#Innocent people are mobbed all the time for exactly the same things we're worried about. We are not at odds on this issue.

[hexastitchimera]

To be more nuanced, I say this because I just realized how much judgement people have cast my way for experiences that I have not only lived through and can recite back in perfect detail each time, but have a SIGNIFICANT amount of evidence + witnesses (including police reports for the traumatic times) that were there for it.

Then, I also realized that those who downplay experiences are:

Often of a highly privileged background (regardless of current social status) who never encountered that experience in their own lives due to the safety net that said privileges provide.

Those who HAVE lived through as much, but are in severe denial, especially if it means admitting that they need help and support.

Those who would better profit off of you staying silent about your experiences than you speaking about them.

The last one in particular is ever prevalent in our online spaces, and tends to be the most hostile due to potential, even significant losses (especially financial & egotistical; war and economy go hand in hand).

So when I say "We need to stop assuming," I don't mean it in the sense that you should believe everyone at face value, and never trust your gut if what someone's saying makes you feel something.

I mean it in the sense that, if someone tells you that they lived through hell and back, or that they experienced something strange and unusual that they're unsure about, don't immediately assume ulterior motives and lying for whatever's sake.

Sit with them. Hear them out. See their side of the story.

If someone isn't making a sales pitch to you, listen.

You might be humbled at least, empowered at best.

Can we finally do away with assumptions on others (end post here)

[hubbyseby]

"Nothing Without You" series.

1- Rescuing You

Mob! Sebastian Stan x Reader

Run-through: you'll be done with high school in exactly three months. Wanted to celebrate early, you're innocently invited to a party in your little town. Dangerously beautiful and attractive, you didn’t know what it was but you knew that something was going to be different. Something happened. And this something will change your life. Forever.

Warnings: violence, language.

A/n : hi everyone! So it’s my first time writing here! I wasn’t that enthusiastic because I was kind of shy and scared that you do not read it, but my dear friend @sinner-as-saint rescued me and encouraged me! I think I should do a series with it. What do you guys think?? I love you guys. Enjoy it!

*

You were exhausted with the day you had at school and you were tired of it. You didn’t have much friends, those you had were much more experienced than you though. In so much ways. In each break, you were sitting alone and was eating peacefully your food with your earbuds, listening to music. Alone in your house, you didn’t care too much about eating, all you wanted was your bed and feeling your sheets against your body. You went upstairs and you slowly undressed yourself before entering the shower. The second you put your feet inside it, you felt relieved when you felt the water running on your body. You didn’t take that much time and got out the shower. Sitting on the bed, drying your hair in a distracted way, the vibration of your phone make you come back to reality. Taking the phone, you look at the screen, it was Samantha, one of your few friends:

“Samy!” you said.

“Hey Y/N. How you doin'?” you heard her said.

It was like she wasn’t alone because there was other voices transferred to you on the line.

“I'm good! What’s the matter, Samy?” you asked, feeling a little bit better after the shower because before taking it, the fatigue was imminent.

“I was just wondering if you wanna come out tonight with us? You know, we're going to leave school soon and we… you know… kinda wanna begin to celebrate earlier!” she said while your eyes were closed, listening to her carefully.

You take a look at your clock on the top of your bed, it was almost nine. It wasn’t too late than that.

“So… Where are you guys going?” you asked with precaution.

“It’s just a party, Y/N. C'mon it’s going to be fun!”

You couldn’t answer yet. You felt something about going out tonight. You didn’t know what it was. It wasn’t the first time that you hangout with your crazy friends, but you felt tonight would be different. You didn’t understand but didn’t pay any attention.

“Y/N??” you heard Samantha’s voice, waiting for an answer and you come back to reality.

“Where is that party?” you just asked.

After she just told you, you were thinking if you should go or not. You didn’t want to and you layed down on your bed, your towel covering your body.

“I don’t know, Samy. I think I'll stay home. You should enjoy yourself with the others. I'm so tired!” you said.

“C'mon girl!” Samy cried with a desperate voice, begging you.

“I'm really sorry, I can’t!”

Disappointed, she let go and you hung up the phone. You looked at your screen and let the phone on the bed before standing up. You were still thinking about the call you had a few seconds ago.

“Should I go?” you asked yourself with a little voice while looking at yourself in your large mirror on the wall. You bought a dress a few weeks ago but you hadn’t have the occasion to wear it yet. It was a beautiful red dress, short, and really uncovered. It was a sexy red dress. You bit your bottom lip with a smirk. It would not be this bad to go relax yourself after this hard day. You thought you deserved it. A few moments from your call, you were all dressed up and looked yourself in the mirror.

“Oh…” you breathed while turning around to see your naked back which you thought was exaggerated.

But you didn’t care. All you wanted was to have fun, in a good way though. You could take one or two shots with your friends who were much crazier than you are. You rolled up your eyes trying to remember yourself that you were only comfortable alone but around people, you were so shy. You couldn’t even take a compliment without blushing like a child! But tonight, your shyness didn’t matter. All that matters was to relax and to let go for once. You put your black heels on. You take a last look at your hair which was still wet, wrapped in a high bun, which make your face look more longer. You took your purse and took your phone. You were going to call Samy back to let her know that you were coming after all, but you gave up with a smirk. “I am going to surprise her" you thought while leaving your bedroom, make it downstairs and closed the entrance of your house before going to your car. While turning un the engine, you felt the increase of your heartbeat. You weren’t sure of what is was, but all you know it was going to be a crazy night, a unforgettable one.

You didn’t had to worry about the address because Samy had already told you where the party was during the call, and you knew the place. After parking your car, you took your purse and got out the car, eyes on the little house where the party was. You walked carefully while two men were looking at you with a horny gaze. Your heart skipped a beat. You walked faster as you reached the door of the little house where some loud music came from. As soon as you opened it, there was a bell who took everyone’s attention, and their eyes were at the door. To be more precise, their eyes were on you. You felt your blood running rapidly into your veins, embarrassed. You heard a voice you knew damn well in the crowd:

“Ladies and gentlemen, please, help me welcomed my dear shy friend: Y/N!

You couldn’t help but blush when you saw that everyone was applauding you while you made your way between them to reach your friends. As you walked, they were looking at you with a smile, and some, not. There was this girl, jealous of your beauty. She was in the same class with you, and she hated hearing that you were beautiful. She hated how all the boys in the class were looking at you even though you were shy and thought that you were not that interesting to look at. Her and her friends looked at you badly when you feel a tight grip around your shoulders. It was Samantha!

“What a surprise! I thought you were not coming, you brat!” she said while she was hugging you while you took the hand that Jess was giving you to say hi with a smirk.

“Oh I didn’t want to come over! But you know… I couldn’t resist! I was about to call you but I wanted to make you a surprise!” you said, trying to control your shyness at your dress while there were people still looking at you.

“Damn girl! You’re on fire tonight! It’s the first time that I see you in that kind… of clothes!” Jess said while turning you around to see the whole thing before dragging down your dress because of your arm which was lifted up by your friend in the action to turn around.

“You look so beautiful!” said Samy while smiling at you.

“Thank you girls! I feel so weird!” you said while laughing.

You recognized some people of your school, and they were drinking. Some of them had already left the school, but they were stopping by often to reach their friends. They were drinking and having fun while dancing like crazy while Samy was giving you a little cup filled with alcohol. You think twice because you hated drinking in public, by mesure of precaution. But you were with them, and they would fight for you. They will always have your back. Weirdly, you felt like you had a gaze on you. A gaze that you couldn’t see, but was there. You felt an eye on you. You felt observed. Watched. Mentally undressed. “Maybe it’s the sip that I took already" you thought out loud. Your friends were talking about their boyfriends. You didn’t have one. You thought that you were unattractive.

“Last night I took every inch of him" Jess said while she was getting her lips wet.

“That’s why you were late this morning! Ah I got you! You lied to me!” Samy yelled at her while laughing out loud.

“Y/N, when will you tell us when you had fucked for the last time?” Jess asked, making a shot with her cup.

You weren’t expecting this question. Your eyes widened while taking a sip of your cup.

“I'm sorry?” you asked.

While she was going to answer, the lights of the little house shuts down. And everything was dark. Your heart missed a beat while you were holding on tight to your friend Samantha.

“what the hell is going on here?” you heard a masculine voice yelled before hearing gunshots hitting the walls of the house, and soon, piercing the windows to get inside. Everyone was panicking, and everyone was screaming. They were moving faster, running everywhere just to get out the house. You were shaking and someone hit you, making you both, you and Samy, losing contact. Lost, you were scared. You feel a hand holding you hardly by your elbow and you couldn’t see the face, but by his posture, you realized it was a man. He was near enough to smell his cologne and to feel his sweet hair under your hand who was definitely trying to press him to get away from him, let go and run, but he was stronger.

“STAN!!!” Everyone heard while the door was opened. There were men with guns trying to see only-God's-know.

“What the hell is Stan"? You asked yourself while shaking against the stranger who held you tight against him.

“If you don’t get the fuck off here, we will shoot everyone in this room!”

"Everyone in this room" was the only sentence which was repeating all over your head. You heard the stranger cursing under his breath while taking you with him, taking a direction you didn’t know. It was still dark and you didn't see his face. The fear was bigger than the hope to survive. You wanted to talk but you were sobbing. You were a total mess. All you wanted was to be safe. And this man? What is he going to do to me? You asked yourself. You couldn't say anything, but weakly and sobbing, you talked with the little voice of yours.

“P-Please… don’t… don’t hurt me…” you beg, crying, shaking, scared, feeling that you were going to faint, and thinking of you dead was not reassuring at all.

You felt a large hand drying your tears. And the contact give you goose bumps. You could feel how warm he was, and weirdly you felt good.

“I'm not going to hurt you, doll. I'm getting you out of here. Once outside, don’t look back.” You heard his charming voice said while he was dragging you to a door, opened it and puts you out of the house. There was a light that was weakly shining out there. He didn't show himself. He could see you, but you couldn't see him. You could feel his gaze on you. On your body. Your eyes were wide open and you couldn’t see anything. He held the door which the light hits, and you saw his hand. All his veins and his beautiful nails, freshly done. Not long, normal and clean. He had long fingers. You didn't understand why he was helping you.

“W-Why are you doing this? And my friends? They… They are inside” you asked.

“They will be okay, they will be out as well. Don’t worry, doll. Go. Now". He said while he was closing the door on your face while you took off your heels to run faster. You looked around and you were in the back of the house. The parking wasn’t that far and you looked at your purse to take your phone when you felt nothing. Not believing yet, you were still searching when you realized that you lost it inside.

“Damn it!” you said, scared while taking the keys of your car. You didn’t know how were your friends but you remembered the man's words, that they will be okay and out of here. Weirdly you trusted him. A perfect stranger. You get on your car and turned on the engine to press the gas pedal without any warnings. All you wanted was to get out of here and go home. Your only preoccupation was your friends. Your thoughts were wide, couldn’t focus on one, just a urgent question crossed your shaking lips:

“What the hell just happened?”