#HAITI IS NOT ALONE!

[reasoningdaily]

Last week, during a swing through Miami, Donald Trump stopped by a community center in Little Haiti. Trump has never held much interest in Haiti or Haitian Americans, and it showed. Instead of the usual bluster, the reality TV star tentatively read some vague, prepared remarks off a sheet of paper, then sat back on a stool “to listen and to learn” for a few minutes from the small crowd of mostly middle-aged, upper- and middle-class Haitian Americans in dark suits and print dresses, scattered among a few rows of folding chairs.

Not long ago, Trump’s team glommed onto the possibility that Haitian Americans—generally black, generally Democratic-leaning voters who make up roughly 2 percent of the population of Florida, where Trump and Hillary Clinton are separated by less than a point—might be persuaded to vote against the former secretary of state. The irony of a nativist pandering to thousands of immigrants and refugees aside, there was a logic to this. Many people rightly identify Clinton with failures of humanitarianism and development in Haiti. The Trump team has folded that perception into a half-true narrative in which Haiti—like Whitewater and Benghazi before it—becomes a synecdoche for all the ills, real and imagined, of the Clintons themselves.

There are good reasons the world’s first black republic has been an island-sized headache for Clinton as she seeks the presidency. Haiti is a place where some of the darkest suppositions that lurk on the left and right about her and her husband take form. Here is an island country of 10 million people where America’s ultimate power couple invested considerable time and reputation. Here is a fragile state where each took turns implementing destructive policies whose highlights include overthrowing a presidential election. Bill Clinton in particular mixed personal relationships, business, and unaccountable power in ways that, if never exactly criminal, arouse the kind of suspicion that erodes public trust. No two individuals, including Haiti’s own leaders, enjoyed more power and influence than the Clintons in the morass of the failed reconstruction following the deadly Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake, when a troubled country managed to go from catastrophe to worse.

The Clintons compounded the resulting political problem the way they usually do, by saying as little as possible while letting their enemies fill in the blanks. A year before he became Trump’s campaign “CEO,” Breitbart News chairman Steve Bannon began pushing facile theories of corruption and malfeasance in the book Clinton Cash, written by Peter Schweizer under the aegis of Bannon’s Orwellianly named Government Accountability Institute. It was later turned into a film. Both versions of Clinton Cash tell a kaleidoscopic version of Haiti’s post-quake story, remixed and more than occasionally fudged to push the Clintons into the center. Those flawed but relatively measured accounts in turn inspired whack-job theories that have become articles of faith in the anti-Clinton fever swamps, such as the fantasy that Hillary and Bill just straight up stole billions of dollars in post-quake relief money—an impossible claim so unmoored from reality that even Peter Schweitzer didn’t bother making it.

The reality is a lot more complicated (and interesting) than that. The United States and Haiti were the first two independent republics in the Americas, and our often blood-soaked relationship goes back a lot further than the meeting of a silky Arkansan and an ambitious Illinoisan at Yale Law School.

Trump, probably unwittingly, submerged himself in some relatively recent chapters of that history at the Little Haiti Cultural Center. His host was Georges Saati, a wealthy Lebanese-Haitian industrialist whose family backed the brutal 20th-century dictatorships of François and Jean-Claude Duvalier and whose far-right faction helped foment the violent overthrow of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004. Trump was also treated to a speech by Bernard Sansaricq, a radical right-wing ex-Haitian legislator whom the Los Angeles Times once called the “self-proclaimed president of Haiti’s Senate” and who collaborated with the military junta that ruled during Aristide’s first exile in the 1990s, following a coup carried out during the George H.W. Bush administration by former Duvalierists on the CIA payroll. Trump was so moved that this week, his staff published another statement by Sansaricq on its website.

Both wealthy Haitians openly loathe Bill Clinton, who ordered the U.S. invasion that put down the junta and restored Aristide to power, for a time. Sansaricq, who long ago left Haiti and ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Congress as a Republican in 2010 and 2012, repeated nonsensical, Breitbart-esque claims about “the whole world” having given “billions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation for the Haitians” (false: The Clinton Foundation has raised about $30 million in connection with Haiti and was at no point a general clearinghouse for post-quake relief money) and promising Trump the Haitian American community’s support if he will “ask Hillary Clinton to disclose the audit of all the money they have stolen from Haiti.”

Trump nodded thoughtfully. “I didn’t understand,” he said, “now I understand it.”

He didn’t. I know, because I’ve spent years looking into what’s really gone on in Haiti. I was the Associated Press correspondent in Port-au-Prince from 2007 to 2011 and survived the earthquake in 2010. I’ve spent years digging into the details of the response and recovery, much of which I put in a book. I’ve also done extensive, critical reporting on the Clintons’ roles in particular, which is why my name appears halfway through the Clinton Cash documentary, misleadingly implying that I was some sort of corroborating source.

In all that time, neither I nor anyone else has found the coveted evidence of either Clinton making off with vast sums of money from Haiti or the relief effort. And while America’s foremost power couple may be as culpable as anyone for the disastrous results of the earthquake response, it is fundamentally misleading to say that they are singularly responsible for it, much less for America’s long and abusive history with its oldest and poorest neighbor. I wish things were that simple.

* * *

There’s a real case to be made against Hillary Clinton in Haiti. From her first days as secretary of state, Clinton saw the island republic as a place to “road-test” a central piece of her foreign policy vision of “elevating development alongside diplomacy and defense as core pillars of American power.” Haiti would be a major example of “economic statecraft,” as she called it, where business and government partner to address natural disasters, poverty, and disease, neutralizing threats while generating money and power for the United States—what her husband would call a “win-win-win.”

Clinton has gotten grief in this election for that kind of thinking, exemplified elsewhere by a 2011 speech in which she pitched reconstruction in Iraq, eight years after the U.S. invasion, as a “business opportunity.” In reality, what she is pushing has been standard U.S. foreign policy for more than a century. (In Iraq, she was very late to the party.) It’s no less true when it comes to “humanitarianism.” The U.S. government devotes less than 1 percent of its budget to “foreign aid,” most of which goes to vendors based in the United States. For instance, nearly half a billion dollars of U.S. government relief aid “for Haiti” following the 2010 earthquake went to the Defense Department. The vast majority of U.S. government contracts went to American firms; almost no cash ever went, or was intended to go, to Haitians or the Haitian government. The same is true for nearly all nongovernmental organizations and charities, including the American Red Cross.

Despite promises to change this way of doing aid, both Clintons rode herd on business as usual—Hillary as head of the State Department (which effectively includes the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID), and Bill in his panoply of roles, including co-chairing the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC), a nominally Haitian government agency charged with overseeing the allocation of reconstruction money donated by foreign governments to a World Bank–managed fund for 18 months after the earthquake.* USAID, ignoring recommendations to hire Haitian contractors, brought in several U.S. firms (and one Mexican firm) to build a housing development. The added cost of flights, hotels, cars, food allowances, living expenses, and “danger pay” ballooned the cost per house from $8,000 to $33,000, investigative reporter Jake Johnston found. Ultimately two of the American contractors were suspended from receiving future government contracts. “Out of ignorance, there was much arrogance,” a Haitian official told Johnston.

But when the right isn’t beating the Clintons over the head about it, this pattern—keeping the money close to home—is how most conservatives, and a lot of other Americans, want foreign aid to work. Clinton’s insistence that relief and development efforts yield benefits for American businesses and consumers is aimed mostly at critics who don’t understand that this is how U.S. aid and intervention always operate. (That includes Trump himself, who told a Fox News town hall in April: “We have many, many countries that we give a lot of money to, and we get absolutely nothing in return, and that’s going to stop fast.”)

Before and after the earthquake, the State Department openly and enthusiastically pushed a vision of prosperity for Haiti through foreign investment in tourism, construction, and low-wage garment factories. In its view, this would save Haitians from poverty and prevent future refugee crises while making money for American and multinational corporations. That idea is badly flawed—among other things, the low wages and sweeping tax exemptions investors demand mean little money flows into the local economy—but it’s the program every single U.S. presidential administration has backed in Haiti since at least the 1960s. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Haiti produced huge quantities of cheap clothes, toys—and at one point all the baseballs used in the U.S. major leagues—earning it the nickname the “Taiwan of the Caribbean.” It’s a bipartisan effort: Clinton’s vision of “economic statecraft” isn’t all that different from the policies Ronald Reagan was pushing when his administration created the Caribbean Basin Initiative.

But efforts to resurrect the assembly sector, which collapsed in the turmoil following the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship 1986, got ugly. A few months before the quake, U.S. embassy officials pressured the then-Haitian president, René Préval, to nix a legislative proposal to raise the minimum wage for garment factory workers from roughly 22 cents an hour to 62 cents an hour, arguing that higher wages would discourage investment. Préval and legislators compromised at 38 cents an hour. (It has since gone up.) Bill used his newly minted position as U.N. special envoy to promote the economic agenda. “In the end all of our efforts will have to be judged by how many jobs we create, how much we swell the middle class, and whether we perform for the investors and make them a profit for doing the right thing,” he said at the time.

Once the disaster struck, the U.S. government focused its reconstruction efforts on pushing this vision. That resulted in the construction of Caracol Industrial Park, a $300 million, 600-acre industrial development built to house garment factories in northern Haiti. The project was financed through U.S. tax money via USAID, as well as the Washington-based Inter-American Development Bank. The Clinton Foundation helped promote the project to investors. Bill and George W. Bush teamed up to lobby Congress together to expand trade preferences for Haiti-sewn apparel. Bill also used his position with the IHRC to direct further funds to the project. With the help of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a former South Korean trade minister, the organizers recruited Sae-A Trading Co. Ltd., a South Korea–based global garment giant that supplies many of the clothes you buy at Target, Walmart, Gap, Old Navy, and other stores, to be the anchor tenant.

All that was at stake when, 11 months after the earthquake, Haiti held a presidential election. Millions were still displaced and polling places in rubble, but the United States and its allies were paying for the election and insisted it go on. The process fell into chaos in the first round, with riots in the streets and candidates accusing each other of manipulation and fraud.

The electoral mess increased the Americans’ frustrations with Préval; they blamed his recalcitrance and skepticism about foreign intervention for the slow pace of reconstruction. The U.S. embassy openly fanned the flames by saying the official electoral results conflicted with a European Union–sponsored poll. U.S. officials then pushed Préval to throw his party’s candidate out of the second-round runoff and replace him with Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly, a raunchy pop singer who enthusiastically backed foreign investment projects including Caracol. (Martelly had also proved receptive to guidance from foreign political hands.)

Clinton’s State Department played hardball behind the scenes, revoking the visas of Préval’s inner circle and banding with France, Brazil, Canada, and the United Nations leadership to pressure the president into stepping down.

Then, on Jan. 30, 2011, the secretary personally flew to Port-au-Prince. The night before, she had traded emails with her chief of staff, Cheryl Mills, as well as the Clinton Foundation’s chief operating officer, Laura Graham, who also served as Bill’s chief of staff on the IHRC. In one email, Graham said resistance was building against the U.S. plan and that the secretary had been “specifically criticized today for imposing this solution.” Mills suggested that Clinton emphasize a message in response: “The voices of the people of Haiti must be heard. The votes of the people of Haiti must be counted fairly. And the outcome of this process must reflect the true will of the Haitian people. That is the only interest of the United States.”

Hillary delivered that message almost word for word to the Haitian and foreign press the next day. Behind closed doors, she sweet-talked Préval, convincing him that accepting the U.S.-backed candidate would secure his legacy.

Martelly became president in May. In his inaugural speech he declared, in English: “This is a new Haiti open for business, now!” Bill was in the audience.

Initially, Martelly accepted Garry Conille—Bill Clinton’s chief of staff at the U.N. Office of the Special Envoy—as his first prime minister. But sensing a babysitter, Martelly quickly booted him out and replaced him with his own business partner. “The situation cannot afford Washington to sit on sidelines. They elected him and they need [sic] pressure him,” Graham grumbled to Mills in an unusually candid email.

The earthquake recovery foundered, inflation spiraled, and violence spiked. Martelly left office earlier this year amid an unfinished, fraud-wracked election; for a week, the country had no president. Haiti is now struggling with a weak, transitional government. Demonstrations loom, as do strikes and threats of takeover by armed militants.

Caracol opened in 2012 with both Clintons joining Martelly (and an acquiescent Préval) at the opening ceremony. The project has been a disappointment by any measure. Sae-A brought in a fraction of the jobs it promised. Its employees grumble about the long hours, tough conditions, and low pay. The project has had little positive impact on Haiti’s economy so far.

* * *

Trump has criticized Caracol on the stump, referring in a recent speech to the time that “Hillary Clinton set aside environmental and labor rules to help a South Korean company with a record of violating workers’ rights set up what amounts to a sweatshop in Haiti.” It’s a hypocritical complaint for a mogul who employs his own sweatshop labor in China and Central America. Small wonder that he dropped that line of criticism at the Little Haiti event, where his hosts were wealthy industrialists whose opposition to Aristide (and Bill Clinton) was rooted in large part in the former Haitian leader’s resistance to garment-factory owners and foreign investment schemes. Still, it’s only a bit overstated—while Hillary built nothing alone, her State Department pushed hard to get the park up quickly, over the objections of other administration departments.

But what the shallower critics of the Clintons miss is whom this fundamentally unjust system is designed to benefit. Despite cherry-picked, half-understood stories about permits for nonexistent gold mines and isolated instances of naked (and duly punished) fraud that account for rounding errors in the actual billions raised and spent after the earthquake, there is simply no evidence that the intent was to line the Clintons’ pockets.

The system isn’t designed for them; it’s for us. The low wages that the U.S. embassy helped suppress are the reason we can enjoy a steady stream of $9 Mossimo camisoles and $12.99 six-packs of Hanes T-shirts. Even U.S. military uniform parts get made in Haitian sweatshops. As America moves further away from its producer past and deeper into its consumer present, we will want cheaper and cheaper smartphones and cheaper and cheaper clothes that we can afford on our stagnant service wages, and we will demand our leaders find us alternatives to sourcing from rivals like China. Places like Caracol are the result. Some Americans say they want production jobs to come back home, but few are ready to pay twice as much for their clothes or $100 extra for their iPhones, most of which would still have to be sourced from overseas.

To get the things we want, the United States has been in the business of overturning elections and toppling governments for more than a century. Clinton’s trip to Haiti in 2011 represents the softer end of a long tradition of U.S. invasions, coups, and usurpations: Panama in 1903 to Iran, 1953; Guatemala, 1954, to Congo, 1961; Vietnam, 1963, to Chile, 1973, to Iraq 2003, and on and on.

The U.S. Marines occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934, helping foster the overcentralization—whereby American-run businesses and breaks on custom duties were concentrated in the capital—that made the 2010 earthquake so deadly.  And we have been meddling ever since—ferrying leaders out and in and out again. As Trump was reminded in Little Haiti, Bill Clinton ordered the 1994 U.S. invasion. George W. Bush ordered his in 2004. The U.N. peacekeeping mission that dumped cholera into Haiti’s waterways a few months after the quake had nothing to do with Clinton’s U.N. Office of the Special Envoy; it was created years earlier, during the Bush administration, to take over from his U.S.-led force and has been kept there and aggressively defended by administrations through Barack Obama’s in large part because it is cheaper than sending U.S. troops back again.

That military might is used, explicitly, to keep things from deteriorating to the point that thousands of Haitians flee toward Florida, as they did in the 1980s and 1990s. Why? Because as it turns out, a lot of Americans aren’t fond of refugees.

None of this gets the Clintons off the hook for the actions they are personally responsible for in Haiti. I’ve asked Hillary’s spokesman many times to comment on how things have turned out there and what if anything she would do differently as president. He said once that she’d comment “when the time comes to do so.” That was back in April 2015. I’m still waiting.

Bill continues to mix his post-presidential fame and Haiti business matchmaking in ways that set off alarm bells—often in conjunction with his trademark quarter-million-dollar speaking fees. In the reconstruction effort, he often partnered with Irish cell phone company Digicel and its head, Denis O’Brien. The company helped arrange at least one lucrative speaking engagement for the former president, while the Clinton Foundation “facilitated introductions” to help O’Brien build a luxurious new Marriott hotel next to Digicel’s Port-au-Prince headquarters. USAID has directed about $1.3 million to Digicel since 2008, along with private grant money. Digicel has donated tens of millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation. It’s hard to say how, or even if, any of those parts fit together: Digicel was dominating Haiti’s cell phone market and doing development work there long before the Clintons re-engaged with the country in 2009. USAID money started going to Digicel while George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice were running U.S. foreign policy, and most has been paid out since Clinton left the State Department. An indirect speaking fee is hardly proof of a kickback scheme. Still, the relationship is clearly an example of the many ways money and celebrity combine and strengthen each other at the highest levels of power.

But it ignores all history and logic to pin the whole sordid tale of Haiti’s relief and reconstruction disasters on one couple, no matter how powerful they have been. Turning legitimate criticisms about U.S. intervention into a question about one candidate’s personality is a way of avoiding harder questions. The Clintons didn’t create the world we live in; they just know how to navigate it better than most of us do. If we want it to change, we have to change it.  And it seems clear that electing a strongman leader who turns to putschists for advice on the developing world and who has never shied away from making money by working with corrupt regimes isn’t the answer. Changing a system that operates with millions of people and trillions of dollars will take more than shunting all the evils of empire onto one or two personalities—not when we benefit from them so eagerly and almost never change ourselves when it counts. Pretending otherwise is just a way to let ourselves off the hook, too

[xclowniex]

They're already blaming the wildfires on jews

The fact that they're saying that bombs are causing the wildfires and will continue to cause climate change by saying that the US is funding climate collapse.

And I do agree with part of what she said, climate reparations do need to be paid to indigenous communities. But to paint Israel as causing all these serious climate events is ridiculous.

This is going to be long as I do the math and show my maths but I show my maths to prove I'm not pulling numbers out of my arsehole.

The war hasn't produced enough emissions to be a main cause of climate change.

The only figures we have are for the first 120 days of the war. 450,000 tonnes of greenhouse gasses were released. This include emissions from both Israel and Hamas, using both military operations and infrastructure to come to thay conclusion.

Assuming it stays at the same level 1,350,000 or 1 million and 350 thousand tonnes for those who prefer bigger numbers written.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, total emissions projected at the end of 2024 per data published November 2024 was 41.6 billion tonnes. This is a compounded figure so to find out emissions released in 2024 alone, we'd need to subtract 2023 compounded figure (37.4b) from 2024 estimated compounded figure. This is figure is 4.2 billion.

So to take the figure of the war emissions estimate for 1 year and find out the percentage of total emissions 2024, it makes up 0.03% of total emissions.

No 2024 breakdown for each country has been publish so by using 2023 figures and assuming the percentages are similar to 2024, here are some but very much not all, of the countries which had higher emissions than the war for 1 year

Chad, Maldives, Togo, niger, Madagascar, Haiti, Congo, Iceland, Mauritius, Namibia, Albania, Papa New Guinea, New Caledonia, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Burkina Faso, Jamaica, Armenia, Cyprus, Uganda, etc.

153 countries/autonomous territories had more emissions than the war in the span of a year.

And it honestly is more. The percentages only go as low as 0.01% before it taps out and puts then at zero.

160 countries if we go by tonnes, released more emissions than the war in the span of a year.

So even if all the emissions were from Israel with the war emissions, it still isn't a lot.

If we talk about the increase, so how much the emissions affected total emission increase. The best figure is also from the world metrological organization is 0.4 billion aka 400 million tones.

The war emissions was literally 0.33% of the total increase. 398,650,000 emissions were still released more than last year excluding the wars contribution.

There is no ecocide done by Israel.

And I also find it insulting that she compares the LA wildfires to Gaza and says they're going through the same thing.

Do not get me wrong, my heart does go out to all of those affected by the fire.

But you're telling me, that (per figures earlier today) 7 people killed and 10,000 structures (including cars) damaged is the same as the destruction and lives lost in Gaza.

You have to be joking.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Whilst I support Israel existing and it does have a right to defend itself, the Israeli government has gone too far.

I've also said it before but I'll say it again - two things can both be horrendously bad and still have quantifiable measures of which was more destructive and caused more harm.

The LA fires are bad and what's happening in Gaza is also bad. Both are bad and deserve attention.

But to act like the damages caused by the fire is the same as Gaza??????? Absolutely cooked behavior please get off the internet forever.

[alwaysbewoke]

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke at Al Sharpton’s National Action Network 2024 Convention, activists and organizers from Black Alliance for Peace and PSL disrupted the event. They denounced Jeffries and Sharpton as Black Misleaders, boldly proclaiming that the duo doesn’t represent the majority of Black/African people and instead provides a Blackface cover to U.S. imperialism. Jeffries received over $700,000 in Israel lobby funding in the last election cycle alone. Last year, Jeffries led a bipartisan Congressional delegation to the CARICOM Heads of Government Conference where NO HAITIANS were in the room as the the invasion and occupation of the country was planned. The collective liberation of Africa and Africans is not guaranteed without the liberation of Palestine, Haiti, or even the Borough of Brooklyn that Jeffries was elected to represent instead of approving more money to IOF-trained NYPD!

[1lovewony]

Vacation in Vietnam (Hanni of Newjeans)

Hanni x Male Reader Word count: 4440 words Summary: You intended to travel to well-known locations and enjoy delicious cuisine while on a relaxing and enjoyable vacation in Vietnam. However, something better than what you had anticipated occurred.

After a year of a successful debut and comeback, Newjeans finally got their deserved break. Each member planned their Vacation. Minji, Haerin, and Hyein with their family in South Korea, Danielle going back to Australia, and Hanni visiting her birth place in Vietnam. 

"Can't wait to explore and meet tokkis in Vietnam" Hanni talking to herself while waiting in line.

You always want to visit Southeast Asia, some of your friends recommend going to the Philippines or Indonesia, but while researching for countries with great places, food, and people. You've decided to go to Vietnam. At first, you're worried since you will go alone and don't know anybody in Vietnam, but in the end you thought, there will be people to help you in Vietnam. 

Arriving in Hanoi, Vietnam. It's really different from your home country. While waiting for a cab, a woman bumped you accidentally. 

"Oh! Sorry" Hanni apologies 

"No worries, look above when your walking" you said to her

"Thanks haha, I was waiting for my uber, but it seems he won't be able to pick me up" Hanni explained

"Oh, are you from here?, It looks like your Vietnamese" 

"Ah yes, I was born here, hmm are you a traveller?"

"Yeah, this is actually my first time travelling alone"

"Hmm, that's good to hear. Enjoy travelling to Vietnam!"

"Thanks, you too"

A cab pulled, you asked the cab driver for the Haiti hotel. You then sit inside the car. The driver then asked if anyone in the line of waiting passengers if someone would be dropping near the Haiti hotel, one passenger answered. The driver then let the passenger come in.

"Is this a thing here in Vietnam, Sir?"

"Oh, sorry. There's a shortage of Cab at the moment"

"Oh"

"Thanks, for letting me, I am dropping in Haiti hotel too" Hanni exclaimed

You look at her, hearing the same voices that you just talked to in the line just a few moments ago.

"Oh, your Hotel is in Haiti too" 

"Ahhh, you. Yes yes, haha"

"I am Y/N btw, sorry for not mentioning"

"I am Hanni" Hanni said while winking, thinking you would know her.

"Nice name, by chance do you know any tour guide person that knows Vietnam well?"

Hanni's facial expression from wanting to meet a tokki changed when you didn't recognize her.

"Oh, um, You know what, I can be your Your guide, I also wanna your my birthplace again"

"Really?, Don't you have any plan"

"Not really, lol too busy to plan before going here, so I was gonna wing it, but a companion would be great"

"Oh, thank you so much, don't worry I'll pay you too"

"No, no, I'll do it for free, haha"

"No, I insist, I'll pay you"

"Fine, fine"

The cab stopped, arriving at the Haiti hotel, both of you walked to the counter. 

"So, how can I contact you Hanni, do you want to start tomorrow?"

"Yeah, yeah, tomorrow sounds great. Umm, this is my IG"

"See you tomorrow" you said to her while waving

In your mind, you've not only hired a touring guide, but maybe a friend too. It's really going great, plus you thought she's cute and really friendly towards you.

"Yah, yah see you too!" Hanni waving 

No tokkis but a friend, great start for my Vacation, Hanni thought.

Waking up the next morning was a struggle, it's more hot and humid in Vietnam than your country, but you're excited to tour Vietnam and meet Hanni again.

You walked to the breakfast area of the hotel, wanting to relieve your aching stomach from hunger of yesterday's flight. Getting all kinds of food, half asleep you bumped into a person.

"Ouch" 

Hearing the voice, a sudden adrenaline rush to your body, it was Hanni

"Hanni?"

"Oh Y/N, waking early too for free breakfast huh? haha"

"Oh, yeah"

"You got some good selection of food"

"Well I wanna taste every food from Vietnam"

"Ah, later I'll bring you to my favourite restaurant with great foods"

"Oh really, I can't wait" Smiling and looking in her eyes

Hanni too is smiling while looking in your eyes

This looking in each other eyes turned from seconds to minutes, break by the waiter from the restaurant 

"Greeting in Vietnamese" "You two are a lovely couple, we would like you two to come in our free couple massage later this evening"

"Oh, no no. break by the finger of Hanni, shushing you

"Yeah, we are a couple. We would like that, thanks" said by Hanni

"Alright, here's the coupon. See you two later, Ma'am and Sir. Have a great day."

"Thank you too" - Hanni

"Wait, wait. Huh" looking confused to Hanni

"It's free, you should always take what the hotel offers you for free" 

"Oh, but we are not a couple though"

"Yes, we're not, but it's just a massage"

"Fine, that's what you said so"

"Let's wrap up and explore Vietnam" excitedly said by Hanni

"Yes, let's do it" 

You both go to your rooms, which aren't far from each other, just 3 doors apart. Your heart is beeping, your face smiling, and a tingling in your body as you change your clothes from pyjamas to a casual outfit.

"No way, this girl is making me feel this way. She's so cute, friendly, and ughhh I don't know. I just wanted to explore Vietnam but now, Ugh I don't know" you said to yourself while looking in the mirror

"He's cute" Hanni said in the mirror looking at herself

"He doesn't know me, which is fine but should I tell him?"

"No, no, maybe not yet. Ugh, this Vacation is going really really well"

You exit your door same as Hanni, she waves her hand to alert you that she's good to go.

"Nice outfit, you look cute" she said

"Thank you, you too. I like the bow" 

"Really?"

"Yes"

She holds onto your arms in the elevator, as if you two are a couple. But you didn't even mind that. You're blinded by her cuteness and aroma. You felt like you found the one, even though no label is labelled. You barely know her, yet you want to spend your whole life with her.

"Um Hanni, do"

"We should get a tuk tuk, it's more fun to ride" she said

"Really, yeah its looks fun" 

"What, wait what did you said"

"Nothing, haha"

"Hmm, you're asking if I have a boyfriend right?"

"No, no, no, no. I was asking if you have a family here?"

"My grandparents from my mother is here, and I don't have a boyfriend so your good"

"Oh, okay"

As the day goes by, you forget everything you planned in Vietnam. You only focus on how happy Hanni is, how much fun this cute Vietnamese girl you just met yesterday.

"Yo, that's the restaurant I said earlier"

"Oh, let's go eat"

"Me?" jokingly said by Hanni

Your confused face made her laugh.

"Haha, just joking. Let's go"

"Ah, whatever you said. Haha"

You paid the bill and told her that both of you can now go to your respective rooms, but she reminded you.

"Nah ugh, we got a couple massage later"

"Oh, I forgot, sorry"

"No worries, let's go now. It said until 9 pm"

"Okays"

You two walked to the massage room of the hotel, you asked the worker there where is the free couple massage, she pointed in the right direction, thus you two walked in there. The massage area is only 1 room, both will be side to side, and include each other's massage which confuses you.

"Each other massage, hmm what is this" looking confused to Hanni

"I don't know too" 

"Hi welcome to the free couple massage, in which 3 types of massage will happen, firstly the standard massage in which a Massager will massage your full body, the second one is spiritual massage, in which you two will be inside the hut together to the hot steam, and lastly the each other massage, would happen between you two only, massaging each other will make you two closer" 

"Oh, okay" looking at Hanni

"Yeahh, hmm this is my fault" 

"You know what, let's just get the first type then dipped?" 

"Yeah"

"Can we get the first type only?"

"Sir, you two are a couple, why wouldn't you two try the other types"

"Um, we are" interrupted by Hanni

"We'll take it all, thanks"

"Okay, maam"

"Okay, okay let's just not look at each other"

"Yeah" replied to Hanni

The first type of the massage went well, both of you got massaged by professionals and really a Vietnam massage that's different from your country.

"Oh that's good"

"Yes, my body feels better" said Hanni

The massager then pointed at the hut, they asked first what temperature the steam would you two like, you two choose the medium one. 

Getting in the hut was easy, but hot. The hut is smaller than it seems on the outside, it really is for only two or three people max, the massager said removing the towel would be better so your whole body gets the steam evenly. Minutes go by inside, both of you now looking at each other.

"This is nice, it's hot and steamy"

"Yeah, Even though we're in towels, it's still hot"

"There's only two of us, and with this heat, camera couldn't be place here" Hanni said

"What are you gonna do"

"Hmm, I, I, just don't look at me, okay. I'll try it without a towel" Hanni said

"But"

She tossed her towel to the side, exposing her full body to the hot steam. You didn't look, even though you wanted to. But you hold your stand. After a couple minutes, she covered her body with a towel.

"You should try it"

"Huh, removing my towel?"

"Yeah, it's better"

"Okay, but don't look ah" 

"Ye ye, I won't look"

You remove your towel from your body, exposing your naked body to the hot temperature, you look at Hanni, she fully closed her eyes. It was cute, the sight of her, fully closing her eyes to not see you naked. But in your mind, you want her to see you in this form, fully unclothed. Wanting her to see your erect penis. 

"Your right Hanni, this is better"

"I'll cover now" 

You said but it was before you got your towel below, as you said the last words from your mouth, she fully opened her eyes, looking at you while grabbing your towel below. 

"Oh my god, I thought you were covered already. Oh my god, I am so sorry"

"Oh, I, I, I'll cover now. Sorry"

Your mind was in bliss, thinking she could have seen your junior. While in her mind it was different, complete emptiness is in her kind, she doesn't know what to react on what she saw, but then a blood from the heart flow to her brain, it told her "That was big, I wanna touch it" 

"No, no, no Hanni, what you saw isn't real, Oh my god, is that how a cock is?, god damn, I thought those are not real, I thought they are just edited or enlarge cocks, but here it is, in front of me, A real big one, the one that is big, No, no Hanni, if he would know who am I, I am doomed, but he doesn't know, Iah fuck it, this is the only chance I get to touching a real thing, experiencing the big one." Hanni talking to herself in her mind

"Um, Y/N, do you have a girlfriend?"

"That's a weird question, I do not have one"

"Did you have, before?"

"No, no I don't"

"So, I could be your girlfriend now?"

"Huh?"

"You know, I don't know how to approach men but, this is the only chance I can get"

"What do you mean?"

"Can I be your girlfriend?"

"Wait, what's happening to you Hanni"

"This is Hanni still, and I am asking you to be my boyfriend so I can"

"So you can do what?"

"So, so, so I can suck your cock"

"What?" 

"Yes, I've seen it, and you're hard for me? right, I am the only one here, don't tell your gay"

"No, I am not gay, I don't know, this is so fast, we've only met ea6other for a day"

"Yes, it is but I want your cock now, I can't erased it in my head, it feels like it's tattooed there, cannot be remove"

You haven't said yes, but to her, you're her boyfriend now. She then crawls towards you, like a cat hungry for days, but in this case a girl hungry for cock. She removed her towel, exposing her cute breast to you.

"You like that?, would it make your cock bigger"

"Um, Hanni, what's happening to you, why are you like this"

You haven't done anything, not that you intentionally did what happened earlier, it was a miscommunication but your still happy that this girl your with is not shy to see her true self to you. It feels like her mind breaks already, just seeing your big penis. 

"Hanni, we're about to be done here in the hut, we should do it later in the room"

She snapped back to reality when you said it would be over inside the hut.

"Ah, is it?, is that a promise, I can touch it later?, It's mine right?"

"Yes, Hanni it's yours only but can you be your other self for now, please I don't want anybody to see you like this"

"Okay, Y/N you haven't answered my question yet"

"What question?"

"Ugh, you're so clueless, it's so cute. I'll ask you later"

Confused look at Hanni, as if you don't know what she meant, but slowly things are coming to your head, it makes sense now, how clingy she was before, how friendly she is to you. She likes you from the start when you two see each other, it's like a gift to her that she found you at the airport.

The last type of massage was shortly cancelled due to a leak in the steam in the room, so they gave you two additional 2 free massages just the normal ones for compensation.

You look at her, thinking she would be mad cause it was postponed but she's happy, for her it was a miracle. No timer for touching each other, and no hot steam that makes you two sweat. She wanted raw, raw hotness from your body touching each other, not a machine making the hot steam, but your lust and love for each other.

You two changed back to your casual outfit, she held your arms much tighter, making sure yours are her. 

"Y/N, I can't wait to see it again"

"Shh, we're still here, people might hear"

"Oh my god, why can't a couple talked about couple things, shh shh, your really is clueless and I really like it"

"Alright, alright, to answer your question, yes you can be my girlfriend but"

"No but, but"

She hugs you, you hug her back tightly. This day is full of wonderful things happening, not only did you travel Vietnam, eat good and lots of food, but you end up with a girlfriend from the country you're visiting.

Walking in the corridor, going to your rooms, she asked, what room you two would want. You replied, hers. She replied, aight bet. 

"Welcome to my room, which looks like yours too, haha. Sorry it's kinda messy, I haven't cleaned. I've slept yesterday"

"Haha, funny were the same, that's why I picked yours cause mine is worst"

"Haha, let's do it now"

"Now?, you don't want to shower first?"

"In the shower?"

"Yes, shower first"

"Okay, let's go"

She striped naked in front of you, as if you two are in a long relationship. She removed each of her cloth naughty and while looking in your eyes. An adrenaline goes to your penis, while looking at her, it makes it hard, creating a bulge in your pants, you adjust to make her see it. 

"Wow, you want to huh"

"No, you want it more"

"Haha, I'll suck you dry"

"Oh really, I'll do it to you too"

Fully naked, she walked towards you, she grabbed her hands and guided it to her cute breast, she chuckled from your touch and it made her seize like your touch electrified her. 

"Please be gentle, this is my first"

"It's my first too Hanni"

"So we're beginner's haha"

"Really beginner's, I don't have a condom on me, so we're lock on toucher each other "

"Huh? locked? wdym locked, fuck me raw, creampie me full, I don't even care anymore, I just want you, your cock in me, please"

"Alright, alright, chill I just don't want things to escalate too quickly"

"Don't bother, I am on pills anyway, I am actually an, no I just have a work that needs us to be on pills"

"Oh, that's neat. I'll make your wish come true then"

After your last word, she grabbed your pants, removing it to expose your big erect penis to her. She was excited, happy, and the smile on her face was apparent.

"Oh my god, yes please I want this cock on me now"

"Wait, open the shower first, I don't want you to smell my smelly penis"

"I don't care, I'll sniff it more"

"Your disgusting, and it's so hot"

"Haha, you're right. That's kinda far now, feel like we're roleplaying or something, let's just fuck you know"

"Yeah, haha, can I see your pussy?"

"Yeah, sorry I haven't shaved yet, didn't expect this to happen in my vacation, and I wasn't expecting to go beaching too"

"It's perfectly fine, it's better anyway hygiene"

You touch her first, making her angry.

"Hey, you touch my pussy first? really"

"Huh, I, sorry, alright, alright you're the pilot"

"Nah its fine but I want to suck your dick first"

"Okay, I'll clean it now"

After you washed your cock, she grabbed it without mentioning it.

"Aw, it hurts, just be gentle"

"Sorry, I'll suck it gently, I promise"

She handjobs you first while having a staring contest at hers, she wanted to see if it would hurt when she went fast, but it did5, it just makes you feel a thing.

"Slow down a bit, I'll gonna cum so fast from that"

"Alright, I'll suck it now"

"Okay"

She kissed your penis first, then slowly put it to her cute mouth. At first it was difficult, her mouth was too small for your penis to enter but slowly she adjusted to your size, you also helped her in making sure everything was going great, and gently.

"Ugh, argh, ugh, gulp"

She was sucking but because neither of you have this experience, it was going slow.

"Um, Hanni, I think your sucking isn't great"

She removed her mouth form you dick to speak 

"Is it?"

"You should gag more, put it more inside of your mouth, like this(showing a picture from the net).

She slapped your phone.

"Are you saying I am not good?"

"Well, no, but maybe, sorry I just want you to experience this fully"

"Okay, I get you, I'll do what in the picture is"

She adjusted more, allowing your length to enter her mouth, your big cock now is full of saliva, and she is gagging from every downshift she does. The scene is magical, a cute girl you just met yesterday is now gagging from your cock. 

"Yes, just like that Hanni, your doing it better now"

"Gag, really" happy Hanni while her mouth is full

You are now reaching your point, you tapped her shoulders to alert her, she winked and shook her head approving your hot cum to shoot in her mouth, not a second after that you shot your cum to her mouth walls, painting it white, marking her as yours.

"Yes, ugh, ugh just like that Hanni, your amazing" 

She swallowed all your cum, and made a smile looking at your tired body.

"Hey, we haven't started the fucking yet, but your tired already, let's shower then go to my bed"

"Okay"

You two showered like a married couple, soaping each other, rubbing each other, making sure every part is clean cause tonight would be the best meal you will be eating. She pissed accidentally while you were soaping her pussy part.

"Oh, sorry I pissed"

"Damn, that's hot, like your pee is not, well actually it is hot to get pissed, the smell though"

"Hmm so you like getting pissed by"

After one last water, you take a towel to give it to her but she grabs you making your bodies touch each other and then rubs the towel to dry you off. After that, she held your hand, and followed her steps to her room. She closed her binds, turned the lights to comfy, and made the bed more presentable.

"It's your turn now" she said

"Okay"

She jumps to the bed, exposing her body to you, you crawl slowly making her excited, she's like the queen bee getting her worker to give what she wants. You first got close to her face.

"You know, we haven't kissed yet"

"Oh god, your right, let's do it"

You get close to her, attempting a normal kiss, but she doesn't do that, she wants to taste you. Exchanging saliva while kissing and sucking her mouth, she also does it. After a solid 5 minutes of sucking each other though. She breaks it.

"Your such a good kisser"

"You too"

Laughing at each other, but while laughing your hands in like a snake, wanting to bite its prey, but in this case the prey is her pussy. She reacted from your touch, making a cute sound of ouch. She nodded to show that she's ready, ready to get plates on, to get divine on, to be feast on. So you slowly head to her pussy, the aroma and smell that you thought would be different, but a love smell is what you experienced. Her grown hair is so cute, it looks better with it. You've already touched it and feel the slimy gooey leaking from it, this is it she's wet not from the shower, but from your touch, you wanted it, you want her soup, you want to lick the tip, the hole, the glory of womanhood. So you work on it, shoving your mouth to her pussy, first in her clitoris, from your research the best way is a star way, from left to the top then to the left, next to the bottom then go back to the left.

"Ugh, hmmm, yes Y/N, eat me like that, savour from me, do you like that baby, yes ughhh"

The noise from her only fuels your lust, so you change your area now to her vagina, it's tight, and you can feel a blockway for her hole, it is said as her hymen, and the one who breaks it is the one who is first. You now changed the tactic from star shape to, licking like it's a nutella jar. Each lick, each suck made her high, as if she could fly in the sky.

"Oh my godddd, why are you good at this, it is ahhhh, true that, ughhh you didn't have, ahhhhh yess right there babe, yes lick that and suck that ughhh, girlfriend before?, oh my god I am cumming, keep is up"

She releases her cum to you, making you suck her more, tasting her love juices which are sweet.

Both of you are satisfied with each other, but it's not done yet. You tossed your body next to her, she hugged you.

"Thank you for this wonderful experience Y/N, this isn't in my vacation plan but thank god it happened" 

"You too, Hanni, I didn't know this would happened, this vacation is really something else, I just wanna spend my day and night with you"

"Please, we should do this everyday now until we both go back"

"I promise Hanni, we will do it every night"

"Thank you Y/N, I fucking love you, sorry for my language, can we fuck now"

"No worries, I don't mind it. We can if you want"

After your last words, she gets up, recharges like a fast charge phone. She towers you in the bed, putting her body to yours in a riding position.

"Is this a good position, search it up"

"Yes, I want to see you, and I want to kiss you while we're fucking"

"That's sounds hot, I'll put it in now, please be gentle with me"

"I promise Hanni, I'll be gentle"

This wasn't the case, from the very first move, Hanni was rough, immediately breaking her hymen and screaming like she got stabbed in a good way.

"Oh my godd, yesss fuck me like that"

"Wait, Hanni your too rough"

"I can't help it, break me Y/N, make me your cumdumped, fuck me both holes"

She's mind breaking already, just from one insert of your cock to her, she would obey what you do, and everything she says is what you're doing. 

"Ugh, ugh, their hit me their, yes"

"God damn Hanni, I wanna fuck you to the brim so hard"

"Please Y/N, please make it happen"

The fucking if fucking, same position but both of you now is working towards the same goal, breaking each other to the top. Making a mess, like a tornado has come by. Every trust you gave, she gave back, every move you make, she moves back, the gentleness from both of you isn't showing, then a couple more moves both of you are now reaching your point.

"Y/N, I am gonna cum"

"Hanni, me too"

"Let's do it together"

"Alright"

"Ughhhh yes Y/N, fill me fill me fill me"

"Hanni your squeezing me so hard, ughhh Yes"

Cumming to each other was a great pleasure, but after it you both slammed to the bed, she was on top of you.

"This is amazing Hanni, I can't wait to do it again and again and again"

"Again and again, yess I love you so much"

"I love you too"

The night ends with both of you exchanging love notes, kissing each other's forehead but you're not done yet.

"Hanni, I have a question"

"Yes babe, what it is"

"Are you the Hanni from Newjeans?"

The end.

A/N: Wrote this while Wifi was gone so bare the wrong grammars lol, btw check my other story staring Hanni too in AFF link in my bio, would also post this story there, thanks! A/N: If my Wifi stops again, I might write another, who knows maybe I'll continue this story.

[counterintuitivecomics]

Thought I'd share the Palestinian colors version of my MASK UP! poster 🍉😷🇵🇸 Thank you so much to everyone who shared and downloaded the FREE MASK UP! poster pack!

Hypothetically, you can print this on a risograph by download the design in separate color files and using red, black, and green, and it'll look basically like this mock-up. Let me know if you actually print it in any way, I'd love to hear more C:

We CAN take care of each other, and a better world is possible. If you're feeling alone and helpless, masking up with N95s/KN95s when around others, indoors AND outdoors, is a great place to start. Masking helps protect us from deadly pathogens (like viruses and smoke) PLUS it stymies police surveillance and makes events more accessible to disabled people. All our struggles against fascism and genocide are united, and Palestine will be free!

[ID: "MASK UP!" above 3 figures in different respirator masks, drawn from the waist-up and moving forward shoulder-to-shoulder, all in the colors of Palestine’s flag (red, black, white, and green). Top figure: An Arabic person in a fluttering white kufiyah over a black hijab and dress, plus a white Aura 9210+ N95 disposable mask. L: A fat teenager with monolid eyes, in a black hoodie with a genderqueer symbol, and a black disposable Laianzhi HYX1002 KN100 mask. They’re holding a box labeled FREE that’s full of COVID-19 Rapid Tests and plastic-wrapped N95s. R: middle-aged Black person in a power chair, wearing a Flo Mask eslastomeric respirator with a customized rainbow cover, a winter hat with a Disability symbol pin over mid-length dreads, and shirt featuring 6 flags. (R to L) Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Palestine, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Tigray, Ethiopia. Underneath reads: "RESPIRATOR MASKS PROTECT: your health, your identity, and your community. Find resources near you at COVIDActionMap.org." End ID.]

[angelsknifeprty]

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ a night to remember

summary: while infiltrating the mayor’s party, arthur’s surrounded by the boring buzz of all the high society bigwigs who came to show off their wealth. while snooping around for information on a potential score, the two of you seem to grab each other’s attention.

word count: 2684

a/n: eat the rich.

ways to help palestine | operation olive branch | keep eyes on sudan | haiti’s history | learn about congo

‧₊˚౨ৎ

arthur wasn’t exactly in his element, surrounded by all the high society lowlifes that had attended this flashy party of the mayor’s. sure, he liked robbing them, but actually mingling with them? not a way he’d prefer to spend his evening. but dutch had insisted, going on about wanting to make “real contacts”. so here he was cooped up in a carriage with dutch, hosea and bill. he had loosened up a little on the ride there, the complimentary bottle of champagne definitely helped with that. after they arrive and converse with that… eccentric signor bronte, dutch sends him off to go and mingle with the party-goers and to talk to the mayor if he can. he was certain they’d find some information here, the steady flow of alcohol with plenty to go around hopefully loosening the lips of these rich socialites.

meanwhile, you are sitting at your now abandoned table, fan in hand, your family who you had come with now lost in the crowd to engage in undoubtedly dull conversation. truly, you didn’t enjoy gatherings like this or the people your family chose to associate with. they were all scum, to put it lightly, in constant competition among themselves to see who could flaunt the most wealth. they bored you, so you chose to keep mostly to yourself during these events. you sighed, the stuffiness of your corset now painfully noticeable as there wasn’t much to keep you occupied as you scanned the crowd of people all chatting away.

that was until you spotted him, floating around between different groups of people. it was often the same people you saw at parties like this, only the rich being invited of course and none of these people were ones to share their wealth. but he was an unfamiliar face, dressed up to the nines though there was a ruggedness about him that you couldn’t quite put your finger on. thankful to finally have something interesting, and rather pleasant you had to admit, to look at, you let your gaze linger on him as he rubbed shoulders with some of the people littered around the garden.

he seemed different to everyone else, a charm to him as you watched him pour champagne into the glasses of some fancy-looking women. he even stopped a guy from choking on a nut, which was truly a sight to behold. thankfully for him, not many people noticed, but you did have to cover the lower half of your face with your fan as you stifled your giggles to not draw attention to yourself.

as arthur continued to socialise, he spotted the mayor in a small huddle of people by the fountain. finally, he could start getting this night to come closer to an end. as he approached he decided to scan the area just to be safe when his eyes landed on you. all dolled up just as everyone else had been that he’d seen, though none caught his eye quite like you did. you were pretty, so much so that it made him falter for a moment in what was his confident stride towards the mayor and his companions. what really got him was that you were already looking at him, though not for much longer as you looked away almost immediately, wide-eyed and a little flustered that you’d been caught staring.

he had to snap himself back into reality, he had a job to do. so after letting his eyes linger on you for just a second more, he reluctantly turned his attention towards the mayor, smoothly inserting himself into the small cluster. you silently cursed to yourself, cheeks hot after he had locked eyes with you. you must’ve looked like such an outcast, sat alone and practically sulking, and now you looked like a bit of a creep, staring him down so rudely. though you couldn’t help but look back up again once you heard the angry protests of that lowlife ferdinand as he forcefully escorted him out.

you eventually decided to busy yourself and actually talk to some people, settling on a group of women you had chatted with at some other party your family had dragged you along to. it ended up not doing much to alleviate your boredom, their choice of conversation topics not ones that intrigued you greatly. but it would do for now, time passing just a tad bit faster now you aren’t sitting by yourself.

the conversation was loudly interrupted by a sudden explosion in the sky, fireworks starting to set off as they crackled into sparkly bursts, giving the dark night sky the splash of colour it was so void of. this being the most interesting thing you’d seen all night, you excused yourself from the group before weaving your way through the crowd to get a better look. as you did, arthur had caught onto part of a very interesting conversation one of the servants had struck up, something about that damned leviticus cornwall. so he decided to tail a good distance behind him, only the path he took led straight into you.

a surprised huff left your lips as his tall frame accidentally bumped into you, your footing becoming a little unstable from the impact. but in a heartbeat a pair of large hands settled on your arms, steadying you. “woah, sorry ‘bout that, sweetheart,” he apologises, hands remaining on your arms until he knew you were stable (and maybe just a tad bit longer). your words fail you at first from the surprise of the collision, as well as the fact that the man you’d been shamelessly staring at was now holding you upright. “oh! it’s alright,” you finally manage to say, virtually gawking at him like a fool. he removed his hands from you once he was sure you were steady on your feet, the loss of contact upsettingly noticeable to you. but now he was in front of you, perhaps this was an opportunity to actually talk to him as opposed to silently eyeing him down from your table. but just as you were about to ask for his name his attention seemed to be elsewhere and he quickly excused himself. “sorry, i uh- got somewhere to be. but i’ll see ya around, yeah?” he said in that gravelly voice of his. he began moving away from you, taking a few steps back with his eyes still fixated on you before turning and continuing in the direction he was going. in your experience, “see you around” was just a polite parting message and nothing more. nobody ever meant to follow up with it, but the way he said it sounded hopeful, and it made your heart beat just a little bit faster. but his urgency to leave also caught your interest, and you’d proven yourself to be quite nosy tonight so after a few moments of contemplation, you decided to follow after him.

you were worried you had lost him as you weaved through the crowd, losing sight of him completely amongst all the people. but after your eyes darted around the place you spotted him turning the corner and heading towards the steps. though he seemed a lot less urgent in his movements, almost like he was waiting for something. how strange… but all it did was pique your interest more. you waited until he had continued walking to follow behind him, trying to look inconspicuous to the other party-goers as you did. you watched as he snuck into the house, that much now obvious to you as you eyed his cautious movements. it was like a game of cat and mouse as he slinked through the large house, moving to fill his previous hiding spots as you tried not to get caught yourself. you were always one step behind him, heart thrumming in your chest as you followed after him.

this was completely out of character for you, always on your best behaviour, more so to please your parents than yourself. but here you were sneaking through the mayor’s house no less, all for some man you had barely spoken to. you were struggling to pin your actions down to pure boredom, perhaps a yearning for something actually exciting in your life. you eventually found him in what looked to be a study, rooting through the drawer under the mahogany desk inside. you tilted your head in curiosity as you spied from behind the wall, watching as he slipped a piece of paper into his jacket. his illicit behaviour truly didn’t bother you, people like the mayor had enough wealth and resources that you could steal from them and they probably wouldn’t even notice. though it did become a problem, at least for him, when you locked eyes once again through the gap in the door. only this time you had caught him stealing.

you probably should have moved and acted like you saw nothing but you felt frozen in place, how exactly were you supposed to explain yourself? you felt glued to the floor as he hastily approached you, an unreadable expression on his face. “come with me,” is all he mutters as he walks past you, expecting you to follow. unsure of what else to do, you comply and follow him down the stairs, your stomach swarming with anxiety. what if you had completely misread this man? you did just catch him stealing after all. when you reach the bottom of the steps he pulls you behind one of the pillars in the room that lead out to the balcony, surprisingly gentle with you. “ya seem like a smart girl so i’m not gonna bullshit my way outta this, but how about we just keep what you saw between us, alright? trust me, it’s not worth-”

“i wasn’t gonna tell anybody,” you quickly chime in, though you hated the way your voice wavered a little as you spoke. he was rather intimidating, his tall build towering over you as he caged you in against the cool material of the pillar. “truly, steal as much as you want from these lowlifes. they have far too much to even know what to do with it,” you admitted truthfully, genuine disgust lacing your tone. he seemed a little taken aback by your words, not expecting it to come from someone that looked like you at an event like this. he seemed to relax at your words which was a relief, the sinking feeling in your stomach dissipating. “your secret’s safe with me,” you add, your voice hushed. you offer him a genuine smile, finally being able to take him in now that he isn’t rushing after someone. he was handsome, a stubble beard on his chin with a scar dotted in the centre of it. a strand of his light brown hair fell across his forehead, escaping the rest that had been neatly tucked away behind his ear. it was hard to make out in this low lighting but you could’ve sworn you saw a ring of green within those blue eyes of his.

“well look at’chu, a deviant in disguise i suppose,” he says, his words far more lighthearted than you were expecting. though it was ironic as he was in fact a deviant in disguise. “i’m just not brainwashed like the rest of these folks,” you state matter of factly. he laughs softly, nodding in agreement. “that i can see.” as you shared hushed whispers he tried desperately not to let himself admire you. he was always hesitant when it came to feelings like this, his luck in the past not being all that great. but he’d be a fool to try and deny the obvious fact that you were breathtaking, not to mention a fellow hater of the rich despite your background. he hesitates for a second before speaking, “y’know, i never caught your name-” 

“there you are!” a voice interrupts the hushed nature of your conversation, an unfamiliar man stepping into view. arthur immediately backs away from you, looking almost embarrassed as the man approaches the two of you. the unnamed man turns to you, charmingly tipping his top hat at you as he greets you with a courteous, “ma’am.” you politely bow your head towards him, a sheepish smile on your face. “my apologies but i’m gonna have to steal him away,” he says before gesturing for arthur to follow him out to the balcony. and that is what he does, sending you an apologetic smile as he follows closely behind.

once he was gone you let out a much-needed exhale, your heart still pounding in your chest. you were unsure of what just happened, not understanding your desperate need to pursue this man as he slinked around the party. you moved from behind the pillar, looking through the glass doors to the balcony and settled your eyes on the mystery man once more as he spoke with whoever his companion was. you noticed as his eyes drifted back over to you, that same unreadable expression on his face. they didn’t linger for too long as his attention was snatched away again by his friend, clearly not pleased by his lack of interest. you decided not to venture back outside, taking a moment to wander into the foyer to take a breather. the air somehow felt far less stuffy in here than out there with all of your wealthy cohorts.

“find anything?” dutch asks as he leans on the balustrade of the balcony, “aside from a pretty woman to steal your attention of course.” arthur is lost for words for a moment, settling on a simple scoff and dismissive wave of his hand. “i think so, went rootin’ around and found something.” he decided to leave out the part where you had caught him in the act of stealing it. hosea and bill regroup with them both, defeated as they had come back empty-handed. but upon learning that arthur had found something, their spirits lifted a little. “gentlemen, i think we’re done here.”

you were slightly slumped against the wall, still in the foyer as you desperately waited for this party to be over. your head snaps up as you hear approaching footsteps, a group of men passing by seemingly without noticing you. you recognised two of them, the one in the top hat and him. they seemed to be leaving, heading back towards the entrance they came through. you didn’t know what overcame you but you decided to rush after them once they made it through the door. he had ended up trailing just a little bit behind the rest, his mind going back to you as they headed away from the house.

“wait!” you call out, catching his and the other men’s attention. arthur turns around to face you as you hurriedly walk over to him, your skirt delicately bunched up in your hands so you wouldn’t dirty the hem. “make this quick,” dutch says before ushering the other men towards the carriage that awaited them. arthur was surprised to say the least, not expecting to see you again after earlier. you were a little out of breath from trying to catch up with them, your words soft yet pressing as you hurriedly spoke. “um... you said earlier that you’d see me around. did you… did you mean it?” he looked dumbfounded, you were actually hoping to see him again? “i mean… i’d like to,” he replies, finally letting himself admit defeat against his better judgement. “i never got your name,” you remember. how spontaneous of you to be chasing after a man you didn’t even know the name of. 

“arthur, arthur morgan.” you repeat his name back to yourself, committing it to memory. you were hopeful that this wouldn’t be the last time the two of you met, something about him captivating you from the start. “well arthur, i hope to see you again soon.” his name sounded almost unbearably sweet falling from your lips, and though he thought himself an idiot for it, he knew he’d do anything to hear it again.

a/n: aaaa arthur + southern belle is my fave thing ever ૮꒰ྀི >⸝⸝⸝<꒱ྀིა i hope you enjoyed !! mwah xoxo

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Claire Wang at The Guardian:

Those who failed to produce papers were arrested. More than 400 people were detained and forced on a train back to Mexico, a place many had never been.

It’s a scene many fear will come to pass in president-elect Donald Trump’s second term, especially after he doubled down on a campaign promise to “launch the largest deportation operation” in US history, and confirmed he would use the military to execute hardline immigration policies. But this particular episode happened in 1931, as part of an earlier era of mass deportations that scholars say is reminiscent of what is unfolding today. The La Placita sweep became the first public immigration raid in Los Angeles, and one of the largest in a wave of “repatriation drives” that rolled across the country during the Great Depression. Mexican farm workers, indiscriminately deemed “illegal aliens”, became scapegoats for job shortages and shrinking public benefits. President Herbert Hoover’s provocative slogan, “American jobs for real Americans”, kicked off a spate of local legislation banning employment of anyone of Mexican descent. Police descended on workplaces, parks, hospitals and social clubs, arresting and dumping people across the border in trains and buses.

Nearly 2 million Mexican Americans, more than half US citizens, were deported without due process. Families were torn apart, and many children never again saw their deported parents. Hoover’s Mexican repatriation program is, among mass deportation efforts in the past, most similar to Trump’s stated plans, said Kevin R Johnson, a professor of public interest law and Chicana/o studies at the University of California, Davis, School of Law. [...] Since his first presidential run, Trump has invoked President Dwight D Eisenhower’s mass deportation program as a blueprint for his own agenda. During the second world war, the US and Mexican government enacted the Bracero program that allowed Mexican farm hands to temporarily work in the US. But many growers continued to hire undocumented immigrants because it was cheaper. In 1954, the Eisenhower administration cracked down on undocumented labor by launching “Operation Wetback”, a yearlong series of raids named after a racial epithet for people who illegally crossed the Rio Grande. [...] The politics of deportation have always contained an important “racial dimension”, said Mae Ngai, a historian whose book Impossible Subjects explores how illegal migration became the central issue in US immigration policy.

Trump has deployed racist tropes against various ethnic groups, including Mexicans as drug-dealing “rapists” and Haitians as pet eaters, while lamenting a lack of transplants from “nice”, white-majority countries like Denmark and Switzerland. Last month, sources close to the president told NBC News that he could prioritize deporting undocumented Chinese nationals. “He’s been very clear about going after people of color, people from ‘shithole countries,’” she said, referring to a 2018 remark from Trump about crisis-stricken nations like El Salvador and Haiti. Trump could plausibly deport a million people using military-style raids of the Eisenhower-era, Ngai said, but it is unlikely that he can expel 11 million undocumented immigrants. (According to an estimate by the American Immigration Council, deporting 1 million people a year would cost more than $960bn over a decade.) Still, Ngai said, his rhetoric alone could foment fear and panic in immigrant communities. But Eisenhower’s immigration approach also differed from Trump’s in notable ways, Ngai said. Though the administration did launch flashy raids, it also allowed farm owners to rehire some deportees through the Bracero program, essentially creating a pathway for authorized entry into the US. So far, Ngai said, Trump has hammered down on deportations without providing an option for legal immigration or naturalization. “He doesn’t know the whole story of ‘Operation Wetback’,” she said. Deportations also appear to have harmed the local economy.

Donald Trump’s mass deportation proposal hasn’t been the first time the US conducted mass deportations of Mexican-Americans, as it happened during the Herbert Hoover and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidencies. The deportations were ruinous to economies and were a human rights disaster, and Trump’s plan repeats that but turbocharges it.

[stereopticons]

On This Day in Schitt's Creek: March 26

2019

Hide Your Diamonds [david/patrick, t, 2,937] by helvetica_upstart

“I’m going to work on wedding planning,” Patrick says, smacking a kiss onto David’s lips, “And you are going to reconcile with your sister.” David wrings his hands. “But — you can’t tell the difference between eggshell and ivory!” “Better make up quickly, then!” Or, Patrick and David get engaged. Alexis worries about getting left behind.

2020

decisions... [david/patrick, G, 493] by @startswithhope

Stevie spies David and Patrick during their reception having a soft moment alone.

The Meaning of My Life Is [david/patrick, G, 898] by @doublel27

Once upon a time, his ideal honeymoon had involved private jets and tropical beaches and mansions that you could get lost in. There’s something, though, to having his methodical husband come to him with bright eyes and a slightly wild grin and tell him he had a week to figure out what to pack for the honeymoon they’d agreed they would hold off on until they could actually afford one. His startled gasp and tears had been met with Patrick insisting that Toronto might not be Tokyo but it was better than Elm Glen.

Welcome to Cabaret [david/patrick, E, 51,641] by @vivianblakesunrisebay

In this alternate universe, Moira is the director of Cabaret, David is her assistant director, and Patrick is the star of the show. In other words, David and Patrick meet during the a production of Cabaret.

2021

Alexis Rose: International Woman of Mystery and The New Watcher's Council [faith/buffy, T, 1,195, CW; violence] by SoLongSaulGood

The New Watcher's Council tries to convince a retired spy to do one last job.

and all the silver moons [david/patrick, G, 3,268] by @roseapothecary

David was not at open mic night to see Patrick Brewer. He was not, in fact, at the open mic night at all; he was at his favorite cafe, finishing an assignment he’d been working on for the last six weeks... and that cafe happened to have an open mic night, where Patrick Brewer happened to be playing. He’d worked during the cafe’s weekly open mic night for six Wednesdays in a row. But it wasn’t for Patrick Brewer.

dancing when the music stopped [alexis & david, G, 2,304] by @lilythesilly

The thought of going back to the motel and to the succulent and the unmade bed from this afternoon and the looks from her parents is not, like, appealing in the slightest, so when she leaves the cafe she turns left instead of right. After Ted leaves, there's only one place Alexis wants to go. Post-Presidential Suite.

Full Lid [david/patrick, T, 2,140] by swat117

Why did no one think he was capable of handling one single briefing? Stevie certainly wasn’t capable today. She couldn’t even say the words press briefing, let alone lead one. And who else was going to do it? (six months into the Rose White House in my sappy political AU, Patrick covers for Stevie in the press room)

Haiti [david/patrick, T, 300] by Rosey_Peach

I Could Draw You Something [david/patrick, T, 5,840] by @lisamc-21

College-age David and Patrick meet in a NYC body art studio. David is getting a piercing, and Patrick is getting a tattoo. Fond eyes, instant connection, Patrick likes David in a skirt, etc. Rated T for language, a few references to sex and piercing description

i'd Miss You Even If I Never Met You [david/patrick, E, 44,833] by Varanidae

Patrick had a hard time sleeping. He stared at his alarm clock. It read 3:15am. He would have to wake up in only four more hours to start getting ready in order to make it to the airport two hours prior to departure. He’d received a text from Twyla—his friend at the paper—a few days after inquiring about the author of the article. Twyla was a little surprised at Patrick’s interest, but she was encouraging nonetheless. The only information Twyla had about the author was the name Rose and an email address. Patrick had waited two weeks before making up his mind, and even then was so nervous about the fact that he was basically hiring a hooker, that he asked Twyla to set everything up for him. Twyla could be a little quirky, but he trusted her sweet nature to convince this Rose person. And surely one week’s notice before having to take an international flight to accompany him to his sister’s wedding in Canada should suffice, right? Patrick would be paying six thousand dollars for services rendered, after all. ORThe Wedding Date AU

Speak the Language of Love [david/patrick, NR, 663] by sunonyourskin

"He knows that David has just given himself fully to Patrick. He’s danced his way through a thousand apologies, lip-synced his way through the words Patrick had been desperate to hear for days now." ---------- A short introspective Patrick piece immediately following The Olive Branch lipsync. First Part of "The Moments In Between" series.

The Story of Us [david/patrick, G, 132] by @swiftlythebest

Friends to lovers in a bookstore (so what it says on the tin).

thinking about last night [david/patrick, T, 1,213] by @dessertwaffles

Patrick can’t stop thinking about last night at Stevie’s. When he looks up from the register and sees David’s hands carefully arranging bottles of moisturizer, adjusting them so that all of the labels are facing one direction, he remembers the way those hands traveled up and down his body, mapping out every inch of bare skin with the same focused precision. Or, after their night at Stevie's, Patrick has trouble focusing at work.

We Rearrange and Realign [marcy & patrick, T, 12,169, CW: suicide] by elifisher96

Marcy watches her son struggle while hospitalized for being suicidal. ---- Marcy's perspective on Until Now Gives Way to Then

with your breath [stevie/twyla, T, 2,036] by @5ambreakdown

Looking at Twyla in this god awful bar after a three week trip to New Hampshire, Stevie wants nothing more than to bundle up within her, burrow inside of her until all she knows Twyla, in all her kindness and goodness and quirks.

2022

[Podfic] Switching Gears [david/patrick, T, podfic] by Amanita_Fierce

From the woman having a loud argument in front of him, to the guy across the aisle stinking out the place with his sandwich, the bus is a nightmare. Unfortunately, it's one David is stuck with until he gets his license back. The guy chasing the bus down is a welcome diversion from the tedium - kind of cute too - until they hear what he has to say. A bomb on the bus...David didn't see that one coming. Speed AU [Podfic of "Switching Gears" written by anonymous]

Believe in Tomorrow [david/patrick, E, 2,919] by @mostlyinthemorning

David’s houseplants are dying and if they do, his only chance at happiness dies with them. And there’s only one person who can help. Unfortunately, Patrick is the last person that David wants to see.

Easy to talk to [david/patrick, G, 2,084] by @filet-o-feelings

Patrick decides to try a dating app and asks for David's help talking to guys.

Firefly [david/patrick, T, 2,675] by @weathereyehorizon

It's Patrick's day, and they're doing what Patrick wants. David surprises Patrick with a trip to the local fire hall for his birthday. Stevie tags along and is about as helpful as you would expect. Lots of hot fire fighter thirsting and innuendo ensues.

Gotta Love a Man In Uniform [david/patrick, m, 1,637] by @delilah-mcmuffin

“Ooh, yes. This is good,” David says, giving an excited wiggle. “Sexy Firefighter is a classic porn trope.” They watch as the scene unfolds on the screen; a man dressed in a very cheaply made facsimile of a firefighter’s turnout gear arrives at a non-descript door, a coil of hose looped over his shoulder. He knocks and the door opens, and Brock Thunderstone is standing there in all his chiseled, bronzed glory. David and Patrick moan in unison. “God, he’s so hot,” David murmurs appreciatively. Or: David and Patrick watch some very sexy firefighter porn. And maybe they get a little bit inspired.

I See Colors When I Hear Your Voice [david/patrick, T, 22,472] by @this-will-be-our-year

A story in which David Rose's love for black & white extends beyond his wardrobe, to a 1950s series called Creekville. But what if he discovers that a life lived in technicolor isn’t so bad after all? Or: A Pleasantville AU

Never Been Kissed (by a boy) [david/patrick, T, 5,069] by @sweatersinthesummer

“Thanks, Professor Rose,” Patrick said, teasingly. It hadn’t taken long at all to figure out what made David laugh, and calling him that never failed to elicit a chuckle. Patrick was flirting, and it felt amazing. Flirting with this gorgeous, funny, talented man. He’d only realized he was gay a few months prior, and David was the first man he really felt attracted to. Who he wanted to flirt with. It felt amazing. He knew who he wanted his first kiss (with a boy) to be, and he was standing right in front of him. The Never Been Kissed AU.

Never kiss you again [david/patrick, G, 317] by A_fluffer_nutter

Patrick is tickling the shit out of David just for fun.

Of course not [alexis/ted, G, 296] by A_fluffer_nutter

Just a cute little tickle ficlet.

Spooky Moths [alexis & david, G, 452] by A_fluffer_nutter

David is scared of moths and Alexis is so fucking done.

Strong Pretty Big [david/patrick, T, 2,633] by @missgeevious

“Oh my god!” Patrick can’t see David’s face, so he’s not sure which of his oh my gods that was. It could be his angry one, or his annoyed one, or his amused one, or his sexy one, or his— “It’s my annoyed one, Patrick. Stop telling the man how pretty he is and focus. Answer his question.” Yep. That was his annoyed one.

Switching Gears [david/patrick, T, 7,307] by @beaiola

From the woman having a loud argument in front of him, to the guy across the aisle stinking out the place with his sandwich, the bus is a nightmare. Unfortunately, it's one David is stuck with until he gets his license back. The guy chasing the bus down is a welcome diversion from the tedium - kind of cute too - until they hear what he has to say. A bomb on the bus... David didn't see that one coming. Speed AU

The last first kiss - a series of alternate first kisses [david/patrick, E, 12,693] by @cheesecurdsgravyandfries

In which the author wanted more different soft first kisses, and so she indulged herself and wrote them. Each chapter is a standalone story, with a different first kiss, unless otherwise indicated. It's my fic, I do what I want.

The Way to go Home [david/patrick T, 15,489] by obsessedwithdavrick

Patrick Brewer doesn't understand how other people are happy. He followed the steps that other people take to be happy and yet somehow... He just can't shake the malaise of his tick the box life. Backpacking through Europe seems like a good way to court excitement and to find himself. However, he is feeling stuck and alone until his path crosses that of the most enigmatic man he's ever met, David Rose, and the pieces of his life that didn't make sense, start to fall into place. A story about finding yourself in places you never expected.

These Are the Voyages [stevie/ruth, T, 5,815] by @treepyful

"Oh God," was Ruth's groaned response. "I was hoping we'd be further into our relationship before you discovered the depths of my obsession." ** Ruth introduces Stevie to Star Trek.

vroom, vroom, bitches [david/patrick, M, 31,142] by @blueink3

It’s Friday, for fuck’s sake. David did not have ‘death’ on the agenda for today. But here he is, on a bus, attempting to steer this twin-axle six-wheeler despite lacking a valid regular license, let alone a commercial one, because to add insult to severe injury, the driver’s been fucking shot and if the speedometer drops below 80 kilometers per hour, said bus will explode. Because some idiot decided to go ahead and put a bomb on it. Or, the Speed AU that at least one of you asked for.

Wait, when were you in Peru? [david/patrick, T, 1,886] by @lastchancecafe13

9-1-1 what’s your emergency? So like, there's a bit of a situation here. Oh my god, Alexis, just tell them we need help. Shush, David. You could have called 9-11 if you wanted to be bossy about it. ARE WE TO BE FREED FROM THIS CAVERN AT ANY POINT IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE? ________There's a bit of an accident on the set of the Sunrise Bay reboot. The 118 comes to save the day.

you're the one thing (i can't get enough of) [alexis/twyla, T, 6,226] by @sarahlevys @lilythesilly

“Hey, Twy? Remember how you took that lift out of the routine because you said we didn’t have enough time to practice?” “Yeah. Why?” “Well…what if we practiced now?” Dirty Dancing, but make it Twylexis.

2023

I picked out that frame [david/patrick, M, 7,774] by @sasstrick

“I actually picked out that frame.” “Ah—” David started. “I see—” “For you,” Patrick pushed on. David’s mouth shut and his brows furrowed in confusion. Patrick made himself stand up straight and look at him. “I picked it out because I wanted to impress you.” +++++++ In which Patrick tells David how he feels from the start and it changes things.

paint me up (you're my favorite color) [david/patrick, E, 2,498] by @stereopticons

The first time David arrives at the store wearing nail polish, Patrick is entirely unprepared. Over the last several months, he’s grown accustomed to David’s sartorial surprises. Though he still hasn’t figured out what ‘wild aloof rebel’ means, he likes when David wears the skirted pants, even if they are harder to remove. The two times David wore a skirt with no pants underneath, the store was closed for an extended lunch break while Patrick got on his knees in the back room to show exactly how appreciative he was. The nail polish, though. That’s new. David wears nail polish. Patrick has a lot of feelings about it.

Stats:

No fanworks for 2017, 2018, or 2024 2019: 1 fic/2,937 words 2020: 3 fics/53,032 words 2021: 12 fics/75,823 words 2022: 18 fanworks (17 fics, 1 podfic)/121,127 words 2023: 2 fics/10,272 words Total: 36 fanworks (35 fics, 1 podfic)/263,191 words

[void-occupation]

Sharing Alastor Headcanons

@lonely-lost-insanity (you should go check out her blog) and I were sharing headcanons about our mutual favorite babygirl piece of shit and I decided to post mine here

we borrowed @head---ache 's character ask game for inspiration on this one, so bare with me here. (also if you like Sonic, you should check them out too)

🏳️‍🌈 A sexuality headcanon: Asexual and completely sex repulsed, mostly because both the fluids involved, and other people's genitals completely repulse him. He also deals with feelings of severe shame any time he gets aroused, but that's more of a gender identity crisis than anything

🏳️‍⚧️ A gender headcanon: Though he's primarily masculine presenting, Alastor is actually genderfluid, though he only learned about it recently. Angel is the one who caught on and talked to him about it, and currently the only one who knows since Alastor isn't confident enough about it to tell anyone else

😇 A headcanon about their religion/lack thereof: His maternal grandmother was a slave who was originally from Haiti, so he grew up following the practices of Hatian Vodou. He was actually training to become a Oungan (similar to a priest for those unfamiliar) before his mother died and he got shipped off for the Great War

🧸 A headcanon about their childhood: He used to have a little hand-sewn frog plush that he cared for for years until his dad burned it in a fit of rage. Alastor never forgave him for that because it was a gift from his grandmother

👻 A headcanon about what scares them: He has a phobia of dogs from his death, but he's also scared of heights and confined spaces, and thunder gives him flashbacks to mortar fire

🎶 A headcanon about music: He has listened to and enjoys a lot of modern music, but only plays it when he thinks he's alone - Vaggie was Shook to find him rocking out to Insane Clown Posse while making breakfast one morning

👽 A headcanon about a weird quirk of there: Alastor is actually weirdly good with guns after his time in the military - they're one of the things he makes sure he's always up to date on just in case of an emergency. He can take one apart and put it back together while telling you the caliber it shoots and the brand it is. He also owns a surprising number of them, and usually keeps at least one on his person at all times

💤 A headcanon about their sleep: He has the worst insomnia, but likes to pretend that he just doesn't need sleep to seem mysterious. When it gets really bad, he'll just drink until he either blacks out or temporarily dies of alcohol poisoning. He says it's the same thing as sleeping. It's not

🦾 A disability headcanon: He had a serious hip injury when he was a kid that never healed right, and while he was in combat, the knee on the same side was severely injured. It doesn't bother him too often now, but the cane he always has isn't for show - he keeps it on him to store part of his power, and to have on-hand in case his injuries flare up (which, rather inconveniently, starts happening more after his fight with Adam - when he no longer has a cane)

💝 A headcanon about their love language: His love language is primarily touch which both makes his touch aversion easier and harder to navigate. If he likes you, he can usually get comfortable enough to express his love language, but on his bad days, he just has to go without his primary form of comfort because it would make everything worse

🫂 A friendship headcanon: Alastor and Vaggie can actually get along quite well when they put their minds to it - they're both down to earth and naturally pessimistic (though Alastor hides it better), both love spicy food, and lived surprisingly similar lives (not super similar, but moreso than they'd thought). Alastor becomes okay with Vaggie's touch faster than he did with Husk when they'd first become friends

💔 An angsty headcanon: Despite her best efforts, Alastor's mother didn't actually love him. Alastor was the result of a rape, and after he was born, she repeatedly debated smothering him - all the way until she died. Alastor knew deep down, but she still cared about him and showed him affection on her good days which is more than his father ever did, so Alastor always figured that he could just love enough for the both of them

🪢 A headcanon about their family: Alastor;s grandmother was actually the one to begin teaching Alastor about Vodou since she was a Mambo (female priest for those unfamiliar), but she died when he was 6 so he started learning from his mom and an older woman a few blocks away

📓 A headcanon about their hobbies: He actually really enjoys drawing and has countless sketchbooks with everything from ideas for furbies (straight up furby ocs lol) to landscapes to random doodles, to portraits. If anyone ever picked up one of his sketchbooks and looked through it, he would immediately die of pure embarrassment. The only things he wants people seeing are the things he shows them

👗 A headcanon about their clothes: He much prefers dresses and skirts (if wearing shorts or boxers underneath) to pants because he likes the way they move, look, and feel, but since he isn't confident in his gender identity yet, he refuses to wear them

🔪 A headcanon relating to fighting/violence: He's actually really good at hand-to-hand combat because of his time in the military, and he only improved once he went to Hell and fought all the overlords at the time. If he and Vaggie were to spar, it would be pretty close, but he could most likely beat her

🌟 A headcanon about their desires/wishes: Sometimes, Alastor wishes that he didn't have such a hard time with being touched - he can still remember the times his mother would go to touch him lovingly and he'd shy away from her, and he knows he can never go back and change it

🥇 A headcanon about what they’re best at: Overall, his greatest skill is his ability to read people. It stems from his traumatic ass life when reading people's mood had the potential to save him from getting a beating. Now it's saved his skin on multiple occasions - from interactions with his owner to spats with Vox or other beings more powerful than himself, he knows how to talk people into revealing their plans without them ever realizing they'd done so. It's also a skill that's gotten him in plenty of trouble, but for the most part it's saved his ass

🍫 A headcanon about food: He does like some sweets, but he can only have them in moderation - except for any coffee-based dessert. He would KILL for a whole tray of tiramisu

🎭 A headcanon about what they lie about: His relationship with his father. He always claims that he's always hated his father, but deep down there's a part of him that wishes he'd gotten his approval/love, and missed the father he'd have once in a blue moon when the man was in a pleasant enough mood to deal with his son

❤️‍🔥 A romantic headcanon: While he personally has no wish to have a romantic relationship, he's a sucker for reading about the sweet ones who will always go back for each other

💄 An appearance headcanon: He has fawn spots all over his back and shoulders, and it's symbolic of the fact that a large part of him died the day his mother did - when he was just a child

🖕 A headcanon relating to anger: Alastor doesn't like lashing out at people when he's angry because it makes him feel like his father. The problem is that he has a pretty short fuse naturally, so he usually just buries his claws into his palm until he bleeds to try and calm down. If he can feel an explosion coming on, he'll go to his room, lock the door and put up a sound muffling ward before destroying his furniture in a fit of rage. when he calms down, he fixes everything with magic and apologizes to the picture of his mother he keeps on his mantle before going back to what he was doing before

😺 An animal related headcanon: Surprisingly enough, dogs actually really like him which is unfortunate because of his hatred (read: phobia) of them. They'll go up to him begging for affection and he immediately starts having trauma flashbacks to his death

😬 A headcanon about the worst thing they’ve done: If you asked him, he would say that it was the fact he helped his father bury his mother's body after he murdered her, but Alastor had no choice in the matter since he was so little and the only other option would have been to die with her

😭 A headcanon about the worst thing that happened to them: He faced different types of torture for the entire 7 years he was gone. Sexual, physical, mental, emotional, you name it, Alastor probably experienced it. Then he was just shoved back into the world and told to get to work, so he still hasn't dealt with anything

😶 A random headcanon: He's a surprisingly great runner. Like yk those videos of track relay races where one person is easily catching up to everyone else after their team was falling behind? Yeah, that's basically Alastor. And he only got better at it after going to Hell and getting deer legs - which are made for running. He's got really good form too, to the point where you'd think he did track or something but nope - entirely self taught

[mariacallous]

At first, she didn’t think much about the Nicaraguan asylum-seekers who began moving into town a few years ago. Rosa was an immigrant too, one of the many undocumented Mexican immigrants who’d settled nearly 30 years ago in Whitewater, a small university town in southeast Wisconsin.

Some of the Nicaraguans had found housing in Rosa’s neighborhood, a trailer park at the edge of town. They sent their children to the same public schools. And they got jobs in the same factories and food-processing facilities that employed many of Rosa’s friends and relatives.

Then Rosa realized that many of the newcomers with ongoing asylum cases could apply for work permits and driver’s licenses — state and federal privileges that are unavailable to undocumented immigrants. Rosa’s feelings of indifference turned to frustration and resentment.

“It’s not fair,” said Rosa, who works as a janitor. “Those of us who have been here for years get nothing.”

Her anger is largely directed at President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party for failing to produce meaningful reforms to the immigration system that could benefit people like her. In our reporting on the new effects of immigration, ProPublica interviewed dozens of long-established Latino immigrants and their U.S.-born relatives in cities like Denver and Chicago and in small towns along the Texas border. Over and over, they spoke of feeling resentment as they watched the government ease the transition of large numbers of asylum-seekers into the U.S. by giving them access to work permits and IDs, and in some cities spending millions of dollars to provide them with food and shelter.

...

Among those residents is one of Rosa’s friends and neighbors who asked to be identified by one of her surnames, Valadez, because she is undocumented and fears deportation. A single mother who cleans houses and buildings for a living, Valadez makes extra money on the side by driving immigrants who don’t have cars to and from work and to run errands. It’s a risky side hustle, though, because she’s frequently been pulled over and ticketed by police for driving without a license, costing her thousands of dollars in fines.

One day two summers ago, one of her sons found a small purse at a carnival in town. Inside they found a Wisconsin driver’s license, a work permit issued to a Nicaraguan woman and $300 in cash. Seeing the contents filled Valadez with bitterness. She asked her son to turn in the purse to the police but kept the $300. “I have been here for 21 years,” she said. “I have five children who are U.S. citizens. And I can’t get a work permit or a driver’s license.”

When she told that story to Rosa one afternoon this spring, her friend nodded emphatically in approval. Rosa, like Valadez, couldn’t vote. But two of Rosa’s U.S.-born children could, and they cast ballots for Trump. One of Rosa’s sons even drives a car with a bumper sticker that says “Let’s Go Brandon” — a popular anti-Biden slogan.

Rosa said she is glad her children voted for Trump. She’s not too worried about deportation, although she asked to be identified solely by her first name to reduce the risk. She believes Trump wants to deport criminals, not people like her who crossed the border undetected in the 1990s but haven’t gotten in trouble with the law. “They know who has been behaving well and who hasn’t been,” she said.

...

Mike Madrid, a Republican strategist, said it’s wishful thinking to believe Trump will give any special treatment to undocumented immigrants who have been living and working in the U.S. for a long time. But he’s heard that sentiment among Latino voters in focus groups.

“They believe that they are playing by the rules and that they will be rewarded for it,” Madrid said. “Republicans have never been serious about legal migration, let alone illegal migration. They’re allowing themselves to believe that for no good reason.”

...

Some of the Haitian migrants were eventually deported; others were allowed into the U.S. to pursue asylum claims and given notices to appear in court in a backlogged immigration system that can take years to resolve a case. “That to me is offensive for those who have been living here for more than 10 years and haven’t been able to adjust their status,” Garza Castillo said.

He hopes Trump seizes on the opportunity to expand support from Latino voters by creating a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who’ve been here for years. “If he does that,” he said, “I think the Republican Party will be strong here for a long time.”

Immigrants’ Resentment Over New Arrivals Helped Boost Trump’s Popularity With Latino Voters

[she-is-ovarit]

Female liberation, now.

On 21 August 2024, the de facto authorities announced the ratification of a detailed “Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice,” which imposes extensive restrictions on the Afghan population. This law significantly deepens the already severe curtailment of the rights of Afghan women and girls, including requirements for women to cover their entire bodies and faces, and it forbids women’s voices in public. Women are also prohibited from interacting with non-Muslims, using public transport alone, and looking at men to whom they are not related by blood or marriage.

"With what I've been through, I'd rather have died," said one mother of seven who was living in a Port-au-Prince shelter and was sexually assaulted while sleeping in a public square, according to the agency.

Crimes including stalking, harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence affect one in 12 women in England and Wales, with the number of recorded offences growing by 37% in the past five years and the perpetrators getting younger.

[alwaysbewoke]

Why The US Won't Leave Haiti Alone

[dunkledog]

his name is Gabriel and he has seen things.

Dr. Gabriel Jean-Louis Vauquelin (his most recent full name) is S.H.A.U's team leader. Begrudgingly. He's one of the team's three medics, responsible for mending anything from general ailments such as "broken leg" or "cough that makes my chest hurt" in addition to things like "oof ouch my liver fell out" and whatnot. Discombobulated Notes:

Born in Haiti, raised in France from around the age of about 13.

He doesn't make a habit of getting particularly close with any of his teammates. "Feathers" is the exception, Werner and "Blue" (the other two medics) know him better than most of the others.

He spends a lot of his time cooped up in his office. Alone. He uses paperwork as an excuse to stay isolated. The most socialization he gets is while he wanders around in the afternoon to see how tasks are going. Typically this consists of asking a few questions, maybe dispensing an order, then leaving.

He's not very good with compassion, but he is a great source of calm in dire situations.

May or may not be absolutely zoinked off his rocker at any given time. (Tobacco is not the only thing he's been putting in that pipe)

He's not like other medics in the sense that he has a real medical degree that he earned from college (rare.) Specifically Harvard

Speaking of Harvard, he had this roommate he kept in contact with post-graduation. His name was James Sinclair, and they'd spend an awful lot of time together, even though they worked a few hours away from each other. It was mostly swell until James wound up in a horrible accident. It left him in a coma for a year, after which he seemingly dropped off the face of the Earth. Gabriel went mad looking for him and on his way, got himself caught up in this 'meaningless' affair west of the Mississippi.

He has a chronic obsession with looking at and making medical diagrams. He has an uncanny memory for how each of his teammates is wired. It's also probably dawn down somewhere.

He has a mild-moderate regeneration ability as a result of long-term exposure to medi-gun fluid vapor and possibly respawn error.

local CEO of thousand-yard stare

ok thats all i can put into words rn. 4 am is nigh, my brain is brainrotted soup, and i could sleep for 20 years. i have more gabriel images i drew but dont think ive uploaded here that i could. upload later mayb e

coat tail-less ref below cut for like . idk if you wanna see his pantaloons. scandalous

[xshingie]

Pairing: Edouard/Annette Rating: T Prompt: Pining/Jealousy

Chapter-Specific Author commentary:

Uh... originally I just wanted to write a simple, fluffy oneshot of Annette in a karabela dress (this draft pre-dated Season 2 so I at the time, I wasn't even sure if Annette would even wear a dress, since S1 her dress seems to be more on the practical side). However, as I began writing, I began questioning the logistics of what was or wasn't available while Annette and Edouard were living in the mountains, or how maroons lived in general, really.

The original *~*~vision~*~* was to have Annette wear this dress and perform in the Vodou ritual and Edouard watching Annette dance and he falls madly smitten for her oop, but of course that got shot when I did more research and there's an attire you're supposed to follow. However, I got way too attached to the idea of cute Annette in a dress to scrap the entire thing, so here we are...

I did take some creative liberties on what materials were and weren't available, as well as postulating what their sleeping quarters might have been probably more nicer than what it actually was.

I've done a lot of reading of Haitian maroonage and demographics since then... and here are some elements that made it into the fic (there's so much more I have, just couldn't fit it all in!)

...

General Location and Geography

Annette mentions 'being taken to the mountains.' As established, Cap Francais is the city that Edouard was in (the Comedie Au Cap theatre), and the eventual location of the August 1791 slave revolts (as depicted in the show), If we examine the topography, a 1784 map shows Cap-Francais surrounded by mountainous terrain.

P.S. For the exact location of the Comedie Au Cap. If you zoom in, you can see right next to the government building, the Salle de Spectacle, or Performance Hall.

Sunday markets in the major towns like Cap Français were opportunities for blacks – free, enslaved, and runaways alike – to converge and interact, buying and selling food, and exchanging services. Note that Cap-Francais due to its dense urban population, were known for blacks to pass as free people of color (forging their own freedom documents), as well as serving as "safe houses" for runaway slaves to take refuge in.

In the map (left), it is readily apparent the relative concentrations of how many slaves escaped to Cap-Francais. For example, the neighborhood of Petit Guinée in Cap Français was a regular destination for runaways to find housing, lease themselves out for pay, and blend in with the growing population of free people of color.

The Bois Camain Ceremony, which is the Vodou ceremony we see represented in the show. Historical accounts of this ceremony note it was led by Cecile Fatiman (depicted from the show) and Dutty Boukman, both priestess (manbo) and priest (oungan). I decided to namedrop Dutty in just for fun, only because it didn't feel right to pluck a random name from the slave runaway advertisements.

Note the actual exact location is still up for debate. Many accounts point to somewhere near northern town of Morne-Rouge (present-day Vaudreuil, Haiti). Present-day, the contemporary Bois Caiman historical site in Vaudreuil, Haiti is ~10 km west of Cap-Haitien.

Population Demographics

At the peak of the revolution, Saint Domingue (later Haiti), which had 500,000 slaves, 32,000 whites, and 28,000 free blacks (which included both blacks and mulattos). Slaves made up 9/10ths of the population, with 500K+ african slaves being imported to Haiti alone in the last 50 years leading up to the revolution.

Enslaved Demographics

Men disproportionately made up the escaped reported runaway slaves and the maroonage.

Men were also more likely to occupy artisanal labor positions that allowed them a certain amount of latitude during the workday. Examples like coopers, carpenters, shoemakers, fishermen, and other artisans ran errands, apprenticed and were leased by their owner to other plantations, or hired themselves out to earn their own money.

Conversely, enslaved African women in Saint-Domingue were overrepresented as field workers and performed the most physically taxing jobs and under constant supervision. Because of the relative mobility enslaved men could have, this partially explains the overrepresentation of men for escaped slaves. Skills enslaved women acquired usually include seamstresses, laundress, and acting as market vendors selling goods.

In a study of 12,857 slave runaway postings, men made up 80%, or ~10K. Nègres - African mother + African or Creole man; Mulâtres - biracial (often coerced relations between white men); Griffe - 2/3 black. Quarteronne - 1/4th black.

There were many facets which may partially explain why women were so underrepresented as runaways, as women often had work within the constraints of society to pass as free, as well as the reproductive burden enforced on them.

Maroon Life and Struggles

The tl;dr -- trying it rough it out there in the wild was tough as shit and Maroons had to get creative in navigating the geographic topography and utilizing the terrain to their advantage. For example, one group of the maroons situated themselves in the mountains within the cusp of Saint-Domingue and Saint-Domingo (the portion of Haiti owned by Spain), such that they took advantage of murky ambiguities of "who's problem is this" territory. Retreating in the mountains also obviously disincentivized slave catchers to trek up there.

Due to the difficulty of accessing finished goods (clothing, glassware, etc) and weapons to arm themselves, maroons across the Caribbean had two ways of sustaining their supplies: engage in skirmishes/raids against plantations, or choose to engage in trade. Maroon settlements also tend to have varying success regarding based on how well-established/populated they were (some settlements were like, as little as one person in a swamp); some even forming agreements with governments to form peace treaties or even partake in catching runaway slaves to sustain themselves. The more established and successful settlements were able to cultivate crops even and keep domesticated livestock for food.

In the late 18th century, following the 1750s, the growing demand for land to support plantation agriculture, driven by the booming sugar and coffee industries, made it increasingly challenging to find and establish maroon settlements (see: the figure where in the last 50 years leading up to the revolution, over 500K african slaves brought to Haiti). This expansion encroached on existing settlements and threatened the safety of any remaining secure territories.

Daily Life and Personal Items

Archaeological dig sites efforts across 3 Haitian Maroonage sites yielded ~9000 artifacts in total, with the most common being pottery shards (making up 30-50% of the finds), porcelain, glassware, tobacco pipes fragments being the most common. It is likely that finished goods like imported pottery suggests that they were purchased by slaves from local markets, hinting that slaves did travel to markets to procure the needed finished goods not readily available.

Domestic animal bones that were also uncovered like pig, cow, sheep/goat, wild bird, and fishing weights/marine shells also hints at hunting. fishing for sustenance depending on the geography.

Other materials like hand-made-bricks, mortar, and nails.

Other less common items were uncovered, such as items for personal adornment or leisure/craft activities. Instances hinting to clothing fragments atypically in possession by the enslaved (i.e., a button belonging to a gentleman's sportscoat or frock) were also discovered.

Maroons were known to make hut-like structures from mud and leaves.

Other random things that came up in my fic

Zabeth is a name I sampled from a runaway slave advertisement who ran away alongside someone else Cecile. (Probably not the same Cecile Fatiman, though!)

The maréchaussée were the police responsible for catching runaway slaves, and was required by free men of color to serve a three year draft; or a passageway for mobility/options for free men of color who found themselves otherwise strapped for opportunities. I can only imagine, if Edouard was indeed subject to the draft, how that must have hurt his soft heart!

Ounsi temerè (fearless ounsi) is the highest degree that a Vodouist can reach without actually becoming a priest or priestess.

How Did Edouard Fit Into the Maroon Life?

While writing this, I had to do a little bit of speculation/guesswork on how Edouard might have fit into the maroonage life, based on what skills Edouard might have possess already, within the context of what skills men/women had and contributed to maroon life. I speculated based on some additional details on belonging we see in the flashback:

Detail #1. Everybody is wearing white during the Vodou Ceremony, Edouard is not.

The presence of white clothing suggests a Rada Rite; the ounsi (the vodun initiates) wear all-white robes at Rada ceremonies and make up the choir. Note that many of the depictions or historical accounts of the presence the blood of a sacrificial pig during the Bois Caiman ceremony seem to suggest it is a Petwo rite. as Pigs are sacrificed in the Petwo rite but not in the Rada rite.

Now realistically, the artists/animators decided to depict them wearing simple garb and white clothing may just be the fact that realistically, they weren't able to procure more fancy clothing.

In addition, it's also possible that this was just an animator oversight and the animators chose to depict Edouard per his character art reference sheet. Still, this tells us that Edouard was not initiated in the Vodun religion, which may hint that he might not have been as intimately tight-knit and integrated.

Detail #2. Edouard is singing by himself. No one joins him.

In the aftermath of the revolt, Edouard is showing singing Il mio tesoro intanto and he's pretty much clearly alone singing and while everybody is really chill about, I just found this detail funny because if there ever would be some celebration in a group, they would be singing creole songs as a community and it's unlikely anybody would be able to join him here since only he would have this super niche classical opera knowledge.

However, the more likely explanation of this is that whoever was directing this scene (that one opera fan) wanted their vision actualized and that the piece selected adds to the thematic elements. Still, I decided to leverage this detail into my writing when thinking about how Edouard might feel about how he fits with the other escaped slaves.

Sources and Further Reading:

Eddins, C. N. (2021). Rituals, runaways, and the Haitian Revolution: Collective Action in the African Diaspora.

Mapping. (2022, November 2). In The Streets of Le Cap. https://streetsoflecap.com/mapping/

Lockley, T. (n.d.). Runaway Slave Colonies in the Atlantic World. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Latin American History. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199366439.013.5

Explore the sites. (n.d.). National Museums Liverpool. https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/archaeologyofslavery/explore-sites

Haiti: The Bois Caiman Meeting of 1791. (n.d.). http://faculty.webster.edu/corbetre/haiti/history/revolution/caiman.htm

Duffy, J.-C. (2021). Early accounts of the Bois Caïman ceremony. Miami University - Empire and American Religion. https://sites.miamioh.edu/empire/files/2022/08/1791-Early-accounts-of-the-Bois-Caiman-ceremony.pdf

“Demographics of Saint Domingue,” LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY: EXPLORING THE FRENCH REVOUTION, accessed January 31, 2025, https://revolution.chnm.org/d/500.

Bromley, C. J. (n.d.). Resistance and the Haitian Revolution. Slave Resistance: A Carribbean Study. Retrieved January 31, 2025, from https://scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/san_domingo_revolution/individual_essay/jason.html

Phelipeau, R. (1784). (Cap-Haïtien) Plan De La Ville Du Cap Francais. Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc. Retrieved January 31, 2025, from https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/detail/49958/cap-haitien-plan-de-la-ville-du-cap-francais-et-de-ses-env-phelippeaux#

Hebblethwaite, B. (2011). Vodou Songs in Haitian Creole and English. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/12835.

Maroons and their Communities in the Americas. (n.d.). Politika. https://www.politika.io/en/notice/maroons-and-their-communities-in-the-americas

[libra-stellium]

Pluto 11H Transit - Personal Observation

As Pluto's been hanging around the last degree of Capricorn I've been feeling so unsatisfied in my friendships and my goals lol a weird feeling like it's not bad but like....it's off and not really what I want.

The other day someone asked me if I had any goals for this year and I said no bc I did not write out goals and I haven't for 2 years! The goals I made 5 years ago that I really wanted didn't happen and I got tired of re adding them to my goals for the new year so I just stopped altogether lmfao but partly because as the years went by I got more like "idek what I want!!!" about them!

With friendships I've been realizing that I don't have friends in my immediate environment that share my more exciting interests. Astro for example Idk anyone in person that knows more than just the basic like their big 3 and how to look up their chart and some people are even against it for "witchcraft" lol and other exciting interests I have are creative and I've been calling it excitement blue balls lmfao when I get super excited about something and I show my friends and they just don't get it at all or they get it after I explain but it's just not exciting for them so they can't match my excitement lol and it's so disappointing! The other day I was looking up pluto 11H natally and it was talking about how someone with this placement can be a loner and that's accurate for the transit too! I find myself doing things alone a lot bc I'm the "host" of my group of friends and they are all part of different groups (family or friends) but for me this is my one group so when they are doing things with their other groups I'm literally alone lol so the thought of "i want different/more friends!" is in my head a lot!

Ready to leave this transit behind! But first let's look back omg

(Description from Planets in Transit - Robert Hand)

Period of great changes in your long range goals and your hopes for the future

This transit started in 7th grade for me and now I'm 29 lmao so yeah things have definitely changed! But I think that's around the time I started seriously saying I wanted to be a lawyer and in early high school I did these summer camp things for legal justice. I'm a lawyer now and it's like yay......I guess lmfaooo idk like it pays my bills I can't complain! However for the last 2 years I've been wanting to get a different job and nothing I've seen has looked exciting and I'm like maybe it's bc I'm not looking up what I want but what do I want?? idk!

The kinds of people you have as friends will change

This has definitely been true because this transit started a year ish after I came to the US and that's when my fam told me that it wasn't temporary so all my friendships from Haiti that I had just kind of died overnight bc it was hard back then to communicate internationally and I was also 11 lol and my fam does not value friendships so no one even cared! Those friends and I were definitely like the "it" group of elementary school lol but the friends I made in middle school were different bc we just minded our business and entertained ourselves! Then in high school my friend group changed again bc I was in IB classes so the people I was around were different and I had to be a lot more social and I stopped seeing my middle school friends around. Then in college I was on a caribbean dance team and that's who I was around and they were all black bc caribbean which was so different from my friends throughout middle and high school. It was interesting bc going in I thought I would have been more like them bc i am caribbean but I was still different bc I grew up in haiti and they grew up here lol Then in law school I went to an HBCU and the vibes were off for me bc so much elitism so I only stuck to a couple people and minded my business lol

Activities that you once enjoyed may no longer appeal to you now

I can't remember for the entire transit but recently that's why I've been like eh about my friendships bc the stuff that they want to do I used to want but now I don't anymore so I go more to hang out with them instead of bc I want to do whatever it is lol this halloween season for example I wanted to do this bar crawl and this party on saturday and everyone bailed so I ended up skipping the bar crawl and going to the party alone and like I had a great time!! I was in the front by the DJ and I know i'm gonna be in their promo pictures lmao but then there's another party on halloween that I'm going to and I didn't even really want to do it I wanted to do this boat party but again no one wanted to do that so lol

You will be looking for quite a different kind of friendship than you have had in the past. Now you seek out people who will provide very intense encounters because you are seeking to confront new dimensions of yourself through them

Real af bc I was just saying the other day how I want more nurturing and caring and intimate friendships! I also find meeting people who are eccentric exciting because I'm literally studying them lol especially if i know their astro placements I'm like mm i know why!

One friendship in particular may change your life at this time. You may meet someone who affects you so strongly that the entire course of your life is changed

This has to be my bestie! We literally met in middle school in 2008 and then she moved out of state the next year and we somehow managed to stay besties long distance this entire time and now that we have our own money we see each other more and travel together lol I feel like if I didn't have the one stable friendship I might have ended up in friend groups that wouldn't have been good for me lol

Avoid associating with individuals just because they are powerful and persuasive

This showed up a lot for me in law school bc I swear you have to be a bit insane to choose this as a career path and yes I know I chose it too and yes I think I am a bit insane for it lmao but maybe not as much as some others which is why I ended up keeping to myself. So many clashing egos as if we weren't literally just students lol I met this one girl and we had started to become friends and she persuaded me to come over to her place and teach her how to cook some foods bc we're both Haitian and then I realized that she literally just wanted me to meal prep for her and I was like uhhhhhhh.... and avoided her after that lmao I also could not get myself to gaf about networking and I really tried!! These professors were not clicking for me and befriending random attorneys at events bc of the firm they work at idk it wasn't my vibe lol

Possible you will meet someone who can really act as a guide and teacher

Idk if I can say I've met them bc they are people I only know online but I've come across a few people that I still go to for advice and guidance! We're friends now but when I met him it was bc I got a tarot reading from him where he looked at the entire upcoming year and that was honestly so helpful!

You may become associated with a group or movement that wants to reform society

Yeah that was the goal in law school lol I wanted to do juvenile justice at first to help the kids and then I wanted to do family law to help the kids and then I wanted to do immigration to help the families and I still kind of want to do immigration but I'm in patents lmao unfortunate detour

Shallow old friendships may end under this transit

My friendship with my high school bestie ended in 2014 I wanna say which is one of the years when this transit was exact on my 11H degree and it was a shallow friendship bc we were besties bc we had every class together and sat next to each other bc of our last names lol it was great at the time but then we went to different colleges in different states and it wasn't sustainable lol then in 2017 another friendship ended with my roommate of 3yrs after we graduated college and idek what happened there lol we were just really good roommates but not friends that would stay friends outside of that. There's also people I used to hang out with all the time that now I only see on socials and say happy birthday to lol

The fundamental purpose of this transit are transformation through your friendships and regeneration of your goals

Friends have definitely been a major part of my growth over the years not just through my personal experiences with them but also with their experiences with other people lol I'm always thinking about why people act how they act and a lot of times i can see how I acted similarly and it clicks for me! It's my 1H saturn return right now so a major thing has been observing my own behavior and I've been working through a lot of people pleasing tendencies after going NC with my mom and I think that I made friends along the way based on the things that they liked that I liked too but not the things that I liked you know??? lol idk how else to say that! But yeah now that I'm more aware of it and also choosing to do things I find exciting I'm leaning toward things that in my group i'm the only one into them lol idk how to go about making new friends based on that tho!

Idk about the goals still so I'm hoping that once Pluto leaves Capricorn for good I can have some clarity lol

(I wrote this post last night and had a dream about my glasses being shattered and when I looked it up it was talking about not having the tools to look at reality with clarity..........okayyyyyyyy so where are the tools? lmao in the closet? at home depot?)

[darkmaga-returns]

By Olivia Murray

Logansport, Indiana has become the new Springfield Ohio—during the Harris-Biden years alone, more than ten thousand migrants poured in, largely from Haiti and other third world nations, and the population of this small midwestern town surged by more than 30%, per a conservative estimate from the county health department.

And, reported by an item published at the New York Post today, the demographic change is forcing local kids out of the public school system as the teachers find themselves diverting more time and attention to the non-English-speaking portions of the class:

Thousands of migrants from Haiti and dozens of other countries have arrived in this isolated Indiana city of 18,000 in just a few years. Furious residents say they no longer feel safe in the once sleepy downtown, and their kids are being muscled out of the schools by new students who don’t know English and need a lot more help.

To get an idea as to how that number translates into non-citizens in the K–12 range, the article reports that the number of foreign students has increased “15-fold” just over the past three years. According to one local parent whose daughter left the system and enrolled in an online school, all those little American afterthoughts (whose parents actually foot the bill for the public school to be even be open) are “falling behind” academically: