#a bomb on their house and killed their entire family
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glisten-inthedark · 1 day ago
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It kills me that the GA doesn’t fully understand or appreciate the significance of Mike being in the shed with Joyce and Jonathan in s2.
They could have easily had just Joyce, Jonathan, and Hopper in there because Joyce and Jonathan are his family and Hopper is there to ensure their safety and help restrain Will.
But Mike is there.
Despite the fact that Dustin and Lucas are also Will’s friends, Mike is there.
Will was unconscious. He didn’t ask for Mike to be there. Mike was there. Mike wanted to be in there. The writers chose him to be there, with Dustin or Lucas.
They could’ve had a scene where each member of the party recounts their first or most precious memory of Will. It would’ve been beautiful! But other than Will’s family, they only wanted Mike there.
Only Mike.
Once again separating Mike as Will’s most important relationship outside of his family. Once again having Mike show that Will is special to him—their their bond is significant and goes beyond just best friends. Because in s1 Mike insists that Dustin and Lucas are his best friends, which would implied that they’re also Will’s best friends. So why aren’t they in the shed too?
Why just Mike.
Oh, to add more about Mike being in the shed:And to reference this ask you got a while back because I just rewatched the shed scene and thought of this ask: https://www.tumblr.com/glisten-inthedark/766608866928623616/joyce-informs-will-of-his-birthday-and-how-heJoyce says Will drew a rainbow ship when he was little. Which adds to that other anon pointing out that every memory they mention to Will has become significant later (Will coming out and also the rainbow room and how that + the other rainbows peppered throughout the show is likely used to reinforce the queer symbolism & narrative within the show)Well, Mike also brings up a campaign that involved sewers and insects, and iirc there’s a sewer-looking tunnel w/ a ladder like from a manhole in the bts video for s5. He also says that Will cast “fog cloud” and “saved us. You saved the entire party.” And I would love if that’s somehow foreshadowing something Will does involving a smoke bomb/screen in s5And Jonathan playing Should I Stay Or Should I Go foreshadowed the significance of music “reaching a part of the brain words can’t” in season 4Also once again even after they figure out Will is using Morse code, the writers don’t have Mike stay with the others in the house helping to translate/transcribe. He stays in the shed and we see him once again being shown as one of the integral, essential people there to help reach Will. And again, Will didn’t choose for him to be there! This isn’t an example of Will being in love with Mike. This is an example of Mike’s love for Will. (And honestly this whole thing probably helped facilitate Will falling in love with Mike because Mike did so much for him in s2 out of his love and care for Will, how could Will not fall for him??)
Hello! Oh, I think you may have read my mil*ven post? And yes, that's one thing I legit don't get too!
Like, did absolutely no one stop and ask themselves why did the writers choose to have only Mike there when it wasn't a choice Will made?
Because I'm not joking, I was already pretty suspicious of Will and Mike at that point but that scene pretty much solidified for me that there was something there. I'd be always like: OK but why is he the only one there?
So yeah, I'm constantly wondering how no one seems to notice it that he didn't have to be there, so why is he?
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your-dads-filing-cabinet · 11 months ago
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woulddieforloki · 2 years ago
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if one more person tells me Wanda has never faced consequences in the MCU I'm gonna do something illegal
#she literally has nothing left to lose#like a nice lil wanda maximoff life recap:#she lost her parents and her house and her childhood to a bomb as part of a war she had no part in (duh. because she was fucking TEN)#then she lost her brother and her entire fucking country.#then she lost a bunch of friends after Civil War and all she had was Vision#and then she had to KILL HIM???? HER LOVER???? THE ONLY PERSON SHE HAD LEFT?????#WHEN SHE GOT SNAPPED AWAY SHE LOOKED RELIEVED?????#and then she came back and half her friends were dead and the other half just ditched her#and then she created Westview and created and then lost that entire family#and then between WV and MoM she lost her sanity and her sense of self and theN HER LIFE#SHE'S DEAD#SHE FUCKING DIED#WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT#SHE DIED ALONE WITH NO FRIENDS OR FAMILY AS A DIRECT CONSEQUENCE OF HER ACTIONS#ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME#HER LIFE IS ARGUABLY THE MOST TRAGIC IN THE ENTIRE MCU#(except Nebula and Gamora they had it worse)#(you can kinda make a case for loki but he also had a thousand years of just being an unpopular rich kid and anything that happened between#thor 1 and the avengers is purely speculation so i wouldn't put him above wanda tbh)#like other people have had worse things happen but the entire last two-thirds of Wanda's life have been trauma after trauma#and you wanna say she didn't get the punishment she deserved?#i hate the marvel fandom -_-#this is not an argument btw i will ignore any comments/reblogs i don't like
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aw-dag · 16 days ago
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Section 1557 is the law that guarantees trans protections in the us. Saying she supports that law is not “not giving a shit about trans rights lol” just because you don’t know to what law she is referring.
Lovely how libs has spent a year going "yeah well Harris is gonna back and fund a genocide but at least she will stand by trans people in the US" just for her to come out as not giving a shit about trans rights lol
#my family is middle eastern and quite simply the us has been bombing us for nearly 80 years#it is always demonstrably more catastrophic under republican presidents#and we lose all aid and medical support funding#you are not going to change the democratic party by refusing to vote#the reason the republican party has gotten so radical is because their radicals VOTE#the difference in my family has always been 5 dead cousins and the option for student visas vs 30 dead cousins and wasting diseases#that is the blood on the ground at the end of the day. that is what lesser of two evils is#‘well i am radically opposed to that and committed to stopping ALL bloodshed’—person whose idea of radical action inaction#and watching left-leaning americans every election cycle go ‘im going to make the party agree with me by withholding my vote’#and then each successive cycle watching the party move further center because people on the far left dont vote and far right do#you must understand that the metric by which you demonstrate your values is voting not inaction#the party shifts to center because people in the center are the ones voting#and furthermore why are people promoting not voting suddenly using 200K as the current death toll that is not correct#you have decided the true number isn’t emotional enough? you undercut the horrific fact of the acts by abandoning facts for impact#roe v wade was lost because of the supreme court. that is the power and purpose of that court. trump was allowed to stack it last time#which is why even under another president it worked its way up through other trump-picked courts to the one republicans had unfairly stacked#you are in fact citing a long-term devastating reprecussion of trump’s last presidency#the president cannot interfere with the court. did anyone here take civics.#and furthermore the continued economic fallout and failure to maintain affordability programs that started during the pandemic is because#republicans keep killing them in the house which they control#simply so nothing beneficial to the people passes under a different party’s president#the reason you all keep acting like presidental elections and their candidates +policies come out of nowhere is just telling on yourselves#that you arent following or participating in smaller elections in the interrim#insane to watch so many people on the left swallow the idea that voting is pointless at the same time that we have WATCHED#how radical voters voting has swung the entire conservative party deeply right of right
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transmutationisms · 1 month ago
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yesterday mohammed told me about how his parents and grandparents described the nakba to him. he knows these stories by heart: how the settlers lied and said the displacements would be temporary, how they took the land and houses for themselves anyway. how they slaughtered entire villages -- killed palestinians just for existing.
mohammed told me he wants to get married and have children and grandchildren of his own. he imagines how he'll tell them about this year, how the stories will sound like 1948 all over again. he wants his children to grow up in a free palestine, safe from the hum of planes and blasts of bombs that terrify his young nieces and nephews. he wants to get old, and sit surrounded by everyone he loves, and tell them about what he endured this year: eight displacements, his house bombed to the ground, his dear sister shot and his 27 family members left relying on him for food, water, shelter, medicine -- for survival.
help him keep them all alive. imagine knowing the cold is setting in, when your entire family has lost everything they owned to homelessness and refugee camps and 12 months (& counting) of brutal travel on foot. they need us now more than ever. we can help keep them safe and warm this winter.
if you'd like an extra incentive for helping them out, donations of 10 USD / 103 SEK and up are eligible to enter a raffle for real physical prints of your favourite IWTV characters, with winners to be drawn on the 19th (that's in 6 days).
verified / donate / raffle details & more designs
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a-shade-of-blue · 2 months ago
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Urgent: Help Mahmoud's 17 Family Members Escape from Frequent Bombings!
Hi everyone. Mahmoud (@mahmoudfamily1) is trying to raise fund to evacuate 17 members of his family (including no fewer than 5 children!), and he has asked me to share his story.
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Mahmoud found out the bombing of her sister Tasnim’s husband’s house, the house his entire family was staying at, on the news. He could not contact his family for 3 days after that. He knew that several people had died and several more injured, but he did not know whom among his family survived, and who didn’t.
When he finally managed to reach them, he found out that a close relative, named Alaa, had been killed, along with her children: Ahmed and baby Iman who was not even one month old yet. Alaa was a beloved member of their family. She was optimistic and tried hard to cheer everyone else up. For the longest time, Alaa believed that the world would not turn away from their suffering and the war would end soon. But an airstrike took her and her children’s lives, the bombing continued, and the world remains indifferent.
Mahmoud’s sister Tasnim, was severely injured in the bombing. The attack happened while the family was sleeping, and Tasnim woke up to find her body injured and broken, bleeding heavily with bones sticking out of her leg. She found her 6-month-old daughter under the rubble, severely injured, but thankfully still alive. Tasnim's leg was fractured in multiple places, so severely injured that they all thought it had to be amputated. Tasnim’s husband and her 6-month-old daughter, her father-in-law, her brothers-in-law and Alaa’s husband were all severely injured by the bombing.
A few days later, Mahmoud’s family narrowly survived a second bombing on the street, as the people behind them, too slow to escape from the attack, were killed. They hid in their car, watching the plane flying above dropping bombs, praying that it would not target their car.
Given Tasnim and her 6-month-old daughter’s severe injuries, the family used a lot of money and exhausted all means to get them out of Gaza to receive the essential medical treatment they require. While Tasnim and her youngest daughter managed to evacuate, the rest of Mahmoud’s 17 family members, including Tasnim’s 2-year-old daughter who sustained first degree burns from the bombing, are still trapped in Gaza.
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Mahmoud’s 17 family members (including no fewer than 5 children!) risk being killed and injured from the frequent airstrikes every day. They have narrowly escaped death no fewer than 5 times. On 31 August, the IOF dropped bombs on the tent next to theirs, killing 9 young men and women, and Mahmoud’s family woke up to their broken bodies.
Look at the photos Mahmoud sent me. These children, they are all trapped in Gaza where bombs may fall on them anytime. Please do not look away. Please help Mahmoud’s 17 family members reach safety!!
Mahmoud’s campaign is vetted by association. Mahmoud is @hazempalestine's friend, see post here for proof. @hazempalestine is vetted by @/el-shab-hussein and is listed as #281 on the verified fundraiser list by @/el-shab-hussein and @/nabulsi.
I’ve been trying to boost Hazem’s campaign, but we are both worried about Mahmoud’s campaign as donations are coming in really slowly for him. I hope you will support Mahmoud’s campaign and help him evacuate his 17 family members as well!
Extremely Low Funds! As of 3 September, Only $147 CAD raised of $80,000 goal! Last donation was 19 hours ago!!!
Please follow Mahmoud on @mahmoudfamily1 to get updates on his family's situation! And also, please, please, share/reblog, and donate if you can! Every donation helps!!
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heritageposts · 7 months ago
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[...] During the early stages of the war, the army gave sweeping approval for officers to adopt Lavender’s kill lists, with no requirement to thoroughly check why the machine made those choices or to examine the raw intelligence data on which they were based. One source stated that human personnel often served only as a “rubber stamp” for the machine’s decisions, adding that, normally, they would personally devote only about “20 seconds” to each target before authorizing a bombing — just to make sure the Lavender-marked target is male. This was despite knowing that the system makes what are regarded as “errors” in approximately 10 percent of cases, and is known to occasionally mark individuals who have merely a loose connection to militant groups, or no connection at all. Moreover, the Israeli army systematically attacked the targeted individuals while they were in their homes — usually at night while their whole families were present — rather than during the course of military activity. According to the sources, this was because, from what they regarded as an intelligence standpoint, it was easier to locate the individuals in their private houses. Additional automated systems, including one called “Where’s Daddy?” also revealed here for the first time, were used specifically to track the targeted individuals and carry out bombings when they had entered their family’s residences.
In case you didn't catch that: the IOF made an automated system that intentionally marks entire families as targets for bombings, and then they called it "Where's Daddy."
Like what is there even to say anymore? It's so depraved you almost think you have to be misreading it...
“We were not interested in killing [Hamas] operatives only when they were in a military building or engaged in a military activity,” A., an intelligence officer, told +972 and Local Call. “On the contrary, the IDF bombed them in homes without hesitation, as a first option. It’s much easier to bomb a family’s home. The system is built to look for them in these situations.” The Lavender machine joins another AI system, “The Gospel,” about which information was revealed in a previous investigation by +972 and Local Call in November 2023, as well as in the Israeli military’s own publications. A fundamental difference between the two systems is in the definition of the target: whereas The Gospel marks buildings and structures that the army claims militants operate from, Lavender marks people — and puts them on a kill list.  In addition, according to the sources, when it came to targeting alleged junior militants marked by Lavender, the army preferred to only use unguided missiles, commonly known as “dumb” bombs (in contrast to “smart” precision bombs), which can destroy entire buildings on top of their occupants and cause significant casualties. “You don’t want to waste expensive bombs on unimportant people — it’s very expensive for the country and there’s a shortage [of those bombs],” said C., one of the intelligence officers. Another source said that they had personally authorized the bombing of “hundreds” of private homes of alleged junior operatives marked by Lavender, with many of these attacks killing civilians and entire families as “collateral damage.” In an unprecedented move, according to two of the sources, the army also decided during the first weeks of the war that, for every junior Hamas operative that Lavender marked, it was permissible to kill up to 15 or 20 civilians; in the past, the military did not authorize any “collateral damage” during assassinations of low-ranking militants. The sources added that, in the event that the target was a senior Hamas official with the rank of battalion or brigade commander, the army on several occasions authorized the killing of more than 100 civilians in the assassination of a single commander.
. . . continues on +972 Magazine (3 Apr 2024)
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wearenotjustnumbers2 · 1 year ago
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Remember today. Remember how the world stood by and watched 2.2 million people which more than half of them are children get annihilated. Remember how Israel cut off all ways of communication and internet inside and outside of gaza, and started bombarding the strip heavily like never before with American weapons. How israel made itself look like the victim while it kills a Palestinian child every 10-15 minutes. Remember how if you're in gaza and your house got bombed, you will die either way because there is no way you can call an ambulance. You can't check on your loved ones even if they were meters away. Remember how everybody remained silent while Israelis chant and celebrate Palestinians death, and we demand the chance to live.
Remember how they bombed hospitals, mosques, churches, schools, refugee camps and houses. Remember the families who survived the first bombing in their house, only to get killed in a hospital or a camp. Remember how their defense minister called us Human Animals, our children children of the dark. Remember how the USA and Israel are testing weapons on the people of gaza. Things we've never seen before.
Remember the babies who survived the bombing while their entire family got killed. Who will tell these children their names? They experienced trauma that they don't even have the language to describe it.
Remember that we watched a genocide live, before they start changing the narrative. Remember that when this is marked in history, you were on what side. Remember the "never again" in the holocaust and Rwanda and and, but the "again and again" in gaza until everybody is dead in the most gruesome way.
Remember the killed Palestinians. They are not numbers.
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rafalkbircom · 8 months ago
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Help my family evacuate out of Gaza
I'm truly sorry for the hardships you and your family are facing. Your story is heartbreaking, and it's understandable to feel overwhelmed. Here's a short emotional appeal for donations:
Dear friends,
I'm reaching out to you in a time of desperate need. My name is Menna Musa, and I come from Gaza. My life has been shattered by the recent loss of my beloved brothers, Abd and Ahmed, who were killed in front of our house during an attack on our neighborhood. We have been forced to flee to the south, leaving behind everything we had, including our home and our cat.
My surviving brother is still trapped in Gaza with his wife and young children, including my nieces Alma and Dania, who are in urgent need of essentials like milk, diapers, and warm clothes. The situation in Gaza is dire, with bombing, hunger, and fear gripping the region.
I humbly ask for your help to evacuate my brother and his family from Gaza. Each person needs about $5,000 for travel costs, totaling $75,000 for the entire family. Your donation, no matter how small, can make a huge difference in our lives and bring us closer to safety and a brighter future.
Please donate and share our story. Together, we can make a difference.
Thank you for your kindness and generosity.
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sayruq · 7 months ago
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A new investigation by +972 Magazine and Local Call reveals that the Israeli army has developed an artificial intelligence-based program known as “Lavender,” unveiled here for the first time. According to six Israeli intelligence officers, who have all served in the army during the current war on the Gaza Strip and had first-hand involvement with the use of AI to generate targets for assassination, Lavender has played a central role in the unprecedented bombing of Palestinians, especially during the early stages of the war. In fact, according to the sources, its influence on the military’s operations was such that they essentially treated the outputs of the AI machine “as if it were a human decision.”
During the early stages of the war, the army gave sweeping approval for officers to adopt Lavender’s kill lists, with no requirement to thoroughly check why the machine made those choices or to examine the raw intelligence data on which they were based. One source stated that human personnel often served only as a “rubber stamp” for the machine’s decisions, adding that, normally, they would personally devote only about “20 seconds” to each target before authorizing a bombing — just to make sure the Lavender-marked target is male. This was despite knowing that the system makes what are regarded as “errors” in approximately 10 percent of cases, and is known to occasionally mark individuals who have merely a loose connection to militant groups, or no connection at all. Moreover, the Israeli army systematically attacked the targeted individuals while they were in their homes — usually at night while their whole families were present — rather than during the course of military activity. According to the sources, this was because, from what they regarded as an intelligence standpoint, it was easier to locate the individuals in their private houses. Additional automated systems, including one called “Where’s Daddy?” also revealed here for the first time, were used specifically to track the targeted individuals and carry out bombings when they had entered their family’s residences.
The Lavender machine joins another AI system, “The Gospel,” about which information was revealed in a previous investigation by +972 and Local Call in November 2023, as well as in the Israeli military’s own publications. A fundamental difference between the two systems is in the definition of the target: whereas The Gospel marks buildings and structures that the army claims militants operate from, Lavender marks people — and puts them on a kill list. In addition, according to the sources, when it came to targeting alleged junior militants marked by Lavender, the army preferred to only use unguided missiles, commonly known as “dumb” bombs (in contrast to “smart” precision bombs), which can destroy entire buildings on top of their occupants and cause significant casualties. “You don’t want to waste expensive bombs on unimportant people — it’s very expensive for the country and there’s a shortage [of those bombs],” said C., one of the intelligence officers. Another source said that they had personally authorized the bombing of “hundreds” of private homes of alleged junior operatives marked by Lavender, with many of these attacks killing civilians and entire families as “collateral damage.”
Remember, the Israeli occupation government considers all men over the age of 16 to be Hamas operatives hence why they've claimed to have killed over 9,000 of them (which matches the number of Palestinian men killed according to the Ministry of Health). So, when the article speaks of 'low level' or 'high level militants' they're likely speaking of civilians.
If Israel knew who Hamas fighters are, Oct 7th wouldn't have caught them off guard and they wouldn't still be fighting the Palestinian resistance every single day.
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workersolidarity · 4 months ago
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🛑⚠️WARNING: DISTURBING FOOTAGE⚠️🛑
[ 📹 Scenes from the recovery of two young girls who were murdered as a result of bombing by the Israeli occupation army on the residential home of the Zaino family home in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, east of Gaza City. ]
🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 🚀🏘️💥🚑 🚨
MURDER OF PALESTINIAN CHILDREN CONTINUES ENDLESSLY AS ENTIRE WESTERN WORLD IGNORES GENOCIDE
The leadership of nearly the entire collective West continues to look away while pocketing the profits of the Israeli occupation's ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, with American-made bombs continuing to drop on civilian families, residential homes, and public infrastructure in the Palestinian enclave.
According to local reporting, the Israeli occupation forces bombed a residential apartment belonging to the Banat family in the vicinity of the Al-Sousi Mosque in central Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of five Palestinian civilians who were transported to Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the city.
The five killed were from a single family, and included the deaths of Kamal Awad Banat, along with his son Abdul Salam, and his daughters Raghad, Hidaya, and Rama, while his daughter Rawaa remains missing under the rubble.
Meanwhile, Zionist warplanes bombed a residential apartment in the Saad building, belonging to the Al-Ghafri family in the Al-Mashahra area of Al-Nafaq Street, in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
Following the bombing, the bodies of four Palestinian corpses were recovered from the rubble, while several wounded civilians were taken to Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital.
In yet another atrocity, occupation fighter jets bombed a residential building belonging to the Al-Zard family in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
After the assault, local ambulance and civil crews managed to recover bodies of three civilians, while 7 others wounded in the bombing were taken to a local hospital.
Similarly, occupation warplanes bombed a house west of the Nuseirat Refugee Camp, in the central Gaza Strip, killing three Palestinians and wounding a number of others, while several civilians were wounded earlier in the day after Zionist aircraft bombed a house opposite the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis.
According to local medical reporting, at least 30 Palestinians have been killed since dawn on Wednesday, while the bodies of 14 murdered Palestinians have been recovered from the city of Rafah, south of Gaza, since dawn today.
At the same time, the Director of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, Andrea Di Domenico, said today, Wednesday, July 3rd, that 9 out of 10 Palestinians in Gaza have been "displaced at least once."
The current death toll in the Gaza genocide now exceeds 37'953 Palestinians killed, while another 87'266 others have been wounded since October 7th, 2023.
#source1
#source2
#videosource
@WorkerSolidarityNews
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agoodflyting · 5 months ago
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Good Omens Historical Trivia That's Haunting Me Today...
So we all know A.Z. Fell & Co is located on the fictitious Whickber Street in Soho and was established in 1800.
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Aziraphale has run the shop ever since then and was in contact with Crowley at least until the 1820's when they took their little jaunt to Edinburgh and Crowley got sucked down the tube slide to Hell. They meet up again no later than the 1860's, when Crowley asks for Holy Water.
Stands to reason that between the 1820's and 1860's Aziraphale was in Soho doing Aziraphale things. Running his bookshop. Eating tiny cakes
Yeah... you know what else was going on in Soho during that time?
The worst cholera epidemic in London history.
If you don't know, cholera is a deadly bacterial infection caused by drinking contaminated water. Prior to the 1850's humans weren't really sure what caused cholera, but they knew it was terrifying and also that it was absolutely epidemic in big cities.
TW: this is gross - The main symptoms of cholera are agonizing stomach pain and non-stop watery diarrhea, eventually leading to the skin turning blue due to the thickening of blood from severe dehydration. Patients can lose more than 20% of their body weight in hours as they quite literally evacuate every drop of water in their bodies until they die of heart failure. - OK gross part over
Cholera symptoms show up as short as 5 hours after infection and could kill within as little as 12 hours. Cholera was especially terrifying because of how quickly and painfully it killed you, and because the patient maintained mental clarity up until the point of death. More than half of the people who contracted cholera died within a few days after consuming the bacteria-contaminated water.
And guess what water had cholera bacteria in it?
The public water pump on Broad Street in Soho in August of 1854
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And this wasn't one of those epidemics that starts slowly and drags on. It hit like a bomb. It killed 600 Soho residents in ten days.
That's roughly 60 people a day in a 3-4 block area. Most of them died at home because the disease struck too quickly for them to to make it to a hospital. Survivors described hearses stacked with coffins 4-5 high going down the street nonstop all day long during the outbreak. Entire families were wiped out overnight.
What does that have to do with Good Omens?
Aziraphale's book shop was right in the epicenter of this outbreak.
Neil Gaiman has been pretty free about the fact that Whickber Street is a thinly veiled expy of the real Berwick Street in Soho.
This is a famous map showing the 1854 Soho Cholera epidemic. I highlighted Berwick Street and the public water pump that was the center of the contagion. The black bars (I circled a few in blue) on the map designate deaths. The thicker the black bar, the more people died in that particular house.
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51 people died the week of the cholera outbreak on Aziraphale's Street alone.
Cholera was one of those diseases that provoked a lot of panic, not just because of how fast and painful it was, but because of the way it didn't follow common conventions about class or age. Children died while the elderly survived (often because the elderly had no one to gather water for them). Lower class houses were spared while their middle class landlords died. Churches were packed that week, because people in Soho had no idea who would get sick next. The epidemic pretty much burned itself out in a week and a half, since by that point everyone who drank the water had already died. I have to wonder what our resident Angel was up to during that time. Obviously cholera can't hurt him, but that's his neighborhood. There's no way hundreds of people, including entire families with children, are dying painfully in his neighborhood and Aziraphale doesn't notice. That means that in between this scene:
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And this one:
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Aziraphale would have watched one of the worst disease outbreaks in London history play out right outside his front door. I feel like there's great potential for a good story there if anyone better than me wants to write it.
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opencommunion · 5 months ago
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"Issam Hajjaj, 27, survived the massacre and spoke to Mondoweiss. 'We were running away from bombing and killing. In all directions, there was either bombing, an Israeli tank, or Israeli gunmen shooting at anyone in their path,' he explained. 'While we were running away from death, I saw dismembered bodies on the road as a result of the bombing, and I saw those who left their loved ones under the rubble and fled to save the rest of the family. We did not know from which direction death would come for us.' ... 'During our escape, we saw bodies being loaded into cars heading to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Women were screaming in the streets, and children were crying and screaming,' Hajjaj recounted. 'I saw a family that was fleeing together. A shell fell on the father and killed him in front of his wife and young daughter. After the mother got up and carried her daughter, she discovered that her husband was killed; she left him on the ground and fled to save her daughter and herself.' Hajjaj explained that the targeted location was two buildings near Al Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat camp, but to reach these two buildings, the Israeli army destroyed an entire residential square. 
... Tawfiq Abu Youssef, an 11-year-old child, sits in Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis where he was referred to for treatment. His face is bloodied and his eyes are swollen blue after he was pulled from under the rubble of their home in Nuseirat. He says he doesn’t know how he escaped death. ... 'Before our house was bombed, we saw people in the street across from our house on the ground cut up. We saw missiles hitting the people fleeing in the streets, how they cut them off, and how the planes bombed everything moving in the streets – cars and people. The street was full of people, and suddenly, all of them… They were on the ground, and smoke and blood filled the place. Everywhere we looked, shelling and shrapnel were flying.' ... The operation was carried out near a central market, where Amjad Abu Laban, 43, was selling some food items on the road. He survived death but suffered various injuries to his hand and foot. He says that everything started at once: planes, tanks, shooting, and people were in the middle of bombing and death and did not know how to react or where to turn.
'Intense bombardment began in several areas in front of us, around us, and behind us, and people began falling to the ground by the dozens near Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat camp. Before our eyes, we saw bodies being torn apart and scattered on the roads, and we saw soldiers hidden in civilian clothes and in people’s cars running and killing everyone they met on their way without distinguishing between a child, a woman, a young person, or an old person. We saw the bodies of our brothers cut up, without heads, lying on the ground,' Abu Laban told Mondoweiss. 'These massacres that occurred before my eyes cannot be described.'
In the same hospital, Mahmoud Al-Hawar, 27, lies on his back as a result of an injury to his leg. Al-Hawar witnessed the massacre as he bravely attempted to save his family and neighbors from the bombing. 'The planes bombed our neighbors’ house, and there was a girl under the rubble screaming to be saved. I went with my friends to try to save her, but the rubble was heavy, and we could not dig her out or even lift it to reach that girl, so we waited until the civil defense team arrived. A large number of young men gathered to try to rescue them. But the planes bombed us,' he told Mondoweiss.
Al-Hawar recounted that he felt the missile hit him and his group of friends and they were thrown to the ground. Minutes later, Mahmoud regained consciousness and found himself covered in blood and saw his friends next to him, on the verge of death. 'Before we were bombed, if I told you that I saw more than 10 drones above our heads, you would not believe it. We were looking at the sky and did not know what was happening.' After the bombing, Al-Hawar tried to stand up to save himself and his friends. 'I tried to stand up, but I couldn’t. I was covered in blood. I looked at my leg and it was cut off. I looked at my best friend next to me, and I found him taking his last breath.'
Their injuries were all severe, and when someone arrived who could take them to the hospital, the five friends were placed on top of each other in a small transport truck, with Al-Hawar underneath them all. 'I was in pain from my injury, but I was feeling more pain because I could hear my friends pronouncing their martyrdom and taking their last breaths. All my friends were dying above me, and I was hearing and feeling everything. They were all killed. Some of them were martyred on the road before my eyes, and some of them died later.'
Al-Hawar agreed that the scenes he saw of the dead in the streets will never be forgotten. 'I have not slept since the incident. I cannot sleep. I cannot forget anything I witnessed and saw. I cannot forget the people who were running in panic and fear, searching for their relatives and families amidst the destruction and dismembered bodies.' Rescue teams are still working in Nuseirat with limited capabilities in an attempt to recover the bodies that remained under the rubble. Many residents remain missing due to the massive bombing in the area, and the many homes that were demolished, some on top of their residents. Many others were killed in the market as they tried to meet the needs of their families."
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waleed-krayem · 2 months ago
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Hello, my name is Walid Karim. Can you help me and my little daughters? Donate and participate in my campaign.
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Since the war on Gaza began, Walid has lost almost everything. On October 18 last year, just two weeks after the war began, 30 family members and friends were lost in one second, by a single missile. None of them survived, and everyone was under the rubble.
Please let us help him raise money for his family to have a better life and resume building their future. Walid will use the funds raised to evacuate his children from Gaza, search for a better opportunity and build a better future for them outside the war zone.
When the occupation army wanted to blow up the residential building in which we lived, some shrapnel were scattered. On the body of my wife Israa, who is still suffering from it, as she no longer walks with balance. As for my daughter, Iman, she was injured in the head, and her hair, which she loved, was shaved off so that the doctor could sew up her head, which was bleeding.
She cried a lot at that time, and her eyes were painful and swollen from the injury. The heart was crying for her, not the eyes. The house was bombed. Not only the house, but the entire residential building was blown up. We are now homeless, and we are all suffering from pain and sadness. But the grief now is not limited to our home only, but rather to the loss of not one person. 30 people were killed in the same second. My life was destroyed in a worse way when the law office I wanted to move to was bombed due to the house being bombed. I was left without a job, without a home, without an office, Without extended family. I fear that I will lose my daughters at any moment, like other families..
I made it a mission to save myself and my family that I don't want to lose. I can't imagine my life without them. Hunger ate their bodies. The rash ravaged the body of my little daughter, who began to suffer from involuntary urination out of fear. She spoke to herself after she had been the most beautiful child. I want my children to survive, I want to save their future from all this and start again in a safe place, and before I lose another one of my family, I want all of your help so that I can start again, I don't want them to be killed by hunger. We are fleeing from missile bombardment, but hunger is chasing us. We no longer eat so our children can eat .
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alltheirdamn · 7 months ago
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Killing Me Softly | (Joel x teacher!f!reader)
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Chap. 3: Violent Delights
Chp. 3 Summary: Every ounce of your resolve fades away as Joel finds his way past your walls. Rating: 18+ MDNI Word Count: 8.5k Warnings: pre-outbreak AU, language, mutual pining, slow burn, angst, banter, sexual tension, heavy kissing, cliff hanger (sorrrrryyyyy) A/N: This one may or may not kill you guys... sorry in advance & please don't hate me. I'll make it up to you <3
Masterlist | Ko-Fi
As Boston came into view from the window of the plane, your anxiety began to skyrocket. Exam week flew by, and now it was finally fall break. You had spent half a day scrambling around the house trying to pack while planning when to call a taxi so that you wouldn’t miss your flight. Putting the stress aside, you had made it in time and found yourself trying to ease your mind with a stupid romance book on the flight. You weren’t huge on reading romance, but it was mindless and passed the time as you soared over the states. 
Joel never reached out after he sent himself your number. You didn’t reach out either, which took a lot of self-restraint. You commended him for having just as much restraint because you were sure he’d cave and call you at some point. But the silence was blaring loud, and maybe he only wanted your number ‘just in case.’ You wouldn’t get your hopes up anymore.
You were coming down the escalator when your mom and two sisters came into view. Stella, your youngest sister, was the first to run and wrap you up in a big hug. Her black hair was chopped shorter than before, and she had a bright smile plastered on her face.
“Sis!” She squealed, squeezing your shoulders.
“Hi, Stell,” you laughed, hugging her tight.
“Look who’s home at last,” Beth said, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched Stella swing you back and forth.
Beth was younger than you by two years, while Stella was newly eighteen and still full of life. You and Beth hadn’t been very close since you left Boston, the bitterness of your absence still lingering between you both. 
“Hey, Beth,” you sighed, opening your arms to invite her into a hug.
She was hesitant at first but finally caved and hugged you back. It was brief, but you’d settle for it. Your mom was the next in line to hug you, her voice shaky as she welcomed you home.
“Don’t cry, Mom,” you laughed, pulling away.
“I’m just happy you’re finally home. We missed you a lot.”
She took your luggage and guided you through the airport down to the parking garage. Stella lingered close, wanting to hear about your life in Austin and how teaching was going. Beth, on the other hand, hung back and kept quiet. You knew things would implode at some point during the week, but until then, you’d just have to acknowledge the ticking time bomb in the background.
“Where’s dad?” You asked your mom, climbing into the front seat.
“He’s home grilling up some steaks for dinner. He hasn’t stopped talking about you coming home since you booked the flight. He’s missed you the most,” she sighed.
“I missed him too,” you muttered.
It wasn’t lost on you that leaving had caused a gaping hole in your relationship with your entire family. Even if they weren’t the biggest fans of Bennett, they continued to support you through your decisions to move with him and uproot your life. After he left, they begged you to come home, but you knew staying in Austin was what felt right. You had a job and a home; leaving was admitting defeat. You wouldn’t let him strip away the life you had made; you wouldn’t let yourself be a failure. 
The city blurred by as you neared your childhood home. You kept your eyes closed when you passed down the roads Bennett had once driven you, hoping you could force the memories away. But they still lingered. The past always seemed to linger. Stella and Beth chatted quietly in the backseat, leaving you in silence as the house appeared. Nothing had changed: the white brick chipping around the edges, the hedges in the front yard overgrown and unruly. You expected to feel at home, seeing the house again, but it didn’t feel like it once had. 
As you unpacked the trunk and hauled your luggage inside, you heard your dad’s voice floating from the back deck.
“Is that my girl?” He called out, walking through the sliding doors with his grilling tools in hand. 
“It is,” you smiled, dropping your things at the door.
“Hey there, peanut,” he greeted, awkwardly hugging you as his hands were full.
“Hey, Dad,” you whispered.
“Missed you, kid. How was the flight?” 
You trailed him out onto the deck, the smell of smoke mixing with the autumn breeze as it passed through the trees lining the backyard. You had missed seeing the seasons change, the yellowing of the leaves, and the crisp air that seemed to linger throughout the day. Nothing would beat the East Coast in the fall, even if you liked living in Texas now.
“The flight wasn’t bad,” you shrugged, sinking into a lawn chair as you watched him flip the steaks. “I don’t know why four hours in the air felt so long.”
“You know, you could avoid it if you moved back home,” he suggested.
“I like living in Austin,” you argued. “I have a good job, and I’m happy there.”
“I didn’t say you weren’t happy. All I’m saying is that you can always come home.”
You remember him saying the exact same thing after the wedding ceremony went to shit. Two days after the incident, your dad was consoling you on the couch, holding you as you cried and urging you to come home. You can always come home, peanut. 
“I know I can, Dad. Can we please just drop it?”
Your dad chuckled and made a pact with you not to repeat it. You only hoped your mom and sisters would do the same.
Dinner passed under a heavy silence. No one knew how to speak to you without possibly mentioning Bennett… or ‘the incident’ as they liked to refer to it. You awkwardly made small talk between your parents and Stella while Beth sat and pushed her food around. You stole glances at her ever so often, trying to form a plan when you could talk to her. Out of everyone in the family, your absence hurt her the most. She had been the most vocal about your issues with Bennett, which was to your detriment since you had confided in her the most. She gave the harsh truths and tough love, going so far as to try and talk you out of the engagement. In your love-struck haze, you hadn’t listened to her and found yourself defending Bennett—defending your emotions. You wished you had listened to her. 
“So,” your mom started. “Any new love interests?”
You gave her a pointed stare, stabbing the steak on your plate. This was the last thing you wanted: explaining yourself to them. 
“No, Mom. There’s no one to speak of,” you huffed.
“C’mon mom,” Beth laughed, chiming in. “You know she’s still wallowing away in that big house all alone.”
“Beth,” your dad warned. At the same time, Stella whispered, “Beth, don’t.”
“No, it’s okay.” You smiled through your teeth, glaring at Beth, who sat back in her seat with a smug expression.
“You did this to yourself, you know?” Beth said, cocking an eyebrow.
“Did what?” You questioned.
“We all warned you about Bennett. You knew he was no good, yet you stayed. And look! He left you.”
Her words cut deep, deeper than you wanted to admit. You kept your expression stony, not feeding into her words.
“Beth, you need to stop right now,” your mom nearly growled. “You’re out of line.”
“Let her talk, Mom,” you said. “She needs to get it out.”
“Oh, I need to get it out?” Beth snapped. “You’re the one fucking sulking about Austin, pulling this whole ‘woe is me’ bullshit. The signs were all there! Get over yourself. It’s been two years, sis. Move on.”
“Just because we don’t talk doesn’t mean I haven’t moved on,” you exhaled. “I’m still healing from it all, and I’m sorry I’m not including you in that. I didn’t know you needed access to every part of my life.”
Beth slapped her hands on the table, rising to her feet to stare down at you over the plates of food. You shrunk back, trying to keep the tears at bay. She was going in for the final blow. 
“You came to me for advice, and I gave it. You went ahead with the engagement and still ended up alone. He was never going to marry you. You’re a fucking mouse too afraid to defend yourself, and he knew you wouldn’t fight for him back. He’s probably glad he didn’t marry someone as stupid as you. You can’t see the warning signs even when they’re flashing in your face!”
That was it. That was the breaking point. 
You tossed your napkin onto your plate and removed yourself from the table. You drowned out your parents' voices and Stella’s yelling for you to come back as you ran towards the door. 
“Run!” Beth called from behind you. “Run like Bennett did!”
You barely made it out the front door before crumpling to the ground with tears streaming down your face. Staying with Bennett didn’t just hurt you; it hurt everyone. They wanted the best for you, and you didn’t see that until it was too late. Your relationship with Beth had been shattered because you had thrown all the blame on her. You blamed her for every traitorous thought you had about Bennett; you wanted to blame her for your doubts and unhappiness. But it wasn’t her. It was you. Everything was your fault—it always was.
Stella’s small voice saying your name roused you from your crying as she joined you on the porch. Wrapping her arms around your shoulders, she leaned into you and let you cry out every bottled-up emotion. 
“I’m sorry, Stell,” you sobbed. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you guys. I’m sorry I left. I’m sorry I never came home.”
“Shhh,” she hushed. “No one is mad at you for staying in Austin. We understand why you stayed. Beth is just hurt. You shut everyone out, but you shut her out the most. She just misses you.”
“All I do is fuck everything up,” you muttered. 
“No, stop that,” she argued, rubbing a hand over your back. “None of what happened is your fault. You deserved love, and he wasn’t the right one. You’ll find it again.”
“I stayed for too long. I should have left him long before the wedding. I was just hoping it would fix everything.”
“How were you to know?” She sighed. “Just because he was shitty doesn’t mean you can’t be sad. What he did was totally fucked up, and you didn’t deserve that.”
“Tell Beth that,” you laughed through a hiccup. “She thinks I deserved it.”
“She’s hurt. She doesn’t mean those things.”
“But she’s not wrong.”
Stella sighed, pulling away from you to level you with a sympathetic look. 
“I think you guys need to talk it out. Maybe not right now, but when you’re ready,” she offered.
“You’re the young one,” you groaned. “You shouldn’t be consoling your older sister like this.”
“Hey, someone’s gotta be nice to you,” she smiled, quietly laughing.
“Thank you,” you whimpered.
You fell back into her arms and stared aimlessly at the trees blowing in the wind. After a few quiet moments, you finally pulled yourself together and shuffled out of her arms. Stella watched you wearily as you stood, brushing the dirt from your pants.
“I think I’m gonna go for a walk to clear my head,” you announced. “Tell Mom and Dad I'll come back in a few.”
“Are you sure?” She asked.
“I’ll be okay, Stell. I promise. Thank you again,” you sighed, kissing her head.
Dusk fell over the neighborhood as you wandered between the trees and houses. A few neighbors walked their dogs while their kids ran through the streets playing ball or riding their bikes. You never wanted to be out and interacting at home, but you didn’t mind it here. There was no risk. No one would stop you and inquire about your life like they would at home.
As you rounded down the next street, your phone started ringing in your back pocket. You whipped it out and saw the one name you had been waiting for the last week: Joel. Part of you didn’t want to answer; you weren’t in the right headspace. But you had waited to hear from him, and honestly, he was probably the only person to sway your mood for the better. Sucking in a breath, you answered.
“Hello?” You said, hoping your voice didn’t betray you.
“I got a bone to pick with you,” Joel huffed, clearly joking.
But after the events of dinner, his words felt like another punch to the gut.
“Why?” You asked nervously, pulling the phone away to sniffle back more tears.
“I finished Romeo and Juliet, and I—. Wait, are you alright? Why does it sound like you’ve been cryin’?”
You let out a sad laugh; of course, he’d see right through you. He always managed to do that.
“Because I have been,” you sighed. There was no point in lying to him when you knew he’d continue bugging you. 
“What happened? Are you alright? Do y’need me to come get you from somewhere?” God, he sounded so sweet when he was worried.
“I’m fine, Mr. Miller. I’m not even in Austin right now, so you’re off the hook on that offer.”
“Where are you?” He pressed.
“Boston. I’m visiting family over the break,” you explained.
“You from there?” 
“I am.”
“I didn’t take you as an East Coast type of girl, but it makes sense with how stubborn y’are,” he chuckled.
“Yep. That’s me.”
“Alright, I ain’t gonna let you get off the hook this easily. What’s goin’ on?”
You rounded back down another street, holding your phone tighter against your ear, hoping you’d catch every breath in the receiver. Hearing Joel’s voice was enough to soothe your heart after a terrible night.
“Really,” you insisted. “We don’t need to talk about it.”
“I reckon we do. I bet you’ll feel better after.”
“I reckon I won’t,” you mimicked his accent.
Joel let out a low chuckle, clearly amused by your response. It garnered a smile from you as you pictured his lips turned up on the corners, the bottom lip pushed out and pouty like they always were.
“My family isn’t happy with me for staying in Austin. They think I should have moved home a couple of years ago,” you explained. “I’ll spare you the bad parts, but I should have come home. It would’ve made it easier on everyone.”
“But would it’ve made it easier on you?” He asked.
You stopped walking and pinched the bridge of your nose to hold back the coming tears. Of course, he saw it from the latter. He wasn’t siding with your parents, but he didn’t know what you had done and endured to deserve their bitterness.
“Probably, but it doesn’t matter. Listen, you don’t have to worry about me. We can talk poetry instead,” you offered.
“If that’s what y’want, and for the record, I’m gonna worry about you.” You could hear his smile through the phone.
“You don’t need to, Mr. Miller.”
“Joel,” he sighed. “Y’know, you can say my name.”
“I know, it’s just—.”
“All formalities,” he finished. “I just wish you’d quit that because I think we’re far past it by now.”
“I’m trying to maintain some semblance of professionalism,” you laughed. 
Your house was slowly coming into view again, and you felt the nerves creep back in. Eventually, you’d have to face them again, but right now, all you wanted to hear was Joel’s thick accent and husky voice. 
“What’s so wrong about bein’ unprofessional?” He joked.
“A lot, Mr. Miller,” you sighed. 
There was a brief pause on his end, and you bit your lip, wondering if he understood the meaning behind your words. You'd be completely vulnerable to him when you crossed the threshold between professional and unprofessional. Your restraint would melt away, and he’d win. 
“Should I be callin’ you Miss Smith again?” He sounded serious. “I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable and all that.”
“No,” you said all too quickly. “Call me by my name. I—I like it.”
You fucking idiot. 
Joel spoke your name in a lower voice, sending a shiver down your spine. Your steps back to the house slowed as you tried to control a strange urge rushing through your body. Was he teasing you? Was he actually doing that? You had to reel back in all the unprofessional thoughts swarming your head… especially the ones wondering how your name would sound when he was inside—. Stop that. 
“What’re you doing?” You exhaled. 
“Sayin’ your name,” he countered. “Y’said you liked it.”
“Yeah, I do.” You were beyond flustered and hot. “You’re—never mind. I should probably get inside and make peace with my family. Don’t think I forgot about Romeo and Juliet; I still want to hear your thoughts.”
“Call me tonight before you sleep,” Joel said. Oh, Christ. “I ain’t gonna remember the story if I wait any longer.”
“We could’ve talked about it earlier,” you chuckled. “You got sidetracked asking about me.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
You were at the edge of the front yard now, staring blankly at the porch light flickering against the nightfall blanketing the house. You couldn’t stay outside forever or on the phone with him forever—no matter how much you wanted to. 
“I need to get back to my family,” you sidestepped. “I’ll call tonight, okay?”
“Promise?”
You smiled to yourself, gripping the phone tighter in your hand. Damn this man, and damn his charm.
“I promise, Mr. Miller. Goodbye.”
“Bye,” he whispered, your name falling off his tongue one last time.
You were so screwed. Completely and utterly screwed. 
The house was quiet when you walked through the front door. Your mom and dad were lounging in the living room, flipping through channels, and Stella sat at the dining room table, working on her homework. Beth was nowhere to be found, which you figured would happen. Your mom glanced up from the couch with the same sympathetic expression Stella had given you earlier, and quite honestly, you were sick of it. You were sick of being pitied. You were sick of people being sad for you all the time. Yes, you were sad—all the time—but you wanted to be alone in your healing. You didn’t want to feel worse about it all from the people meant to support you. And you knew deep down they did support you, but it didn’t always feel that way. 
You needed to talk to Beth, or this entire week would be hell. 
“Is she up in her room?” You asked your mom.
She gave you a slow nod and then returned to watching the TV. She didn’t have to say anything; she knew why you asked.
Upstairs, your house was divided by two hallways. The left hallway had your parents and Stella’s room, and down the right was yours and Beth’s. You had spent so many nights with her tucked in the bed with you, staying up late talking about anything under the sun and always being each other's best friend. But that all disappeared when she realized how terrible Bennett was. Leaving Boston broke her heart, and in turn, Bennett broke yours and destroyed everything left between you and your family. 
After a sharp inhale and one final wipe of your eyes, you knocked on her door, hoping she’d let you in. The silence behind the door cemented the fact she knew it was you, yet the door opened and revealed Beth just as disheveled as you were. Her long brown hair was tossed up into a bun, and the makeup she had worn earlier was gone, a redness rimming her eyes in its place. You wanted to wrap your arms around her to apologize for everything, but Beth wasn’t that person. She didn’t want affection. She wanted words. 
“Can I come in?” You asked.
She nodded slowly, cracking the door open wider to let you step into her room. It was just as you remembered it: the fluffy white bed in the corner, the scattered polaroids on the wall, and the full-length mirror propped in the corner that you had gotten ready in front of before. Beth sat on the corner of her bed, her head hung as you joined her.
“I’m sorry,” she started. “I was a real bitch at dinner.”
You leaned into her, resting your head on her shoulder.
“You kinda were,” you chuckled. “But I understand. I shut you out. I shut everyone out, honestly. It’s easier to be alone.”
“No, it’s not,” she argued.
“Maybe, but it’s what I thought was best for me. You were right about Bennett, and I didn’t listen to you when I should have.”
“You may be older, but you are so stupid.”
You laughed harder at that, feeling her hand reach around and grip yours. You squeezed her fingers, your chest rising and falling normally. You missed this Beth, the one that could make light of the worst. 
“You know I couldn’t have come home, right? I made a life out in Austin, even without Bennett. I even went to his law firm and asked where he had gone, and all they said was that he took a job out of state. I was so scared he came back here, and if I came back to Boston, I’d see him again.”
“Why are you so afraid of him?” She asked.
“Because he broke my heart worse than I could have ever imagined. I don’t know what I’d do if I saw him again, Beth. I’d be terrified.”
Beth glanced down at you, shrugging you off her shoulder so you could meet her eyes. Tears swam in her blue eyes, rolling over onto her cheeks.
“You’re stronger than that. You always have been.”
“I don’t feel like it sometimes.”
She sighed, brushing away tears you hadn’t realized escaped your eyes. 
“Don’t let some shit guy ruin your life. You deserve to be happy, sis. There’s going to be someone so much greater out there.”
Flashes of Joel’s dark eyes and curly hair swam into your mind when she said those words. You didn’t want to believe Joel would be that person, but even your mind betrayed you. You willed it away, hoping you’d keep any thought of him lingering in the back of your head.
“I know,” you said. “Eventually, there will be.”
“There’s already someone, isn’t there?” She quirked an eyebrow.
You wanted to deny it and lie, but you wanted your friendship back. So, you told her everything, starting at the father-daughter dance and leading up to the phone call that had just ended. Beth had a massive grin while you spoke, nodding with every detail you shared.
“So… you’re gonna give him a chance, right?” She questioned.
“I can’t. He’s my students’ dad, and I can’t do that. It wouldn’t be right.”
“Then sneak around,” she pressed. “Here’s this amazing guy who’s obviously into you, and you’re gonna let that slip away because of what’s right and wrong?”
“What would you do?” You exhaled, falling back against her bed. You stared at the ceiling fan, watching it twirl in circles, hoping an answer would be hidden in its blades.
“I’d have amazing sex with him,” Beth chuckled, laying back beside you. “And then maybe fall in love, I don’t know. But sex for sure.”
“You’re terrible,” you giggled. 
Beth laughed along with you, shuffling her body closer so both of you were shoulder to shoulder. Coming home would feel like this again, but coming home would mean losing everything all over again. You’d lose your job and the house you loved so much… and you’d lose Joel. For some reason, the idea of not seeing him around made your heart ache in ways you hadn’t felt in a long time. Maybe Beth was right; maybe you’d give Joel a chance.
It was well into the night when you finally found yourself unwinding in bed and curling under the covers. You held your phone close to your chest, wondering if it was too late to call. In Boston, it was nearly midnight. Austin was only an hour behind, but you knew Joel worked early with his company. You didn’t want to assume he’d be asleep already, but the chances were slim he was awake and waiting for you. 
You dialed his number anyway.
It barely reached the second ring before he answered, your name as sweet as ever rolling through the receiver.
“I didn’t think you’d call,” he said. “Figured you forgot all about me.”
“Never,” you whispered, trying to keep your voice down. Everyone was asleep in the house, and the last thing you wanted was for them to hear you talking on the phone late at night like you were a teenager all over again.
“Y’figure everythin’ out with your family?” He asked.
“Yeah, it’s all good now.”
“Why’re you whisperin’?” He chuckled.
“Because everyone is asleep,” you tossed back.
“Sneakin’ around late then, huh?”
“Don’t tease me, Mr. Miller.”
“I’ll tease all I want,” he countered.
You blew out a breath, rolling over in the bed. With your knees curled up to your chest, you listened to Joel’s soft breathing and wondered if he was in bed, too. You wondered what he looked like, stretched out against the mattress, and if his body was as warm as his smile.
“Are you going to tell me about Romeo and Juliet? Or are you just going to sidetrack us again?” You asked softly.
Joel let out a heavy sigh, and you could hear rustling behind him. He was in bed, and for some reason, that enticed you. 
“You coulda warned me that they both die,” he started. “If it weren’t for Paris, they coulda had a happy ending!”
“The whole point of the story is to have a tragic ending. Shakespeare warned everyone in the foreshadowing, with Montague saying, ‘These violent delights have violent ends.’ It’s supposed to be a story about the chaos of passion.”
“Still ain’t makin’ up for the fact they never got to be together,” Joel grumbled.
“Not every story is a happy ending,” you exhaled, wincing at the words you spoke. You didn’t die because of Bennett, but the story hit too close to home. Between the chaos of family and the violent ends of your relationship, you had nearly become Juliet, killing herself over a man. Not literally, but the pain after the wedding was a death within itself. 
“Why d’you like it so much?” Joel asked.
“Wasn’t that your job to find out?”
“I’m not gonna lay here and make assumptions ‘bout you, but I get the feelin’ you’re a lot like Juliet.”
“Maybe,” you muttered quietly. 
“Who’s Romeo then?”
He didn’t sound angry, but you knew he only asked because he wanted to understand you better. And fuck, if that wasn’t a turn-on in itself.
“He’s the one that left me at the altar.”
There was a heavy silence from his end of the phone. You wanted to take the words back and shove them deep within you where the world couldn’t hear them. No matter how many times you said it aloud, it never felt easier. But it was the unfortunate truth; your love story had a tragic ending.
“Jesus fuck, I’m so sorry,” Joel exhaled.
“Don’t be. I’m okay.”
“Whoever did that didn’t deserve you. Perfect girl like you ain’t deserve someone that shitty.”
Perfect girl.
You had to clench your thighs together at the way his voice roughened when he said those two words. You wanted to play them on a loop over and over until you were mindless. Bennett never called you perfect—beautiful, maybe, but never perfect. He knew you for five years and never said it; Joel knew you for a month and not only said it…but believed it.
“I stayed with him a lot longer than I should have.”
“Wanna talk about it?” Joel offered, his voice gentler than a moment ago.
“Not right now,” you whispered. “I’ll make you a deal.”
“I’m listenin’.”
You were playing with fire now, and maybe it was the vulnerability of the day catching up to you, but Beth’s words were stuck in your head. There’s going to be someone so much greater out there. 
“Ask me anything you want over dinner.”
Silence. Dead silence. 
You held your breath, waiting for a response, waiting for anything. You could handle rejection, or at least you hoped you could. You hadn’t put yourself out there since Bennett left, and the idea of being unlovable was hard to wrap your head around. Did he ruin you to the point of no return? Was there any hope left?
“I’m not gonna take y’out to dinner and talk about your ex-fiancé,” Joel grumbled. 
“Oh, okay, yeah. I understand.”
The tears were welling in your eyes now, threatening your composure. He didn’t want to take you out anymore; that was fine. Who would want to deal with the broken pieces left in the wake of your past?
“If I’m gonna take you out, it’s gonna be a proper date where I get to know you,” Joel lowered his voice, the sound echoing through your head.
“A date?” You laughed nervously.
“Yes.” He said your name in a stern tone that stalled your breathing. “Quit bein’ all professional, and let me take you somewhere nice so I can really get to know you. That’s all I been wantin’ to do.”
“I’ll make you another deal,” you offered.
“God, you and your damn deals. Alright, let’s hear it,” he chuckled.
“When I’m back, ask me on a proper date.”
“Haven’t I already done that? The offer still stands, y’know.”
“I wasn’t ready to say yes when you asked. I think I’m ready now.”
“Bout damn time,” he laughed. “I swear I’m a patient man, but I’ve been goin’ out my damn mind waitin’ for you.”
“I’m sorry,” you mumbled. That was always the default response these days.
“You’re worth waitin’ for, I promise.”
You were at a complete and total loss for words. How did Joel always say everything you had always wanted to hear? You tried not to compare him to Bennett, but this was far beyond anything you had received in the past. It was foreign but so sweet. You allowed yourself to take the plunge; now, every risk was heightened. If the heartbreak Bennett had caused was this bad, you hoped never to find out what losing Joel would feel like. 
“Y’still there?” He asked.
“Yeah, I’m still here,” you whispered. You didn’t realize how long your thoughts had silenced you. “I’m looking forward to you asking me.”
“And I’m lookin’ forward to askin’…again.”
You smiled to yourself and shoved your head further under the covers. You could hear Joel yawning on the other end of the phone, and you realized just how late it was. You could listen to him talk until you fell asleep, but you wouldn’t keep him any longer.
“Go and get some sleep, Mr. Miller.”
“Y’sayin’ I’m old?” He grumbled.
“I’m saying I can hear you yawning over there,” you quipped.
“Alright, alright. Maybe we should both be gettin’ sleep. Can I call you tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
“Goodnight,” he whispered.
“Goodnight, Mr. Miller.”
The rest of the week went smoother than you had imagined. After the conversation with Beth, you both fell back into the familiar routine of being close. You’d catch her sliding you small smiles while you were out around the city, a deep concern crossing over her eyes, knowing how hard it was to relive the memories. Boston hadn’t changed, making it easier knowing you had made the right decision to leave. Stella introduced you to her new boyfriend, and your parents cooked a huge dinner to include him in a family evening together. And every night, you’d stay up late talking to Joel on the phone. 
He told you tiny snippets of his day and what had happened at work while you shared pieces of your day traveling around town with family. You noticed how he sidestepped or avoided asking deeper questions about you, and it was sweet knowing that he really wanted to wait for that date to ask those questions. Those late-night talks became something you looked forward to, even if they were filled with mundane things to chat about. 
Friday came quicker than you expected, and you were fidgeting to get on the plane home. Joel had asked the night before when you were landing and insisted on being the one to pick you up from the airport. You were struggling to continue saying ‘no’ to him, and frankly, you wanted him to be the first person you saw when you arrived. 
Austin’s skyline was dotted with lights as the plane touched down in the evening. Those few hours on the plane felt like an eternity, but as you scrambled down the tunnel into the airport, you felt a surge of excitement flowing through your body. Something had shifted over the week between you and Joel; that line between professional and unprofessional slowly disappeared. You were losing the battle inside you to keep your distance from him, and God made it so easy to do that. His charm kept you coming back for more, and the idea of what could happen between the two of you was terrifying, but the risk was beginning to look less dangerous. You felt comfortable, which was far from what you felt with Bennett. You always had to be the best version of yourself, the perfect image of a perfect girlfriend and fiancé. But you realized with Joel, you could let your control slip. He had seen and heard your vulnerability more times than you wanted to allow, yet he didn’t run away. 
He didn’t run away.
That thought slammed into you as you walked through the airport, knowing you weren’t walking towards an empty altar. You were walking towards a man willing to wait for you—for the first time. 
As you made it through the crowd of other travelers, you finally emerged into the lower level of the airport, your eyes darting around to find Joel. In the chaos of bodies walking around, his tall figure stood above the rest, a small bouquet of flowers in hand. Your steps slowed as you approached, your eyes shifting from the flowers to his welcoming smile. 
“What’s this?” you asked, your cheeks pink from running or seeing him; you weren’t sure.
“Figured it would be a nice way to welcome you home,” Joel smiled, handing them to you. 
The flowers were an array of colorful carnations, their orange and pink petals standing out against the green leaves surrounding them. You took them from him and watched as he replaced the flowers in his hand with your luggage, insisting on carrying them for you. He wore a multi-colored flannel, the material stretching over his back and shoulders as he lifted your bags. You stood back, mesmerized, as he led you toward the parking garage. 
“Thank you again,” you said. “I know you had a long work day, so thank you for driving out here.”
Joel looked over his shoulder and smiled at you. You noticed the scruff on his face was a bit grown out from the last time you saw him, but those bare patches still stood strong. There was a strange urge inside you to kiss them and feel the warmth of the skin underneath. 
“It’s no trouble at all,” he said. 
His truck was parked far back in the parking lot, which made the walk together longer than you expected. The smell of the flowers enveloped you as you held them close to your chest. You could only count a handful of times Bennett had gotten you flowers and could count even fewer times he actually picked you up from the airport. Any time you went home to visit family, which was far and few, he used the excuse of work to avoid being there for you. 
Joel lifted your luggage into the backseat of his truck, turning to you once he shut the door. He spoke your name softly, staring down at you as you gave him a curious look. 
“Well, since you’re home now, I’m just gonna ask it,” he started. “Would you go out to dinner with me?”
“I’d love that,” you smiled, a blush crawling up your neck. 
“Good,” he nodded. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Wait, you mean right now?”
Joel leaned closer to you, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear. 
“I told you I’m a patient man, but I ain’t waitin’ any longer. So get your stubborn ass in my truck, and let me take you out.”
“You’re relentless, Mr. Miller,” you rolled your eyes. 
Joel opened the passenger door for you, waiting patiently as you climbed in and buckled yourself. 
“I’m gonna make sure you stop callin’ me that by the end of the night,” he said, his eyes trained on you. 
Your breath stalled, and you wondered about the meaning behind his words. Joel probably didn’t mean it sexually, but that’s exactly where your brain went. This was only a date, nothing more, nothing less. You were already giving into him with this; you wouldn’t give in any more than that—no matter how badly you might want to. 
“We’ll see, Mr. Miller,” you smirked.
Joel’s brown eyes darkened at your challenge, and you hoped he didn’t notice how your thighs clenched to quell the warmth pooling inside your stomach. You were staying strong on this one; saying his name meant giving up control entirely. If you gave up the control, you’d give up everything, and you weren’t sure if you could do that to yourself—not yet, at least.
You made small talk with Joel on the drive to his chosen restaurant. It was a casual steakhouse, but you were obviously underdressed from being on a plane for nearly four hours. Joel wasn’t much better either; his attire always seemed too casual and messy. Oddly enough, it was growing on you. You couldn’t imagine him wearing suits or dress-casual attire; it didn’t suit his persona. He was rugged through and through, and you liked that. You had judged him so early on, but the carefree way he carried himself amplified your attraction to him. Bennett always wore some bullshit suit and tie for work, looking overdressed and uncomfortable. Whenever he wasn’t working—which was rare—he still looked like a pretentious East Coast snob with his dress slacks and polo. God, the more you thought about it, the more it pissed you off. 
Once Joel and you were seated at a table and ordered, you found yourself squirming in your seat. Joel’s eyes were warm and unwavering in the restaurant's lighting as he focused on you. With his hands folded on the table, he kept his body pressed forward just to get closer to you. 
“So, I know y’told me you had sisters,” he started. “Beth and Stella, right?”
“Mhmm,” you nodded, sipping the red wine before you. You hadn’t planned on drinking, but your body demanded some sort of aid in numbing the nerves coursing through your veins. “Stella is the youngest. She’s eighteen. She graduated high school this year and started attending Boston College in September. Beth is two years younger than me and works in graphic design for a company in downtown Boston.”
“If Beth is two years younger, that makes you…”
“I’m twenty-seven, Mr. Miller,” you chuckled. 
Joel’s eyes widened a bit, most likely as he realized the age gap between you both. Clearly, he had to have noticed by now, but his reaction was still comical. You nervously bit your lip, wondering if the distance between your age would make him less interested. It’s only a date, you reminded yourself. He wasn’t interested in you that much. 
“Shesh,” he whistled, leaning back into his chair. “I ain’t take you to be that young.”
“Sorry to disappoint,” you muttered. 
He shook his head, reaching for his beer, and you watched him take a long sip before responding. 
“No, it’s not like that,” he reassured. “Y’just surprise me, that’s all.”
“How so?” You asked, leaning forward. 
“Y’act so mature sometimes,” he explained. “You’re big on actin’ professional and adult-like.”
“It’s my job,” you said.
“Bein’ a teacher shouldn’t stop you from enjoyin’ your twenties,” he countered. 
You sighed, nodding along to his words. A lot of things had stopped you from enjoying your twenties, like a particular asshole you thought you’d spend your life with. Being young and careless was never something in the cards for you, and honestly, the closest thing you had gotten to that was the night Joel saw you at the bar. 
“Do you feel like being a young dad did the same for you?” You asked. 
Joel inhaled sharply, scratching the back of his neck. You began to realize he did that a lot; in nervous moments, in moments he was deep in thought, in moments he felt awkward. Right now, you assumed it was because he was trying to formulate some sort of response. 
“I ain’t really had a choice in it. When Sarah’s mom left, I was pretty lost tryna do the ‘dad’ thing. I had to juggle between work and bein’ present, and Tommy was young then, too, so he couldn’t help much. I just tried my best and learned as I went.”
“How old is Tommy?”
“Younger than you,” Joel laughed. “He’s twenty-five.”
“Oh gosh, you guys have a big age gap, too.”
“That we do.”
The waiter brought your meals, forcing the chit-chat to stall while you indulged in the steak and side dishes in silence. Occasionally, Joel would hum as he ate, glancing up at you to see your reaction to the flavors as well. You returned his curious eyes with soft smiles, indulging in how he looked at you like you were something he hungered for far more than the food in front of him. When the plates cleared and your napkins were disposed of, Joel asked the waiter for another round of drinks so that you both had no option but to remain seated in each other's company. 
“What made you want to be a teacher?” He asked, smoothing down the flannel over his stomach.
Your eyes caught onto the movement of his hand as it brushed down his navel, the veins flexing as he readjusted himself in his chair. Joel dipped his head slightly to draw your attention back to his soft eyes, and you instantly felt caught in your actions. 
“I’m not sure, honestly. I’ve always loved literature, and the idea of teaching young kids about it just seemed appealing. There’s a lot of power in words, you know? I want to show them that.”
“That’s pretty poetic of you to say,” he smirked. 
“Well, I hope so. I literally teach poetry for a living.”
Joel chuckled quietly, the lines around his eyes crinkling as his smile stretched across his face. Was it terrible that you were picturing him kissing you? Despite every thought in your head that shouted at you not to think about it, it was all you could focus on. 
“Do you enjoy your job?” You countered. 
“I do, most days. Tommy and I are tryna start up our own business one day, but it ain’t in the cards yet. I need to save up a bit more and hopefully work on gettin’ permits and all that before I can actually do it,” he explained. 
“I believe in you,” you said softly. “You’re a hard worker, Mr. Miller.”
“Well, thank you.” His cheeks reddened at your words. 
Both of you sat in comfortable silence for a moment, stealing shy glances and laughing at the emptiness of words. Joel had said he wanted to get to know you more, but the questions seemed far and few. In your mind, you considered that a second date could be in the cards, seeing as though neither of you had yet tired of the other. Even in the quiet moments, Joel had remained completely enraptured by you, never letting his eyes stray too far from yours. 
“Y’ready to get home?” He asked once the bill was paid for.
“I suppose so,” you shrugged. 
Joel’s hand was firm on your lower back as he guided you out of the restaurant and back to his truck. The featherlike touch against your clothed skin was enough to awaken that warmth back into your body, the feeling of it blooming inside you with each step. Inside the truck, you watched as the streets blurred past as Joel drove toward your home. The night was ending, yet you still ached at the thought of him leaving. You didn’t dare to take anything further, and you still didn’t know if that was something he wanted—or if it was something you wanted. 
Seeing your tiny home was a breath of fresh air as Joel put his truck in park. You gathered the flowers from the seat and quietly helped him unload your luggage. The tension between you thickened with each step as you approached the front door. Turning to him, you smiled and squeezed his arm.
“Thank you,” you said, hesitating by the door. “For tonight and everything.”
Joel’s eyes sparkled under your porch light, the darkness of his irises illuminated and dancing in the shadows. He had shrugged off his flannel after hauling your luggage from the truck, and now it hung over his arms, exposing the corded veins running from his hands to his biceps.
“Of course,” he said your name softly. “Y’look beautiful tonight, by the way. I can’t remember if I told you that or not, but really, you’re beautiful.”
Your cheeks warmed at the compliment, and there was no way of hiding the redness creeping over your face and neck. He watched you with a hungry gaze, his eyes roaming your body. Even if you only stood in a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, Joel looked at you like you were bare before him. 
“Thank you,” you smiled. “I—I know I look like shit, but thank you.
“Y’definitly don’t look like shit,” Joel insisted. “I’ll plan another date so y’can get all dolled up and look even more beautiful. 
“That’s not really necessary. I mean the dressing up part, not the date part. I’d like to go on another date.” You were rambling at this point.
“Sure it is. The world deserves to see y’look beautiful, even if I want to keep you to myself selfishly.”
“Stop it,” you blushed. “Go get home before it gets too late.”
“You tryna get rid of me that quick?”
“I know how much you enjoy talking,” you laughed.
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever,” he grinned, turning to leave. “Y’have a good night, okay?”
“I will. Goodnight, Joel.”
Then you realized what you had said. 
He realized it, too. 
“Y—,” Joel cut himself off. Shaking his head, he let his flannel fall to the ground. “Fuck it,” he whispered.
Joel swarmed you, pressing you against the door as his hands came up to cup your face. Without a second to breathe, his lips crashed against yours until stars sparked behind your eyes. His mouth was warm as he devoured you slowly, drinking in every noise you made. Every one of your senses was evaded by him: the scent of his cologne drifting over your body, the heat of his skin against yours, the sound of his mouth breathing into yours. You found yourself hesitant at first, adjusting to the hardness of his body pressed against yours. He must have also realized it, his mouth slowing as he pulled away. 
“I—shit,” he muttered. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Your fingers crawled up his chest and gripped at the collar of his shirt, hauling him back to you until your mouth was a breath away from his. 
“Just shut up and kiss me again,” you whispered. 
Then his lips pressed against yours again, this time frantic and all-consuming. You opened your mouth to him, letting him taste the vulnerability spilling out of you, replacing it with desperation you hadn’t yet dared to feel. Your tongue darted out to brush over his bottom lip, and he captured it in another greedy kiss, intertwining himself with you. Joel’s hands moved to tangle in your hair, his fingers lightly pulling as he drew you in closer. Your hands wound their way around his neck; your chest flush against his until all you could feel was the rapid beating of his heart matching yours. There was no way of telling where he began and you ended; you both had melted into one. Lips, teeth, tongue… over and over again, the motion repeated, and you felt the warmth creeping up your spine the more he moved against you. You sunk your teeth into his lip, tugging it slightly, as you pulled away to gasp for air. 
“Joel,” you exhaled, panting softly. 
“Yeah, baby?” His voice was rough as he pressed his forehead to yours.
“What are we doing?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t wanna stop.”
He lowered his lips to kiss down your neck, the chill of his mouth on you prickling your skin. You couldn’t form any words to tell him to stop. You didn’t want him to stop. You were mindless and boneless in his strong grasp, completely untethered from your control. All you could focus on was the way his mouth roamed over the column of your neck, the veins that your blood rushed through throbbing under his lips. Joel’s hand traveled back around, his thumb tipping your jaw upwards so that he could kiss more of your skin. Your eyes blinked at the flickering bulb of your porch light, the sound of crickets chirping somewhere in the distance. His tongue traced a line up your neck, his teeth nipping against your jaw. You let out a soft whine as his mouth connected to yours again, the passion between you snapping into place. 
The night wasn’t ending here. You needed more. The craving was too intense to keep at bay, and you needed him in ways you had been too afraid to admit. Your fingers wound themselves into the curls at the base of his neck, holding him firm against you as you grinned into his open mouth. 
“Come inside,” you mumbled against his moving lips. 
You fumbled blindly for your keys, twisting around to unlock your door; all the while, Joel kept his lips on any part of your skin he could find. He reached around you to shove the door open, and with one arm wound around your waist, you both tumbled over the threshold.
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ana-bananya · 4 months ago
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Asking for help is not easy, I ask for a small donation of only 20$ from each person, 20$ will save my family from death in Gaza 💔 Donate through the link in bio (gofundme) Together, we can achieve our goal within a day and provide crucial support to me and my family in Gaza. Your contribution means everything to us and in these difficult times your kindness is our greatest hope. We are very grateful for any assistance you can provide and thank you for your kindness and generosity in our time of need
I can't do $20 at this time, but I can give $10. I will reblog with my proof of donation once I make the donation and I'll encourage others to do the same.
$130/$50,000
Mahmoud's account hasn't been vetted to my knowledge, but it is credible. Please donate to him if you are able. His gfm was made back in February and only has $130.
Here is the family's situation, as explained by Mahmoud in the gfm:
"Dear beloved friends, My name is Mahmoud Alkhaldi. I am a Palestinian refugee living with my fiancée and family in a catastrophic situation-in tents- in Rafah. However, for 116+ days, me and my family have been under intense bombing and warplanes rockets in the Gaza strip. I’m asking funds to evacuate (5) members of my family from Gaza to a safe place in Egypt, including my younger brother (Mohammed, his wife, and his 1 and half year son Yasser), and me and my fiancée Sujood). It could be very expensive and costly to evacuate a war zone at a miserable time like this. We will need approximately $50000 and a lot of prayers.
My home was cozy, beautiful, and warm before the war. Here is some pictures for our house before the war
Our home was targeted in a tank bombing on the 25th of November 2023 that left it unlivable, along with the entire neighborhood of Al-Burij refugee camp, in Gaza City.
When we returned back to our home to get some needed itemsand clothes, we found that Israeli soldiers also steal our belongings. Since that day, my family has been sleeping in a miserable tent in Rafah, in the south of Gaza, which has become a home for all people from the Gaza strip, whose homes were also destroyed by airstrikes, but they have survived thus far.
I can't express how useless and depressed we felt after finding out what they'd been through and are currently going through. Each moment, we worry about losing them. Without connection settings, we cannot constantly contact them. During the moment of typing, over 25,0000 individuals have been killed in Gaza. They are without electrical power or heating for a period of three months, food is limited, and their drinking water is unsafe for human consumption. My family's only hope is to evacuate to to a safer place out of Gaza. My family went through the loss of several friends, and many of them have lost their spouses and children. I am afraid of losing my family. They are the light that leads me through my life. I cannot live or survive without them."
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