#but it’s natural. it comes with the territory

[rafecamerons-national-anthem]

RESCUE GONE WRONG-RAFE CAMERON

𝕤𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪 While exploring the marsh, you gets stuck in quicksand and Rafe is the only one around who could save you

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

The air was thick with humidity as you trekked through the marsh, the ground beneath your boots soft and treacherous. The evening was warm, and the fading light cast a golden glow over the landscape, making everything seem deceptively peaceful. The swamp’s stillness was interrupted only by the occasional croak of a frog or the rustle of the wind through the trees. You had come here to clear your head, to get away from the noise of the world, but nature had other plans.

Your foot slipped.

At first, you thought it was just the mud, the marsh trying to cling to your boot. But when your other leg followed suit, sinking deeper, the reality hit you like a cold slap, quicksand.

You struggled, panic rising as your legs sank further into the earth. The more you fought, the deeper you seemed to sink. Your heart pounded in your chest, and you could feel the weight of the mud pulling you under, heavy and unforgiving.

"Shit, shit!" You cursed, trying to move your legs, but it was useless. You were stuck.

Desperation clawed at you, but just as you started to lose hope, a voice broke through the swamp’s quiet, too calm for the situation at hand.

"You’re an idiot."

You glanced up, seeing Rafe Cameron standing a few feet away, an amused expression on his face. He was wearing his usual cocky smirk, but there was something in his eyes, something a little more alert, a little more concerned than you expected.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" you managed, your voice laced with frustration and panic.

He raised an eyebrow, stepping forward with caution. "Guess I could ask you the same thing."

“Help me!” you snapped, realizing how ridiculous you must sound, but there was no time for pride.

Rafe’s smirk faltered just slightly, his eyes narrowing as he observed the situation. “Alright, hold still. I’ll get you out.” He started to move closer, stepping carefully on the marshy ground.

You watched as he hesitated for a split second before getting closer to you, his expression unreadable. With a determined sigh, he knelt down beside you, keeping a wary eye on the quicksand.

“Don’t move too much. You’re just making it worse,” Rafe warned.

“Yeah, I know that!” you retorted, a bit more sharply than you intended, but the fear and frustration were building inside of you. “You think I’m trying to get stuck? I need you to get me out of here.”

He shot you a look, half exasperation, half amusement but then he grabbed your arm, his grip firm, and with a series of careful tugs, he managed to pull you out of the sinking sand.

Once you were back on solid ground, you fell backward, panting, adrenaline still rushing through your veins. Rafe stood over you, his hand still hovering in the air like he wasn’t sure whether he should help you up or not.

“Thanks,” you muttered, not really sure how to feel about the fact that Rafe Cameron had just saved your ass.

“Yeah, don’t get too used to it,” he said, offering a hand up after all. His voice held its usual cocky edge, but there was something almost softer in his demeanor now, something unspoken between the two of you.

You dusted yourself off, standing to your feet with a grimace, still feeling the sinking weight of the marsh in your bones. “What were you doing out here, anyway? This isn’t exactly your kind of territory.”

Rafe shrugged, looking away as he shifted uncomfortably. "Just needed some space. Same as you, I guess." His voice dropped slightly, a note of sincerity slipping through the usual bravado.

The admission took you by surprise. You hadn’t expected Rafe to actually be out here for anything other than to show off or get away from something, but there was a quiet weight to his words that made you reconsider your assumptions about him.

You glanced at him, an unspoken question hanging in the air between you.

Rafe caught your gaze, but he quickly looked away, an uncomfortable shift in his posture. “Not that it matters,” he muttered, his usual cocky mask snapping back into place. “But whatever. You’re out of the quicksand, so I guess my work here is done.”

"Yeah, thanks," you said again, your voice quieter this time. There was something different in his eyes, something more real, more raw than you’d ever seen before.

You felt it then, the tension between you, the way your shared experience had pulled something out of him, just like it had pulled something out of you. The world around you seemed to shift ever so slightly, and for the first time, Rafe didn’t seem like the untouchable Cameron heir.

Instead, he seemed...human. Vulnerable, even.

He gave a quick, dismissive nod, but the small gesture felt more sincere than anything he’d said earlier. “Don’t get stuck again.”

You stood there for a moment, watching him and despite the chaos of the situation, you found yourself with more questions than answers.

Rafe Cameron, of all people, had just saved you. And for reasons you couldn’t quite pinpoint, you knew this moment would linger far longer than either of you would be willing to admit.

Rafe’s voice broke through your thoughts, and you blinked, not quite sure if you’d heard him correctly. He turned back, that cocky smirk creeping back onto his face, though it was tinged with something more playful now.

“Now you owe me,” he said, his tone lighter than before, but still unmistakably confident.

You frowned, wiping your hands on your jeans as if you could somehow erase the awkward tension in the air. “Owe you?” you asked, raising an eyebrow. “For saving my ass?”

He shrugged nonchalantly, his gaze meeting yours with a glint of mischief. “Yep. That’s how it works. I helped you, now you owe me something.”

You crossed your arms over your chest, still not sure where this was going. “Alright, fine. What do you want?”

Rafe leaned against a nearby tree, his posture relaxed as he gave you an assessing look, as if weighing his options. His eyes locked with yours, and for a moment, it felt like he was considering something serious.

Then, just as quickly, his smirk returned, and his voice dropped into a smooth, almost teasing tone. “Go out with me. On a date.”

You stared at him, blinking in disbelief. “What?”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by your shock. “A date. You know, dinner, maybe a movie. You owe me, remember?”

You let out a sharp laugh, your arms uncrossing as you took a step back. “Hell nah, Rafe. You’re a kook, I’m a pogue. Things don’t work like that. We don’t mix, man.”

He didn’t back down. Instead, his grin widened, an almost predatory glint in his eyes. “Come on. It’ll be fun. What’s the worst that could happen?”

You shook your head, trying to suppress the laugh that threatened to escape. “Are you serious right now?”

He leaned closer, taking a few steps toward you, his expression serious now, but with that same undeniable challenge in his eyes. “What’s it gonna hurt? You owe me. You can’t back out now.”

You glared at him, feeling the urge to walk away. The thought of actually going on a date with him, Rafe Cameron, the cocky heir to the Cameron fortune, seemed ridiculous. It would never work. There was no way it could work.

But then, something unexpected happened. Instead of walking away or laughing it off, you found yourself…hesitating.

You stood there for a long moment, caught in a war between your instincts and your curiosity. The ridiculousness of it all, the boldness of Rafe’s request, was part of the reason why you were so drawn to the idea, despite everything.

“Fine,” you said, surprising even yourself with your words. “I’ll go. But this better not be some stupid prank, Rafe.”

He straightened, clearly pleased by your answer, but he tried to play it cool. “It’s not a prank. I promise. Just a normal date.”

You couldn’t help but laugh again, shaking your head. “A normal date? With you? That’s rich.”

“I’m full of surprises,” he said, his tone almost too cocky, but there was something almost vulnerable hidden behind the smirk. Something that made you wonder if maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t as confident as he liked to seem.

“Yeah, I bet,” you replied, feeling the tension between you start to shift into something else. “Alright, Cameron. But this is the last time I’ll let you pull me into your world.”

Rafe’s eyes softened for a moment, his usual bravado slipping, and you caught a glimpse of something real in him, something more than just the privileged, reckless Kook everyone saw.

“You might be surprised,” he said quietly, his voice almost gentle.

You nodded, unsure of what exactly you were getting yourself into but suddenly, inexplicably curious. “Don’t make me regret this.”

Rafe grinned, his usual cocky confidence flooding back. “I’m counting on it.”

The night of the date arrived faster than you anticipated, and you found yourself standing in front of your mirror, questioning everything. Why had you agreed to this? Was it really just because of that ridiculous you owe me moment? Or was it something else? Something you weren’t ready to admit to yourself?

You wore something casual, but enough to make the evening feel like a real date, nothing too flashy, but still something that made you feel confident.

When Rafe picked you up, he was wearing a leather jacket that seemed to reflect his personality perfectly, sharp, confident, and maybe a little too cool for his own good. But there was something about his eyes, the way he looked at you, that made it impossible to ignore the connection between you two.

"Ready?" he asked, his voice smooth, almost like he was asking if you were ready for anything, anything at all.

You nodded, feeling the tension, the weird chemistry between you two swirling in the air. "Yeah, let’s go."

Dinner was surprisingly easy. It wasn’t like the chaos you expected. Sure, there was some awkwardness at first, two different worlds colliding but Rafe was surprisingly good at making you laugh, and by the time dessert rolled around, you found yourself enjoying his company in a way you hadn’t anticipated.

As the night went on, you found yourself seeing him in a different light. The cocky act was still there, but there were moments of quiet honesty, glimpses of a side of him no one else seemed to see. A side that didn’t want to live in the shadow of his family’s expectations, a side that was looking for something real.

And when he dropped you off, standing awkwardly in front of your door, there was a shift. It wasn’t just the date that had changed things; it was the fact that you were standing there, in the middle of it all, unsure what would come next, but realizing that maybe this wasn’t as ridiculous as you once thought.

“You know, you’re not as bad as I thought you’d be,” you said, the words leaving your mouth before you could stop them.

Rafe chuckled, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. “I could say the same about you, you know.”

You gave him a playful shove. “Alright, you can drop the charm now. I’ll see you later, Cameron.”

He smiled, a genuine smile, as he leaned closer. “Yeah. You’ll see me.”

And just like that, you were left standing at your door, a little shaken, a little uncertain. The night had gone differently than you expected, but one thing was clear, you weren’t quite done with Rafe Cameron yet. And that, in itself, was a terrifying thought.

But maybe, just maybe, you were starting to like the chaos that came with it.

𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥 @nicholaschavezslut69

[bcacstuff]

Exploring the Hunku - By Jake Norton (part 2)

When you find a field of sunpati, enjoy it!

Peak 41 rises sharply above Kongme Dingma.

Winds abated, and we spent a stunning day alternating between rest and relaxation, fueling up with copious water and calories, handwashing clothes in icy streams and ourselves as well if we could stand it. Sam, Tshering, and I also spent a couple hours playing on a nearby ice flow, fixing a rope and practicing Sam’s technique with crampons and ice ax, ascending a line and rappelling the same. As expected, he was a natural, making it all seem like old hat, cruising up and down with a smile and confidence seasoned precisely with the right amount of fear and respect for the terrain waiting days ahead on the Amphu Laptsa.

And with that, Part 1 of our trek - the new trail from Chheskam to Kongme Dingma, the Mahakulung Muddhi-Kongmedingma Trail - was finished. The next day we’d enter the alpine, trekking along an established, but seldom used, trail through alpine lakes under serrated behemoths, then up and over the high Amphu Laptsa pass and into the Khumbu. The days before were, as I’d hoped, spectacular, replete with everything a trek in the Himalaya can deliver (but often does not): scenery, solitude, adventure, great company, and memories galore. And, of course, some exploration.

Winds abated, and we spent a stunning day alternating between rest and relaxation, fueling up with copious water and calories, handwashing clothes in icy streams and ourselves as well if we could stand it. Sam, Tshering, and I also spent a couple hours playing on a nearby ice flow, fixing a rope and practicing Sam’s technique with crampons and ice ax, ascending a line and rappelling the same. As expected, he was a natural, making it all seem like old hat, cruising up and down with a smile and confidence seasoned precisely with the right amount of fear and respect for the terrain waiting days ahead on the Amphu Laptsa.

And with that, Part 1 of our trek - the new trail from Chheskam to Kongme Dingma, the Mahakulung Muddhi-Kongmedingma Trail - was finished. The next day we’d enter the alpine, trekking along an established, but seldom used, trail through alpine lakes under serrated behemoths, then up and over the high Amphu Laptsa pass and into the Khumbu. The days before were, as I’d hoped, spectacular, replete with everything a trek in the Himalaya can deliver (but often does not): scenery, solitude, adventure, great company, and memories galore. And, of course, some exploration.Moonrise over Chamlang from Kongme Dingma.

As mentioned above, we didn’t chart new territory, make a daring first ascent, or add new data to the geographic lexicon. But, we did explore, all of us. We explored areas that were new to us, new to most. We explored new ways to help the villages of Mahalulung - and the thousands of souls who live there - develop and establish sustainable trekking and the income that goes with it. And, perhaps most saliently, we explored ourselves, pushing our own boundaries even just a little, probing the possible, exiting comfort zones and finding joy through hardship, toil, laughter, and camaraderie. Like TS Eliot wrote in Little Gidding back in the last century, an ode less to Magellanic exploration and more to that of the personal:

We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. Through the unknown, remembered gate When the last of earth left to discover Is that which was the beginning… - TS Eliot, Little Gidding excerpt from "Four Quartets"

Stay tuned for Part 3 of this story - the Hunku alpine zone, Amphu Laptsa, and Khumbu - coming soon.

(see part 1 of this article here)

[acupofinkedblood]

Rocket x Playgroundian reader [Two Side of The Same Coin]

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

Playground has an infamous reputation because of the violence that occurs almost daily inside the factor. It does bring the name of the factor down, even drags those who choose the pacific path into the mud as long as everyone knows they come from there. No matter how much of a good deed they accomplish, people can’t just help it but being taken back when figuring out the location of their Spawnplace. Playgroundians always have that specific thirst for chaos everywhere they go after all, some honorable mentions can definitely include a particular skater or a wannabe villain as such. Sure, maybe some of them don’t have that savagery everyone is wary about, but who can blame them?

Chaos is the taboo Playground folks bring to the table in everywhere they leave trace of. Intentional or not, most of them share that same burning fire in what they deem right to their own benefit. One thing that people have came to realize is that there is no use crying out for help on the street. You have to fight for your survival there. And with gangsters lurking in every single corner of the street, the chance of a merciful gesture seems to worth more than life itself. It’s either you have to fight your way into some gang there to seek protection, or you have to stain blood on your hands while keep your eyes opened all days and all nights long alone. Fight or flight, it’s your choice

No one can choose the place they want to spawn into life, and the same applies to you. But hey, it’s technically not that bad. If we take the brutal nature of the place you were technically spawned into without a chance, at least it’s rich in culture. And other good things too, like lovedove’s species. They are quite the sweethearts. Ironic, isn’t it?

Playground, when you have learned how to adapt on its lifestyle, isn’t that bad as anyone thought. It’s not the easiest, you have to admit that. And then again, it’s better than nothing. It is not like you can leave that tag of being a Playgrounder anytime soon anyway. Things are too complicated to even process fully

But you still look forward into the future. Like, c’mon, there are other Playground folks other than you that are still roaming around Inpherno with ease, why should you bother? If anything, it does keep unwanted attention away from you in a certain level. No one in their right mind would want to cross those that comes from Windforce’s territory after all, knowing how much of the deal they can be. With that, you don’t give a damn about how people view your own factor. You still live your normal life — maybe not too normal to other’s taste, but hey, it’s your own life — and make friends too. Of course, Rocket somehow hops into your life without a warning and just stay there. Perhaps it’s the other way around, who knows?

To describe Rocket, you have quite the handful to say about this guy. He doesn’t show much of himself when the two of you just met, that’s for sure. But gradually, you worm your way into his friend circle steadily after a long while of getting to know him. And that’s when you know that there is another side of him which is livelier than the defensive attitude he put up when the two of you first interact with each other. Though he does appear to be pretty standoff-ish at first, you soon realized just how fun is it when he is around. It’s never boring when you have Rocket to be by your side. He isn’t too much of a nice guy, but enough to not fall into the bad boy category. He is just Rocket, and that makes you keeping your eyes on him out of interest. Not to mention, he does have that charm in which you can’t really put a name on. That cheeky grin of him can get on your nerves but also makes you forget what were you two talking about.

So how did you come to the realization that you have fallen for him slowly? Does your heart have the answer, or are you just as clueless as a fish on land?

Knowing Rocket and his poor ability to keep the accuracy of his own target without screwing it up, he aims right into your heart without even knowing what has he done. You like Rocket. You like his company and his personality, his appearance is also an addition into the list you have of what you like about this guy. Damn those butterflies that have been causing a havoc inside your stomach whenever he beams his toothy grin at you, damn that blush of yours when he playfully wraps his arm around your shoulder and pulls you close as the two of you are joking around. At this point, damn Rocket for making you feel this way

But fate must have loved messing around with the peace of your mind. Since it can’t reach you personally, it sends someone that manages to earn your worthy attention to bound with you but with a simple addition: You soon realized just how much he dislikes a certain region. And in this case, it’s unfortunately enough to be Playground that he grits his teeth at

You still remember that time when you briefly mentioned an upcoming festival being held in Playground soon. You were about to ask Rocket if he wanted to come with you. Though before that question could leave your mouth, his face grimaced slightly. That was when you started to become curious of why did he make that face. After a few questions with no hard feelings, he finally told you that he just didn’t want to mention that region again

“Yeah, not technically a fan. Playground, I mean. It isn’t for me”

“How so?”

“Just something personal,” was what he felt comfortable enough to tell you when you asked him that, “But yeah, uh, not in a good way, at all”

It’s not too much of a surprise when you confidently claim that Rocket seems to hold a grunge with Playground itself to some extent. You don’t understand where does his bitterness towards Playgrounders comes from, but after a few subtle hints he drops here and there when the two of you are talking together, you know damn well that just the factor’s name alone leaves a bitter taste on his tongue. Hell, whether it’s on purpose or not, he surely makes it obvious that he doesn’t have any intentions of playing the friendly card when it comes to anyone who comes from that hell of a factor in front of his face

Well, that hell of a factor where you come from, to be specific

You don’t tell him anything about your factor when the two of you get to know each other, and Rocket has thought that you were also factorless as him at some point. Maybe it’s your demeanor or style that gives him that impression. He makes that assumption without even telling you, so you don’t even get the chance to clarify things with him. But seeing how he has this hostile attitude towards Playgrounders? You immediately keep your mouth shut. That inner monologue of him looking at you with the same eyes that he uses to glance at them in distaste leaves you no other choice but to try and keep it that way. The fear of rejection is already enough, you don’t need to imagine how he will react if he finds this out. Anxiety creeps up on your nerves almost daily. Your heart can’t take it in peace when you think of him like that

The dreadfulness, you feel it in your skin. At some point, you even see it in your nightmare. This crush will be the death of you soon if you don’t figure out a way to deal with it. But you have been too far gone, haven’t you noticed? As much as you try to resist his playful touch — even though you feel like he doesn’t do it on purpose, mixed signals are such a pain in the ass — you can’t escape this torturous clutch in this heart-shaped prison you have locked yourself in, even going so far to throw the key away into nowhere. All because of him. When you realize just how much he makes you feel alive, you can’t even meet his eyes for too long anymore. To pin over someone like that, it makes you go crazy — or in this case, he makes you go crazy — why does it have to be you to suffer internally like this?

For a very rare moment in your life, you feel helpless as a Playgrounder in this game of love that you know damn well you are holding the loosing flag with Rocket out of all people. Maybe you’re just overthinking things, maybe it isn’t that bad— But you can’t be sure of it. What if once he finds out about your deeds with Playground, he will turn his back at you? You have known him for quite some good times now, yet your worries don’t seem to see the light as much as you tried to reassure yourself. You’re desperately wanting to bury this fact deep within the ground and never mention it again. Do it, but what about your fellow friends who are also Playgrounders? Your business at Playground isn’t actually finished anyway, and you can’t leave it completely behind. You know that you can’t keep this hidden forever, no? Yet for the time being, you keep clinging onto that brief hope that Rocket will be blissfully unaware for your sake

Your heart has been hurt enough because of your — supposedly as this is how you think — one sided feeling for him, you don’t need to have a massive bucket of cold water of rejection being thrown directly in your face in this cold weather anytime soon. This will be fine, right? As long as you keep your mouth shut, everything will be well. He doesn’t have to know this

Yet heaven above really knows just how can it make you miserable. You really underestimate Rocket and his ability to figure things out on his own. Do you really think he doesn’t notice it when he sees you taken back by something he has said when the topic has to revolve around something in Playground? And the way you avoid some of his questions really gives it away that you’re keeping something away from him. Here’s the thing: Rocket does respect you when you want to keep things hidden. Everyone has something that they wish to keep in the dark, even him. But does it help his curiosity when you look like you purposely don’t want to mention anything about your life to him? Yeah, you can’t really blame him on this, it is quite suspicious

Rocket does notice that you have been acting kind of different lately. And that doesn’t help with the fact you purposely keeps avoiding his questions about your life. He just realizes that aside from what he already knows about you, like your basic information or hobbies that you show around him, he has no clue about the other things. Where do you live? Where do you work? Do you have any other friends? What do you have to face daily? Why are you so insistent on keeping him in the dark even when the two of you are pretty much closer than just typical friends? Rocket cares for you, he genuinely does. He likes you — at least, as friends for now — and your company, and it makes him wondering why do you keep things away from him

Rocket soon puts his mind into works without you knowing. He does this because he is worried about you. And besides, it can’t be possibly that bad? All he will do is just ask around and try to understand certain things about you. You might call it ‘investigative’, he calls it ‘get to know your friend better’. There is a difference in that, mind you

But never did he think that his action will have a consequence of how he will view his ideas and prejudices in the future. By all means, he has expected to find a lots of things about you — you gotta give him credit for this, because Rocket doesn’t play about his skills — but he doesn’t expect the fact that you are a Playgrounder to be on that list. The moment he finds out about it, Rocket’s mind just short circuited on its own. He has mixed feeling about this piece of information that he has about you

A part of him feels betrayed, yet the other part just deems it as ‘Oh’. He doesn’t know what did he expect, but he just slumps against his chair while staring into nowhere as his thoughts are such a mess at the moment. Sure, he hates Playgrounders. He hates them because of what have they done to him in the past. He didn’t just magically run away from Playground because of nothing. They have ruined his life. Thinking about those days sleeping with on eye opened still makes him bitter. All those bruises and scars, how can he forget about its origins? Playground is somewhere that he detests, and all the folks in there are no better than the shadow in the past under his eyes. But now, you are one of them. How should he feel about this?

Rocket definitely needs a drink to clear up his mind. He groans, brushes his hand across his face as he thinks of how should he look at you now, his thoughts are conflicting with each others like crazy now. Should he even tell you about this? Casually telling you that he knows you’re one of those from Playground that he dislikes with a passion? Yeah, what the heck has he gotten himself into now? But to top it up, he wonders what will you say if you know that he has figured this out. But then his phone suddenly rings out of the blue: It’s you. Damn, speak of the devil

Now, back to you. After so long, you have decided to brave yourself to confess to him! It should be easy, you text him to meet at the usual hangout spot of you guys which is on the rooftop of a building that no one cares enough to drag the two of you down at any circumstances. It’s a nice getaway spot, usually when you or he wants a break from whatever is going on in life. That spot will be the prefect location for you to confess to him, the precious memories you have together with him play an important part in this after all. As you just finished sending your message to meet you on the usual spot, you can’t help but pace around impatiently while waiting for his response. And then he does, saying that he will meet you there in a few minutes! Even asking you to buy some drink on the way to. It brings a bright smile on your face, sure, you can spend your bux to buy him something or two. It’s all worth it, at least that’s what you hope

The rooftop is as empty as always. This is your hangout spot for a reason after all, a space where you can freely express your thoughts without having any annoying mosquitoes barking nonsense into your ears. Just you and him, together. The temperature has dropped lately, winter really doesn’t hold back once it has a chance. Thankfully your coat is enough to warm you up, or else you might as well freeze there on spot before you can tell Rocket of what you feel. Holding the plastic bag with your choice of beverages inside that you got from the convenience store, you start to think about what should you do once you meet him. Rocket will definitely laugh his ass off if he knows you have been rehearsing your confession multiple times in front of the wall like an idiot before this

And here he is, making his way onto the roof as he waves you a ‘Yo’ all casually

“Took you long enough,” you throw the can into his hand, “There, like you said”

“Be for real, I got here within five minutes. Give me some credit for it”

He catches the can without missing a beat. You just shrug it off with a smile while Rocket opens up the can after he walks up to stand beside you. You also have a can to yourself, mainly to encourage yourself from stop backing down like a coward. There is a reason why your can is half-emptied by the time he sees you after all

The two of you just stands there together for a good while, taking the view of Crossroad below without a word spoken to each other. Before you can even speak up, Rocket starts looking down at the opened can of beverage in his hand, then mumbles to himself yet make it clear enough for you to catch his words as well on purpose

“You didn’t tell me you’re from Playground”

That question makes you freeze almost like a deer caught in front of the headlights as your eyes opened widely. You stare back at Rocket, who currently taking notes of your dumbfounded face without letting you know what is he feeling at the moment. There is it, that anxious nerve-wracking feeling gradually creeps into your heart, making it heavier each moment passing by. You feel like it’s slowly dwelling into the deepest pit of your stomach. It takes you a while to finally close your mouth, looks away from him. He knows, SFOTH above, he finds out despite all your attempts to keep it away from him

“How long did you find that out?”

Your voice is like a whisper to the wind, quiet and easy to slipped away if one’s ear isn’t paying attention enough. That gets Rocket to huff out a dry laugh while he sets the can down onto the railing carefully

“You still have a lots to learn about me”

Silence starts to fill the space between you and Rocket. It is uncomfortable to you. The worries are eating you up alive, numbing your mind into radio’s statics as you really can’t take this anymore longer. You wonder what is Rocket thinking at the moment. He is surprisingly calm in this situation, you can’t help but be amazed by it. Isn’t he upset at all?

“You’re not mad at me?”

“Not really. I mean, I know you long enough, so I know you’re better than those assholes,” he shakes his head, “Just…Well, a bit taken back. Conflicted too, I guess? And maybe something else, but can’t really know what to call it”

Rocket has already been through all stages of mind before meeting you. And trust me, it does surprise him that he doesn’t seem to mind it that much. You know what they say: Stay close to your dearest friends, but also even closer to your opponents. You are one of them, and he has been so close to you this whole time. You have been both his most beloved friend and his enemy this entire time. But then he starts to think about it: Does that matter to him? That you’re a Playgrounder? All those time the two of you spent together, he knows damn well that you’re different than them. You even have his back in the toughest time. Never once have you tried to harm him, you stay with him through thick and thin. Hell, he doesn’t want to see you as someone in the opposite side of his, that’s for sure

After what feels like eternity, you finally feel that need to speak up and break the ice. And out of everything you can ask, you go for the one that pops up immediately in your mind

“Are we still friends?”

That question leaves your mouth while your hands are clutching onto the hem of your coat with a firm grip. You’re worried, of course you are. How can you not when thing has escalated to this point? He has found out that you’re a Playgrounder. Although Rocket doesn’t seem like he will make a fuss out of this, you don’t want him to just turn his back to you. The cold is there, but maybe it’s not the only reason why you’re trembling slightly. Of course, Rocket notices at that. He can’t help but sighing at the distressed expression on your face. He is right, you were hiding that you’re a Playgrounder because of him. It makes him guilty somewhat though

He looks at you for a moment before wraps his arm around your shoulder to pull you closer. Though the fabric of his jacket is rather cold at the first contact of your skin, you can still feel his natural warmth radiating from his body. It’s comforting, especially in this kind of weather. How did he manage to soothe your nerves, and even get you to feel sentimental like this?

“Why not?” Rocket clicks his tongue slightly before looking up into the sky, humming while keeping you close by his biological hand, “Always”

That simple answer is enough for you to calm down for the time being. Aside from those times when he is absolutely clueless about what should he do in certain times, he really knows how to read the room. Rocket keeps you close to him. Physical affection is always his way of showing those he cares about that he has their back, including you. Especially you, if one might add. It’s one of the reason you have fallen for him after all. After being deep in thoughts, you finally accept the current situation of yours and just leaning against Rocket’s side

For now, this is more than just the reassurance you need to hear from him. This is enough at the moment

As for your confession, you decide to halt it for the time being. Not now, not like this. You know better than that, don’t you?

You did hide things away from him first, worried that he will project his bad feelings onto you when he figure who you actually are. To have him accept this without causing a scene is already a miracle in your poor heart, but you know that if you really want to be with him, you have to let him trust you completely firsthand. And after this, you know that you have to wait again. It’s not like he will just walk away from your life anytime soon. Plus, this doesn’t seem like a good atmosphere for you to confess your not-so-little crush to Rocket

Maybe next time, so he can build his trust with you again. If you love him so much, that’s what you have to be aware of. But then again, you’re willing to do so. Next time, hopefully there will be a next time with him for you. That small flickering candle of hope in your heart isn’t blown away, it’s still there, waiting for the right moment for him. In the end, you still have a chance to make things right, so just take it easy. Time will grant you its fortune soon, rest assured

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝

Note: Writerblock is such an annoying thing damnit- Sorry for the delay of the request, I really have to fight myself to get this done (￣Д￣)ﾉ

[fakenewsfactcheck]

Scrolled past this on my fyp and had to stop because what the heck is the Palestinian Jewish community???

Are we calling Jewish Israelis in the West Bank "Palestinian Jews" now? Even though they aren't Palestinian citizens, and in all other contexts, are considered "settlers" at best?

I know we're not talking about Jewish citizens of Palestine, because there aren't any. The West Bank is about 98% Muslim, 1% Christian, and 1% other/unaffiliated; Gaza is 99.87% Muslim and 0.13% Christian.

Let's fact-check.

What is Beit Shemesh?

Beit Shemesh is a city near Jerusalem. It's located near, and named after, the archaeological site of Beit Shemesh, a city in ancient Judea.

Interestingly, although the archaeological findings are considered culturally Canaanite/Philistine (aka Phoenician), the large bone piles found there are kosher.

This suggests that both the Phoenician elements and kosher bones are Israelite, probably reflecting the fact that Israelite culture developed out of the intermingling of Phoenicians and nomadic desert groups.

Okay, okay, spare me the anthropology lecture. Is Beit Shemesh in Palestine?

Actually, no. It's in Israel.

If it's in Israel, why does that post say it's "in the occupied Palestinian territories" and is "an anti-Zionist Jewish community?"

The short answer is that it's echoing Hamas.

That Twitter account is apparently part of the Satmar community. As Wikipedia puts it,

Satmar is characterized by extreme conservatism, complete rejection of modern culture, and strong religious anti-Zionism.

The reason for the latter, in a nutshell, is that Satmar sees the Jewish return to self-determination in Israel as something that can only safely happen after the coming of the messiah, and which spells disaster for the Jewish people otherwise.

The Satmar community is very small: about 26,000 families worldwide. It's rooted in the Hungarian "ultra-Orthodox" culture of the late 1800s - 1930s, which was incredibly rigid and whose leaders at times even considered other Jewish communities to be demonic forces.

I'm not saying this is an extremist cult. But this definitely has all the hallmarks of an extremist cult.

Hamas is a very different extremist far-right group. Both groups overlap in their demonization of what they call "Zionism."

It seems natural that the Satmar community, therefore, might take on Hamas-style phrasing, like refusing to acknowledge the country of Israel and instead calling the entire thing "occupied Palestine."

(Although Hamas would never refer to "Palestinian Jews." It has been very consistent in its objection to Jews in general, and particularly to Jews in either what we would call Israel, or Palestine.)

Is, or was, there a Satmar synagogue in Beit Shemesh? If so, what happened to it?

The short answer: it was a tent, and the municipal government made them take it down.

This tweet is from November 25, 2024.

There's an article about a fire in Beit Shemesh on November 11. The fire had originally been thought to have been caused by shrapnel from intercepted Houthis missiles aimed at civilian areas. But the article says it was unrelated.

The article also says that a car and some bushes burned, and doesn't mention a synagogue.

I noticed that the tweet uses the term "demolished" as well as "destroyed." Searching for a synagogue being demolished in Beit Shemesh does turn something up:

The Beit Shemesh municipality on Monday morning evacuated a temporary tent which had been set up to serve as a synagogue for local residents.

Shlomo Brillant, a City Council Member, responded: "I'm shocked and horrified by the demolition of a synagogue by the Beit Shemesh municipality. The unthinkable is happening again, in a haredi city in Israel; the municipality is preventing the public from carrying out the most basic thing - praying in a synagogue."

The article is from the previous August. However, the TorahJudaism Twitter account has previously reposted old news; it had just acknowledged doing that with "an old incident" the month before, "for awareness."

It seems likely, given that there are no other mentions of a destroyed synagogue anywhere in the world in November, that the account was sharing "an old incident" again, and that it referred to the tent "synagogue" that had been taken down.

Is this genocide?

Um. No.

Assrael destroying synagogue

This post has been compiled in Record of Genocide.

[yellowsubiesdance]

that actor thing when you catch feelings for your scene partners when your characters are in a romantic relationship

[violent138]

HC that Superman goes public about his lack of American citizenship and over a hundred countries offer him either broad diplomatic immunity or honourary citizenship since he's demonstrated a willingness to help them out in times of trouble/generally is a good human being.

[deoidesign]

quick traditional piece for fun ^^

[hajihiko]

Your tag saying Mikan is gonna have it rough has me worried. She’s already been through enough! I mean they all have but especially her! I don’t even want to imagine what her haunting is like!

there's no metric for suffering so it's not like she literally has more bad than the boys. I just mean that, to me, things pertaining to childbirth and the menstrual cycle is horror in itself so it hits harder

[nutelloona]

btw is anyone else also in love with the fact that Jim, Oluwande and Archie naturally evolved into a throuple no announcement no questions asked no big deal????

[notbecauseofvictories]

nosferatu is a beautiful movie, amazing choices by everyone involved---except the main actors. they were terrible.

[aretheywlw]

welcome to aretheywlw! 💕⚢

name is pretty self-explanatory! you just vote on whether you see xyz character as sapphic/wlw or not. GROUND RULES:

do not start shit. just don't. i will nip any kind of discourse, bait, or unnecessary conflict in the bud to the best of my ability. you come at me being rude and/or accusatory for any reason? blocked, deleted. you start acting aggressive to others over the polls, or say inflammatory shit in the notes? blocked, deleted. at the end of the day this is my blog, not anyone else's, and is just one in a sea of many others like it. if you can't handle something then i advise you to block and move on as well.

submit through the askbox! all i need is the character's name and the media they are from. attaching a canon image of the character is appreciated, but not required (but please let me know if there ARE no canon images of them). adding "propaganda"/evidence for them being wlw is appreciated, but not required. anonymous asks are off to minimize assholery, but i will answer character submissions privately and won't reveal who sent submissions unless i am asked to @ you in the post.

when i say "canon", what i roughly mean is explicit, word-of-god confirmation and/or no intentional evidence to the contrary. i am fully willing to admit that the matter of "canon" can definitely get shaky, that this definition isn't perfect, and that this is more of a guideline i'm quickly setting for clarity than what reflects the entirety of my beliefs regarding character identity status

you can submit characters who are canonically any gender! it doesn't matter if they're a woman, a man, or even nonbinary in canon. note that plenty of nonbinary people are sapphic/wlw, and i trust that any submission of nonbinary characters is meant in good faith. i will not tolerate actual attempts to misgender or erase nonbinary characters.

THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THE ABOVE is characters who are CANONICALLY transmasculine, and/or nonbinary in a way that CANONICALLY excludes womanhood (nonbinary with specifics just not given is okay, for example kris from deltarune). please don't submit characters who these apply to!

characters who are canonically lesbians or bisexual women shouldn't be submitted as every single poll option but one would become redundant. however, characters who are canonically sapphic/wlw but NOT specified as either lesbian or bisexual are more than welcome!

depending on the canon identity of the character, some options may be removed. for example, a character who is canonically sapphic/wlw will not be given a voting option that says they aren't attracted to women, and a character who is canonically transfeminine will not be given a voting option that says they aren't a woman.

if a character is NOT canonically transfeminine, you can still specify that you are submitting a transfem reading/version of the character, and i will specify this in the poll and treat that particular submission the same way i'd treat a canonically transfem one. this is different from just submitting a canonically male* character without specification, as the latter leaves room for disagreement while the former focuses entirely on the transfem version of the character - "hey, do you guys agree this character could be a wlw trans woman?" VS. "let's say this character IS a trans woman, is she wlw?" (*canonically female but not canonically transfem characters can still be submitted as transfem readings, this is just the more common scenario in my experience)

if i ever unknowingly disregard a character's canon identity in a way that breaks the rules i have set, please let me know! i never intend to do this and i will always verify as best i can, but mistakes happen.

whatever submissions ultimately go through are up to my discretion, and i don't have to justify myself. this shouldn't really be a problem, though. if i find that i don't want submissions of a particular character or series, i will simply write a clarifying post and update this point.

i am not very motivated and i have a lot to deal with and prioritize in general, so my posting schedule may be quite inconsistent. don't worry about that at all, i will always get to it eventually!

that's all for now! thank you for stopping by 🫶

sapphic divider by @aquazero! last updated: 11/14/2024

[clowndensation]

now i don't know who irelin or strife are, so far be it for me to question why they think the way they do. but. you would assume that two dalish elves would, upon hearing about the return of two of their gods (gods who fought against fen'harel, who is currently causing so much trouble), express some sort of happiness or perhaps hope at what this could mean for the future of their people. "elger'nan and ghilan'nain were NOT known to be good gods" is like. not tracking. for me. personally.

[djsangos]

//"average inkfish is very aggressive" factoid actually statistical error. Captain Violence, who makes one billion threats of bodily harm a day, is an outlier and should not have been counted

[akkivee]

kuukou meant that when he said kids imitate their parents lmao

[ragsy]

Hardest tabletop GM decision I've had to make in a long time: what costumes do my NPCs wear for the Halloween themed session we're doing next

[mishervellous]

thank you @galladrabbles and @sully-999 for this week’s prompt, song! hopefully it isn’t too much of a stretch, but i really enjoyed writing this one 💙

There are times when Mickey flinches still.

In the aisle of a supermarket, in the privacy of their own home; from gestures and words that he’s done and heard before.

His husband never gives him a chance to dwell on it, although he notices.

Every time the birds chirp or their songs play, Mickey wants to give himself whole. He would never want to deprive Ian of his devotion.

In his soft shades of greens and grays, written between the lines, Ian soundlessly reassures him—it’s okay: even the famished curtail their eagerness to properly enjoy the spoils of a tree.