#all cops are bad and the presidency is like a cop position

[botaniqueer]

It’s a good development that more and more people are getting disillusioned with Biden because it means people aren’t supporting politicians uncritically despite having voted for them.

The next step to make the most of this is to also realize that Biden isn’t even an outstandingly bad or good president and is average in terms of human rights abuses. What is different about Biden is that COVID, an overly gung-ho US imperialist ally (Netanyahu), and following Trump have made it much harder to control the optics and veneer that the US normally maintains.

He isn’t any more or less genocidal than any of his predecessors or anyone else we’ve personally voted for in the past, but he’s having trouble maintaining the illusion that there is such a thing as a just United States. The curtain that is usually there has been torn by a confluence of events and the machinery that has always been here is easier to see.

[autumnoakes]

i still have yet to play it despite having it downloaded on my pc but i love how all the gameplay i've seen of resident evil 6 is the funniest shit i've ever seen

[foxgirlmoth]

Okay, lets go through this apparent list of positives that Biden is in favor of.

Trans Rights: There have been multiple laws within states to fully close off especially trans kids rights to medical treatments and more. This is extremely current. Biden puts in minimal effort to look like he's doing anything at all for trans and queer rights, and there haven't really been any efforts aside from doing one or two proposals that immediately get shot down, and he's more than okay with that, hence why there's no longer really any push for this shit still. If you're trans, you can't piss in Utah without the risk of getting a fine right now. Even though these are state laws, the fact that there's been nearly zero effort federally to address this besides the title IX rule, speaks a lot about priorities in this area.

Abortion Access: Are we just forgetting the whole Roe V Wade getting overturned thing that happened in 2022? Are you really trying to say that this is good for abortion access? Abortion access has gotten actively worse.

Environmental Reform: Biden has endorsed extreme oil drilling projects and in general oil companies still love him! Not to mention the train crashes which we'll get to later.

Healthcare Reform: Covid-19 is still around and is sadly predicted to stay around for a long while. Healthcare is still private and a competitive field in the US and that causes major issues as well. If you look this up, you see articles titled along the lines of "Biden has lowered the cost of insurance" and meanwhile it just dropped in 2020 once during the pandemic but has been growing in cost.

Prescription Reform: Reading into this, not much has changed, which isn't surprising under genocide Joe. Drugs in the US are still higher than anywhere else in the world, and with healthcare issues still abundant, this is still a big issue.

Student Loan Forgiveness: Student debt is still extremely high in the US, and while Biden has rolled out some plans for forgiveness, it's a fraction of the debt, and he primarily uses the whole thing to win over swing states. This is a dangling carrot that provides very little overall.

Infrastructure Funding: Train crashes from 2020-present, worldwide, but notice the amount of US crashes! Neat! Quite literally just look up train crashes in the US during his presidency, there's too many to link here. It is also important to remember that Biden signed a bill to prevent rail strikes, preventing a lot of pressure to the government and the economy, which would have been a GOOD THING. Seriously, this guy has fucked up our environment and our rights in multiple ways.

Advocating Racial Equity: Structural racism within the US is still a huge problem, Biden hasn't addressed much. Also people are still in cages on the Mexico/US border (Which has been maintained by every president in office since it was established), with a very recent crackdown on the border.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Just. Look at the racial equity and trans rights sections above. Biden does the bare minimum, loves focusing on swing states, and all around uses the ol' carrot on a stick.

Vaccines and Public Health: Once again look above at sections on healthcare, abortion access, and prescription reform. Its bad. Remember how Covid-19 vaccines aren't being continued for free?

Criminal Justice Reform: This is just structural slavery still. Disproportionate amounts of black people are incarcerated, police are still heavily funded under Biden. He does not care about reforming the justice system, he even supports cops breaking up campus protests! Cool!

Military Support for Israel: Yup! Both sides suck! Biden has a very long history of sure hating Arabic countries though! He's done nothing but ship weapons and participate in the genocide of Palestinian people. Would Trump also do this? Yes. Does this mean this is an issue you should just drop and call a non-issue? No, what the hell are you talking about.

Israel/Hamas Ceasefire: Netanyahu has no plans to accept any actual ceasefire, yet Biden still provides weapons and support. Wow! That sure is weird? I wonder if Biden really cares about a ceasefire or how he just looks publicly.

Biden is not a good president, much less a good human being. You provided such a flimsy chart with zero resources or support behind you, and it just feels like people are just making shit up at this point. Get your heads out of the liberal cesspool you grew up in.

[mackjlee9]

Are y'all ready for this?

Leon Kennedy x Male!Reader [Ansgt]

Warning; SPOILERS, mentions of blood, wounds, knives, gun, violence, all that stuff, horrible English and bad pacing. Long chapter, 8.5k words.

Masterlist.

next part »»»

Resident Evil 4

(M/n) stumbled as he got back on his feet, the wound above his brow was gushing blood very rapidly, making him grow dizzier the longer it passed. He blinked a couple of times, trying to focus his sight ahead, his feet struggling to make him stand up again, his arms trembling as they pushed his torso off the ground.

Grunting in pain, (M/n)'s blurry sight was soon met with a pair of military combat boots, he gritted his teeth as he refused to believe this is where he dies, under the hands of the man he once trusted with his life.

"Poor, poor lieutenant," the man bent his knees and reached his hand to hold (M/n)'s chin in his hand, the sadistic glint in his eyes made (M/n)'s stomach turn, watching how his smirk grew wider, "Time to say goodbye."

The last thing he saw was Krauser's fist inching closer to his face at an alarming velocity, and if even he wanted, he couldn't dodge the punch that landed on his face, knocking him unconscious soon after.

//////

The feeling of his head throbbing woke him up, but he couldn't open his eyes, and he couldn't move either. The swinging of his body side to side made him realize that he was being carried like a potato sack, hearing the quiet humming of Krauser's voice as he took him somewhere he didn't know.

The sound of a big door reached his ears, soon entering a room with a nice echo, it sounded like the room was pretty much empty, and (M/n) still continued trying to open his eyes, tried to fight Krauser's grip off his body, but it was useless, his body was numb, his head throbbing, he couldn't feel half of his face and he definitely didn't have the energy or strength to take on Krauser at the time.

So he stayed there, completely quiet, trying to remain somewhat conscious.

"Where'd you want 'im?" Krauser asked to someone in the room with them, and (M/n) was frightened for a moment, they hadn't made a single sound so they never made themselves present to (M/n)'s hearing.

"Over there," a raspy, horse voice said, and Krauser groaned a positive response as he continued to take him away to wherever he was taking him. The squeaky sound of wheels echoed in the room, and he soon was laid on what he recognized as a hospital gurney, then footsteps getting closer to him after Krauser walked away got him on edge.

"It's time to join us, my child."

He felt something sharp and cold pressing against his neck, pressing until it pierced the soft skin and he could feel how something slithered its way inside his body.

"It's just a matter of time before you become one of us," he felt an icy cold hand pressing against his forehead, moving his hair away, before turning around and leaving him all alone in that cold room.

He's not sure for how long he remained conscious, but he ended up giving up on keeping himself awake.

//////

The car ride was silent as he looked out the window, getting a view of the place he was approaching.

His mind raced over the same words, like a song getting stuck in your head, one that you can't get rid of.

"Whilst rescuing the president's daughter is your main priority, the higher-ups want you to get any idea as to what happened to Lieutenant Colonel (L/n), Leon, can you do that?" He had responded that he will do what he can, but he knew he was gonna go look for whatever he needed to know his superior's whereabouts.

He heard both cops talking amongst themselves, understanding bits and pieces of their conversation, it varied from paperwork, annoying superiors back at the office, football, and then him, but Leon just ignored them, remembering that he was gonna be dropped off near where (M/n) had his last communication before going M.I.A.

Images flashed across his mind, all the moments he got to spend time with (M/n) when he had just been recruited, yet being assigned under Major Krauser's command to assist his training. It had been a while since he saw any of them, being occupied with their own missions and tasks ahead. One of which he was assigned after (M/n)'s sudden dissaperence almost two weeks ago.

He was just hoping that he was still alive, even if Leon knows how capable (M/n) was of taking care of himself, something didn't sit right with him about the whole situation.

And damn, sometimes he wishes to be wrong about his gut feelings.

//////

Krauser walked into the camera room where Saddler had been observing the American forastero killing everyone in sight, no second thoughts about them, and Saddler was incredibly mad about it, not caring anymore if he had also been blessed and was allowed to carry the same sacred body as them.

The scarred blond observed the cameras and recognized that "precious" rookie of (M/n)'s.

"So that bastard was sent here, huh?" Saddler turned to look at Krauser, who leaned against the door frame, looking into the screen with hatred burning in his icy blue eyes.

"So you know who he is?" Krauser scoffed, and glanced back at (M/n) who was laying on the same hospital gurney, completely immovable as he stared seemingly into the void. He had turned into nothing but a lifeless puppet, and yet, his body hasn't shown signs of La Plaga spreading.

But it was there, especially noticeable when Saddler talked to him, his eyes would turn bright red, and black veins would crawl up his neck momentarily, before returning back to his catatonic self.

"That bastard," Krauser pointed at the screen where Leon was shown, "Was that bastard's favourite recruit," he continued nodding his head toward (M/n), "Makes me sick," he grunted with gritted teeth.

Saddler looked at (M/n) and observed the images la plaga had copied from the parts of his memories it's managed to gather, and he witnessed from (M/n)'s eyes how much he cared for that young man, always there to guide and help him, providing the comfort he longed for.

"Ooh, how amazing it'll be," Krauser looked at Saddler with a questionable look on his face, "To betray that trust..." He spoke while walking closer to (M/n), "Take him to that forastero, he'll be the ace under my sleeve."

Something about the thought of having (M/n) against Leon made him almost burst out laughing, moving to stand right next to Saddler, as he started controlling (M/n)'s movements, maintaining eye contact with his now red eyes.

"Your new mission... Is to kill Leon Kennedy, child," (M/n) stood up with wobbly legs and bowed to Saddler.

"Yes, sir."

His new order had reached la plaga inside him, being taken away by Krauser as soon as Saddler allowed him to.

//////

Leon was beyond stressed, but he was still determined to complete the mission, but right now, he had to find Ashley, maybe on his way to her he'll be able to get a better lead on what had happened to (M/n).

He just hoped that the ride in the underground mines with Luis could help him with that.

The lift ride was quick, and somehow a blur to Leon, since the first thing he saw when he turned around was Luis falling on the ground, the silhouette of a muscular man approaching him as he crouched to pull the dagger out of Luis' back.

The encounter with Krauser was anything but pleasant, yet somehow his body was able to remember his attacking and blocking patterns, including the one movement that (M/n) taught him to be able to win against Krauser in a 1v1 fight.

And the scarred blond wasn't happy about it. He scoffed and frowned, jumping and landing behind Leon quicker than he could react, but before he could remotely get closer to his vital point, the sound of a gun being fired caught them off guard. They both turned and saw that Luis had gathered enough strength to take his gun out and pull the trigger to save Leon, Krauser let out a dry chuckle and retrieved his dagger, jumping and landing on an elevated surface, about to return the way he came before stopping and glancing down at Leon over his shoulder.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" He chuckles again, but it's a sinister chuckle that makes Leon grip the handle of his pistol on instinct, "I left a gift for you, rookie, you better find him quickly, the clock is ticking and the oxygen is running out," with a boisterous laugh he left.

Leon ran toward Luis, spending his last moments with him, watching as he exhaled his last breath, the lit cigarette falling out of his parted lips, the lit end landing on the pool of blood that had formed underneath him, turning itself off.

Placing Luis' lighter back in his its hand, Leon said goodbye to the Spanish male and took a deep breath, standing up and looking around the place he was.

Krauser's words resonated in his head again, the vague mention of a 'him' being here, as a gift for him...

Leon had no idea how long had Krauser been in Spain, but if his gut feeling was right again, then he must be-

"(M/n)?!" He screamed whilst he ran around looking everywhere he could think of, "Where could he...?" He stood still and his eyes caught sight of a pile of scattered crates, and one stood out the most. It was slightly bigger than the others, but it also had 'LEON' engraved on the wood, obviously done with a sharp object. Like a knife, or a dagger, "Lieutenant!" He screamed once again, running toward the wooden crate as fast as he could.

He rushed to push off the smaller crates on top of the lid, his hands trembling as he opened it, observing the poor state (M/n) was in.

"Sir!" Leon struggled to pull (M/n) out of it, falling on the floor with his arms wrapped around him, "Sir, sir!" He yelled as he sat up, shaking his superior with a desperate tone in his voice, " Please, wake up!"

As he came back to life, (M/n) took a sharp breath in, coughing some dust and dirt that had gotten in his mouth and nose, his hands gripping onto Leon's chest strap and skintight shirt.

Looking up, (M/n) made eye contact with Leon's worried eyes, a glint of relief at seeing him alive and in his arms.

"Leon...?" (M/n)'s voice was grumble-y and hoarse, blinking slowly and looking at him as if he was nothing but a hallucination.

"Hello, sir, it's nice seeing you again," he responded with a hint of a smile on his face, making him look even prettier than usual. His blue eyes trailed down (M/n)'s body, blushing a cute pink when he realized that his clothes were in a less-than-ideal shape. His shirt had ripped open where he could see knife cuts, showing off part of his abdomen and chest, the jacket he wore wasn't looking its best, but it seemed to be covering more ruptures in his clothing, which Leon was glad for.

This was definitely not the time nor place to be feeling like this about his superior.

//////

Every few meters they walked, Leon had to look back at (M/n) who didn't seem to be in peak shape, which he could understand after everything that he has gone through, he could imagine (M/n) going through worse until he found him.

And that lead him to the question... What happened to (M/n) after his last communication with base?

Hopping together in the fancy-looking cable car on their way to the clock tower, Leon stares at (M/n) as the male swung side to side very slightly, hardly noticeable, he almost seemed in a trance. "What happened, sir? When you came here?"

(M/n) blinked once, twice and his eyes opened wide, a wince leaving past his lips when he saw the images of what had happened. The images were blurry, and he could feel his blood boiling inside him, the knowledge of what was in him remained in his mind, something he was ordered to keep to himself by Saddler.

But why was he following his orders anyway?

That quiet thought was the first step to breaking the chain connecting him to Saddler through la plaga.

He clenched his jaw, closed his hands tightly, and approached the gold edge, leaning over to observe the night sky.

"I was following the lead to finding Ashley, and I met up with Krauser before I reached the village..." He trailed on because he wasn't exactly sure what happened after that, "He... He ambushed me and took me away, I don't remember much after that," he looked back at Leon, who was frowning at the information provided, "Sorry, Leon."

Leon watched how (M/n) smiled at him, that same gentle and understanding, comforting smile he always showed him, his hand raising to slowly move a stray lock of blond hair away from his face. Something about (M/n)'s actions and the way he looked at him made his heart race, he just felt like when he first met the male, flustered, intimidated, and safe. A weird and odd combination of feelings, but (M/n) managed to cause those in him, and many more.

(M/n) had always treated him right back when he was first recruited for this "special agents" training, and whilst Krauser was the one beating the shit out of him until he learned, (M/n) taught him in a way that he was able to understand better, that's how he learned the move that could potentially help him win a 1v1 against Krauser, it just had to be done at the right time. That was another reason for Krauser to hate him more as the years passed, despite having (M/n) as his superior.

Krauser had seen (M/n) smiling down at Leon when the rookie had managed to pin him down with a move he recognized as (M/n)'s. He had seen countless times how (M/n) praised and was always nice to the blond rookie, who had managed to remain being his puppy self when he was around the (h/c) haired male.

Just like how he was right now. Leon had always heard nice words about (M/n), and he got to witness that firsthand during the first trainee evaluation. Every instructor was there, and so were their respective recruits, and of course, Leon saw (M/n) standing there, serious eyes observing every move they did, down to the smallest details and mistakes they did.

Unfortunately, Leon's team had an uneven number of recruits, so he was paired up with his instructor, Krauser, who realized what Leon was trying to do and went all out on him, which might've resulted in dark bruises, cracked and/or broken ribs.

Most recruits had already left to go and get patched up depending on the severity of their wounds, and every instructor stayed, observing how poor Leon got beat up so badly (M/n) had to intervene.

"Major Krauser," he spoke with the same harsh voice he used when scolding a reckless agent, "This is an evaluation, not a boxing ring, don't forget that."

Krauser grumbled a 'yes sir' and left the room, (M/n) dismissed all the other instructors in the room and kneeled in front of Leon, who was breathing rapidly with his arm covering his eyes.

"You did well, Leon," the blond male peeked at (M/n), whose expression had turned soft and gentle, the same way he always looked, "I have some lessons for you, but first, let me help you, okay?"

Ever since that day Leon came to him whenever he needed help with something and wasn't feeling like being beaten up by Krauser until he was forced to understand, so it was understandable that they became quite close, even going as far as to be Leon's bisexual awakening, especially since back then he had no idea Ada had survived Racoon City, so he figured moving on was the right solution.

The moment the cable car stopped, Leon snapped out of his thoughts, and they walked off it. They headed inside and barely made it past a big wooden door and a small staircase before Salazar showed up again, and all the infected in the clock tower began their attack.

After Leon found him inside that crate, they had noticed that a few of the small ones had opened the moment they fell, and some of (M/n)'s gear was there, even so, with the lack of magazines, Leon gave (M/n) some spare ammo he had in his pouches, silently agreeing on covering each other's back.

Whilst Leon made his way up the clock tower, (M/n) remained behind him, shooting and stabbing any infected that came up to them, and a part of him hurt whenever another body fell to the ground dead, la plaga inside him made him feel guilty of killing his "siblings" but there was a part of his brain that remained conscious and was fighting control over the parasite, reminding it that it was nothing but an intruder in his body.

"Lieutenant!" Leon called him catching his attention and making him turn around.

Leon was kneeling on the strange lift the clock tower had up on the higher levels, reaching his hand down to him as the platform got further and further away from the ground.

(M/n) ran toward Leon, jumping and holding his hand, reaching his free hand up to hold himself up, easing the task Leon had of pulling his body up.

They rode all the way up to the very top, as high as it reached, and by then, pretty much every infected was dead or dying. Leon ran ahead kicking a door open as he neared the edge, careful not to fall to the void as he took out his binoculars and looked out, mumbling to himself something (M/n) couldn't understand.

His head started throbbing and after closing his eyes tightly his legs gave out, far away enough for Leon to hear him grunting in pain.

"Kill him, child..."

Saddler's voice echoed in his head, and he slowly opened his eyes, black dots started to darken his vision, and he caught a glimpse of Leon standing near the edge of the platform. He could easily walk up behind him and push him off-

Groaning with anger, (M/n)'s fist hit the metal floor, making an obvious dent in it, and his eyes observed the black veins disappearing from his hands.

"Fuck-" he muttered pulling the sleeve of his jack further down to no avail, that was as much as it reached, so he put his hands in his pockets and followed Leon as he called him.

"You alright?" Leon asked trying to look at (M/n)'s but he just avoided eye contact all together.

"Yeah... Yeah, don't worry about me, let's keep going."

Even with his words, Leon couldn't help but feel worried about (M/n)'s wellbeing, he wanted the male to rely on him, just like he does.

But perhaps, it's not the right time just yet.

//////

The encounter with boss Salazar was nasty, (M/n) gets shivers whenever he remembers his slimy tentacle-like appendages around him, which makes him feel disgusted. And then he remembers the pain he felt in his chest when he and Leon worked together to bring him down, something inside (M/n) was screeching at him to not kill one of theirs, but with his consciousness regaining control over la plaga's control he couldn't give two shits about Ramón, or Saddler.

Both of them broke a sweat fighting Salazar, but there was no time to rest, they had to save Ashley. That was still their mission.

They ride the lift down looking off into the distance, where an island was visible in the distance, despite the fog surrounding it.

They hopped off and found a motorboat, but no keys nearby, and you hear a female voice behind you.

"Looking for something?"

The moment (M/n) turns around, he sees a gorgeous woman with Asian features, short black hair, a tight red dress, and long leather boots, along with all the gear she had on her body.

"Why am not surprised, Ada?" Leon's words made (M/n) glance at them back and forth for a few seconds.

That Ada? (M/n)'s mind flashes with the brief memory of Leon talking to him about Racoon City and everything that happened, including having met a woman named Ada that "helped" him but in reality, she just used him for her own benefit, and well, how he had caught some feelings for her, but he wasn't sure if he actually loved her or anything.

And he remembers the small detail that she fell to the void and died, it seemed like she was in better condition than both of them combined.

"Let me take you, gentleman," she said lowering her gun and getting in the motor boat, turning the engine on and glancing back at them, "You coming or not?"

(M/n) and Leon looked at each other and sighed before jumping in and sitting down. (M/n) remained in the back, looking away and enjoying the feeling of the cold water hitting his skin, it helped him cool down the burning feeling he felt going through his veins, and it cleared his mind, as if the fog clogging his memories was finally dissipating.

He could hear Ada and Leon's voices, muffled by the wind in his ears, and the sound of the engine roaring behind him. Yet soon enough, the boat stopped and Ada stood up while shooting her grappling hook, (M/n) glanced away before he began staring at the woman's body and released a yelp when the boat shook as she left them alone.

(M/n) stood up when Leon stabilized the boat and sat next to him, hearing him sigh and mumble under his breath, "Women."

He had to hold in a chuckle, and soon Leon continued driving into the island, finding a place where they could get off easily. The short time they spent together was nice, despite the silence, it was a comfortable silence, unlike how it was when Ada was present.

"Well... Let's find Ashley," (M/n) said as he got off, reaching his hand out for Leon to grab onto. The blond looked at him from his position and showed him a small smile, holding his hand as (M/n) helped him step on the island.

//////

The journey to find Ashley definitely wasn't an easy one, running around the military facility and underground, trying to find the way that would let them continue on, it was more mentally exhausting than it was physically.

But eventually, as they continue their way forward, they arrived in a room upstairs that has a direct view of the room. A room where Ashley was kept, passed out on a military bed.

Stuff got a terrifying turn after that.

(M/n) and Leon found files that talked about an experiment with la plaga on people, called 'regenerators', and how one had escaped its cryogenic tank and gone wild. Along with that, there was valuable information about upgrading the key card to be able to find what was needed and get to Ashley.

Leon was busy reading a file when they heard the sound of the automatic door opening, and neither of them had moved from their spot, so they instinctively pulled out their weapons, the light of their flashlight shining brightly onto the humanoid creature, freaking out at the sight of it.

"What the fuck is that?!" Leon exclaimed emptying his magazine on it, and they both watched how that thing started releasing some sort of smoke or steam, and the pieces of flesh missing grew back on its jiggly body.

"Leon, run!" (M/n) drew his knife just in time as the regenerator extended its arms at them, releasing out a loud screech as it's arms were cut off, (M/n) held Leon's wrist and ran out of the room, dragging the blonde with him. (M/n) tried to convince Leon to separate as a way to cover more ground quicker, but Leon refused, he didn't want to have (M/n) out of his line of vision, which was understandable.

Unfortunately for them, there were more of those things around and while Leon was working on upgrading the key card to level two, a regenerator sneaked up behind (M/n) while he was busy shooting the two ahead of him, and he got grabbed his pistol falling from his hands as he struggled against it's grip.

"Let go of me, motherfucker!" He yelled in rage, unable to break free from its strong grasp.

"(M/n)!" He heard Leon's voice calling him from inside the room he was in, but he was also having issues with one of these creatures, so he could only watch how (M/n) got taken away while he remained locked up in that room, "Fuck-" He got rid of his anger and impotence by unloading the shotgun shells on the regenerator, exposing what appeared to be its weak points.

//////

(M/n) decided that struggling was futile, there was no point in it, so he just let himself get taken away by the regenerator.

He got locked in a dark room, he couldn't see anything, and the emergency lights didn't reach the area, so he had no idea where he was, and yet, he didn't care, the burning feeling of his blood surging through his veins let him now that Saddler was using him again for his own selfish benefit.

"Why haven't you killed him yet?" His voice was calm and understanding, but the way it echoed in his mind let (M/n) know that Saddler was all but calm about the current situation.

(M/n) had to think of something quick, he could feel wriggling inside him, his flesh and skin turning and pulsing, causing him great pain, but he clenched his jaw and pulled through it.

"We just have to be patient, my lord... The boy has to trust me blindly, there's... No way he's not suspicious of me, sir, just... Let me handle this, I'll... Get it done..." He struggled to replay whilst fighting the pain that the mutation was causing him, and for a moment, Saddler hummed, convinced of (M/n)'s words, having not felt a single trace of lies and betrayal in his body.

Without uttering another word, Saddler cut their link through la plaga, and (M/n) fell to the cold metal floor, regaining his breathing, and the screeching sound of a regenerator resonated behind him.

"Fantastic..." He mumbled, crawling away to somewhere he could hide for the time being.

//////

Stumbling his way past more regenerators, (M/n) found traces of Leon's path, like the broken wooden boxes, the dead bodies, and the scattered bullet cases on the floor, it made a fine trail toward the blond.

He ran down the hallway, and slowly approached the open gate, walking slowly and searching around for Leon's whereabouts, when he heard muffled voices of a man and woman. He stumbled his way to the electronic gate and saw Leon helping Ashley get up from the bed, her blue eyes locking onto (M/n).

"Who is that?" Leon followed her line of sight and saw (M/n) standing there, holding his side with his knife in his empty hand.

"(M/n)-" Leon rushed toward him and hugged him tightly, apologizing briefly when he heard the male groaning from the pain, "I was about to look for you, I was worried."

(M/n) smiled at the blond and released his side, lifting his hand to pet Leon's hair, giggling at the sight of his rosy cheeks and bright eyes.

"What can I say? I'm a tough cookie," he muttered and took a step aside, looking at Ashley who seemed taken aback by their interaction, (M/n) realized and took a step back, "But I'm fine, Leon, so don't worry."

Leon swallowed at the sight of (M/n)'s gentle smile, and nodded, reaching his left hand to his earpiece. (M/n) smiles at Ashley and nods his head as a greeting.

"Hello, Miss Graham, sorry we had to meet in such a bothersome circumstance," Ashley chuckled and shook her head, her bright blond hair swaying as she did so.

"No problem, we can always grab dinner when we go back home," her cheerful tone hurt (M/n), as it reminded him of the truth. Even if Ashley and Leon escaped, he had no hope but maybe... Just maybe-

His train of thought was interrupted when he heard Leon mentioning something about "removing the parasite" and for a moment he thought he got found out, that Leon knew he was infected, but just then (M/n)'s eyes noticed the black veins poking under the sleeve of his shirt, making their way down to his elbows, and glancing at Ashley, he noticed she also had signs of infection, the veins were really light colored, but they were there.

And now (M/n) was wondering how long they had until it was too late.

"Alright, let's go," Leon unholsters his gun and takes a step outside of the room before stopping for a moment, "Oh, this is yours, sir."

(M/n) watches as he takes his pistol out and hands it to him, well, no wonder (M/n) couldn't find it on his way back, so Leon had kept it...

That small, meaningless gesture shouldn't have made (M/n) feel giddy, it had no romantic meaning whatsoever so why did it cause this in him? Probably because of the small flame of hope in his chest saying that it had some sort of meaning other than being nice.

He took his pistol back and checked the clip, it was pretty much full, how it was when he dropped it.

"We can go now," Leon added and took the lead, (M/n) made Ashley walk in between them, as their bodies acted as a barrier to protect her from the infected.

//////

On their way to Luis' lab, Leon found himself feeling grateful that (M/n) was there with them, helping him protect Ashley whenever he couldn't, in other circumstances he would've had to leave her alone and he wasn't sure he would have been able to get out of that situation unscathed.

And now, Leon hopped on the wrecking machine and glanced back at (M/n) who stood still looking around them, trying to potentially find another way that would take less time, but right after the first hit to the wall with the wrecking ball, his eyes caught sight of hoards of infected.

"We got problems!" He yelled as he opened fire, and Leon rushed to his side when he got caught by an infected, kicking it away with full force, making it knock onto a few other infected behind him, (M/n) seemed surprised at the strength of Leon's legs.

Well, Krauser was the one who actually trained him, he just gave advice to the cute rookie.

Shooting the explosive barrels as they grouped up was making things easier for them, but not any quicker, however, the wall soon finally broke with a last hit and Leon helped Ashley get down whilst (M/n) moved some of the big debris out of the way and called the elevator that would take them to the top of the mountain.

On their way up, something went across (M/n)'s mind, something that made him zone out, tuning out any kind of conversation both blondes were having.

(M/n) walked right behind them, but he felt like a sensation of dejá vù, as if... He had been there before. And he has.

The moment he caught a glimpse of the amber and la plaga a piercing headache made his body tumble, gripping his skull as a loud ringing made him groan. Leon noticed and was about to turn around to help him up, when they heard Saddler's voice.

And Leon's mistake was shooting him.

The yelp that Leon released made (M/n) grit his teeth as he held onto the shelves to stand up, having some view of the scene through a piece of worn, tattered cloth.

He observed how Ashley's body was being controlled by Saddler, and (M/n) wasn't gonna let him get away with this.

"Saddler..." He growled with hatred, and he saw Ashley's body falter, obtaining more control over her actions.

"Do not resist, child," He said in what he called his "gentle" voice, Ashley whimpered small 'no's' as she was forced to pick up Leon's pistol, trembling hand holding it up straight at the blond agent.

"Please, no..." (M/n) groaned in pain, dragging his body forward, his anger and hate growing stronger toward Saddler.

"I won't... Let you..." Ashley's aim move farther toward Leon's left side, shooting one of Saddler's companions, and (M/n) watched how Saddler made Ashley point at Leon again, her body trembling even more, "Hurt them anymore..."

Pulling the trigger, Ashley shot the second companion behind Leon's right side, and the pistol clicked, and not because its clip was empty, rather because it jammed.

(M/n) fell to the ground away with a gasp, holding himself up with his shaky arms, his breath rapid and labored, his ribs painfully pressing against his lungs, cutting his oxygen supply.

While he was regaining his breathing back to normal, he heard the sound of a metal door closing and Leon's groan as he fell to the ground. "Leon...!" (M/n) tripped over his own two feet, slipping on the tile floor and pushing himself up, rushing toward the blond.

(M/n) helped him up, making sure he was okay, observing how the black vessel veins on his face started disappearing, and Leon got flustered at having (M/n) so close to his face, but he tried to focus more on getting up rather than the proximity (M/n) and he had, they had to get Ashley back, again.

//////

(M/n) had been stumbling his way behind Leon, traces of the headache he got early still remaining, and Leon was worried, making sure (M/n) was close by before resuming his path forward.

But (M/n) just told him to keep going, that he'll be fine soon enough, and Leon hesitated before doing as told. Well, only for a short while.

"I've been waiting for you, rookie," Krauser made himself known, and Leon couldn't help but glance at (M/n) who was leaning against the door frame he just walked through, trying to focus on what the scarred blond was saying but he just couldn't stop glancing at (M/n), watching how his body gave out under his weight, and Krauser realized, "Enough!" He exclaimed finally getting Leon's attention, "Let's settle this, rookie."

Before he could fully understand what was happening, Krauser had pulled out his weapon and bullets were flying toward him, making him crouch behind the broken pillars, finding cover whenever he could.

(M/n) could hear the sound of guns blasting, and knives colliding, his blurry sight making him feel slightly nauseous, but he had to help Leon, at least a little bit, Krauser was out of his mind and was definitely gonna kill Leon if the chance came up, this was no longer training, this was life or death. And he knew that Leon couldn't afford to focus on him right now, so he pushed through the pain, the burning feeling, and the fog clouding his mind once again.

But Saddler had other plans, briefly checking on Krauser, he saw him fighting Leon, so he knew (M/n) had to be close by, which he was. Saddler took care of (M/n) while Krauser finished his job, but keeping the male under his control was proving to be harder and harder the longer he did it.

Right now, (M/n) wasn't Leon's priority and he didn't want to become a bother for him, but he could help him out.

Gripping the walls and crawling across the floor, (M/n) saw how Krauser's body had mutated, he got closer to the edge and grabbed his pistol, raising his arms to hold it as steady as he could, taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, aiming to Krauser's back, right next to his spine.

"Show me what it is that you got that I don't!" His booming voice seemingly echoed off the whole island, and keeping his hold on the pistol's grip, (M/n) muttered to himself.

"He's got me, Jack."

The bullet shot out of the barrel and hit its target right before it was too late.

Krauser had Leon pinned to the ground under his foot and his arm was ready to finish him, but before he could, the sharp pain he felt on his back was followed by a few more shots, until (M/n) ran out of ammo.

The scarred blond raised his arm toward the (h/c) haired male, "You should just die already! You're such a bother!" Krauser's rage distracted him from Leon, who stood up with his jaw clenched and his hand gripping onto his knife before running to him and stabbing him in the back. He hesitated momentarily before pulling it out and stabbing him again, the memories of Luis' body flashing in his mind and he wasn't gonna let Krauser kill the only person that had shown him some value in his life.

They watched as Krauser fell to the wooden planks, his dagger falling right next to him.

"Do... What you have to do," Leon glanced at it too, his breath slowly but surely evening out after that tough fight with his superior.

Leon picked up the dagger and briefly looked at his reflection before looking away, falling to his knees next to Krauser.

(M/n) slid down the pillar he was resting on, watching silently how Leon seemed to have an internal debate, hesitating and unsure about what he was about to do, but there was nothing that could bring Major Krauser back to normal. (M/n) knew how hard this was for Leon, after all, Krauser had trained him for years and had forged him into the man he is today, and he couldn't be more grateful that he had served under Krauser's commands, despite the asshole he usually was with everyone.

Holding his breath, Leon forced the dagger to pierce through Krauser's chest, rupturing his heart in the process.

"I trained you well... Leon," were Krauser's last words in between coughs, before falling limp back on the blood-stained planks, his blood seeping through the thin separation of each one.

(M/n) observed how Leon stood up and slowly walked away, giving his back to Krauser, his shoulders slightly rising with each shaky breath he took in, "That you did, Major."

Feeling his strength coming back to his body, (M/n) managed to stand up, his eyes landing on Krauser's military beret and he picked it up before making his way down to go back to Leon, climbing the ladder and making eye contact with blue eyes, glossy with tears.

Leon turned around when the door behind him started lowering, opening to let them in.

(M/n) leaned down, placing the red beret on Krauser's chest and saluting him, "Farewell, Major Jack Krauser. You served well." He said with a rough voice, ending his salute and following Leon who had stopped to glance back at Krauser's lifeless body.

Leon sees (M/n) stumble and grip his head with a groan, he obviously isn't doing good, but they can't stop to rest right now, they were running out of time. They had to keep moving and take Ashley back home safely.

//////

The glimpse of hope was fading.

(M/n) really thought they could make it on time when Mike arrived with his helicopter, helping them wipe out the enemies quicker, but right before they could reach the ladder to climb up, those disgusting bugs showed up, causing the helicopter to crash.

And standing menacingly before the erupting flames were Saddler, whose eyes were filled with rage as he looked down at (M/n), muttering to himself with spite.

"Traidor..."

After that, ignoring the uneasy feeling in his chest, (M/n) encourages and convinces Leon to go ahead on his own, that he's got his back and he'll be right behind him.

The moment (M/n) reached the double door he was done dealing with the infected, and he closed the door behind him, and he took a sharp breath in, hearing Saddler's voice echoing off the hallway. He ran toward them when he heard Leon's screams of pain, reaching his hand to his knife and throwing it at Saddler, watching how it landed on his chest, but before he could anything to him, the echoing sound of bullets firing from a submachine gun caught his attention.

Ada was there.

"Go!" She yelled at them and (M/n) didn't waste time to help Leon up on his feet and pick up Ashley.

"This... Way..." Leon mumbled pulling on (M/n)'s arm as he tried to not put all his weight on the male, despite barely being able to walk on his own.

They made it past the rock arc and one of the statues collapsed behind them, blocking the path.

(M/n) saw Leon trying to walk on his own, but he rushed to him, placing one knee on the ground while still holding onto Ashley, "Hold onto me, Leon," the blond wanted to refuse, seeing (M/n) already carrying Ashley was enough for him, "Leon... Please, just do it..." His quiet plead made Leon frown, placing his arm around (M/n)'s shoulders, his free hand grabbing onto his bicep, "Good boy."

Reaching the map on the wall, Leon and he observed the way they had to go, and the whole way there, Leon was grunting and muttering things (M/n) couldn't quite understand, the black vessel veins covering most of his skin, fighting the control of la plaga. And damn, (M/n) has never hated laboratory facilities more than ever in his life, the hallways seemed almost endless as he felt Leon's grip on his arm getting worse.

And yet, finally, he could see the door.

"Leon, we're here," momentarily, he lowered Ashley's lower body, his now free hand keeping Leon steady as he opened the door and the blond stumbled his way to the machine as (M/n) walked in behind him, placing Ashley on the gurney, "You're okay?" He asked Leon who simply nodded, turning the machine on.

Closing his eyes at the screams Ashley released, (M/n) tried to distract himself for a moment, and a file caught his attention. He quickly skimmed through it, understanding that an already hatched egg had a period of a week before it couldn't be removed anymore, or it would kill its host.

(M/n) didn't have a long time to assimilate what he just read because from the corner of his vision, he realized how Leon's body was swaying, and he soon started falling unconscious.

"Leon!" He yelled and ran, sliding through the floor as the blond fell on him instead of the hard floor.

He sat up, his arms wrapped around Leon as he waited for one of them to wake up, but the male in his arms started shaking, his body convulsing as the black veins extended even more across his skin.

"Shit...! Ashley!" (M/n) reached his hand up to shake the girl awake, still holding tightly onto Leon in a futile way to help him calm down.

After the third rough shaking, Ashley woke up, hearing grunting and growls, along with rapid breathing and a voice other than Leon's, looking down to her left she saw (M/n) looking up at her with glossy eyes and a convulsing Leon in his arms. She rushed off the gurney, slightly dizzy for getting up so abruptly, and silently helped (M/n) lay Leon on the gurney she previously was on.

"Remove the parasite...! There's not much time left," (M/n) said as he struggled to keep Leon's body steady whilst Ashley got the machine working again.

Both of them endured Leon's screams and watched him writhe in pain as the parasite was removed from his body too.

The moment it ended, (M/n) fell to his knees next to him, hearing Ashley's boots clicking as she walked around the room.

"(M/n), I think I found something," she said walking closer to him, showing him a crumbled paper with markings in red. It was obviously a map, and it was marking their way out of the island.

"Well done, Ashley," (M/n) smiled up at her and she blushed a bit at the genuine praise.

Now they just had to wait for Leon to wake up.

//////

Ashley and (M/n) follow Leon's lead as he guides them forward on their way out, but as they arrive at the elevator, Leon stops them.

"Stay here, it won't be long," he tells Ashley who nods before turning toward (M/n), "Take care of her in case something happens."

(M/n) nodded too as they watched Leon descending.

Both of them watched how Leon got Ada down and how Saddler showed up, their hearts racing as they started feeling worried about Leon. But they didn't have anything to worry about, or well, at least for now.

As the fight against Saddler dragged on, (M/n)'s body started to feel weak, and soon he was no longer able to stay up, his legs giving up on him as he ended up falling against the things on the edge, making them fall off to the water.

"(M/n)!" Ashley screamed and held his hand before he could also fall into the ocean, dragging him toward the opposite wall. She continued to watch as (M/n)'s condition got worse, his body trembling before it started convulsing, just like how Leon was a short while ago.

Glancing back down at Leon, Ashley watched how he was fighting a version of Saddler that reminded her of a deep sea creature, the fight seemed pretty even, but she was also seeing how Leon seemed to be having some sort of superpower... Then again, she has seen Leon taking nasty hits and brushing them off like it was nothing, so she wasn't that surprised.

And now Saddler was gone for good. But (M/n) had also stopped moving, which worried her, and she made her way down to Leon, groans left her mouth as he struggled to drag (M/n) propped on her back.

"Leon!" The blond turned around after looking at the little teddy bear charm on the key Ada threw at him, and he was instantly worried, rushing forward to Ashley as he got the weight off of her, holding (M/n) up like he held him before.

"What happened?" Ashley shook her head, panicking.

"I don't know! He started convulsing and then he just suddenly stopped responding!" Leon was about to say something when a big explosion when off at the top of the mountain.

"We have go to, the island's about to blow."

Their ride down worked to bring (M/n)'s consciousness back slowly, his blurry sight focused on the metal floor under his feet. They got off the elevator and Ashley managed to dodge an infected going at her who fell to the ground and remained there, convulsing...

Ignoring the thought in their minds, Leon took them to the jet-ski he could see.

"Hold on, (M/n), we'll get you home," those words made his eyes open wide, completely stopping in his tracks, catching Leon off guard, "(M/n)?"

"I can't..." Leon blinked confused at those words, he couldn't what? "I can't go back home, Leon."

Raising his head, both Leon and Ashley gasped at (M/n)'s appearance. His eyes were bright red and bloodshot, pulsing black veins had already covered him from head to toe and everyone knew that it was too late to save him now.

"Just go, get home safe..." Leon shook his head, stubbornly refusing to allow himself the pain of knowing he lost (M/n) again, and this time, forever.

"No! No...! You're coming with us, we can... We can find someone- something that could help you- there has to be something that can be done-!" (M/n) held Leon's face in his hands, his icy cold touch contrasting with Leon's hot and sweaty skin.

"There's nothing that can help me, Leon, not anymore," he heard a distant explosion and he knew it was time to say goodbye, "But remember this..." He brushed his hair away from his face gently, his free hand reaching up to the chain around his neck, pulling it and breaking it, "I'll always love you, okay?"

Feeling a knot in his throat, (M/n) leaned closer and place a short kiss on Leon's slightly parted lips, his hand reaching for an empty pocket where he could place the now broken necklace.

"Live a happy life, Leon."

He said before gently pushing Leon, who fell on the jet-ski, where Ashley held him to prevent him from going after (M/n) who was making his way back to the elevator.

"No! (M/n)...!" The soul-breaking scream that echoed under the island was gonna be one that no one would ever forget, especially (M/n) as he was only able to witness the island collapsing on itself, praying during his last moments that Leon and Ashley make it back home safe.

//////

Leon found it hard to talk to Hunnigan on their way back until she told him she was sending a chopper to their coordinates asap.

He moved his hand to rub his right shoulder when he felt something slightly poking out of one of the pockets of his vest.

He grabbed it and immediately recognized it as (M/n)'s locket, he always had it with him, and said it brought him good luck.

He took a deep breath and opened it, his eyes filling with tears he looked at the picture and the message engraved on the inside.

'Live to be with him' it said and next was the first picture they had taken together, and he couldn't contain his tears anymore.

"Hunnigan..." He whispered, waiting for her to reply back, "I found Lieutenant Colonel (M/n) (L/n), he... He died saving us."

Hunnigan was speechless for a moment, "I'll... I'll let the higher-ups know, Leon."

He hummed and the call cut out, as he gripped the locket tightly in his hand, promising to himself that he will continue living to keep (M/n) alive, through his memory.

++++

I have a possible happier ending for this, but it depends

[hobiebrownismygod]

Such a Lovely Face Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk x Fem!Reader

~1.5k words

Synopsis: After a bad day, you find yourself sitting on a rooftop to calm down, and end up encountering Hobie Brown. The two of you have a nice conversation.

TW: Mention of police brutality, explosions, slight implication of the reader having depression/being depressed

A/N: I tried something new with the lyrics being a part of the story, so if it doesn't really work I'm sorry 😭. I'm really trying to accustom myself to new writing styles cuz I'm still fairly new to fanfictions, so lmk if it doesn't make sense or could be better!

____________________________________________________________

On a dark desert highway Cool wind in my hair

You were sitting atop one of the many rooftops in Camden, London, quietly humming one of your favorite songs to yourself as you looked out into the distance. The cool breeze was refreshing compared to the stuffy atmosphere of your tiny apartment downstairs, and you decided you'd stay up here on the rooftop for as long as you could, until of course you were caught by the police for breaking the curfew. It had happened before.

My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim I had to stop for the night

You hugged your knees to your chest and rested your chin atop them, breathing in the night air softly, the moonlight shining onto your face as you looked up at the stars. But you could barely see them, the entire sky covered in a thick layer of fog, gases emitted from the thousands of horrific factories littering the streets of London, courtesy of the one and only President Osborne, a hopeless tyrant with nothing better to do than pollute.

There she stood in the doorway I heard the mission bell

"What're you lookin' at lassie?"

You swiveled your head around, heart beating out of your chest as you stumbled back, nearly falling off the rooftop, searching for where that voice had come from. "Hey, don't worry. I'm not a cop" A man appeared from the shadows with a wink, wearing a bright red and blue costume, completed with a leather jacket and skinny jeans on top. The one and only Spider-punk.

"Whatcha doin' up 'ere all my y'self at this time of nigh'?" He asked, plopping down next to you, mask lit up by the light coming from the night sky. "O-oh just hanging out" you stammered, a bit taken aback by his cool, playful nature. You weren't expecting to meet the vigilante at this time, and you definitely weren't expecting him to take a seat next to you.

And I was thinking to myself This could be heaven or this could be hell

"I heard you singing somethin'." He leaned in toward you slightly, head tilted sideways as he looked down at you. "What song was 't?" You fidgeted with your fingers, sitting in a criss-cross position and keeping your gaze on the distance in front of the two of you. "Hotel California" you said quietly, a smile appearing on your face as the lyrics crossed your mind. "Its a nice song". He nodded, looking out at the distance like you were. "Tha' it is."

Then she lit up a candle And she showed me the way

"You didn't answer m'question though" He said, looking back at you. "What're you doing up at this time of night all by y'self?"

"I was just thinking."

"Thinking 'bout what?"

"Everything."

There were voices down the corridor I thought I heard them say

He blinked. "You gonna keep acting like a priss or are ya gonna tell me?" You shot him a scowl. "There's just a lot going on in my life right now, okay? Besides, I'm sure you don't want to hear about it. There's probably plenty people out there that you need to save" you said somberly, biting the inside of your cheek as you looked away again.

"Look 'ere peng," He said, snapping his fingers at you. "I'm London's friendly neighborhood Spider-man. I'm not just here to save people. Whatever you 'ave to say, I'm here to listen too."

Welcome to the Hotel California

"Really? So I can ask you anything?"

"Anything."

A moment of silence followed, a moment you took to think about what your question should be. And then it hit you.

"Why do you do what you do?"

He looked a bit taken aback by this question, the white eyes of his mask widening slightly. "Jumping right into it, are we?" He asked with a soft chuckle, looking down over the rooftop. His fingers fidgeted, picking at a rip in his jeans as he thought up what his answer would be. He hadn't been expecting you to ask a question that would require such a complicated answer.

"You did say I could ask you anything..." Your voice was slightly cocky, enjoying how tongue-tied he seemed trying to give a response. The question may have seemed innocent, but you were genuinely curious.

Your life wasn't terrible. You came from a fairly well-off family, you attended a good college, you lived in a clean neighborhood in a nice apartment. But you were so sad all the time. There was no reason for it, it was just as if you didn't understand the point of anything you did. Like nothing mattered. Like you didn't matter.

How was this man supporting the weight of the world on his shoulders without voicing a single complaint? How could a person be so strong? Why was he so strong?

"I do this-this Spider-man gig-" He gestured as his suit, "-because if I don't, nobody else will."

He looked back over at you and noticed your head slightly tilted as if you were waiting for a longer response. "Thats it. Tha's my reason."

"Oh?"

He stammered for a moment, gears in his head turning as he tried to explain what he was trying to say. "Look, I'm the only Spider-man in this city, right? If I'm gone, what'll happen to the people I'm s'posed to protect?" He pointed out towards the distant lights of the inner city, "The people in the slums, the punks and protestors of London, I'm their voice." He sighed softly, looking up at the stars, the light making the eyes of his mask shine brightly, an almost ethereal glow emanating. "I have to do this. I have to fight for these people. I'm their only hope."

Such a lovely place Such a lovely face

"I see." You said quietly, a slight smile spreading across your face. He wasn't as perfect as he seemed. The poor guy seemed pretty stressed from the look of it. All that pressure..., "I was expecting you to say it was for the freedom. Or the fame." You added in a slightly teasing tone, nudging his shoulder gently to snap him out of his somber trance.

He jumped slightly at the touch before a grin returned to his face. "What fame? Half the city hates me and the other half think I'm a saint." He shook his head. "I'm neither."

"You're not a saint?"

"I'm not a hero."

You were a bit taken aback by this declaration. "What are you talking about? If anyone's a hero it's you." you said, raising an eyebrow at him. He chuckled softly, looking at you, the white of his mask boring into you. "Guess you're part of the second half then."

You rolled your eyes at him. "Mate, you're the sole reason London's not up in flames at this moment. That seems pretty heroic to me."

"I've been the reason for a lot of other things going up in flames, though" he countered teasingly, leaning in towards you slightly, that playful tone returning to his voice.

"Yeah but that's all Osborne's crap. Nobody's complaining about it."

Plenty of room at the Hotel California

"Hah. Damn right."

Another moment of silence followed, the quiet tension almost deafening. "Not as perfect as you seem, hmm pretty boy?"

"You think I'm pretty?" He gave you a sly wink. "You haven't even seen my face. But you're probably right about the perfect part." You smacked his arm playfully, laughing as you did so.

You hadn't expected your spirits to have been lifted so easily, but he just had that effect. A can-do attitude and a cocky tone could do wonders for a bad day. "So? Did your friendly neighborhood Spider-man save yet another boring night?" He asked smugly, tilting his head and putting his hands behind him to support him as he leaned back. "Honestly? Yeah. Thanks." You said, offering him as fist bump. He took it, gently bumping his suited fist against yours and making a pop noise with his mouth as he pulled it away.

Suddenly, you heard an explosion from the distance, probably the result of yet another instance of police brutality, Osborne's pigs being well-known for their trigger-happy fingers and exclusively deadly weaponry. There wasn't a day gone by where something didn't get blown up or a group of people wasn't killed. But that was just life in London. "I suppose that's my cue to leave" Spider-punk said, hopping up and stretching out his arms, cracking his neck to the side. "It was nice meeting you, Ms...?"

"Y/N"

"Y/N." he repeated, letting the name roll off his tongue. "Lovely name for a lovely face."

You shook your head at him. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" You asked, suppressing a laugh. "Yeah, yeah. I'll see you around, darling." And he was off.

Anytime of year You can find it here

"See you." you whispered as you watched him swing away, his guitar slung over his shoulder, just barely holding on. You smiled to yourself before you got up, ready to go back inside. You were feeling much better now.

You knew that next time you were feeling down, you'd be sure to call him over. After all, what's the point of having a friendly neighborhood Spider-man if you can't make use of him?

____________________________________________________________

Taglist: @s6onder @therealloopylupin2099 @spiderrinn @l0starl @daydreaming-en-pointe

[qqueenofhades]

Once you get offline, Biden’s doing ok with everyone but Republicans and racists. Unfortunately, that’s a pretty big voting bloc, but it should be manageable. More unfortunately, Harris is. Not popular. With anyone. Like, we’re talking Dan “To not have a mind is being very wasteful” Quayle levels of dissing. You can blame some of it on sexism and racism, but enough women and people of color have jumped on the “Kamala’s letting The Team down” bandwagon that there’s got to be more to it than this. Any thoughts?

Yeah, uh, I don't think that's fair OR accurate, and deserves quite a bit more reflection and pushback than is implied here (since your question frames it as thinking there MUST be something wrong with her and invites me to expand on it). First off, I am not comfortable comparing the first female vice president (AND female VP of color) to empty suit Dan Quayle, and especially when there's such a disparity in their background, social perception, and accomplishments, not to mention their role in the administration. So:

"You can blame some of it on sexism and racism, but -- " Okay, but how much? Are we actually assigning a weight to that and taking it into consideration, or hand-waving it aside in search of the "real" cause? Online Leftists are already disposed to irrationally dislike Kamala because of the "she's a cop!!!" business that went around during the primaries, which was likewise inaccurate and misleading, but showed how women, especially women of color, are often treated in white leftist spaces (including by leftist-identifying women). That very much WAS down to sexism, racism, and perceiving her as "shrill" or "there's just something I don't like about her." Okay, what is that? WHAT is the thing you don't like about her? Would you notice it in a male politician? Would you critique it in a male politician? If the answer is any part unclear, this needs more work and is in fact reflective of that dynamic, whether or not anyone is aware of it or thinks that's the reason why.

No, seriously. If someone professes that they "just don't like" Kamala or "there's something about her that rubs me the wrong way" or whatever else, my immediate next question would be "Why? What don't you like about her?" And keep drilling down through whatever excuses about "unlikeability" or "personality" or whatever else is offered. If this can be persuasively articulated in a way that a) exposes a substantive policy reason, b) can be differentiated from what any male vice president or other person in her position would do or what should be expected of them, and c) isn't just about "offputting vibes," then sure, we can have a discussion about that. Otherwise, yeah. That's not convincing me that it's anything other than the constant, long-running, ever-present discomfort with seeing a powerful and accomplished woman of color, who started her career prosecuting sex criminals, was the first Black woman in the Senate, and is now the first female vice president, actually state her issues and own her role.

"Enough women and people of color have jumped on the 'Kamala Is Letting the Team Down' bandwagon that there must be -- " Really? Must there? First of all, it's damn near impossible to find any Online Leftist who's willing to give Biden accurate credit for his accomplishments -- see the "Biden is bad and uninspiring and anti-trans but we should I guess vote for him anyway" rhetoric which is the closest they can possibly get to acknowledging it. (None of which is actually true!) When that's the case with the top of the ticket, it's orders of magnitude easier to project that irrational dislike and distortion onto "shrill" or "dislikable" Kamala. So who are these "women and people of color" who don't like Kamala? Are they in the room with us right now? Do they actually care about/vote for the Democrats, support their policy accomplishments, and realistically understand the progress that's been made and what remains to be done, or do they want to use Kamala as yet another convenient stick to beat the Democrats (since they won't give them accurate credit to start with?)

Even if this was true, sexism and racism somehow magically wasn't a factor (which uh, it is not) and Kamala had some terrible personality defect that was unique to her and her alone and not any of the far worse vice presidents there have been in the last 20 years alone: what is this kind of question intended to accomplish? Are we supposed to fear that by voting for Biden, we might vote for Kamala as well? Well, she was on the ticket last time too, and they won the election. Don't know what else to tell you.

[milfygerard]

it feels a little callous but i cant help but find this whole brittany mahomes thing kind of extremely funny because like. Ok so taylor has very valid reason to not speak out on this upcoming election at all considering she just narrowly avoided a terrorist attack from a different far right extremist group and america has guns and a decent population of people who thought shed use the superbowl to brainwash people into getting gay biden vaccines and im positive many of those people were the cops who would be in charge of investigating that terrorist threat but ALSO none of this wouldve happened if she didnt feel a deep need to be liked and so felt compelled to befriend her boyfriends coworkers wife except her boyfriend is a linebacktightendwhatever for the nfl so of course his coworkers wife (as well as a number of his coworkers) is a conservative white lady who obviously voted trump on the dl and so are most of her friends folding taylor into a circle that even at her most politically mum she never wanted to be involved in. Taylor swift is also of course a known coward who took 10 years and a movie to even just declare that shes a democrat which she obviously was and also obviously hid for marketing reasons (which was heavily encouraged by her team and her dad who is in her team) while taking advantage of the 2015 aesthetic pop politics to say that she likes gay people and respects women, which left a bad taste in peoples mouths once popular politics left its frothy naiivete behind in 2016 and she fell off the face of the earth in a valiant effort to not kill herself which allowed for the co-opting of her extremely white image from the growing reactionary movement that she eventually had to do way more work to cut down bc she didnt nip it in the bud fast enough which has left a long standing bad taste in peoples mouths and a negative association in their minds

but anyway this all leads back to the bizarre mean girl politics of 78 year old high schooler donald trump whose still mad that taylor called him a fascist because i guess he liked her music and who has spent the last few months trying to tie himself to her because she is currently God of the Monoculture and any mention of her brings attention which is mr celebrity apprentices only desire and the reason he even ran for president but now HIS star is falling as the republican party has finally found a good excuse to kick him to the curb because they have a far less embarassing woman who is popular enough that you can publicly support her and only leftists will be disgusted but fascist enough to work directly with you to continue funding and supporting the brutal racist border policies we hold with mexico and the insanse christian zionist genocide happening in palestine and definitely wont do anything to stop the transphobia culture war that you have rolling which will keep you in legislative and representative power for as long as you want BUT i digress. donald trump found out probably from understandably angry swifties that some WAG who liked posts supporting him is ALSO publicly associated with taylor swift and is considered a friend in her circles and so the DAY BEFORE hr boyfriends first game where she generally sits in the WAG group with families and partners including her new bestie brittany he makes a very public post announcing how he just SOOO APPRECIATES brittany mahomes and her PUBLIC SUPPORT and how its SO IMPORTANT TO HIM which sets a trap specifically made to torture taylor swift of choosing between publicly rejecting and admonishing brittany mahomes and her support which will not just piss off brittany and patrick burning a personal AND professional bridge, but also a large chunk of the extremely conservative NFL and could potentially have a negative impact on travis' career going forward considering how petty sports drama can be OR she can say nothing and trigger headline after headline of TAYLOR SWIFT FRIENDS WITHWOMAN PUBLICLY THANKED BY DONALD TRUMP FOR SUPPORT which isnt only a pr nightmare but also gets trump his one actual desire which is being paid attention to and discussed OR she can go to the game but show in some way that she endorses Harris/Walz which will cause a similar shitstorm but in this one the likeliness of major conspiracy thoeries and terrorist threats and plots based on those theories rises exponentially less than a month after the last terrorist plot (discussed earlier in the post) that led her to cancel a 4 show stay that I imagine wasnt great for her anxiety and paranoia

and the funniest part is this is 10000% entirely her fault for failing to pick a side on the public about politics vs just a singer and artist debate and constantly going back and forth as her morals, her business instincts, her cowardice, and her self conscious need to be liked all go to war with each other because she just had to be friends with her boyfriends coworkers wife without ever assuming that this wildly wealthy white woman may possibly be a conservative because all the wildly wealthy white women she hangs out with are DEMOCRATS! or at least PRETEND to be! and THIS is why you dont date guys who work in the NFL!

[zugmode]

i can’t tell you how many takes i’ve seen about how solidarity is all we need to dismantle the two-party system NOW! and voting for kamala is as bad as voting for trump, because she’s a cop/she was involved in the incumbent administration/she’s accountable for the latest social injustices. therefore the only morally good vote is independent/green/socialist/write-in (etc). this needs to end.

voting independent in this coming election will do quite literally nothing. historically speaking, independent candidates have never been elected straight to presidency. no amount of solidarity among the radical youth in november will trump (pun not intended) the institutional monster that is democratic party. i understand that voting third party seems attractive because independent candidates’ positions align most closely with that of the radical youth, yet NOW is not the time to worry about that. we need perspective on what we’re up against: project 2025 is threatening to revoke major pieces of social legislation. many of us will lose basic civil rights. beyond that, none of us want to relive the trump administration! none of us want white power/racism/homophobia/etc reenabled in the federal government! you don’t have to like it, but voting blue is the biggest preventative measure we can take to keep the worst from happening.

i’ll say it again: no amount of solidarity among the radical youth will get an independent candidate elected in 2024. you can dismantle the two-party system when the stakes are lower.

[sherbertilluminated]

Watched Babylon Berlin S2E7 tonight and I have some predictions. This show is about police violence and the fall of the Weimar Republic.

This episode was probably the climax of the Prangertag storyline. At least, it feels like something definite has happened and a new/unknown condition has been established.

Namely: Although Operation Prangertag was halted, the influence of its aristocratic/high-ranking architects prevents them from facing consequences for their plots. Benda—and Gereon, who since Stefan's death has become Benda's right hand—has continuously stymied in his efforts to prosecute the nationalists. All he can do is play defense as the attacks come.

On the other hand: assassination attempt #13 has been foiled.

Benda and Gereon have succeeded on a mission together. Through their combined efforts, the republic has been preserved, and Benda has made good on his narrative function as "only guy in the room who cares about preserving the republic." Which among other reasons is why I'm scared he's going to die soon.

It looks like Greta is going to kill him too.

This episode she's contacted by a friend of her creepy boyfriend Fritz, who returns his effects to her and directs her grief toward Benda, despite the identity of Fritz' killers being carefully obscured last episode.

This is the same rhetoric that Fritz has used throughout the last few episodes: he reminds her that Benda's position as Regierungsrat/leader of the "politische" implicates him in the state violence against communists, especially during the May Day Demonstrations.

This would be a compelling rhetorical tack, if Fritz' character were not consistently framed as an aggressor. Every time they meet up, he a) violates one of her boundaries, b) tries to play it off as mischievous sticking-it-to-the-man, and c) reminds her that Benda is complicit in the violence of the state.

But Fritz' persuasive tactics have been mostly been orthodox communism. His friend throws some antisemitism in.

Notably he says "seine Leute," which implies a looser epistemological association than the hierarchy implied by "his men". Either way, the conversation priming her for ideological violence based on sweeping divisions between societal groups.

So Greta, whose arc since getting hired by the Benda family has been about small tests of loyalty—Fritz's needling, Mrs. Benda's instruction of "no meat!" vs. Mr. Benda asking her to fry a sausage, the secrecy of the household, etc.— is probably going to turn against them.

Another person with reason to dislike Benda is Bruno, who is shown at the end of the episode sulking and smoking in the sun sets.

But it's more likely that Bruno will go after Gereon in the next episode; they've been fighting all season, and while I do like this show I don't think they're so innovative as to avoid doing "good cop vs. bad cop" character things.

And since he's already murdered Stefan and tried to kill Streseman in this episode, killing Benda would make it seem like he's a unique danger to the stability of the Weimar Republic. That's not the kind of story the show wants to tell. It's interested in representing a diverse array of people with unique motivations who inexorably contribute to the changes in their society.

\In Greta's case that might mean being (figuratively) seduced into ideological violence which, although urged by the death of her ostensibly-communist boyfriend, is terribly convenient for all the nationalists Benda is trying to hinder.

But if that's to be their arc, I don't think it can come to a satisfying end without a response to Fritz' argument. Benda is portrayed onscreen trying to prosecute nationalists and prevent political violence, but his complicity or lack thereof in violence against communists is almost deliberately obscured.

The most we actually see of him in conjunction with police violence is in Season 1 Episode 3, where he's seen introducing the police president Zörgiebel

and afterward in episode 5, where he discourages Zörgiebel from using force against the protesters.

So we get the argument that Benda is complicit in police violence only from Fritz and his antisemitic friend. But now Fritz is dead. And his argument remains unresolved.

And if Greta is going to kill Benda, who has proven himself to be such a pillar of stability that his death would destabilize the narrative enough to distinguish seasons 2 and 3, that resolution needs to come soon, probably in the next two episodes.

Here's how.

At the end of S2E2 Gereon is approached by Dr. Völcker for help in clearing the names of two women whom police killed on May Day.

Gereon refuses. Because he's a cop. But last season he also threw out the false testimony which would have implicated the women. So the guilt of the police is a matter that remains both unresolved and on his mind.

It's a matter that directly pertains to the question of Benda's own guilt that day, and that acts in narrative parallel.

Now that the plotline of the attempted assassination is resolved, there's a little space to pick up running threads. Including Gereon's own guilt (for violence he definitely did commit) and Benda's role in the institution of police.

Gereon and Benda have been working together all season to foil a coup that a large number of cops were involved in. It might make sense for Gereon to turn to the one authority figure he respects for advice about individual responsibility and institutional corruption.

Any response that Benda gives, from "I've been urging deescalation for years but you see how little power I have to change this institution" to "I completely endorse violence in the name of preserving the Republic," would provide closure to this question. It would move Gereon's character development re: being a cop and make his eventual death hit harder.

I want this scene to happen because it would make sense, and because like Greta I don't like the dissonance between the show's portrayal of a soft-spoken champion of democracy/mentor figure and the rhetoric of a man who is personally really creepy. The show is good enough that I want narrative closure for Benda.

But I don't want him to die. And I suspect I'm running out of time.

[virgo-mess]

Good Cop, Bad Cop

Chapter 1: Good Cop

TW: None for this chapter

Reader’s Pov

            You hum softly to yourself inhaling the salty scent of the New England coastline as you walk down Manomet beach with your shoes in your hands. You had missed taking your morning walks along the beach since moving to New York for school twelve years ago. You had always intended on moving back to your hometown of Plymouth, Massachusetts after you graduated, but life seemed to have other plans for you. You had landed a well-paying job as an investment broker on Wall Street after college and had managed to work your way up to Senior Vice President at your company. The success of your position allowed you to live very comfortably in New York with extra perks like big end of the year bonuses and paid time off but often left the personal aspects of your life neglected.

You hadn’t been home in two years, which was also due in part to a really messy breakup. You started to work extra hours after that. You had thought keeping yourself busy would help you get over it. It had worked for a little bit, but you ultimately ended up burning yourself out. You also may have had a very small mental breakdown in the middle office last week. Your boss all but forced you to use the paid time off you’d accumulated to clear your head and cope the healthy way. Heading back home for four weeks seemed like the best way to decompress and catch up with old friends. Everything just happened to line up perfectly with your best friend Daisy’s wedding, too; she had asked you to be one of her maids of honor months ago. The wedding was quickly approaching. People were already driving and flying in for the Bachelorette and Bachelor parties. Hosting them close together seemed like the best option.

You’re abruptly pulled out of your inner thoughts and daydreams when you bump into something hard. You let out a yelp as the force of the impact has you flying backwards. Before you know it, you’re staring up at the sky. The back of your head is throbbing a bit, and you can feel the sting of freshly scraped skin on your elbows. You let out a pained groan as you move yourself to sit up, wondering what you even walked into. Your unspoken question is answered when you feel large hands grip your upper arms.

“Easy now, sorry about that butterfly” comes a deep voice in a soothing tone, you couldn’t remember the last time anyone used that nickname for you but there was only ever one person that really called you that. You take a moment to focus your attention on the figure in front of you and recognize their icy blue eyes instantly. You take a moment to look him over since you hadn’t seen him in nearly twelve years. His hair is now grey instead of black, but he’s still got that dark, alluring, brooding prettiness to his face. This doesn’t surprise you because Cashton Micheal “Cash” Ewing had always been gorgeous, all the girls at school drooled over him, and you were no different. You had moved into the house next to his when you were seven, and it was only natural that you guys became friends.

“Cash” you said softly feeling a sudden blush spread across your cheeks as you register that he had been what you walked into. You were able to make out the ripple of his muscles through his white t-shirt he is a cop after all. He gave you a quick dazzling smile but there was something dark swirling in his eyes as he stared back at you intensely.

“You remember me that’s good. You were so quiet; I was beginning to think you hit your head too hard. Are you okay?” he asked sincerely as he looked you over rubbing his thumbs in small circles. You don’t miss the way his eyes linger on your breasts and then the tops of your thighs. You quickly move to pull the hem of your dress down, not noticing how much it had ridden up during your fall.

“I’m fine, I feel great” you blurt out, forcing a smile on your face you were sure you were as red as a tomato by now. You look at him briefly before attempting to scramble to your feet on your own, but Cash doesn’t let you. He throws you a reassuring smile before wrapping an arm around your waist. He helps you up slowly and makes sure you’re stable before letting go.

“I’m glad you feel great, y/n. You look great too” he said in a low, almost seductive tone that leaves you feeling hot all over. You see a slight smirk tug on his lips as he raises his brows a bit at you. You let out a nervous chuckle.

“You are also looking great, sir.” you said very awkwardly. “Are you going to the wedding?” You ask quickly, trying to change the subject, so he’ll focus on anything but you. There’s an amused sort of glint in his eyes now, but ultimately, he takes the bait.

“Yes, I’m going to be a groomsman, are you?” he asked, you nodded letting an excited sort of smile cross your face.

“Yeah, I’m a maid of honor” you said in a boastful tone. Almost like it was the biggest achievement you’d ever made. Quite sadly, it was the highlight of the last two years of her life. Cash smiled softly at you, but that dark sort of emotion was swirling in his eyes again. You're not sure what it is, Cash had always been so nice to you. But something about him feels different.

“Of course, you are that was a dumb question. I forgot how close you and Daisy are” he admitted. You nod your head with a small smile.

“Yeah, you’ve been away for a long time. Wanna tell me what you’ve been up to while we grab coffee?” you asked, finally slipping your white tennis shoes back on. Cash gave you a half smile as he nodded his head.

“Sure, but there’s not that much to tell” he said honestly, moving to walk in step with you as you make your way off the beach to your car.

Cash’s Pov

            Cash can’t help the way he bites down on his lip as he watches you walk back up to the coffee counter, appreciating the way the thin material of your tiny dress clings to your ass. You, the pretty girl next door, his pretty little butterfly had occupied so many of his thoughts and dreams back then. His first crush; if Cash had it his way, you would’ve been his first everything. It surprised him how quickly the thoughts and desires he had for you had crept back in on him. Time wasn’t on his side back then. By the time he had worked up the courage to do something about it, you were running off to New York. He thought about applying to the NYPD after he finished up at the academy, thought he’d run it by you when he saw you that Christmas, the last Christmas he came home for. When he got back, you, of course, were with some dick head you’d met at school. It was then that Cash impulsively decided to take a job in Cleveland and forget about you. It worked somewhat, but thinking about it now, he only dated women who reminded him of you in some way. Cash already knew what he was going to do with you; he figured it all out while you were gazing up at him with those beautiful innocent eyes of yours. The way you checked him out only spurred him on. It gave him a bit of hope that you weren’t going to be entirely resistant.

            His suspension had made him somewhat of a loose cannon, and his days of patiently waiting for what he wanted were long gone. Cash had it all planned out already. For now, he would charm you, play the good cop, soften you up just a bit, and then later he would take you just the way he always wanted to. When it was over, he’d simply turn the charm right back on and quite possibly do it all over again. Cash didn’t care how he got you as long as he did. He had decided he would have you the minute you let him scoop you off the ground.

            “Here’s your coffee” you said softly before setting it in front of him. Cash threw you his best smile watching a deep blush spread across your cheeks.

            “Thank you butterfly.”

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

[cervinelich]

U.S. Americans: Vote Locally. Do it.

There seems to be a common misconception that the presidential election is the most important one not just for the USA, but for the world - WRONG!

Let me be clear: You should vote in the Presidential election.

Historically, young people don't vote. Even though young voter turnout has increased drastically since Trump, local voting is still largely being determined by conservative older generations.

Importantly, you should be voting locally in part because this is the largest influence over who gets nominated in the Primary and how your opinion is vocalized on a national scale. Also:

voter restriction/suppression

climate change efforts/issues (such as pipelines getting built)

policing, law enforcement and mass incarceration

availability of affordable housing, public transport, disability relief

education - as in, whether or not PragerU gets taught in schools

If you are worried about "being selfish" for focusing smaller local issues instead of global ones (such as the current genocide), I understand. However, this is a more effective way to pressure the current President - local legislators have more voice than we do. This is also setting up a less racist, genocidal future for global politics because Presidential nominees are almost always picked from State level positions.

The Presidential election helps people to feel good/bad about an "immediate" measurable result from a single action. But the truth is that the Bidens of the US will keep being the only rival to "I want to be a dictator" Trumps if we don't start investing our votes from the ground up.

Here is a guide (mostly from this website https://tminstituteldf.org/local-elections/ ):

CITY GOVERNMENT

School Boards:

Have the power to set policy and budgets for local schools, such as whether or not you can protest without losing your job or getting expelled.

Sherrifs:

Generally speaking, Sherrifs are fucked up. It's too much for me to go into here. They have way too much unilateral power with no oversight at all.

Prosecutors:

The largest contributor to mass incarceration

They set the terms on whether someone is charged with a misdemeanor or felony and being convicted of a felony will strip your right to vote in many states - some permanently.

City Council:

City Council approve things like city budgets and implement criminal and civil laws and regulations

Also the voice of their City at a State and Federal level. Generally, these are some of the people you should be shouting at to bring your voice higher up the food chain.

This includes the Mayor who often decides where budgets go (like schools or cops), and they also determine the level of enforcement of local laws.

County Board of Supervisors (County Commissioners):

Represent county issues in front of state and federal legislative bodies. Counties are also responsible for registering voters and administrating elections. i.e., another group of people who have a stronger voice against the elected Democrat when it comes to larger issues.

Planning and Zoning Commission:

Determines how and where affordable housing is zoned in your area. Has a huge effect on housing segregation.

Comptroller:

The City's accountant and budget manager - this is the person who audits the City Council and makes sure they aren't basically stealing money. They also approve city contracts such as those for affordable public transportation and shelters.

STATE GOVERNMENT

Judges:

This one is crucial. Your state judges act as the Supreme Court of your given state. The cases that they weigh on when it comes to state laws (such as abortion, medical autonomy, immigration, right to protest/free speech, etc.) these are binding and final.

Superintendent of Education:

This is the person who decides if PragerU gets to teach classes on why Zionism and Evangelical teachings are "ok and good, actually".

Secretary of State:

The person who certifies elections in your state - for the Presidency, but also for all of these other positions mentioned. It is so, so important that this person cannot be bought or pressured.

Attorney General:

Has influence over law enforcement agencies and represents the state in legal disputes - such as those where someone is disputing their rights are being infringed by the state. (abortion, medical autonomy, immigration, right to protest/free speech, etc.)

Governor:

Is basically the president of your state. They sign in laws, have veto power and oversee all of the other departments. They also can appoint Justices and State Senate seats if they are empty.

Not only does this person have a lot of state power, they also have a ton of influence over the broader federal climate and are one of the positions that fast-tracks to Presidency (see: Ron Desantis).

State Comptroller (or Controller):

Same as City Comptroller except extremely importantly they manage disaster relief/preparation funding - which is especially important amidst climate change.

Also oversee fraud investigations.

Public Service Commissioner:

Determines rates for things like energy, water, internet in your state.

Also deals with the gas and oil industry in your state, often being in charge of approval/rejection of the building of oil pipelines.

They can be appointed by the Governor.

State Senators:

Has just about the most authority in a state, with the ability to impeach Governors and deny someone the Governor tries to appoint

Another position that fast-tracks to Presidency

Draft and introduce/pass state laws and amend the state constitution

State House of Reps:

Can call for the removal of another legislator

Draft and introduce/pass state laws

All Right. I'm running out of steam on this post. Please, please, please, PLEASE register to vote *right now* and look over the website when you do to see if it can set up email alerts when an election is coming up.

Buy a calendar and mark voting days and stick it to your wall TODAY. Set aside an hour of your time, TODAY, to make a plan for voting.

Go to this website, enter your state. It will tell you exactly what to do. Register.

Lastly, if you don't like Biden and it makes you feel like shit to vote for him (understandably), then YOU NEED TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARY.

[botaniqueer]

Even though I always vote blue as a concession (and also because I'm easily guilted while also absolutely despising the democrats), I'm understanding of folks voting third party and I'm chill with people voting for whoever as long as it's not Trump or RFK, but a criticism I do have of third party voters is that a lot of them still have the problem the main two parties have where they come across as thinking we can vote our way out of this without some of of meta-strategy after the voting is done, and they also get attached to their candidates.

Absolutely all presidents are bad for the same reason all cops are, in that the occupation itself is structurally harmful, and the attributes of the job override whatever personal attributes the person occupying it has– the most personally nice cop in the world still is obligated to remove a homeless person from a bench while protecting capital, otherwise they lose that cop position. This applies to Jill Stein, Bernie Sanders, etc. An except to this is if the incumbent fully intends to dismantle the position, but it's exceedingly hard to gain the position with this goal, and keeping the job longer enough to successfully execute it without the job changing or compromising the person first.

As mentioned in other posts, the absolute minimum job of the US president is to maintain the suppression of a collection of 500+ ethnic groups, and prevent them from having true agency or full access to the land. If this isn't maintained, the United States literally can't keep existing in a meaningful way and ends up evaporating. This will become Jill Stein or Cornell West's job if they are elected, same as when Bush or Biden have the job.

Actually using electoralism as a strategy requires good organizing for after the candidate is elected, and specifically not getting attached to them and thinking of them purely as a means to an end. Liberation and the position of the presidency are inherently at odds, so there will be times you will need to fight against your own candidate. The Democrats are notorious for getting attached despite using the "you're not marrying them!" refrain, shushing people for saying anything vaguely critical.

The metaphor I think of is dungeon crawling roguelike games, or any other game where you choose branching paths in that you're choosing the challenges you think you're best equipped to deal with, but you do still have to deal with them. You can't do what the democrats do and lay down arms immediately after choosing the more favorable path, just being it's better than Trump, and I expect the same from third party voters as well as to not be like the DNC. In the unlikely case in which a third party candidate gets elected, there still has to be a struggle, otherwise the United States and other settler nations will continue to persist and hurt others, even if things are better for most settlers, and there will always be the likelihood of things ending up back where we are now if we don't follow through.

[aquadraco20]

To be clear I am a progressive who voted for Harris. This post is my attempt to understand why people voted for Trump, who I despise and think is a threat to many people.

Obviously the results are a shock for a lot of reasons, namely that so many people are willing to ignore all the negative aspects of Trump to the point of wanting him to have the single most powerful position in America, and to literally put the lives of their friends, family, and neighbors at risk.

I've been thinking about this a lot and talking to people a lot and reading what I can to make sense of it all- why did Kamala lose and how can we prevent this from happening again?

I heard two big reasons,

1. Kamala did talk enough about how she was going to achieve her goals and the scope of her goals was too narrow and

2. America wasn't ready for a woman to be president.

But another thing I've been thinking about is social media and algorithms. We unknowingly created echo chambers for ourselves.

This means we developed the false belief that more people were going to vote for Kamala, and we didn't even get the chance to entertain the priorities of people who thought voting for Trump was a good idea.

So when the polls came in and said it was 50/50, we didnt believe them. When the results came in, people were claiming that Trump cheated (very plausible), ballots weren't being counted and people couldnt vote because of bomb threats. And to be clear, all of these things did happen. But they still dont make up for margin that trump won by. If our perspective was correct, Kamala wouldve won by a landslide and all these things wouldnt have made that much of a difference.

People are upset because everything is so expensive, and trump took advantage of that and made a scapegoat. Things are expensive because immigrants are taking people's jobs, or that we're spending too much on regulation and climate action, or that we're too reliant on importing things from China. And his plan was to deport immigrants, cut regulations, and impose tariffs.

This is a plan. It's a very flawed plan, but his followers dont realize that its corporate greed and monopolies that are keeping prices high, and its easier to listen to a guy who is a charismatic talker and believe what he says, because hey, this guy is rich and he's been in business for years, and it's easy to hate people who you dont feel connected to and blame them for your problems than to research every claim he makes and realize that things are super complicated and difficult to solve, especially when congress keeps getting in the way.

There's a lot of lies but also some half truths, but people are overworked, underpaid, tired and angry. They dont have the time and energy to research all the things he talks about. They just hear that he's going to make things better for you (white, cis, hetero) people and he's going to get rid if the people who make you feel uncomfortable, and he's saying all the hateful things that the uneducated, frustrated, and fearful side of you thinks but cant say outloud without pushback and he gets away with it. He survived a gunshot. People say he committed crimes and sexually assaulted people but he still walks free so he must be innocent because cops are good and the criminal justice system is functional and only bad guys like drug dealers and thieves go to jail.

And purity culture!! The dems are all about pronouns and womens rights and if you don't do something correctly than someone's going to dig up something you did and cancel you and now you cant watch Rosanne on tv anymore. So if you feel like you cant do anything right and the beliefs that you had for years are suddenly wrong and now theirs all these people giving themselves titles that you dont understand, you aren't going to feel a connection or even care about these people. You might even think they're crazy, or being manipulated, or that taking away their rights is actually good for them.

All the moreso when Trump and his cronies and his media paint these people, who you dont understand, don't care about, and never interact with are painted that way, and then backed up with more half truths and lies.

Trump supporters have been brainwashed, and nonvoters and moderate white men were pulled to trump by he least offensive policy ideas.

So how do we fix this? Well, if its safe to do so, we need to start talking to people about reproductive health care, and what being a trans kid actually involves. And we need to learn more about the topics that trump supporters think are important, like the economy and immigration, and we need to talk to our family, friends, and neighbors about them.

I'm not saying that democrats need to sacrifice their beliefs and move to the right. But we do need to leave our echo chambers and talk to people or this will only get worse.

[hondacivictrucknuts]

Assorted thoughts on Kamala Harris.

I voted for her in 2016, in the California Senate primary. At the time I was hanging out with BLM activists, and Harris seemed like she had potentially interesting ideas about race and crime and how to improve the situation in realistic ways (I still love my BLM friends but they have never had realistic ideas for how to make things better).

She does not seem to be corrupt or crooked in any traditional sense. Per WSJ:

Harris and Emhoff together earned $450,299 in 2023, according to a jointly filed tax return. That consists of the $218,784 Harris reported earning in wages as vice president and $174,994 Emhoff made as a visiting professor at Georgetown University Law Center. Around $6,000 came in from royalties on Harris’s books. They made $50,603 in taxable interest on bank accounts and other investments. The couple’s income is significantly lower than it was before Harris took office as vice president. Emhoff, who was a partner at the corporate law firm DLA Piper, left the practice in August 2020 before Harris was inaugurated. He made more than $1.2 million in partnership income at DLA Piper in 2020. Harris was also making more from her two books published in 2019. She has profited a total of $749,484 since 2020.

The couple has retirement assets and bank account balances worth somewhere between $3.6 million and $7.36 million. A significant portion of Harris’s and Emhoff’s net worth is held in retirement accounts, according to government ethics forms.

I.e. she and her husband have been moderately successful and are living within their resulting means.

The childless cat lady thing: I do generally agree with J.D. Vance that childless people have less stake in society and their political opinions should count for less, but it doesn't apply to every individual. Note that Joe Biden, who was a thoroughly decent and generally honest man, seems to have committed his most corrupt acts in support of his prodigal son.

She's probably of middling intellect. She went to law school at UC Hastings, where the median LSAT of a recent class was 160, about the 75th percentile. Recall that the last woman to run against Trump went to Yale Law, where the median LSAT was 173, or the 99th percentile. I don't know anything about law school histories but from what I know of the UC system in general, Hastings Law was probably worse when Harris went there. Will this matter? Other than Joe Biden and John McCain, all the presidents in my memory and everybody who ran against them were top tier intellects. Running for president and being president requires one to speak to broad audiences about many complex issues, and that's a lot easier when you understand the complex issues deeply.

The enthusiasm for her does not seem durable. So far it looks like a combination of orange man bad, relief that the candidate is someone other than Biden of the June 27 debate, and lingering vestiges of "black girl magic" from ca. 2018.

What is her position on Israel and Hamas? Sooner or later she's going to have to make that clear. That she hasn't yet alienated either the Jewish or jihadi wing of the Democratic Party seems to be mostly the result of not taking any firm stance in public.

She is a fierce prosecutor, and in her brief Senate career was best known for her questioning at hearings. I think this plays into what Black men tend to dislike about Black women, and will end up hurting her with that demographic.

Trump's nickname for her, "Border Czar Harris," is brilliant in typical Trump form. First, it's original, to her if not to him. Second, it frames her as an incompetent cop, while letting the listener do most of the work themselves. Third, even if it's not quite true, she can't argue with it because the reality is worse, i.e. that she was not actually that involved in the so-called Biden-Harris administration's immigration policy.

As a national politician, her biggest issue is abortion. What is the substantive policy there in a post-Dobbs nation? Even if she got lucky and Clarence Thomas died or something, it doesn't seem like Roberts is eager to re-instate Roe v. Wade via some other case. That leaves legislation, which Congress was unable ever to do despite a half-century of platform planks about "codifying Roe." I don't know how they could even do that now under the 10th Amendment, but what do I know.

Her fundraising ads on YouTube are somewhat scolding: "today, not tomorrow,..." Compare J.D. Vance saying If you can't afford to donate because of the Biden economy, that's fine, take care of your family. I guess it's working for now but can it last 3+ months?

[captain-n-crunchies]

WE ARE FUCKED

Maybe I'm just looking into things a little bit too much.But what I've seen on TikTok and tumbler is a lot of white leftists apparently are the most morally correct people on this earth? It baffles me how many people shape their political views about Kamala Harris from seeing white people dislike her. I saw a video on TikTok of this white man telling black people! African Americans that they shouldn't vote for Kamala Harris cause she put it black people in jail?? Which is the most stupidest thing I've ever heard because I'm pretty sure her job as a prosecutor is to put people in trial. But what was crazy about that?Is that I went to the comments section and it was full of people agreeing , saying that the "BLM protest must have been for nothing because THEY want to put a cop in presidecy"

Like I must be crazy The Donald Trump gave the deaf penalty he signed off a group of black men who were falsely accused of RAPING SOMEONE The death penalty, I'm pretty sure he did that. It's actually a photo of him smiling with that same paper with him signing off. The death penalty for those 5 men and YES they were black, BUTTTT Kamala Harris is a terrible person because somebody with their own free will and their own money wanted to buy marijuana....they got caught and because it was a illegal they were put on trial for doing something illegal??

Like I don't support cops it all but I cannot hold Kamala responsible for your cousin going to jail for a marijuana position that they knew was a legal.I cannot hold her accountable because you did on your free will. AND yes kamala Here's maybe Zionist.Yes, because she, along with Joe Biden supported Israel.I don't support israel at all but I do know how to read a book and I do know how to read a article and I do understand history. I am understand that the United States has an alliance to Israel, no matter what America has the backup Israel Barack Obama, did Trump ,did even Reagan? And the best thing we can help in pray.For is the kamala pulls the u s out of this alliance that we have we israel because no other president has.

But back to the white people I then saw another video of this, so-called moral correct white man telling people of color people did look like me black.A woman fit if Kamala Harris doesn't check all of our boxes supporting palestiniabl GB.T and minority rights we can't vote her n, I AGREE. But where he got off track was that he was saying to vote third party because kamalo's just as bad as Trump.No, she isn't Kamala is the same thing.You'll talk, Joe Biden was the same thing.That you thought every other President was the LESSER EVIL! I mean, this man was trying to put morally correct compassive in presidency and I had to think when was the last time a President with a so-called morally correct compass became President. Oh yeah, I remember every President. Oh yeah, I remember Joe Biden was the same person you white people said was morally correct and HE FAILED!!! I'm not saying Kamala is the better option if we had Morocco Obama or michelle Obama up there?But I am saying this voting.Third party is giving your vote to Trump.Voting for 3rd party is like voting for a person you never seen before because they waltz up in a free Palestine and a pride flag pin and you rush to vote for them with no background info. THE SAME THING PEOPLE DID FOR BIDEN!? I'm telling you this NOW everybody that is a third party candidate for presidency you only see them every 4 years, you never see them any other time.

In paper bottle for every time you lit the so-called democratic primordially correct, white people tell you how to vote and you don't do no background research you only listen to what they say. Because those same people I scroll 2 videos up. I see their entire point getting debug. Kamala Yu thought here is a cop.She turned out to be a prosecutor whole made up that rumor??WHITE PEOPLE! At this point, it is not democratic or Republican. It is handmaid's tale or nothing. A blank slate everything that Kamala stands for is what democrats believe in. But Kamala stands for also probably some bad things. They republicans are sure ready to fire for. But it's only gonna take a white person to come app on a app with no background information of what they're talking about and just writing on full-fledged emotions you will believe them, and this is what's going to make America fall. This is what's going to make Project 2025 happen faster than it's already going, you don't read on your own. You listen to other people on the internet and you don't want to read, you don't want a Google search. A person in every comment section is saying so are WE... multiple people, they're saying they're basing THEIR vote off of other people...They're basing their vote off of what THEY think, other people think is morally correct.That is the same thing that's going to kill more palestinians.Think. Read.

If people do not take advantage of reading in the next few years because you do not read and you did not think about this one election, you're not gonna have a next election? If you vote for Trump, you're not going to have an option of Democrat or Republican. It is not fear-mongering and it's not a scare tactic. To get people to vote Democrat. It is real life now. The scare tactic was used for Biden. It's no more scary tactics. It's real life now. It is only one clear option. Do the same thing that you did for Biden, vote for Kamala because you just want to keep your rights.

[beardedmrbean]

A mother and her four children were killed in a house fire that has been deemed “suspicious” by Missouri authorities.

The fire was reported at 4:20 a.m. Monday, Feb. 19, at a home in Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis, according to the St. Louis County Police Department.

Photos shared by the Ferguson Police Department show smoke fill the home. The smoke was visible for miles, KTVI reported.

Firefighters found the bodies of five people inside the home, police said. There were also three dogs who were found dead.

“The smoke was so bad. I tried to kick the front door,” Jerry McClure, a neighbor, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “We just couldn’t wake them up.”

The victims were identified by KMOV as Bernadine “Birdie” Pruessner and her four children: 2-year-old Millie, 5-year-old Jackson and 9-year-old twin girls Ellie and Ivy.

A cause for the fire is unknown, but authorities told the Post-Dispatch and KTVI “suspicious” circumstances were involved. The investigation is ongoing.

’A tragedy for our community’

Pruessner, a former math teacher at City Academy in St. Louis, was named the Missouri Teacher of the Year in 2013 by the American Board.

More recently, she was an assistant professor at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, Illinois, according to Metro East Star. She is also a published author and the founder of a nonprofit, Root Cause Agricultural Education Group.

“Birdie was a dear colleague and friend to all. She cared so deeply about her students and about helping others,” Lewis and Clark President Ken Trzaska said in a statement, Metro East Star reported. “She brought energy and illuminated such a bright light of positivity and kindness to our campus community.”

Pruessner was nearing the completion of her doctorate degree in early childhood education, her father told the Post-Dispatch, referring to her as “brilliant.”

Dara Ashby of the Ferguson Animal Coalition called the deaths of Pruessner and her children “a tragedy for our community,” KSDK reported.

“She was a wonderful person and loved her kids, loved her family, loved her animals,” Ashby told the station. “She was just a treasure to our community. So this is a huge loss.”

’Live each day like it’s your last’

Before her Monday morning death, Pruessner spent Sunday with her children, going to a reptile show, soccer game and camping out in their living room, she said on Facebook.

“Making today one of those live each day like it’s your last kind of days,” she said.

That night, she shared a photo of her family and said she was “blessed” to be their mother. “Us against the world,” she wrote in the post.

Pruessner and her children were referred to as a “beautiful family” by one friend.

“None of this seems real, today has been really really hard. How could Birdie, Elly, Ivy, Jack and Millie be gone?” Allison Nichole Fox said in a Facebook post. “Birdie was an incredible mother and had the brightest light always surrounding her.”