Olympics. Ali prayed in Uzbekistan with Soviet Muslims. He sparred with Soviet heavyweights in training for the Olympics. He met with Brezhnev at the Kremlin. 

When he returned to the United States he reported back that “they give a man free medical and hospital care, low rent and a job . . . I never felt so free of being robbed.” He expressed disbelief that so many Americans were afraid of war with the Soviet Union. “It’s hard to believe that such a peaceful country wants war.”

Helen Keller? very into socialism.  (also unfortunately she was into eugenics)

also js bc I was taught differently as a kid: how she’s portrayed is super ableist. for example: she could always communicate, she and the household had home signs and anne sullivan was just there so she could get an education. 

Famous leftists/ leftists in history:

Rory McCann, Liam Cunningham, Danny Devito, James Baldwin, Harry Belafonte, Kwame Ture, W.E.B. Du Bois, civil rights activist James Farmer, Frederick Vanderbilt Field was disowned by the Vanderbilt tycoon family for being a communist, King Camp Gillette creator of the Gillette company/razor, Leslie Feinberg,

Victor Gruen architect who first designed American shopping malls (hated the modern ones), Woody Guthrie, activist and co-creator of the NAACP Florence Kelley, pioneer of the birth control movement Antoinette F. Buchholz Konikow, Rage Against the Machine, Madalyn Murray O'Hair, Albert Schatz who discovered a treatment for tuberculosis,  suffragette and founding member of the ACLU Rose Schneiderman, feminist activist Mary Heaton Vorse, editor who compiled slave testimonies George Rawick, 

feminist activist that helped change NY labor laws Theresa Malkiel, writer and abolitionist Lysander Spooner (published pamphlets with legal defenses for escaped slaves, would offer legal services for free, supported John Brown),

Capitalism+Liberalism:

What’s wrong with capitalism part one  Part two + Noncompete’s why capitalism sucks and part 3 + Why do you work 8 hours per day? + How rich countries rob the poor + Your democracy is a sham

1960 Harvest of Shame documentary, covering plight of migrant farm workers living with atrocious conditions and no living wage. As one worker says at 41:32, "Sure you can get a job, but if you can’t live on what you make, what good is the job?”

Abolish the Monarchy! +  Why does Britain Still have a Queen?

How Privatization Fails: Railways + Influencing an election + You are expendable + Misinformation for fun and profit + Manufacturing Consent: How the Media Distorts Reality: Summary of Michael Parenti and Noam Chomsky + Manufacturing Consent Full Noam Chomsky Documentary

Venezuela: myths and Argument ad Venezuelum + The Myth of Capitalism - Dr. Michael Parenti

UN investigating the US for extreme poverty UN report on horrific US inequality and poverty UN condemns Trump admin for exacerbating poverty levels + The American Dream is rapidly becoming the American Illusion says UN expert + Doc Priced Out: LA’s hidden homeless

Stranger Things has some bad politics in it + What if they threw a purge and noone came? + Marvel sucks, Disney sucks (their workers lives)  + HBO’s Watchmen and Liberalism + Forrest Gump - What are American values? + TV Show ‘Cops’ Copaganda + Bob’s Burgers and Class Conflict

White Working Class? Part 1: Class, Culture, Capital +  White Working Class? Part 2: Race, Class, Migration + Landlords are Bad + Utopia + “Good” Billionaires 

Fake Materialism for Real Transphobes on leftist transphobes. “You want to unite the working class? You have to stand up for the whole working class. All of them! All of their struggles! Otherwise, you’re the one being divisive. You’re the one excluding people. Identity can only divide us if we choose not to care about the struggles of others. If we decide that the problems of others can wait, while we sort out the ones that we share: how can we expect people to extend class solidarity to us while we withold our solidarity from them?

Capitalism is built on white supremacy, it’s built on patriarchy, it’s built on cisheteronormativity, on ableism, on settler colonialism, on imperialism, it’s an interlocking and mutually reinforcing system. We don’t get to pick and choose! You either fight the whole thing or you’re fighting none of it! You’re giving quarter to it. And if you want to hold up the fight until everyone agrees to exclude one vector of oppression or another, until we dismiss the concerns of trans people or indigenous people or women or disabled people or whomever, then you’re no different than any other reactionary.”

50 ways capitalism is hurting you part one   Part two + PhilosophyTube on How to fix the housing crisis + Is Capitalism Voluntary? (No.) + Should the Rich help the Poor? (Yes and neither should exist) + Healthcare, Ethics, & Postmodernism + How to Succeed in Capitalism

Capitalist Entitlement + Woke Brands + Case study of Capitalism: Ukraine + Capitalism is great (not really) + Is Capitalism destroying healthcare? (Yes) + Overpopulation is a capitalist lie + Mental health under late stage capitalism

Pete Buttigieg + Trump and the problem with Politics + America never stood or freedom + How Unions died in America (Reagan) + Evo Morales on Trump and Obama + Whistleblowers in America

My First Job/Lazybones Manifesto + Second Job + Third Job

Destiny and the Liberal Mind Prison + Civility +  Kat Blaque’s Why Liberals annoy me + ThoughtSlime’s Are liberals our enemies? + Why Conservatives can’t stop lying

“Law & Order” And Civil Disobedience + What was Liberalism? Part one  Part two  Part three  Part four + The Dark Side of Liberalism (5 part series) + You can’t beat Trump: Frost/Nixon and the Liberal Lie

Sex Work + Sex Workers and Police, Prison Abolition 

Documentary “The Story of American Slavery” from the settlement of Jamestown on + Doc “Slavery and the Making of America” + Doc “Slave Catchers, Slave Resisters” + Doc “The Heritage of Slavery” 1968 w  Fannie Lou Hamer & Lerone Bennett, Jr.

Doc “Life of the Rez” goes over horrible conditions on Indigenous American reservations due to colonization, capitalism

Problems with American Police, Examples, Solutions, and BLM 1 hr, 43 minutes long Hasan Piker coverage. Contains videos and imagery of police violence and corruption, including murders. 

Parts of his coverage are not good: In at least 2 points in this almost 2 hr coverage, he refers to killer cops as mentally ill/”having personality disorders” and “sociopathic”. At one point refers to an AR-15 as an assault rifle, which is incorrect. + Why Police Brutality is hard to prosecute

Havin Fun + Keeping Hope Alive

Yakko's world but countries that were bombed by the USA after the fall of Germany are bombed

Yakko's World but each time the US invaded or coup'd the country (since the Cold War) it gets louder & more distorted / Yakko’s World but every country the US overthrew since 1945 makes it louder

[musedblues]

Always Something There To Remind Me [Part: 2]

summary: Home is where the heart is. You're working on finding yours. After a handful of misfortunes, your old friend Joe helps to unravel life's greatest mystery while adding a bit of extra grief to the mix.

warnings: Another death and a funeral (I'm sorry in advance) general sadness but also a bit of resolution!? He’s here lads.

w/c: 4k

a/n: ❗This time only I'm adding lovely mutuals to my tags, who gave feedback in the first chapter so this one doesn't flop 😳 moving forward I'll make a normal tag list so, let me know if you'd like to be added!

@anincurablefangirl​ @imtheinvisiblequeen​ @supersonicfreddie​ @ogrogerbattle​ @sonic-volcano​ @tensecondvacation​

Part 3

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The sound of sirens pierced through your head. You thought you were dreaming.

You were home, in New York, in bed. You had been here for two weeks. The last you saw of Wales was the airport, where Tegan dropped you off and promised to ship some of your things to America. Every day you woke up in your childhood home, a new small package would arrive at your front door. You would tote the boxes inside and your mother would remind you to brush your hair, like when you were a kid. But instead of taking you to school, she would take you to therapy.

You tried to drive there on your own once, but you broke into a panic before you could pull out of the driveway. So your mother drove and tried really hard to act like everything was fine. She would play Bruce Springsteen songs on those drives and gush about his music. You used to obsess with her, but your head usually ached too bad to think of anything besides how much it hurt. You knew the headaches would go away if you figured out how to sleep again. But sometimes your daydreams were too nightmarish and you were terrified to fall asleep and let your subconscious take over.

That's why when the faint shriek of sirens grew loud enough to wake you up, you were only frustrated with your imagination. You had finally fallen asleep, for once. But when red and blue lights flooded through your bedroom window, you realized you weren't dreaming. You shot out of bed in a panic and prepared for the worst. A familiar vice tightened around your throat as you crept downstairs to investigate.

Your mother was wearing a vintage silk robe and her hair was frizzy and wild from sleep. She rubbed her eyes and watched you float down the stairs in the same pajamas you'd been living in for some days in a row.

"It's three in the morning. What could possibly-" Your mother wondered, peering past the blinds where the red and blue lights shone brightest. You watched her grow a frown and the vice around your throat tightened ever so slightly.

"What?" You plead to know.

"Mr. Mazzello hasn't been doing so well this month. The ambulance is stopped across the street."

"No." You frowned, scurrying toward the window, hoping you wouldn't see anything but a quiet suburb. But there were indeed cop cars and an ambulance stopped outside your favorite neighbors home. You watched lights turn on inside the living room window, and a sickening regret-filled your stomach.

You had been home for two weeks and hadn't seen the Mazzello family once. You heard Joe's mother stop over one morning and chat with your mother downstairs. You recognized her voice from behind your closed bedroom door, but couldn't bring yourself to leave and face her. So you didn't.

Your mother turned her dusty grey eyes toward you. They were sad and tired.

"Go back to bed. I'm sure things will be alright."

"You shouldn't say things will be alright just because you want them to be." You groaned on your trek up the stairs. Maybe everything would be alright, but it seemed foolish to hope for otherwise, these days.

///

The next morning was worse than the night before. You were the one who opened the front door to a weeping Mrs. Mazzello. She was as beautiful as ever, hair light at the roots, eyes like stars. But you only caught a glimpse of the lady before she threw herself in your arms and proceeded to cry. Of course, you held on to her and tried to unravel your complex feelings- happy to see her again, but terribly afraid of what caused her such grief.

Your own mother appeared and started begging her best friend to explain why she was in such distress. With a deep breath, Mrs. Mazzello shared the news. Her husband didn't make it through the night. After her world started spinning the opposite direction, she was sent home to get some rest. Mrs. Mazzello couldn't imagine going home all on her own and apologized for showing up at your door and causing such a scene. Your mother cried along with her, and try as you might to express the storm inside of your chest, you just couldn't. Joe's father always made sure to invite you to every Halloween party, and every spur of the moment family game night. He was the closest thing you had to a father figure since moving to New York. You never got to tell him hello again, or goodbye. Now, you only sank deeper into the dark pit that had swallowed your heart whole, some weeks ago, searching to claim it once again.

After a cup of tea, and even a few giggle-filled stories, Mrs. Mazzello hugged you again, this time with a smile. You always thought Joe had her smile, the kind that reached his eyes. The kind that made your heart melt a little.

"Sweet girl, I'm so glad you're home." She cooed into your hair as you hugged her back; happy to know she still thought you were sweet, like in high school.

Eventually, you and your mother stood on either side of Mrs. Mazzello and walked her across the street. You helped her inside the old familiar oak front door, and into the living room that hadn't changed much since last time you'd been there. You tried not to look around, strangely afraid of feeling too attached to a home that wasn't yours.

///

You waited in the car of all places, while your mother attended Mr. Mazzello's funeral. Your throat grew tight at the prospect of sitting through a drawn-out goodbye, and even though you were dressed for the occasion, you couldn't move. Your mother wasn't angry. She was almost afraid to leave you alone. But you coxed her inside the funeral while you sat in silence. When folks started leaving, your own self pitty was trumped by regret.

When folks started trickling out of the service, you demanded your mother to follow the procession, instead of taking you home. The cemetery was dusted with snow that melted underfoot. You barely made it onto the greying green before you were reduced to tears of panic. Your mother turned around and suggested you stand and watch from the car, like your own twisted safe zone. You leaned against the cold metal and watched your mother shrink in the distance, to a gathering between to empty branched trees. The late autumn chill reddened your nose and the cold weather became a perfect excuse for the tears you were suppressing and making your eyes all puffy.

The crowd was full of faces you recognized, but couldn't bother contemplating. When the group thinned out you asked your mother to wait while the car heated up, so you could pay your respects in private. There was a cold looking priest and some cemetery workers chatting beyond the freshly dug grave. The headstone was respectable, inscribed with Mr. Mazzello's name. His casket was in your line of sight. Looking at it made your stomach churn, and you wished you would have just stayed home today. You loved Joe's dad, but you weren't ready for another funeral. You were still coping with the last one you'd planned. Your therapist had their work cut out, that was certain.

"I didn't know you were in town."

You knew that voice. It was velvet cutting through the cold. It belonged to Joe. You turned your head toward the sound in near wonder. Joe was there, standing a few feet behind you, sporting a warm looking coat, and red looking eyes.

"Surprise." You barely smiled as you turned to face your old friend all the way. You were bound to see him, but you weren't so sure you recognized the man standing before you. Joe was all grown up, decorated in dark stubble and expensive-looking shoes. Nothing at all like the worn-out pair he ran around in all of senior year.

"You're just a little late." Joe joked. Or... did he? His expression was empty and he made no move to approach you like the friends you once were.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have come here." You realized fully, digging your nails into the sides of your coat you'd been gripping. Your old best friend watched you hurry past him and toward your mother's car. You wanted to turn around to see if he was watching you walk away, but your eyes were fogged with tears.

Your mother parked the car in your very own driveway and made a move to cross the street. The Mazzellos were hosting a dinner party and guests were already headed in with pans of food in hand. But you couldn't do it. You raced inside your own home and locked the door, knowing your mother had a key and that anyone else who tried to disturb you, couldn't.

You took a shower and cried for as long as the water was warm. As the sunset, you lit a few candles and called Tegan. You told her all about the funeral and seeing Joe and when she asked how you felt about it, you couldn't quite tell her. She cursed in Welsh and her raspy tone was music to your ears. You giggled and thanked her for listening. She said nothing was the same without you around. She spoke to you for hours. Tegan begged you to call her once a week and you begged her to bump it up to two or three more times.

///

The next day, your mother was preparing to leave to take photos of a couple's engagement. You were sitting at your writing desk, going through the latest box of knickknacks Tegan had shipped over. Last night's conversation with her was better than all the therapy sessions you'd received in the past three weeks. For once, since Kris died, something in you settled.

You heard the front door creak open downstairs and thought it was strange that your mother wasn't leaving through the garage entry, and without shouting goodbye to you. But then you heard muffled voices and you realized someone else was here. Who could have possibly shown up at eight in the morning on a weekday?

Then you heard heavy footsteps taking your staircase two at a time, and before you could worry over what was happening, Joe was standing in your bedroom doorway. He was dressed in joggers and his auburn hair was mused like he'd just woken up and bolted across the street to your door.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Joe asked you, his luminescent eyes were wide below two furrowed brows. The second time you laid eyes on your friend of too many years to count, you still couldn't believe how much he'd changed since last you really truly saw him.

To make matters worse, you really couldn't be sure of exactly what Joe was talking about as you stood from your desk to face him. Was he wondering about your homecoming, or had he found out the reason for it?

"Why didn't I tell you what, Joe? Yesterday didn't seem like the time for twenty questions."

He only responded by rolling his eyes and clenching his jaw all while stepping further into your room. You trade places with Joe, shutting the door as your stomach churned.

"Shit, I'm sorry." You sighed, afraid that bringing up yesterday might be crossing some kind of line. Since when were there boundaries between you and Joe?

"It's okay, it's..." Joe breathed after a moment, casting his eyes around your room that had barely changed since highschool. He'd spent many nights helping you build forts out of the blankets still decorating your bed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Joe asked one more time. The sorry timbre of his voice was hint enough to what he was really asking.

"I tried." You shrugged, shifting a little closer to your old friend. You'd called Joe the morning after you found out Kris died. You called him before you called your mother. He never returned the missed connection.

Now, Joe's brows were pushed together and the look in his eyes seemed nearly unrecognizable, and that pushed you over the edge.

"I'm sorry about yesterday, and everything else. Can we just like, be friends again?" You plead all of a sudden. You weren't sure you ever stopped being friends in the first place, but you'd certainly drifted far from the bond you once had.

Joe just barely grinned. And then you watched as he seemed to relax completely, you could almost see the weight being lifted from his shoulders as he stepped closer to wrap you in a hug. His embrace was warm and familiar. You hadn't felt such peace in months, maybe years if you were being honest with yourself. Joe was back on your side.

"I'm sorry too. It's been weird." Joe kept his comforting latch on you as he mumbled into your hair.

"I know. You can hang around here, if you want." You reminded as you pulled away. Joe was smiling for the first time since your reunion. It was a real, gentle and genuine expression.

"Are you sure? You can finish whatever you were doing before I came over to yell at you." Joe nodded toward the box on your desk with a little laugh.

"Oh, God no." You glanced toward the shipment of your leftover Welsh memories. Unpacking them fell to the bottom of your to-do list, all of a sudden. "You came here just to yell at me, huh?" You smirked at your friend.

"No. I came over because we have a  lot of time to make up for." Joe handed out a loaded statement. But said so with a little half-smile. So you opened your bedroom door and made a show of gesturing he follow you downstairs. Your mother was slinging her camera bag over her shoulder and sliding into a pair of strappy sandals. Her grey eye's lit up when she noticed you and Joe descending the staircase together.

"Well, I've got to run. I should be home by lunch."

"I'll make something." You shrugged, suggesting a change of pace. You hadn't done much of anything besides sulk since you landed back in the states. And you were seriously craving lentil soup. Your mother shot you a suspicious smile as she reached for her car keys and nodded your way.

"Have a good day, kids." Your mother waved as she hurried off to her job as the best damn wedding (now engagement) photographer in the whole state. Joe gave your mother a pleasant goodbye as she shut the door and left you alone with your best friend for the first time since God knows when.

"Sit,  I'll make some coffee." You pointed Joe toward the living room as you shuffled toward the kitchen. Joe followed orders, and you lingered near the coffee maker, finding clean mugs in the dishwasher and putting some other glasses away while the coffee pot filled up.  You made Joe's coffee the way he always used to like it and started toward the living room to offer him the drink.

You rounded the corner to find Joe comfortable curled up against an old decorative pillow, asleep. He must have been exhausted from all the family business he'd been dealing with. You abandon the mug of coffee on the table near the sofa, for when he woke up. And before you left the living room, you watched Joe laying there, seemingly content, breathing deeply. And for just one moment, you felt fine. You didn't feel like you used to; like a highschool kid. You felt like your boyfriend was dead, and so was Joe's dad, but that it was alright because Joe was still right next to you. The things that we're okay right now balanced out the worry that they wouldn't always be.

Joe stayed just like that for the next couple of hours, so you went about your day like normal. Putting the rest of the dishes away, sipping your coffee, and folding a bit of laundry. You were sat at the kitchen table with a new book in hand when Joe finally woke up.

"Hey, thanks." He noted, walking into the room with his old cup of coffee. Just then the dull thrum of a blasted radio and the sounds of car doors slamming in the distance were unmistakably coming from across the street- Joe's house.

"Should you be over there?" You wondered, shutting your book as Joe moved to put his mug in your microwave.

"It's actually nice to uh, not have to worry about all of that for a minute." Joe cast his eyes around the room and you understood what he meant. Living in Kris's house with the knowledge that he was never coming back through the door again was worse than waiting up when he disappeared for days on end.

"Well, you can hide out here for as long as you want." Everything was normal again. He grinned while the microwave counted down seconds.

"Sorry for falling asleep. What'd I miss?" Joe chuckled lightly.

"Uh..." You let out a breath of a laugh, a thousand memories from the past few years hitting you like a wave. But certainly, that wasn't what Joe was asking, now. "Not much." You responded because everything you'd done while he napped, wasn't worth mentioning.

Your friend with tired eyes seemed to consider your answer, and then the microwave beeped. Joe's mug was steaming as he carried it over to the table. He eased into the seat next to you as you raised your own mug to your lips. Joe had yet to look at you, his jungle toned eyes focused on the patterns of your dining table. But after a quiet moment, Joe raised his eyes to look right at yours.

"What happened?" Joe dared to whisper. You watched his eyes stay glued on yours and felt sorry for letting too much time pass. You knew exactly what Joe wanted to know, so you sat your mug to the side and thought for a moment before speaking up...

"He was drinking and driving." You started easily. You had talked through this with your mother, and Tegan, and therapist. The latter helped you sort out your mourning Kris, but there were still scattered fears of driving cars and falling asleep you had to sort through. But side effects aside, it didn't hurt so much to recount the outlines of what happened. And oddly, you still felt security spilling your guts to Joe. You both kept your focus on each other as you went on filling in blanks

"Things were really bad. I mean before, with Kris and I. It doesn't matter why they just were. He was never home and he was always drinking. Then... he died. So... I guess that's the short version of what happened." You sighed emptily. The fights and the misunderstandings and the late nights, all built up and up until they crashed over a bridge with Kris. Now you were here. Joe cast his troubled gaze back toward the table, while his fingers tightened around his coffee mug handle.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" You wondered. About his dad. About how he was feeling.

"I'm sorry I never called you back." Joe looked up again. Sure, it had been a while, but you were together again, weren't you? These long faces of his were making you a little too sad.

"Why don't you make it up to me by staying for lunch?" You grinned. Joe did too, nodding in agreeance. The two of you spent the next hour scrolling through Pinterest to find the most exciting recipes you had enough ingredients for. Then you made plans to make dessert. It was like once you started you couldn't stop, planing for soup and bread and even an apple fucking pie.

Joe helped you bake, spinning around your kitchen because he already knew where you kept most things. As you stood cutting up apples at the counter, conversation about kitchenware lulled and you couldn't go on any longer without asking what Joe had been up to, all this time.

"What were you working on in London, anyway?" You asked, a little embarrassed to be so far outside of the loop. Your friend was leaning against the counter at your side, watching you work.

"Bohemian Rhapsody." Joe shrugged, stealing a bit of chopped up apple as you went on cutting.

"Like the Queen song?" You wondered, a bit confused.

"Yeah, like the Queen movie, now. I landed a roll in the biopic."

"Joe. Holy shit." You rested your knife and turned to face him head-on. That was a big name drop. He really was living his dream, huh? Joe was holding back a cocky smirk as he stole another bit of apple from the board at your side.

"Starting right now," You chucked as you reached for the knife. "we're telling each other things again." You pointed the utensil near him like you meant business.

"Whoa, I surrender... and agree." Joe laughed, moving out of the way as you reached for a big bowl. Your afternoon faded into a mess of home-baked goods and stories you'd been meaning to tell each other. Yours were silly ones about missing the bus and making friends with a stray cat who showed up at your door every night for a year or two.

But Joe's news was far more enchanting. He simply gushed over his newest castmates, and the members of Queen he was lucky enough to meet. As your apple pie baked, and you started to make soup, you began to realize the extent of Joe's career. He rambled about leaving soon for the premiere of his new movie. You realized he wasn't going to be around like he used to be. Like always. So you listened more intently to what he had to say like maybe this was the big finale of your friendship where you got to tie up all your loose ends and move on. You didn't want to move on. You wanted to move through this shit together. But you knew that was selfish and you knew Joe had a life to get back to, one that didn't include keeping you any sort of company.

Your mother nearly fell to her knees when she came home to find the feast you made, waiting on the stove while you laughed in the living room with Joe. You insisted he tell you everything he'd been up too, genuinely afraid this day was a one-off chance you'd never have with Joe again. You all ate lunch to the tune of his most hilarious stories, and Joe even helped clean up, while your mother complained about her day and the traffic.

"Well, I'm off to London." Joe laughed like he was kidding, but he wasn't. "The U.S premiere is like twelve days away. You know, I can put your name on the list." Joe shrugged as you walked him to the door. The sun was low in the sky, and his flight for the UK premiere was leaving tomorrow afternoon.

You figured he'd just offered out of politeness, as a way to trade thanks for this strange easy going day. But no matter your friend's motive, there was no way you'd be able to prance through the city and mingle with his superstar friends. You barely made it out your front door in weeks.

"Thank you, Joe. But I don't think I'm ready for all that. I hope you have a safe flight and a fun time, though."  You nodded softly, really wishing him well. Joe deserved every good thing.

"I guess I won't be seeing you till Christmas Eve, then." If you hadn't been so caught off guard by his comment, you would have noticed Joe pout a little.

"Christmas Eve?"

"Duh. Same time and place as always. Right across the street." Joe chuckled lightly. "You'll always be invited. I'm just glad your home to finally start showing up, again." Joe shoved his hands in his pockets and bumped his elbow against yours as he joked.

"Yeah, okay... I guess I'll see you across the street on Christmas Eve, then." You smiled softly as Joe reached for the front door. He lingered in the doorway, telling you goodbye one final time, and you stood there watching him jog across the street, spinning around to flash his smile your way. The kind of smile that reached his eyes and melted your heart just a little. You could have easily settled back into spending every waking hour with Joe. Even after spending all day with him, it seemed like you'd hardly caught up at all. Funny how you'd been fully prepared for him to leave with a halfhearted thanks and a vague goodbye until further, distant notice. Christmas was a couple of months away, but now you had a reason to look forward to it.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

[mhsinjae]

cherry back at it again, my dudes, and you thought i was bad to kiha? well you haven’t met sinjae yet. there’s a lot to unpack, and he’s been through hell like a hundred times over but he’s here and you can have him. but yea so just a fair warning there that he has been through some dark shit. he’s an ex hero tho & now works part time at the red bean.

as always though, like this if you want to plot and i’ll come hit you up! but here’s his profile, his bio and his quirk information!

basics: oh sinjae | 26 | ex pro hero, supernova ( cutthroat sidekick & intern when at u.y ) | currently working part time at the red bean | quirk: explosion

also has funky mutations ( described more in his quirk shit but horns & fangs ) - which like tbh on that note, he is covered in scars that are described more in his profile

so boi grew up with all he could ever want. like good family, good life all that good shit. he got into u.y after deciding he wanted to be a hero!

he had fun there too whilst taking his studies seriously, like he was pretty well known and popular tbh and the top of his class a lot of the time. a lot of people expected him to be a dick as well bcos of his quirk ( esp bcos he has to pop it off sometimes to clear the sweat otherwise like.. dangerous, so he has a doctors note for that good shit, so sometimes just lil popping explosions ) but he’s actually like a nice dude. a good bud that would helpe where he could but was also serious about making it to the top and becoming a strong pro. hence why he picks cutthroat agency

that being said he also drew a lot of unwanted attention to himself through sports festivals and general hero work and well by the time he graduated, and was pretty fresh off the bat at around 20, he was kidnapped during his first major mission as an official sidekick and sold by villains to an illegal trafficking / fighting ring/pit run by other villains

you can probably guess where this is going, but it was brutal there. he’s killed countless and couldn’t put a name to a face even if he tried. he’d be faced with people that wanted to kill him or just survive like him and the crowd would cheer and bet. or he’d be faced with those too young and too weak and scared. he killed them all, having to be brutal against the stronger ones and the weaker ones he tended to do it quickly by snapping their neck of strangling them

they’d beat him a lot too for showing mercy and over all just be worse to him bcos he was a hero

they fought with and without quirks and usually with quirks led o him being drugged with quirk enhancers, and without he was hit with ones limiting them.. so his quirk is pretty fucked up now and it was to the point it was starting to burn him and his skin off around his hands in parts

but uh yea cue over 5 years of that plus being moved around location to location ever few months or weeks, plus lack of food, water and just proper anything and that’s what he went through

heroes eventually crashed the ring and saved as many as they could ( a lot still died, some killed themselves when they got to safety as well ). it took a few days before they realise who sinjae was when he eventually spoke to someone that he recognised bcos he refused to let any of the nurses or doctors or pros near him he didn’t know ( like he was very feral on instinct out of fear ). they all pretty much assumed that sinjae had died though at some point or another considering how long it had been and the case went cold

recovery is a lot, like he’s still going through it obvs and he’s dealing with like a lot still, but he was in a group home for a while with others from the pit but in recent weeks he’s been allowed out to live with a pro he trusts with the confirmation that he’ll continue going to appointments and check ups and stuff

either way, it’s been around a year now since he was rescued and he’s doing better than he initially was, but at the same time he’s still not. like sometimes the old him sorta comes out, but he’s also changed a lot and there’s a lot to unpack there. like his flight or fight instinct is a lot to handle now depending on how good or bad a day he’s having

he does work at the red bean now tho, which tbh he’s only been there for like a week or so since they had to make sure he was gonna be okay but he works part time and only day shifts when there’s a good few people on with him ( workers there will be aware of it all or enough )

also as a general sorta note, he p much hates his quirk now too bcos of 1. the pain is causes him. 2. the noise it makes ( like that freaks him out now ). 3. reminds him how easy it was to kill people with it. 4. he has lost a pretty decent chunk of control over it -- before he used to be able to not link it to his emotions, but now it’s like he thinks one thing and suddenly sparks are popping. because of that and in general how he looks ( he’s heavily scarred as you can imagine ), people that don’t know him sort of assume he’s violent or using his quirk to intimidate. he isn’t

which on that note he comes to u.y at least a couple times a week for private quirk training bcos of all the shit with his quirk and how his control is fucked and his fear and shit. but in general he feels safer at u.y since he knows the staff, it’s a pretty safe location in general and just he knows that there are enough people there to help and stuff

but uh yea.. he’s getting there tho? he’s doing his best but it’s a lot and it’s not good or easy 

connection ideas tho since i suck at plot pages: obvs people he went to school with, heroes he worked with, heroes that were a part of the raid, people he works with / or regular customers, tbh people that maybe knew someone else that was in the pit, someone younger that might remind him of someone in the pit ( probably turns to a more protective plot but could’ve started out angsty? ), angsty but an ex he was with at the time he disappeared, ex fans, students he’d probably seen a lot when he’s at u.y, people that are a dick to him, negative plots in general my brain is too much to think of exacts, protective friends, people he feels comfortable with, someone that goes on walks or hikes with him. and anything else you can think of!

[theoriginaljock]

Right after Adora went Her own way, Catra went to the pool in a quick walk , she was late and her manager already scolded her for her behavior.  She quickly got changed into her swimsuit and took Lonnie's place , who seemed rather unhappy " Come one your were supposed to be there 15 minutes ago, it's my break dude "  Catra hissed in return . 

She didn't have that much of a good relationship with Lonnie, they would always get in arguments over stupid things.  " yeah well I'm here " 

Another job Catra didn't like much in this place , having to stay around the swimming pool . For two reasons :  1. Kids.  And 2 . Water.   

She did go swim from time to time when the weather was unbearable , but her fur always made it a nightmare to dry.   After spending most of her afternoon sitting on a chair and watching over the kids , and adults too, (Because why would only kids be the ones to not respect the rules , would be too easy, right ? ) she went back to the cottage she shared with Scorpia to change for tonight. And then it hit her.   Should she dress nicely?  Why would she ? Well, she did want to look nice for... herself. And Definitely not because she was hoping to see Adora. 

Catra grumbled at Her own stupidity and stubborn attitude, and she grabbed very high waisted shorts , stopping right under her ribcages and the shirt she had to keep as a worker . She didn't have Much of a choice when it comes to outfits , but those shorts did give her a thinner waist and it was tight on her wider hips . 

She tossed her shirt beneath the waistband of her jeans. Mh.. maybe makeu--   " Hey Wildcat " she was surprised by a large figure standing behind her and sending a bright smile, and the sudden voice did make her jump   " I don’t see you taking care of your appearance often. "  She had a point. Catra did wear some eyeliner most days , but other than that, she never paid attention to anything about herself. She just didn't feel the need to be pretty ...until now .   " That's New. But you look bomb ! Any particular Reason ?" Scorpia slightly frowned at Her own question. 

The tall woman had a crush on this girl for some days now , but she knew Catra wasn't interested in love, she told her so. She just hoped nobody changed her mind on that.   Catra blushed a crimson red and shook her head shamefully " no! . " She started and sighed " I just needed to wear this sooner or later anyways. "  That question stopped Her. 

Scorpia was right. What was the reason ? Stupid. She did her usual eyeliner , and gathered her messy hair into a bun again .  Why put so much efforts for nothing.  

 It was about 8 pm when Catra started working. The bar was always pretty much exhausting at night , it wasn't that much crowded , she had the chance to work at a camp which wasn't popular but worked well , but it didn't make it any less tough . And she would always work until very late , most of her jobs were at night due to her night good vision , Hordak said.

 But she did work during the day too, though having full days and nights did give her free days too. And that was great to rest.   She served cocktails , food , bringing the drinks to tables . And as much as she tried not to , she couldn't stop but check if she saw the familiar face of the jock every two minutes, looking distracted , because she was.  How could she get so interested in someone In so little time , she didn't even know this person.

The mustache guy grabbed Bow by his shoulders into a tight grip “..Are you ready for Adventure?!” his voice echoed loudly across their surroundings, earning a couple of stares from the diverse families around the campsites. Bow could only nod eagerly at such display of behavior, all of them were more than excite on spending this first with new and old acquaintances.

Glimmer on the other side, seemed pretty chill about it, knowing her boyfriend’s ways they would probably end up being completely wasted by the end of the day, still the night was young and certain blonde was already captivating the looks of the bystanders, specially certain aqua haired girl who seemed couldn’t keep her hands from her.

“…I didn’t know you had a boyfriend...” Adora said nonchalantly as the other girl kept hanging tightly to her arm, her fingers lingering not so innocently on her biceps. “We are in an open relationship so..don’t worry about it, besides…” she got on her tiptoes barely grazing the taller blonde’s ear “..You look so hot tonight”.

Adora smirked cockily at her assertiveness, something she already knew but definitely was eager to hear again and again. However, as soon as the group of friends reached for the bar, a couple more of Sea Hawk’s friends joined them, giving their proper salutations and inviting them over to their rather big round table.

Mermista sat in front of Adora behaving a little more than before, while Glimmer and Bow sat right beside her friend.

As soon as the blonde laid eyes on the bartender, that pit of nervousness crashed against her stomach twine on that day. She couldn’t help but to want to draw her attention any way possible. Show her she was the life of the party just to steal one simple gaze from her was all she asked for.

“..Hey guys…I’m gonna go get us a drink. Be right back” she stood quickly from her spot and walked to the bar, leaning against the countertop and smiling towards a couple of giggling girls who were all eyes on her figure.

“…hey. I’m here to pay my debt.” she said with a rather tender voice, not wanting to interrupt Catra but the growing ache in her chest signaled that maybe she was actually starting to want to be closer to this girl. How could that happen? Of course she was very hot and that outfit……damn, it hugged her body in all the right places, places where Adora’s hands could show her what misbehaving actually was..

Still, her heartbreaker demeanor spoke levels on her, she couldn’t help but to say hi back to Mermista, who was still checking her out.

[Tagging: @rp-blog-uh]

[vanimeldes]

can you elaborate a bit what made you divorce from asoiaf/got as you say?

Ooof, so, after the G0T finale, I think my reasons should be obvious, but you also mentioned the books and yes, I lost my interest in books too and I will try to not make this answer too long, but in the same time, to convey all my thoughts on this matter.

*Putting it below cut because.... when I`ll explain the problem of Martin`s fans later, you`ll understand why*

It`s amazing that just a year ago, AS0IAF was my second favourite franchise ever, second only to Tolkien legendarium, but even then, I didn`t love it for the fantasy elements in it, but rather for its characters and some twists and how Martin does forshadowing and writes the dualistic nature of the human being, but...as I read other fantasy series that do these four things AND have fantasy elements, I paused a bit and thought that these series would be just as popular, if they had popular adaptations such as G0T. But I got that AS0IAF was the first that had the opportunity to be adapted and I accepted that. Yet the show highlighted (and in some cases, amplified) some of the very big issues of these books and yes, D&D have many things to be blamed of, but it`s not as if they didn`t have a basis for their fuckery in the books. Martin is just as guilty. So here we go.

1. I am not sure if Martin has ever seen a 13 year old girl, but he writes grown-ass men having fixations and being sexually attracted by Daenerys and Sansa, two prepubescent girl. Martin would call it the gritty realism of the medieval times, but last time I checked, he was writing fantasy, not historical fiction. Fantasy means you can do what you want in your world, so even if you are inspired by the medieval times, it`s still YOUR fictional world and no one will question your research or accuracy if you want to have a female character married when she is at least, say, 18, not FUCKING 13. Not to mention that even in our real world, child brides existed but, guess what, in most the cases, both spouses waited until the wife reached a certain age (16 or older) to consummate their marriage. @eyes-painted-with-kohl explained in the notes of one of my posts and even gave an example or two. I can think of Isabella of France and Edward II. They were married when she was 13 (according to some historical evidence)/16 (according to others). Yes, I know he was homosexual, but he still needed heirs, so they still had children...4 years later, when she was 17/20.  

2. In this same vein, the treatment of his female characters (with the exception of Arya and, maybe Catelyn) is egregious. Daenerys and Sansa are sexualized by the male characters (don`t get me started of the bullshit that is S/ansan, because The Hound is still a murderous man who is aroused by a 12 year-old girl, who invaded her personal space and even pointed a knife to her; do not get me started on book!Jorah, who is a creep). Cersei is paraded naked on the streets and needless to say that during the walk of atonement for an adulterous woman in medieval times, she was never stripped naked; she only had her hair shaved and walked BAREFOOT. That`s it. What Martin did to Cersei is just disgusting. We are shown how Arianne uses sex to have Ser Arys help with her plans and it is implied that Margaery uses sex also. I get that sex is Cersei`s mechanism, but you have two more feminine (this is important) women in power and both of them explicitly use, or are implied to use sex as a mean to gain that power. I get Brienne`s point, her treatment bothers me the least, but it`s annoying from time to time how most of the other characters see only her ”ugliness” and nothing else. Of course, this is the result of the heavy patriarchy in Westeros world that I will discuss in the next paragraph.

3. The heavy patriarchy in Westeros world is nowhere similar to the patriarchy in the medieval times, and that was Martin`s choice and his only. A clear example is what was dubbed the Dead Ladies Club, namely a group of dead female characters whose only purpose was to serve as object of desire for one or more men, to give birth AND to die (gruesomely in some cases). Joanna Lannister is meant only to further fuel the enmity between Tywin and Aerys and Tywin`s hatred towards Tyrion. Elia exists solely to die gruesomely and motivate Doran`s desire for vengeance. Lyanna (the most explored dead lady still exists mainly to give birth to Jon and to be one of the reasons behind a war started by men. Rhaella exists solely to be raped by Aerys and give birth and die. Ashara Dayne exists solely to commit suicide. Ned, a POV character, spends chapters thinking about his father and siblings and never to his mother. Martin had the audacity to say that Tolkien himself didn`t left notes about Aragorn`s mother, but Tolkien had an entire story when Aragorn`s mother and her impact of his life is explored (more than his father, for that matter). The heavy patriarchy serves as reason for the utterly disgusting right of the first night (read Fire & Blood for more). I am not so versed into history as @mydaylightruyi who discussed this, but I too know that in our real world, this practice was a MYTH. But GRRM made it very present in his world because of reasons I guess. 

4. The racism is just rampant and disgusting and even I didn`t notice all the racism until I read @polysorscha `s insights. There`s a to be discussed here, mainly about the portrayal of the Dothraki and how they are reduced to barbaric rapists - interestingly, they are supposedly inspired by Huns, but guess what: the Huns formed a very permisive society, where any religion and culture had its places, where women were very respected and, while cruel  in the European people`s POV, were never....like THIS. 

5. The rape cultures. The Ironborn. Similarly to the Dothraki, their culture is reduced to pillaging and rape. That scene when Euron conquers that castle in the Reach ( I forgot its name) and how he had the daughters of that lord stripped naked and serve his men the meal, and how his men started raping them was....honestly, I wish I could have skipped this chapter. I still read fantasy books written by men more than I read fantasy books written by women, but never in my life did it occur to me to read something like this in a novel that is so hailed for fantasy (?) and realism (???????). I`m not saying that things like that didn`t happen in our cruel history but, again, Martin writes a fictional story. He could choose not to include the rampant violence against women, cultures whose practices are reduced to this utterly gross things, racist and orientalist elements, but he chooses not to. Why? I don`t know. I am not sure I want to know. And Victarion`s POV...oh boy. Or Theon, in ACOK, when he literally rapes that Kyra girl after takes Winterfell. Not only that it`s very disturbing, especially coming from a character that is supposed to be redeemed in some way (yes, I know how he`s been through in ADWD and I also know this is meant to be his redemption arc, but I personally still can`t get over this). And in the same time, while we`re still at the redemption discussion, Theon will surely undergo a redemption of some sorts, Cersei (a female character) will most likely be killed by her lover/brother, who will strangle her to death, most likely while he will embrace her, without a second chance of a droplet of redemption. 

6. I love Tyrion and I love Tywin but in the same time, I acknowledge their misogyny, but Martin chose to write them as misogynists, but in the same time, writing them in such ways that they are inherently labelled as „badass”. He also says that Tyrion is his favourite, but his POV is utterly misogynistic. The reason he kills Shae is because she dared to sleep with his father, but let`s unpack the things a bit: she was a former sex worker with no power, who was forced by the most powerful man in Westeros. She had no choice. She couldn`t refuse him. Yet, for Tyrion, she is ”the lying whore” and that`s it. We are given no chance to try to see the things from her POV (I am not implying that she should have been a POV character, but Martin should have written Tyrion considering for a moment what other choices Shae had). 

7. I discovered that Martin straightly ripped-off many plot points and themes from another series who isn`t half as popular, sadly. 

8. Last, but not the least, the snake pit that is THE FANDOM. You know, as much as I tried to stay away from its toxicity because „it`s just an internet thing, it can`t affect me”, it did affect my online experience in ways that I hadn`t imagined. To sum up, if you don`t like a character or hate another, you are  a pariah. You are dumb because you don`t understand that character or you are a misogynist (because, sadly, this discourse is mostly about the female characters). If you dare to voice up your thoughts about a certain event and/or a certain character and tag your post as #asoiaf or #asoiaf meta (you know, because this is it to me: a meta; plus, I want to have an ordering system in my blog so that whenever I want to look for a certain post in a certain topic or fandom, I would only look into the tag) or #my meta (highlighted „MY” because this is also important, as in it`s MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION), and those thoughts happen to not fit into the general consensus of the „great AS0IAF bloggers” (namely those meta writers with many followers who sound like they already read TWOW and ADOS), you are trashed and called an idiot. Granted, I met enough great people, meta writers included, in this fandom, and it was a real pleasure to chat with them, but I also had bad experiences with others and idk, I thought we were all mature people, but the way they reacted can hardly be described as mature. And in the same point, it`s just funny to see the hardcore Martin stans reacting in front of the clear evidence that Martin isn`t half as original as they thought (see 7) and acting like they are personally attacked.

Ok, it took me an hour. There is a lot more to discussed, but I got bored and I honestly want to shut the door to this fandom forever. To answer another question, yes, I will be reading the last two books  if when they will come out. I invested many months in this series not to finish it. I`ll probably block all the ASOIAF-related tags to avoid any interaction with its fandom during those times.