#he's like ''what? this is just a normal radio count— w ha t the f uck''

[redxxstrings]

ryder: hey flynn, listen to this song

flynn: sure, oka—

flynn, approximately 50 seconds into it:

[stilloutofmyvulcanmind]

Fluff Alphabet - Harry Wells

Pairing: Harry Wells x Gender Neutral!Reader

Word count: 1.7k

Warnings: None

Summary: A fluffy A-Z with Harry Wells!

A/N: These are really fun to do, so if you’d like to see more, let me know! (Also, if you would want others, let me know who you’d like to see)

~

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

Harry loves your smile and the way your face lights up around him. Knowing you’re so happy because of him makes him feel special.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

Harry already has Jesse, and since he’s on the older side now, he’s not particularly looking to have another baby. That being said, if you really want a child, he could be talked into it, and when you get the news you’re pregnant or have been approved for adoption he’s overjoyed. 

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

Harry never admits in public that he likes to cuddle, but when you start dating, you quickly find out he does. He’s a big fan of spooning, the protective beast inside him soothed by having an arm wrapped securely around your waist. 

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

Dates tend to be lowkey with Harry. He’s pretty private on both Earth-1 and 2, so usually it’s either dinner out at a quiet restaurant, or a shared meal at home the two of you cooked together.

E = Everything (You are my ____ (e.g. my life, my world…))

“You are my heart.”

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

One night while you were visiting Earth-2, Harry came home late to find you asleep on the sofa. You had a blanket draped over your lap, and an open book barely clutched in your hands. He realized you’d tried to stay up for him, and that was when he knew. The love he hadn’t felt in years was back, and it left him a little breathless, and if he was to be honest, a little scared. Which is why he sat on his feelings for a while before saying anything.

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

Harry doesn’t tend to be that gentle. He’s not just rough around the edges. But sometimes he is. If you’re upset, or even worse, hurt, his hands will be gentle on you, careful not to inflict further pain, searching for ways to make it better. And, in the late hours of the night, or the early hours of the morning, when you’re laying in bed together, he’ll gently trace as much of you as he can, committing every inch to memory.

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

Harry isn’t really one to hold hands. PDA isn’t his thing, and he’d rather keep affection in private. But sometimes, when you’re on the sofa watching something together, he likes it when you slip a hand into his and snuggle a little closer. One time, during a Team movie night, he slid his hand over yours instead. You didn’t say anything, but the two of you shared a private smile, and no words were needed.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

Harry wasn’t entirely sure what to make of you at first. He met you along with the rest of the Team, and at the time his only thoughts were how could you help him save Jesse? As for you, you were with the rest of the Team and thought he was a sexy dick. 

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

Not always, but sometimes. He knows you’d never cheat or do anything to hurt him, but occasionally he’ll see you with someone else, laughing, happy and at ease, he’ll feel the jealousy start to creep in. He tries to not let on though, since he knows the only reason he’s jealous is because a part of him still believes you deserve someone better than him.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

The first kiss was pretty much mutual. It was late, and after a long day, you stayed behind at the Labs to join Harry for a drink and unwind. A couple of drinks in, you were both pleasantly tipsy, and Harry was more relaxed than normal. One thing led to another then you were both leaning in to kiss. Neither of you could have imagined it being better. Harry’s kisses tend to be intense. He pours all the emotions he doesn’t know how to say into them. Sometimes, they’re more passionate, rougher, because his mind is swirling and he’s desperate for you. Other times, they’re slower, deeper, his hands on your face, keeping you close. Either way, they’re always intense.

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

You say ‘I love you’ first, and when you do, you have to be prepared for him not to say it back immediately. Harry had never imagined finding love again, and he isn’t one to wear his heart on his sleeve, so it would take him some time to gather the courage to say it in return. When he does say it, it won’t be when you expect it. It’ll be during some quiet domestic moment when he sees you doing your thing, and gets hit with the realisation that he can’t keep his feelings hidden any longer. 

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

One day you and Harry had volunteered to go out and get Big Belly Burger for the Team, but on the way back a sudden downpour caught you by surprise and forced you both to take shelter under a shop doorway. Both soaked already anyway, you had started laughing when he grumbled and pushed wet hair out of his face. Harry was taken aback by how beautiful you looked, and it was the first time he realized that he cared for you.

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

It depends on whose Earth you’re on. Harry doesn’t have much on Earth-1 so he can’t spoil you, but he likes to make up for it when you visit Earth-2. He doesn’t go overboard, but if you spot something you like while out sight-seeing, he’ll get it for you.

O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

Black. The association has likely less to do with you, and more to do with the few occasions he let you drape his black coat or jacket over your shoulders. Now whenever he looks at them, he’s reminded of you. 

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

Harry keeps it simple. ‘Sweetheart’ or ‘Honey’ are usually his main goto’s, but when you’re alone he also calls you ‘atom’ because you make up his world. Just don’t tell anyone that.

Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)

Harry’s no musical savant, but he does love vinyl still. Collecting them is a guilty pleasure of his. Watching you dance to them is also a pleasure. Just less guilty.

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

Harry spends most of his days rainy or not in his lab anyway, so it doesn’t make much difference to him. However, he does secretly like it when you drag him out and make him cuddle with you on the sofa while you binge watch something.

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

Since Harry is Mr. Broody, he doesn’t do a thing to cheer himself up. He just lets it sit and dwells without telling anyone anything. You learn the signs though, and when you know he’s down, go to cuddle him, because that’s the one thing you know will cheer him up. As for you, he’s not very good at knowing how to cheer you up either. He wants to, he hates seeing you upset, but if it’s not a problem he can physically fix, he ends up being at a loss. Tell him what he can do though, and he’ll do it without question.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

Science, obviously. He’ll readily go on about whatever he’s working on at length. When you’re comfortable together, he likes to talk about Jesse as a child too, and his life prior to the Particle Accelerator. 

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

Honestly, not much. Harry’s pretty much always tightly wound, but you’ve found that a back massage or even just hugging him from behind, helps him to unwind. 

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

His intelligence is the main one. Jesse is the other.

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

Harry did put a lot of thought into the proposal, and even consulted Iris, Caitlin and Jesse on it. Grand displays aren’t his thing, but if it’s your first time getting married, he wants to make it special. He ends up taking you to Earth-2’s Atlantis for a mini break and pulls out all the stops. You get the best hotel with the best view, and Harry makes sure you have the best time. In the night, you order room service, and sit out on a balcony, to watch the city from up high. It’s a beautiful sight, and as time goes on Harry starts to confess how much he loves you. It’s clear to see that he struggles to find the right words to articulate his feelings, but he does, and, when he’s done, gets down on one knee and pulls out a ring box.

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

Harry wouldn’t say he has a song in particular. But, on the first morning he stayed at your place, he caught you dancing to the radio in the kitchen, and now the song that was playing can often be heard in his lab too.

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

Harry had no plans of ever getting remarried, but after being with you for some time, he realised he wanted to. He knows it’s an antiquated thought, but he wants to see a ring on your finger so everyone knows you’re his, and he’s yours.

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

Harry would want something low maintenance. A large aquarium would be nice. You could also talk him into getting a cat if you really wanted one, and if he took a liking to have said cat sleep on his lap while he worked, he’d never admit it.

[lovemesomesurveys]

Would you consider yourself smart? I feel like I’m average. When do you want to move out of your parents house? I have no plans to for the foreseeable future. I like living at home with them and it’s best for me, especially right now. Do you have a curfue? No, I’m 29 years old. We never had to set one for me, though. I really didn’t do much in terms of going out with friends and such as a teenager. Have you ever written a fanfic? Yes. Is there anything made of plastic around you right now? A couple of water bottles.

Is your alarm clock just a normal one, or is it some sort of animal? I use my phone. Have you ever spit into a pot of soup and then watched people eat it? W T F??? Tattoos or piercings? Meh. Can you see any pennies from where you’re sitting? Nope. What about picture frames? Yes. What instruments do you have in your house? A guitar. Have you ever had ants ruin your picnic? Never had a picnic. What’s the last gross movie/show/video you saw? Hm. I don’t recall. Would you rather live in a huuuge house or a little cozy one? One just big enough for 4 adults and a dog. I don’t need an unnecessarily huge house. The music on the radio: good or bad? I haven’t listened to the radio in a long time.

Have you ever heard the saying ‘Distance makes the heart grow fonder’? Yeah.

Do you believe that? I think it can, but it can also do the opposite.

Whose the last person you IMed? I haven’t IMed anyone in years.

Do they have a girlfriend/boyfriend?

Have you ever dated this person?

Do you understand Shakespear plays? Yeah, generally. The ones I had to read, anyway.

Did you end your last relationship, or him/her? He did.

How many times are on your MSN/AIM? I haven’t used AIM since 2009. It’s dead now.

Have you ever blow dried something other then your hair? Yeah, a textbook that got wet and a shirt.

Name a friend whose middle name begins with A: *shrug*

What is your favorite piece of equipment at gyms? I don’t go to the gym.

Would you ever name your daughter Kimberly? I don’t plan on having kids.

Do you know what fb stands for? Facebook?

Do you have a tutor for anything? No.

Are you old enough to get a job? Yeah, I’m certainly old enough.

Do you understand what you’re doing in math class lately? I’m done with school, thus done with math thank goodness.

Do you wear cardigans? Nah.

Does your sibling(s) have braces? Not anymore.

How many times do you think you have th What happened to the question?

How many photo albums are in your house? A few.

How many photo albums do you have on myspace? I haven’t used Myspace in several years, so I don’t recall.

Are you the type of person who has a new boyfriend/girlfriend every week?

HA, no. I’ve been single for years. I haven’t even been talking to or been interested in anyone in like 4 years.

Are you nice to your siblings(s)?  Yes.

Do you think relationships are a waste of time? No.

Who’s the best kisser you know? Joseph was.

Isn’t Pearl such an old people’s name? “its such a whale’s name” <<<< Hahahah.

Do you get embarrassed when you pay for things in all small change? I avoid doing that, yes.

Have you ever stayed friends with someone who stabbed you in the back? Yes.

Do you ever go for walks just for fun? No. Definitely not my idea of fun.

Are you always tired? Yes.

Do you count the calories you eat? I kinda have been lately because I need to be eating high calorie foods.

Have you ever had a secret admirer? Not that I’m aware of.

Do you have one right now? Again, not that I’m aware of. I really, really doubt that, though.

Has anyone ever given you the silent treatment? No.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever had in your mouth? Uhh.

Are you friends with anyone named Earl? No.

Are you vain? No. I’m very self-conscious.

Has anyone ever threatened you with a knife? No.

What would you do if the last person you kissed showed up at your house with a bunch or roses and a hand written poem for you? Wow. That would be super unexpected and out of the blue... I don’t know. I’d be really confused.

(If you’re a girl) Has anyone ever called you 'shortie’ instead of girl? Yes.

Do you ever watch The Simpsons? No.

Have you ever sent an embarrassing moment of yours into a mag to be printed? No.

What IS your most embarrasing moment? Blah.

What’s the last thing to make you scream? I probably saw a bug.

Do your parents knock before coming in, or just barge on in? My door is open except for when I go to bed.

Do you think you’re more cute or sexy? I don’t feel I’m either.

Do you own any mini skirts? No.

What’s the middle name of the last person you spoke to? Nah.

Would you like to live in a hotel, or your own house? My own house.

Are you good at knowing when people are lying? Usually.

Do you draw little hearts and stuff with eyeliner next to your eyes? No.

What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever lost? Nothing expensive, thankfully.

Has your mom ever lied to you? Yes, but not in a way to hurt me.

Do you have a deep voice? No.

When’s the last time someone made breakfast for you? My dad did earlier.

Do you do something new with your hair practically every day? No. It’s always just up in a pony tail.

When someone knocks on the door, who do you think it is? FedEx/UPS.

Name a song your addicted to: I’m not addicted to any songs.

Has anyone ever licked your foot? EW, no.

Do you play games with boys/girls, like 'hard to get’? I’ve played dumb games like that, yes.

Has a guy ever quoted a romantic Shakespear line to you? Lol no.

When’s the last time someone told you they were in love with you? Not since my first boyfriend (and only, technically).

Is there a Sonic where you live? Yes.

Do you smile with your teeth? No.

What did you eat for lunch today? I haven’t had lunch, yet.

What do you like on your pizza? Depends where I’m getting the pizza from, but generally just cheese. There’s one pizza place I like where I get cheese, crumbled meat balls, garlic, and pesto drizzle.

Do you know anyone who lives in Newfoundland? No.

How 'bout Alberta? No.

Anyone in Canada at all? Hi, Lane!

If you could trade houses with a friend, who would it be? I wouldn’t.

Are you a good person to come to for advice? I used to be. Not anymore.

Was this an interesting survey? :D Sure.

[krazykpopscenarios]

One Pt.2

Group: EXO Member: Sehun x OC Genre: Fluff, Semi-smut Word count:  7421 A/N: The second to last part. This is super long because its wrapping up this mini series. It has a few time skips so again if you don’t like that I’m sorry but that’s how I am fitting everything in. I changed Y/B/N to Mina so if you’re like who the heck is Mina that’s why. It starts out being 2016 then to 2017. Y/F/N means your full name. 

One Night Stand | One Night | One Pt. 1 | One Pt. 2

It’s been three weeks since the boys left. I started growing a small baby bump, not too noticeable. My brother texted me a few days ago saying he wants to come visit me. Which is the perfect time to tell him the news. He is coming tomorrow so I’ve spent the entire day cleaning up the house. Sehun and I text when he can which isn’t a lot but he’s still in the same country at the moment, so that helps a little.

-

Today I am waiting at the airport for B/N. He texted me before he took off that he would be here in an hour or so. I fidget with my phone while I wait, then my phone starts vibrating in my hand. “Hello?” I answer. “Hi beautiful” Sehun’s voice comes through the phone. “Hi” I melt inside, because yes he still has that effect on me. “How are you and my little peach” I can hear his smile through the phone. “Good, the peach and I are waiting for my brother, B/N, at the airport” I look around me. The thing about having a public relationship with Sehun is that everyone knows me, luckily I haven’t been spotted yet. “Ah, he’s coming out to visit you?” Sehun says into the phone. “Yeah, he said and I quote ‘I haven’t seen my baby sister in so long but then she just pops up in a magazine and I just knew I had to come visit her’ so yeah now I get to see him” I explain.

“Well, then it looks like I’ll finally get to meet him” Sehun says quickly then coughs. “Wait, what?” I exclaim. “I get a week break before going to Japan so I’ll be coming home” Sehun says excitedly. “And you know what that means” I say waiting for him to finish the sentence. “I’ll be there to find out the gender of my baby” He finishes. “Wow, that makes me feel a lot better” I sigh. My brother comes into view when I look up from the floor. “Sehun, B/N is here so text me what day you’re coming back, I’ll talk to you later I love you” I say as I stand up and try to get B/N’s attention. “I will, beautiful, I love you too bye” Sehun hangs up and I put my phone in my back pocket.

“Hey! Big brother!” I smile ear to ear as B/N hugs me. “How have you been, how’s the wife?” I ask him. “Oh my gosh married life is great, we have had our downs here and there, but overall I love it and I love her” He radiates happiness. “Good, I’m so glad you’ve found your happiness” I say as we walk out to the airport parking lot. “Anyway, enough about me, how are you?” He asks as he puts his bag in the back seat. “Well, I’m sure you saw I’m dating Sehun, from Exo, and he’s great he makes me happy” I smile as I start the car and pull out of the parking lot. “Are you hungry?” I ask. B/N shakes his head, “Tell me more about him like how you two met?”

I laugh, “Well funny story actually, we met at a club and we had sex then we realized we really liked each other” We stop at a red light and I lean my head against the window. “I met the rest of the boys, exposed our relationship and then found out there will be a little us and now he’s on tour” I try to put the pregnancy announcement in the middle of the story so he hears it but doesn’t freak out. “Wait, what was that?” He asks. I chuckle awkwardly, “He’s on tour?” He shakes his head, “You’re pregnant?” He asks. I nod my head and put the car in park as we sit in my car outside of my house. “Wow, that’s great, Y/N” He smiles at me. “You’re not mad?” I ask. He chuckles, “Y/N, you’re 22 years old it’s time to make your life what you want it and if this is what you want then I’m happy for you” B/N gets out of the car and grabs his bag.

We walk into the house and I throw my keys on the side table. I show B/N to the spare bedroom, “You can meet him soon, he has a week break between tour dates and we have an appointment Friday to see what the gender is” I sit on the bed and B/N sits next to me. “I would love to meet the guy that makes my baby sister so happy,” He puts an arm around me, “Because god knows we didn’t have much happiness in our life before this.” I sigh and nod in agreement. My phone vibrates in my back pocket signalling Sehun texted me.

From: Sehun 12:47pm I come back tomorrow around 5:30pm

To: Sehun 12:47pm We’ll be there to pick you up :)

From: Sehun 12:48pm Can’t wait <3

“Well he comes back tomorrow so you’ll meet him very soon” I chuckle as I set my phone in my lap. “Okay, well what do you wanna do?” I ask. “Still have the Xbox?” B/N asks with playful smirk. “Hell yeah I do” I laugh and run to my living room. “GTA races or Minecraft” I ask as I throw him my second controller. “GTA so I can kick your ass like always” B/N elbows me playfully. “I doubt it, Sehun and I sometimes do nothing but race and I have won 17 times and only lost 4 times” I say as a matter of factly. We play GTA until our stomachs are growling louder than our frustrated screams. “Maybe we should get food” B/N suggests as he loses for the 15th time tonight. “It's 4:29 so yeah we might wanna get food” I chuckle.

B/N and I order pizza delivery and stay in and catch up on things in our life. “So what do you want the kid to be?” B/N asks as he eats the last bit of his pizza. “I feel like it will be a boy but I could be wrong” I shrug. “Do you see you and your wife having kids anytime soon?” I ask as I grab one more slice of pizza. “Right now, no but eventually yes” He nods. “Do you see yourself getting married to Sehun?” It's clear he scans my face for any negative reaction. “I do, to be honest, I especially see us together for a long while with our kid” I admit. “And yeah, it will be hard with Sehun being famous but we make it work now so I'm sure we will still be making it work later” I take a bite of pizza. “Well that's good” He pats my shoulder.

B/N’s phone starts ringing, “Hey it's the wife you wanna facetime her?” I grab his phone out of his hand, “Hey W/N!” She giggles, “Y/N!” We facetime W/N for an hour. We laugh, she tells how work is, and how her mother is coming to visit soon and stuff. “Oh W/N, Y/N has something to tell you” He says. “Tell me tell me!” She gets excited like a thirteen year old girl. “I am dating someone” I start. “Yeah, you were trending” She deadpans. “Well, you’re going to be an aunt” I smile. W/N squeals, “I’m so happy for you girl.” B/N and I say our goodbyes and then he ends the call and we say goodnight and head to bed.

-

I wake up to the smell of pancakes. I follow the smell all the way to the kitchen where B/N is making pancakes and eggs. “Wow, who are you and what have you done with my brother” I laugh as I lean against the counter. “No, but you’re pregnant so you have to eat good and healthy” He chuckles as he makes my plate. “So pour yourself some orange juice or water” He adds. “Yes, mom” I giggle as I grab a cup from the cupboard. “What time is Sehun getting here?” B/N asks as he sets my plate down at the table and makes another plate for himself. “I’m going to get him  around 5:30 tonight” I stuff eggs into my mouth. “I’ll stay and hang out here while you go get him, and I’ll intimidate him when he’s in my territory” B/N smiles as he eats. “Your territory huh?” I raise an eyebrow at him. “Technically, yes” He laughs. I shake my head as I continue to eat.

After our morning routine we get into my car and drive to the mall for some shopping. B/N buys souvenirs for his wife and some hats. I buy Sehun and I matching beanies, a few t-shirts and a pair of jeans. “So do you have anyone to be with you while you're pregnant and Sehun is on tour?” He asks as we sit in the food court. “Not really, Mina is back to school so she wouldn't be able to check on me very much, you live in Busan, mom and dad don't talk to me, and S/N is too successful in life to acknowledge me,” I shrug, “I can do it by myself and it will only be four months, not like he's left me for good.” A few feet away there is some squeals. Then two girls come up to us and ask for a picture with me, and I say yes. “Thank you so much, take care of you and Sehun oppa” One girl says. The other looks like she's about to pass out, “You're so pretty.” They wave goodbye to us and leave us in peace.

“Is that normal now?” He asks with a laugh. “Yeah a little bit” We pick up our stuff and head home. The ride home is filled with loud singing, though I wouldn't call it singing it was more like screaming, to the radio. “Y/N, I have a question for you and I don't want you to get mad when I ask this” B/N says calmly. “Okay, ask away” I nod. “Have you thought about telling mom and dad that you're pregnant?” He questions. “I mean though we weren't on good terms I told them I was getting married and they even came to congratulate us” He adds as he looks at me with concerned eyes. “Honestly I probably should, I just don't think I want to right now, I'd like do tell them when I'm ready” I nod in content. “Just tell them soon okay?” He gives me a sad smile.

“Okay what should we do until 5:30” I sign as I plop down on the couch. “Racing?” B/N grabs his controller. “What, do you think you can beat me?” I challenge. “Hell yeah” He smirks at me competitively. We end up playing video games for hours. I have won 10 times and lost 9 times. “One more and then I gotta go to the airport” I say glancing at the clock. “Good, maybe I can tie us up” He clicks the start button. By the end of the race I lose and B/N does a victory dance around the living room. “Okay, you goon I'm going to go get Sehun, would you start dinner?” I pick up my keys and phone. “Yeah, good luck finding Mr. Idol” He disappears into the kitchen. I head out to the car and drive to the airport.

To: Sehun 5:23pm I'm here by Starbucks

From: Sehun 5:23pm I'll meet you there then

To: Sehun 5:24pm Can't wait Sehunnie ;)

I lock my phone, slip it into my back pocket and follow the signs to Starbucks. Sehun sticks out like a sore thumb because he's standing while everyone else is sitting. “Boo” I jab the sides of his stomach. “Jesus, Y/N” He jumps. “What I don't get a ‘hi Y/N, my almighty queen, I've missed you and our beautiful fetus these last three weeks’ or something like that” He chuckles and grabs my hand. “Hi, Y/N, amazingly beautiful girlfriend how have you and my beautiful baby boy or girl been?” He walks slowly to me then he strokes my cheek. “Three weeks was too long” I sigh looking from his eyes to his lips. He leans down to meet me in a kiss that was long overdue. “Let’s go home” I say as his lips lightly linger on mine.

“So where are the rest of the boys?” I ask as unlock the car. “They all went home to their families for the week” He throws his bag in the back seat. “That's great” I smile at him. “Yixing finally gets to go back to China to see his family and the boys are scattered around South Korea visiting their family” He buckles up and we drive away from the airport. “Where is B/N?” He asks. “He's at the house” I reply. “He's going to try to be intimidating, though he's really just a teddy bear” I laugh. “I'll pretend to be scared then” Sehun smirks. “B/N we're home!” I shout over the loud music. The music gets turned down and B/N pops his head out of the kitchen. “So you're the infamous Oh Sehun that is dating my baby sister” Sehun nods and holds his hand out for him to shake. B/N sternly shakes Sehun’s hand not breaking eye contact. “What do you think you were doing when you got my sister pregnant?” B/N crosses his arms. “Well, I clearly wasn't thinking because I was under the influence” Sehun and I both crack up which makes B/N cock his head at us. “Oh brother, you're not even a little bit scary” I pat his shoulder. “Come on Sehun let's get you unpacked before dinner” I walk towards my room. “Don't get too comfortable” B/N calls to us. “Oh we will” Sehun yells back.

“I think he likes me” He smiles. “I think he does too” I lay back on my bed. Sehun slides in next to me, “I missed you,” he whispers. “I missed you too” I wrap my arms around him. We doze off before we know it, but it's not too long till B/N is calling us for dinner. “So how's the tour?” I shove a spoonful of mac and cheese into my mouth. “It's okay, the boys and I get to see new places and talk to the fans and I love talking to the fans” Sehun takes a bite of Mac and cheese. “How's life at Y/N’s humble abode?” He asks. “Good, so far we are tied in wins on GTA races and we have gone shopping” B/N smiles at me. I return the smile, “We are 10 to 10 right now and the next to lose has to buy ice cream” I smile proudly knowing I won't be losing. “Have you shown him the last race?” Sehun raises an eyebrow. “What race?” B/N says curiously with his eyebrows furrowed. “Nope, that's my winning map” I smirk at B/N. “Well you sure beat me on that one” Sehun snorts. “What are we talking about” B/N looks between me and Sehun. For the first time in the last five minutes we both look at him. “I have a race that I know I can't lose at” I inform him. “Great, so I better get my wallet ready then right?” B/N chuckles. Sehun and I both nod furiously.

“We won't race tonight though,” B/N frowns at me, “Sehun is probably jet lagged so we'll be going to bed early tonight.” Sehun nods while B/N rolls his eyes. “Yeah because you two in one room with one bed means sleep, I totally believe that” He picks up his plate and walks into the kitchen. Sehun and I glance at each other and start laughing. We eventually clean up dinner and head to our rooms for the night. “Hey Baekhyun’s calling” Sehun plops down on the bed and I crawl over to see his phone screen. “Y/N buddy ol pal I miss you like crazy” Baekhyun yells. “Hey buddy” I scoot closer to Sehun so he can see me. “How's my niece or nephew?” He asks. “Good, growing and somewhat annoying” I say with a laugh. “You love it” Baekhyun chuckles. “How's Baekbeom?” Sehun asks. “Good, he and his wife are visiting my parents as am I” Baekhyun smiles. “Enough about me though, how's it feel being in the same house, no scratch that, same bed together again” Baekhyun teases. “It feels good” Sehun looks at me with a sparkle in his eyes. “I miss you, though” I say breaking my gaze with Sehun. “I miss you too Y/N, as do the rest of the boys” Baekhyun has a sad smile on his face. “Oh I'm telling my family I'm going to be an uncle later” He adds. “How it's like 8pm?” Sehun’s eyebrows are knitted together. “We are going to get ice cream in like 15 minutes” Baekhyun says.

Just then someone walks into Baekhyun’s room, “Hey Baek, we are leaving soon.” Baekhyun nods, “Oh! Baekbeom come back” He says quickly. “You remember Sehun right?” Baekbeom mumbles a yes. “He finally got a girlfriend” He tells him excitedly. “Is she cute? Does she know he-” Baekbeom says. “Hyung he's on Skype with her right now” Baekhyun interrupts. “Oh, hi Sehun, hi Sehun's girlfriend” Baekbeom says before leaving. Sehun looks terrified making me and Baekhyun burst into laughter. “That was close” Sehun manages to say. “Okay well I think we will leave this here, bye guys it was nice seeing you Y/N” Baekhyun waves crazily. “Bye Baekhyun” I smile and Sehun hangs up.

Sehun sighs plugging in his phone to the charger. I get up and change into one of Sehun's shirt and shorts. “How long have you had that?” Sehun laughs as I get into bed. “For awhile I guess” I look down at the shirt. “Well it looks better on you anyway” Sehun crawls towards me on the bed. “So I shouldn't take it off?” I suggest as I bite my lip. “Mm no you should because as good as it looks on you, it definitely looks better on your floor” He says in a low voice. “Then take it off” I say with a sultry look on my face. He does just that and more.

_

Friday

Not sure if it was because I was sleeping next Sehun or the fact that he tired me out again last night but I slept very good. I turn towards Sehun not opening my eyes yet. “Oh you’re awake” He whispers. I put a finger on his mouth. “Come on let’s get out of bed” He tries to get out of bed but I pull him back and cuddle closer. “Five more minutes” I say sweetly. “Y/N you’ve had me all week and yet you continue to cuddle me like I’m about to leave” He chuckles as he stops resisting. “Shh you love it” I say quickly. Sehun gives in and we both fall back asleep. We wake up for real an hour later and make breakfast for the three of us.

“Oh is this all for me” B/N says sarcastically. “No it’s for my growing child” I reply back. “Well damn” B/N puts his hand on his heart in a dramatic way. “We have the appointment today and she’s nervous” Sehun pats B/N’s back as to nonverbally apologize for my attitude. “Oh yeah you find out the gender today” B/N remembers. I sit down and eat while the two boys converse over video games and their stats. “I’m going to shower” I kiss Sehun’s cheek, put my empty plate in the sink and head for the bathroom. One of the reasons I’m nervous is what if our baby isn’t healthy, it’s a thought that goes through every pregnant woman's mind. It’s nerve wracking, but the shower helps me calm down. Everything is going to be okay I repeat in my head.

The drive to the clinic seems long and quiet, “What’s going through your head?” Sehun asks as he puts the car in park. I open my mouth but all that comes out is a weak whine. “I’m scared” I manage to say. “Why, baby” Sehun caresses my cheek. “What if the baby isn’t healthy y’know, like it’s a valid fear” I make eye contact with Sehun and he’s smiling big and toothy. “Yes, it is but how could something be wrong with our baby when you don’t drink, smoke or do drugs, you take you take your vitamins everyday, and you eat healthier” Sehun chuckles. “Let’s go find out what our baby is because I’m ready to know” Sehun says excitedly. “Wait Sehun what if we do a gender reveal, like we don’t find out today?” I grab his arm keeping him from getting out of the car. “Okay who would we give the envelope to?” He inquires. “Joonmyun, he’s been with us since the beginning” I suggest. “I like that I will text him after the appointment” Sehun and I exit the car.

The visit is almost exactly the same as last time the gel is cold, find the heartbeat, locate every body part possible, and of course despite my fear she tells me that my baby is healthy. “So are do we want to know the gender?” Doctor Jung asks. “Can we have you put it in an envelope? We wanna do a gender reveal party” Sehun speaks up. “Yes, I can do that” She smiles and wipes off the gel. She brings the envelope to us on our way out.

“Sehun, what should we do for a gender reveal?” I rub my tummy. This is real, this isn’t a dream, I am pregnant with Oh Sehun’s child. “Let’s see” He thinks. “You get back when?” I ask subconsciously rubbing my stomach. “December 22nd” He answers, “I have an idea!” I laugh at his sudden outburst. “Lightsaber will be a year old a month before that, so we will use lightsabers for the reveal!” He is now bouncing in his seat with excitement. “That’s perfect Sehun” I look at him for a long time with the biggest smile on my face thinking. I would not be this happy with anyone else. I didn’t have to know Oh Sehun, the singer, rapper but most importantly the father of your child, very long to know he was the one. And I hope he feels the same, little did you know he did.

Arriving home we were met with an anxious big brother at the door. “So boy or girl?” He asked furiously. “We chose to give it to someone for a gender reveal” I say. “Okay then give it to me so I can be that person, y’know I am your big brother” B/N laughs. “Sorry B/N, we picked Joonmyun” Sehun cuts in. “Oh well I guess I’ll go cry in my room now” B/N says sarcastically. “Listen, you will find out the gender when everyone else does, including us, but for now get gender neutral things for the baby” Patting his back to comfort. Sehun and I walk to my bedroom for a nap.

Sehun goes back on tour and I start counting down the days till he comes home in December. By then I will be seven months pregnant and showing enough for me not to be able to out in public. So I take advantages of freedom now while I can. Exo’s manager and I have been in contact since the boys left so we can start setting up the nursery and Sehun and I’s bed room in the new house. He is the only one that knows the gender of the baby besides Joonmyun. On the plus side the boys made a group chat for all of us to chat in, or at least some of us. Usually someone sends daily updates on how they are all doing, sometimes they will send pictures, or stupid memes. With the group chat it was a lot easier to tell them there that they are to get gender neutral things for the baby until the gender is revealed. I have also been in the works of making ‘Uncle Squad’ t-shirts for all the boys because they are going to be the best uncles, my brother included.

Speaking of my brother he is still living with me which is fun, but I can sense he misses W/N so I surprised him with her being here for three weeks. It’s been nice having them around so I’m not completely alone through out the pregnancy. B/N keeps bringing up meeting with my parents, which I considered since both him and his wife would go with me as support. After I long time of thinking it over and over and over today is the day I see my parents for the first time in 6 years.

“I’m nervous” I state sitting in the backseat of my own car, B/N and W/N in the front. “I don’t blame you, it has been 6 years” W/N understands what me and my brother went through considering she’s heard every detail from my brother. My brother gives me a sympathetic look through the rear view mirror. “I have to do this, I don’t want my child asking me about my parents and having to explain to them why they aren’t in my life” It sounded like I was explaining my reasoning to the two others in the car but I think I was just trying to convince myself this is the right thing to do. “I mean the most I am trying to get out of this is to at least be on talking terms, I would like to better our relationship but that will take more than an apology.”

The nervousness isn’t quite there anymore when we pull up to the fancy restaurant, that my parents picked to meet at. What I was not expecting was to walk in and see not only my parents but my older sister too. B/N wasn’t expecting either I assume from the complete shock on his face. We walked to the table and my parents stood to greet the three of us. “Y/N, B/N, it’s so nice to see you” Mother said in a pretty nice convincing tone. People around us watching the encounter would be fooled. Father waved to us but didn’t officially greet us. B/N introduced his wife to our sister because she had already met our parents at the wedding.

“So fill us in on your lives” My dad leans in as if I’m about to spill the biggest cup of tea to them. “Why don’t we start off with why I am here” I say sternly. “There is a lot of things going on in my life that I want my parents and older sister to be apart of but not until you realize what you, my parents, did to your youngest daughter and son” I start. Mother squirmed in her seat, I know I struck a nerve. Father remained unphased by my words. “Okay let’s talk” Mother says quietly. “You pushed us away, like we were nothing. And the icing on the cake was you paraded our older sister around to make us feel even worse than we already did. You turned her against her own family. Do you understand that?” I look between my parents sitting in front of me. “And you,” I turn to my sister. “You allowed it, you didn’t stop them because you loved the spot light” My voice cracks a little at the end almost as a warning of tears on their way.

“I just want to understand why you two did it. Who in their right mind does that to their kids?” The hurt is heavy in my tone of voice and I hope it helps get my point across. “An apology won’t fix everything that happened, but it’s a start and your mother and I are truly sorry,” Father finally speaks up. “We just wanted to set an example of how to achieve your goals and make it in life and I think we took it too far” Mother adds. “You think?” I scoff. “Y/N...we want to make it up to you now, if it’s not too late” Mother lays her hand on top of mine, though I am irritated with her I don’t pull away. “I want to fix things between us too because there is so much stuff happening in my life that I want you two and even you, S/N, to be apart of, but it doesn’t all just go away like that. It will take time and I’m willing to go through that if you guys are too” I grab my sisters hand too.

“That’s all we want” S/N says. “Okay?” Father says. “Okay.” The air is a lot lighter now that everything's out in the open, well not everything. “So Y/N, you wanna explain why you were on the cover of every tabloid for like two weeks?” My sister asks. “Yeah...about that” I laugh awkwardly. “Tell them, Y/N” B/N nudges me.

“I’m dating Oh Sehun from Exo but to me he’s not just Oh Sehun from Exo, he’s Oh Sehun my boyfriend, best friend and partner. We’ve known each other for three months which was more than enough time to get to know each other and get me pregnant” I laugh at the thought of our back story. It sounds like a raunchy story line for a movie. “You’re pregnant?” Mother’s jaw drops. I nod, “Three months and counting” I chuckle. “Which is one of the reasons why I agreed to finally talk with you guys after so long. I want you guys to be apart of the baby’s life.”

“Oh honey, that’s amazing!” Mother tears up. “Do you think he is the one, Y/N” Father asks calmly. “Yeah, yeah I do” The ear to ear smile is back on my face. “I’ve been staying with Y/N because she is alone at the moment while Sehun is on tour, but he did come home and visit her while on break and they are truly each other’s match” B/N pats my shoulder and gives me an approving look. “Well then I would like to meet this boy as soon as possible” Father nods. “When he gets done with tour we are having a gender reveal party and you guys are invited to come, if you would like” I explain suddenly feeling shy. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world” S/N says.

December 18th

I can’t help but walk through the big house, practically a mansion, in awe knowing it’s mine and I get to share it with nine amazingly nice boys, and my unborn baby. I finish some last minute things in the nursery before leaving the house and going back to my bland little home. I now have security guards for protection now that I am big enough not to be able to hide anymore. They go everywhere with me which is basically to my house or the new house. They stand outside watching for suspicious behavior around my house. Today they were acting a little weird but I brushed it off. Sehun comes home in four days, I think to myself. Nowadays he is the only thing on my mind, well other than getting this baby out of me and into this world.

I walk into the house and set my keys on the hook. I can hear B/N in the living room on the phone with W/N. Only a few more days until he can go home back to his lover and start a family of his own. I can’t lie though it’s been nice having him around, even when I’m moody and he is no help making it better. The walk to my bedroom seemed longer than usual, the framed pictures of me and B/N, me and Sehun, and  the sonogram picture are at the new house making the hallway a lot more bland. When I opened my bedroom door I did not expect to see a sleeping Sehun on my bed. But oh did he look so precious when he was sleeping.

“Baby” I sing trying to wake the boy up. “Sehunnie” I poke his sides which makes him stir awake. It takes a minute for him to realize his surroundings. “Dang it I wanted to be awake when you got home to properly surprise you” Is the first thing that comes out my boyfriends mouth. “Trust me I am surprised, you aren’t supposed to be here for another four days!” I exclaim shaking him. “No actually I am here on schedule, I lied to you so I could surprise you” He laughs. “I’ve had this planned with your brother for quite sometime” He adds. “Wow thanks B/N!” I yell to the guy in the living room. “You’re welcome” He shouts back.

“We have a party to plan and only three days to do it” Sehun says pulling me down to lie with him. “But first, a well needed nap” He holds me close as if to silently tell me he’s not leaving me for awhile.

December 22nd

Today is the day, the day where everyone is going to get together and find out the gender of my baby. It’s also the first time I am going to meet Sehun’s parents, and his to meet mine. We are officially moved in and living in the new house but everyone stays away from the nursery so they don’t get any ideas on what the gender of the baby is.

The boys have been getting us clothes and little things that SM hasn’t already provided us. They are almost as excited as me and Sehun. Life is becoming one big dream that I hope I never have to wake up from. “Y/N, and my little cantaloupe of course, ready for the day?” Sehun stands in the doorway of our master bathroom. I look in the mirror and the person staring back at me is the happiest person. “Yes, yes I am” I giggle running a hand over my protruding stomach. Everyone was standing at the bottom of the rather large, and expensive can’t forget expensive, staircase. Joonmyun, Minseok, Yixing, Baekhyun, Jongdae, Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, Jongin all there staring up at me. “Now now, let's not treat me like I’m the queen making her big entrance” I joke as I descend the stairs.

“But you are, and you rock it” Minseok kisses my hand. “Kiss up” I wink. “Is there going to be a fight to the death on who’s the best uncle?” I ask looking at the eight boys staring at me. Just then the front door opens, “Good luck with that boys, I think the true brother beats all of you” B/N says. “Big brother” I call out giving him a hug. “Let’s get this party started?”

Despite the cold weather outside, we had a warm time inside with hot chocolate, cookies and of course you can’t forget cupcakes. Everyone is here now, Sehun’s parents, my parents, both my siblings and their significant others, and the boys. “Y/N someone wants to meet you” Sehun guides me over to his parents. They both light up at the sight of me. “Y/N, it’s so move to finally meet you” Mrs. Oh says excitedly. “Yes, finally put a face to a name” Mr. Oh adds. “She’s very important to me. I love her” Sehun looks down at me with the most loving look. “Well I would assume so considering you spent your break with her and not your parents” His father pokes fun at his son. We talk for a few more moments when my parents come over and introduce themselves as well.

“We should probably began the reveal”Joonmyun comes up behind me and Sehun. “Okay, let's do it” Sehun says excitedly rubbing his hands together. This is it I think.

“Can I get everyone’s attention, we are going to reveal the gender of the Oh-Y/L/N baby” Joonmyun announces.He pulls out two lightsabers from behind his back. “This year was the one year anniversary of Lightsaber so as the reveal, Sehun and Y/N will press the on button on the lightsabers, blue for boy or red for girl since they sadly don’t make pink lightsabers”Joonmyun hands the white lightsabers to us. Everyone has their phones out to catch this moment.

“Now wait were you going to reveal the gender without me?” Mina says on the entryway of the living room. I drop the lightsaber and waddle over to my best friend. “I’m so glad you are here!” I hug her so tight. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” She says, “Now let’s see what kind of baby you are having” She nudges me back to Sehun.

“3 2 1” We shout. Just then Sehun and I press the on button on the lightsabers light up to reveal the blue color. The room erupts into loud cheering, the boys jump on Sehun, and the moms and Mina come up to me and hug me. A boy...wow I can definitely say I wasn’t expecting that. “Okay before we start partying I have a gift for all the soon to be uncles” I announce. I go and get the nine boxes and hand them out to the boys and my brother. “Okay open them” The boys all open the boxes at the same time and unfold the shirt. They get all rowdy for the second time around.  The party goes on and we all calm down. The rest of the party all of us talk about names and so on.

March 29th

Waking up in pain is never fun, but this isn’t normal pain, it’s contractions, and its also 3:23am. “Sehun wake up” I shake him awake. “What, what’s wrong?” He sits up. “It’s time, he’s coming” I can’t help but laugh at how quick Sehun’s expression changes. Suddenly he’s running around the room like a headless chicken. He’s speaking incoherently as he grabs the hospital bag and decent clothes to change into. He then tosses an outfit to me to put on with a ‘Hurry I wanna meet my son.’ This is the first time I’ve ever seen hims so alert in the morning.

As I walk downstairs and to the car Sehun is banging on everyone of the members bedrooms to wake them up too. Sehun comes outside and hops in the car, a few of the boys follow him out and get into our car or their own car. The ride to the hospital is short and we get checked in quickly. “Y/N you’re surprisingly already dilated to a five” Dr. Jung says as she enters the very spacious birthing room. “It says you only want Sehun, His mother, and your brother in here when you begin to push is that correct?’ She asks me. I nod in response currently going through a contraction.  Sehun helps me breathe through a few more contractions before Dr. Jung comes back into the room to give me the epidural.

“Your baby boy seems to be ready to come out” She says thirty minutes later. Now it’s just Sehun, His mom, and B/N in the room. All the boys and my parents are sitting in the waiting room. I start pushing and everyone encourages me telling me the progress I am making. After six long pushes, Oh Jaemin is born weighing seven pounds five ounces and 19 inches. Sehun cried, I cried, hell everyone was crying. After everything calmed down the boys came in pairs three’s to see Jaemin. A lot of them cried too, especially Joonmyun, Chanyeol, and Jongin.  

One Year Later

Sehun’s POV

It got out quickly that Y/N and I had a kid once they saw us leaving the hospital a few days after Jaemin’s birth. Today is his birthday, he is one now and still the best thing to ever happen to me and Y/N. We all get dressed and head to the ice cream shop downtown to enjoy some ice cream as a family in celebration of Jaemin’s life. Jongin, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol tag along too. I held Jaemin as Y/N fed him vanilla ice cream, his favorite flavor, I think he got that from me. Baekhyun and Chanyeol snap pictures and post them to Instagram. Y/B and I make birthday posts about Jaemin.

Instagram

We head home to start setting up the birthday party in the huge back yard of our house. All the families are going to be there to celebrate and hang out. We are on the last couple months of the Exo’rdium tour and we have this little bit of time to be at home with our families. I may also have something planned for the last concert.

We barbecue up some hot dogs and hamburgers, pour some lemonade and bask in the nice weather. Y/N brings out the cake singing happy birthday. I hold Jaemin as he blows out the candles, really I do it. “Let’s eat cake!” I call. Everyone gets cake and sits around to talk and play with Jaemin.

“Sehun Y/N, when do you two plan on marrying?” Y/N’s mother asks. In the corner of my eye I can see her father perk up. “Soon,” I speak up. “With me being on tour and Y/N taking care of Jaemin I think we sort of forgot but I am working on it” I place my hand on Y/N’s knee. My parents and hers give us approving looks. “I’ll hold you to that” Y/N and her father say at the same time. Shaking my head I laugh.

May 28th

Today is the last concert for Exo’rdium, it’s sad to be honest. But everyone is here for us and we are so ready to give them a show. We start with a high energy MAMA remix to get the crowd hyped up. After a little we all sit down to do our acoustic moment. My Lady is first, I run back stage to fetch Y/N and Jaemin. Did you think they wouldn’t be here? Watching their boyfriend and dad on stage? I carry Jaemin out on stage while holding Y/N’s hand leading her to where the rest of the boys sit.

Jongdae takes Jaemin as Y/N and I sit in front facing the crowd. The boys start singing My Lady as I hold onto her. After a minute they sing quieter as I pull her to stand up with me. “Y/F/N, you’re my lady, the mother of my child and the love of my life. But most of all, my best friend. We’ve had so much fun raising Jaemin but we’ve also had some pretty hard times and the fact that we’ve overcome each and every one of them proves that we are meant to be together. Will you make me the happiest man and marry me?” I’m now down on one knee ring in hand and Y/N is tearing up.

“If you say no you’ll have some pretty unhappy exo-ls on your hands, isn’t that right exo-ls” Baekhyun calls out. Exo-ls yell yes back to him. “Of course I will, Sehun” She says and I pick her up and spin around. The arena erupts in happy yelling. “They’re getting hitched!” Jongdae yells. I kiss Y/N ever so passionately. We carry on with the rest of the acoustic part of the show with Y/N and Jaemin on stage. In fact she got to see me sing some of Baekhyun’s part in ‘Sing For You’. And I guess you could say the rest was a happily ever after.

[democratsunited-blog]

What should Democrats do to win? | Democratic Party

https://uniteddemocrats.net/?p=7231

What should Democrats do to win? | Democratic Party

The pundits and analysts come forth on TV, in print, on the internet: Will there be a “blue wave” in November, or will the Democrats blow it? 

If there were a poll of pundits, it would show a vast majority believe the best way forward is “middle muddled moderation”. The goal, according to them, is to move the “purple people”. The politically androgynous folks in red districts who have a bluish side. Trump voters who might be disillusioned or disgusted enough to switch. They warn that Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are radical! Too radical! “They’ll scare the purples back to red”, they say. Suburban ladies that the Dems are counting on to vote against the p***y-grabber will panic, stay home, just making sure the leaves are raked from their autumn lawns.

This sounds like Hillary redux.

It’s a triple-loser.

It fails to recognise that things had gone wrong before Trump and aside from Trump. If you’re not looking at the real problems, you can’t get to real solutions. Instead, you take polls, come up with an assortment of issues, have the pros write slogans for them, and the candidates go out and sound like focus group phonies. Which they will be.

When Bill Clinton ran for president, the Republicans seemed unbeatable. Ronald Reagan’s legacy was beloved. As the pro-business party in favour of low taxes and smaller government, donors loved them. They had a financial edge that looked to be permanent. 

Bill “triangulated”.  As governor of Arkansas, he executed a few people to show he was tough on crime. He went big for welfare reform. He promised to make government smaller. He was incredibly successful, both in reality and in popularity. Moreover, he found lots of money. Hollywood, hi-tech, and even portions of Wall Street, didn’t like Republican social conservatism. They were more than willing to give money to a candidate who was socially liberal, yet friendly to their financial interests.

That became the mould for Democrats.

Democrats calculated, voters, polls numbers, and money. But they stopped thinking. They’ve had no new ideas or grand ambitions since Lyndon Johnson.

Even Obamacare was developed at a right-wing think-tank and first road tested by a Republican governor, Mitt Romney. The social issues, gay marriage, gay rights extended to the entire LGBT community, legal weed, Me Too, Black Lives Matter, bubbled up from activists. The party was a follower, not a leader.

Selecting and electing a black man as president was astounding. It couldn’t have happened in any other white-majority country. However, his actual policies descended from Bill Clinton, bending to the right, and were passed on to Hillary, turning even further.

Bill Clinton should be counted a very successful president in almost every way. But two years after he was elected, Democrats lost control of the House for the first time in 40 years. They also lost the Senate. His Vice President, Al Gore, who ran as a somewhat more conservative triangulator, but without a sex scandal, lost to George W Bush.

Republicans, meanwhile, had invested heavily in ideology and messaging. They had think-tanks, talk radio, and their own cable news network. They were ruthless to their own, purging those who weren’t true believers. Every cycle, they became more ideological and moved further right. 

The Democrats no longer had an ideology. They continued to triangulate. They gave up territory step by step. With each compromise, the Republicans just went further to the right – at least on economic issues. The “centre” doesn’t have its own location. As they moved right, they pulled it along. Today, Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon would be condemned by their own party as members of the dangerously radical Left, alongside Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. 

It should be blindingly obvious and irrefutable, as well. There is no compromise with Republicans. Obama didn’t know it, but as he was being inaugurated, their leadership got together and determined to oppose anything he offered. They were committed to his failure, even if it hurt the country. His healthcare plan was a Republican plan and he offered compromise after compromise to get even one vote out of them. It never came.

Just as with Clinton, Obama lost the House after two years, with the largest swing since 1948. Republicans also got 29 of the 50 governorships, and picked up 675 state legislator’s seats.

When Bernie Sanders was running in the primaries against Hillary Clinton, his positions were radical. But now, Medicare for all, free higher education, a $15 minimum wage are common parlance. “Socialism” has become an acceptable word. Among the things Democrats should have learned from Republicans is that ideas get legitimised by simple repetition. Even bad ideas that have failed in reality. Even ideas based on lies. But these happen to be good ideas. Democrats should stick by them adamantly.

When you see or hear someone warning the Democrats that they’ll shoot themselves in the foot if they’re too radical, look at who they are. 

Doug Schoen was the pollster on Clinton’s presidential race. Now he’s a commentator on Fox. Schoen hated Obama and the ACA, but he still likes Hillary.

Joe Cunningham says the American people “want moderating voices in government”. The same American people who elected Donald Trump, the members of the Freedom Caucus, and the lock-step, hard-right Republicans in the Senate? Cunningham is an editor for RedState.com, and thinks that Obama “invited backlash” by “pushing the country as far left as he did”, though he didn’t actually “embrace socialism”.

Geoffrey Kabaservice says “the Resistance” is forcing the Dems “away from long held norms of bipartisan give-and-take”. Where has he been since 2009? It’s the “long gone” norms of give-and-take. Geoff is a Republican “in the moderate mainstream of my party”. Where? one asks. In exile, off the coast of Labrador?

Investor’s Daily has a headline, “It’s Official: Democrats Are The Extremists Today“.

The National Review shrieks, “The Democratic party is moving left with breathtaking velocity. Not only is it far to the left of Bill Clinton, it’s well to the left of even Barack Obama.” In terms of policy, Obama was about as radical as George H W Bush, and more conservative than Eisenhower or Nixon.

The fear, the hysteria, is that the Democrats might actually come to stand for things. Then fight for them. Even – horrors! – fight as hard as Republicans!

Some of the fear of “radicalism,” comes from within the Democratic Party. Their establishment, like all establishments, wants to keep doing it the way they were doing it. They want candidates who sound “mainstream” enough to appeal to stray Republican voters, who raise money and don’t insult or frighten money. But those are the attitudes that opened the door to Trump, lost the House, the Senate, and a host of state governments.

It’s time to bet on the radicalism. Though most of what radicals are asking for is normal in most Western European countries. It may seem a greater risk in the short term, but in the long term, it’s the far better choice. It’s not just about getting elected. It’s what you do when you get there.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

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[confidencekid]

65 Questions You’ve Probably Never Been Asked… 

          aka ‘mel gets bored and does an early 2010s style facebook survey’ 

First thing you wash in the shower? my chest/torso probably.

What color is your favorite hoodie? need more hoodies lol, i hate all of my current ones so i just perpetually wear t-shirts/tank tops/etc

Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? probably not. but i’d be a fool to rule out anything at all.

Do you plan outfits? lately i try to but it doesn’t really. work.

How are you feeling RIGHT now? mm bored but really nervous about actually posting this for people to see. i’ll probably look vain or something but i’m honestly just bored and feeling a little chatty and like talking about myself.

What’s the closest thing to you that’s red? just before you reach the red strawberry pin on the floor next to my bed there’s an arc and a question mark scrawled on a piece of paper in red ink.

Tell me about the last dream you remember having? um i’m really bad memory. i just remember it was something involving people from my real life, all in a situation that presented itself as vaguely realistic.

Did you meet anybody new today? do customers count? if not, then no.

What are you craving right now? well. nothing, until i was asked. now i’m craving physical affection and oh lord something else.

Do you floss? think of how often you go to a restaurant named luby’s or jim’s. now think about how often you go to mcdonald’s, or order from pizza hut. how often i floss is how often i go to luby’s. i’ve never been to jim’s but i’m thinking about going.

What comes to mind when I say cabbage? garbage pail kids

Are you emotional? very much. barely at all some moments. it’s the depression.

Have you ever counted to 1,000? no haha

Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? i bit it once just to see how fools are living like. if you don’t go down on that cone like a cock every single time from start to finish then what are you doing with your life?

Do you like your hair? it’s alright but i’m trying to like it more. i often feel like cutting it all off so i’m trying to stop that. but i’m also not. who knows, maybe i’ll cut it all off tomorrow. who knows.

Do you like yourself? probably not. but. i still feel myself sometimes, in some ways. like now. like tonight. i will not go into more detail, no, no way.

Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? um lol HA. that actually made me really uncomfortable to think about asdjkngnjkdf lol

What are you listening to right now? myself typing, clicking, and tapping. also a/c units running outside and people messing with the trunks of their cars, probably. opp, some guy just randomly sang something.

Are your parents strict? my mother wanted to be, but in the end she was just very... overbearing. i think ‘opinionated’ is the word if we’re not using loaded language. my dad didn’t live with us but whenever me and my brother saw him he always tried to compensate and be the ‘cool guy’ and buy us stuff and take us places but i think deep down he wanted to beat our tails. now he’s just kind of there. lol

Would you go sky diving? lord help me. i have to, don’t i?

Do you like cottage cheese? yeah it’s cool and it goes with EVERYTHING. though i probably won’t be eating it so much since i’m restricting the dairy and gluten in my diet to... near-nonexistent levels.

Have you ever met a celebrity? local radio personality. i was like 12. my mom and him talked like real people and i just kind of stood there in awe. we listened to him almost every day. he will never not be a celebrity to me.

Do you rent movies often? redbox is cool but i’ve kind of been shying away from it lately. it just seems like a waste of money when things like the internet exist. redbox is more of an impulse thing at this point, like i’ll see it walking out of walmart or h-e-b or whatever and i’ll see something i haven’t watched yet and i’ll just. ooh hmm okay checkout checkout checkout where’s my card.

Is there anything sparkly in the room you’re in? yeah um i don’t even have to look it’s probably that bottle of victoria’s secret glitter lotion i have on the floor. now THAT was an impulse buy.

How many countries have you visited? only 1. venezuela. i guess technically panama doesn’t count since it was just the layover coming back from venezuela? i would probably normally count it but i had contracted some kind of weird traveler’s sickness by that point and i was barely even... ‘there,’ if you know what i mean. i slept, ate, and sicked.

Have you made a prank phone call? i participated in one but? i mostly find it funny to hear other people do them.

Ever been on a train? yup. lol.

Brown or white eggs? um brown are probably better for you but who cares?

Do you have a cell phone? mm

Do you use chap stick? sometimes. it makes me feel cool and good. i love the fruity flavors and how soft they have your lips feeling.

Do you own a gun? naw. not even a water gun, son.

Can you use chop sticks? in a symbolic sense

Who are you going to be with tonight? probably some online prostitute. ...i would say if i had money.

Are you too forgiving? well not anymore. i’d say i’m about average. i’m still pretty forgiving though, in the sense that i don’t really hold grudges.

Ever been in love? ugh yeah f moving on

What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow? what best friend(s)

Ever have cream puffs? yum. them boys go *softcrunch* then *pooof*

Last time you cried? lol it just kind of happens and then i mostly forget about it. it wasn’t really... recently, though. probably a week or two ago.

What was the last question you asked? what best friend(s)

Favorite time of the year? winter. summer. tax season. who cares.

Do you have any tattoos? mm. yeah.

Are you sarcastic? i’m less ‘edgy sarcastic’ these days and more ‘please shut up.’ i guess i make really offbeat jokes sometimes that can be considered sarcasm with actual sarcasm bleeding through occasionally?

Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? if i have, i can’t remember the plot. probably not. any good? wait, you’re a survey, you can’t answer. uhh, i think it’ll be good.

Ever walked into a wall? probably. probably more than once.

Favorite color? i like purple. any shade of it really. i also like a lot of other colors quit putting me in a box lol

Have you ever slapped someone? in a high school play in 11th grade. i... still get sad thinking about that play, even though the memory of the Big Slap is a lighthearted one. the guy i had to slap was a real cutie about it, even though i had to slap him really hard and many times in rehearsal to make it believable.

Is your hair curly? yeah. always. eternally.

What was the last CD you bought? um. the disney dream duet cd? the gurren lagann radio cd? kidz bop 34? i honestly can’t remember. probably kidz bop 34 though since i pretty much listed those in order lol.

Do looks matter? if i don’t know you yet. but we can change that. quickly. trust me.

Could you ever forgive a cheater? only because i’d want to be forgiven. but i guess if i’m being honest, i’d have to have my idiot cap on that day to forgive someone who cheated on me, even if they apologized and cried/swore they’d never do it again, that it was a mistake, etc etc. wow i’m a real mean one. but i guess at the end of the day whether or not i forgive them just comes down to whether or not i believe their apology/repentance speech.

Is your phone bill sky high? *yui hirasawa voice* SKY HIGH!

Do you like your life right now? oo lol

Do you sleep with the TV on? no, not really. unless i fall asleep. but i don’t do it on purpose like a lot of people do.

Can you handle the truth? CAN YOU SMELLLLL, WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN’?! me neither, but he’s still cookin’ it. and pretty soon, that meal’s gonna be served.

Do you have good vision? oh no. no sweetie.

Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? no. i don’t like doing that.

How often do you talk on the phone? whenever i have to. never really for non-business things except to check in with my sister. as far as skype/discord stuff goes, not often. i’m pretty much a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants person when it comes to dusting off that old mic and chatting with someone with voiceboxes.

The last person you held hands with? am i supposed to name them or like...? *awkwardly skirts the question*

What are you wearing? undah wear.

What is your favorite animal? cats probably. marine animals are pretty cool, too. i LOVE manatees. pretty much all animals are lovely and gifts to the world.

Where was your profile picture taken at? i had just finished battling some beastmen and they ran off into the sunset screaming something i couldn’t really make out and i was feeling really awesome.

Can you hula hoop? i’ve never really done it successfully, no. i think you either have to be in shape, or have rhythm. i’m not in the greatest shape right now, and i don’t have rhythm.

Do you have a job? yea

What was the most recent thing you bought? a garden salad with fajita chicken at chacho’s. mmmmmmmm. oh and whatever my sister ate. hot wings and freakin french fries

Have you ever crawled through a window? maybe lol. rip this survey

[valientefcrtis-a-blog]

✩ - Paul and Cedes

under a read more because this meme is long as fuck @gcldthrone

Disagreements:

Who is more likely to raise their voice?: Paul, probably. He’s just that kind of guy.Who threatens to leave but never actually does?: Probably Cedes.Who actually keeps their word and leaves?: Paul. He went through a marriage that self destructed despite their best efforts to save it. He’s not doing that again.Who trashes the house?: Neither of them, their adults.Do either of them get physical?: No. Paul is like a hundred times bigger than her, he’d kill the poor babe.How often do they argue/disagree?: Not very often, and when they do it’s like bickering. Like what to get for dinner, etc.Who is the first to apologise?: Paul. He doesn’t like having her mad at him.

Sex:

Who is on top?: Paul unless Cedes is riding him.Who is on the bottom?: ^^^Who has the strangest desires?: Neither of them, they’re pretty normal people.Any kinks?: Paul loves fucking her in his office, if that counts.Who’s dominant in bed?: Paul, definitely.Is head ever in the equation?: Pshh, of course.If so, who is better at performing it?: Paul will gladly take the crown for this one.Ever had sex in public?: A BJ in the bathroom at the Q/uicken L/oans arena is the most public they’ve done.Who moans the most?: Cedes.Who leaves the most marks?: Cedes because Paul can just cover it up with his suits ot a shirt.Who screams the loudest?: Cedes for sure. Who is the more experienced of the two?: Paul.Do they ‘fuck’ or ‘make love’?: Depending on how much time they have, it’s both.Rough or soft?: Rough. Unless one of their backs is acting up.How long do they usually last?: Again it depends on how much time they have. They can do anything from a few minutes to all night.Is protection used?: Yep, at this point they can’t afford not to.Does it ever get boring?: Nope.Where is the strangest place they’d have sex?: Men’s bathroom at the All State Arena.

Family:

Do your muses plan on having children/or have children?: Paul has his three girls, but he would be open to more because he really wants a son.If so, how many children do your muses want/have? Answered above lol.Who is the favorite parent?: Either of them because they aren’t Steph lolWho is the authoritative parent?: Paul.Who is more likely to allow the children to have a day off school?: Cedes. She doesn’t see the kiddos that often so when she has the time off she wants to spend it with them.Who lets the children indulge in sweets and junk food when the other isn’t around?: Cedes definitely. Like she sneaks away from the midnight workouts to have some ice cream with her step girls.Who turns up to extra curricular activities to support their children?: They both do, with Shane as a buffer so there’s no interaction with Steph.Who goes to parent teacher interviews?: Paul. That’s the one thing he and Stephanie do together.Who changes the diapers?: All the kiddos are potty trained, holla.Who gets up in the middle of the night to feed the baby?: The girls would probably wake Cedes up and have a midnight snack with her.Who spends the most time with the children?: They spend about the same amount, but probably Paul.Who packs their lunch boxes?: Paul, and then Cedes will throw in like a cupcake or something.Who gives their children ‘the talk’?: Paul would try but he’d end up passing that baton to Mercedes.Who cleans up after the kids?: The girls are all old enough to clean up after themselves.Who worries the most?: Paul.Who are the children more likely to learn their first swear word from?: They’re all past kindergarten by now, they’ve probably heard an F bomb or Seven.

Affection:

Who likes to cuddle?: They both do.Who is the little spoon?: Cedes. It’s physically impossible for Paul to be the little spoon.Who gets naughty in the most inappropriate of places?: Paul.Who struggles to keep their hands to themself?: Definitely Paul.How long can they cuddle until one becomes uncomfortable?: A long time, maybe like three or four hours.Who gives the most kisses?: Cedes.What is their favourite non-sexual activity?: Working out or hanging out at the performance center.Where is their favourite place to cuddle?: In bed.Who is more likely to playfully grope the other? : Paul, and then he looks away like he doesn’t know what happened.How often do they get time to themselves?: Considering that it’s mania season, not often. But they work with what they can.

Sleeping:

Who snores?: Paul. If both do, who snores the loudest?: N/ADo they share a bed or sleep separately?: They share a bed.If they sleep together, do they cozy up together or lay far apart?: They’re pretty close, Paul is practically their mattress.Who talks in their sleep?: Paul mumbles, but nothing really coherent.What do they wear to bed?: Paul sticks with like his boxers and Cedes wears one of his t-shirts.Are either of your muses insomniacs?: If there’s a big project or contract signing, Paul tends to be.Can sleeping pills be found by the bedside?: Nope.Do they wrap their limbs around each other or just lay side by side?: They’re either spooning or Paul’s got his arm around her.Who wakes up with bed hair?: Cedes, cause Paul has no hair.Who wakes up first?: Paul. Important COO business.Who prepares breakfast in bed for the other?: Paul, and if he has to leave before she wakes up he leaves her coffee.What is their favourite sleeping position?: Either spooning or Paul on his back with her at his side.Who hogs the sheets?: Paul is king blanket hog.Do they set an alarm each night?: Paul does.Can a television be found in their bedroom?: Yep.Who has nightmares?: Neither of them really.Who has ridiculous dreams?: Cedes might because of her injury.Who sprawls out and takes up most of the bed?: Paul.Who makes the bed?: It depends on who has time.What time is bed time?: Paul tries to be in bed before two am.Any routines/rituals before bed?: Wake up, shower, coffee, gym, and then any other plans.Who’s the grumpiest when they wake up?: Cedes, and Paul teases her about it.

Work:

Who is the busiest?: Paul by far. COO problems.Who rakes in the highest income?: Paul.Are any of your muses unemployed?: No.Who takes the most sick days?: Well not that she was sick, but Cedes had more time off recently due to injury.Who is more likely to turn up late to work?: Neither of them,Who sucks up to their boss?: Well technically Cedes sucks on her boss lmfaoWhat are their jobs?: Cedes is a wrestler and Paul is the COO of the company she wrestles for.Who stresses the most?: Paul.Do your muses enjoy or despise their careers/occupations?: They love them.Are your muses financially stable?: Very much so.

Home:

Who does the washing?: They both do.Who takes out the trash?: Whoever makes it full.Who does the ironing?: Paul.Who does the cooking?: They take turns.Who is more likely to burn the house down just trying?: Paul.Who is messier?: Paul.Who leaves the toilet roll empty?: Cedes and it drives Paul insane.Who leaves their dirty clothes on the floor?: Paul.Who forgets to flush the toilet?: Neither.Who is the prankster around the house?: Paul for sure.Who loses the car keys when it comes time to go somewhere?: Cedes.Who mows the lawn?: A lawn mowing service.Who answers the telephone?: Whoever is next to it when it rings.Who does the vacuuming?: Probably a cleaning lady idk.Who does the groceries?: They both do.Who takes the longest to shower?: Cedes for sure, unless they’re showering together lmfao.Who spends the most time in the bathroom?: Cedes.

Miscellaneous:

Is money a problem?: Not at all.How many cars do they own?: Like five between the two of them.Do they own their home or do they rent?: Own.Do they live near the coast or deep in the countryside?: Kinda near the coast.Do they live in the city or in the country? : In the City.Do they enjoy their surroundings?: They love them.What’s their song?: All of Me by John Legend.What do they do when they’re away from each other?: Pout, text like constantly and call each other before they go to sleep.Where did they first meet?: W/we performance center.How did they first meet?: He’s her boss lol.Who spends the most money when out shopping?: Paul. He drops five grand like it’s nothing.Who’s more likely to flash their assets?: Paul.Who finds it amusing when the other trips over?: Paul cause he’s a grown ass man child.Any mental issues?: No.Who’s terrified of bugs?: Cedes, a bit.Who kills the spiders around the house?: Aurora cause Paul can’t lol.Their favourite place?: Anywhere the other is.Who pays the bills?: They both pay the bills.Do they have any fears for their future?: Paul fears the age difference will bug Cedes more than she lets on.Who’s more likely to surprise the other with a fancy dinner?: Paul.Who uses up all of the hot water?: Paul, cause the motherfucker sings in the shower.Who’s the tallest?: Paul.Who’s more likely to just randomly hop into the shower with the other?: Cedes and it gives Paul a heart attack every time.Who wanders around in their underwear?: Cedes.Who sings the loudest when singing along to the radio?: Cedes.What do they tease each other about?: Taste in music, shows, stuff like that.Who is more likely to cringe at the other’s fashion sense at times?: Cedes at Paul for sure.Do they have mutual friends?: A ton. Pam, HBK, etc.Who crushed first?: Paul on her for sure.Any alcohol or substance related problems?: None.Who is more likely to stumble home, drunk, at 3am?: Cedes.Who swears the most?: Paul.