#and the fact that they won all the vote of the people is even more maddening

[myartisscribbles]

I was going to do tags but I'm a lawyer so I actually have a lot to say about this:

In the US, our right to sue is literally our most protected right (look into 5th and 6th amendment if you're interesting in delving into this!) because it is often the only legal remedy available to anyone. Over the years, other protections like "statutes" and "regulations" have been pared down so systematically that they're basically worthless.

This is also why other countries consider America sue happy - most other countries actually have methods to hold people (and businesses) accountable for their illegal actions that don't involve going to court, if you can believe it.

The fact of the matter is, we do need to challenge every single improper word used in every single improper law because those are the only tools we have right now. Republicans control every arm of the government, including most judicial seats and the entire supreme court. That means literally the only thing we can do right now is sue, especially on the state levels. (besides mutual aid and civil war, which most people are (rightfully!) not truly interested in participating in)

That said, I get where the frustration with this is coming from. Does the fact that the law "made everyone women" make trans folk safe? No. Does it even matter if it does say that if this administration has been so successful at ignoring the rules and getting away with it? Probably not.

None of this will make trans folk safe right now, or stop deportations, or end war in Gaza - which is why so many people, especially younger folk, are frustrated. And the fact of the matter is, they should be.

I have not been alive for a period of time where a Republican has legitimately won an election. And I'm not talking about popular vote vs. electoral college, I'm talking about the fact Republicans stole the 2000 election from Al Gore even after a recount showed Florida was in favor of Gore, got away with it, and then stole two more elections right after using the same methods and the same cast from the first round. Ever wonder how Roberts became the chief Justice? Or how Amy Coney Barrett and Kavanaugh got their seats? The Supreme Court has 3 Bush v. Gore alumni on it.

We are at a historic low of trust in the judicial system and the supreme court, because so many Americans have not been alive for a period of time where the Republicans were playing fair. Unsurprisingly, as of December 2024, only 34% of Americans trust the supreme court - down from 45% before the election (a number that was already abysmally low). This is an easy metric to look at and say "no duh" given how corrupt the current court is, and it's easy to ignore the implications, but this is one of the most dangerous statistics out right now. Our entire legal system is based on believing in the legal system, and when the majority of Americans don't believe it works that means the majority of Americans have already accepted the status quo must change - aka actual civil war.

The only other countries that had a drop this steep in judicial trust recently are: Syria in the runup and early years of its civil war, Myanmar during the period that overlapped the return of military rule in 2021, and Venezuela from 2012 to 2016 during the extreme economic collapse and political power vacuum.

There are two factions fighting here who both want the same outcome! A functioning legal system, an end to Gaza genocide, trans protections, abortion, lgbt rights etc etc etc: group 1 that fights with the tools that are available, and group 2 that rebels in search for a solution because they've lost trust in the tools. Neither group is wrong, but the solution to group 2's problem must be much more violent than group 1 - and I think most of us still want things to work out without literal war breaking out in the US.

That means we need to use all of our tools right now - malicious compliance, obstruction, technical legal language, mutual aid - before giving up and accepting that nothing will work. Because admitting that means the only solution is actual civil war, and I think we should plug away systematically at a few other options before we insist on signing people up to kill each other while the rich watch us from another country.

“This thing is legally dubious and therefore technically unenforceable.” Is not a “useless liberal gotcha” it’s how legalism works in this country. Tying up stupidly worded EOs in court is the quickest way to keep them from being implemented. It is the definition of “doing something.” But it doesn’t usually involve much tweeting so of course a certain type of leftist feels obligated to mock it.

[sherrylephotography]

A letter from Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders is a senator in Vermont USA.

I’m getting a lot of calls from people who are not only upset about what’s happening, but are wondering how we best go forward.

My response: We must be smart. We must be organized. And we must fight back - effectively. This is not a time for wallowing in despair and hiding under the covers. The stakes are too high. We’re not just fighting for ourselves. We’re fighting for our kids and for future generations. We’re fighting for the future of this planet.

Further, we must not become overwhelmed and think that Trump has some kind of extraordinary mandate and an inevitable glide path into the future. That’s what the right-wing mouthpieces want you to believe, but it’s not true. Trump won the election because Kamala Harris and a very weak and out-of-touch Democratic Party received 5 million votes LESS than Biden did in 2020, not because Donald Trump or his agenda were popular. His agenda can be defeated.

So, where do we go from here?

First, we’ve got to understand what, in fact, is happening around us right now.

Second, we need a short-term strategy. What do we do tomorrow and the day after that?

Third, we need a long-term strategy. How do we build a grassroots movement that gains political power?

In terms of what is happening right now under Trump I see three key elements. President Abraham Lincoln, at Gettysburg, talked about a government “of the people, by the people, for the people.” Under Trump we are seeing a rapid move toward oligarchy in our country — a government of the billionaire class, by the billionaire class, for the billionaire class. And it’s not being done secretly. It’s right out there for all to see. Two weeks ago, Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term as President of the United States. Standing right behind him were the three richest men in the country – Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg — men who have become $242 billion richer since Trump was elected, and who are now worth a combined $932 billion. This is more money than the bottom half of America — 170 million people.

Not surprisingly, Musk, now a key part of the administration, spent over $277 million to get Trump elected. Bezos and Zuckerberg both kicked a million each into Trump’s inauguration fund. Bezos, who owns the Washington Post, rescinded the Post’s editorial board’s endorsement of Kamala Harris. Zuckerberg had his Meta corporation settle a lawsuit with Trump for $25 million. These three multibillionaires are working with Trump because they understand one very important reality. Trump‘s policies are designed to make the very richest people in this country even richer.

But it’s not just oligarchy that we should worry about. This country, under Trump, is moving rapidly toward authoritarianism. The rule of law and our Constitution are being undermined.

Just a few examples: in violation of the Constitution and federal law, Trump attempted last week to suspend all federal grants and loans. That means he blocked funding for Medicaid, Head Start, community health centers, homeless veterans programs, etc., etc. Tens of millions of Americans, including some of the most vulnerable people in our country, were impacted by that decision. Fortunately, Americans all across the country stood up in outrage and said NO. And with the help of the courts much, but not all, of that freeze in funding was rescinded.

Trump is intimidating the media with lawsuits against ABC, CBS, Meta and the Des Moines Register. His FCC is threatening to investigate PBS and NPR. If Trump does not like what the media does, he goes after them — undermining the First Amendment, dissent and freedom of speech.

Trump pardoned the January 6th insurrections who injured 174 police officers at the Capitol. Now, he is investigating the FBI agents who helped bring these violent criminals to justice. His goal: condone violence and turn the FBI into a national right-wing police agency.

That is a very broad overview of where we are today.

In terms of a short-term strategy, we have got to mobilize as strongly as we can against Trump’s dangerous proposals.

And let me just say this: Yes, the Republicans control the House and the Senate, but don’t forget, their majorities are small. In the House, a body of 435 members, they currently have a three-vote majority. That is a razor-thin margin and their legislation can be defeated or modified — if we fight back.

There are a number of Republicans who won by small margins. And, let me tell you, these guys do respond to phone calls and emails. So, if there is a piece of legislation you disagree with, get on the phone and call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-2131.

And what is some of the legislation that we should be concerned about?

Republicans right now are working on a budget reconciliation bill which would provide massive tax breaks for the wealthy. This gift to the rich would be paid for by large cuts in Medicaid and other programs that working families and low-income people desperately need. At a time of unprecedented income and wealth inequality, when so many of our people are struggling to put food on the table, we must not savage programs for working families to provide huge tax breaks for billionaires.

We must vigorously oppose Trump’s efforts at mass deportation. YES, we must strengthen our borders. YES, we should deport people who have been convicted of serious crimes. But NO, we cannot destroy families who have lived and worked in this country peacefully for decades. Not only is Trump’s mass deportation program immoral, it will have a severely negative impact on our economy.

We are seeing extreme weather and devastation in our country and all over the world related to climate change. Think about Los Angeles. Think about North Carolina. We must vigorously oppose the absurd “drill baby drill” doctrine, which will only make an incredibly dangerous climate situation worse.

And those are just a very few of the issues that are coming down the pike.

But we cannot just play defense. We have got to be on offense. Please, never forget, the agenda that we are fighting for is widely supported by working families all across this country. And we must continue to fight for that agenda.

The American people do not want cuts to Medicaid and the privatization of Medicare. They understand that health care is a human right, not a privilege. We must continue the fight for Medicare for All so that every American has the health care that they need. That’s not a radical idea. That’s what Americans want.

The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is a starvation wage. We must raise that minimum wage to a living wage, at least $17 an hour. If you work 40 hours a week, you should not be living in poverty.

All over this country, we have a major housing crisis. And it’s not just the 800,000 who are homeless. It is millions of working families who are spending 40, 50 or 60 percent of their limited incomes on housing. Instead of spending almost a trillion dollars a year on a wasteful and bloated Pentagon budget, we have got to build millions of units of low-income and affordable housing. And when we do that, we put large numbers of people to work at good-paying union jobs.

I could go on and on, but let me conclude by saying this. The United States is the wealthiest nation in the history of the world. If we stand together and oppose right-wing efforts to divide us up by our race, our religion, our sexual orientation or where we were born—if we stand together, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish. Yes. We can provide a decent standard of living for every man, woman and child. Yes. We can lead the world in combatting climate change. Yes. We can end all forms of bigotry.

Yes. We can create a government and an economy that works for all, not just the few.

Let’s go forward together.

In solidarity,

Bernie

[dzozef]

in other news ive been nominated for the Team Spirit award at work and i think thats definitely. a choice

[justauthoring]

The Flutters of my Heart.

Request: hey could you do a fic with thanos from squid game: where the reader is apart of gi hub’s group but thanos is really into her and keeps flirting with her loudly. Her and the boys are all suspicious, thinking it’s a trick but they find out he just really likes her

Pairing: Choi Su-bong "Thanos" x F!Reader

Word Count: 2,327

A/N: I did not think the second Squid Game fic I'd write would be for Thanos but... honestly, it feels right.

Two things -> Thanos might be OOC lol he's super hard to write for and you essentially replaced Jun-hee - I love her but it just works better for this fic.

Your first interaction with him had been anything but pleasant.

With blood splattered across his face, from the people you'd seen him knock over during Red Light, Green Light no less, he'd smiled at you with crazed eyes, called you 'Senorita' and asked if you'd join his team. You're positive even if you hadn't seen his actions during the first game, you would've said no. You're even more confident in your outright denial when you see him vote 'O' with a grin.

He's all flirt and false charm. He promises you that he'll keep you safe because he's the one and only great Thanos and does so even as his friend scoffs and tells him they shouldn't bother with someone like you.

You had to admit, he was convincing. If you weren't in a game of life or death, you'd be lying to yourself to say that a part of you wouldn't maybe given in to his flirtations. But, this was life or death and you can't afford to make alliances with someone who is clearly so... unsteady.

Definitely not with someone who so outwardly wants to stay in this terrible place.

You find yourself your own team, somehow survive the second game and really, Thanos hasn't been on your mind since that first interaction. You'd barely paid attention when you'd seen his team win, the only thing really of note catching your attention that he'd seemed to find some other girl to bother instead of you.

Your group, despite two initially voting to stay, are routed in their beliefs to get out of here after the second game. Despite them all being men, they'd accepted you with ease and any little concerns they might have had had been squashed the second you'd won the game of Ddakji your first try.

You feel safe with your group and allow yourself to follow them around, feeling protected with your numbers and at ease with their friendly and inviting personalities.

It isn't until after the second round of voting and Jung-bae's surprising betrayal, that you're approached by Thanos for a second time.

You're in line for food when he approaches you, surprisingly not with Player 124 like he normally is.

"Senorita," he grins, pulling your eyes on him with a blink of surprise. You frown when you realize who it is, and even more so when you register that stupid pet name. "I'm relieved to see you made it through the second game."

Crossing your arms over your chest, you huff; "let's hope I make it through the third." The insinuation is made clear as you raise a brow at the blue 'O' patch on his sweater.

Thanos only grins. "Even though you're an 'X', I still promise to keep you safe." He winks, taking a step closer to you. "All you have to do is let me."

You huff; "I'm good, thanks."

"Aweh, come on, beautiful," he smirks, wrapping an arm around your shoulder before you can pull away. "You can trust me. I would've last game too if you'd give me the chance. In fact, I tried to find you for the last game but you'd already surrounded yourself with all those old men."

You roll your eyes. "I'd choose them over you anyday."

"You wound me," Thano pouts, clutching at his heart. Still, the glee in his eyes in undeniable. "How about this? You sit with me for dinner, I'll convince you I'm not such a bad guy."

Astonished at his relentlessness, your lips part to respond, but before you can, a voice cuts you off;

"She's already got friends to sit with."

You turn your head to find Dae-ho, him moving to stand right next to you. His hand falls on your shoulder in a reassuring touch, sending you a gentle smile before frowning over at Thanos. Behind, you can see Gi-hun and Young-il who are both watching the interaction closely. They've already got their dinners in their hands, clearly having stopped when they saw you and Thanos.

Already reassured by their presence, especially Young-il after you'd seen him take down both Thanos and Player 124 in seconds when they'd tried to attack Player 333, you turn back to glance at Thanos.

His face has faltered slightly at the sight of your group, but he doesn't back down.

"I'm sure the Senorita can speak for herself," Thanos challenges, smirking at you.

"She can," you cut in, confidence gained by Dae-ho and the rest. "And she says she doesn't want to sit with you either. Now, move. You're blocking the line."

Dae-ho lets out a barking laugh and before Thanos can say anything more, you're turning, shoving past him to move up the line.

Before Thanos would ever admit defeat, he smiles back at you, shrugging; "I'll get you to say yes, eventually!"

-

You're making your way back from the bathroom about thirty minutes later, on your own because you'd assured the boys you'd be okay on your own, when your wrist is grabbed.

Your lips part to let out a yelp, but any sound is quickly muffled by a hand pressed against your mouth.

You're tugged back, in between two sets of the beds, struggling in the grasp until the person who grabbed you stops. Their hands let go of you and you quickly spin, ready to defend yourself if need be, until your eyes catch sight of a familiar shade of purple.

"Thanos," you huff, shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Hey, baby," he grins, lips spread wide.

"What the hell," you hiss, shoving at him. "What is your problem?"

He has the audacity to shrug. "This is the only way I could get you alone to talk." For some reason, he takes that opportunity to brush back a strand of wild hair from your mild kidnapping he'd done, tucking it behind your ears with an odd gentleness.

Crossing your arms over your chest, you ignore the flutter of your heart. "And?" You question, shaking your head. "Still doesn't give you the right to grab me like that."

"I wanted to know your name," he grins, winking at you.

Your lips part. "You wanted to know my name?"

He nods.

"What exactly is the point of all of this?" You huff, shaking your head in frustration. "This is the third time you've bothered me. I thought I made the way I felt clear at the beginning."

"You did," he agrees, "I'm choosing to ignore it."

You blink, stunned. The actual audacity of this man.

"You're ignoring my rejection?"

"Yup," he nods, popping the 'p'.

"You're insufferable," you shake your head. "I don't want anything to do with someone who would willingly choose to stay in these horrible games. Not to mention, have fun playing them."

Thanos laughs, "I'm here for the same reason as you, baby. I need the money," he shrugs, holding his hands by his side as if in innocence as he pronounces 'money' in english. "Nothing wrong with trying to make the most of it. That includes learning your name."

"You're sick," you scoff, "I saw you push those two in the first game! You're the reason they're dead."

"As if they wouldn't have died on their own," Thanos rolls his eyes. "Besides, I'd never do that to you. I told you, didn't I? I'll keep you safe."

"You think that makes it okay?"

"Of course."

Shaking your head, you push away from him, turning your back to him. "Just leave me alone, Thanos. I want nothing to do with someone like you."

You walk away without looking back, unaware of the gaze that follows you.

-

"Hey, Senorita!"

Pausing in your conversation with Young-il and Gi-hun, you freeze, slowly turning your head over your shoulder to meet Thanos' gaze.

He's stood with his friends, Player 124 glaring at you from behind him, with a wide grin and those same wild eyes that made it clear he wasn't sober. You feel your shoulders tense, all too aware of your groups eyes watching the interaction between the two of you.

"If you need a group to join, I'll always be here!" He calls, pointing his finger right at you as he winks.

Swallowing thickly, you turn, choosing to ignore him.

All the boys look at you, waiting for you to say something. You do, just not about Thanos, eager to move on from Thanos' embarrassing and loud flirt.

"If they call about five, we just need to find people...-"

-

You'd gotten separated from Dae-ho.

Somewhere in the midst of running to a room, you'd been knocked to the ground by someone. They'd shoved past you without a single thought to you, and then the crowd of those desparate and panicked had separated you from your friend further.

Now, with tears in your eyes and your heart racing, you're frantically trying to find him or at least one of your friends, all whilst too aware of the time ticking away by the second.

It occurs to you that this might be it. That fall had been hard and your ankle was screaming something terrible right now. Even if you did find Dae-ho, you're not sure you could make it to him or a room in time.

The tears fall then, the seconds feel like agony and far too quick at the same time as you shake with the reality of your situation.

At least, what would've been your situation.

In the next second, a body crashes into you again, except instead of knocking you to the ground, you feel your feet lifted off the ground. A yelp leaves your lips in response, arms pulling you in a chest, confused, before you realize you're being hurdled right into a room.

The person who'd grabbed you was quick and suddenly, you're on your feet, in a room, with Thanos.

He shuts the door behind him and it locks instantly after.

He's panting, chest rising and falling as he turns to look at you, and you're just staring back at him with tears streaming down your cheeks and in disbelief. The echoes of gun shots that follow barely register in your mind as you meet his gaze.

"You saved me..." You breathe, stunned, voice a mere breathless whisper.

"I told you," he pants, offering a winded grin. "I'll keep you safe. I meant it."

The realization that it had in fact been Thanos that saved you is hard to believe and yet, you're faced with the true as he turns back to glance out the small window of the door.

"In the nick of time too," he laughs, somehow still overjoyed and finding humour in this situation. "I thought you and me were both dead there for a second."

Swallowing thickly, you hug yourself, still shaking and trembling from the situation as you shuffle on the spot. The action immediately pulls a cry from your lips as you stumble forward, tipping head first to the ground.

Thanos catches you before you fall.

"Wow," he chuckles, "you okay there, Senorita?"

The pet name that had annoyed you this entire time suddenly is annoying in a whole different way when you realize you wished it had been your name he'd said instead.

And that thought has you reeling even more.

"F-Fine," you wince, grabbing his arms that hold you. "I twisted my ankle when I got separated from...-oh no! Dae-ho! I didn't see if he he made it!"

The smile fades from Thanos face briefly at the mention of Dae-ho, still he helps you steady yourself and shakes his head. "Saw him get pulled into another room. He's fine. You're the one hurt."

Your face twists at that; "it's not his fault."

Thanos turns his face away, "never said it was."

It's clear he thinks it is.

You just huff, using his arms to help keep you upright. "I'm fine. It's just a twist."

Thanos eyes flicker to your ankle. "You can't walk."

Your lips part to say something, but just then the door clicks as it unlocks. You and Thanos spare one more glance at each other, before he's stepping forward to open the door, keeping an arm around your waist to help you walk out. You let him, trying to ignore the warmth in your chest at the action, limping out beside him.

Instantly, you hear your name being called.

You turn, seeing Dae-ho with Jung-bae, Gi-hun and Young-il in turn. There's a relieved smile on the formers lips and the rest look just as relieved.

"Thank God you're okay!"

You grin at them, forgetting who you're with for a second as you turn to them. "I'm glad you're okay too! When we got separated I wasn't sure..."

"I found Gi-hun," Dae-ho explains. "He hadn't been able to find a partner when Young-il, Jung-bae, you and me went off of our own. I tried to find you but..."

Nodding at them, you gesture to your partner. "Thanos found me," you explain, smiling nervously. "He... Well, he saved me. I wouldn't have survived otherwise."

The four of them look positively stunned but Thanos is beaming at the praise.

"Got my reward for it already too," Thanos smirks from beside you, pulling you closer. "Learned your name as well.., Reader."

He wiggles his brows at you and instantly, your cheeks warm. Leaning back from him, you shuffle back and to your surprise, he lets you slide out of his grip. Dae-ho is quick to help you, wrapping his arm around your waist like Thanos had whilst your group takes cautionary steps in front of you.

Just then, Player 124 comes bounding towards him.

"Thanos!"

With one final look your way, Thanos winks; "talk to you later, Reader." And with that, he walks off, joining Player 124's side as they laugh loudly in the otherwise gloom room.

All four turn to you, but you're too stunned to even begin explaining.

That, and you can't get rid of the fluttering race of your heart.

[labelneo]

rivals to refuge | player 333

PAIRING | squid game!ex-boyfriend!myung-gi x player!reader

You couldn't stand him. Not after what he’d done. But, inside the games, he was the only thing you had to hold on to.

GENRE | enemies to lovers, romance

WORD LENGTH | 5.9k words

AUTHOR’S NOTES | i’m taking squid game requests, so if you have any requests/suggestions, send an ask/comment! i’ll also tag whoever would like to be tagged in them! also, request for this fic was made by @vinaluvsu ! enjoy!

If looks could kill, 100 billion won would have been added to the bank hanging from the room you were currently standing in. Your gaze was set on the back of Player 333’s head as you watched him at the voting stand, his hand hovering over the two buttons. Red and blue. Myung-gi had always been stupid, the current red patch on his clothing proved so. You wondered how stupid he would be now. 

You hear the click of the button from your spot next to the bunk beds, quickly raising your gaze to the screen on the wall. The number of X’s rises by one as you look back and watch Myung-gi reach for his new badge. 

Maybe he isn’t as stupid as he seemed. 

You, however, still couldn’t believe it. Not only could you believe the situation you were in, but you also couldn’t believe that here, in this room, is where you would find Myung-gi again. The same Myung-gi that had left you 6 months ago without warning. You thought he may have had something to do with his investment failures as a cryptocurrency trader a couple months before. He owed a lot of people a lot of money, and you were not oblivious to the fact. 

However, after supporting for the weeks following the investments failures, he left your shared apartment one day, only to never come back. You had called, texted, and reached out more times than you could count the days, weeks, and months following his disappearance. You never found out what had led to him to disappear for one day to another. Not until you found yourself stuck in the room you were currently standing in. 

On the first day you had arrived, along with everyone else, you also had a lot of questions of why you were in the room you were in. You remember how the room broke out into loud voices. You were too confused to make sense of any of it. That was until you watched the screen fill with videos of those who were also in the room. You watched Myung-gi’s face pop out on the video, and how his scam and money loss was the reason he had been invited to join the game. From that moment, all you could feel was rage. He hadn’t been killed due to his scam like you may have believed at one point. 

He had just decided to leave you. 

You’d be lying if you didn’t admit that it felt good to witness Myung-gi’s face filled with fear while watching Thanos and Nam-gyu confront him after the first game. You remember how after being thrown around for a bit before Player 001 interfered, he had gotten up and dusted himself off, still shaken from the ordeal. That’s when he first noticed you in the room. But, your gaze didn’t shake from the expression it had been holding. A gaze full of hate. You were glad he had been pushed around a bit. It’s the least he deserved. You think your gaze spoke enough words that day too, as he didn’t try to approach you either. 

You’re brought back to reality when you hear Player 001 called to cast his vote. His body leans forward as he presses into his choice. Red. You quickly raise your gaze again to the screen. 

Fuck. You think to yourself. Still not enough to get out of this damn place. 

You don’t move from your spot, watching as your teammates come back to the bunks once the voting ends. You owed your life to them after they had helped you in the last game, the 6-legged pentathlon, but, right now, all you left was like it hadn’t mattered anyways. It seemed like you would never get out. 

You sit with your team for the rest of the evening, telling stories about your lives. Gi-hun, that was the name of the man who had played the games before. The rest of the group went on with saying their names, and you felt internally grateful that you had found a group that was as connected as the one you were in now. 

Before the lights could be turned off for the night, you excuse yourself to the restrooms, passing Myung-gi on the way. It seemed like he wanted to stop you on your way out of the room, but he pushed his body back onto his bed after a second of trying. You simply kept walking, you didn’t feel like wasting your breath with him anyways. 

Your trip to the bathroom consisted of you splashing your face with the cold water running out the faucet. You look at your reflection in the mirror, wondering if Myung-gi could notice how much stress he had caused after his disappearance on your person. For lack of better words, you looked tired. You try not to get too lost in your thoughts, thoughts you had already cycled through a million times. Myung-gi left, and even though he was now here, in the same place as you, he was gone. He had been gone a long time ago. 

Making your way back to the beds, you try not to get too lost in thought, completely becoming unaware of your surroundings. So, you don’t notice the figure approaching you until you feel a grip on your upper arm. The place you were in wasn’t a place for slow reactions, so as quick as you felt the touch to your arm, you just as quickly moved your body to face the person grabbing you, slamming your forearm right onto Myung-gi’s neck. 

Myung-gi, on the other hand, wasn’t sure what he expected. Seeing you here was the last thing he expected to happen after he woke up in a green jumpsuit along with another 435 people. But now, you’re here and only inches away from him with your arm pressed harshly into his neck. Myung-gi’s stare matches yours at that moment. He noticed how your stare remained cold from the moment you had reacted to his touch, but he also noticed the crease that had popped up on your forehead when you realized it was him, the crease he knew showed up when you were annoyed. 

And, he’s not happy about it. He shoves you off of him, and you take a step back realizing who the person who had touched you had been. 

“What are you doing here?” he asks, earning an immediate scoff from you. 

Straightening your sleeve, you answer sternly, “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I’d thought maybe you'd be happy to see me,” Myung-gi states clearly. You find it unbelievable.  

“Well,” you start, letting out a breath, “I don’t know where you’d even get that idea from.”

Myung-gi doesn’t seem to know what to do next. He crosses his arms, thinking about why you would be here. He figures you know why he’s here, you’d see it on the screen on the wall yourself. 

“So, what? You’re in here for money?”

“Of course I am Myung-gi, you’d know that if you weren’t such a prick.”

Myung-gi blinks hard at your name-calling, taken back. “Well, I’m sorry I was such a shitty boyfriend.” 

“Me too.”

You don’t say anything else, pushing past him to make your way back to your group. He wasn’t someone who you needed in your life anymore. Still, the interaction hurt. You’d made up millions of scenarios in your mind about seeing him again. You thought he’d run up to you, pull you in, apologize, and explain why he had left you in the dark. But, that’s not what happened. You don’t care for it anyways. 

You try not to think too much about your interaction with Myung-gi as you fall asleep. The next day comes quick, even though there wasn’t much to do to begin with. However, when you know your life's on the line every second you are in this place, the possibility of death comes by as fast as you'd expect. Having nowhere else to go, you lounge around the main room all day with your same teammates, waiting for the next game. When you hear that female voice come from the speakers, you feel goosebumps form on your skin. You didn’t want to have to fight for your life, but you had no other choice at this point.

Mingle. It reminded you of carousel rides you used to take when you were younger. Except, you had never felt so much anxiety on a carousel ride as children’s music played. You had been running around the entire game, pulled by whichever person on your now formed alliance team managed to pull you first. You’ve already made it this far, but as the rounds passed, the amount of blood on the floor also increased. You had slipped on it on the way out of one of the rooms, your clothes now somewhat covered in blood. Dae-ho had been the one to pick you up, giving you a reassuring smile that you would be okay. Although you were grateful for his attempt to comfort you, you were too frazzled by everything happening to give anything other than a small smile of acknowledgement in return. He had seen the way you smile had twitched, but he didn’t push you further. He understood. 

You sat in one of the rooms with Young-il, Gi-hun, and Jung-bae. The four of you wait for the main room to be cleared of dead bodies, sitting in silence before Young-il begins to speak. 

“Who was that boy you were talking to yesterday?”

You know the question is for you. Truth be told, after every round that had passed, you scanned the room to find Myung-gi. You hated him, that’s what you told yourself. But, that didn’t mean you wanted to see him dead. 

“He’s someone I know from the outside.”

Young-il hums in acknowledgment. He knows you're bluffing. The other two men in the room know that as well. 

Jung-bae turns his head towards you, “He’s been looking for every round, you know? That’s what you've been doing too.”

You don’t move. “Look at you,” you tease, whistling afterwards before continuing, “sir.” You raise your hand up to your forehead, mocking a salute. The men in the room laugh quietly at your behavior. 

And although you were trying to make a light-hearted moment out of the situation, you wondered if what Young-bae said was true. 

Has Myung-gi really been looking for you?

The spinning, the music, all these people around you. It was all too much. Your eyes keep and keep darting in every direction in every round so far. You’re tired. You’re worried. You’re scared. You don’t feel the platform when it stops spinning. You don’t realize when the music cuts out to announce the round’s number, and you don’t react when everyone around you starts darting in all directions. 

30…

You almost lose your footing when you feel a tug at your upper arm. Looking to your right, you see Gi-hun pulling you towards him. 2. You snap yourself back to reality as he pulls you harshly, trying to match up with the pace he is running. But just as quickly as you had tried to pull yourself together, you find yourself running into another player and falling straight to the floor. 

25…

It all happened too quickly, and you’re not sure who you had run into, and where Gi-hun had gone. There’s blood on your hands from following on the floor, and Gi-hun isn’t holding on to you anymore. You pick yourself up and, in a haste, look around for him.  

20…

You can’t hear much over the desperate cries of those around you, begging for a partner to complete the required number. You dart your eyes in every direction.  You finally see Gi-hun who’s yelling for you, but it’s too late. You watch as he is forcefully pulled into one of the rooms by another player.

15…

Your heart sinks to your stomach. Looking around again, you tell yourself that it’s best you found a room now before it's too late. You run towards a room you see hasn’t been occupied yet, and you hope you’ll eventually manage to find someone to pull into the room with you. 

10…

Running in that direction, you see another player, a girl on the floor. You watch how she can barely pick herself up from how much she had been trampled on. Watching as others step on her and run over her body, you run towards her, picking her up from the floor. You can’t just let her die. 

9…

At this point, you’re dragging her body in the direction of the room. You’re begging her to walk, to try and stand on her own, but she’s too weak to keep going.

8…

Maybe this is how you’ll die, playing hero.

7…

What if no one ever finds your body?

6…

There’s still so much you haven't done with your life. 

5…

Is this how it ends?

4…

Will you ever get to tell Myung-gi the truth?

Your thoughts and your desperate attempt to drag the girl hanging from your body are interrupted when you feel someone pull your body. You lose your balance, and taken back from the surprising attack, you also lose your grip on the young girl, dropping her onto the floor. You try to reach for her again, but the yanking on your arm is too forceful as whoever grabbed you pulls you away.

“No!” You yell, reaching for the girl’s hand as she has it extend towards you. 

A second more passes before you’re thrown inside one of the rooms, hearing the door click, and the decision you didn’t make being solidified. You don’t even look at whoever it had been who had pulled you against your will. Instead, you rush to look out the cut out rectangle on the room’s door, looking in the direction the girl that was once attached to you had fallen. You see her on the floor where you had left her. It was too late for her.

You watch as her eyes shift to make eye contact with you. 

“Unnie,” she sees, her hand reaching out for you one last time, “please.”

You think about how you could save her, unrealistic ideas forming in your head. But as quick as your thoughts came, a gunshot rings in your ears, and you watch the girl’s hand fall back onto the floor. 

You struggle to take your eyes off of her. She’s gone, and you couldn’t save her. You feel the guilt take over your body. Maybe if you would have been faster or stronger, maybe even smarter, you would have found a way to avoid her death. 

You hear your name being called from behind you. It’s the only thing that brings you back to reality. For a second, you think maybe it was Young-il or Dae-ho who had ended up grabbing you. But, you knew that voice anywhere. Turning around, slowly, you look to see Myung-gi standing behind you.

He has a look on his face that you can’t seem to make out. His eyes seem to soften when he looks at you. Maybe he senses the guilt you’re feeling, but you don’t want to believe that. He had pulled you in to save his own life at the cost of someone else’s, that’s what you wanted to believe. You didn’t want to make him a hero. 

You take a step forward and shove him away from you. He tries to grab your hands, but you keep pushing at his chest, trying to get him as far away from you as you can. “You didn’t have to help me! I had that handled!” 

“Handled?” He exclaims. “You call that handled? You were going to die!”

You face twists in disgust. He’s not a good person, and you're not about to make him one either. 

“No,” you scream, shaking your head, pointing towards the door, “I could've saved her. This is your fault.”

Myung-gi matches the volume of your voice, grabbing your shoulders, “You would've died, along with everyone else that’s out there!”

“That wasn’t your decision to make!”

Myung-gi’s eyes wide, like an attempt for you to try and understand where he was coming from. “Come on, Y/N! I just saved your life!”

You shake your head, your eyebrows curving into one another. “No, you didn’t save me. You killed her.”

You don’t know what to say to him anymore, and you don’t have energy to either. Maybe you could say something about how he broke your heart the day he left and never came back. How he made you feel when he left and never told you why, and how it made you feel like you were so unworthy of an explanation. You stand there, hoping maybe he’ll say something instead. But, all Myung-gi does is stand there, looking at you with challenging eyes. 

If he was waiting for a thank you, he was going to have to wait a lifetime. You take a few steps back until you feel your back hit one of the walls surrounding you. Letting your body fall to the floor, you don’t know what to do anymore except wait for the bodies outside the door to be taken away so that you could finally leave this stupid game. 

Myung-gi does the same, letting his body fall to the floor, taking a seat as far away from you as he could. The two of you were only a few feet away from one another, but even in the months he had been gone, this is the farther he had ever felt from you. 

Rushing back to the main room, you hear Myung-gi trying to catch up to you. He’s calling out your name, but you don’t want to talk. A part of you is grateful, he saved your life. You knew, deep down, that you would have never made it into the room if you had kept dragging that poor girl into the room with you. But, how could you be thankful to Myung-gi for saving you? After he had left you, and disappeared, how could he come back into your life and play hero? 

Your anger had only grown in the time you and Myung-gi had been sitting in the small mingle room waiting for those who had survived to be released from the game. You’re thinking about everything you should’ve said to Myung-gi while you still had the chance, but your thoughts are interrupted when you feel him grab your arm once more.

You yank your hand, and hard, knowing no one would be the one grabbing your arm besides him. Myung-gi sees the wrinkle in your forehead form once more, the same wrinkle that had formed a million times while the two of you had been together, and the same wrinkle that had sent him over the edge during your first interaction a day earlier. Except, this time, he doesn’t get angry. You see the way his expression grows gentle, but you’re too fired up to care. Your emotions have been bubbling up for months at this point, and you don’t care to even give him a second to catch his breath after both of you almost lost your lives. Now’s your chance to say everything you never got to say.

“You,” you say, pointing your finger straight into his chest, “think you can just disappear? Just like that, in the way you did, and now that you find me here, you get to be my hero?”

Myung-gi reaches for your hand, the one that’s still close to his chest, but you slap it away. “Don’t touch me!”

“Y/N, I know you’re angry, but it’s so much more complicat-”

“Oh, I’m sure it was,” you interrupt, not caring enough to let him finish. “So complicated you didn’t care to tell me or explain anything.”

“I didn’t have a choice! Just let me explain, okay? Maybe if you just heard me out you wouldn’t be so emotional about all this!” Myung-gi cringes at his words. 

God. He thinks. I shouldn’t have said that.

“Emotional?” You question. “That’s fucking rich,” you snarl. “Coming from you.” 

By this point, a crowd had gathered, but neither of you seemed to notice. 

You take a step forward, giving Myung-gi a look he couldn’t register. Your gaze was cold and unmoving. “You’re the one who left, without a word. You left me,” you point to yourself, and Myung-gi can see tears start forming in your eyes, “to deal with everything alone. And, now you’re here, trying to save the day.” 

“But all you are”, you say, emphasizing each word, “is a fucking coward.” 

Myung-gi feels his fists clench on his sides, his eyes locking onto yours. “You don’t know anything.”

You don’t break eye contact as you respond, “I don’t want to. Just stay out of my way.” 

You make your way back to your group, leaving Myung-gi standing alone. He doesn’t know what to do or say. But he is thinking one thing. That you were right. That’s what he was thinking. He should’ve just told you the truth, instead of running away like a coward. 

Myung-gi looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, gripping the edges to the sink. 

Get it together, Myung-gi. Get it together. 

In his attempt to bring you back to him, he had only managed to make things worse. But he had tried to save your life, so why couldn’t you just be grateful at the very least?

The bathroom’s main door creaks open as Thanos walks in with Nam-gyu. Myungi-gi, too riled up because of his problems with you, attempts to make his way out the bathroom, only to stop when he notices Thanos messing with Min-su. 

Realizing that Thanos was attempting to threaten Min-su because of his choice to change his vote from O to X, Myung-gi finds it in himself to yell out to the rest of the men in the room, attempting to alert them of what Thanos was doing. The men huddle into the center of the restroom, and Thanos, unhappy with the situation, decides to confront Myung-gi. 

“MG Coin,” Thanos starts, “Have you lost your mind?” Thanos waves his hand in front of Myung-gi's face in an attempt to irk him, something he had been committed to do the entire time they had been there. 

But Myung-gi stands his ground, not wanting to let Thanos get to him. Your words are ringing in his mind. Coward. That’s all Myung-gi hears in his head at this moment. He had to prove to himself, and you, that he wasn’t going to be a coward anymore.

Thanos, realizing that Myung-gi wasn’t going to falter, decides to try and provoke Myung-gi further, “It’s because of that girl, isn’t it? 

“That bitch from earlier?” Nam-gyu adds. “It looked like they were a thing, remember?” 

Thanos smirks once he sees the way Myung-gi faces shifts at the mention of you. Myung-gi tries to keep himself as calm as he can, but he’d be damned if you were dragged into his problems. He had already done that to you once. 

Nam-gyu continues, enjoying adding more fuel to the fire, “I like her. Maybe, we can-”

“Leave her alone, you bastards,” Myung-gi interrupts, stepping forward and pissed at the idea of them doing anything to you. 

Thanos remains unfazed. “You’re getting all worked up. Something is definitely going on there.”  

“MG Coin,” Thano repeats again, taking a step forward, “If you press X again tomorrow, I’ll cut off your finger, give it to her, and ask her out. And she’ll love it.” 

Myung-gi can feel the anger bubbling up inside him. He blinks, registering what Thanos just said to him. He could take Thanos pushing him around, but he wouldn’t let Thanos do anything to you.

Without thinking, Myung-gi’s body reacts, tightening his right hand into a fist and launching himself in Thano’s direction. The silence that had fallen in the room was interrupted by the sound of Myung-gi’s fist coming into contact with Thano’s jaw, before the room that was divided by Team O and Team X began to launch themselves at one another. 

Before Thanos can compose himself again, Myung-gi wastes no time to launch himself again at the purple-haired man, driven by the thought of you. If this was the way to protect you from Thanos and his friend, he wasn’t going to hesitate another second in dealing with Thanos. 

They wrestle until Thanos manages to pin Myung-gi onto the ground, throwing punches at Myung-gi’s face. 

“Your money, your girl, your life, they’re all mine!” 

Thanos grips Myung-gi’s throat. Myung-gi tries to fight him off, but Thano’s pupils are dilated. He’s high, and there’s nothing he won’t do.

Myung-gi tries gasping for air, clawing at Thano’s grasp. His vision darkens and darkens as the seconds go by. Maybe this is how he’ll die, on a bathroom floor, in the middle nowhere, where no one will ever find his body, and with you never knowing the truth. He’ll die with you hating him. 

Y/N. 

He sees you in a flash. The day before he disappeared, how you laid next to him your shared room. How you opened your eyes and looked at him with stars in your eyes. How he reached over to touch your soft skin. How you smiled at him. How you pushed the hair out of his eyes. He remembers how his heart fluttered when you pressed the warmth of your body against his. He remembers the guilt he felt when he left you that next day, knowing he wouldn't be back for a while. 

Then, he sees your angry face. The fire in your eyes every time you've looked at him since the two of you have been here. How when he saw you, he thought maybe he'd have the courage to tell you the truth, but, instead, his emotions got the best of him. But, you need to know the truth. God, he can’t die with you hating him.

Feeling for the fork in his pocket, he manages to use the last of his strength to lunge at Thanos’ throat. Blood spews onto Myung-gi’s face, and he doesn’t know how to react, frozen from the site in front of him. It isn’t until he feels Thano’s grip loosening that he manages to break free. Gasping for air, Myung-gi manages to drag himself into a stall, his vision finally clearing. 

He leans against the stall door, trying to steady his breathing. His mind's racing, filled with the thought of you. 

The room falls into a tense, frightening silence as the fighting starts to reach an end. Myung-gi can hear the sounds of others, the murmur of conversations, the sounds of those dying as they struggle with their last breaths. Yet, he can’t focus on anything except getting back to you. He needs to find you and make sure you’re okay.  

Myung-gi pushes himself up, his body aching from the fight. He steps out of the stall, catching his reflection in the mirror. He’s bruised and covered in blood. 

Still, with determination, he exits the bathroom. His steps are unsteady, but he continues to make his way through all the corridors, heading back to the main room. He manages to catch up to some others on team X, taking a deep breath as they all approach the door. He can’t face the rest of what's to come alone, and he can't let you face it alone either. 

You sat still as you watched the argument that was breaking out in front of you. One moment you were sitting with the group, making jokes as you all tried to entertain one another. The next, the group of men that had gone into the bathroom minutes ago come back angry at one another. Angry and bloody. You listen as they tell one another, blaming each other for starting the fight. 

You began to worry about what this means. If killing one another also counts as a player losing, then no one was safe either in or out of the games. You start to think back to mingle. You were still angry at Myung-gi, but you know you weren’t angry at him for saving your life. How could you be? 

That’s when you remembered that Myung-gi had also gone into the bathroom, and he hadn’t come back out yet. 

You stand up from the spot you're in, looking over the small crowds that had formed and scanned the room. Myung-gi isn’t in the room, and you begin to wonder if he’s dead on the bathroom floor. 

Your heart drops. You feel guilt starting to eat at you. If Myung-gi’s dead, then he died thinking you hated him. 

Before you can keep thinking the worst, you hear one of the only doors of the room swing open, watching how Myung-gi stumbles in, covered in the most blood than anyone else in the room. Eyes widening, you began to worry about what happened to him. Everyone in the room continues to yell at one another, but your eyes don’t pull away from Myung-gi.

You watch as his eyes scan the room, looking for something. When his eyes land on you, his body shifts to move towards you. Without a second thought, you get up in a hurry to him. 

When you reach him, you help him walk towards your bed. He reiterates that he’s fine over and over again, but you’re having a hard time believing him with the state he is currently in. 

“What happened?” You say, scanning his face, “Is this blood yours? Where are you hurt?” 

You place your hands on both sides of his face, turning his head slightly from one side to the other in an attempt to find a source that blood could be coming from. Myung-gi doesn’t say anything, he’s too tired to. All he feels like doing at that moment leaning into the warmth of your hands, and that's exactly what he does, closing his eyes as he enjoys the comfort of being held by you. 

Taken back by the sudden action, you pull your hands away. Not as quickly as you had been doing in the past couple of days, but you still didn’t feel as though the action was appropriate. But, your gaze isn’t as harsh as it had been towards him in the past few days either, and Myung-gi takes note of that. 

“Baby,” Myung-gi says. He knows he’s still dazed from the fight, but he has to tell you the truth. “We need to talk.”

You don’t say anything, but your heart flutters at the pet name. Still, you find it inappropriate given the circumstances. “Don’t call me that.”

You rip off the fabric off some of your clothing and wipe at the blood on his face. Tears are forming in your eyes, and you don’t know if you're angry or hurt or too riled up at this point. Myung-gi sees you trying to hold back your tears as you wipe at his face, and he brings his hand up to grab yours. You try to pull back, but he keeps his hold on you. 

“Let me help you,” you say as you attempt to pull away from his grip. 

Myung-gi keeps looking at your eyes, trying to get you to look at him. “Look at me.”

You keep fighting his grip, but Myung-gi doesn’t budge. He knows you're still upset over what he did to you. You have every right to be. 

“Y/N,” he says softly, “look at me, please. Stop fighting me.”

By now, all the physical and emotional strength you had was gone. You wanted to fall into Myung-gi arms. You wanted it to just go back to the way it used to be.  

“I’m sorry.” Myung-gi cupped your face with his hands, looking into your eyes. “I’m sorry for leaving the way I did.”

“Why did you leave?” He can hear the quiver in your voice, and he feels his heart break even more than it already had been in the past few months. He hated himself for what he did to you.

“I had to” he says, scanning your face and seeing all the worry you had manifesting onto your features, “I had to go.”

He pulled your face in closer, wanting to make sure you heard everything he had to say, “After everything that happened, after all those investments I made, I owed a lot of people a lot of money. They started threatening me, and I couldn’t let anything happen to you because of me. So, I ran. I ran so they’d chase after me and so that you wouldn’t be in any danger because of my problems.”

You stay quiet, continuing to listen to him. “But not a day went by that I didn’t think about you or coming back home to you. I came back for you, that’s why I was in town again, but after the stupid salesman gave me the card on the subway, I thought I could get some money together so I could pay off my debt and finally come back home to you without any worries.” 

A tear slid down your cheek. You didn’t know what to think. 

“But,” Myung-gi added, “I never stopped thinking about you. And, I never stopped loving you, baby. I’m sorry for acting the way I have been, I just… I know I didn’t do things right. I was afraid you might have already moved on by now and that all I had was hope in something that doesn’t exist between us anymore.” 

“Myung-gi,” you say, finally finding in yourself to say something, “I’m really angry with you right now.”

Myung-gi feels a lump grow in his throat. “I know.”

You take his hands off your face, and Myung-gi lets his head drop down. Maybe, he has lost you for good. 

“But I never stopped loving you either.” You intertwine your hands with his, and Myung-gi lifts his head up in surprise. 

A small smile forms on both of your faces. Myung-gi lifts your connected hands to his lips, kissing your hands. He scans your face, and you feel your cheeks warm up to his affection. He has a look on his face that you know too well. 

A silence falls over the both of you. It was all lot to take in from both sides, but Myung-gi had missed you so much, and he just needed to take you all in. He had already lost so much time with you, he didn’t want to lose any more time ever again. 

“Can I kiss you?”

You take a second to make a decision before giving him a small nod. He leans in, and you close your eyes before you feel the plushiness of his lips come into contact with yours. He grabs your waist, pulling you in, and you let your hands rest on his jaw line. 

Pulling away for air, Myung-gi takes another couple of seconds to look at your face as he traced your features with his finger gently and lovingly, a gesture you had missed more than you could express.

“We’re getting out of here.” Myung-gi says as he pecks your lips. “And I will spend every day for the rest of my life making it up to you. 

You nod at his words. You know that not everything is resolved between the two of you yet, but you now have the answers you had been looking for. And that was good enough for now.

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[mesetacadre]

(sorry in advance for the more personal ask, you're the most intelligent person i know of when it comes to these things)

genuinely, how are we supposed to find the strength to go on? it feels like capitalism has won. only a few decades ago my country was openly and proudly socialist, and now we're nothing but an american military base with an economy. everything's been privatised, the unions are broken, the people are starving, and we keep voting for more of this! people are gleefully begging for yet more exploitation! sometimes it feels there's not a drop of class consciousness to be found in the entire country, and that it's pointless to even hope for change. how can i stay sane?

The class struggle is not a team sport which either side can win or lose. It is a historical and economic process, one that's inevitable. As long as capitalism exists, there will be a social majority of workers it must exploit, alienation will still happen, and a portion of these workers will be aware of this fact. The class struggle is also a long process, one that, most of the time, is imperceptible to the individual in physical and time scale. Only sometimes, it accelerates to dizzying speeds and the conditions necessary for taking power are met. We can talk about victories and defeats, but we can't lose sight of the fact that those "only" are points in time, momentaneous advances or retreats in the process that is the class struggle, but they never mean the paralization of this process.

We can only really talk about the bourgeoisie taking power and creating the first properly capitalist states in the late 18th century and early 19th, but the bourgeoisie had lead or taken part in attempts at or glimpes of revolution as far back as the early 16th century. The bourgeoisie never really had an unifying theory of the class struggle, most were never really fully conscious of it. But they still eventually took power, once the development of the national economies advanced so far that it forced the replacement of the feudal mode of production, the bourgeois revolutions became inevitable. Marx and Engels only ever saw one real attempt at the proletariat taking power, in the Paris Commune of 1871, but it only ever lasted a few months. They both were long dead when the first actually (relatively) long-lasting instance of the proletariat in power broke the oppressor classes' veneer of invincibility.

When Marxists talk of inevitability it is not in a conspiratorial manner, or an expression of satisfied optimism, we never mean that "one day the capitalists will get what's coming to them", in a vague way. We mean that, only if communists continue to work towards the revolutionary organization of our class, is a complete overthrow of capitalism inevitable. We should all do an exercise is historical perspective when it comes to analyzing progress, take the Marx and Engels example from the previous paragraph, they never got to see an effective application of their theories. Class consciousness will fluctuate continuously, it always has. The bolshevik party in 1913 had nothing to do with the party that lead the October Revolution, and 8 years after the defeat of the 1905 revolution, I bet many felt like their work was hopeless. My point is that, while the borders of the Communist Party may shrink, grow, or even disappear, and while we might be savagely oppressed, no system of oppression has ever lasted forever.

When it comes to revolutions, there are objective and subjective conditions. The objective we can never control; it's the stability of capitalism, the characteristics of its suprastructure, if there is a crisis or not. The subjective is what's under our control; our own work as communists, the state of the revolutionary party, the degree of influence of communists at the core of the working class. These two sets of conditions interact with one another, with the objective conditions influencing the possibility of development of the subjective conditions much more than the reverse. What makes you hopeless is in part the objective conditions. Capitalism is quite stable right now (though not as much as it ever seems), and, for now, we can't do much about it, because the subjective conditions, the other part of your homelessness, are also very delayed. But these we do have control over, at first very little, but as they improve, the control we have over them also increases. Essentially, friend, all we can do is prepare our class, do our best to gain more workers to our cause, bit by bit, so that once capitalism shows one of its cracks, we can be ready to pry those cracks open and bust the whole system. The Russian soldiers in WW1 were already discontent when the bolsheviks began to agitate up to the trenches, Mao's guerrillas grew to an army taking advantage of the deep fragmentation China suffered throughout the first half of the century, etc.

Once again, class struggle is not a straight line that we move in two directions. It is a complex space. The overthrow of the USSR was a very profound blow to revolutionary organizations all around the world, of course, but the state of communism in general in 1995 was still in a much better position than it was merely 90 years prior. Every defeat also sharpens the tactics and strategies we use. Eastern Europe (where I assume you're from) did use to be socialist, and those worker's states were overthrown. But you are still in a better position than a communist in the interwar period, facing borderline fascistic dictatorship and a future of Nazi-Fascist occupation. They did not have any precedent or much practical experience to learn from, but you do. Every day that we delay work, even in the most hopeless of contexts, is a day more that our grandchildren will have to bear in capitalism, and a day more they're deprived of true freedom and self-government

[liberalsarecool]

From Professor Christopher Robichaud, Senior Lecturer in Ethics and Public Policy, Harvard:

“I'll say this, and then I likely won't be saying much more on here for quite some time, to the relief of some, I'm sure. But my farewell warning is this.

Everyone in the days and weeks ahead will use this loss as an opportunity to seek validation for their own hobby horse complaint. Harris lost because she campaigned with Liz Cheney. Harris lost because she didn't embrace Gaza. Harris lost because she didn't choose Shapiro. Harris lost because she wasn't progressive enough (possibly my favorite one).

Take a good, hard look at the map, my friends. Trump has won the popular vote. Trump ran the table. Explaining that with your hobby horse issue isn't going to cut it, tempting and consoling as it may be. The problem isn't the electoral college. The problem isn't that we didn't have a full primary. The problem isn't Harris. The problem isn't that Dems didn't have the right message. The problem isn't even inflation or the border.

The problem is so much worse than any of those things. Those are all technical problems, with straightforward expertise fixes. If only it were so! No, our problem is not technical. It's very much adaptive. A party that embraced the Big Lie, supported an insurrection, and has been selling conspiracy-addled madness for years, [which] was widely and enthusiastically embraced. Voter turnout was profound! People didn't sit this out.

Simply put, the problem--as some of you have rightly posted--is cultural. America, culturally, has completely abandoned a politics of decency and respect and has embraced instead a politics of resentment, revenge, false nostalgia, and bullying. And if you look at the demographics, you also won't be able to comfort yourself that it's just a white thing, or a working class thing, or an education thing. It's multi-class, multi-gender, multi-educational, and multi-racial. That's what winning the popular vote means. That's what running the table amounts to.

A culture that has descended to this level of debasement is not easily fixed. In fact it may not ever be fixed. The timeline for changing something like this is decades--at best--not two-to-four year election cycles. You can extend that in this case, because with the GOP likely controlling all branches of federal government and the courts, they will ensure that mechanisms are in place to keep them in power long after their popularity has waned. You can count on that.

The GOP evolved into a party of rage, lies, and revenge--and it correctly diagnosed that there was and is a large appetite for that. That's what the country wants. At least enough of the country wants it to ensure broad appeal and widespread electoral success. The old GOP will never return, and the Dems have nothing to say to American culture at the moment. Nothing. They've been speaking to a country that's gone, like dust in the wind.

And that's my final thought, which my posts last night alluded to. The America I knew and loved is gone. This new America--nah, I won't even bother. I will say that cultural change is less likely to occur in politics or in the academy. You're not going to get people to see how vulgar they've become through a clever argument or a nice campaign speech, that's for sure.

This would be time for the arts, broadly understood, to step in. The arts can change hearts and minds. Too bad the arts have been systematically dismantled in education in this country, and on the other end, the tech industry's assault on the arts through AI is sure to hollow out any good-faith efforts that might emerge.

And for the rest of the world, America's rightward lurch is, I'm afraid, bad news for you too. I know you know this. Because it's not isolated, is it? It's just at the moment the most prominent example of a burgeoning trend. And this will embolden others in other countries, to be sure. We need not speculate what happens when countries become mired in lies, embrace resentment, and savor bullying. We know exactly what happens. Bloody conflict and global destabilization.

The first quarter of the 21st century will, therefore, in hindsight, be viewed as the seed-planting stage for the absolute shit show that's about to unfold globally over the next two and a half decades. Count on it.

Adopt whatever coping and endurance strategies you have available. You're going to need it.

I think that's all I've left to say.”

The least evolved. The most paternalistic.

The bully. The liar. The most resentful.

This is the reality we are in. FOX and Republicans have been repeating the script for decades.

The Dark Ages are conservative aspirations.

The abdication of values/principles is complete.

'Good faith' no longer exists on the Right. The more reprehensible the action/person, the bigger the addiction. Trump proves this.

Anti-paternalism, anti-fascism and anti-bullying are my paths forward. Join me.

[choslut]

˖ ࣪ ، ◞ せ⌇ SAY ‘AHH’ featuring wriothesley.

tags : orgasm delay/denial, public sex, cockwarming, dirty talk, edging, slight exhibitionism, possessive behaviour, public groping, slight praise kink // wc. 0.7k

author’s note : i really like this one, esp since im actually saving for wrio (HOYO LET HIM OUT OF THE DUNGEON PLEAAAAASE) i need him bad and my ovaries scream in joy whenever he appears on screen :3 also there's this one voiceline he says in the archon quest that actually has me arching? joe zieja the man you are :(( anyways notes n reblogs are always welcome here, please don't spam (esp w/o a follow), and that's all the admin stuff done, enjoy your read!

this work is NSFW minors and ageless blogs DO NOT INTERACT.

everyone wants to get close to WRIOTHESLEY. he’s the most feared fighter in the fortress of meropide, having won countless pankration matches and being voted most likely to head the fortress more times than even he himself could count. 

everyone’s fear and admiration of this man is partially why you think you can feel a million and one pairs of eyes on you as you sit on his lap in the coupon cafeteria, his throbbing cock nestled deep in the confines of your dripping cunt. “baby…”

“keep it down, angel,” he grumbles, shoving a forkful of food into his mouth before offering you a bite of your own meal. “people are gonna get suspicious.”

as if the scene wasn’t suspicious enough anyways! everyone knows of your relationship with wriothesley (it’s a hot topic in the women’s dorms, the fact that you share a room with him), so it isn’t completely irregular to see you sitting in his lap in the cafeteria. 

what is completely irregular and may raise suspicion is the fact that as you sit on his lap, wriothesley’s length is slowly but discreetly pumping into your stretched out cunt, it’s engorged tip nudging against your g-spot with every movement. it’s intoxicating, but he told you that you can’t make a single noise, and just sit pretty until he’s finished eating. 

he also told you that you can’t cum either, and that if you do, he’ll have no problem fucking you out in the open for everyone else to see how much of a slut his girl is. 

“hnnn, wrio…” muffled moans are directed into the crook of his neck and you bite down gently on his skin. it’s not helping that every time you make a noise a little too loud for his liking, he moves his hips upwards that little bit more, pressing his tip harder onto your g-spot. as a result, you can’t hold yourself back, leading to a cruel cycle of wriothesley’s brutal edging and your pitiful compliance. 

“almost done, baby, see?” he points to the nearly empty metal container before lifting a forkful of food to your mouth. “open up now, doll. say ahhh.”

“ahh–ah!” his hips thrust upwards and your eyes roll lewdly into the back of your head as your tongue lolls out onto your bottom lip. a couple of heads turn but you manage to cover it up by burying your head into his chest. 

wriothesley has to restrain himself from bursting out with laughter. you’re trying so hard to be good for him that it’s becoming a struggle, and watching you try to stop yourself from giving in and fucking yourself on him like he knows you want to is providing him with ample entertainment. you’re such a good girl, sitting pretty and letting him spoonfeed you your pleasure by edging you in broad daylight. 

“what’d i say about being quiet, doll?” his voice is a low whisper in your ear, one hand slipping under your skirt and squeezing your ass harshly. “ ‘s almost like you want to get caught.” he starts to speed up his slow grinding, hands sliding up to your waist as he starts to move you back and forth. 

“god, you want it bad, huh?” he feels your teeth brush his neck. “my girl can’t even wait ‘til we got back to the dorms, shit.” you try to gyrate your hips discreetly, your pussy aching to feel him against your sweet spot again. “let up a lil’ bit, sweetheart, you’re squeezin’ too tight.”

“can’t,” you whimper, nails digging into his biceps. “ ‘s too big.”

“remember what i told you? no cummin’ until i’m done.” he shoves another forkful of his food into his mouth. “and if you don’t mind yourself, i won’t let you cum at all.”

“no, nooo..” your voice fades into a pitiful whine as you stop moving, desperate to please your boyfriend. “wanna be good for you, wrio, wanna be your good girl…”

“i know, baby, i know, but you’re gonna have to wait.” he gestures to the rest of the cafeteria, and the open space surrounding it. “can’t let them see how pretty you look when you cum. that’s f’me only.”

he tugs your hair gently, pulling your heated face out of his neck before tapping your bottom lip with a forkful of food. “open up, honey. we’re almost done.”

PREVIOUS : BLACKOUT ft. tartaglia NEXT : BITE ME ft. miguel o’hara

liked that? check out the WE’RE SO BACK main masterlist.

© choslut 2024 — do not copy, repost or translate my works without permission.

[v4mpvelocity]

Was it worth it?

pairing: Park Gyeong Seok(player 246) x female reader

SMUT MDNI

Warnings: P in V, unprotected sex (WRAP IT UP), overstimulation, Gyeong-Seok being a munch,

A/N: I hope this ok? i’ve been so burnt out after last night so i wrote this all in one go

The games were over, money split between all of the remaining players. The final vote had been 51:50 to X's, subsequently ending the games. You had left and started over with Gyeong-Seok, the man you met during the games and the man who stole your heart. Paying off your debts, taking your lives back from those who forced you to live in fear.

There was an age difference, a stark one at that. You were only 21 and he was 42, a mature man with a child, some may say that you were wasting your time. Neither of you cared, you were both adults who were in a consenting relationship. Gyeong-seok and you had used the money won from the games to pay for Na-yeons cancer treatment and move into a nicer 2 bedroom flat.

Life was much better now, no debts, no unpaid cancer treatments, no worries about if you can pay the rent this month or be able to put food on the table. The money was a godsend, a lifesaver if you will, but you couldn’t help think back to how you got this money. The countless innocent people who had their lives ripped away from them by some heartless bastards all because they followed the wrong path in life. The games haunted you, from that stupid alarm song to the masks that the guards wore, gunshots, blood. You had enough money to live now, comfortably. Enough money where you never had to work multiple jobs at once ever again, but at what cost?

You didn’t have time to worry about any of that, your main priority was ensuring that your family is cared for and looked after. After all this money allowed Na-yeon to be a kid, do the things she should have been able to do all along. Na-yeon was currently at daycare, providing you and Gyeong-Seok with a rare moment of solitude in the quiet of your home, and you both intended to use it to your advantage.

That’s what led you to where you were right now, on the bed legs spread wide open whilst Gyeong-Seok devoured your pussy where he had been for the past 2 hours. Forcing orgasm after orgasm from your abused flesh. Tongue flicking and circling your sensitive clit, the motions causing the pleasure to hit you in debilitating waves, stopping every so often to press a kiss to your clit before taking it into his mouth and sucking.

Face flushed, body slick with sweat, eyes half closed and mouth contorted into a O as a constant string of whines and moans left your throat. Fingers fucking into you at a wild pace, the sound of squelching echoed throughout the room as his fingers curled inside of you to stroke your sweet spot. Your tight hole clenching around his fingers, you needed more, you needed him.

‘G-Gyeong…nghhmmm…need you….so bad…need you in me��� You whined, tears threatening to spill due to the fact your pussy was so overstimulated but wanted so much more at the same time. Your head was spinning, the room seeming to be spinning with it, all you could hear was the sounds of Gyeong-Seoks muffled moans and the sound of your folds squelching as he fucked his fingers into you mercilessly.

‘You want me in you honey? hm? that what you want baby?’ Gyeong-Seok muttered against your soaked folds, a mix of cum, spit and lube all mixed together causing your pussy to glisten with moisture.

‘such a pretty pussy baby…so fuckin pretty’ He said, wether he was talking to you or to himself you didn’t know, and frankly you were too fucked out to care, even though he hadn’t even put his cock inside of you yet. He always insisted on ensuring that your fully prepared for him, he was thick and long, but you needed him inside you no matter how big the stretch.

Gyeong-Seok pressed a final sloppy kiss to your clit before pulling away, the now lack of the intense sensations that you had previously been feeling caused a whine to come from you.

‘Shhh…Shhh baby….’ Gyeong-Seok muttered, coming up to take one of your perk nipples into his mouth, sucking and circling as he kneaded the other one with his hand. You let out soft moans

Gyeong-seok had you folded almost in half into a mating press position, knees to your chest and thighs spread at an almost embarrassing angle while his cock rammed into you with an animalistic pace. His thick length abusing your gummy walls, making you feel as if your being split in half. His thick tip kissing your cervix with each thrust, filling you up entirely.

You were reduced to a mess, babbling and moaning, unable to string a sentence together without being rudely interrupted with a pornographic moan being ripped from within you. His pace was relentless, hard and rough yet no matter how hard and how rough he fucked you he always managed to ensure that you feel loved, not used.

Your face was tear-streaked, pussy overstimulated after cumming 4 times already, but Gyeong-Seok insisted you had more in you.

‘Oh come on honey…..you can take one more shh..ahh yeah you can’ He muttered in your ear, voice rough and low with lust. Kissing your temple as he began to slam his hips into you harder, your tits bouncing with the force of each movement. Fingers gripping his biceps as if they were the only thing keeping you grounded. You could feel the pressure in your stomach begin to become more prominent, the need to cum almost painful.

‘Please-I…oh fuck I cant…oh fuck i cant ’ You said, the words almost incoherent from your fucked out state. Tears now free falling down your face, the line between pain and pleasure becoming increasingly blurred with every thrust. The overstimulation was intense. The sound of skin slapping against skin echoing throughout the room, your moans and whimpers mixing with his grunts in a cacophony of noise. Gyeong-Seok gripped your chin in his hand forcing you to lock eyes with him, pupils dialated with lust.

‘Come on honey….i’ve got you….that’s a good girl…oh fuck one more baby’ Your hole clenched around his cock, squeezing him deliciously. You could feel his cock twitch inside you informing you that he was close to cumming. Holding out in order to make you cum on his cock again, to see you fall apart all because of him. His movements were raw, not soft, but yet you could still feel every ounce of love he was pouring into them.

Your orgasm crashed over you like a freight train, thighs shaking as a pornographic moan was emitted from you. Gyeong-seok held you close, fucking you through your orgasm. His thrusts had slowed but still held the same force behind them. Juices gushing out around his cock dripping onto the sheets beneath you. Gyeong-Seok followed not long after, his hot sticky cum spilling deep inside you. He pulled out with a soft ‘pop’, his cum leaking from your well used hole.

‘Let’s clean you up honey’ He said, going to the bathroom to retrieve a warm rag. He came back and sat next to you on the bed, kissing your forehead as he gently wiped away the remains of your encounter. Your quivering flesh still overstimulated from the rough fucking, Gyeong-Seoks caring actions a stark different to how rough he had just been moments prior.

‘You okay baby? yeah? good girl’ Gyeong-Seok asked, pressing a soft kiss to your hair. Rolling off of you and pulling you into his chest. Whispering soft praises into your ear as you drifted off to sleep. Whilst the circumstances of which provided you with this life were less than ideal, you couldn’t complain.

[qqueenofhades]

I think the Aaron Sorkin fic people are writing about the convention to be extremely silly. It's going to be Biden. And if Biden's health takes a downturn and he feels the need to step down its going tk be Harris. This fantasy where we skip over her to whip up two random white guys(or like maaaybe Witmer) and somehow cruise to victory instead of fragmenting the party months before the election is simply not going to happen.

Look, I'm just saying, I got an email from the Biden campaign this morning where they seemed pretty darn happy with the actual (i.e. not-bloviating media) results of the debate: $38 million raised in 4 days ($30 million from individual small-dollar donors), 10K new volunteers in a week, 3x surge in campaign volunteers for battleground states, essentially no change or even a modest boost in the polls. So I think at this point, we can cautiously conclude the following things:

The debate looked bad for Biden, perhaps, but doesn't seem to have hurt him nearly as much the incredibly bad-faith BIDEN NEEDS TO STEP DOWN NOW takes being pumped out by the NYT and its other compatriots would suggest. Especially when these same media outlets have been gleefully sabotaging Biden at every turn for years already and whose fake-sanctimonious hand-wringing "for the good of the nation" pieces honestly should get them dropped into Superhell for Bad Journalists;

Biden went to Raleigh NC right after the debate and gave a fiery rally speech that was very well received. Now, I don't know why we didn't have that Biden at the debate, but it was the same night and there clearly was not any "cOgnItiVe dEcLinE" happening there (also Biden has a stutter and has for literally his entire life, and had a cold on debate night, so it was just an unfortunate confluence of factors)

There are very few actually undecided voters in this election (once again: HOW???) and those who tuned into the debate were largely already convinced of which candidate they were voting for and this didn't do much to change their minds. Just like, you know, pretty much every other debate in the history of presidential elections.

Ordinary voters, and not mainstream media outlets with BIDEN IZ BAD goggles clamped over their eyes, were able to see Trump's insane Gish gallops, lies, and full-blown dementia; this isn't going to get any better for him when he's already lost 20%-25% of GOP voters in every state primary and still is going to be sentenced in his criminal trial;

The D.C. political elite screaming about how Biden should step down (FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THE ELECTION) and leave the Democrats to start from scratch with some Star Chamber-selected candidate with no money and no incumbency record and no organization apparatus and a divided party are either fucking weapons grade morons or working secretly for Trump, because that IS in fact the best way to lose the election;

Such speculation seems to fall chiefly on Gavin Newsom, who (to his credit) has shut down any and all suggestion that he should try to step in and take the place of an incumbent who has won every state primary with 90% or more, because he's remotely sane and understands that this year is too important to fuck around with;

I've somehow never seen any suggestion that Biden should step aside for the duly elected (brown, female) Vice President, because everyone seems to think some Young Miraculous White Guy is coming and/or should step in;

All this while SCOTUS is clearly so confident of Trump getting back in that it's willing to grant him Absolute God King status pre- and post-emptively;

Yes, Biden needs to up his game before the next debate (though that's on Fox News iirc, blargh), but I think it's far enough post-debate that we can say it was bad but did not sink him, and if anything, reinforced the fact to many ordinary, non-brainwormed voters that Biden is old (which has been the number one chief theme of news coverage for four years and is no surprise to anyone) but is a decent and principled man doing a good job, while Trump is an absolute gibbering insane orange shitmonger fascist. I don't think he did himself any favors in that regard.

....anyway. The point is, do not be fucking insane people, Biden is not going to step down and frankly shouldn't, don't read the NYT (as noted, they've openly admitted to sabotaging him for personal ego reasons so I don't know why the hell anyone would listen to what they have to say about him), this is still an eminently winnable election, and let's go get those motherfucking fascists. I want Trump in jail and all of SCOTUS and the MAGAGOP fucking crying over it because they fucking suck. Let's go.

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Marlene Dietrich (Shanghai Express, Witness for the Prosecution, Morocco)—Bisexual icon, super hot when dressed both masculine and feminine, lived up her life in the queer Berlin scene of the 1920s, central to the 'sewing circle' of the secret sapphic actresses of Old Hollywood, refused lucrative offers by the Nazis and helped Jews and others under persecution to escape Nazi Germany, the love of my life

Sophia Loren (Marriage Italian Style, Houseboat)—Major Italian star, first actress to win an Oscar for a performance not in English (for Two Women (1960)) and later when Roberto Benigni won an Oscar in 1999 he jumped over the chairs towards the stage going "Sophia Sophia!!" because he was running towards Sophia Loren and said he cared more about her than the Oscar, that's the effect she had on people. She was big in the 60s already even though she gained a lot more notoriety after that. And I mean. Can we take a moment and just.

This is round 6 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Sophia Loren:

She has maxed out all her stats: beauty, elegance, sensuality, she's got it all. her mesmerizing eyes, her sensual mouth, her sharp face shape, her everything is so striking and unlike any other beauty in films. she was also voted the world most beautiful woman when she was freaking 65

im submitting her in honor of my dad bc she was the first celebrity crush of his he ever admitted to me and my sister :) and he was right. shes so pretty

OSCAR WINNER. Worked with some of the hottest leading men in Hollywood but remained faithful to her husband whom she had a loving marriage with till he died (even though Cary Grant almost tempted her once, it's complicated)

One of the most well-known sex symbols of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and unlike some unfortunate others, she seems to have been pretty well at peace with occupying that status. She made assertiveness and a tempestuous temper seem glamorous, and although she's famous for side-eying Jayne Manisfield's cleavage, honestly? She's one to talk.

Absolutely, drop-dead sexy, also a hard working, extraordinarily talented actress who didn't shy away from the less glamorous roles to gift us some gritty, memorable performances

Submitting this on behalf of my dad, who knows nothing of tumblr or this blog, but I remember being a kid watching Houseboat while my mom thirsted after Cary Grant, dad thirsted after Sophia Loren, and I was excited that they lived on a boat. Anyway, she's extremely beautiful and was an international star, doing a ton of movies in Italy before being recognized in the US.

JUST LOOK AT HER Y'ALL

Very smart and beautiful, the characters that she played (I mean those in the movies that I put in the previous question) are as strong and determined as her which I think adds to her hotness.

Global superstar and my late grandfather's long time movie star crush and for a man as quiet as he was, and as hopelessly devoted to his wife as he was, the fact that I know that means she was EXCEPTIONAL.

Big in the chest, snatched in the waist, pretty in the face 😳

Sexy, beautiful, deep. A real star.

Her performance in "Man of La Mancha" is just so very captivating. Dubbed as "the Italian Marilyn Monroe", she looks beautiful in any movie and at any age.

Forget the exotic sexpot of her Hollywood films and go back to her Italian career: sparking with Marcello Mastroianni as the woman who drives him mad and outwits all his fumbling attempts at macho posturing in their early films, and showing a tender side in their 1970s films. Sophia isn’t self-conscious about who she is or her beautiful body: she enjoys being herself and she wants us all to enjoy ourselves too.

She starred in films as a sexually emancipated persona and was one of the best known sex symbols of the time. She is a great cook and her filmography is immense.

On the misattributed quote that Sophia owed everything to spaghetti: 'Did you actually say the quote frequently attributed to you, "Everything you see I owe to spaghetti"?' "Non è vero! It's not true! It's such a silly thing. I owe it to spaghetti, no, no. Completely made up."

Marlene Dietrich:

ms dietrich....ms dietrich pls.....sit on my face

its marlene dietrich!!!! queer legend, easily the hottest person to ever wear a tuxedo, that hot hot voice, those glamorous glamorous movies…. most famously she starred in a string of movies directed by josef von sternberg throughout the 1930s, beginning with the blue angel which catapulted her to stardom in the role of the cabaret singer lola lola. known for his exquisite eye for lighting, texture, imagery, von sternberg devoted himself over the course of their collaborations to acquiring exceptional skill at photographing dietrich herself in particular, a worthy direction in which to expend effort im sure we can all agree. she collaborated with many other great directors of the era as well, including rouben mamoulian (song of songs), frank borzage (desire), ernst lubitsch (angel), fritz lang (rancho notorious), and billy wilder (witness for the prosecution). the encyclopedia britannica entry im looking at while compiling this propaganda describes her as having an “aura of sophistication and languid sexuality” which✔️💯. born marie magdalene dietrich, she combined her first and middle names to coin the moniker “marlene”. she was a trendsetter in her incorporation of trousers, suits, and menswear into her wardrobe and her androgynous allure was often remarked upon. critic kenneth tynan wrote, “She has sex, but no particular gender. She has the bearing of a man; the characters she plays love power and wear trousers. Her masculinity appeals to women and her sexuality to men.” in the 1920s she enjoyed the vibrant queer nightlife of weimar berlin, visiting gay bars and drag balls, and in hollywood her love affairs with men and women were an open secret. she was an ardent opponent of nazi germany, refusing lucrative contacts offered her to make films there, raising money with billy wilder to help jews and dissidents escape, and undertaking extensive USO tours to entertain soldiers with an act that included her a playing musical saw and doing a mindreading routine she learned from orson welles. starting in the 50s and continuing into the mid-70s she worked largely as a cabaret artist touring the world to large audiences, employing burt bacharach as her musical arranger.

First of all, there are those publicity photos of her in a tux. Second of all, I have never been the same since knowing that she sent copies of those photos to her Berlin lovers signed "Daddy Marlene." Not only is she hot in all circumstances, but she can do everything from earthy to ice queen. Also, she kept getting sexy romantic lead parts in Hollywood after the age of 40, which would be rare even now. She hated Nazis, loved her friends, and had a sapphic social circle in Hollywood. She also had cheekbones that could cut glass and a voice that could melt you.

Her GENDER her looks her voice her everything

“In her films and record-breaking cabaret performances, Miss Dietrich artfully projected cool sophistication, self-mockery and infinite experience. Her sexuality was audacious, her wit was insolent and her manner was ageless. With a world-weary charm and a diaphanous gown showing off her celebrated legs, she was the quintessential cabaret entertainer of Weimar-era Germany.”

The bar scene in Morocco awoke something in me and ultimately changed my gender

"Her manner, the critic Kenneth Tynan wrote, was that of ‘a serpentine lasso whereby her voice casually winds itself around our most vulnerable fantasies.’ Her friend Maurice Chevalier said: ‘Dietrich is something that never existed before and may never exist again.’”

"Songstress, photographer, fashion icon, out bisexual phenom (notoriously stole Lupe Velez and Joan Crawford's men, and Errol Flynn's wife, had a torrid affair with Greta Garbo that ended in a 60-year feud, other notable conquests including Erich Maria Remarque -yes, the guy who wrote All Quiet on the Western Front- Douglas Fairbanks Junior, Claudette Colbert, Mercedes de Acosta, Edith Piaf), anti-Nazi activist. Marlene was a bitch - she had an open marriage for decades and one of her favorite things was making catty commentary about her current lover with her husband, and her relationship with her daughter was painful- but she was also immensely talented, a hard worker, an opponent of fascism and the hottest ice queen in Hollywood for a long time."

"She can sing! She can act! She told the Nazis to fuck off and became a US citizen out of spite! She worked with other German exiles to create a fund to help Jews and German dissidents escape (she donated an entire movie salary, about $450k, to the cause). She looks REALLY GOOD in a suit. If you're not convinced, please listen to her sing "Lili Marlene". Absolutely gorgeous woman with a gorgeous voice."

Gifset link

"Bisexual icon and Nazi-hater. Looks absolutely stunning in the suits she liked to wear. 'I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men'."

"would you not let her walk on you?"

[emblemxeno]

It's 5am where I am so I'm no doubt gonna regret posting meaningless whining about my favs compared to other characters when I wake up but rn who tf cares

I'm still incensed under the surface about how Byleth gets a better reception than Corrin, and how Corrin specifically is represented in a grand scheme of the FE franchise, mostly with Heroes.

"Corrin gets positions and authority when he doesn't deserve it!" then silence for Byleth when he gets a teaching position, and later either the archbishop spot or outright becomes king of an entire continent.

"Corrin's dragon powers aren't used in the plot enough!" Byleth's powers are only ever plot device fodder, are mechanically indistinct from other FE protag powers before and after him, and have terrible ludonarrative applications.

"Too many people worship Corrin!" About 70% of the cast's morality when defecting from their home (and sometimes partaking in harming it) is dictated by Byleth having enough tea parties with them, after being enrolled in a job he wasn't qualified for

"Corrin's character and personality is bad" Byleth doesn't even have one, he's just a dialogoue choice generator

"Corrin is the worst FE rep in Smash, had the worst trailer, and is representative of FE having imbalanced representation" FE has a clone/Echo fighter problem and consolidating Roy, Lucina and Chrom into Marth as alt skins a la Bowser Jr. would auto fix that controversy given the Smash community's "if I don't see it, it doesn't exist" approach to character slots; there is no universe where a trailer showcasing one of the worst villains in 3H-and the FE series as a whole-is better than even the cringiest lines in Corrin's trailer; there is more unique properties and applications just in Corrin's side special than there is in Byleth's entire kit, which was really a mish-mash of different Smash archetypes, inlcuding ones other FE characters covered. Not to mention the fucking PNG Sothis Final Smash with the embarassing lip flaps, jesus.

Every problem that Corrin is accused of having, Byleth does it worse. Every problem that Byleth gets jabbed with, eventually gets redirected back to Corrin for "starting it."

And it's seen as justified, because why? Well, 3H is a "better" game of course! After all, it's the best selling one! If it sold that much and was so well received that means it must have done everything exponentially better than Fates did! (ignore the fact that Fates was the best selling game in the series before 3H please). Why wouldn't Byleth simply be objectively, immutably better than Corrin in every metric going by this logic?

And, like always, CYL is gonna reaffirm this again for everyone. Cuz why wouldn't Byleth get so many votes last year despite him getting a great Christmas alt just the month before? He deserves it after the female version already won after all! And why wouldn't he win this year when he's guaranteed an Emblem alt in the future, and most likely to be on one of Valentine's, Children, or Wedding banners?

It made sense for the Robins to win one after the other cuz they're cool and awesome and not weak and annoying, so it makes sense for Byleth too!

Why would Corrin get this "it's his turn treatment" when he's not a good character and the female version only won because everyone knows she's just dumb fetish bait 🤪🤪🤪/s

It's just... so infuriatingly transparent. Even Male Alear isn't hit with this quite as hard tbh, because at worst he had half the votes Female Alear did, whereas M!Corrin at best had barely over a third of F!Corrin. And that only fuels my perspective on how M!Corrin, for all his alts, always feels like his presence is treated compulsory and obligated, and F!Corrin is always sold with "she's hot, who cares" in mind.

FE fans made it clear that Corrin's character was hated, so the solution became to sell the Fem one for horny whales, and have the Male one just slightly behind in numbers to keep up the illusion of fairness (while always making him inferior in gameplay).

All that just for Byleth, a non-character, to get every excuse and love from a fandom that hated Corrin for the same issues he has. Crazy.

[nick-writes-stuff]

20 Questions

Hwang In-ho x gn!reader

summary: You and Young-il made a quick but strong connection during the games, both being observant and quick-witted. He was fascinated by your shift from selflessness to self-preservation after the attempted uprising. When you make it out of the games, In-ho invites you to play one last game with him, and how could you resist?

!warnings: mentions of canon-typical violence, manipulation/lying to an extent, swearing

a/n: I'M SO EXCITED FOR THIS ONE! i'm working on another in-ho one after this. it's gonna be a follow-up to the one-sided reunion!! hope you enjoy <3

While in the games, you were quickly inspired by Gi-hun's plans to try to save everyone. You tried to help as many people as you could, and when you weren't helping, you were observing.

In-ho quickly took notice of your curiosity. You could be looking around the room but still be able to hold a conversation with one of your allies. He watched your face scrunch up in confusion after he predicted the next number in Mingle. The others were convinced with his explanation, but you were still hung up on it, and he could tell.

You and Young-il really hit it off. You both were practically attached at the hip. While others kept watch in near silence, you both talked in hushed whispers the whole time. You wanted to know everything about him. You really liked him. He would always do nice things for you, like offering you his milk before asking anyone else or sticking up for you when anyone slighted you. While you were with him, it made this place seem less like hell.

When they were asking for volunteers for the uprising, he had expected you to volunteer quickly, but you didn't. You stood quietly near Geum-ja and her son, trying to avert your gaze. You just had a bad feeling about this. And you were right, seeing as only Dae-ho and Hyun-ju would make it back alive.

Hearing the words “Player 1, eliminated” shook you to your core. You went quiet after that, hardly talking to anyone even as Jun-hee tried to comfort you.

After the mutiny, the games continued, and they were even more horrific. Not only were you socially distant, but you no longer had your selfless nature either. You wanted out of the games, but if the Os were gonna keep you in here, then you were willing to do what you needed to do. You didn't want them to ruin your life, but the decisions you made would certainly haunt you. By that point, there were only seven of you left. You, Jun-hee, Hyun-ju, Dae-ho, Player 7, Thanos's promoter, and another O who you didn't know. Even though there were 2 Os, it was a unanimous vote. Their greed was sated with the 6.41 billion won they got to walk away with. The idea that any of you got to take the cash was sickening, but especially those two.

You didn't know what would happen once you voted to leave. Gi-hun hadn't mentioned what happened after he won. Part of you thought you would be killed immediately. But you weren't. You were all led into the room behind the rolling door. Then you heard a hiss as the tranquilizer gas flooded the room.

-

You expected to wake up somewhere in Seoul. Maybe in the van that you got into to travel to the games in the first place. But you woke up in a rather comfortable armchair in a small but luxurious apartment.

You looked around, trying to get a sense of what kind of place you were in. There was a small model of a jazz club, a rotary phone, and a couch facing several large monitors.

“I was wondering how long you'd be out for.”

You froze for a moment. You didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. Well, did you really know him? You did turn around and met his gaze. He was undeniably Young-il, but he had been able to clean himself up since you saw him last. He was clean-shaven, and his hair was slicked back with gel. He was in all black like he was about to go to the funeral for the 448 other players who died. It was difficult, but you tried not to admire his new appearance.

The fact that he was still alive and seemingly in a position of power in the games was frightening. He was lying to all of you the whole time, concealing his true identity. Was anything he said to you real? Was it all manipulation like everything else? Your heart ached when you realized he was probably playing you just like he was everyone else.

“Why am I here?” You asked. Your face and tone were neutral. You concealed the spiral your thoughts were going down.

He sat down across from you, holding a glass of alcohol in his hand. “I was hoping we could play a game.” He said.

You narrowed your eyes at him suspiciously.

He smirked at your reaction. You tried to ignore the butterflies in your stomach. “Humor me?” He asked.

You weren't entirely certain about this. He probably wasn't going to kill you. He could have done that already. But you figured there had to be some kind of catch. “What game?” You asked.

“20 questions.” He said.

This confused you more. “Like the icebreaker game?”

He nodded. “I ask you 10 questions and you ask me 10 questions. And we have to answer honestly.” He said.

“Are you just using this as an excuse to talk to me?” You asked. He seemed somewhat shocked at your question. “Why does everything need to be games with you people?” You asked. You wanted to remain neutral, but your face betrayed you as your lips curled into a smirk.

He laughed. That was probably the first time he had laughed since before the bathroom brawl in the games. “You know, it is kind of our thing here.” He quipped.

“What's the catch?” You asked. There had to be an ulterior motive behind this, right? It seemed like everything he did had an ulterior motive.

He chuckled. “We both get what we want. You get answers. I get insight.”

“Why is my insight so important to you?” You asked. Your tone was genuine. Gi-hun had never mentioned anything like this happening when he won the games. This was clearly a special occasion here.

“You impressed me. You are clever and analytical, but you still have a selfless and heroic nature. Not many players have both. Watching you play was fascinating.” He said. His tone was also genuine. You felt your cheeks heat up, blushing due to the praise.

You should hate him. He orchestrated the horrific death games you just took part in, and he's likely responsible for the deaths of thousands of other struggling people. He killed your friends. He had only lied and deceived and manipulated you. So how could you possibly want to talk to him? Why did you feel giddy at the fact you impressed him?

You gave a soft smile. “Okay.” You agreed.

He smiled as well. “Since you're my guest, I think you should go first.” He offered.

“What's your name?” You asked quickly. You chuckled, “Because we both know it's not Young-il.”

He laughed. “Yeah, that wasn't my strongest cover. My name is In-ho.”

You repeated him, testing out his true name. He loved hearing it in your voice.

“Now that we're on a first name basis,” He started, that line getting a chuckle from you. “Which game would you say was your favorite?

You answered instinctively with “Six-legged pentathlon” without even thinking of how messed up that question was. People died in that game. That experience should have been traumatic, but you considered it your favorite?

He only nodded in response. You didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. “Have you ever played in the games before this time?” You asked him.

He smirked. “Yeah I have. I won back in 2018. What made you think that?” He asked.

“Is that your next question?” You asked cheekily. A mischievous grin plastered your face.

He rolled his eyes. “Is that your next question?” He repeated with a slight glare, but you could easily tell he was messing with you.

“Three reasons. One: You were just really calm and unphased by everything. Two: You beat the shit out of Thanos easily. Three: You killed that man during Mingle, and you just had a look in your eye. Like it wasn't the first time you were forced into that situation.” You explained.

He hummed in acknowledgement. “Astute observations.” He mused before continuing. “Why do you think I rejoined the games?”

You thought for a moment. “I feel like watching Gi-hun was the main reason, but you kind of always seemed like you were just pushing his buttons. It's like you were testing him almost.” You said, trailing a bit at the end as you tried to figure out how you wanted to phrase it.

He didn't respond. You took that as a sign to continue on with the game.

You sighed. “Why did you join the games?” You asked. You made a face like you were thinking before clarifying, “Like back in 2018, I mean.”

He frowned slightly. You thought you asked a question you shouldn't have, but he was only reacting to the memory he was recalling.

“Before I joined, I was married with a kid on the way. But I got laid off from my job, and my wife got really sick and… treatments were expensive. I racked up debt quickly, and soon, I got a business card.” He said.

You sighed. “That sounds awful. I'm so sorry. Is she okay?” You said softly. You shouldn't feel sympathy for him. You could see his jaw clench slightly as he took a sip of his drink.

He decided not to mention that it was his turn to ask a question. He shook his head. “No. After I won, I rushed to the hospital and… they were both gone.” He said, voice notably quieter. He took a swig of the drink. He wasn't mad. He was just bitter, and he didn't like to think of her often. You felt bad for even asking in the first place. You should have known better than to ask that. Before you could apologize for overstepping with a personal question, he dished one to you as well.

“Which player did you trust the most?” He said. He already knew the answer. He just wanted to hear it from you.

You swallowed hard, eyes moving to watch you fidgeting with your fingers. “You.” You looked up to see him smirking at your answer. For some reason, that smirk really ate at you. He's so happy that his deceit and manipulation paid off, isn't he?

He was just glad the feeling he felt was mutual.

You didn't try to elaborate or explain. You just kept going. Maybe the tension would let up after a bit.

“How did you become the… what did Gi-hun call it?” You asked, failing to remember the exact words.

“The Front Man?” He offered.

You nodded, “Yeah, that's the word. How did you get the job as the Front Man?”

“It wasn't unlike joining the games. One day, I got a business card telling me to go to a specific location. There I met the Host and we talked. He was impressed by my performance in the games, and he said I had potential. I was still angry at the world for everything, and I said yes.” He said. He didn't delve into it deeper because he knew the specifics wouldn't make him sound great. Maybe it was wrong to spin the truth, but there was no way you could figure out it's a lie.

“A follow-up to my last question: who in our alliance did you trust the least?” He asked. This was the first question that was a leading one. He wanted to see if you had any distrust in your team even though you seemed you would have taken a bullet for them.

You took a deep breath. “If I'm being honest-”

“The rules require honesty.” He said, smirking.

You glared at him with little malice. “It's a turn of phrase.” You said shortly. “As I was saying…”

“I never really knew how I felt about Gi-hun.” You said.

He hid his reaction, but internally, he had a shit-eating grin. It was almost like the end of a rivalry. Gi-hun's method didn't work. He was able to gain your trust, and the man who thought he could convince everyone to play the game fairly. It wasn't as black and white as Gi-hun had thought.

You grimaced at your statement, making a noise like you weren't sure. You felt bad talking bad about him when he was trying his best to help everyone around him. “I mean, I just felt like he knew too much, and he was holding out on us. Like at some point, he wouldn't warn us of danger just so he could get ahead.” You said. You didn't think that made you feel any better about saying that, but then you thought of something else.

“Wait, what happened to him? And Jung-bae, too. We never saw them get eliminated.” You asked.

He raised the glass to his lips. You were starting to think he took a drink anytime he didn't want to answer a question.

“Jung-bae died in the mutiny, and Gi-hun is as good as dead. The VIPs have plans for him.” He said tensely. His choice of words only left you with many more questions, but you didn't have the chance to ask any of them.

“Do you regret anything you did to win in the games?” His face was neutral, and it put you on edge for some reason.

You took a deep breath before meeting his gaze. You shook your head. You did things in the games that you would never admit to another person, but that doesn't mean you regretted it. “I did what I had to.” You said quietly.

He nodded. “I understand the feeling.” He said, tone just as soft as the nights spent on watch with him. Your heart fluttered at the sound.

You continued the game after a moment. “Was the mutiny something you planned?” You asked.

“We knew Gi-hun would try something, so we made a procedure. But we didn't make it happen ourselves.” He said. That was true. He knew Gi-hun had the mindset to try to take them down. He tracked the Recruiter for 3 years until he managed to find him and kill him. The takeover was also always intended to be when Young-il was eliminated, no matter how soon it happened.

“Speaking of Gi-hun, you seemed to think the same way he did toward the beginning of the games, but something eventually shifted in you. I noticed that after you thanked me for killing that man during Mingle. What started that shift in your thinking?” He asked. He was very interested in your answer to this question.

“I just wanted to get out. Gi-hun tried to make that happen, but in the end it didn't work.” You said. You began fidgeting with your fingers, afraid to look him in the eye. You hated the fact that you were willing to do the things that you did, but you would do that again in a heartbeat because you're safe now. “After the mutiny when we voted and the Xs still lost, something broke in me. If they weren't going to let us leave, then I needed to take matters into my own hands.” You murmured. You wiped a stray tear from your cheek as covertly as you could.

He hated seeing you cry. He wished he could take back the question, but that's not possible. He decided to try to break the tension and give the conversation time to breathe. “I just realized that I never asked. Is there anything I can get you?” He asked. His eyes were full of concern.

You cleared your throat before speaking. “Some water would be nice.” You said softly.

As he stood up to retrieve it, you started taking deep breaths to try to regain your composure. You looked around the room, and your eyes landed on the model of a jazz club. The musician figures looked to be small animatronics. You didn't even hear him reenter the room.

“It's a music box.” He said. You jumped a bit at his voice. He chuckled at your reaction. You smiled sheepishly. He took a step toward you, holding out a water bottle to you. You took it from him with a soft, “Thank you.”

He sat down at his chair as you took a sip of the drink. You didn't realize how thirsty you were.

“I believe it's your turn to ask a question.” He said.

You spoke as you twisted the cap onto the bottle. “Were you actually in danger while you were playing the games?”

He thought about it for a moment. “We planned for mostly everything in the games themselves, but if something had happened in the dorms, I couldn't do much about it.” He said.

You nodded. “I thought so. You weren't even in Red Light Green Light.” You said.

He was genuinely surprised by the fact you realized. “I didn't think anyone would have noticed that.”

You laughed. “I was trying to observe as much as possible at the beginning, and I definitely would have noticed you.” You said it without thinking but then realized what your words meant. Your cheeks flushed, and in a desperate attempt to break eye contact, you took a drink from your water.

In-ho was growing concerned about the feeling inside his stomach. He would have pegged it as a somatic symptom if it wasn't in this situation. Were there butterflies in his stomach? After you implied you found him attractive? He wasn't used to this feeling. It had been years since he experienced this. It reminded him of meeting his wife, but this felt even more exhilarating. He had thought he'd never feel it again, so getting to encounter this long forgotten feeling amplified it tenfold.

The quiet and intimate tension was getting to be too much for you, so you tried to change the subject. “You never told me. What song does the music box play?”

He cleared his throat. “Um, it's Fly Me to the Moon.” He said, trying desperately to keep his voice from wavering.

“Like the Sinatra song?” You asked.

He nodded. “I can turn it on if you want to hear it.” He offered.

“No, it's okay.” You said. You looked over to the music box before back at him. “I don't want to delay the game, you know.” You murmured, hoping it would get you both back on track.

You wanted to be distracted from the fact you feared he was messing with your feelings even now.

He nodded. “Yeah, of course.” He murmured. “What is this? Question 14 now?” He asked. You nodded.

Neither of you would say it, but you both wished you had decided on a higher number.

“What do you have planned when you go back to your normal life?” He asked.

You were a bit taken aback from the non-related question. It seemed unrelated to you, but he was asking to see if you had anything to return to.

“Um…” You trailed. “I mean, I have some debt to square away. I don't really have anything else out there.” You said. You realized this was moving in a negative direction, so you pivoted. “I always wanted to open a bakery, though.” You said. That had always been your first thought when daydreaming about what you would do if you won the lottery. Well, until your debt, that is.

It felt wrong to say it, but he was glad you didn't have anything to fall back on.

“My turn.” You said. You thought for a moment before asking your question. “What is the philosophy behind the games?” You asked. You had a general idea, but you wanted to hear it from him.

He sighed. This felt like a precarious position to be in. One wrong word, and you could turn on him. “My predecessor started the games because he thought it was the best way to change society. He was giving them a chance to change their life, and if they couldn't seize it, then killing them was mercy. In the outside world, they would be suffering slowly as they got more into debt.” He said. He phrased that carefully, implying that he didn't entirely agree. He had hoped his phrasing had flown under the radar, but it didn't.

“What do you think about that? Do you think that could be true?” He asked you.

“Is that your question?” You asked, genuinely trying to see if that's what he intended. He nodded.

You took a deep breath. “I definitely don't think it's as black and white as your predecessor thought it was.” You said. You took a sip from your water. “I don't know if I agree on the mercy part. None of that felt like mercy. But I guess that would be better than organ harvesting.”

He tried not to react to your words, but he was glad you were able to rationalize it. Your view was still fluid, not as rigid. It would be easy to sway you. He hated phrasing it like that, but that was technically what he was doing.

You looked over at him. “What about you? Do you think it's the right thing?” You asked.

He sighed softly. “There was a period where I got disillusioned and thought there was a better way.” He said. He finished the drink in his hand, leaning to set the empty glass on a nearby end table. “But after seeing the games end by a vote and seeing the number of people who choose to return… I think this is the right thing for society.”

Your eyes widened slightly. “That's an option?”

He nodded. “If Gi-hun would have had his way after Red Light Green Light, the players would have been given a chance to return.” He said. He saw an opportunity to make a case for the games. “You know, in Gi-hun's games they voted to leave after the first game. 93% of them returned. Even Gi-hun came back.” He said.

You took a second to process that. “That's…” you said, not being able to convey your thoughts. The words just couldn't come together.

He looked over at you. “If we had voted to leave after the first game, would you have come back to play again?” That wasn't one of the questions he had prepared (and yes, he did prepare questions), but it seemed like a fitting follow-up.

You fidgeted with the cap of the water bottle you were holding. “As much as I wanted to get out, I think I would have realized that this was my chance if I had to go back out and face it all.” You said softly.

This was the last question. There was one question that had been weighing on your mind. You couldn't stop thinking about it, but you also couldn't make yourself ask it. The idea had filled you with anxiety and doubt, but now that this could very well be the last time you spoke to him, you built up the courage to ask it.

“This has been weighing on my mind the whole time…” You began, “And I didn't want to ask, but I think this is my last shot.” You felt your eyes well up with tears, and you willed them not to fall. You met his gaze, and his dark eyes filled with concern.

“I thought we had some kind of connection back in the games. The hushed whispers on the night watch and the protectiveness during Mingle.” You started, trying your best to keep your voice from breaking.

His eyes widened slightly. It wasn't at your statement itself, but just the fact he was realizing the feeling was mutual after all. But your next words chipped away at his typically hardened exterior.

“Was any of that real or were you just fucking with me the whole time?” At that you started crying even though you felt like an idiot for doing so. Your hands were starting to tremble somewhat and your eyes focused on them to avoid looking him in the eye. “I'm just scared that I was just a game to you too.” You murmured softly.

In an instant, he sprung from his seat. He knelt in front of you, looking up into your eyes. “Hey, look at me.” He said quietly, reaching his hand to your face. His hand rested on your cheek, gently moving your head to look at him while also using his thumb to wipe the tears from your face.

You were shaking now, but your eyes gazed into his, and there was something so calming about the moment. Your face almost felt electric from the soft contact.

“I meant everything I said and did, okay? Every interaction I had with you was genuine, and it was the first time I felt comfortable being myself around another person in a very long time.” He said. You noticed his eyes getting glassy as well, but you didn't say anything about it. “I'm so glad the feeling is mutual.” His voice was soft, and it made you melt. But then you realized what he said.

“It is?” You asked, almost dumbfounded. You felt your heart beating out of your chest, unable to contain all of the glee inside of you.

“Why else do you think you're here?” He asked jokingly. You smiled shyly. “I don't do this for just anyone.” He wiped a stray tear from your cheek. It was a happy one this time.

After a moment, you spoke up. “You have one last question to ask.” You said. You were mostly joking, but his knowing look and smirk made you feel somewhat anxious but mostly excited.

He met your eyes. “Do you want to stay here with me?” He asked. He took a deep breath. “You don't have to help with the games at all. You can just stay with me in the apartment and-” He was cut off by your arms wrapping around him. You had moved off the chair and fell to your knees. You buried your face in the crook of his neck. The smell of his cologne was calming.

He pulled you into an embrace as well. He took that as your answer.

In the end, he could hear Il-nam's voice in the back of his mind telling him that In-ho won the game. Just like Gi-hun, you decided to continue playing games with people's lives. Gi-hun watched that homeless man suffer in the cold on the night of Il-nam's death, and you gave In-ho your thoughts on the games, knowing he would use the information to adapt and improve the games.

But that wasn't in the forefront of his mind, not even close. He wasn't even thinking about the games at all. He was just happy that his position in the games didn't ruin the first genuine connection he had made in the last 7 years. He was thinking about the fact that holding you felt so right. You gave him a spark of hope that he hadn't felt in a very long time.

[flowerfelled]

Highlights from the entire MCYT Sexyman Tournament

Before the Tournament Began (Nomination Phase):

-Goodtimeswithscar getting over 2000 nominations for the poll

-Two people's minecraft ocs were nominated, and one of those ocs actually got into the competition

-The runners of the poll telling people not to tell the CCs about this, only for every CC to find out about this poll and start rallying their fans to vote for them

-Joe Hills got very jealous that Scar had more votes than him to the point where he literally used Tumblr Blaze to promote himself, and posted a video of him swimming in a pool on his blog

-Technodad also encouraging people to vote for his son after finding out about the polls

The Main Tournament:

-Dream getting absolutely decked by Seepeekay (deserved)

-Clownpierce and Tubbo's poll ending in 50% by 50% where the people running the poll had to go into the polls literal code to find out that Clownpierce won by only 18 votes

-Clownpierce getting beaten out by Aimsey in Round 2 immediately afterwards

-Quackity and Schlatt losing their polls at first, only for people to churn out propaganda, and getting them the wins by very close calls

-The Dominion SMP fandom made alliances with other fandoms (the Lifesteal fandom being one of them) to try and get Vikingpilot more votes

-JimmySolidarity looking at the polls and seeing that someone called him a "wet paper bag of a man"

-Martyn voting for his friends in the polls

-One Tumblr blog made a straight up news channel for the polls

-Someone else also made an easier way to read votes on polls

-Another person converted the voting data into line graphs

-Scott calling Jimmy a queerbaiter when their characters went up against each other

-The Scar vs Techno fight, the Wilbur vs Joe fight, and the Grian vs Quackity fight, all happening in the same round

-Huge amounts of voter fraud

-Grian winning his fight with Quackity, only for Quackblr to change the tides in the last few minutes (perhaps one of the craziest fights I have ever seen)

-The poll made it onto Tumblr trending

-Quackblr made an alliance with the Ethogirls, which eventually led to fanart of Quackity and Etho together, along with a few "infamous" edited photos (you know what I'm talking about)

-The voter fraud in the poll eventually lead to the possibility of Tumblr actually dealing with the pornbot situation

-The whole entire event had powerpoint presentations for peoples favorite blorbos, propaganda, fanart, alliances, even a few written oneshots

-Literally just every poll with Quackity

-Other people made polls inspired by this one (@mcytblrcringefail as one example)

-The fact that the poll literally revived the entire fandom

-The poll became canon in Jimmy’s 30 day Minecraft Hardcore server

-And most importantly, Joe Hills, the one MCYT who did the most campaigning, won the polls against Scar

Thank you @mcytblrsexymen. You have done an amazing job.

[porterdavis]

A great long read from Tom Nichols of The Atlantic:

“Democrats and liberal pundits are already trying to figure out how the Trump campaign not only bested Kamala Harris in the “Blue Wall” states of the Midwest and the Rust Belt, but gained on her even in areas that should have been safe for a Democrat. Almost everywhere, Donald Trump expanded his coalition, and this time, unlike in 2016, he didn’t have to thread the needle of the Electoral College to win: He can claim the legitimacy of winning the popular vote.

Trump’s opponents are now muttering about the choice of Tim Walz, the influence of the Russians, the role of the right-wing media, and whether President Joe Biden should not have stepped aside in favor of Harris. Even the old saw about “economic anxiety” is making a comeback.

These explanations all have some merit, but mostly, they miss the point. Yes, some voters still stubbornly believe that presidents magically control the price of basic goods. Others have genuine concerns about immigration and gave in to Trump’s booming call of fascism and nativism. And some of them were just never going to vote for a woman, much less a Black woman.

But in the end, a majority of American voters chose Trump because they wanted what he was selling: a nonstop reality show of rage and resentment. Some Democrats, still gripped by the lure of wonkery, continue to scratch their heads over which policy proposals might have unlocked more votes, but that was always a mug’s game. Trump voters never cared about policies, and he rarely gave them any. (Choosing to be eaten by a shark rather than electrocuted might be a personal preference, but it’s not a policy.) His rallies involved long rants about the way he’s been treated, like a giant therapy session or a huge family gathering around a bellowing, impaired grandpa.

Back in 2021, I wrote a book about the rise of “illiberal populism,” the self-destructive tendency in some nations that leads people to participate in democratic institutions such as voting while being hostile to democracy itself, casting ballots primarily to punish other people and to curtail everyone’s rights—even their own. These movements are sometimes led by fantastically wealthy faux populists who hoodwink gullible voters by promising to solve a litany of problems that always seem to involve money, immigrants, and minorities. The appeals from these charlatans resonate most not among the very poor, but among a bored, relatively well-off middle class, usually those who are deeply uncomfortable with racial and demographic changes in their own countries.

And so it came to pass: Last night, a gaggle of millionaires and billionaires grinned and applauded for Trump. They were part of an alliance with the very people another Trump term would hurt—the young, minorities, and working families among them.

Trump, as he has shown repeatedly over the years, couldn’t care less about any of these groups. He ran for office to seize control of the apparatus of government and to evade judicial accountability for his previous actions as president. Once he is safe, he will embark on the other project he seems to truly care about: the destruction of the rule of law and any other impediments to enlarging his power.

Americans who wish to stop Trump in this assault on the American constitutional order, then, should get it out of their heads that this election could have been won if only a better candidate had made a better pitch to a few thousand people in Pennsylvania. Biden, too old and tired to mount a proper campaign, likely would have lost worse than Harris; more to the point, there was nothing even a more invigorated Biden or a less, you know, female alternative could have offered. Racial grievances, dissatisfaction with life’s travails (including substance addiction and lack of education), and resentment toward the villainous elites in faraway cities cannot be placated by housing policy or interest-rate cuts.

No candidate can reason about facts and policies with voters who have no real interest in such things. They like the promises of social revenge that flow from Trump, the tough-guy rhetoric, the simplistic “I will fix it” solutions. And he’s interesting to them, because he supports and encourages their conspiracist beliefs. (I knew Harris was in trouble when I was in Pennsylvania last week for an event and a fairly well-off business owner, who was an ardent Trump supporter, told me that Michelle Obama had conspired with the Canadians to change the state’s vote tally in 2020. And that wasn’t even the weirdest part of the conversation.)

As Jonathan Last, editor of The Bulwark, put it in a social-media post last night: The election went the way it did “because America wanted Trump. That’s it. People reaching to construct [policy] alibis for the public because they don’t want to grapple with this are whistling past the graveyard.” Last worries that we might now be in a transition to authoritarianism of the kind Russia went through in the 1990s, but I visited Russia often in those days, and much of the Russian democratic implosion was driven by genuinely brutal economic conditions and the rapid collapse of basic public services. Americans have done this to themselves during a time of peace, prosperity, and astonishingly high living standards. An affluent society that thinks it is living in a hellscape is ripe for gulling by dictators who are willing to play along with such delusions.

The bright spot in all this is that Trump and his coterie must now govern. The last time around, Trump was surrounded by a small group of moderately competent people, and these adults basically put baby bumpers and pool noodles on all the sharp edges of government. This time, Trump will rule with greater power but fewer excuses, and he—and his voters—will have to own the messes and outrages he is already planning to create.

Those voters expect that Trump will hurt others and not them. They will likely be unpleasantly surprised, much as they were in Trump’s first term. (He was, after all, voted out of office for a reason.) For the moment, some number of them have memory-holed that experience and are pretending that his vicious attacks on other Americans are just so much hot air.

Trump, unfortunately, means most of what he says. In this election, he has triggered the unfocused ire and unfounded grievances of millions of voters. Soon we will learn whether he can still trigger their decency—if there is any to be found.

[wish-i-were-heather]

of course trump fucking won. this entire country is fucked and always has been. i went to his instagram to see if him or harris have posted anything and im absolutely fucking disgusted. ive never seen anything more hypocritically racist, sexist, homophobic, and literally discriminating against everything besides white heteronormative christians. but unfortunately there are just as many disgusting people in the world who see themselves in him and are going to vote for him. and they did vote for him. look where that got us. and of course he won because those people voted for him, those people who want to take away human rights. why would a woman win in a country that's sexist?? why would someone of color win in a country that's racist?? and why especially would a black woman who actually cares about people win in a country full of racist, sexist assholes?? ive literally never felt more hopeless than right now. we survived the last times he was president, but his plans for this time are far worse.

if you voted for trump, you voted for a man who only cares about himself. he doesnt give two shits about anyone, republican or not. you elected a homophobe into office. oh, great, you're also homophobic? then think about this. you elected a racist into office. you elected an ableist into office. YOU ELECTED A RAPIST INTO OFFICE. if you dont see the problem with that, there is something seriously wrong with you. if you voted for trump, there is something seriously wrong with you. as a teenage girl who is going to graduate before the next election, youre giving me this absolutely disguisting horrible piece of shit that dares to call himself a human being to deal with. i am genuinly preparing myself to leave the country after i graduate. it was a joke at first, but its nowhere near funny now. if i could leave right now, at this exact moment, i would. i am actually crying right now because i know that there are other people, people who are my friends, who are far more affected by this than i am. you had your vote, and you chose use it to ruin the lives of everyone.

if you voted for trump, have fun telling your daughter, your sister, your girlfriend, your best friend, your niece, your cousin, your mother, everyone, that you voted to take away their bodily freedoms. have fun at the hospital as your ten year old daughter gives birth to her rapist's baby, potentially dying doing so, because you voted away her abortion rights. have fun receiving a text from your nephew telling you that he is hiding from an active shooter because you voted for a vice president who stands behind glass while preaching that school shootings are "a fact of life." have fun watching your best friend, who you didn't even know was transgender because no, you can't "always tell," get fired because you voted away their job security. have fun watching the world around you fall apart because you voted for a dictator, not a president.

send me more hate anon i dont give a fuck. words cannot express how upset i am right now. with everyone. if you voted for a third party or even didn't vote at all, you're just as much at fault. any vote not for harris was a vote for trump. and now trump has the votes. now trump is the president.

if you voted for trump, i would just like to say thank you. from the bottom of my heart, thank you for ruining my life.