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thelov3lybookworm · 3 months ago

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Love's Bullshit.

Summary: maybe love wasnt bullshit after all.

•○●⛦●○•

Word Count: 5225

Warnings: a tinyyy tiny bit of angst, pining, unrequited feeling but requited in the end, sad rhysie poo healing but we dont really get into that. uh i think thats it? let me knowif theres more i need to add <3

A/n: let me tell yall, when i wrote this i think i had watched some pasta videos and helped my mum clean up some green veggies lmaoo, so Y/n's thoughts are just me yapping lol.

rhys would be happy i finally wrote something fluffy for him lmao

I LOVED WRITING TIS SM OML I HOPE YALL LOVE READING IT AKFJHDFH

(im sorry im back to my p.s bs again cus thank you to my wifey for, again, helping me plan this fic out and also this fic is again based on an indian song 😭)

anyways, enjoyyy🥹🤭

°•°•°•○🌑○•°•°•°

It had almost become a ritual, standing around the coffee machine and waiting to grab the two cups of coffee.

It was a ritual, stalking back to the office with two cups of steaming coffee in her hand.

It was a ritual, trying her best not to blush when her boss smiled at her, his fingers brushing hers as he took his black coffee from her hands, a soft thank you slipping past his lips, his attention already focused on the screen of his laptop.

Y/n did not know how she hadn’t yet told him she loved him, but whatever force held those words captive in her chest, she thanked it every day.

Today was no different as she made her way into the elevator, nodding to the others who filed in after her with a small smile. Silence filled her ears, only broken by the ding of the elevator doors as it opened to let a couple of employees out onto the second floor. Y/n leaned back, sighing as the doors dragged close again, her head resting against the shiny metal as her eyes fixed themselves on the little panel above the door.

10.

13.

15.

25.

Ding.

Y/n walked out, subconsciously searching for that familiar figure of her boss. The final floor of the building had been turned into a huge office for the CEO and the owner and his two best friends who helped manage the place, so it was not hard to find him, standing hunched over the huge mahogany desk as he scribbled something in a file.

She moved forward, lips stretching to accommodate the smile that spread on her lips without permission.

"Good evening, sir."

His head rose, the black rimmed glasses perched on his nose caching in the light. "Good evening, Y/n." His violet eyes tracked her movements, an easy smile on that full mouth.

He turned around the moment she set his coffee on his desk, attention already flitting away to focus on more important things.

It irritated Y/n to no end that he would not even try to talk to her- or anyone, really- unless it was related to work.

"Uh, have a good day, sir."

He nodded, and Y/n took that as her que to leave. She walked towards the desk that Y/n occupied. Being the CEO’s secretary, he wanted her close by in case he needed anything. Thankfully, the two managers were too busy with their own work to look at the blush that covered Y/n.

Time flew by as she settled down again, forcing herself to stop thinking about how those eyes would shine from up close, and started typing away in her laptop, her surroundings fading into nothing.

The next time Y/n stood to stretch her back, it was already dark outside the huge glass walls, and she leaned back, her back curving before it finally popped. The other two men that worked on the top floor, Cassian and Azriel, had already left half an hour ago, after bidding Y/n and Rhysand goodbye.

Relieved breath escaping her lips, she turned to find herself alone with Rhysand, who now sat with his back straight. So straight that Y/n was concerned that it would hurt him.

Something was wrong.

Before she could inquire, the elevator doors slid open, and the loud clicking of stilettos filled the silent atmosphere.

She’s beautiful.

That was Y/n’s first thought.

Long, straight light brown hair, almost bordering blond, the woman stalked straight up to the rich dark wooden desk, ire blazing in her eyes, anger seeping from every pore in her body.

Y/n should have left, she knew she should have.

But she didn’t, even knowing she would regret not leaving when everything seemed fine.

Rhys, eyes wide, stumbled to his feet.

Y/n had never seen that man ever stumble.

"Did I not tell you to stay away from me?"

His mouth parted, and Y/n watched with bated breath to see what would happen.

"Hello to you too, Feyre d-"

"Call off your stalker."

Fingers of ice skated down Y/n’s spine. Stalker?

His eyes hardened, jaw clenched. "He isn’t a stalker."

The woman let out an incredulous laugh. "Oh? Then what is he?"

"He’s there to protect you-"

"And what is he protecting me from? The trees in my backyard?"

Y/n swallowed, eyes flitting away. The elevator was near her, but it would draw attention. But it was definitely better than standing and watching the two like a creep.

"Feyre…" It was dark, but Y/n knew that Rhys glanced at her frozen form. "Let’s talk somewhere else, please. You’re making a scene-"

"No. I’m not going anywhere with you."

He released a frustrated breath, and Y/n finally got herself moving.

She grabbed her purse and hurried towards the elevator, hoping he did not think that she was judging him. Even as hard as she tried to be quiet, her heels clicked, and she froze, panic seizing every muscle in her body as she felt his eyes on her.

Swallowing, she hit the button on the silver panel, and the doors slid open, thankfully revealing that the elevator was still on their floor. As soon as she walked in, she hit the button to close the doors continuously, then pressed the button to the ground floor.

Idly she watched herself in the glass in the back of the elevator, her eyes travelling over her own figure.

Hmm. Pretty, but not as much as that lady.

It was clear that Rhys and she had something together. If not now, then before. And with the way Rhysand’s eyes had lit up with love but also sadness, she knew it was romantic.

Eh. Never really stood a chance anyway.

The elevator finally stopped moving, and Y/n walked out to greet a few lingering employees, who smiled and nodded at her. She smiled too, her mind already wandering to what she would eat for dinner. Maybe she could just get takeout-

She couldn’t.

Ugh.

She groaned as she remembered that her car had broken down the day before, and she’d had it towed to a mechanic shop, who had taken one look at the old, run down vehicle and said it would take them at the very least one week to fix.

Uber it is.

As she walked towards the exit, Y/n shoved her hand into her purse to grab her phone, but everything that came into her hand was not in the shape of that specific piece of rectangle.

Please. I don’t want to go up there again.

Pausing a few feet away from the automatic sliding doors, she peered into the little black purse, and sure enough, she could not see her phone.

Great. Just what I needed.

It didn’t have to be a big deal, Y/n told herself. She would just run up through the stairs, quietly grab her phone and leave.

Sure, you’ve got the energy and bones to run up twenty five floors.

Maybe she could just ask someone else to order a cab for her and she could just take her phone tomorrow-

It was Saturday tomorrow. No office.

Sighing, Y/n turned back, only to find the elevator doors opening and the same clicking of stilettos that had heralded the arrival of that pretty lady. And sure enough, when Y/n looked up from her purse while still cursing her own existence, the woman was walking towards her.

Y/n watched in awe as she stalked past her and out the automatic doors without sparing the countless onlookers a single glance, as if they all were a mere insect and she the god.

If Y/n was being honest, she envied her confidence while also respecting her for it. Y/n could only wish she was that good at being self assured to not trip and faceplant in front of everyone.

Y/n watched till the lady got into the back of a shiny white Audi and drove away, and only then did Y/n remember why she was still in the building.

She hurried into the elevator, her impatience mounting everytime it stopped on different floors for people to get on and off, but by the time she reached the top floor, she was all alone in that metal box. Her heart beating in her throat, she tried to walk as quietly to her desk as she could and snatched off the little device that lay beside her office laptop.

"Y/n?"

She had just turned around to sneak back to the elevator, trying not to look at the silhouette of her boss who stood gazing outside the floor to ceiling glass windows when he called. The low timbre of his voice made her freeze midstep, then glance at him as she brought her lifted leg to rest next to her other one.

"Yes, sir?"

He said nothing for a moment, and Y/n looked around, unsure of what to do. Just as her eyes came to rest on the elevator, it left to go down.

Y/n eyed the metal doors with disappointment when Rhysand asked her to come stand next to him.

She obeyed quietly, the only sound in the silent office that of her of her heels clicking on the marble floors.

He remained quiet when she stopped next to him, his dark blue eyes that bordered on looking like violet under a certain angle of light fixed on the glittering city beneath. Y/n too turned to gaze out of the huge windows when he refused to let his attention move.

It was beautiful, the city. Tall buildings lit up with lights on the inside, their glass reflecting light coming off of large billboards, the red and white lights from cars speeding by blurring together in a beautiful scenery of night, complemented by the full moon that hung amidst a sea of stars.

"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?"

Y/n blinked, coming out of her reverie and taking note of her surroundings again before replying. "Yeah, it is."

He sighed after a moment, glancing at her. "Have you ever been in love, Y/n? Do you believe in it?"

Y/n glanced at him, taken aback by his question.

"I- I guess so. I am currently in love, if it matters."

He nodded, his lips tilted up slightly at the corners.

"Does he know?"

"He… no. And I don’t think I will tell him." A pause, then- "what about you? Do you believe in it?"

"No. Not anymore. It’s bullshit and all it does is hurt people."

"Oh…" Y/n mumbled, not knowing how to respond to that.

He glanced at her uncertainly, then dropped the topic.

"You must have questions."

Y/n met his eyes that glittered like sapphires in the darkened office, then shook her head. "I don’t think I should have questions, and even if I did, I won’t ask them. You have a right to keep your private life private."

He nodded, his eyes unwavering. Y/n could not for the life of her figure out what he was thinking, so instead she focused on her own faint reflection on his black rimmed glasses.

Is there something in my teeth?

He took in a deep breath, looking away.

Nah, there’s nothing. Thank god.

"What did you come back for?"

Y/n blinked, then perked up. "Oh, my phone." She lifted the thing and waved it. "I thought I’d leave it and collect it on Monday, but then I had to order a cab, so-"

"Cab? Why? What happened to your car?"

"Ah, it broke down yesterday. It’s at the mechanic’s. It will take at the very least a week to get fixed, so." She shrugged.

"Well, if that’s the case, let me drop you off."

Y/n’s eyes widened, and she shook her head as if trying to dislodge his offer. "No, sir, please. I can go by myself-"

"Never said you couldn’t." he mumbled, a hint of a smile on his face as he began collecting his phone and keys from the drawer under his desk, rummaging around for whatever it was he needed before straightening.

"Sir-"

"Come."

With that, he began stalking to the elevator, leaving Y/n no choice but to hurry after him.

He ignored all her protests and didn’t even let her get off on the ground floor when she decided that she was going to get a cab nonetheless, and grabbed her hand to force her to stay still.

Of course, the moment his skin touched hers, she froze and then quietly followed him to his black Mercedes in the underground parking.

The ride to her home was mostly silent, the quiet only broken by his deep voice asking for directions and her mumbling when to turn.

If Y/n was being honest, she did not know what to do with herself. She was in a car with her boss who she was in love with, the one who she’d just witnessed get accused of stalking his lover- ex?- and then he was ready to answer her questions about his private life and-

She knew her mind was going into overdrive.

Calm down. He'd think I’m a weirdo.

And him thinking she was a weirdo will just not do-

He probably already thinks I am a weirdo.

Y/n sighed quietly, then told him to stop under the apartment her parents had left her. It was one of the finer things in her life.

"Thank you for dropping me off sir, you really didn’t have to do that." With that and a word of goodbye from Rhysand, Y/n turned to step out of the luxurious vehicle, then stopped.

She did not have time to debate whether offering him to follow her would be a good idea because the damning words were already spilling out of her lips.

"Would you like to stay for dinner sir? Let me cook you something as a thank you."

He smiled, then nodded and asked her where he could park. She directed him to her usual parking spot because her car was not occupying the space.

She cooked her special pasta that night. It was something that her friends always begged her to make whenever they were over and it was also very easy and quick to throw together.

The two of them made friendly conversation throughout the time he stayed over, with the night ending with Rhys asking her to be a part of their friend group that included him, Azriel, Cassian and Rhysand’s cousin.

As surprising as it was, Y/n shyly agreed, considering she hated socialising as much as she hated mushy vegetables.

"Perfect." Rhysand grinned as he stood at the door, ready to leave. "I’ll text you the address for the dinner next week. I can’t wait for you to be a part of us."

With that, he left Y/n to herself and her thoughts.

That night, she fell asleep thinking about Rhysand.

She knew she could never have him romantically, and that was okay.

As long as she became friends with him, it was all that mattered.

°•°•°•○🌑○•°•°•°

Y/n stood, watching the horizon twinkle with golden lights and hints of colour, their reflection in the river between hypnotising.

In the past months, Y/n had gotten closer to Rhys and his friends. They almost were the family she never had, the sibling-like bond they shared cherished beyond expectations.

Somewhere along the two months, Y/n had stopped focusing too much on how much she wanted to be with Rhysand, and yet, she knew she began to fall for him even more than she already had. Worse still, she now had more time to focus on all his little habits and quirks now that she hung out with him outside of office hours.

"Y/n. I think you need to get over whoever that asshole is, you know."

Y/n blinked, turning to face Rhys as he came to stand against the railing next to her.

"What?"

"You know, it’s been a long time since you told me about him. And if you’re still not dating, then I think you need to either tell him or forget him."

Y/n sighed. "It’s not that I don’t want to tell him. I know he would never love me back."

He nodded solemnly. "You said it yourself then. He would never love you. You might as well find someone new to love."

When Y/n rolled her eyes and turned back to stare into the dark waters, he tried again. "At least tell me who this love interest of yours is. Maybe I can knock some sense into him- or her, if you’re into that. I’m tired of seeing you be painfully single."

Y/n shook her head with a rueful smile, wondering what his reaction would be if she actually told him who this ‘love interest’ was.

Since Rhys had asked Y/n to be a part of the friend group, he had managed to get out a confession from Y/n about this ‘mysterious daddy of yours’. His own words, not hers.

He would try to find out who this guy was, he was adamant even, but every time Y/n would manage to escape without revealing who she was head over heels for. She had a relationship with Rhysand that was very precious to her, and she was not interested in jeopardising that.

It was better to just go on a date if it meant he would stop trying to get her to confess.

"Alright. I’ll go on a date."

Y/n could see him perk up. "Really? Let’s find you a guy. It will be so fun."

Y/n offered him a smile before he slipped away, then let the smile drop.

Having grown up without a real friend due to her social anxiety, Y/n cherished the friendship she and Rhys shared.

Initially, she had thought that becoming friends with him would be the best thing to ever happen to her. And it was, but it was also one of the most hurtful things she had gone through.

Being able to talk to him whenever she wanted to, being able to do everything she had ever wanted to do with him, yet not being able to love him the way she truly wanted was a curse in itself.

Sighing, Y/n told herself to stop thinking too much and walked away.

The next two days went by uneventfully, but then the third day, of course, Rhysand had to disrupt Y/n’s peace as she tapped away on her laptop, Cassian hot on his heels.

Those grins on their faces never meant good.

She raised a brow at them, eyeing Cass as he climbed on her table and settled down, pushing away the files in his way.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, actually." Cass giggled before a word could escape Rhys’s mouth. Rhysand brows rose. "What do you think I should do for Nesta on her birthday?"

Y/n blinked, then leaned back in her seat, scratching her head. "Hmm. She likes to read, right? There’s a new book store that opened recently, it's very big and beautiful. She would love to go there. Make a day out of it. Take her there, then maybe a coffee date and movies-"

Rhys cleared his throat with a pointed glare at a very serious Cassian, who nodded at every word out of Y/n’s mouth and pulled out his phone to note down what to do. "We were here for another thing. Remember?"

Cassia grinned sheepishly and nodded, putting away his phone.

Rhys turned back to Y/n then. "You know, I recently got in contact with an old acquaintance from college." Y/n waited for him to drop the bomb on her, because there was no way he looked so serious just because he wanted to tell her that.

"I set you up on a date with him."

Y/n was rendered speechless. She did not know what to do, what to think. It was like even her mind had stopped working.

Just amazing. This is perfect. The man I love is acting like a wingman. What more could I have asked for?

When she remained silent, Cass and Rhys exchanged an uncertain glance.

"Uh, he’s well off, he’s good looking. He drives a BMW I believe, and-"

"Hmm. Just let me know the time and address."

Rhys blinked at Y/n, surely taken aback by the lack of emotion in her monotone voice. "I- okay yeah but-"

Just then, her phone rang. It was the receptionist. Y/n smiled, thanking every being she could think of for this distraction. She had plans of lunch with the girl who was like a friend too, and so it gave her the perfect escape.

But as she excused herself and all three friends went their separate ways, she could not help but feel someone's gaze on her. And sure enough, as she turned after entering the elevator, she found Rhys studying her, his gaze intense as it met hers.

But the eye contact was cut short as the doors slid closed, and Y/n sighed, blinking away the prickling in her eyes.

°•°•°•○🌑○•°•°•°

She did not want to get dressed, but she also did want Rhys to stop bothering her about her love life, and so she had pulled out her favourite dress from the back of her closet and put it on after taking a shower.

She had just finished putting on some mascara and blush when the doorbell rang, and Y/n paused, staring at herself for a moment before deeming that enough makeup and standing, making her way out of her room. Surprisingly, at her door stood a grinning Rhys.

Y/n was taken aback. He hadn’t informed her of his arrival.

"Hey Rhys, what are you doing here?"

"Why? Are you not happy to see me?"

Y/n rolled her eyes, turning away to go to the kitchen, leaving him to close the door.

She grabbed a glass and filled it with water, then handed it to him when he followed her into the kitchen. She then turned and leaned against the counter, crossing her arms across her chest.

"So. What brings you here?"

He put away the glass after drinking half of the liquid inside, raising his eyebrows playfully.

"What, I can’t come to see my friend without a reason?"

Y/n just watched him, not buying his lies. When he refused to speak more, she sighed. "Rhys, we both know I am not believing the shit you’re spewing right now, so just tell me why you’re here."

He exhaled, leaning his hip against the counter opposite Y/n. "I just wanted to check up on you. You didn’t seem too excited to go on this date."

Y/n unfolded her arms, looking away from his concerned gaze perusing her form. "How can I be happy about going on a date with someone who’s not the man I love?"

"Then tell me who he is Y/n, I could set you up on a date with him." Gone was the friendly warmth he usually talked to her with.

"I can’t Rhysand."

"Why not?!"

"I just- I just can’t, okay? And anyways, I’m trying to move on."

"Who is he?"

"Maybe today I will go meet that friend of yours-"

"Who is he?"

"-and fall in love and I’ll forget him-"

"Tell me who he is-"

"I can’t."

"Why not?"

"You want to know who he is that badly? It’s you, Rhys! It’s you."

His eyes widened, his lips parting as he stared at her. "You- what?"

Y/n refused to look away from him, cursing herself for shedding that one traitorous tear. But then she turned away. "I’m running late. He must be waiting for me."

With that, she walked out the door, ignoring his calls of her name.

Love really was bullshit. It just hurts people.

°•°•°•○🌑○•°•°•°

The two hours she spent with George- Greg? Gregory?- went by too fast. She did not even remember what he said. She could not stop thinking about Rhys and how she had confessed to him before coming to meet with the homo sapien in front of her.

He wanted to talk about himself, which Y/n did not mind one bit because she could not for the life of her listen. He was happy to yap and did not realise Y/n was zoned out the whole time he sang praises of himself, and was all too happy when Y/n paid for herself and then bid him goodbye, his eyes already fixed on a blonde across the restaurant.

Y/n did not want to go home yet, not knowing whether he left or not, so she decided to go sit at a beach near her home. It was empty at this time, most people either at home or out partying. It was a Saturday night after all.

Y/n felt like she had control over nothing. Since the day prior, all she could think of was how she wished she was prettier and had a chance to be with Rhys. She loved herself and her appearance, of course, but she could admit, she was nothing compared to that lady who had stormed into the office that day, telling Rhys to call off the stalker.

Y/n had never had any hope from the beginning. She had known that her feelings could not be anything but a crush, even if she wanted them to be more. Rhys was simply too good for her, and she was not above accepting that. She might have been delusional, but she wasn’t delusional enough to think he could ever return her feelings.

"I was waiting for you."

Y/n froze, suddenly aware of the sand grains between her toes, her heels discarded next to her, knees pulled up to her chest.

She did not respond, simply because she did not know how to. Now that she had been pulled out of her thoughts, she could hear him walking towards her, his steps cushioned by the shifting sand.

She decided to focus on the wind in her hair, on the soft, soothing melody of the water.

He settled down next to her, and she could not help but notice that he sat a little too close to be casual and friendly.

He said nothing for a long moment, and Y/n decided that in this moment, she could pretend to be his. She could pretend that he was hers and that they were madly in love. That he did not track her down here somehow and that the two of them were simply having a date night out.

"Her name is Feyre."

Y/n glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, unsure what he was talking about.

"She’s Nesta’s sister. That was how Nesta met Cassian, to be honest. She and I had been dating since we were in college."

It clicked for Y/n then, who he was talking about.

Tall, pretty, gorgeous hair and eyes. On top of that, a pretty name too? A jackpot, honestly.

As soon as that thought occurred to her, Y/n willed herself to stop thinking and just listen to the storytime by grandma Rhys.

Grandma Rhys??

All that was left was a rocking chair and some knitting needles and yarn.

He’d rock that fit too.

"She and Nesta… they grew up in conditions that were less than livable. Their father had lost his business and traumatised by the losses, he started staying home. Feyre had to work to keep the family going. She got to go to college because of scholarships."

Instantly, Y/n wished she could just give the lady a hug. But instead, she laid her head on her raised knees, turning her head to watch Rhys as he spoke.

"I had grown up in a filthy rich family, getting everything I wanted at my beck and call. Back then, I was smitten. Knowing what she had gone through, I wanted to provide for her. I took over my father’s businesses, began my own. Just so I could give her the lifestyle she deserved.

"While I was busy trying to get her to stop working… She wanted to provide for herself. It gave her a sense of independence, I understand that now. Having to depend on others before made her want to have freedom, and me trying to get her to stay at home made her feel suffocated. It led to a lot of arguments, more than was healthy. It upsetted me. I always wondered why she did not want to rule the empire I brought to her feet."

Y/n blinked, wondering what she would have done in that situation. Would she also have left Rhys?

"Eventually, she left me. Yet I could not bring myself to let go of her, always concerned about her safety for some reason. That’s when she came to the office, remember?"

Y/n did. A little too well.

But still, her heart hurt for him and her. She understood both sides, and she wished the two had just communicated better. Y/n knew they had loved each other a lot, it was clearly visible on their faces. At least on RHys’s. And from the way Rhys talked about her, Y/n could not help but like her too. She sounded like a nice person, someone deserving of someone as awesome as Rhys.

Even if that would have made Y/n’s chances of being with Rhys zero, she wished they had stayed and worked through their problems together.

He sighed, then turned his head to look at Y/n. "Do you know why I’m telling you this?"

Y/n shook her head, lifting it from her knees, trying to crack the tiny cramp.

He smiled. "I… while you were on that date, I sat and thought about it. Maybe it’s time for me to move on too. And now that I’ve acknowledged stuff I was too scared to before, I think I am ready."

His eyes held something so soft, so vulnerable as he gazed into Y/n’s eyes.

"Look, I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a complete creep and like an asshole, but I’m hoping you won’t judge me, but it’s fine if you’ve changed your mind and-"

"Just say it Rhys." Y/n laughed, already feeling like she knew where this was going.

He sighed. "I… do you want to go on a date with me?"

Y/n grinned. Flustered Rhys was something to cherish. "Sure, why not."

He perked up. "Really?"

She nodded. "As long as you actually want this and I’m not a replacement for Feyre-"

"You’re not, I swear! I’ve been feeling different towards you for some time now, I promise-"

"I believe you."

He blinked. "Really?"

Y/n nodded, and he relaxed, resting his head on her shoulder.

"This was easier than I thought it would be."

Y/n giggled.

It really was easier than expected.

Maybe love wasn’t bullshit after all.

°•°•°•○🌑○•°•°•°

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mandiemegatron · 2 years ago

Text

ꜰᴏᴜʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ᴡᴇ ᴍɪꜱꜱᴇᴅ

A Trafalgar Law/YN mini ficlet ✨️💖

Rated: G

Fluff, slow romance, Law being annoyed that he has emotions.

A/N: A lil gifty-poo for my friend @baka-tsuki - I hope you have a better night bestie and I hope you enjoy this lil treat 👀✨️💖

We love soft Law in this household! I hope you all enjoy 🥺💖✨️

Header by @baka-tsuki / @baka-tsuki-2 💖

The first time Laws skin brushed yours, it was like a spark had run through his fingers as he handed you a cup of tea, crawling up his entire arm until the tingles settled at the back of his neck. You didn't notice how the tips of his ears burned, and he breathed a soft sigh of relief when you turned away. He locked himself in his office the rest of that night, his face buried in his hands as an irritated huff left him every once in a while.

Annoying.

The second time, your shoulders had bumped each others as you leaned on the railing up top, enjoying the last few moments of sun shine as it set for the day. He knew you loved sunsets, always finding you watching the sun fall into nothingness every time the sub was ascended and somehow found solace in spending those quiet moments with you.

His heart skipped a beat as you sighed, an almost lost look on your face as the sun finally disappeared beyond the waterline, looking up at him with a small smile. It skipped again as you thanked him for staying; he was unable to return the smile but gave a short nod instead, basking in the grin you gave in turn.

Incredibly annoying.

The third time, you'd stumbled into his office, holding your bleeding left shoulder. Your knees hit the ground and he was out of his chair in a flash, gently yet firmly grasping you by the uninjured shoulder.

"Y/N-ya, what the hell happened?!"

He hated how his voice cracked, shock and worry slipping through the cracks in his skin as he flew into doctor mode. He didn't even give you a chance to respond as he summoned a room, the both of you disappearing in a blue bubble and ending up in the infirmary.

He helped you up onto a table, making quick work to scrub his hands as speedily as possible at the sink before rushing back over to snap on his medical gloves. He gently removed your bloodied hand, giving a low huff as he examined the damage.

"O-one of the boilers had a leak- I didn't move in time- OUCH, mother fucker, can you not?!"

He glared down at you as you snapped at him, his thumb pressing a bit too roughly right on the border of your burned skin. You both stared each other down before you relented, giving a roll of your eyes before looking down at your dirtied work boots.

There was an excruciatingly heavy silence that hung around you both as he worked, his fingers practically flying over your skin as he disinfected and brushed a salve over the burn. You hissed and groaned, squeezing your eyes and hands into fists, fighting back another snark as you bit the inside of your cheek.

"You need to be more aware of your surroundings-"

Your head snapped back to him, and you gave him the darkest look you could, trying to convey that you already understood and felt stupid enough as it was. It took him a moment, but it clicked eventually, causing him to sigh with an air of annoyance as he reached for the gauze.

"... at least I'll have a cool scar?"

His eyes were wide as he turned back to you, unable to wrap his head around how quickly your attitude changed, an almost cheeky grin covering your features as your feet swung back and forth slightly.

"Woman, you are absolutely insane, did you know that?"

You gave a chuckle and shrugged, unable to keep the grin from your lips.

"Ah, but of course! It keeps the locals away."

Law couldn't stop the snort that bubbled up, rolling his own eyes as he began to wrap your upper arm and shoulder, his lips pressed into a firm line for a moment before he retorted,

"No wonder you fit right in. Apparently, I have a habit of adopting weirdos." His voice was almost mocking, though a joking tone made its way through easier than it had before. How he ended up here, able to make jokes with one of the most annoying yet cute people ever, perplexed and irritated him to no end.

Absolutely, incredibly annoying.

He had just finished cleaning you up, moving less than a space away as he snapped off his gloves, tossing them onto his tray when you suddenly grasped his one tattooed hand with your uninjured one, a gentle thumb brushing over his knuckles.

"You are the best doctor in the world," you gushed with a slightly smaller smile, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before letting it fall back to his side. Your cheeks burned as you finally looked up at his face, feeling your stomach flip-flop as his own cheeks flushed pink.

"Yes, I'm aware."

He internally smacked himself over the head, sighing with a huff as he ran the hand you didn't touch through his messy hair.

"... I, uh ... thank you."

You gave him a swift thumbs up and hopped off the table, quickly making your way to the doors as you threw over your shoulder,

"Anytime, boss. See you at dinner!"

Before he could respond, you flew out the doors the second you opened them, slight panic on your face as you booked it to your shared room with Ikkaku, ripping the door open and slamming it shut. Your back hit the door and you exhaled slowly, trying to calm your racing heart.

"Ugh, disgusting. Who said you could give me feelings, you rat bastard," you murmured to yourself.

The fourth time was that night, out on the deck once more as the sun slowly fell behind looming storm clouds. Law made his way to you and glanced over your wrapped shoulder, ignoring your sounds of protest as he gently poked and prodded.

"Oi, come on man, that sucks- ouch, Law!"

He stopped, his hands not moving from your skin though his eyes met yours, an unrecognizable look in his eyes. You rarely, if ever, called him his name. He decided then and there that he could listen to you say it over and over and never get sick of it.

"Y/N-ya, I apologize."

His voice was low, genuine in his apology as his eyes never left yours. His heart jumped when your eyes flickered to his lips, your own pressing into a thin line as you stared back up at him. It was only a few moments before you sighed softly through your nose, eyes closing as you leaned into him.

"I'm too tired to argue with you," You moaned out, the side of your face meeting his chest as he turned to hold you. He was stiff, an embarrassed look on his face as he thanked whatever gods were up there that everyone else had retired inside for the night.

As the sun finally disappeared, Law looked down at you, his gaze meeting the top of your head. After a moment, he gave a sigh of his own, his forehead meeting the top of your noggin as he finally began to relax. It felt so foreign, having a warm body in his arms and the feeling of warmth that filled his chest.

"We should go in," he murmured into your hair, unwilling to move or lift his face from your hair. His stomach flipped when you chuckled softly, pulling away enough to look up at him with an almost pleading expression.

"Can we just stay out here a little longer? Please?"

Your plea was so quiet, the sound almost not meeting his ears, and he couldn't fight back the small smile that washed over his lips as he relented.

"Alright brat, just a little longer."

Maybe... not that annoying.

A/N: WEEE WELL, there we have it !!! It took me about 3 hours to write and beta so if there's any mistakes, it's cos I was stoned and missed it! 😂✨️💖

I hope you all enjoyed, please like and relbog if you did, we love a soft Law in this house 😭😭😭😭

Love you all, be good my little tangerines! ❤️

#mandies mumbles ; fanfics #ok to rb #one piece fic #one piece #trafalagar law #one piece trafalgar law #trafalgar law x reader #trafalgar law x y/n

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magpielark · 1 year ago

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PEE PEE AND POO POO

>:)))

+ version with a border under the cut

Boop beep beep boop

*3*

#digital art #my art #fanart #popee the performer #popee paraphone #popee the clown #popee the ぱフォーマー #kedamono #kedamono popee the performer #popee and kedamono

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randomnameless · 3 months ago

Note

Sorry I need to send this about the "children of the goddess should not be allowed to rule" thing. Cause like, why shouldn't they. We, as humans generally appreciate the guidance of someone older and wiser. Wouldn't a nabatean's lifespan and experience make them the most "fit" to rule? Like, yeah, I trust someone with a millenia life experience to lead more than I trust someone with under 3 decades. And maybe it can be argued that Rhea didn't do a good enough job, but that doesn't actually disqualify the rest of them? Like, either they're truly godlike and should lead due to their inherent experience and wisdom, or they're just like any other person, in which case why shouldn't they get the CHANCE to lead. Like, is the situation that they live in fodlan, but have no rights to play a role in the future that they'll have to live in? They're not allowed to be in a position of leadership due to their race? Cause that's like. Pretty bad. But this is a question the game cannot answer because it might make homegirl look slightly morally questionable.

Go ahead anon, rant!

I think this issue could have also been raised in FE10 - but that game and "racism" is like... you believe you're eating a chocolate flavored peanut, and only realise you're actually eating a peanut flavored chocolate.

For all of the focus, in both games of the duology, Daien got as the laguz hating country, there's no line/zilch about them being happy - or not - with having a heron branded queen? Miccy will age slower than regular beorcs, will Daein peeps be okay with that? We don't know, but we sure know that legends will remember Ikey-poo fondly, just, don't give a fuck about the world or the other characters from the verse please.

As for Nabateans not being allow to do either X or Y based on their race... well, it was basically raised early in the fandom days by some people, myself included, but I guess being able to drink tea with Freezer overwrote that issue.

We could argue using headcanons all day long, for 5 years lol about what Rhea did or didn't - since the game loves to tell and show different things, but the fact that Nopes had to add Yuri and Dimitri discussing about common sense, like feeding people first before giving them education, I'm pretty sure the devs never believed people would seriously wonder what would Clout/Supreme Leader/Dimi's policies about "making a better world" would entail : both Yuri and Ferdie's supports are just here to, in a typical Fodlan fashion, sprinkle peanuts on your ice cream to make you believe you're really eating a snickers.

"We're a very serious game about having three political powers discussing about the future of the world and what should be done to reach this ideal !"

"And no one thought about food? People needing food to survive? Before doing anything else like getting a proper education or wishing to have a say in the politics of their respective states?"

"... Well, we also tackle very serious themes like isolationism and its effect of society and prejudices!"

"By depicting the foreign neighbours as MENA inspired people being bloodthirsty and deadset on pillaging or rampaging in cities? They attack for fun and let their orphans die as canon fodder? And the main lead who wants to talk about opening the borders and isolationsim never mentions this? At all? Especially since he's a prince of this MENA inspired country?"

"... but we hammer in 3 routes how this lady is evil incarnate, and in the 4 others, we say she sus!"

"Your point being? One person hearsaid to be wrong doesn't suddenly make the rest of your cast likeable, especially if their writing has glaring holes like the ones I pointed!"

"... we can sell super rad umbrellas?"

And you know what, it's a damn shame the devs didn't believe in their "homegirl" as you said it, because Freezer is somehow super popular, and that was even before the DBS retcons!

#anon #replies #fodlan nonsense #fandom woes #seiyuus are seiyuus but like #did you know Freezer's og seiyuu is also the one who voiced Kurotsuchi Mayuri in Bleach?#Sure they're both evil and hammy and have no regard for life in general but damn #they're super popular for a reason #their writers never pulled their punches about them sans dbs of course #yep even for mayuri #imagine if Zihark told Miccy that as Branded she shouldn't be allowed to rule over humans #even if he sang a jpop song I believe he'd receive some backlash

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lunalycana · 1 year ago

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Silliest sonic related headcanon? (About any character or anything in sonic)

YOU GET 2!!!

First, a Badget headcanon. :)

I like to think that Barry is relatively average in every way, but has alarmingly good eyesight in the dark due to their nocturnal heritage, but they’re like PARTICULARLY weirdly good at seeing in the dark to the point of bordering on supernatural?

I feel like when Barry and Gadget move in together, it becomes common place for Gadget to stumble into the kitchen at 3am and see the creepy glowing eyed silhouette of Barry sitting on the counter eating a pudding cup in the dark. And after the absolute heart attack they give him, when Gadget asks why the hell they do that, they very politely reply with “oh hi I didn’t wanna wake you up? <:)”

And now let’s talk about Sonic? (And additionally Tails and Shadow.)

I like to think that due to his constant traveling of the world, Sonic can speak like 15 different languages and specifically 6-7 of them fluently. This also includes morse code, which he learned for the hell of it with Tails and they like to tap messages at each other and giggle about it which makes people around them who don’t understand EXTREMELY insecure and confused.

Shadow got annoyed with this one day and finally started learning to translate whatever they’re so tickled over whenever he’s around, only to discover they’re sitting around tapping stupid things like “pee pee poo poo” at each other and he’s been pissed off about this ever since.

#Luna Be Talkin #dreaminmysoup #Sonic #Badget #Less silly note on the languages headcanon! I feel like some of the languages Sonic is fluent in areeee #English ASL Spanish Japanese Chinese Italian and Brazilian Portuguese ✌️#Everything else he knows he simply knows enough to get around

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thissharktypes · 1 year ago

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Into the Border-verse: 2

2 - Electric personality

Oh god. Your head is swimming, trying desperately to peel your eyes open. Please shut up. Though the chatter around you was muffled, like you were underwater, it was still too loud. Your stomach churns violently, that’s enough to have your eyes flying open and flinging yourself over the edge of the bed to unleash all the contents of your stomach onto the floor. You cough, throat burning, tears pooling in your eyes as you continue to dry heave, nothing left to bring up. A gentle hand pulls you backwards and you slump against the pillows. A kind looking doctor dabs the tears from your cheeks and begins adjusting the blankets over you “Damn kid, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone spew that much, and I once saw a psycho being swung around in circles by his feet, puking the whole way ‘round.” The doctor snorts a little before nudging a cup towards you “Better swish your mouth kid.” you grab the cup, hands shaking slightly, you swish before quickly gulping down the water, very aware of how dry your mouth is “Am I…” you look around “in my world?” you couldn’t think of a way to phrase that without sounding insane, just in case you did just have a weird ass dream. He shakes his head “Sorry, can’t say you are, Lilith filled me in on what happened. They all want you in the meeting room once you’re feeling better, I think they’re hopin’ you can give them some help with their plans.” you shake your head “No,” your voice cracks and you wince “I can’t, I don’t support what they do in the games, I don’t support anything anyone does,” you pause “So much violence for what they believe is right, so many innocent lives…” even though for you it was just a video game, you still felt your heart tug whenever you had to watch a scene play out in a way you didn't like. The doctor raises a bushy eyebrow “I’d keep that to yourself kid, wouldn’t want them to get the wrong idea.” his eyes darted to the door “But they won’t let you leave, with the information you have…” he trails off but you understand “Comply or die, right?” he snorts again “You got that right.” the doctor slips a hand under your arm as you struggle to sit up “Let’s get this over with.” He gives a quick nod and you both make your way painfully slow towards the meeting room.

You pause halfway there, unsure of why you’re so out of breath, huffing, you lean forward, trying to suck in more air “I have a theory,” you motion for the doctor to keep talk while you start to recover “if you’re from a different universe, then more than likely your air is different from ours, might take a bit to adapt.” you pull yourself upright “It feels like I’m breathing in pudding.” you groan out “Poo-ding?” it's your turn to snort “No, PUH-ding, like, chocolate or vanilla goop, there’s other flavors too but most of them are gross.” the doctor just looks even more confused “It's like… a dessert?” his eyes light up “Sweets! I love that stuff, think you could make it for me?” you two begin walking again and you shrug “Maybe, I was a cook in my world, might be able to whip up something similar.” he grins “A cook! How exciting, who do you cook for?” you smile “I worked in a hospital, we had a huge team, sometimes I’d help prep, maybe help in the back with the dishwashers,” your smile drops “I was supposed to be heading to work when I came here.” your chest hurts “What if I never see my coworkers again…” the thought brings tears to your eyes again “You like your team?” you nod “I loved them, they were like family honestly, they took care of me, reminded me to eat, take breaks, drink water.” you and the doctor near the large room where you can see a few figures around a table “What about your actual family?” he asks softly, you grind your teeth and blink away the tears “Fuckin losers, the lot of ‘em,” you pause “Except my grandparents.” your voice softens at the thought of them “They passed away a few years ago though.” the doctor pats your arm “I’m sorry kid, I don’t know why you were sucked into our world but I sure do like you so far.” he smiles as he leads you to a chair across from Tannis “Well, here’s the kid, be nice to ‘em.” he locks eyes with Lilith and she glowers back.

It takes a solid hour of screaming back and forth between you and Lilith for someone to finally intervene “Shut up you absolute children!” Tannis screeches over you and the red head, you both fall silent “Lilith, this isn’t working. Nothing is being solved and they obviously don’t want to help us.” Tannis sticks up her nose “Some people just don’t want to save lives I supposed.” you snarl, standing up and slamming your hands down on the table, rattling the coffee cups next to you “I am saving lives, Lives you all took! For your own selfish fucking reasons!” you snap, Tannis and Lilith both boiling with rage while Roland and Brick both looked on with disapproval.

“Then you give us no choice.” Lilith's voice is harsh.

Before you can blink your arms are pinned behind you and you’re being dragged, kicking and screaming, down a hallway. Your head slams against the wall as Lilith tosses you inside a cell, a thick door sliding shut after you “If you won’t give us the information willingly then we’ll take it by force.” She stares at you through the slit in the door “And you wonder why I won’t help you Crimson Scumbags!” you shout as she turns to leave.

You aren’t sure how long you’re in the cell, whenever you’re dragged out you can never see a window. The only other place you’ve been to was a grimey and dark room, tied to the chair and beaten black and blue. When whoever tortured you couldn’t get information, your limp body would be hauled back to the cell.

Your stomach ached, mouth dry, ribs on fire, skin crusted in blood. You never liked Liliths character and this whole situation was proving you right. Lost in your thoughts of the not so fictional game you almost didn’t feel the room around you begin to shake. You drag yourself upright, pain spiking but confusion and curiosity winning out. Screaming echos from somewhere in the building, gunshots echoing soon after. Crawling to the door you bang against it, not entirely sure if you were hoping to be saved or just put out of your misery by the intruders. Your fists thump weakly against the thick door before you slide back down to the ground, your entire stomach and chest burning from exerting yourself.

A door slams open, followed by several sets of footsteps. You hit the ground hard as the door you were leaning against slides open. You groan and whimper, more pain ricocheting down your spine as you blink up at a grinning face “Hey there babydoll, it’s your knight in shining mask! Handsome Jack!” He motions for the guards behind him to haul you up and you gasp in pain “Fucking shit!” you yelp “Hey now, language! A pretty mouth like yours shouldn’t be used for something so dirty.” he winks at you “Is this yours kiddo? Found it on a table back there.” he hold up your backpack and you weakly nod “Great! Lets get going!” Jack starts walking with an exaggerated marching movement “We got real lucky that the Crimson Asshats aren’t here,” he shoots a wink back at you “I wouldn’t really call it luck, just having spies on the inside.” he wiggles his fingers in your face.

The two guards holding you up follow behind a chattering Jack, their quick pace leading you all back to a large ship parked haphazardly in front of the building you were being held in. Bright yellow stripes decorate the sides, marking it as Hyperion property, blindingly obvious. As soon as the guards drop you onto a chair Jack is twirling around and slamming a red syringe into your thigh. A sharp burning pain from where the needle hits, followed by sweet sweet relief. You let out a loud sigh, finally feeling better after God knows how long, your body relaxing into the plush seat under you “Thank you.” you say up at Jack who stood over you as your body mended.

He looks slightly taken aback before regaining composure “Of course dollface, I can’t have my secret weapon dying on me.” you groan “Don’t tell me,” He cuts you off “Yup! I know all about your alternate universe and you knowing allllllllll about whats gonna happen here.” He grins, plopping down in a chair as the ship lifts off. “You gonna beat the shit outta me too then?” you lean your head back against the cushy headrest and close your eyes “Not if you listen like a good little pet.” his voice is soft, but firm, an edge to it. You just nod “I know, I know, Blood, guts and glory, ‘I’ll shoot anyone that disrespects me, The Handsomest Jack’.” you lower your voice at the end, putting on an overly annoying male voice. To your surprise Jack bursts out laughing, you open one eye, watching as he bends over grabbing his knee and chest while his entire body shakes in laughter. A grin tugs at your lips “Glad to know you agree that I’m the best looking Jack.” he says after he trails off into giggles “You certainly like your ego stroked pretty boy.” you say through a smile and he wiggles his eyebrows at you “That’s not the only thing I like stroked sweetcheeks.” he raises his hand in a fist and makes a lewd motion, causing you to be the one to hunch over laughing.

Losing your shit over the Handsome Jack miming a handy-j was not what you expected when you picked up your controller that day. After a few moments of silence, with your eyes closed and head snuggly pressed into the cushion behind you, Jack clears his throat, bringing your attention back to him “So, my source tells me you never told any of the Crimson Raiders anything, you just took the beatings and stayed quiet.” you nod and scratch your head, unsure of where this conversation was going “Why?” he asks “Why what?” you reply, tilting your head “Why didn’t you tell them something.” you shrug and pick at your nails, dirt and blood flaking away “Lots of reasons, I didn’t like Lilith when I played the games, I didn’t like what the Crimson Raiders did, how many people they killed in the name of their mission,” Jack watches you “Yeah sure you killed a shit ton of people, I don’t think there’s a single character that didn’t kill someone, but still,” you frown “I think that you do what you do because you want to be a hero, you want to save people, while Lilith does what she does because she thinks shes better than other people. Her character is pretty well liked, but something about her just rubbed me the wrong way.” your eyes light up after a short moment “But Maya! Oh dear god, now that is a gorgeous siren.” you grin “She’s so pretty, I swear I’d be a total fankid for her.” Jack chuckles “Didn’t know you swung that way baby.” you snort and shake your head “You’ve got that wrong, I swing all the ways, If they’ve got a pulse and can consent I’ll probably find them attractive.” Jack surprises you by slapping your back “Hell yeah! That’s more like it!”.

You two chit chat on and off for the next hour, your conversation dying off as the ship nears the Hyperion base. You shoot upright, almost skidding across the ship as you dash to the window, face pressed against the glass as you stare in awe at the massive building “Pretty impressive huh?” You whip around to face Jack, completely starry eyed “It’s so cool, Can I explore? I won’t go far I promise, I didn’t get to see much in the game, please please please?” You clasp your hands together as you plead “Oh, I like the sound of you begging hot stuff.” his hand cups your chin, tilting your head back to gaze down at you. Your cheeks turn embarrassingly red, the slight fascination you had towards the character transferring to the man in front of you “I suppose I could give you a tour if you give me something in return.” You nod, slightly dazed by your proximity to Jack. He slings his arm around your shoulders and leads you off the now parked ship “First of all, what’s Liliths next move?” you hum quietly, trying to remember the plot of your game “You’re not gonna like it, so I’ll keep it short. From what I remember Lilith and her little crew use your daughter, they end up killing her, you end up killing Roland and taking Lilith to be a battery for your vault key, some other shit happens and then they kill you.” You glance up at the man next to you “That’s the just of it.” his grip tightens “Kill me? They can’t kill me, I’m the goddamn hero!” you shrug “That’s how the game goes. Not that I liked it but I can’t change the plot.” he shakes his head “Maybe not in your world, but here? I’m in charge. I make the rules.” you always held a soft spot for Handsome Jack for some strange reason, before you can process what you’re about to say, the words just tumble out “The game wasn’t fair, everything was in the Crimson Raiders favor and you didn’t actually have a shot of winning, I don’t agree with most of the shit you did in the game but I do think your character, you, deserved better.” Jack's grip loosens, the two of you walking in silence.

He slows his pace “I'll have you set up with a room near mine, I’ll also have some clean clothes and whatever else you need sent there. I’ll give you a tour tomorrow when you’ve rested.” He looks so drained all of the sudden, like the entire weight of the world was dropped on his back. “Thank you, I’ll answer any questions you have if I can, if it helps in any way I’ll do it.” he nods, no smartass retort. Jack silently taps on his echo device “Someone will escort you to your room, your bag is already there for you.” he pauses before placing his hand on your shoulder “Don’t make me regret this kindness honeybunches.” While the tone is teasing, he still has that usual edge of threat underneath.

You watch the sunset through the window across from your bed. You had spent quite a while just fluttering around the large room, opening random cabinets, poking at furniture and finally unpacking your backpack to see what all you had left inside. The contents dumped carelessly around you, forgotten as you watched the sky darken and fill with stars. Unable to fully process the beauty you drag your comforter to the floor and you wrap it around you as you settle down closer to the window. Your neck hurt from having your head tilted back to stare up at the sky, you felt so lost, not a single constellation standing out from your universe, but somewhere deep inside you also felt so at home, the light pollution from your city never gave way for this many stars. Swaddled in a ridiculously warm blanket and luxury soft pajamas, provided for you by Jack of course, you slowly start to doze off, still curled up on the floor by the window.

#handsome jackpot #borderlands handsome jack #handsome jack #timothy lawrence x reader #borderlands x reader #borderlands #handsome jack x reader #borderlands 2 #borderlands 3

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hasufin · 6 months ago

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Progress and Regress

I've been reluctant to say this, but... well, republicans actually just plain want to make the world a worse place.

I've tended to buy that their leadership wants to live in a feudal society; and that their followers want a hierarchical society as well, but they think it would be better than what we have now. And that they legitimately believe the world would be better if we didn't offer so much compassion to those in need, if we didn't protect the weak from the strong, &c.

But I think the Trump shooting proves otherwise. I hate to say it, but there it is.

Okay, first: yes, it was timed such that it would give attention back to a particularly needy narcissist. However, the idea that it's a conspiracy just doesn't hold water. All the evidence so far suggests that the shooter was, well, the archetype of a shooter in America: a young white man, emotionally disturbed but not actually victimized, who had access to weapons of war and decided to make his life notable by ending the lives of many other people. According to the FBI he was considering going after Harris or Biden, and it just so happened that Trump was more available. In spite of the rightwing jumping immediately to blame him on leftist communist woke transgender activists, he was a registered republican and he didn't leave any particular manifesto. The only salient thing about him seems to be, he had the ability to do this and probably shouldn't.

Now, if this were Democrats - if the shoe were on the other foot - this would be a significant moment of reckoning. If, for example, a hitter for a Colombian Cartel tried to take out Kamala Harris, Democrats would be having a serious conversation about tightening border controls. Even though the actual motive would indicate she was doing a good job, it would make Democrats rethink their policies a little: "Hey, the stuff I'm doing is actually make us less safe, maybe there's another way we can do this?"

But not republicans. That is not their way. As one commenter noted: when Trump gets shot, they wear a bandage on their ear to show solidarity with Trump; when schoolkids get shot, they wear an AR-15 pin to show solidarity with the gun.

So you'd think they'd maybe care, right? In spite of never giving a single solitary fuck about little kids getting killed, in spite of mostly being motivated by a primal urge to hurt the Other... you'd think they'd at least care when there's a direct demonstration that their policies tangibly put their own guy at risk. This isn't even a case where you need empathy or compassion. One doesn't even need imagination. It's a thing that happened: young man had ready access to powerful weapons, young man used one of those weapons to try and kill the rightwing leader. It's very direct and simple.

And they are unfazed. It's horrible that Trump got shot, but wow how fast they switch to the passive voice on that. He wasn't shot by a person with a knowable motive, there wasn't anything that could have been done to keep it from happening. The shooter just spawned on that rooftop, the Secret Service failed to stop him, and that's it.

In fact, if anything I'd say the republican response has been one of glee. Their guy got a chance to look strong and be a martyr! They can fling blame around like a monkey with poo! Zero introspection, just blatantly exploiting a tragedy to claw onto more power. Even when the target was their own guy.

The truth is, they don't mind. They want the world to be a more violent, crueler, harsher place. They want people to suffer more. Themselves included. So long as they can have more power, they are perfectly pleased with this - even when it hurts them, just so long as The Other Guy is suffering more.

#politics

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south-park-polls · 11 months ago

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South Park Song Tournament!

[also check out @votemattrey’s South Park 25th anniversary concert tournament on their blog!! <3]

I am aware the creators made an official song tournament, but i didn’t hear about it until after it was already over so I have decided to make one of my own!

This is very self-indulgent and there are a lot of south park songs to think of, especially if you include covers (which i have decided to do) so I am likely very biased in which songs i have chosen.

I have narrowed it down to 128 songs to start to give an easy number for a tournament, but if I haven’t included your favourite song feel free let me know in the notes, reblogs or tags and I will make sure to add it to the list.

Please don’t worry about whether requesting songs will interfere with the tournament numbers! I have plans to give second chances to the closest losers to ensure that there is never an odd number of songs going into the next round :)

The songs I have decided to put in the tournament are as follows:

South Park Theme Song

I'm Gonna Make Love to You, Woman - Cartman Gets an Anal Probe

Hot Lava - Volcano

Love Gravy - An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig

Make Love, Even When I'm Dead - Pinkeye

The Lonely Jew on Christmas - Mr Hankey the Christmas Poo

Waitin' On a Woman - Cartman's Mom is a Dirty Slut

Simultaneous - Summer Sucks

Chocolate Salty Balls - Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls

Cheesy Poofs Theme Song - Roger Ebert Should Lay Off the Fatty Foods

Underpants Gnomes Work Song - Gnomes

Getting Gay With Kids - Rainforest Schmainforest

I Hate You Guys - Jakovasaurs

Sexual Harassment Panda - Sexual Harassment Panda

Shelly, Shelly - Cat Orgy

Turds! - Cat Orgy

Mr Hankey the Christmas Poo - Mr Hankey's Christmas Classics

Carol of the Bells - Mr Hankey's Christmas Classics

Christmas Medley - Mr Hankey's Christmas Classics

O Tannenbaum - Mr Hankey's Christmas Classics

Christmas Time in Hell - Mr Hankey's Christmas Classics

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel - Mr Hankey's Christmas Classics

I Saw Three Ships - Mr Hankey's Christmas Classics

Merry Fucking Christmas - Mr Hankey's Christmas Classics

O Holy Night - Mr Hankey's Christmas Classics

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Mr Hankey's Christmas Classics

Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld - Timmy 2000

Fingerbang - Something You Can Do With Your Finger

Wendy's Audition Song - Something You Can Do With Your Finger

Third Grade Memories - Fourth Grade

The Prostitute Song - Fat Camp

Circle of Poo - A Very Crappy Christmas

Why Can't I Be Like All the Other Kids - Here Comes the Neighbourhood

It's Butters! - Butters' Very Own Episode

Montage - Asspen

Sea People and Me - The Simpsons Already Did It

The Ballad of Lemmiwinks - The Death Camp of Tolerance

My Future Self n Me - My Future Self n Me

Poo-Choo Train - Red Sleigh Down

Bleeding Heart Rock Protest Song vs. Pro War Country Song - I'm a Little Bit Country

Make a Run for the Border - Fat Butt and Pancake Head

Taco Flavoured Kisses - Fat Butt and Pancake Head

Jesus Baby - Christian Rock Hard

Faith + 1 Album - Christian Rock Hard

Casa Bonita - Casa Bonita

Joseph Smith Was Called a Prophet - All About Mormon

Cigarettes All Hidey Lidey Day - Butt Out

Follow the Only Road - It's Christmas in Canada

French Canada - It's Christmas in Canada

Let's Fighting Love - Good Times with Weapons

My Robot Friend - AWESOM-O

My Wishing Tree - The Jeffersons

The Future Begins With You and Me - Goobacks

Vote or Die! - Douche and Turd

I've Got Some Apples - Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset

Christmas Time is Once a Year - Woodland Critter Christmas

Make It Right - The Death of Eric Cartman

Love Lost Long Ago - Follow That Egg!

We Can Live Together - Ginger Kids

Trapped in the Closet - Trapped in the Closet

Hey People, You Gotta Drive Hybrids Already - Smug Alert!

Who's Got the Greatest Mom In The World? - Tsst

Dawg's Crew Theme Song - Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy

Hippitus Hoppitus - Fantastic Easter Special

California Loves the Homeless - Night of the Living Homeless

I've Got a Golden Ticket - Le Petit Tourette

Imagination Song - Imaginationland

Canada on Strike - Canada on Strike

My Internet Done Up and Went Away - Over Logging

Super Fun Time - Super Fun Time

You Gotta Do What You Wanna Do - Elementary School Musical

Burn Down Hot Topic - The Ungroundable

I've Got a Ring on My Finger - The Ring

Queef Free - Eat, Pray, Queef

Gay Fish - Fishsticks

Somalian Pirates We - Fatbeard

Poker Face - Whale Whores

Minorities at my Water Park - Pee

Lake Tardicaca Hula Gal - Crippled Summer

You and Cthulhu - Mysterion Rises

Cafeteria Fraiche - Crème Fraiche

Vunter Slaush Kapushkuh - Crack Baby Athletic Association

Work Mexican Work - The Last of the Meheecans

Lemmiwinks vs Wikileaks - Bass to Mouth

Put That Heart to Work - Broadway Bro Down

Out of My Shell - Broadway Bro Down

I'm Not the Poorest Kid in School - The Poor Kid

The Jewelry Polka - Cash For Gold

Make Bullying Kill Itself - Butterballs

Jackin' it in San Diego - Butterballs

I Swear - Cartman Finds Love

The Ballad of James Cameron - Raising the Bar

It's a Beautiful Day - World War Zimmerman

A Chorus of Wieners - A Song of Ass and Fire

Princess Kenny Theme - A Song of Ass and Fire

My Bitch Ain't No Hobbit - The Hobbit

Push (Feeling Good on a Wednesday) - The Cissy

The Tale of Craig's Mom's Bush - The Magic Bush

PC Chant - Stunning and Brave

Where Has My Country Gone - Where My Country Gone

The Yelper Special (Boogers and Cum) - You're Not Yelping

In My Safe Space - Safe Space

The Ballad of Tweek and Craig - Tweek x Craig

Let's Come Together As a School - Douche and a Danish

Give Life A Try - Put It Down

Put It Down - Put It Down

They Got Me Locked Up In Here - Hummels & Heroin

Barbershop Quartet - Hummels & Heroin

A Witch Pursuit Thing - Sons A Witches

Faith In Christ - A Boy And A Priest

Unfulfilled - Unfulfilled

Colorado Town - Bike Parade

Go Strong Woman, Go - Board Girls

I Love You Social Distancing - The Pandemic Special

Mountain Town - South Park: Biggger, Longer & Uncut

Uncle Fucka - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

It's Easy Mmkay - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

Blame Canada - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

Kyle's Mom's a Bitch - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

What Would Brian Boitano Do - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

Up There - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

La Resistance - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

I Can Change - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

I'm Super - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

Mountain Town (Reprise) - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

We Are Living in the Future - South Park: Post Covid: The Return of Covid

We Missed You Randy - South Park: The Streaming Wars

I Got Cred, Bitches - South Park (Not Suitable For Children)

Hope you all enjoy the tournament and may the best south park song win!

#south park #south park songs #trey parker #matt stone #trey parker and matt stone #sp fandom

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mariacallous · 11 months ago

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This month the World Trade Organization threw in the towel on COVID-19. Medicines like Paxlovid have been plentiful in the U.S. and Europe, but because of insufficient supplies and high prices, hardly anyone in Africa, Asia, and Latin America has had access. After more than three years of debate, the WTO declared on Feb. 13 that it was unable to reach agreement on waiving global patent rules for COVID-19 treatment to ease the way for expanded production.

Those confused about why the WTO is even still debating COVID-19 nearly a year after the public health emergency was declared over by the World Health Organization can be forgiven. Not only is this slow speed not what the world needs in a pandemic, it is also not how the World Trade Organization is supposed to work, and begs questions on WTO’s relevance in a multi-crisis world. It also makes clear that responsibility for the global governance of pandemic-related technology and intellectual property cannot remain with the WTO.

As negotiations have reconvened this week in Geneva over a new Pandemic Treaty, the question of which organizations should manage the response is a live question. Some negotiators are pushing for a role for the world’s health ministers and the World Health Organization on intellectual property, but the U.S. negotiator and others say these questions should stay with the WTO. The WTO’s failure, though, make this an increasingly untenable position: If the WTO cannot act in a pandemic to remove patents barriers and promote sharing of technology so the world can produce enough medicines and vaccines, then the WHO must be empowered to do so.

When the World Trade Organization was created in 1995, it marked a fundamental change to international trade law. Where the international system it replaced had primarily dealt with flow of goods across borders, WTO rules expanded the definition of “trade” to include the intangible—including patents on pharmaceuticals. All members were required to enforce 20-year monopolies over making new medicines. As the late scholar Susan Sell described it, this was a remarkable act of “forum shifting.” Before that, patents (effectively government-granted monopolies) were not part of “free” trade. Into the 1970s, many rich countries such as Italy and Japan did not allow patents on medicines, and many developing countries like India, Brazil, and Mexico had continued to exclude medicines from patent monopolies into the 1990s. But they were convinced to expand intellectual property in the new WTO agreement with a promise of “technology transfer” and a requirement that wealthy countries incentivize their companies to share with least-developed countries. This has not gone as promised.

The first effective medicines in the AIDS pandemic arrived just as the WTO came into being. It quickly became clear this debate about globally enforceable intellectual property was life-or-death as patents proved a major barrier to access. Twelve million Africans died between 1997 and 2007 with AIDS medicines too expensive and pharmaceutical companies blocking affordable generic versions. Eventually manufacturers in India, Brazil, South Africa, and elsewhere overcame barriers and made the drugs at a 99 percent lower cost. Today 30 million people are on treatment and cutting-edge medicines costs less than $50 per year.

Did drug companies voluntarily relent? Unfortunately, no. Dozens of low- and middle-income country governments issued “compulsory licenses” forcing drug companies to allow local producers to make HIV medicines. Activists pressured companies to drop their price and share their technology. The WTO eventually agreed on the “Doha Declaration” clarifying WTO rules allowing countries “flexibilities” to make affordable medicines and special consideration during emergencies. It took over a decade, but eventually the Medicines Patent Pool was created to facilitate voluntary sharing of technology—though companies only joined because compulsory alternatives left them little choice.

When the pandemic hit, these structures to transfer technology were all available, but world leaders decided to only use the voluntary elements—an approach that failed spectacularly. Scientists delivered vaccines in record time. Highly effective mRNA vaccines were developed in under a year and treatments followed. Paxlovid proved among the most effective—a long-standing HIV drug combined with a new drug similar to HIV antiretrovirals. Costa Rica and the WHO proposed a mechanism to pool technology and patents even before medicines were developed and approved. Over 100 different drug and vaccine manufacturers around the world were prepared to make them, several even showing they could reverse engineer mRNA vaccines. But no drug company agreed to share its technology, and none of the governments where companies were based compelled them to.

With neither a relaxation of WTO rules nor enough voluntary sharing to enable factories in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to expand supply, global leaders backed a set of voluntary efforts for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). COVAX, the international effort to procure and equitably distribute vaccines, tried to secure vaccines from companies like Pfizer and Moderna. Predictably, however, COVAX quickly discovered high-income countries were locking up global supplies by using economic and political power to secure preferential access from companies. By the end of the first year, less than 1 percent of all vaccines had gone to low-income countries. Medicines fared no better. One analysis showed need for Paxlovid exceeded supply in LMICs by 8 million doses—leaving 90 percent without access. The lowest reported price was $250—200 percent of the average per capita spending on all health in lower middle-income countries.

These shortages had consequences. Analyses show as many as 27 million lives lost to the pandemic, many of which were preventable. Beyond the direct effect, dangerous coronavirus variants swept the world from contexts of high transmission and low vaccinated immunity. The pandemic has been longer and more damaging because of an artificially limited global supply of countermeasures.

Throughout this time the WTO was locked in debate. South Africa and India proposed a temporary waiver of WTO rules on all COVID-19 products during the pandemic. Pharmaceutical industry lobbyists cast this as a dangerous idea, launching a campaign against it claiming “voiding patents” would undermine innovation for pandemic products. In reality, a waiver does not take away IP rights. It simply suspends global rules temporarily, giving policymaking authority back to national governments to decide whether to enforce patents on pandemic-products during the pandemic without threat of WTO-linked sanctions. A waiver alone would not have solved the pandemic supply problem, which also required shared know-how and expanded manufacturing. But it would have removed threats of lawsuits for companies making financial and infrastructure investments in production lines and threat of sanctions from powerful states for governments allowing local production.

The WTO is supposed to be able to use mechanisms like waivers to respond to crises in a matter of weeks, not years. The Marrakesh Agreement explicitly includes a provision on waivers, stating the General Council must act within 90 days on a waiver request, assuming consensus, but falling back to a vote of three-fourths of members. Every year multiple WTO waivers are granted on issues from pharmaceuticals to diamonds to preferential trade for neighbors. But since 2020, the WTO’s efforts to pass a waiver in the middle of a world-changing event hit institutional and ideological roadblocks. Even as heads of state weighed in and wide swaths of the global economy depended on stopping the coronavirus, the institutional structure encouraged gridlock. Despite seemingly supportive law, the WTO’s structures encourage narrow interest-group politics, excluding actors with a broader public interest and economic agenda.

Narrowly-focused intellectual property negotiators framed the COVID-19 issue in ways that insulated negotiators, focused on footnotes and eligibility instead of stopping the pandemic, and gave an effective veto to trade negotiators from a few states with strong pharmaceutical lobbies. By the time the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference rolled around in June 2022, a simple pandemic-long waiver proposed two years earlier had morphed into a complicated mechanism that several developing countries declared unworkable. It only covered vaccines, pushing treatments to further negotiations. Eight months of more negotiations yielded no further progress, leading to the WTO’s declaration of no agreement last week.

It is time for a new forum shift. Negotiations over a new Pandemic Treaty are intensifying as negotiators hope for a May conclusion. The draft agreement includes a commitment to waive intellectual property during a pandemic and to use WTO flexibilities to produce pandemic-fighting products. These are the minimum steps to make the whole world safer. President Joe Biden already supported a patent waiver during the pandemic and is using these flexibilities at home, including “march-in” rights to limit patent monopolies on high-priced drugs in the U.S. The U.S. negotiator’s opposition suggests misaligned foreign policy.

But the agreement should go further. Given the WTO’s repeated failure, the new agreement should shift authority to waive patent rules to the World Health Assembly. And it should include a binding agreement to share publicly funded technologies for global production. States delegated authority to the WTO, which has proved a barrier rather than an asset in pandemics. Taking it back is just good governance.

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newstfionline · 4 months ago

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Thursday, October 3, 2024

Helene death toll now at least 166 (AP) President Joe Biden will survey the devastation in North and South Carolina on Wednesday as rescuers continue their search for anyone still unaccounted for after Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage across the Southeast and killed at least 166 people. Many residents in both states were still without running water, cellular service and electricity as floodwaters receded and revealed more of the death and destruction left in Helene’s path. Helene, one of the deadliest storms in recent U.S. history, knocked out power and cellular service for millions. More than 1.2 million customers still were in the dark early Wednesday in the Carolinas and Georgia. Some residents cooked food on charcoal grills or hiked to high ground in the hopes of finding a signal to let loved ones know they are alive.

Russian fighter jet flew within feet of US F-16 near Alaska (AP) On Monday, Pentagon officials released footage of a Russian fighter jet flying dangerously close to a U.S. F-16 jet. The footage, according to the Pentagon, was recorded on September 23 in U.S. airspace over Alaska. The game of giant metal aerial chicken took place just a few weeks after the Russian and Chinese militaries conducted joint drills in the Arctic near Alaska. Those drills involved multiple fighter planes and bombers from both militaries, as well as fleets of their navy vessels.

As Israel escalates in Lebanon, U.S. influence is limited (Washington Post) First Israel ignored a U.S.-led effort to impose a cease-fire in its escalating war against Hezbollah. Then it killed the militant movement’s leader, Hasan Nasrallah, in a massive attack, taking Washington by surprise. Now, following a weekend scramble to avert a ground invasion of Lebanon, Israel is conducting exactly that, underscoring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s disregard for the Biden administration’s entreaties and the limits of its influence on his actions. The widening gap between U.S. desires and Israeli behavior has left the administration struggling to adapt its diplomatic efforts to accommodate Netanyahu’s impulses. This chasm between the two allies has become especially pronounced in the days since the White House promised on Wednesday that Israel and Lebanon were about to agree to a cease-fire deal, only to end up a bystander as Netanyahu vowed at the United Nations to wipe out Hezbollah’s ability to threaten Israel for the foreseeable future. With many U.S. officials now embracing Israel’s success as it proceeds, with stunning momentum, to degrade Hezbollah, the events of recent weeks appear to fit a pattern in which the administration urges against specific Israeli actions only to later backtrack so it can avoid imposing conditions on military aid.

Argentine town battles a parrot invasion (Reuters) The town of Hilario Ascasubi near Argentina’s eastern Atlantic coast has a parrot problem. Thousands of the green-yellow-red birds have invaded, driven by deforestation in the surrounding hills, according to biologists. They bite on the town’s electric cables, causing outages, and are driving residents around the bend with their incessant screeching and deposits everywhere of parrot poo. “The hillsides are disappearing, and this is causing them to come closer to the cities to find food, shelter and water,” biologist Daiana Lera said, explaining that much of Argentina’s forest land has been gradually lost over the years. At times, according to locals, there are up to 10 parrots for each of the town’s 5,000 human inhabitants. During the summer, the birds migrate south to the cliffs of Patagonia for the breeding season. Images show hundreds of birds perched along electric cables and on pylons, or silhouetted in the dusk light swarming over buildings and a church, eerily reminiscent of scenes in film director Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1963 thriller “The Birds.”

Italy and Switzerland to redraw Alpine border due to melting glaciers (Washington Post) Italy and Switzerland are set to redraw part of the mountainous border separating the two countries due to melting glaciers in the Alps. The change, which impacts an approximately 330-foot-long segment of the border, is happening near one of Europe’s most popular skiing destinations, Zermatt, and the iconic Matterhorn mountain. One of the biggest glaciers near Matterhorn, the Theodul Glacier, retreated almost 1,000 feet between 1990 to 2015. The melting, which has been attributed to climate change, revealed new topographical details that raised new questions about the dimensions of the border between the two countries. In 2022, the jurisdiction of a glacial Italian mountain lodge there came under question when melting ice revealed the refuge was actually straddling the border.

Ukraine’s east buckling under improved Russian tactics, superior firepower (Washington Post) Soldiers from Ukrainian units along the front have described improved Russian tactics this summer that combine their advantages into powerful attacks that Ukrainians have struggled to counteract. Enemy troops are storming the battlefields in small teams that minimize detection and make return fire difficult, backed by superior quantities of artillery and drones. Russia has also improved its battlefield communication, helping coordinate attacks. While losses are staggering, Ukrainian soldiers have said, the Russians have the numbers to keep up the pressure and Western aid isn’t making up the equipment deficit. That confluence of factors, combined with Ukraine’s perennial challenge to replenish its combat units and its focus on a large operation inside Russia, has allowed Moscow’s forces to claim territory in the Donetsk region with speed and aggression not seen since the full invasion in 2022. Ukrainian forces have been retreating along dozens of miles of a front line being pushed to its breaking point.

A US bomb from World War II explodes at a Japanese airport (Foreign Policy) What is believed to have been a World War II-era bombshell detonated near a regional airport in southwestern Japan on Wednesday, nearly 80 years after the war ended. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force stated that the explosive appeared to be a 500-pound U.S. bomb that was likely dropped in an effort to stop Japanese “kamikaze” attacks, as the airport used to be a Japanese navy base from which hundreds of kamikaze pilots took off on their final missions. No injuries were reported in the explosion but nearly 90 flights were canceled, as Miyazaki Airport now must determine how to fix the 23-foot-wide and nearly 3-foot-deep crater in the middle of its taxiway.

Typhoon bringing heavy rain heads toward Taiwan (AP) A typhoon bringing strong winds and torrential rainfall slowly advanced Wednesday toward Taiwan, where thousands of people have been evacuated from vulnerable low-lying or mountainous terrain. At least 93 centimeters (3 feet) of rain has fallen in the coastal Taitung County in the past four days and 29 centimeters (11.4 inches) in the major port city of Kaohsiung ahead of Typhoon Krathon. The typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds near the center of 173 kph (108 mph) and gusts of 209 kph (130 mph), is expected to make landfall early Thursday. Schools and offices have been closed, flights and ferry services canceled and the city mayor has asked the 2.7 million residents to stay indoors. Around 10,000 people have been evacuated from at-risk areas.

Israeli strikes on Lebanon are the most intense and deadly in decades (Washington Post) For 10 days, Israel unleashed a relentless air campaign on Lebanon, striking over 3,600 Hezbollah-linked targets ahead of a ground offensive, according to IDF statements. “Aside from Gaza, this is the most intense aerial campaign that we know of in the last twenty years,” said Emily Tripp, director of Airwars, a British conflict monitor. The strikes have leveled entire residential blocks in south Beirut and devastated Hezbollah’s upper ranks, killing its leader Hasan Nasrallah and political deputy Nabil Kaouk. At least 1,400 people have been killed and 900,000 displaced since Israel accelerated its cross-border campaign (a fifth of the population), according to the Lebanese government. Fifty children died under Israeli bombardment on Monday and Tuesday—the United Nations estimates that’s double the rate of children killed during Lebanon’s 2006 war.

We risk dying from the cold, says displaced man in Beirut (BBC) The Lebanese prime minister said yesterday around a million people have been displaced as Israel's air strikes continue across Lebanon. With emergency shelters in Beirut unable to accommodate all those arriving from the south, many are sleeping by the road, in public squares, or on the beach. "We were forced to leave our villages and homes and come to Beirut, but there are no available houses or schools, all are overcrowded," a man tell our colleagues on BBC Arabic. "If we survive the bombings, we risk dying from the cold weather and diseases. We can't afford medicine should we fall ill. Many suffer on the streets," he adds. Another man says he now lives on the street and does not know what to do: "We left everything behind and arrived here with no clothes or resources." "Apartment rents have skyrocketed beyond our means, leaving us on the streets with our children in the cold winter," another person says. "We are enduring a truly tragic situation.”

As Crisis Builds, Lebanon’s Government Is Nowhere to Be Found (NYT) Even for the Lebanese, it can be hard to say where it all went wrong for their tiny, beautiful country. Certainly it was long before early Tuesday morning, when Israeli troops marched into southern Lebanon. Long before Friday, when Israel assassinated Hassan Nasrallah, the revered and reviled Hezbollah leader who had a chokehold on the country’s politics and security for years. And long before last October, when Hezbollah and Israel began trading airstrikes and rocket fire across the border, bringing the war in Gaza to Lebanon’s green, fertile south. Many say Lebanon’s current anguish began in 2019, when the economy imploded and took the country’s once-robust middle class with it. Mass anti-government protests that fall did nothing to dislodge the country’s widely loathed political class. Others might mention 2020, the year the coronavirus further crippled the economy, and the year an enormous explosion at Beirut’s port shattered entire neighborhoods of the capital. A good case could be made for going all the way back to the 15-year civil war that ended in 1990. All these crises and more have left Lebanon in no shape to withstand a sharply escalating conflict with Israel, like a 10-car pileup caught in the path of a tornado.

A man in south Lebanon cares for pets left behind as residents flee Israeli strikes (AP) A dog clings to Hussein Hamza inside a car as he pans his camera around to show the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. “Poor thing. Look at this, he’s clinging to me out of fear,” Hamza says in the video he posted online. “A missile hit here,” he said, his voice shaking. As Israel pummels southern Lebanon with airstrikes, tens of thousands of residents are fleeing their homes in fear. But Hamza is staying. His mission is to care for the dogs and other animals left behind. He runs an animal shelter that houses 200 dogs in the village of Kfour. Recently, he has also been driving around towns and villages in the south, looking for stray animals and abandoned pets to feed. “I opened bags of food and left them water. I’m relying on God,” said Hamza.

Nigeria’s independence anniversary is marked by protests and frustration over economic hardship (AP) Nigerians on Tuesday staged protests against economic hardship as the West African nation marked its 64th independence anniversary with its president calling for patience. Police fired tear gas to disperse some of the protesters, resulting in clashes. Dozens of people in a few states waved placards and the green-and-white national flag, demanding better opportunities and jobs for young people, in a country that has some of the world’s highest poverty and hunger levels despite being a top oil producer on the continent. Nigeria remains “an unfortunate case of running very hard and staying in the same place,” said Cheta Nwanze, managing partner at Lagos-based SBM Intelligence research firm. Nigeria continues to perform poorly in key areas like education and health, he said. “If your population is not healthy ... or not educated, you can’t possibly make progress,” Nwanze added.

#headlines #news

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