#i actually watched this a long time ago but kept forgetting to add it.

[5-pp-man]

Here we go again...

Oddly, this is the only scene not featuring Sugita Tomokazu. So that rules out the va joke theory... possibly.

Sugita Tomokazu tosses a ball around with 2 of his friends while they're discussing. something.

The one on the left messes up the toss and it flies off, cutting their conversation short.

[at1nys-blog]

Some stories gets told: The start

Pairing: OPLA!Roronoa Zoro x reader

Summary: After the duel with Mihawk, reader can't seem to leave Zoro's side while he is fighting between staying alive and reaching for an old friend

A/N: the way I am putting so much efforts in this is crazy, literally watching scenes in loop to understand how to add things and if they actually work in the original setting of the live action. I mentioned de@th a couple of times but briefly considering how long this is getting. Created a new village on Gecko Island for the sake of this ff Miro Village does not exists in the world of one piece, if it does I'm a lucky mf lol.

Pt.1\Masterlist\\Pt.2

If three days ago people would have told her she was going to fight Kalahadore and his minions, she would have laughed at her faces; if three days ago people would have told her she was going to enjoy a trio of wanna be pirates she would have laughed it off saying that the only crew she was going to join was the same as Yasopp's; if three days ago people would have told her that she was going to face one of her greatest fears, she would have joked about it, but there she was after a fight with Kaya's butler in the company of three wanna be pirates.

The bar was filled with pirates and some Marines, or so she thought. Her blurry vision was not of help, everyone dressed in blue or white, or white and blue, was a possible enemy that was waiting for the right time to strick an attack and bring them back to headquarters.

-...sea slug.-she heard the swordsman say, confused to why he was talking about sea slug, which, by the way, she thought were very cute, she asked for some explanations. Nami only pointed at Usopp, dancing with his usual grace and talent, if that could even be called grace or talent.

-Look at him. Like he doesn't have a care in the world.- the orange haired girl stated, she wanted to replay, to say that in reality Usopp was just putting on a facade, but who was she to spill secrets that were not of her owns? No one, so she just kept quite and went back to her drink. A not well made one on her humble opinion, but at least she was able to drink and have fun.

The girl, once again that night, went back into her own thoughts forgetting she was in company but even if she wanted to have a conversation with the two in her heart she knew it wasn't a good idea. Not when drunk and knowing such state meant spilling everything that was on her mind.

-..you drink.- that was the key word that got her attention, if drinking was in the equation she wanted to be part of whatever they were doing. -You guess something about me, I drink.- he said pouring some of the rum in three little glasses.

-uuhhh I want to play.-

-Not now.-they both said in unison.

-First round is between me and the thief.- Zoro said not taking his eyes off of Nami which smirked at the boy.

If her attention was on Usopp and having her drink, now it was on her two new friends having a drinking game.

-I bet yu grew up in a big city, running schemes, hanging out in swanky bars like this one.-Zoro was the first one to try and guess under Nami advice, she gave him a second smirk. Y/N imagines the swordsman got it wrong from how the girl next to her reacted. And she was right.

-You might be thirsty.-Nami said. -I grew up in a small village. Barely a village. Just an handful of houses in the center of a tangerine grove.- Y/N started to picture how beautiful that might have been, that once again her mind alienated her from the conversation.

Y/N didn't know how long she was gone in her little world, but when she was back to reality second round was on, and this time she wanted to partecipate, but aparently the universe didn't want her to play that Usopp came back at the table with "his new best friend" or whatever.

-What did you say your name was again?-he asked sitting next to Nami.

-Which one of you is Monkey D. Luffy?-Y/N noticed Nami trying to get some informations out of the new nameless guy, asking who wanted to know such a question.

-You are Dracule Mihawk.- the name didn't ring any bell to Y/N, she had never heard that name, or at least while she was intoxicated from all the alcohol she had, the name was completely new to her ears.

-I have business with your captain. If you know what's good for you, you'll hand him over.- she noticed the man didn't like to beat around the bush, he just wanted to get to Luffy.

-We don't know anyone named Luffy. Right, guys?- Y/N looked at Nami confused.

-What do you mean we don't know him? He came here with us.- she turned to the elegant dressed man and told him that Monkey D. Luffy was somewhere around the Baratie but she didn't know exactly where.

-You are unbeliavable.-

-What? Is true he was with us and now he is not.- she defended herself, the two of them started to bicker: Nami trying to explain to her friend why she was supposed to lie, but their attention was back at Zoro when they hard him saying Mihawk, was it Mihawk?, she didn't care much, what she cared about was why for the East Blue did he say that the man was going to die the very next day.

In that moment Y/N was sober in an instant, her brain was back to function normally and so her body. She moved forward, motion followed by the girl next to her, she wanted to understand fully what was happening, maybe she heard wrong. Maybe Zoro was just playing around but even if she had known the man for less than a week she could tell he never joked, at least not about somo random guy dying.

-I, Roronoa Zoro, challenge you to a duel to the death.-

-To the what now?- she said as a reflex, it was not like she meant to say out loud but it happens and the fact that Mihawk was staring at her was not helping her nervouness to settle down. The man turned back almost immediatly letting the green haired swordsman know he never heard of him, implying how small of a fly he was in his eyes.

-They call me the Demon Pirate Hunter. But my lifelong dream it to best you in single combat and become the greatest swordsman in the world.- now that is a great dream compared to hers, that just wanted to live numerous adventures and write about them.

Y/N started to second guess if starting such a journey was even worth it, she was surrended by people with amazing dreams, even Usopp had a better dream than hers. She shook the thoughts away, now she had to more important matter to care about.

Once the challenge was accepted and the time was set Mihawk left and she was on her feet in an instant, she tried to say something but the words seemed to be stuck in her throat. She was speechless, Zoro did not just challenged someone that, for what she got from their conversation, is the most powerful and skilled swrodsman out there.

-You just have signed up your death sentence, you idiot.- she said and left to head back to the Going Merry.

Zoro was polishing his swords when Usopp came back with Luffy behind him, Y/N was silently listening to the conversation happening in the room, not really knowing how to handle the situation. Sure wasn't her friend, how could he be after a day they have known each other? But she didn't want him dead already.

Words of the conversation came and didn't so her brain didn't process half of what they had been talking about, she just knew Nami was trying her best to change Zoro's mind.

It was after Luffy and Usopp left the room that Zoro spoke directly to her that night, asking why she was still there.

-The promise.- she had heard that part, his dream was a promise made to someone; he was going to die just for a promise he made in the past. -did you made it to your friend?- he didn't answer but his body language told her everything she wanted to know. -in that case, I hope you are not going to die. Good luck.- she said walking outside ready to go and try to have some good sleep.

Waking up the next morning felt like a task, her head was pouding so much that if she had too many thoughts her head was going to explode in milion pieces for the lack of space. Trying to stand up from her hammock without falling was another task she didn't know how she managed to carry out, her legs feeling like jelly pudding but she managed to stay on her feet and following the boys outside, after wearing a pair of sunglasses.

The duel started and Y/N wanted to go back on the ship. She didn't want to see Zoro lose, she believed Zoro was a strong fighter and very much the most talented swordsman she ever knew but if his opponent had decided to use a tiny sword that looked like more like a knife, there was a high chance his friend was going to die in the worst case scenario.

The first time the weapon inflicted a scar on Zoro, Y/N gasped and hold onto Usopp to not fall butt flat on the ground for the scare it gave her.

-Why don't you retreat?- Mihawk's voice was cold, dry of any type of emotion when he spoke to him.

-I can't.-

-He can't.- a whisper, taken away from the wind in an istant, not Usopp nor Luffy behind her heard what she said and she was glad. She didn't want to explain herself, not right now.

-Or my dream will be lost forever.- and this is when things got for the worse. The swordsman took out Yoru, the sword he carries on his back and there was a fraction of seconds after the collision between the weapons where it felt like time stopped for good. Then the glenging of Zoro's swords hitting the ground broken into pieces. Y/N gasped, holding tighter on her best friend's arm.

The green haired boy sheated his good sword in place, opened his arms to form a T with his whole body. Tension grew in the air, everyone knew what was going to happen.

While the rest of the crew gave a glance towards each other she couldn't. Her eyes, even if weakened by the bright sun rays, couldn't leave the form of the boy that was about to die in a second now.

-ZORO- Luffy was the first to react, in a second the boy with the straw hat was next to his first mate, hoping to not see him dying in his hands. The conversation him and Mihawk had came in and out Y/N ears, she was focused on praying for the boy to not die.

Usopp was next, he run to his friends' side, pulling her with him in the process, she tripped loosing the grip on his best friend and falling on the ground. Nami tried to help her up, asking if she was okay but she was just able to keep silent.

It was just like when she was a kid and her father had died; it was like when she was a little girl and saw his first friend die, it was as if death was following her wherever she was going collecting people she loved one after the other. Her nails became such an important thing to stare at, she couldn't stand the sight of the pirates around Zoro, trying to speak comforting words that he was going to be okay.

He is not going to be okay, she thought, how could he? He had lost already too much blood and the more they were staying there doing nothing the more he was going to be more on the other side.

It was Nami that brought everyone back to reality and started to shout orders left and right. She asked the boys to take Zoro from the arms while she and Y/N would hold him from the legs.

Everything became a race with time, the more they wasted the more likely was for Zoro to die of blood loss. The four of them put him on the table of the kitchen; Usopp started to run around trying to find some towels or everything that could come in handy; Nami checked on the wounds; Luffy started to space out, every type of noise started to fade out and Y/N didn't know what to do, once again in her life she didn't know how to save another life.

-Someone...- the (your hair color) haired girl knew what she had to do, if no one was of any help she had to find someone that could be. She sprinted outside heading back to the resturant, they had to have a doctor or some sort of thing, didn't they? If that was not the case she was just unlucky.

Entering the resturant she clumsly tried to remember where was the kitchen, the place wasn't that big but in her mental state it was going to be hard remembering her own name.

When she found the door she rushed in, getting the chef and waiter's attention. The blond guy smirked, ready to flirt with her but noticing the worried expression on her face he just asked her if everything was fine.

-Nothing is fine.-she catched her breath for a moment. -Zoro got... He has a very pretty bad sword wound we need a doctor.- please tell me there is one on board, please please please. Her eyes were staring at the owner of the establishment and her face dropped when he said that the closest one was two days from there. Just my luck.

-I can't help you. Hope your friend makes it.-

-No, please you have to help us, please. Maybe there is a doctor on...-

-Ehy, where do you think you're going?- she wanted to punch the chef, he was totally ignoring her call of help and cared more where his waiter was going than on the live or death situation she presented him.

-To help her friend.- said Sanji

-Brunch is not gonna prep itself.- he reminded him. She was totally going to punch him if he ignored once again what was happening.

-You always told me to feed anyone who's hungry.- she heard him saying while looking around the room. -I don't see how this is any different.- he added.

The owner of the resturant sighed, realizing that he had no other choice but try and do somethig to help the dying kid.

-Fine. Bring me my kitchen knives and a bottle of our best whiskey. And a fresh yellowtail from the cooler. Bigger the better.-he ordered and started walking outside. Sanji was confused, why would Zeff need a yellowtail? -Just do it already.-

Y/N walked them to the Merry and once she pointed the direction of the kitchen, she let them go in first. She wanted to stay away from there, she didn't want her bad luck to linger over Zeff while he worked on Zoro's wounds.

It had been some time since the two chefs came to stich the swordsman up so when she saw the chef leaving the kitchen she jumped on her feet asking how her friend was doing. Zeff assured her the guy was resting but only time could have told if he was going to live or not.

She walked inside meeting eyes with Usopp, Luffy stop tending on Wado and looked at her, giving the girl a forced smile, and she did the same. She was in no shape for smiling sincerely.

-How is he doing?-her tone was almost inaudible if it wasn't for the lack of noises.

-He is resting now, we are hoping for the best.-Usopp answered, she looked in the direction of Nami's room but then changed her mind. She didn't want for her bad luck to make things worse.

Usopp noticed. He always did. He had know her for a long time now and could read her like an open book. He knew what she had to go through, she had told him, trusting in his vow to not say a thing.

-You can go and talk to him. Maybe he would like to hear from a more gentle voice.- he joked.

-I heard that.- that made her laugh a little and she made a note to herself to thank her best friend for the joke.

-But...-he started again, Y/N stopped him, it was fine. She was going to stay in her room for the time being hoping that everything was going to get better.

-What's up with her?-Asked a worried Sanji looking the girl dissapearing from his view. After she had left the cook tried to get some info out the sniper but the man brushed it off lying that he wished to know as well.

Entering her room she locked herself in, not wanting people in for now, she wished for some alone time.

She went to the little desk and turned on the snail radio searching for a station worth listening to hear. Every station she picked were talking about some piracy activity around the East Blue or the New World, some had music but nothing that was of her taste. Her patience was running short, nothing was good enough, growing impatience she took the snail and throw it away.

The object made a loud noise that had been heard downstairs for sure, but she didn't care. She really didn't. She got herself under the blanket, cold running throught her body even tho the weather was pretty warm.

It took her nothing to fall asleep, and to be surrended by her nightmares coming back to make her sleep difficult. Between the faces that she was used to see screaming at her, putting the blame on her a new was added to the crowd: Zoro's. He wasn't talking like the others, he was silently looking at her dissapointment all over his features. Y/N tried to apologize, but words couldn't come out, they were stuck making her choke on air.

-Z...-nothing, her throat felt dry, like the ground back in Syrup Village during the drought. She felt powerless as usual. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, she wanted to apologize but it was hard when the only thing you can do is breath.

Breating, the only thing she was able to do was to breath but with time she found herself having an hard time doing that as well, dropping on the ground. Tears creeped out her eyes, watering her eye line but she tried her best to fight the urge to cry her eyes out.

She woke up covered in sweat and sighed asking herself when was she going to stop having nightmares or was she going to live like that forever? If that was the case she hoped the sea was going to take her as soon as possible, before she was going to lose her mind.

After a quick shower and a change of outfit she tippy toed outside her room making sure no one was around she headed to check on Zoro. She was happy to see they were alone in that moment.

She closed the door behind her and for a moment she pondered if it was a better idea go back to her room and stay there untill her friends were back, no she decided to keep Zoro company for a while. Maybe she didn't really know what to say, but the words were going to come at some point, wouldn't they?

She moved the chair closer to the bed he was resting on, glanced for a while his hand. Was oaky for her to hold it? Was he going to even feel it? She didn't know what to do, she had found herself in that position countless of times and yet it was just like the first time.

-Zeff told me it is a good idea to talk to you but honestly I don't even know what to say.- she thought she was sounding stupid, who on the seven seas starts a conversation like that? Her for sure. -Usopp hasn't always been my best friend, I had one before I met him. She was older than me, not much older, just two years of diference.- she smiled. -I was new to Miro Village. The first two months she was really mean to me so I would avoid her most of the times, even thought she would find ways to bully me so I gave up. She did everything in her power to make me upset, she blamed everything on me to get me in trouble like that one time she stole an entire cart of fruits and told the major it was my fault. He had to call in my parents, they wanted to talk to my dad about my behaviour but little they know he was dead. He had died some weeks prior I moved there, the journey wasn't that long since I used to live nearby but no one knew, how could they? Is not like I talked about it nor anyone cared to ask why a lonely little girl walked miles to get there, they were just happy there was someone doing the jobs no one wanted. She apologized for how she treated me but to be honest with you it wasn't that important, she was the only one that paid attention to me, yes you might argue it was not the best way but when you are a kid that goes unnoticed you kinda of like it when someone talks to you, even if is just to make fun of you.- she took a deep breath, now it came the hard part. -We started to get closer and closer until one day pirates raided the village, they took her because she was trying to protect little ol' me. They killed her on the spot and I was going to follow her if it wasn't for a random citizen pumbing into the pirate. It gave me the window to run away and I found shelter in Syrup Village where I met Usopp. Sometimes I see her in my dreams, she is always mad at me because I ran away and I didn't help her, sometimes I think back at...-

Someone was on board, she could tell, checking who was she felt safe seeing her captain. Luffy walked past her ignoring her presence, not because he didn't like her, for all the seas if that was the case she couldn't even have thought on putting a single foot on his ship, the captain had to fix the problem first thing first.

-Hey, Zoro. You sure missed a big fight. Those fishman guys were though. You would have loved it.- she smiled, knowing that was 100% so true. -...great dinner. All of us sitting around together, listening to Usopp's stories. Only I kinda messed it up. And now I lost Nami.- schock was painted all over Y/N, what was he talking about? Losing Nami? How? When? Why?

-...but I know what to say now, and is so simple. I need you, Zoro. I need you to wake up.- the girl felt ashemed, she wasn't able to say those simple words, indeed went on about her childhood friend that died to protect her. She was glad that her captain got the courage to say those words.

-You gonna keep talking, or let me get some sleep? Geez, you people really like to talk uhm?- Luffy jumped on top of Zoro, Y/N was only able to stare at the two boys in front of her. He was alive, how? She was pretty sure he was done for. She thanked whoever decided to let him live.

Luffy hugged his first mate, making him groan out of pain.

-Luffy, Luffy get off you are hurting him.- the girl said and before she could help the straw hat pirate down he was already on his feet.

She was now standing next to Luffy, looking at Zoro with a small smile on her face.

-I had the strangest dream that Nami left.-

-She did.-

-What do you mean she did? Why?-

-It's my fault. She left...- he started but Zoro cut him off.

-No, you didn't do anything wrong. You acted like a captain.- Luffy couldn't understand, if he did actually act like a captain, why was the crew falling apart more and more? -No, it's not. I, Roronoa Zoro, vow to stand by your side from now until the end. Until we find the One Piece or die trying.- he kept on with his vow and Y/N could only admire the boy for that. She started thinking if she was in any position to vow eternal loyalty or if her presence on the Going Merry was just temporary, she hoped not for the latter.

-so what do you say?-

-What?-

-Do you want to be part of my crew as a loyal member?-she was taken aback, no one had ever asked for her opinion on important metters, she grew up following orders. If she was told to do something her only concern was to carry on the task, no question asked, but now? Now she was given the chance to choose: eaither stay on board and become a part of the Straw Hat pirates, or leave and starting fresh a new life somewhere else.

-If you accept me, I'll be honored to follow you and protect this crew and the one in needs.-

-Of course I accept you, why would have I asked to join in the first place? Now...- the three of them got interrupted by Usopp screaming and happy to see his friend awake.

-I wasn't worried for a second.-

-Yeah, not worried at all, in fact I was the one...-

-HE IS ALIVE.-he said raising with such force his hand and Zoro's in the process, making the wounded guy groan out of pain.

-LUFFY STOP. - she separeted the two, taking Zoro's hand in hers. -For all the seas, you are going to give him an embaracing death one of those days I am telling you.- she was still holding his hand when the green haired swordsman cleared his throat to get her attention. -Sorry.-

-So, now what we do? Plot a curse to the Grand Line?-

-No, not yet.- was his answer.

-But I thought we were going after the One Piece?-

-We are, but we can't do it without our whole crew.- she smiled, knowing exactly where he was going with that. First mission before heading to the Grand Line: getting Nami back.

-Great, now you two start getting everything ready. I am going to change his bandage.-

-I can do...-the captain started.

-I am not leaving the first mate under your care. You keep treating him like a doll. Now please let get ready to leave.

-I can do it myself.- he groaned trying his best to stand up, but failed.

-dude, you can't even seat without help. Now shut up and let me help you.- he let a small "fine" not sure about the whole situation but it was either that or groaning every two seconds. And as much as his ego screamed at him that it wasn't to be that bad, he gave up and thought that maybe he really needed a little bit of help.

[arielburrow]

So It Goes

part one here, part two here

“And you got the candles? You cant forget the candles Joe they are what make the whole cake!” you exclaim to your husband over the phone. “Babe,” he laughs, “relax, i promise you i got everything on the list and the cake looks perfect, i just picked it up a few minutes ago.” Joe reassures you for what seems like the fifth time today. You wanted today to go smoothly given you had been planning it for a long time, seemingly since the little one left your womb.

Little Blake Burrow was turning one today and the thought of your baby growing up along with the stress of the party was making you a little emotional. “Thanks Joe, i’m going to finish getting ready and then we’ll meet at your parents.” you hang up with your husband just as Blake half crawls half walks his way into the kitchen. “Hi baby,” you coo as you scoop him up in a million little kisses. His little shrieks seemed to get louder as he got older and grew into his little voice. Though he hasn’t actually started talking sentences yet, only a few words, he was a very vocal baby who knew how to get the point across without words.

“Are you so excited to see grandma and grandpa, and all you’re aunts and uncles!” you squeeze the little boy causing him to shriek in giggles. You run up stairs to get him dressed and put finishing touches on your makeup. You mentally ran through everything for a final time. Joes parents insisted on hosting the get together at their place which you did mind agreeing to. You went over yesterday to help put decorations up and all the food would be getting delivered, all that was left was to get the birthday boy to his party.

“Mama, hat!” You hear him command and you notice his line of vision to the top of your dresser where Joe had left that party hat Robin had him where for his first birthday. You thought it was the cutest thing that Robin kept it and wanted to make sure Blake wore it today, at least for a bit until he would end up chucking it on the floor somewhere. You picked up Blake and grabbed the hat on your way out the door.

Pulling up to the Burrow’s house was not something you were too familiar with yet. Joe had just recently surprised them with the brand new house a few months ago and they were over the moon about it. They still rented out their house in Athens, but their new place allowed them to be much closer to the games and family. You were a little worried when you didn’t see Joes car in the driveway, given he should have been here by now, but Blakes whines drew you out of your train of thought so you shot him a quick text before going inside.

“My babies!” Robin meets you at the door in a hug, followed by Jimmy. You make your way inside adoring the final look of everything. “Everything’s set y/n” Robin assures as she scoops Blake up out of your hands and you both make you way into the kitchen. “The food was just dropped off and people should be here soon,” jimmy adds. “Perfect, thank you guys so much, I hope Joe hurry’s up, I want him to get here before everyone else does,” you state as you watch a now crawling Blake head butt a balloon. Robin reassured you and took a seat next to you at the kitchen island. You took another look around smiling, the living room was covered in balloons and streamers with enough food tables to feed the entire Bengals roster, even though their were only about twenty people coming. The backyard was full of games set up, an obstacle course, and even a water slide which you insisted was unnecessary for a one year olds birthday but Joe bought anyway, claiming it was for the “older kids”.

“So we have all the cousins coming, your mom and aunt right? And then your friends and Joes friends, and oh my friends too! Oh maybe we don’t have enough food..” Robin rambles off but you cant help but smile to yourself at the little community you guys had made together. You would have considered yourself crazy three years ago for imagining you’d be celebrating your child first birthday. Better yet the child you had with your now husband Joe. But you wouldn’t change anything for the world, every time you look into Blake’s blue eyes you ponder where you would be today if your will had stood in the way of you meeting Joe at that coffee shop.

You are pulled out of your thoughts at the sound of the door. You hear Joe’s voice and watch Blake do the little wiggle he does when he’s excited. Implying someone better pick him up or he’s going to start squealing. “There he is! My boy!” joe quickly sets the cake down and picks up the baby in a tight hug. He walks over to you, pulling you into the hug and taking a look around. “Wow, this place is amazing you guys really pulled it together,” he says in astonishment. “It was all y/n!” Robin says making her way into the kitchen to meet her son.

Soon after, guests start arriving. You greet your mother and her friends in hugs. They immediately swoon over Blake given it has been a month or so since they last saw him. Joe joins you at the front door as his best friends arrive. “Thank you guys so much for coming!” you smile as you place gifts on the table. Blake begins to squirm in your arms and you realize who it is he’s antsy for. “My little man!” Jamarr yells entering the house with a dap up from Joe and a greeting towards all the parents. Blake squeals in excitement as he scoops him up and lifts him to the sky as if he was an airplane. You laugh at Blakes little “again’s!” and Jamarr’s airplane sound effects.

Blake hadn’t necessarily made any of his own friends yet, but there were a handful of littles that joined the party either from the neighborhood or they were Blakes cousins. Rachel arrived soon after and you pulled her into a tight squeeze. She had split with her husband a year ago and although it was for the best, you could tell it took a toll on her. Nonetheless she was still a bright spirit who was quick to steal Blake from Jamarr’s arms.

“Honey you did amazing on this party.” your mother smiles as she joins you in the kitchen to help put out appetizers. “thanks, i don’t know why i was so nervous, everyone’s having fun and the kids are getting a kick out of the water slide. Blake’s made Joe go down it with him about ten times.” you both laugh as you watch all the action through the window. Most of the women were inside chatting while the guys made their way outside with the kids. “I’m so happy for you y/n,” your moms voice becomes soft and you look to her with a smile. “Yeah, this is pretty great,” you laugh trying not to get sappy even though deep down your heart was fueled with emotion for the life you and Joe had built for yourselves. It felt like just yesterday he was down on one knee asking for your hand, and now you guys get to watch your baby grow up. You blink back a small tear.

A while later you join the party outside as most of the people had now done. Music was blasting and all of the kids had big smiles on their faces. You found Joe sitting with his dad and decided to join them. “There she is!” Jimmy smiles making room for you. “Hey guys, where the little one?” you question as Joe nods his head towards Rachel’s direction. Well, not only Rachel, but also Jamarr. The two were sitting together locked in on a conversation that left smiles on both of their faces. Little Blake letting a popsicle melt across his face and onto her lap. You give Joe a suspicious look but he just shrugs. “Did you have fun on the water slide,” you question causing Jimmy to laugh at his sons still soaking wet bathing suit bottoms. “Yes actually i did, i raced Cooper down it twice and won both times,” he says triumphantly. “Joe he’s five,” you playful roll your eyes at your husbands confidence. The three of you sat for a while over drinks and snacks. Tons of food was served and all of the kids were dancing on the grass.

Blake eventually made his way back onto your lap and you noticed a slight droop in his eyes. “Joe maybe we should do cake now, he’s getting sleepy we might have to wrap it up soon,” your husband nods and gets up to call everyone inside and get the cake ready. You join him inside as everyone either sits or stands around the table. You sit him at the end of the table and place his hat on his head once again. Blake looks up to you with a frown before smacking it off his head, causing everyone to laugh. His eyes widen as he picks up on the light gleaming from the top of the cake Joe was carrying in from the kitchen. He gurgles in excitement as the crowd sings happily for him, Joe placing the cake infront of him and pulling you into his side. After singing everyone cheers and Blake looks up to you, “please don’t cry,” you whisper only for Joe to hear.

Instead, the boy giggles at you causing immediate laughter from you and Joe. “Buddy you got to blow them out,” Joe insists but Blake only reaches out and takes a swipe of icing from the cake. You and joe smile at eachother before leaning down to take a few pictures and then blowing out the candles for him. You pick up your phone and press record to capture the adorable moment his hand sinks into his slice of cake and he misses his mouth completely. You can’t help but laugh at the absolute mess he’s creating. After cake, people begin say goodbyes and getting one last fist bump from the birthday boy. You were very proud of him for going this long without a nap, but you knew he needed one. Once majority of people had said goodbye, Joe walked eveyone out while you went upstairs to lie Blake down for a nap in the little crib Robin and Jimmy had set up in their room just for him.

Rachel and a few other friends stayed behind to help with the clean up and carrying everything to the car. You and Joe were in the kitchen with Rachel, while Robin and Jimmy were cleaning up outside. “So..” you press on, “I saw you and Jamarr were chatting a bunch.” you try to keep your tone light while also hinting you wanted details. “Yeah he’s a cool guy,” she shrugs but you notice a small blush on her cheeks. You give a glance to Joe who seems to be holding back a smirk. “Well…you know he’s single..and i know that you said you weren’t read for anything, but-”

“y/n,” she cuts you off laughing. “He asked me out before he left,” she looks up to you smiling. “What! Really?! Oh my gosh!” you were so happy for her knowing Jamarr was such a sweetheart but also praying he didn’t mess this up. “Joe can you believe this?” you question him as he finishes putting things away in the fridge. “yes actually i can, that night we went out for my birthday he texted me right after and asked if you were single,” he laughs at both of your shocked faces. “Huh,” rachel shrugs trying to play cool but you can tell she really has a thing for him. “Well i’m going to get going but i’ll see you both soon,” she hugs you and Joe before stepping outside to say goodbye to Joes parents. As soon as the sliding glass door shuts you feel Joe come up from behind you and press kisses all over your neck. You giggle at his touch and his strong arm that wraps around your waist, pulling you from the countertop. “Joe..” you try to get out between laughs, “cmon let’s go get Blake and head home,” you push him off of you, causing him to fake pout at the loss of touch.

After Rachel leaves, you wake up Blake from his nap, which he was not pleased about, and head down to say your goodbyes. The house had transformed back to its original homey feel once again. After lots of hugs and kisses, the three of you begin your depart back home.

You watch in the rear view mirror as your little boy drifts back to sleep in his car seat. Your mind drifts off once again feeling whatever the opposite of nostalgia is. This feeling was something so foreign to you, you couldn't even recognize it. Genuine happiness that felt untouchable and unbreakable. You were pulled out of your thoughts as Joe's hand made it’s way to yours, and eventually made its way to your thigh with a tight squeeze. You turn to look at him but his eyes remain locked on the road as his hand rubs up and down your thigh.

Arriving home, you carried Blake upstairs to finally get in a full nap. It was a bad time for him and would probably throw off his sleep schedule, meaning you’d be up all night with him, but you knew he needed uninterrupted sleep right now. You rocked him back to sleep for a while before finally making your way downstairs.

You noticed Joe had brought all the gifts and leftover food inside and was waiting for you on the couch. You sat down next to him and rested your head on his neck. “Oh, I almost forgot I have something for you,” he suddenly popped up and headed upstairs for something. Joe’s love language had always been gift giving but you made it clear no matter how much money he made, you didn’t want him wasting too much on you, especially after you had your son. Nonetheless, he still spoiled you and made sure you always had the nicest things which you were always so grateful for.

He came back downstairs with a box that he handed to you while joining you on the couch. Your mouth dropped as your recognized the name on the outside, “Joe-” you started but he cut you off. “I know todays about Blake but i don’t want you to think I ever forget about you and the hard work you put in everyday to make sure own son has everything he needs and is the happiest little boy. I mean, technically it’s officially been one year of you being a mom, so you deserve something special too,” he smiles before motioning for you to open it. You carefully unravel the box and reveal the beautiful fleurette pendant, it was white gold and definitely the most sparkly necklace you owned. You lifted it closer in adoration as Joe kissed your cheek. “You like it?” he questions looking down at it with you. “Yes honey I love it, this is so beautiful thank you.” you pull him in for a kiss. He carefully moves your hair aside to place the necklace on you. “I didn’t know if you would like it, but I heard you and your friends mention Van Cleef the other day, so I was looking online for a bit and set up an appointment this morning to pick it up for you.” he explains. “Ohh, that’s where you were this morning,” it all clicks in your head now. He smoothes your hair back down and turns you to face him. You smile and reach down to touch the necklace. “I love you Joe,” you say just above a whisper, “I love you too,” he says scooting closer to you.

“I also love this dress on you,” he leans in and begins kissing your neck. He’s always knew what to say to get you relaxed. That’s what you loved about rekindling your relationship years back, you both had matured and become more experienced. You knew exactly what you wanted and Joe knew just how to give it to you.

He pushed you back into the couch and hovered over you. His hand slipped under your dress while the other reached up to massage your breast. You moaned at his touch, earning a smirk from him. His hand moved farther and farther up until it was just below what he wanted most. “Are you wet for me baby,” he questions placing a kiss on your leg. “So wet Joey, please I need you.” Another thing about Joe is he had become much more dominant as he had grown older. He loved making love and always made sure you were comfortable, but that didn’t mean he stayed away from making it a memory, and you never wanted him to.

He lifted your dress up to around your hips, exposing your little thong that he immediately discarded of. He inserted one finger and watched your face intently. He quickly started moving his finger soon after inserting another one. You let out a quiet moan, not wanting to disturb the baby. You bit down on your lip as you felt him add his tongue to the mix, knowing it was your absolute weakness.

He fasted the pace he moved his fingers at and continued to eat you out as you ran your fingers through his hair and let out quiet little moans. “Joey, baby, that feels so good, don't stop," you whine. He recognizes the quiver in your voice and quickly removes his fingers and mouth earning a half moan half whine from you at the loss of build up. “Not yet baby, i’m not done with you,” he smirks as he pulls you up to straddle him. You quickly remove his swim shorts and reveal his hard cock clearly ready to be inside you. He lifts up your dress completely, throwing it to the side as you sink on to him. You both moan in sync as your eyes roll back from the feeling of him. “Just like that baby, you feel so good,” he whispers before pulling you towards him to kiss your breasts. You finally start to ride him, picking up the pace fast as a string of quiet moans leaves your mouth. One of his hands drops to your ass, foundling it quickly. Your head drops to his shoulder as he begins thrusting into you, hitting the perfect spot. “Joe im so close baby,” you whisper into his ear. “cum all over it baby, i need to fill you up,” he insists immediately pushing you over edge. At the same time, you feel him release inside of you. You remain on top of him for a moment, catching your breath before pulling off of him and crashing onto the couch next to him.

After a few moments you began to speak but are quickly cut off by a sharp cry coming from upstairs. You both look at each other, “I got it,” Joe insists pulling up his shorts and throwing you your dress. You watch as he walks to the stair case with his shorts on backwards, silently laughing to yourself.

Thank you all for following this story and encouraging me to write more than what i originally intended to. I hope you like how it turned out 🤞🧡

[creelkobblelaufeyson69]

Old face/old feelings

Warnings: smut and angst

Y/n had tried moving on from the Doctor; the feelings, and just the thoughts about him. They believed it would help ease the pain, but so many things they owned reminded them about their adventures through space and time with him. Their dreams filled with the adventures as well. They just wanted to forget all of it

The last thing he told them, they wanted to forget, but failed many times to do so. “I’ll come back for you Y/n. That’s a promise” he told them all those years ago while peeking out of the Tardis. They believed that lie, and now here they were laying on the guest bed of the Noble’s place since their house mysteriously collapsed

Y/n weirdly enough had a sneaky feeling something like that would happen, so the day before they managed to pack everything up safely. It had taken them as a bit of a surprise when it happened, but once going through all the shit you go through with The Doctor, you get desensitized to bizarre shit like that

Speaking of bizarre, someone was rushing upstairs to where they were. They got up, and now stood up to take on whatever was coming up. Y/n knew it wasn’t any of the Nobles since the family knew better to just randomly pop up in the guest room. Soon a creature with big eyes had appeared, and behind it was him

“Meep meep” Beep the Meep says as it approaches them. It goes over to hug their leg as if afraid of The Doctor. “Y/n?” The Doctor starts in confusion. “What the hell are you doing here?” He asked as they stood there in shock. “Meep Meep” they looked down at the Meep as it now looks up at them

“My house exploded…” they started as they now looked back at him. “Oh, I’m so sorry” he said as the Meep lets go of their leg, and went onto their bed now. Y/n stayed silent as they had waited so long for the two to see each other again, but they felt angry

“You’re a lair by the way” they started, which makes him shocked. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for you?! Shit, I wouldn’t have cared if you hadn’t looked the same, because you’re still the person I loved all those years ago” he listens intently as the rest of the Noble family comes up

He looks at the family as Y/n felt tears leaving their eyes now. “You have no clue how much I wanted to find a way to communicate with you, but I didn’t since I thought you’d be quick… but you clearly had better plans, huh Doctor?” Beep the Meep felt bad for the human now

“Would the human like to sit next to the meep?” Beep the meep asked them. They looked at the Meep, and nodded their head. They go over to sit next to the Meep as everyone was watching this. “Oh great, there’s a party to seem in this fucking mess…” they begin to sob as they held onto the Meep. “There, there” the Meep comforts them as The Doctor walks towards them

“Y/n I didn’t want to lose you. You meant too much to me to let that happen to you. I also thought about you endlessly as I traveled, but I’m here now, and I promise you I won’t leave you behind” They looked at him once he sat down next to them. “You broke the last promise Doctor, how am I supposed to know you won’t break this one?” They asked him

“You know that ring you wear…?” He asked them. They nodded their head as they stopped hugging onto the Meep to look at the ring. It was a Gallifrey ring he gave them on the last trip the two shared. “Did you perhaps know that your house was gonna explode the day before it had actually happened?” He asked them, and they quickly nodded their head as they kept staring at the ring

“That ring can help you easily avoid danger” they looked at The Meep. “It can also make an enemy be friendly if close by” he adds as they stood up now. He does the same as they find themselves backing away from the Meep. The Meep looks confused now. “Y/n, why are you going away from the Meep? I don’t bite” they found themselves quickly greeted by the wall behind them

“Can someone explain to me what the hell is going on?!” Donna asked as The Doctor stood next to them now. “I kinda never left your side” he says as he looks at them. They looked at him now as he takes out the sonic screwdriver. They admired the new look of the sonic. “Isn’t it stunning?” He asked them as he makes a cage for the Meep

“Yeah” they said as they hadn’t stopped looking at him. The Meep’s true colors were able to show now, and it was pissed off now. “Is someone coming to get the Meep?” He asked them, which makes them nod their head. “That’s excellent!” He kisses them on their lips now

“Come on Donna, let’s leave these two alone” Donna’s mother says as the two start walking downstairs again. Rose and her dad left as well. Once they pulled apart, they smiled. “What is it?” He asked with a matching smile. “She’s gonna be fine- Donna. She’ll remember everything, but she’ll live” they said as tears started to leave his eyes

“So you give out spoilers too?” He jokes, which makes them smile wider. “It’s happening downstairs. You’re just not present for it” they pointed out as two armed aliens show up. The Doctor was about to look, but they made him look back at them. “It’s okay. They know we mean no harm” their lips go onto his neck as they begin to leave hickeys

“Erm… Y/n, there’s people here” he points out as his face goes red. “Don’t worry sir, we’re quickly leaving now” one of the aliens said. Once the two were completely alone, they stopped leaving hickeys on his neck. “You have no clue how much I like you Doctor…” they start as they begin to strip

“I think I have an idea” he says as they discarded their graphic t shirt. He starts to discard his clothes now once realizing this was definitely happening. Once they were naked, they go over towards their bed, and find themselves lying near the edge of their bed. They begin to touch themselves as they waited for him to get completely naked

Once he was, he approaches the bed. “I’ve waited too long to do this…” he starts once he was close to the edge of the bed. He looks at their wet pussy, and just went ahead and lifted up their legs: spreading their legs open now, and soon his cock was in them

Their head arches back now as a moan escapes their mouth now. He had let out a moan as well as he starts to thrust now. “Oh, Doctor” they moaned out as their eyes go to the back of their head. His hands were grasped firmly on the edge of the bed. His head throws back now as moans continued to leave him

“Oi! Keep it quiet up there!” Donna shouts, which makes the two both smile. He stops, since he didn’t want to upset Donna who was clearly back to being herself. He had pulled out, and placed their legs back down. “Sorry about that darling, but we’re gonna have to continue in the Tardis” he says as he starts to get his clothes back on

“That’s fine” they said as they got up to get their clothes back on as well. Once the two were clothed again, the two find each other cuddling on the bed. “So where to first?” He asked them. “Anywhere” they answered as they find themselves fallen asleep. He notices, and smiles. He kisses their forehead, and then stares at the ceiling wondering why this face had come back

[brightdarkness-2013]

Chapter 19: Welllp...

Summary:Things aren't going well...

Notes:Warning here. This is bad.

Barricade was less like himself. Sure he’d growl and he’d threaten anyone who came by, but it was done in such an odd mix of exasperation and a tired fashion that it was a cause for concern. He tore at the bandages and everything, but it was with less drive. It was more out of stubbornness and habit than anything that he kept doing it. He seemed far too tired to try much harder. He spent a lot of time on the sandy bottom and barely moved. He even just let Prowl rewrap the bandages without a fight. To make things more worrisome than they already were Prowl had taken to laying with him rather than within his nest.

Barricade glared at me as per usual when I walked up to the tank. I chewed on my lip as I watched him back. His eyes didn’t have as much fire in them as per usual. I touched the tank and he just narrowed his eyes. No growling. No lunging. He did not look well. Thankfully he had another appointment today. I leaned on the tank with a sigh.

“Just what have ya gone and done to yourself this time? All ya do is cause trouble. Can’t ya just… I don’t know, not? I mean look at yourself. You’re not doing that well the way you’re going it. Prowl’s worried. Aid’s worried. Arcee and Blurr are worried. Everyone’s worried about ya here. I mean this is starting to bother me. Sure I’m more worried about Prowl if ya kick it, but I don’t want ya to just die either.”

He hadn’t moved through my little one way chat. He just watched me. Prowl had draped himself over Barricade long ago and had refused to move. He would occasionally pull out a loose scale. Barricade normally didn’t like it when he tried to groom him and would make little grumbling noises until he was done, but he was silent this time around. Just letting him check and recheck without so much as a twitch. That had been a big red flag. Then of course there was the fact that their neighbors had been looking over at them more and more often. Now it was near constant watch. Prowl didn’t pay them any mind. He had been ripping apart the fish and bringing the scrapes to Barricade for a while before he even stopped doing that.

“Ya know maybe if ya actually tried to heal you’d be fine right now. I don’t know what possessed ya to go and do this, but you’ve really got yourself in a bad situation now. I can see the signs here. You’re really not yourself and add that to the guys next door watching ya and being more passive toward ya and I’d say with confidence that ya ain’t doing so well. I really hope ya didn’t do any permanent damage here. That’ll be another reason for Ratch to curse ya. Ya know you’re his worst patient he’s ever had. He keeps cursing ya and swearing that you’re Trying to kill yourself. All he does now days is complain about ya. That just means he cares though, but then again once ya get better he’s gonna hit ya so hard you’ll forget what ya did. I mean your ass is grass. No joke.” I chuckled to myself as I let my gaze linger on the door. “Ya had better pull through though. I mean think about it. Ya can possibly have another go with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. Then of course ya could see the sea again. Just Think about it. Traveling the ocean with a complete pod again. Hunting and finding a new spot for a nest. There’s a lot of things ya will be missing out on if ya kick it now.”

He didn’t so much as twitch. That halfhearted glare had fallen like he was far too tired to keep it up. He just stared back at me with a dull and near lifeless expression. He really needed some help and hopefully he’d let them help him this time. Barricade didn’t even move to fight us. Prowl on the other hand had. Though it wasn’t aggressive and he didn’t do any damage physically. He whined and pleaded and followed us up to the top. He gave a heartbreaking cry when we took him. The other mers watched silently and it was a relief to finally shut the door.

44444444444444444 The Fours Are Gaining More Numbers! Fight Back! Take Back The Writing Government!4444444444444

Prowl paced and whined, looking at anyone who came in for answers that we didn’t have. Nothing that was good anyway. Barricade had opened and reopened his wounds so much that he had left himself open to illness and infection from what normally wouldn’t have done any damage. Pair that with the blood loss and how he refused to eat and was forced on a regular basis and he was in worse shape than any of us had thought. His wounds leaked a sour smelling pus and he whined when they were cleaned. His wing fin had a deep infection due to the damage. It was easier the prevent infection than to get rid of it, even I knew that.

He didn’t fight them and Ratchet was unnaturally quiet as Aid rambled on and on to himself under his breath. That was enough for us and we didn’t know what to tell Prowl. But Prowl had caught on and made it clear that he didn’t want to wait. His neighbors that had recently lost a pod member watched him intently as he leapt from the water onto the feeding stand and pulled himself down the steps and to the door. He had apparently been watching us and had figured out the doors because he pulled down on the handle as he leaned on the door as we rushed toward him. He dropped when he got it open a crack and pushed it open the rest of the way. He shoved at us with hisses as we dragged him back to the tank. He had done that on more than one occasion and now we had to have someone there at all times to watch him when the doors weren’t locked.

Barricade on the other hand was quiet and none of us were even mildly surprised when he passed. When we brought the corpse to Prowl he didn’t move for a while. When he moved to look over his pod member he froze halfway there. Then he did something that none of us expected. He jumped up onto the ledge with us and shoved himself into me with a broken cry. Clinging to me when I moved with another broken sound. Begging me not to leave him... So I held him.

Notes:I spent two days going over pros and cons. Even though he was an asshole it kind of hurt to kill him off... But if he stayed then Prowl wouldn't have been able to get close to Jazz again even if he did forgive him.

Then one day I went to my doctor for anxiety and work and then another day I spent eating pie and watching netflix. So... That's why I'm late. And it's not over yet so relax.

Next

First

Masterpost

patreon.com/BrightDarkness2013

[fipindustries]

does F.I.P stand for anything in particular or is it a secret

ah, my favourite question to answer, fuck it, this time im going to give the long answer:

a primer on FIP

you know.

i dont have the best memory of my past, i truly dont. i claim that certain things happen at certain ages but there is no way for me to know for sure.

long long ago i decided, a bit at random, that the age at which i came up with the concept of FIP industries might have been when i was eleven. that was a guess, an educated guess but a guess all the same.

i know the very first idea of something akin to fip industries came to me on a family trip after watching the now forgotten cartoon show called the project zeta. and this all happened roughly in 2003 - 2004. so that is why i use that date.

which would mean that its been 20 years since i came up with this project. i do remember distinctly that i promised my self at that age that i would not allow maturity or growing up to take this thing away from me. that i would not forget this story or these characters. indeed that i would make it grow and dedicate the surely considerable resources i would have as an adult to make it come true.

and i didnt.

ten years after that, when i was 21, i wrote a novel called F.I.P. industries. it's... fine, for a first draft of a first work of someone who had never written a novel before at 21 years of age. it develop the story, it crystalized it. it gave it a coherent shape and a strong foundation. what's more, it cemented the arcs of many of its key characters, characters that had started as broken, improvised toys made out of key chains and legos and pieces of toy cars. the lore also went through an EXTENSIVE overhaul, i incorporated elements from other stories, fused characters together into a single character, changed the race and gender of many other characters, changed dates, names and arcs around and streamlined the whole thing.

then in 2020 i decided to overhaul the entire lore a second time. dramatically changing the timeline and the importance of certain characters, cannibalizing a bunch of other stories, retooling a lot of things and, once again, pushing everything into a new direction.

and of course i should add that during those 20 years i kept adding characters, side stories, spin offs, lore, backstories and actually continued the story along. twenty years have passed both in the real world and in-universe.

and given that this is the story's 20th aniversary (i think), it is time for me to share this story with all of you, from beggining to end, explaining every character along the way. this is going to be a long and arduous excercise and i genuenly dont know if i am going to get through it all, but i will try all the same.

ill be making a series of posts under the tag #FIPindustries the story can be divided in three eras, it will be one masterpost per era, where i will go over the main chronology of the story and the main characters in each era.

Era 1, also known as the golden years covers the founding and original expansion of fip industries as a research lab covering multiple different disciplines and fields of studies, trying to find synergies between the different investigations. this was all financed and directed by its founder, Filander Ignatius Patrick. this era ends with the collapse of the company during a terrible incident that ended up killing, vanishing or transmutating most of its employees. what few survivors there were left scattered to the winds. key characters in this era are Montogmery J. Black, also known as the shadow, Craig Sterling, legally assigned as grim reaper, and Franchesca Turimov, cyborg, rabble rouser, bad news.

Era 2, also known as the dormant era, covers the fallout of fip industries collapse and the different stories of the multiple scavengers that managed to salvage the lost technology from the ruins of the company. this era is mainly dominated by Maximillian Sicamore, a sinister man with many secrets and even more plans, who used to be an employee at the company and one of the few survivors of the collapse. key characters in this era are Maximillian Sicamore, criminal mastermind, proud father, The four crazy kids, Marten, Ralph, Sarah and jessica, freelance heroes, The harpsichord crew, sky pirates.

Era 3, is the return of FIP industries to its former glory under the helm of maximillian's son, Erik Sicamore, who takes over his father's empire, re hires many of the old scientists that survived (and many of those who didnt as well), and includes a fresh batch of new blood, amongst which you can find many of fip industries old enemies. Under the control of Erik the company is redirected to more "charitable" goals, such as finding a source of infinite renewable energy for the world (which is all a front for his real plans, killing god). key characters for this era are Erik Sicamore, leader of FIP industries, broken man, trans, Peter, tamed serial killer, Leenard and Sasha, scientists, lost in time, lost in space

with this quick introduction you should be ready to parse whatever the more indepth dives i might make some day on each era in the oncoming posts.

welcome to F.I.P. Industries

[stayteezdreams]

HELLO HAPPY 1K YOU ABSOLUTELY DESERVE IT<3

Only just saw the event now but can i request Ateez Box 2, Card 7, Prompt 14? :3 if you're still doing it of course

Hi!~ Thank you! <33

You were the first to send one in actually! Thank you!

Your Fate Ship Is......

Jongho!

Prompt 14: "Don't go on the date." "Why?" "You know why." "Say It."

Finally

You should be excited as you got ready in your room. But all you could think about was the sulking man in your living room.

He came over for movie night, forgetting you cancelled two days prior to go on a blind date set up by your friend. You invited him to stay, but he simply went quiet, and watched you get ready with a look you couldn't quite place.

For a moment, just a moment, you thought maybe it was jealousy. But that would be to good to be true.

Jongho wouldn't be jealous, not like this. You were just trying to find some sign, any sign, that he might feel the same feelings you had been hiding away for so long. But he never showed any real sign of it. But still, you hoped.

Walking out into the room, Jongho's eyes glanced up from his phone and you saw his mouth part slightly. You nervously ran your hands over your clothes.

"Do I look okay?"

Jongho remained silent for a moment as he stared at you, before cleared his throat and nodding, "Yeah, you look great."

You smiled shyly as you walked over to the table to grab your bag.

Jongho watched you closely, his heart clenching painfully in his chest. He was running out of time, he knew it.

What if he let you go on this date and you hated the guy?

You were walking towards the door now.

"Feel free to eat anything in the fridge!" You smiled back to him.

Or, what if you liked him?

You were slipping on your shoes now.

What if you fell in love with him?

You were reaching for the door.

"Wait!"

You jumped at Jongho's sudden loud voice. Turning around, you saw him standing, staring at you with a wide and desperate gaze, his phone clenched tightly in his hands.

"What?" You voice came out soft and stunned.

He swallowed, letting out a shaky breath. "Don't go on the date."

Your heart flipped in your chest as your voice vanished. You shook your head almost unnoticeably. "Why?"

Jongho almost let out a desperate sigh as he tilted his head. "You know why. You have to know."

Was it-? Did he-?

"Say it." Your voice was almost a whisper, as you held on desperately to whatever hope rose up from your heart. Hope you pushed away a long time ago.

Jongho kept his eyes locked with yours as he walked across the room. Stopping right in front of you, his eyes piercing into yours. He slowly reached up and places his hands on either side of your face. His eyes darted between yours as his chest ached.

"Because you're supposed to be with me." He gently caressed your cheek with his thumb. "I don't know why I waited so long to say it, but I am now." You're meant to be with me, only me. So don't go on this date. Stay here with me, please."

He finished with a whisper as he stared almost pleadingly into your eyes.

"Jongho." You began, uncertain of how to put your emotions into words. Slowly a smile crept onto your face. "Took you long enough."

Jongho tilted his head slightly in confusion before a grin broke out onto his face. He looked down at his feet with a sigh before meeting your eyes again. Leaning forward he pressed a kiss to the tip of your nose.

"I'm always a bit late aren't I?"

You nodded with a smile before stepping forward and wrapping your arms around him, hugging his chest. He let out a relieved sigh as he wrapped his own arms around you and held you close.

A he pressed a kiss to your head, you felt warmth radiate through you. You were finally where you were always meant to be.

xx

Idk if I should add my taglist tags or not....

[lamardeuse]

We'll find our promised land

by lamardeuse

911 || Buck/Tommy, Buck/Eddie || Rated M || c. 2700 words

Written for @911actions thanks to the kind donation of captnvalkyrie. Hope you enjoy!

Prompt 576: Fanfiction about Buck and Eddie at their first Pride as a couple with the rest of the 118.

2006

The first time Buck goes to a Pride parade, it's a mistake.

His parents are taking him to the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg to enrol him in summer science camp because he nearly flunked science last year. It's not that he doesn't like science – he loves it, actually – but he's been forgetting a lot of stuff lately, and even though he tried to keep on top of his assignments a few slipped through. His mom read his final report card with her face all pinched and he braced himself for the inevitable lecture.

I swear I was trying my best, but I – I kept forgetting.

Well, your best simply isn't good enough, Evan. Now that Maddie is gone, you can't rely on her to be your memory any more. You have to buckle down and smarten up.

He can't remember a time when he didn't feel like he was stupid every now and then, but lately it's been a near-constant thought, mainly because there's no one around to counteract the voice in his head, a voice that sounds more and more like his mother.

He's been to this place before and liked it well enough, even picked up the brochure for their summer camps and had a look at it the last time he was here. Now, though, it feels like a punishment.

Before they reach Market Street, his father slows to a stop and mutters under his breath.

“Why is the road blocked?” his mother asks.

“No idea,” Dad says. “There shouldn't be any construction, I was just here three days ago.”

“Well, a lot can change in three days,” Mom says primly.

His father grunts unhappily, then turns down another street where he finds a parking garage that's nearly full. By the time they trudge down the stairs to the bottom – because of course the elevator's broken – the mood is tense. Well, the mood's always tense, but – tenser. Whatever.

Evan hears the thumpa thumpa of a disco beat long before they reach Market Street. There are random cheers from what sounds like a huge crowd, which is confirmed when they round the corner and come up against a sea of people.

“Oh, for Heaven's sake,” his mother says.

“What's the parade for?” Evan asks. The Fourth of July is another week away, and he doesn't see an American flag waving anywhere. No one answers him.

And then a float goes by with about a dozen guys wearing really tiny shorts and body glitter and not much else, and Evan thinks, oh.

“We can sign him up tomorrow,” his mother says. “We can come back tomorrow.”

His father's jaw twitches. “We came all this way. I just walked down six flights of stairs and I'm going to have to climb up six flights to get the car. Let's just –”

“Do you really think this is a place for children?” his mother says, a little too loudly if the glares of a couple of people around him is any indication.

“I'm not a child,” Evan protests. “I'm gonna be fourteen in –”

“Evan, be quiet,” his mother hisses.

“And lots of gay and lesbian people have kids,” he blurts out.

“Don't remind me,” his mother mutters.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Evan demands.

“Don't take that tone with your mother,” his father snaps.

“How are we going to get through this crowd?” his mother says. “The museum is across the street.”

“I don't even want to go to this camp!” Evan yells. “I'm not stupid,” he adds, more weakly because he doesn't sound convincing even to himself.

“Then don't act like it,” his father says. They stand there for a minute in silence, watching the parade. There's a car going by now, one of those huge old convertibles. There's a really tall lady in a hot pink satin evening gown and matching gloves up to her elbows sitting in the back seat and waving at the crowd. She looks right at Evan and smiles. Evan can't help but smile back. She looks so happy.

“Six flights it is,” his father mutters, turning on his heel and heading back the way they came.

read the rest at the AO3

[noonbeam17]

For the ask game

4/5, 8, 25?

HIII I ONLY JUST NOW CHECKED TUMBLR </3

4/5 - about a year ago my parents watched severance and my mom was like You Need To Watch Severance Its So Fucking Good and i put it off for forever but then i was finally like "okay ill watch severance with yall ^_^" and ITS CRAAAAAAZY. i briefly mentioned severance in the irl chat [mainly that lumon industries is deadass just hailsham never let me go but without being weird about sex] but like SEASON 2 IS COMING OUT JANUARY 27 AND ITS GONNA BE CRAAAAAAAAAAZY

8 - game of the yearrrrr game of the year. i cant immediately think of something off the top of my head ........ OH WAIT !! EVERHOOD !!!!!!! its so awesome its so cool. everhood 2 is coming out sometime like. either next year or 2026 i forget. HYPE NONETHELESS !!!!! its so good ive mentioned this one in the server as well. i think you would like it tbh ^_^

25 - hoohoohooooooo ^_^ this is a newer thing .... infodumping helps me figure things out this is AWESOME !!!! alright alright lets go ^_^ putting this under the cut because i have a feeling its gonna be long

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALRIGHT !!!!! these guys came about a month ago. so i was thinking about quarantine queer culture and how like. how do you describe it actually. we were like hyperaware of everything but also we knew Nothing. it was a bit of a shitshow but there were nice memories from it. there was such a Monotony to it but hashtag at least you werent alone in it. so i drew little concepts for the first four but i didnt have anything else. i had the designs and the fact that it was in 2020-2021, but no story.

and then the very next day i remembered. this one concept i made over a year ago. it was basically the world is trapped in a timeloop but only 5 people are aware of it. the reason theyre trapped in a timeloop is because the universe was getting old and ending and so it was like im gonna put everyone in a timeloop so that they dont have to experience it ^_^ and those 5 were the anomalies that kept their memories. and because theyre still kind of aware of everything theyre absorbing the end of the world and hashtag body horror yk. and they gotta stop it somehow. HOWEVER i wasnt attached to the characters and i just kinda Forgor. so then i was like heehee. haha. i could get insane with it. so now the angst goes to them!

i dont have them fleshed out that much yet but heres what i have so far !!!!!!

i only have names for the third fourth and fifth ones [natalie/nat, zoe, moss [probably gonna add another name for them] and i have pronouns for all of them. in order: he/they/it, any pronouns [they/them pref], she/they/fae, she/they, he/they/plant neos, and they/it ^_^

they all have aesthetics, which in order are space[? i guess], alt [especially of the time but like a bit on a budget], artsy[? also i guess], okay wait actually theres no specific aesthetic for zoe because shes closeted and trying to look Normal for her family HGDVFKJN, cottagecore, and dark academia ^_^

originally i had the body horror be based around their aesthetics but now i think its gonna be based around problems with the community at the time. the only thing i have is nat is gonna be like i need the Exact Label that describes me and if i cant figure out what my gender is i will Die Badly [nat is probably the most like me from quarantine HGDLAFKJVN]

the sixth one is probably gonna be plural. i was debating it because like systems were very present in quarantine but also im scared all the time and am like what if i accidentally make them "hi im arson and these are my ten morbillion dsmp alters and also the Evil One". but im convincing myself that hashtag it will be okay i just need to do research and ask around and stuff.

the first one can do tarot readings. just a little bit of trivia that i stole from an old acquaintance of mine back in 2020

AND THATS ALL I HAVE ON EM SO FAR YAYYYYYYYYY ^_^

[catsafarithewriter]

A/N: PART 6 of the Bedlam au, introducing another familiar (?) face ;)

X

Haru doesn't even really see the button eyes anymore, not really.

Oh, she doesn't exactly forget but – well, it's the same way she doesn't really note Baron's feline face nor Toto's feathers. They are a part of the people here, a fond feature; it no longer makes them other, it just makes them them. And the Other Baron is expressive enough in a way her local Baron never quite was – at least where it mattered – that makes it delightfully easy to read him.

When she visits again, she knows he has good news before he can say a word; his movements are quick, excited, and he steers her into the Bureau with hands that tap along her shoulders.

(The Baron she had once known had never been quite so easy around her; contact had been cautious, concious, especially as her time with the Bureau had progressed.)

Nothing can prepare her, though, for the person sat on the sofa.

The Other Hiromi squeals as she leaps to her feet, soles barely touching the ground as she cannonballs into Haru. Laughing, the Other Baron releases Haru, a hand gracing her shoulder just long enough to ensure she isn't about to topple at the force of the embrace.

"You're alive! You're here! This is crazy, my god, we have so much to catch up on!" the Other Hiromi cries. "Baron told me you'd returned, but it seemed too good to be true!" Her eyes, like everyone else's, are buttoned. The thread running through them have a hazel sheen.

"Hiromi? You're here? But I thought–"

"In this world, you made the decision to include those close to you to your secret life," the Other Baron explains, correctly reading Haru's confusion. "Or not-so-secret, I guess," he adds with a smile. "Not to those who matter, anyway."

Haru holds her Other friend close, and for the first time in a very long time, there are no secrets between her and Hiromi. And all it took was stumbling into a whole Other world.

"So how are things?" Other Hiromi demands. The Other Baron is across the room from them, deliberately engrossed in a book. Other Hiromi lowers her voice conspiringly. "Enjoying being back with the Bureau?"

Haru glances at the Other Baron. He acts as though he doesn't notice. "How much has he told you about me?"

"Only that you come from another world – hence why your eyes are..." and she gestures to her face, "you know. And that the Baron from your world kept his cards much closer to his heart." She raises an eyebrow. "As did you, apparently."

Guilt settles on Haru's shoulders. "Things... worked out differently in my world. I didn't want to drag you into all this – to make you worry–"

"So you hid it all instead. Very adult of you."

"I wasn't sure you'd believe me!" Haru insists. "I mean, I'm not sure I'd believe it if I wasn't living it, and I actually talked to cats when I was a kid! And then, even if you did believe me, you'd probably just worry about me whenever I was off on a case, and I didn't want you to come wading in after me–"

"And if something did happen to you?" Other Hiromi asks. "Was I just meant to live the rest of my life wondering what happened to my best friend?" She curls her hand around Haru's, anchoring them together. "Don't you see how much better things are here, where I know the truth? Where you don't have to hide where you are or what you're doing?"

Haru has to admit, there is a lightness in her lungs, a happiness bubbling away, at the ease in which the two sides of her life have impossibly come together in this strange world. She sighs, and drops her head on the Other Hiromi's shoulder. "I must admit, if I had known how simple it would be, I'd have told you a long time ago."

"Yeah, well it seems like you made all the best decisions in this world," the Other Hiromi teases. "Guess you need buttons for eyes to see clearly, huh?"

Haru laughs, and in that moment there is a strange shift. A breeze ripples through the Other Sanctuary and rocks the hanging basket outside the window. Haru lazily watches it, distantly aware she hasn't felt a breeze in this Other Sanctuary before. She rolls her head back, ready to ask the Other Baron if all is okay, only to see he has frozen. Without eyes, it is impossible to tell whether his gaze is unfocused, but there is an uncanny stillness to him. It puts Haru in mind of the figurine he was carved from.

Fingers tighten around hers, and she snaps her attention back to Other Hiromi.

"Go home," her friend whispers. "Please."

And then the wind drops and the white-knuckle grip around Haru's wrist releases her, and it's enough to make her wonder if she imagined it.

"She's right," the Other Baron says. That uncanny stillness has fled from his form, and he is once again the Other Baron she has come to know so well. And it is this knowing which betrays an edge of unease in him. "You should head home. It looks as though there is something abroad in the Sanctuary today."

"I can help," Haru protests.

"Any other time, I would accept, but this might be of a..." and his mouth twists, "personal nature."

His artisan, Haru thinks, and she understands. She has met Baron's artisan of her own world, no longer the impassioned apprentice who had crafted a pair of cat figurines with all his heart, but an embittered man, fighting against the tide of time by whatever means necessary. He has a possessiveness over his Creations, one which extends to meddling, regardless of whether he was invited.

She can understand why – if he is indeed the visitor – the Other Baron wants to keep her presence a secret. She nods, and gathers her stuff together, stealing one last hug from Other Hiromi before she goes.

There's always next time.

[banditywrites]

Congrats on the 1k! Oooh, a sneak peak at this mysterious batfam WIP? PLS

THIS ONE FIRST! THANK YOU!

Oh man. I had this all typed and ready to post and tumblr just said they weren’t cool enough for me and closed it?? Anyway, I had part of this fic written so I just had to add to the beginning of the chapter/fic. I’m not sure where this piece falls actually because this fic is very much a WIP. Lifted from a 5 + 1 fic. Something like, 5 times Tim’s anxiety takes the wheel and one time he asked for help first. Taking place in that make believe time when Tim becomes part of the batfam early and Jason is alive and working on being a fantastic big brother. Please excuse mistakes, it is very much a work in progress.

Working Title: Breathe Deeply in the Silence

Words: ~1,300 (you ended up with extra, yay!)

Tim stared unblinking at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

He had been going about his morning routine, getting ready to head down for a full Saturday breakfast, when his comb snagged in a stubborn tangle at the back of his head. He had been working through it, running his fingers through his hair when it occurred to him.

He had never let his hair get this long before.

He supposed he had been distracted over the summer. Becoming the newest resident at Wayne Manor and ungratefully spitting in his parents’ faces the last few months had caused some things to slip his mind.

Tim bit his lip as he tucked strands behind his ear.

He would have never let his parents see his hair so unruly. If they had ever returned from a trip to find his appearance in such disarray… he wouldn’t have heard the end of it. There would have been a lecture and… anger.

What message are you sending to the world? You are always a representative of this family and we expect you not to embarrass us. Look at me-

Tim blinked.

Apparently, they didn’t even need to be around for him to actually hear the lecture. Tim tucked his hair behind his ears again, smoothing down any errant strands.

Bruce wasn’t like that. Hadn’t said anything about his hair since he’d known him.

But that was before. Before Tim was living in the house. No longer a guest, but a foster placement well on his way to becoming adopted.

The rules had to be different now. Guests and residents of the home have different rules. Tim knew that had to be true at least.

A few weeks ago, Dick had been home for the weekend and Bruce had commented on his hair. He mentioned how long it was getting and Dick had laughed, but he didn’t say anything else about it. Dick was basically an adult though and not living in the house. So, Bruce couldn’t outright say anything against it, could he? He would have to pass his true thoughts and feelings along in a more passive way.

So the rule of the house was to keep his hair short. It had to be. Bruce’s hair was short. Jason’s wasn’t that long. He had been stupid not to worry about it sooner. Bruce had not become angry at him for anything yet and this could be what brought on scalding remarks and expressed disappointment.

Tim tore skin from his bottom lip between his teeth.

He couldn’t do this right now. He couldn’t handle the disappointment from Bruce, he had already disappointed too many people lately. He needed to fix it.

Heart strangely pounding, Tim exited his bathroom and flew to his desk, fumbling with the scissors kept in the drawer there, he clutched them close and ran back to the bathroom. Sometimes they checked on him. He needed to fix it before they came knocking at his door.

Tim’s hands shook as he forced his fingers to open and close the scissors a few times before bringing them up to his bangs.

Snip. Snip.

Dark hair fell to the floor.

--0-0-0-0—

“Tim!” Jason shouted as he barreled into the other boy’s room. Bruce and Alfred kept reminding him to knock, but he honestly kept forgetting and Tim never seemed to care either way. Jason had expected to see him at his desk or watching videos on his phone. He hadn’t expected to see the bundled up lump on the bed, not moving or even reacting to his presence. “Are you still asleep? Breakfast is going to be ready soon.”

There was no sign that Tim heard Jason. In fact, the lump seemed to curl up smaller. Undeterred, Jason threw himself down on the bed beside his newest brother. Dick wasn’t the only annoying older brother in the family.  

“Hey, come on, we’ll play Mario Kart before breakfast.”

Still, the lump did not move. Jason’s mind backtracked through his actions. Tim usually jumped at the chance to hang out. Though lately, he had been a bit off. More distant. Bruce had told him to give Tim space if he needed it, but the kid never refused to hang out. So.

“Are you sick?” He guessed. The lump did move this time, but it was curling away from him. And that’s when Jason heard it. A definite sniffle.

“What is it? What happened?” Jason mind went through the possibilities. It wasn’t a sick sniffle, it was a definite sad noise. Did he have a nightmare? Did something happen with his parents? They never tried to call him before…

He’d had enough. Jason pulled the blanket away, and Tim only fought him a little to keep it over his head.

Tim was too distracted and caught up in his own mind to keep Jason from revealing his mistake, revealing what he had done in the midst of some kind of irrational, desperate fit. Tim hadn’t been aware of it all while it was happening. He had blinked in the mirror a few times and then his hair was just gone in some places. A bit of red streaked across his knuckles is what had gotten him to finally come back to himself and by then he had destroyed his hair.  

“Oh,” Jason said. That was it. He went silent and Tim wouldn’t look, but he knew the older boy had to be utterly shocked. Because why the hell would Tim take scissors to his hair and cut it all away? Tim felt his eyes burning and he blinked, willing his expression to stay something close to neutral. Something that didn’t make him look deranged and emotional. After too long a moment of silence, he opened his mouth to demand that Jason say something. Anything. To his horror, a sob escaped his throat. And in an infantile display, he pulled the blanket up over his head once more.

“Oh,” Jason tried again. “Hey, it’s not- it’s not that bad. I can-well, no, not me- Bru- Alfred, can fix it.”

Another sob forced its way up his throat and he slammed his hand over his mouth, digging his fingers into his cheek, willing himself to be silent. He sounded like he was being strangled and it was only that troubling noise that caused Jason to pull the blanket back, revealing his hair once more, sheared off way too close in some places and too long in the back where Tim couldn’t reach properly. 

“Breathe, okay?” Jason had settled his arm across him, adding extra pressure. “Just breathe.”

Tim shuddered out more shaking breaths that ended in muffled sobs. Slowly, Jason reached up and tapped his fingers against the back of Tim’s hand, encouraging him to stop trying to smother himself. Tim’s palm lifted, but strayed to over his eyes instead, hiding his face away. Jason went still and breathed deeply, hoping Tim would match him. The sobs soon tapered off and Jason watched his brother’s breathing even out.

Jason wouldn’t ask why. Tim was smart, polite to a fault, quiet, reserved and sometimes every fiber of Tim’s being was screaming for something. Something to happen. Something to be done. For someone to help. But it didn’t seem like Tim was even aware of it.

It’s what had drawn Jason to Tim in the first place. He had seen him at school. With circles under his eyes and a mask of his own, hiding behind a polite smile and carefully chosen words. But Jason saw through it. He saw the kid that needed help. Even if he would never ask for it.

Jason had hoped that once he was officially living in the manor and Bruce was legally fostering him, that things might change.

But Tim still wore a mask. And underneath it all, Tim was drowning.  

[ayrq]

I don't know how I feel about you

6 years ago, I settled for a no-label relationship because we were then young. Though I held on to your promise of courting me and asking permission from my parents to prove your love and intention, I knew that time that we weren't prepared for a mature, long term relationship.

6 years ago, I didn't know my place. I was there standing in a corner in your life, in my highest tiptoes, hoping you'll see me when you're out there shining with the rest of the crowd. Hoping you'll notice, that you'll figure out how I actually feel with this messy set up that we have. That I was trying to breathe with you, because when you're not around, I didn't know how.

6 years later, I still don't know my place. Well, somehow I do; I'm just someone from your past. No longer your friend, because friends talk and we don't. I can't even look at you in the eyes. We may share the same table with our friends, laugh at the same joke they tell, but we're no longer the same people from 2018. Right now, we are just strangers who happened to have shared secrets. Strangers who fell in love and fell apart.

The 5 years of trying to get over you while seeing you constantly with my best friend, our best friend, happily in love, doing the things with her that you once promised to me, and the sight of you from afar kept me asking if wasn't I worth the chase and the risk? Why couldn't you commit to me the same way you could to her?

Maybe the right answer was that I wasn't just the right person for you. Or to be brutally true, I wasn't enough. For you. I still am not enough for anyone now, coz I can't make anyone stay. I still am not enough for myself either.

I don't know if I am completely over the fact that you two are happy while I couldn't even make any guy take me seriously. I don't know if I healed, though I'm sure I no longer feel anything for you. No more love, no more fondness, not even anger. Just...none. It feels so dull, empty.

I used to care so much and it's weird that I no longer do.

But I'm still unsure if I am okay that everyone has moved on, while I feel like I'm stuck from where we left off a few years back. The thought of you two together in the present always takes me back to the past we had. And no, I'm not romanticizing it. I hate every part of it. If given the chance to change anything from behind, I would choose the loneliness I always had growing up than being with the sun that you are. Because the sun shines and it also sets. But unlike the real sun, you never shone for me again. You were out there being a light for somebody else. The light she needs.

After you, I never took any man's 'I love you' seriously. I never tried to fall in love again. There was this lingering fear that what if this guy meets a friend of mine and realized she was the one for him and not me. What if I am building a man for another woman? What if someone tries to make me feel alive again, only to break me in the end? What if no love will ever be enough to make me forget you?

One of my plans is to work abroad and live far away, even just for a short time. Just to live life differently, away from everyone, including you. So one day when you two decided you were each other's eternity, I wouldn't have to show up on your wedding day and watch you exchange your vows. I don't want to watch you fall in love with someone who's not me over and over again.

I want to have a reason, a good reason to be disconnected from all of you. And that disconnection might lead to indifference, and indifference will finally cut our ties. That way maybe, just maybe, I would finally know what to feel about you.

Ps. 6 years later I still write notes I can't send to you. I can't even add you back on Fb.

[psychologeek]

Thank you. I couldn't watch the video mentioned - i think it might been deleted?

I apologize in advance. I wanted to comment on this for a long time, but only now got to it. And now I'm hungry and tired and grieving. So may not be fully coherent.

I just want to make it very clear I DON'T try to downplay or ignore the holocaust for Romani people. I just don't feel like I can talk about it, as I don't have good enough understanding of it. I don't know how communities adapted and recovered, after.

Would anyone have online places to read/learn? I tried in the past to learn more of culture and talking to actually Romani people, but I'm also very aware this is pretty close traditions, and I don't want to be disrespectful.

And this is a hard topic - but I don't know how to ask about ways of mourning and respect (if it's even appropriate? Is it something you talk about?). I don't know how to ask about the ways communities survived and kept going, staples scarring around the hollow parts where people used to be. I grew up reading my people's stories. But I haven't got to read a similar story written by Romanis.

(and maybe it doesn't matter. Because we all lived and died the same. But it does - it does, because culture and traditions are crucial. Because me and you may mourn completely differently about the same person. It's important, because sayings like "we're all the same" tend to erase the ways we are uniquely beautiful, turn everyone into a very simple, pale, shade of who we are.)

~

I want to add another aspect (as a Jewish, non-american person):

I think that the holocaust is (for now) unforgettable, bc Jews don't forget. We are vowed and doomed to remember. Though still, 20% of USA gen Z don't believe the holocaust happened.

This day, we mourn things that happened 1,900-3,000 years ago. And we grieve those disasters like it happened to our grandparents.

But I think the main thing is- we remember, and we must make others remember that as well, because it's ALWAYS happening. Every ~50 years there's a major disaster aimed at Jewish people. You just don't hear about most of them-

(you probably didn't hear about Khminyetskey Pogroms, or the Pogroms in 1919 in Ukraine ("kill the jews, save Ukraine") and 1929 (Palestine Eretz Yisrael), you surely never heard of the Muzaa exile that killed 80% of the Jewish population of Sana'a (Yemen), or about the Orphans' Decree.

(I can go on and on and on. It's a long list. But I put it here bc this I just to say - we have to talk about it. We have to make people remember and talk about it, because it was the first time in history that Goyim, as a collective, went "oh, umm. That was too much." About jews being killed. And we need to keep this feeling. Because people love dead Jews, and we need to constantly remind them it's a Bad Thing.)

~

I also think that part of the way people remember it, especially in the USA, is still framed by ww2 propaganda and the need to "be the best people".

~

And maybe more than all - I think it's because it's easier to care about the people you don't see.

I might be wrong here - please correct me!

But from my understanding, people don't think about Romani people as "my neighbours". There's a lot of exoticism in this, like talking about "those interesting communities in Europe."

While jews... well, you can't really avoid those dirty bastards. (I had several posts about how Jewish stereotypes and discrimination are in the very core of many facilities. I can link later, if anyone is interested.)

Short thing is - people can't hate "weak people" and feel good with themselves. So they must not-hate, or make those people "legit targets"

How?

By turning themselves into the heroes of the story ("WE saved the poor jews from the bad Nazis. Those dirty bastards should be grateful!") and by turning the target into a not-so-weak ("They are white, so it's okay to hate them!"). Now to keep this status quo, all evidence and facts must be ignored or reversed.

And that's how you get that weird mixture of jews (USA stats) as: the most hate-crimed religious group, slowly taking the crown for most HC group in general; results like 25% of employees wouldn't promote a Jewish person; multiple bomb threats, physical and verbal attacks -

But people would still say "Jews are white - they are privileged!"

~

This is BEFORE you consider the erasure of the holocaust in north Africa. There were concentration and labour camps in Morroco, Lybia, Tunisia, (and iirc also Algeria). There were trains to death camps from those countries, that were ruled by Italy or Germany. There WAS a ghetto in Japan (Shanghai), were Jewish people were concentrated and not allowed to leave. Though it was relatively safe, besides that. No death camps in that area. Yayyy.

There was also a mass pogrom in Iraq in 1942 (the Farhud), which the survivors are considered holocaust survivors, as the events leading to this were related to the war.

~

Anyway. Yes. Sorry.

I'd probably erase or delete this in the morning.

Idk if you heard about this Yuval situation I found a video of what he said https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRodABfm/

I agree what he said wasn't good, but the way other people are making comments and videos saying the Holocaust was a white genocide and white-on-white hate is so wrong and ignorant to say. It just rubs me so wrong, and I hate it so much that people are saying that because every single time they keep talking about the Holocaust, they just bring up Jewish people and leave out Romani people as a whole. And a part of me just feels so upset about it because the number of times I cried after listening to stories of my grandparents explaining the stuff they saw and went through during the Holocaust and how many family members they lost just breaks my heart so much, and that I have so many family members I didn't get to meet yet. I'm just upset about people erasing Romani people from the Holocaust, and I just wanted to ask you about your take on this. 

Yeah I saw Florian's tiktok talking about it. And besides the obvious anti-Romani racism (I won't add anything on the matter because I 100% agree with you) let me just add it's really disingenuous, offensive and downright antisemitic to hear people define the holocaust as a white on white crime. Jewish people for almost their entire history have faced pogroms, assault, genocides, harassment, disenfranchisement and impoverishment precisely because they were not considered white. In fact, white supremacists think of Jewish people as the polar opposite of the white race. This is the logic that was used by Nazis to justify the holocaust. Posthumously considering Jewish victims as white because that's what we would consider them today is a rewriting of holocaust history and a misunderstanding of historical antisemitism.

Florian's tiktok actually pissed me off. He saw people saying "I don't care about the holocaust because the victims were white" and his answer was "no you should care because actually, brown people were targeted too!", that is not a good answer. The real question people should ask themselves is: why isn't the murder of 6 million Jews enough for them to care?

By dividing Holocaust victims into 'white' (Jewish) and 'brown' (black or Romani), people are projecting our modern understanding of racial dynamics onto a historical period where racism worked differently than it does today. Dividing holocaust victims into either white or brown harms our understanding of what the holocaust was, what antisemitism, anti-Romani racism and anti-black racism are, and the history of all the people that were targeted during the holocaust — this is a really big sacrifice to make just to accommodate (mostly) American people and to fit into their own worldview.

I am saying all this as a non-Jewish, leftist Romani woman graduating in holocaust studies. It is important for us to address antisemitism on the left and in antiracist and feminist circles. So many people nowadays are pissed off whenever Jewish people are centered on discussions about the Holocaust and it's disgusting.

Anyway. I agree with you that this 'Holocaust is white on white crime' argument is fucked up because it erased Romani and Black African victims but I would also add that it is also a complete rewriting of history that is used to argue that it's okay if we don't care about antisemitism.

[tarosin]

the great adventures of y/n tommy jack tubbo and george

requested yes/no

part 5 of the great adventures series

summary: training for the military

warning: cursing

AN: really sorry about this tumblr won’t let me change/add paragraphs so could look very weird

the journey there was quick for you, you spent the trip asleep in the back of the car whilst the others were discussing what you were all about to do “How difficult do you think it’s going to be” “dude it’s a military assault course” you woke up halfway there to the noise of the radio playing “afternoon y/n”“afternoon sorry I fell asleep I’m not used to being woken up early in the morning, I blame you guys and ranboo”“y/n have you ever wanted to join the military” “I can't say I have no” “well you’re going to love what we’re doing” “what are we doing” “you’ll see!”

you stood picking up more rocks and handing them to tubbo whilst Tommy and George began to film the introduction to the vlog “were in the jungle” confused you turned to tubbo “psst tubbo what the fuck are we doing, why are we in a woods” before tubbo had time to answer Tommy already began to answer your question telling you that you’re all training for the military, not taking him seriously you started laughing as you all were walking it was only when you were handed a jumpsuit to cover your clothes you realised it wasn’t a joke, you would be lying if you said you were ready for this, after all, you spent your free time playing Minecraft you wasn’t exactly great at sports

you managed to put the jumpsuit on pretty quickly unlike Tommy who was quite clearly struggling to get it on over his trainers “come on sergeant simons were doing a military assault course and you’re struggling to put on the clothes”after struggling to put clothes on the five of you stood together getting photos whilst you all looked decent “me and my boys in the jungle” “This isn’t going to go well” “we’re going to destroy it” “NO”

you hadn’t even reached the course yet and you were already tripping up over rocks and sticks that were on the muddy trail “we’re walking to our deaths..y/n is already falling over” “Hey I didn’t sign up to do exercise” once you finally reached the start of the course you were met with a canon, a dog and a man in a yellow jumper you stood as a team listening to what you were about to do and how you were actually a team of six, you hoped he meant the dog was a team member but no turns out the canon was the sixth member

“We have to take the canon with us” “...and take it apart into six pieces at each obstacle and rebuild it ” you handed your phone to the Russ, not trusting yourself to keep it on you especially since you were already tripping up before reaching the assault course “thank you” “good luck” “huh” you didn’t have time to process what was said as Mr military began counting down from three, the five of you ran to the first obstacle tubbo dragging the canon Tommy climbed over the net first with tubbo following after “What happens if I fall” it was as though you and tubbo had read each other’s mind as you both responded with “you’ll die” “death” you climbed over next with a wheel “reckon I can slide down the net” “that will hurt y/n don’t do- and you’re already doing it” you slid down the net despite George telling you not to do so, it didn’t take too long for the others to get over, you all began reassembling the canon “can we talk about our feelings” “I feel like shit I jumped out of a plane not long ago now I feel like I’m doing PE all over again” “Y/N JUST HELP BUILD THE CANON” “I'M TRYING ODDLY ENOUGH I'M NOT BUILT FOR THE MILITARY”once the canon was built Tommy and tubbo ran off with it “who’s going to tell them we need to test it” once Mr military shouted they ran back “why do we have to do this” “it’s the fucking rules Tommy and life is full of them” “like taxes” “tax fraud” a few seconds later the five of you yelled “bang” neither of you saying it at the same time “it didn’t work” “yes it did now come on”

you all ran towards the next obstacle, a giant wall. you all quickly dismantled the canon, Tommy went over first and began bickering with Mr military about him not being his dad whilst you tubbo and jack struggled to pass over the heaviest part of the canon “lift and lift” “really George? I thought we could just throw it over and hope he catches it” “Please don’t do that” “I am very sorry George but I'm struggling here” you continued your struggling tubbo tried to help Tommy through his words “you’re strong bossman I believe in you” “by the way, you really picked the shortest people to do this” part of the canon landed with a thud “welp hope he’s not dead” you climbed over next again carrying the wheel “he’s not dead guys don’t worry” you laughed as George took his time getting over the wall “I'm poving” “GET OVER THE WALL” you all stood questioning what time you were on completely forgetting that you were supposed to reassemble the canon “This is going to be embarrassing” “you guys could be rebuilding the canon” you could have built and tested the canon quickly however Tommy George and tubbo began telling people to subscribe whilst you built the canon with jack “we’re so good at this” “heh maybe not” you all test-fired the canon and made your way to the next obstacle

you were sent to go over the rope first, this was extremely difficult for you, the rope kept swaying as you walked causing you to lose your balance on multiple occasions “step on the V” “I’m going to fall” you made it over after a couple of minutes, like tubbo you also felt a bit ill, you assumed it was because it was quite hot and a lot was going on “how you feeling y/n” “Honestly, I’m jealous of ranboo, he’s at home living his best life and I’m in the middle of the woods overheating and climbing but no it’s pretty funny watching the others” you laughed as you overheard tubbo talking about how they’re only three obstacles in and how he’s going to die “YOU GOT THIS TUBBO!” Tommy crossed next, like you, he took his time he was then followed by tubbo who was trying to speed run walking over the rope you waited for jack and George cheering them on whilst Tommy was asking around for water and complaining about wearing a gamer hoodie. at this point, everyone seemed unmotivated “3 2 1.. bang”

“oh lovely..tires” tubbo went through first with the heaviest part of the canon “ill help you tubbo” you following behind helping him carry it due to it being stupidly heavily “so how are you tubbo” “AAAAAAAAAAA” “aye me too bud” you and tubbo decided that from now you two were going to work as a pair so it would be easier for you both, over the past few weeks tubbo became one of your closest friends the pair of you even started trending on Twitter as you did an irl stream where you both went on a walk at the beach and met several fans. whilst you and tubbo were making your way through Tommy jack and George we’re trying to figure out who should take what. “there’s piss in this one” “what the fuck?!” the pair of you finally got out from the tires “good job you two” “thank you” you rested your head on tubbos shoulder trying to get your breath back “I don’t think I’m made for the military” a few moments later Tommy made it to the tire full of water and put his finger in it “PEE” “Tommy why-” you stood looking around at the scenery, the sound of Tommy yelling about crawling away from George and that he’s ‘touched the piss’ was enough the drag you away from your own thoughts, you watched the others struggling to get through the tires and was amazed at the fact tubbo went back in to help them. you tried to ignore Tommy and George being dramatic as you tried to figure out how many more obstacles you had to go but you got distracted by George “ill just eat you if you die” “Mr military I’d like some help right about now” you walked over to Tommy and helped him get out of the tires “thanks y/n” “welcome” “how you doing bossman you know I pulled through your part...what are you doing that’s George's water” Tommy decided to throw the bottle to you so you could have a drink as he remembered you’d not had a drink since you landed from jumping out of the plane “Thanks, Tommy” “YOU BOTH DRANK GEORGES WATER” “he can drink the piss” “what Tommy said” you laughed as you walked over to where jack was in the tires “ HI JACK” “Jesus christ you scared me, hi y/n” you stood waiting for everyone to finish “I know exactly what the slowest time was” “we’re going for a new record it’s fine” “of being the slowest?” “yeah” “you know what Mr military ill clart you” “you’ll what me” “I’m gonna just go over here” you walked over to where parts of the canon were and got ready to assemble it again whilst George began throwing water over jack and tubbo to bless them then did the same to Tommy, you hid behind a tree thinking he wouldn’t notice you, however, he did and within a minute you too had water poured on you “Thanks, I was thirsty” “oh we know” “The fuck is that supposed to mean” “HELP BUILD THE CANON PLEASE” like last time you all built the canon tested it and ran to the next obstacle

“can we just you know drag the already built canon under there with us” “absolutely not” “I tried” you all disassembled it again and like last time you and tubbo went first crawling under “I don’t want to alarm you all but it is soaking wet in here” “delightful” a few moments later you were both working well “tubbo I’m scared of the dark and it’s pitch black” “you’ve got this bossman we’re almost done” you calmed down quickly until Tommy decided to jump above the pair of you

“SORRY” “TOMMY I SWEAR TO GOD” “YOU DICK” you laughed slightly and tubbo checked up on you “you okay?” “I'm fine if you’re fine” “come on let’s finish this thing” the pair of you continued and finished relatively quickly tubbo got out first “NEVER AGAIN” “Sorry about that buddy” “WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU” you helped push part of the canon out so tubbo could easily drag it out he then reached out so you could hold his hand and help pull you out “I've never been so happy to see the light” the pair of you sat on the floor waiting for the others to finish, you both made a bet on who was going to laugh first somehow you won as tubbo laughed at George and jack struggling to crawl through “YOU LAUGHED” “OH SHITTT” Russ came over to you both whilst recording so he could ask about how everything’s going “I’m covered in mud and the jumpsuit is wet, it isn’t a good day for the y/n community it was dark as hell in there “Tommy is a dick and tried to kill me and y/n” “I DIDN'T TRY TO KILL YOU BOTH” “I think he heard us” “WE ALL DID WERE NOT DEAF” “NO, BUT ACCORDING TO INSTAGRAM YOU'RE DEAD” you stared directly into the camera “sometimes it’s like I still hear jack talking to me” George and jack started complaining about how much further the is to go and how it was dirty and Tommy's response about being sorry it doesn’t fit their tory lifestyle made you burst out laughing “YOU LAUGHED” “tubbo my beloved you laughed ages ago you’ve already lost” “But we’re equal now” “no” the pair of you stood bickering to the point you didn’t realise the others had finished the obstacle and were shouting for you to test the canon “Y/N TUBBO WE NEED TO TEST THE CANON” the pair of you ran over “3 2 1 BANG”

“just going to warn you all you see that black cloud over there” “oh yay a storm is coming” you grabbed a wheel and followed behind jack across the wooden bridge “y/n he’s been splintered” “oh no poor George” “these are my gaming fingers” “no gaming for you I guess” “Stop talking about gaming dickheads” you spent a lot of time talking to George and jack whilst crossing over trying not to fall over you all even made a few plans to stream a laugh and the stream ends on jacks channel soon

you were all building the canon again whilst being informed you weren’t even halfway through and already 40 minutes in “high score” “well it’s definitely high” “Y/N??” “coming tubbo hang on my shoelace came undone” after tying your shoelace you grabbed a wheel and caught up to tubbo “if you go over tubbo ill pass it over to you and we can keep doing that” this method worked well for you both tubbo would climb over you would pass the wheel and middle part of the canon then climb over and repeat the process you heard Tommy in the background complaining about the fact he’s wearing jeans and jacks response “Yeah but I’m wearing jeans” “tubbo and y/n are almost done and you’re complaining about jeans” “jean boy pops off” “I'M WEARING JEANS AS WELL QUIT COMPLAINING” “Can we just go home and play smash bros” “Tommy this was your idea I didn’t even get on an option” “Sorry about that y/n but you get to spend time with me and gogy” “lucky me” you weren’t going to lie this was hard work and you were exhausted you felt like you could just fall asleep right where you were stood however tubbo wasn’t going to let that happen “I’m never going on an adventure with Tommy again” “me either” this of course was bullshit and you were both going on another adventure soon you stood watching your friends struggle to get over the obstacles you decided to offer your support and went to help jack and George using a similar method to that you used with tubbo “thanks y/n” “anytime” “y/n you could have helped me, tubbo pulled me over I could have been injured” “very sorry to hear that sergeant simons sucks to suck I guess” you all reassembled the canon tested it and ran to the next obstacle “I hate it here” “there’s a storm on the way” “Thanks, y/n for the input” “welcome George” you all noticed the net luckily you didn’t have to disassemble the canon this very well could be because you were running far behind and a storm was on its way. you watched as the others went through and joked about tubbo losing his shoe and Tommy getting stuck, this obstacle wasn’t made for you either as you kept getting caught on the net “I'VE BEEN CAUGHT AGAIN” jack lifted the net for you again so you could easily crawl through “thank you jack” you all then made it to the next obstacle Tommy crawled on the metal bars with you following after him whilst George used the monkey bars once you all made it across you had to walk across many metal planks used to form a bridge Tommy walked close behind you knowing you were extremely clumsy and didn't want you to fall “irl nettles” “The fuck are you on about Tommy I don’t think you’re following my advice about going outside” you all dissembled the canon as you got to the tires the only difference this time was you needed to climb over them “it’s rather windy” “there’s dirt in my eye” like before you and tubbo used the same method “look at them go” “I LIKE A DA BEE” “I'M SCARED OF BEES” “oh okay” “Why do they keep taking the plank” “I don’t know tubbo just takes it and y/n follows” you both finished rather quickly and neither of you got injured or fell “really good job you two” “thank you Mr military” you stood leaning on tubbo watching George pick up random rocks and put them into his pocket similar to what you had been doing the entire way around the course “I don’t think George or y/n have been outside before they keep picking things up like souvenirs” “Y/N GEORGE HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN THE RAIN BEFORE” both of you just stared at Tommy making him laugh you helped the others get across the tires and even helped prevent Tommy from falling a couple of times. unfortunately, you ended up twisting your ankle but tried to ignore it not wanting to ruin the vlog for anyone, not that you would have, however it was clear you were in pain as you had started limping. one at a time you all crossed the rope “This is me climbing I am climbing” you cheered everybody on and then it was your turn

unlike the others the rope kept shaking as you walked across mainly because you were scared of falling and in pain all whilst trying to rush, this was clearly your least favourite obstacle of the day “take your time y/n don’t fall” “thank you jack I'm trying my best I promise” once at the end of the rope, Tommy took the wheel off you and helped you get down and pulled you into a quick side hug “you’re doing great let’s go we’re almost done” you knew your friends wouldn’t make you continue if you really didn’t want to however you were nearly finished and was determined to finish. you all reassembled the canon and made your way to the next obstacle

“there’s no way we’re getting through that without twanging a rope” “good luck” you and tubbo made your way through the ropes trying not to hit them, this proved to be a pretty impossible task and you ended up twanging the ropes several times, this mixed with everyone else’s failure to cross without hitting the rope meant you all had to do 20 push-ups, after reassembling the canon twice as you all didn’t do it correctly the first time and testing it you all had to do the push-ups “I’m sure y/n and George only did 3” “sorry bossman”

you all were finally making your way to the last obstacle determined to finish “Big Russ can we go to McDonald's after this” “sure” the five of you cheered and ran the last obstacle quickly disassembling the canon, you led the way over the obstacle tubbo Tommy jack and George following behind you, despite tubbo losing his shoe and George going backwards the five of you quickly completed the obstacle and reassembled and tested the canon running over to the finishing line

you all finally completed it and waited for your result “45 minutes easily” “1 hour 11 minutes and 46 seconds” “no way that’s a world record” “well we tried” the five of you stood telling people to subscribe before ending the recording and making your way back to the car

the car ride back felt a lot longer than the way there. you were all exhausted

“how’s your ankle” “it’s not too bad it’ll probably hurt more tomorrow morning”

“I'm still not over Tommy trying to kill me and tubbo” “I didn’t try to kill you” “sure” the rest of the journey was chaos you all screamed along to the songs on the radio eventually you all got to McDonald's and spent the rest of the night enjoying each other’s company.

taglist

@l0ver0fj0y @c1loudee

[therealvinelle]

I've always wondered this, but what do you think the Cullen's political viewpoints would be, given their individual backgrounds? if vampires don't change after they turn, then surely they would all be extremely racist (especially Jasper). would this not come up at some point? they aren't like the Volturi because the Volturi are too old to care, but the Cullens are young enough that they have been brought up with opinions on stuff like sexism, racism, homophobia and the like.

Oh fuck.

You get an early answer because otherwise I'll just chicken out and delete this one, pretend I never saw it.

UMMM.

Since I'm guessing you meant American political viewpoints, we need a disclaimer. I am not American, and not too knowledgeable about your politics. Not just in the sense that I don't follow the day-to-day drama, but as I am not an American citizen there are several things I don't know, can't know because I've never lived in your country and therefore can't know what the effects of living in a country ruled by American policies is like. What I do know is based off of the news in the foreign section, social media (by which I mean tumblr posts), and Trevor Noah's Daily Show.

I am an outsider looking in.

Which is really rather appropriate, since the Cullens are too.

The Cullens go to high school and college, Carlisle works, they pay taxes, they own real estate, and submerge themselves in American culture. Esme, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, and Bella are young enough that this is in many ways their world, and apart from timeouts they've more or less spent their entire lives, human and vampire, integrated into American society.

Not fully integrated, mind you, they do what they need to to fit in and get to school or, in Carlisle’s case, to work. They go no further. No extra-curriculars for the kids, no book clubs for Esme, no game nights for Carlisle. They walk parallel to humans, not among us.

In addition to this they're obscenely rich, which puts them another thousand miles from the experiences of your average American. They won't deal with the health system, which means healthcare is a non-issue, they're not going to need welfare or other social programs, unemployment is another non-issue. Name your issue, and the Cullens don't have personal stake in it. Even the climate crisis won't be a problem for them the way it will for us.

What I'm trying to say is, American political issues are a concept to them, not a lived reality. Just like they are for me. So hey, you made a great choice of blog to ask.

I'll also add here that you say the Volturi are too old to care, and I agree- from an ancient's point of view, racism is a matter of "which ethnicity are we hating today?", and it all looks rather arbitrary after a while. Same with every other issue - after a while it all just blends together into "what are the humans fighting over today? Which Christian denomination is the correct one? Huh. Good for them, I guess."

I can't put it any better than this post did, really. The Volturi are real people, humans are nerds and tumblr having Loki discourse. Aro thinks it's delightful and knows entirely too much about Watergate (and let's be real, Loki discourse as well), but the point I wanted to get at is that politics really don't matter to vampires.

And I don't think they matter to the Cullens either.

So, moving on to the next point while regretting I didn't put headlines in this post, I'll just state that I don't think vampires' minds are frozen. Their brains are unable to develop further, and they can never forget anything, but... well, this isn't the post for that, but in order for this to be true of vampires they would barely be sentient. They would not be able to process new impressions, to learn new things, nor to have an independent thought process. Yes, we see vampires in-universe (namely, Edward, who romanticizes himself and vampires) believe they're frozen and can never change, but there is no indication that this is a widespread belief, or even true. Quite the contrary - Carlisle went from a preacher's son who wanted to burn all the demons to living in Demon Capital for decades and then becoming a doctor and making a whole family of demons. Clearly, the guy has had a change in attitude over the years. Jasper, in his years as a newborn army general, slowly grew disenchanted with his life and developed depression. James initially meant to kill Victoria and hunted her across the earth, then became fascinated and changed his mind about it.

Had these people been incapable of change, Carlisle would still be hating demons, Jasper would be in Maria's army, and James would still be hunting Victoria.

It goes to follow, then, that they are able to adapt to new things.

The question is, would they?

Here I finally answer your question.

So, we have these people who don't really have any kind of stake in politics, who keep up to date all the same (or are forcibly kept up to date because high school) and are generally opinionated people.

Where do they then fall, politically?

(And this is where you might want to stop reading, anon, because I'm about to eviscerate these people.)

Alice votes for whoever's gonna win. She also makes a fortune off of betting each election. Trump's 1 to 10 victory in 2016 was a great day to be Alice. MAGA!

The actual policies involved are completely irrelevant, she does this because it's fun. Election means she gets to throw parties. Color coded parties for the Republican and Democratic primaries, and US-themed parties for Election Night! (Foreigner moment right here: I at first wrote "Election wake" before realizing that's not what y'all murricans call it.)

Alice loves politics. Doesn't know the issues, but she sure loves politics.

Bella votes Democrat. She actually knows about the issues, and cares about them. This girl is a Democrat through and through.

Carlisle doesn't vote. I can't imagine it feels right. Outside of faked papers he's not a US citizen, this is meddling in human affairs that he knows don't concern him.

More, this guy has never lived in a democracy.

In life, Carlisle lived under an absolute monarchy that, upon civil war, became an absolute theocracy. From there he learned that vampires live under a total dictatorship.

For the first 150 years of his life, democracy was that funky thing the Athenians did in history books thousands of years ago, no more relevant to him than the Ancient Egyptian monarchy is to me. Then the Americans, and later other European countries started doing this.

Good for them.

There's this mistake often made by those who view history from a... for lack of a better term, a solipsistic standpoint. A belief that the present day is the culmination of all of history. “My society is the best society, the most reasonable society; all the others had it backwards. Thank god we’re living in this enlightened age!”

The faith in our current system of government is one such belief. We (pardon me if this doesn’t apply to everybody reading this post) have grown up in democracies, being told this is the ultimate form of rule, and perhaps that is true - but remember the kings who have told their subjects they had were divine and the best possible ruler based on that. Remember also that most modern democracies haven’t actually been democracies for very long at all, America is the longest standing at some 230 years (not long at all in the grand scope of things) and they have a fracturing two-party system to show for it.

Every society, ever, has been told they’re the greatest, and their system of government the most just. Democracy is only the latest hit.

This is relevant to Carlisle because he’s immortal and decidedly not modern. Democracy has not been installed in him the way it was the rest of the Cullens, Jasper included. To him- well, it’s just not his world. He has no stakes in our human politics, and as he is older than every current democracy and has seen quite a few of them fall, he’s not going to internalize the democratic form of rule the way a modern human has.

I think the concept of voting is foreign to him.

It requires a level of participation in human society that he’s simply not at. He does the bare minimum to appear human so he do the work he loves, but nothing more, and I find that telling.

As it is I think he'd be iffy about his family doing it. He won’t stop them, but in voting they’re... well it’s kind of cheating. They’re not really citizens, none of this will affect them, and by voting they’re drowning out the votes of real human voters. He does not approve.

Edward votes Democrat. He's... well he’s the kind of guy who will oil a girl’s bedroom window so he can more easily watch her sleep without being discovered, justifying it to himself as being okay because if she were to tell him to get lost he’d stop immediately. Same guy is so sure that he’d leave and never return again if she wanted him to, except this is the man who returned to Forks to hang around his singer, knowing there was a significant chance he might kill her. To say nothing of his Madonna/Whore complex, or of the fact that he tried to pimp out his wife twice, and was willing to forcibly abort her child.

This guy is very much in love with chivalry, with being an enlightened and feminist man who supports and respects women, while not understanding the entire point of feminism, which is female liberation.

He votes Democrat because he’s such an enlightened feminist who cares about women’s rights.

Emmett doesn’t care to vote, but if he has to he votes Republican. The guy is from the 1930′s, and has major would-be-the-uncle-who-cracks-racist-jokes-if-he-was-older vibes.

Esme doesn’t vote, that would require getting out of the house.

More, I just... can’t see it. I can’t see her being one to read up on politics and The Issues, period, but if she has to then I doubt she’d be able to decide.

Jasper doesn’t vote. Alice can have her fun, he does not care.

There’s also the whole can of worms regarding the last time he went to bat for American politics.

I imagine he stays out of this.

Renesmée doesn't vote. She has no stock in the human affairs. Who would she vote for, on what grounds? When Bella tries to pull her to the urns, she points out that she's three years old.

Rosalie, guys, I’m sorry, but that girl is definitely gonna vote Republican. Perhaps not right now as it’s become the Trump party of insanity, but the Mitt Romney type of Republicans? Oh yes.

And for the record, yes I imagine she does vote. To step back from politics would be another way she was relinquishing her humanity, and that’s not allowed to happen. So, yes, she goes to the urns, less for the sake of the politics involved and more because like this, she’s still a part of society in some way.

Now, onto why I think she’s Republican, I think it’s both fiscal and social.

This girl was the daughter of a banker who somehow profited off of the Depression, and who then became part of a family with no material needs that would soon become billionaires thanks to Alice. Poverty to Rosalie is a non-issue, as it is I imagine she views it as a much lesser issue than what she’s had to deal with. The humans can pull themselves up by their bootstraps, Rosalie’s infertility is forever.

Rosalie’s empathy is strongest when she’s able to project onto others, and she won’t be able to project onto the less fortunate at all.

Then there’s the fact that the Republican party is all about traditional family values, and pro-life.

Rosalie, a woman from the 1930′s who idolizes her human life and who‘d love nothing more than to get to live out this fantasy, is down for that. And as of Breaking Dawn she’s vocally pro-life, so there’s that.

This all being said I don’t think Rosalie cares to sit down and fully understand these politics she’s voting for, the possible impact they’ll have- that’s not important. What’s important is what voting does for her.

TL;DR: I bet anon regrets asking.

[myherowritings]

of gold stars and lotus crisps

SUMMARY. You didn’t always get along with your roommate. But with his disarming charm and genuine kindness, you soon found yourself taking a liking to Zhongli and all the little gifts he got for you. 

PAIRING. zhongli x reader

WORD COUNT. 3.0k

GENRE. roommate au, modern au, fluff

A/N. i’m in love with zhongli, did u know? 😳 anyway i think i had way too much fun writing this ahdjksd so pls enjoy 🥺💓 xx sof

Your roommate wasn’t particularly airheaded, you wouldn’t say. But he did seem to either forget or not care for the mundane, everyday things in life. 

Mundane, everyday things such as closing the door as he entered, turning the faucet off after washing dishes, bringing his wallet with him when he went shopping, eating enough meals throughout the day needed to properly sustain his health... 

Honestly, you had to wonder how on earth he’s kept himself alive all these years. It wouldn’t surprise you if he was pampered and spoiled rotten all his life. (Though, after getting to know him, you started to realize he did nothing out of malintent and he wasn’t actually a spoiled brat.)

Still, it was annoying at first—you couldn’t lie. 

Those weren’t characteristics you wanted in a roommate, but with how high rent was these days, it wasn’t like you had much of a choice. You’d rather split rent with someone who seemed fairly harmless, albeit a bit of a handful, than go house-hunting all over again.

In the beginning, it was a chore. Constantly closing the door after him or reminding him to lock it himself, paying attention to the running water in case he left the faucet open and accidentally flooded the place, cooking extra for breakfast so he could have something to eat instead of just skipping the meal— It was a lot to deal with at first.

But he was receptive to communication. After you sat down with him one night and genuinely told him about the things that bothered you, Zhongli tried to be more mindful of his surroundings and checked the sink before leaving the kitchen. He brought his keys with him and closed the door. And he even remembered to bring his wallet whenever the two of you went out to eat together! That was a feat in itself, you had to say. 

One thing he never quite got the hang of, however, was not skipping meals due to sheer forgetfulness.

“Did you eat breakfast yet?” you would ask. 

He would pause, putting his book or whatever else was capturing his attention at the time down. “Breakfast… I’m afraid I can’t remember if it was yesterday or the day before when I last ate it.” 

And that simply wouldn’t do. 

You found yourself waking up a little earlier before Zhongli had to go to work and cooking a little more than usual in order to ensure he had something to eat. Breakfast was the most important meal of the day, after all! You couldn’t just let your roommate (and friend) miss the best meal. 

It became more and more frequent for the two of you to eat breakfast together to start your day, bonding as you passed a pitcher of orange juice and shared smiles as the sun shined through the glass windows.

Mornings became a million times more pleasant with him around. 

And it wasn’t as if your friendship was purely one-sided, with you giving more than you were getting. In his own ways, Zhongli would express his gratitude and liking towards you. 

Most days, he’d come home from work or from hanging out with his friends with a gift in his hands. Whether it be a shiny figurine from an anime you liked or an obscure snow globe with indecipherable writings on it, he would offer it to you with a wide-eyed look on his face, as if he was deliberately gauging your reaction. 

“Y/N, would you care for this gift? It reminded me of you and I thought you would like it.”

Or—

“You said you were a fan of this show, correct? I’m not sure who the character on this sweatshirt is, but it seems to suit you.” 

Soon, you found all of Zhongli’s gifts to you taking up a whole corner in your room, from the clothes in the dresser to the trinkets resting on the shelves atop. You couldn’t help but smile fondly whenever you glanced at it. 

The routine became second nature, with you cooking meals for him and eating breakfast and sometimes even dinner together, him giving you random gifts and treating you out (when he remembered to bring his wallet, of course). The two of you seemed to settle into a nice, content rhythm. That was, until the past few days when you started feeling an odd flutter in your stomach and an unfamiliar race of your heart in Zhongli’s presence.

You didn’t sense those physiological changes when you were around him before… Why was it happening now? 

After hours of thinking, you came to the conclusion that these symptoms could only be one of two things: Either you randomly caught the case of a stomach bug, or you developed a crush on your roommate. 

You couldn’t say which would be worse. 

And to add insult to injury, you were having this sudden revelation only minutes before Zhongli’s arrival back home. He was out for the weekend and would be here for dinnertime. 

You decided to make a meal of Bamboo Shoot Soup with Lotus Flower Crisps for dessert— Something a little fancier than usual and something you knew he liked, and for some reason, you felt nervous at the thought of him tasting your cooking this time. It was often the case you cooked for yourself and made enough for him to have some servings, but today, you wanted to make things he enjoyed in hopes of having him be pleased by the effort you put in. 

Sure, he would’ve appreciated a sloppily put together Adventurer’s Breakfast Sandwich, but an annoying part of you couldn’t help but seek praise from your crush for a dish you put your heart into. 

Soon enough, you heard the familiar jingling of keys and unlocking of the door as Zhongli stepped inside, slipping his shoes off and removing his overcoat. From the corner of your eye, you saw him pull out a small box from the inner pocket of his coat and slip it into the pocket of his slacks. 

“Hi, Zhongli! Welcome home,” you greeted from the kitchen as you shut the stove off. “You came just in time for me to finish making dinner.”

Home. Was calling your shared space ‘home’ strange? It seemed oddly domestic and you felt your heartbeat pick up speed. It felt right to call it home, and that made you nervous. 

“It smells delectable,” said Zhongli with a smile, rolling his sleeves up his forearms before he washed his hands in the sink. While he dried off, he watched as you scooped the contents of the pot into two bowls. “The bamboo looks perfectly cooked and the pork seems tender and succulent. It’s lovely; thank you for taking the time to cook it, Y/N.” 

You felt heat flood your cheeks at his flood of praises, puffing your chest up ever so slightly. “Well, maybe you should taste it first before you shower me in compliments— What if it’s not as good as it looks?” 

“Having knowledge of your culinary skills from past experiences, I believe it’s unlikely for this meal to be anything less than delicious.” He helped you carry the bowls and utensils to the dining room table, sitting down in front of you with a fond look on his face.“After all, you made it.”

Stuffing your mouth full of bamboo shoots to prevent a dopey look from spreading and inevitably outing your newfound crush on him, you mumbled a quick, “Thanks.” 

He nodded, promptly settling into a comfortable silence as he enjoyed every bite of the soup. Like usual, the meal was on the quieter side, save for his occasional compliments and hums of satisfaction as he ate your cooking. 

“Somehow, you manage to outdo yourself each time,” he commended as he finished his bowl, carefully folding his napkin in a neat square after dabbing it across his mouth. “Thank you for the meal and company, Y/N.”

“Of course. I always enjoy having dinner with you.” 

“Maybe tomorrow, you would allow me to take you out for dinner at Xinyue Kiosk? You recently expressed an interest in having Yue cuisine so I managed to talk to the owner and secure a reservation.” 

Your eyes widened. Xinyue Kiosk was known for having a waitlist that was over three-months long— Travellers from overseas waited years just to get a taste of their Fullmoon Egg and Golden Crab. 

Just a few days ago, you told Zhongli you were craving some Crystal Shrimp from the restaurant and, while he wasn’t fond of seafood, he promised he’d take you to get some soon. Now, you knew he had some pretty powerful connections through his line of work, but you didn’t know it was strong enough to wiggle his way past a three-month waitlist. 

Did he sell his left kidney for a spot? you wondered, only half-joking. 

“Xinyue Kiosk? Tomorrow?” you repeated, wanting to make sure your ears weren’t deceiving you.

“Yes, tomorrow.” He hesitated, an unfamiliar flash of uncertainty crossing his features. “Unless, of course, you are unable to accompany me or do not wish to do so— I apologize if I have made any rash assumptions—” 

“No, no! That’s not it at all! I’d love to go with you! I was just surprised you got a reservation on such short notice,” you said hurriedly, shaking your head. “But maybe I shouldn’t be too shocked; you are amazing after all.” 

“You flatter me. I simply called in on a favor once I found out you wanted to dine on some Yue cuisine,” he brushed off nonchalantly. “It’s the least I could do for you.”

“The least you could do for me is take me on a fancy date to the most exclusive restaurant in Liyue Harbor, hmm?” you teased. “Is this a grand gesture of your affection towards me?” 

“Yes.” 

His answer was so straightforward and brief, you almost didn’t catch it. “P-pardon?” 

Zhongli smiled but didn’t say a word in response.

Was he just joking around and teasing you back? Your stomach churned in excitement but you didn’t want to get your hopes up. You tried to shake off your nerves. 

There was a beat of silence. 

“I made some Lotus Flower Crisps for us—!” “Would you care for a gift I got you—?”

The two of you blurted out your sentences at the same time, trying to patch the lapse of quiet from settling in.

“Apologies,” said Zhongli, tilting his head to the side. “What were you saying again?”

“Oh, no, it’s fine! You can go first!” 

He studied you closely but eventually relented. “If you’re sure.” Zhongli stood up to gingerly pull a mint-colored box out of his pocket, walking around the table until he was next to you. “I was only saying I stopped by the jewelers on the way home from work and picked this up for you.” 

A silly smile spread across your face as you accepted the box into your hands. The jewelry box itself felt durable and luxe, and you opened it up to see cushions of velvet holding a delicate-looking necklace in place. The chain was gold and shiny and there was a small star pendant in the center.

“Stars are bright and brilliant and never fail to light up the darkness. Such a necklace seemed only fitting for the likes of you.” 

Your stomach felt like dolphins were flipping and doing tricks inside. Comparing someone to a star didn’t seem like a ‘just roommates’ thing to do, but you’d rather not assume anything only to be let down. So instead, you just grinned. “It’s beautiful— I love it so much, Zhongli! Thank you.” 

“I’m glad it’s to your liking. Do you need any assistance putting it on?” 

“I’d appreciate that very much,” you said with a nod, watching as his nimble fingers removed the chain from the velvet cushion and gently draped it around you. 

The cool metal brushed against your warm skin, startling you enough that you almost jumped up in your seat. But that feeling of shock didn’t compare to the sparks that came when Zhongli rested his palm against the nape of your neck, taking his time to secure the gold clasp.

“It’s 24 karat gold which means the pendant, though small, may be more malleable than jewelry made of alloyed gold. If you wish to engage in more strenuous physical activities it may be best to take it off then to keep the piece in best condition. Only if that’s to your interest, of course. It’s yours and you may do with it whatever you please.” He removed his fingers from the back of your neck and you felt disappointed at the loss of warmth. “All that to say… I hope you like it.”

Zhongli seemed to have a shy look on his face, a stark contrast from his usually confident and self-assured features. As if he didn’t look cute enough already, you internally swooned. 

“Are you kidding? I love it!” You threw your arms over his shoulders, overjoyed at your new gift. A pure, 24 karat gold piece wasn’t something that sounded inexpensive, and you’d be sure to treasure it for as long as you could. “Thank you so, so much, Zhongli.” 

“You’re more than welcome.” He looked happy that you were happy, smiling as he admired the delicate chain of jewelry around your neck. “It looks stunning on you.”

You glowed at his flattery, but attempted to play it off with a small shrug. “Only because you have good taste.”

“What use is good taste if not to complement the recipient of the present?” said Zhongli, taking a seat back down on the chair across from you. “Now, what were you saying earlier?”

There was a moment of confusion before you remembered the dessert you made for him cooling on the counter. 

“Oh, right!” You stood up in excitement, bouncing over to the kitchen to pull out a tray of Lotus Flower Crisps. “I made these for you,” you said nervously, placing the sweets in the center of the dining table. “It’s probably not as good of a gift as the necklace you got but—”

“It’s better,” he said with certainty.

You blinked. “Better?”

“Yes. After all, you made it.” His voice was confident and his smile was firm as he looked fondly at you. “A gift that requires time and effort to create is the best one a person could receive.” He admired the blooming fried pastry, gently touching the part that was meant to resemble a petal. “Maybe I can make you a gift instead of buying it one day as well.”

“I’d appreciate anything from you,” you said plainly. “If you came home with a half-off candybar, I’d love it nonetheless.” 

Zhongli chuckled, taking a bite of a Lotus Flower Crisp. “You’re very generous. That’s just one thing I like about you.” 

You grew bashful. Just one? Then what were the other things?

“This tastes absolutely delicious, by the way,” he said, the last piece of his pastry disappearing between his lips, the pink tip of his tongue poking out to sweep a loose crumb off the corner of his mouth. “Thank you for making this, Y/N.”

Forcibly tearing your gaze away from his lips, you took a drink of water to clear your dry throat. “You’re welcome. I’m happy you think so. I was worried the taste wouldn’t be to your liking.” 

“No need to worry then, I trust in your culinary skills completely.” 

You shared a smile as you ate the pastry in contentment. The sweet crispness of the pink flower felt light in your stomach, the perfect dessert to complement the mood. 

Once the two of you were stuffed full, you couldn’t help but let your mind wander to your conversation at the beginning of the night. 

“So…” you trailed off, promptly gathering Zhongli’s full attention. “Earlier, when I asked if dinner at Xinyue Kiosk  would be a date and a way for you to show your affection and you said yes… You weren’t joking around?”

“I wouldn’t jest about such a thing,” he stated. “Besides, I was talking to Aether about you and he said we were practically dating already. I wasn’t too sure what he meant at first, but apparently it’s not commonplace for roommates to give each other gifts and spend meals together like this.” 

You flushed, having the decency to look sheepish. “Well, I guess he’s right about that. Not that it really matters what’s common or not as long as we both enjoy it,” you said assuredly despite your fluttering heart. You found your hand gravitating towards the small star pendant around your neck. You held it between your thumb and forefinger, finding both comfort and courage in the smooth metal. “Still… I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of dating.”

He smiled when he noticed you holding onto the gift he got for you. “I agree. With you as a partner, the prospect of dating doesn’t sound particularly tedious. Perhaps a nice dinner out would be a good starting point into something more… Official, I believe is the word Aether used?” 

Official. You quite liked the sound of that. “I’d love that. A real, official date sounds nice,” you said with a grin, removing your hands from your necklace only to place it over his, clasping them gently. “Anything to spend more time with you.” 

Zhongli gave you a gentle squeeze back. “It’s a date then. And I’m rather looking forward to it.” 

Fondly, you wondered how your roommate who you once could barely even stand turned into someone so important to you. You went from two objects repelling each other in space, to a binary star system, gravitational bound together. 

“I’m looking forward to it too.”