#i never been to any planetarium before and im going to put that in my bucket list

[miutonium]

I need to go to sleep but shhh I suddenly have the urge to kiss Utonium and I started thinking about them in college again haha.

Anyway, I already talked briefly about how their first kiss went but shh I'm starting to think about another scenario that doesnt involve Utonium being a clumsy dude hsksksk anywayy I imagine that they probably had their first kiss at a Science Museum.

Usually, for their dates, Utonium always plan his dates to be somewhere Chloe wants to go or somewhere he knows she would enjoy. Chloe doesnt really force Utonium to pick places she wants, in fact, she doesn't even plan at all. Utonium is always in charge of the planning. And she feels guilty about it because she doesn't like the feeling that Utonium has to listen to her all the time just to please her. So one day she tells him they should go somewhere that he wants and she will agree to it whether she likes it or not. Initially, Utonium is pretty sceptical in about going to places he's unsure if she would like, and the last thing he want is for them to argue over something miniscule (honestly they won't, Utonium is just being a worrywart lol). But Chloe assured him it's fine and its time for him to bring her somewhere other than their usual spot so he suggested that they should go to somewhere he wants to revisit: Townsville Science Museum.

They didn't book any slots and decided to walk in praying there would be a slot and surprisingly when they arrived, the museum is almost practically void of visitors since it's the weekdays. And luckily there's no school tour on schedule either so they can walk inside freely without any kids screaming and running.

Utonium already been to the museum a few times before (although the last time he went there was when he was in junior high) so he already knows what to expect inside, prehistoric exhibition, modern times exhibition, space, physics, all that science crap. Despite that, he still loves walking inside reading the info cards and be mesmerised by the exhibition there. Chloe never really went there before so he's excited about showing her around and became her tour guide. During his past time, he loves reading books especially science trivia books since he was a child so he used the info that somehow plastered into memory and mention them whenever he thinks it's related to the info cards and samples they're reading;

"Hmm, prehistoric air smells like farts, no wonder the dinosaurs died."

"Well the fart smell is because of bacteria byproducts around that time. It releases carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide whenever they 'eat'"

"Huh, I expect it to be pure oxygen to be honest."

"Pure oxygen is actually quite toxic to us. The air we're breathing right now is a compound of other gases.

"....So are we breathing farts now?"

"Well, not now but sure if you go for egg salad at the canteen"

It might be because she's bias and he's her boyfriend but Chloe really enjoyed having Utonium walking her around each hall while he excitedly talks about Science. Partially because she learned a lot from him but mostly because she loves seeing him talking passionately about things he likes while beaming with joy. She sees how good he is at attracting her attention towards something she used to considered lame and thought how nice it is to have him change other's mind about science and make it sound fun. So she encouraged him to ask if they have any part time job as a tour guide inside the museum. I like to think he did get the job and ended up spending his 2nd year of Uni working with kids on school tour showing them cool chemistry tricks and spilling trivia while he walks them through every hall. And I like to think that's how he started having interest on teaching people and wanted to become a Professor.

I wrote about them stargazing before and I thought it would be really neat to tie them up here (although I probably write about it briefly cuz I mentioned the whole thing in my prev hc lol) As they were checking out the space hall, Utonium noticed how her eyes glued to the constellation on the walls but her face looks more bewildered than curious which earned a questioned look from him:

"Why'd you look so concerned?"

"Constellations are real?????"

And Utonium laughed and had to explain to her that they're real and in the end after the talk he promised her they'll go stargazing one day after finding out she never go for those trips before.

Luckily, there seem to have a planetarium scheduled every 30 mins so he suggested they should go inside.

When they're seated and the show started, Utonium couldn't help himself but gaze at Chloe, falling more deeply in love with her while she has her eyes locked on the ceiling looking at the stars in awe. There's never a day where he doesn't have those warm fuzzy feelings in his chest whenever he thinks about her, she's live in his mind basicly rent free since 73' but somehow he feels a bit extra sappy for her, maybe he's at the place he loves, maybe it's because he's able to talk about things he loves to the person he loves so dearly without any worries or anyone belittling him, or maybe it's Chloe believing in his goal and passion and gave him a little push today to encourage him spreading his love of science for others. There's too much in his mind right now yet there's nothing in his mind at the same time whilst he looked at her through half lidded eyes intoxicated by his feelings for her. And Chloe is clueless about his inner thoughts and him looking at her so softly and lovingly in the dimmed theatre.

When the narration starts to mention the audience being possibly the brightest star despite a very brief moment in the Galaxy, Chloe turns her head to look at Utonium only to notice him been staring at her for the past minutes with a soft smile on his face. Usually, she's always so quick to tease him about staring just to make him flushed but today, maybe she got caught up in the moment just like him and peered into his starry eyes lovingly. She had nothing to say when they locked eyes in adoration and even more so when Utonium's hands cupped her cheeks gingerly, pushing away a strand of rogue hair from her eyes before he sealed her lips with a soft kiss. When he pulls away, he suddenly feels a bit afraid that he pushed too far and was about to apologize, but when Chloe returns his feelings, her hand brushing his face slowly before returning his kiss, he knows she feels the same way about him and glad he made the first move.

There's approximately 200 billions, trillions of stars above them, yet both of them shines the brightest at that brief moment of time. And he still believes she's his brightest star til this day ;w;

[well-shit-im-a-morosexual-now]

Guess what just dropped in Obey Me.

I'll give you a hint: it starts with a ‘L’ and ends with a ‘39’...

Then again, you probably already know this, but just in case you don't...

In other news, I finally decided to go and complete Lesson 31, so yay me. Now I'm just gonna stay on Lesson 32 for a bit.

-Lesson 31 32 Anon

Proud of you for graduating past 31!!!👏💖

I played 39 and im sobbing?!? I already went through this bs why do I havta do it again!!!!? Also do you think lesson 40 will be the last lesson for a while?

Spoilers for 39 ahead cause I'm emotional and need to rant

So MC ends up at a party at diavolo's, he thanks them for saving Lucifer and the devildom (pretty sure that was all just simeon's doing but whatever) and says he's holding a party in their honour (really should be in Simeon's honour but whatever)

MC has a flashback about what happened after they woke up during the whole ring and speaking to Michael (and hopefully not God) thing. The rest of the brothers all rush in yelling, asking if MC is okay cause beel saw a light from the celestial realm coming from their room, Lucifer yells at them to shut up and they realise he's regained his memories

Mammon who's the first one who came in, arrived while yelling and asking if MC was alright, if they had died and if they had vanished....sure hope lesson 16 didn't leave any lasting scars there...

Back in the present time the brothers are crowding around MC and Lucifer. Belphie & Satan note how they'll miss Lucifer with amnesia and how they'll have to get back to pranking him. Asmo calls them out about actually caring about Lucifer.

Diavolo asks MC for a dance, and has one of those dialogues that make me think he'll be a romanceable character in the future. He tells MC how they're helping him bring the three worlds together and how they're his guiding light and how he wants them by his side forever, except before he finishes that last sentence the song ends and Luke cuts in. When MC tries to leave he grabs on to their hand, and you can either say 'ow that hurts' or ask him if he wants a second dance. If you choose the second he blushes and you dance again but he doesn't finish his sentence from earlier

The next morning Lucifer is nagging everyone even more than normal (possibly to make up for lost time) but at the same time he seems even closer with the brothers (asking about Levi's game and Asmo's crush)

On the way to rad MC meets up with the angels and Solomon. Solomon says that they'll have to be leaving soon to their own worlds (why!!!?) Luke and MC both get visibly bummed. They tease Luke and tell him he can live in the devildom if he wishes (he denies it) and Solomon asks MC if they want to leave MC can either say they don't wanna leave the brothers or 'the human world fuckinh sucks what the fuck have you been up there recently it's the worst' (since we got those 'hang in there' pandemic voice messages from the brothers can we assume that this game happens in the present? Y'all really wanna throw MC back out there?)

At rad MC tells this to asmo, beel and mammon (I imagine they do this while facedown on a desk cause that's the only appropriate response rn)

They're all upset and MC says they don't ever want to leave. The brothers tell them to go tell this to Diavolo after RAD.

MC goes and tells this to diavolo (in the presence of Lucifer & barbatos). Lucifer & diavolo aren't surprised and were both expecting this. They tell MC that they are happy that they made such lasting connections and that hey want them to stay as well (yesyesyes-) but (MOTHERFU-) MC is a human and belongs with the humans and that they don't have to leave immediately but that they have a life in the human world anhddjdidndjx do y'all not remember when they were moping around in the human world and how they literally jumped at the chance to come back down to the devildom with no preparation at all???? Y'all remember how asmo noted that they had got thinner after they came back????? Can you pls just ask them if they have anything worth going back to!?

Anyway MC's back home moping around in the library with Belphie and Levi. They tell MC that Lucifer & Diavolo are just playing hard to get and want MC to stay as well but think their positions mean they can't ask for it.

Belphie says that if MC can learn teleportation magic they could constantly drop down to the devildom

MC invites Solomon out to a fancy date and asks him to teach them teleportation magic. He tells them that though their raw magic power surpasses his, they don't have the skill yet and that he'll teach them but teleportation magic usually takes years to learn.

He tells them that usually when making pacts with demons they are done in the human world and a ritual must be conducted. At the end of the ritual a demon may give the human what is most dear to them and the human can use it as a token to summon the demon at any given time (while this is great and all I need my family feels and it'll probably not be practical to summon all 7 of them at a time....maybe MC can summon Lucifer and show him how bad life can be when you're (probably) someone in their mid twenties with no attachments or consistent job and he'll feel sorry for them and whisk them back home?)

Asmo had given Solomon is favourite picture of himself. Except back in their times cameras didn't exist so really it's a large portrait of himself. Solomon says it's a real problem (and I'm cackling, imagine bringing someone home and you have a -knowing asmo- giant probably vaguely sexual picture of some guy on your wall!!!?)

Back home MC meets Satan first (he's being crushed under a collapsed mountain of books after Lucifer told him to clean his room) MC helps him not die and clean his room. He gives them the body switch book (remember that!!!!) He says its power's all gone so it's basically worthless but he still treasures it because of what it did for him (I'm not crying!) He tells MC that even though they'll be able to summon him, he'll still miss them and that he won't be able to be with them when he wants to and it's all really sad and meaningful and I'm okay I swear. You get a choice to either kiss or hug him. Even if you choose to hug him he tells MC he wants to always be with them

Lucifer has asked asmo to throw out all the clothes he doesn't use (the reason lucfier is an undateable option to me is cause he reminds me too much of my own family) and now Asmo's struggling with 10 packed boxes of clothes. MC helps and asmo tells them that Solomon told him about everything. He tells them that he can't give the things dearest to him 'cause those things are himself and MC. MC suggests taking a picture together.

After taking pictures in his room they tell him that now they'll miss each other less and he gets teary eyed and tells them that as long as they're not with him he'll still miss them and he asks them to summon him whenever they want even if that means everyday, he asks them never to forget him (lucifer why the fuck are you putting your family and yourself through so much pain just let the human stay!) you get to stroke his hair and he says he'll miss not getting physical affection from MC whenever he wants to.

(There should probably be ways to get the option to kiss asmo and belphie but I couldn't get them in my first play through and I didn't want to immediately do all that again to check out other options)

MC finds Belphie hiding in the music room from Lucifer who has asked him to clean up the attic (imagine asking someone to clean up the place you locked them up in???? I mean ik Belphie likes the attic now but that's still all kinds of messed up)

MC and belphie head to the planetarium and watch the stars belphie says that MC has a look on their face that means they want to ask him something. You can either immediately dive into the whole summoning thing or tell him you want to be by his side forever. He tells MC about their stars, which he spoke about in s1, he tells them each of his brothers has a star and even though he lives with them when he comes and looks at their stars altogether he feels closer with them/like they're all together. So he gives MC his star. MC gets to say all these things about how they don't wanna leave him and wish they could stay together forever, they hold hands and there's this gorgeous visual & line of dialogue

And well that's it. If mc has to leave and if all the brothers' interactions are like this my heart will be well and truely broken

[phantom-god-suki]

Precautionary Elegance

Chatter filled the ballroom as more people arrived at the gathering. Every noble in Nightmare was there to either socialize in leisure or with hopes of improving their social image. The elegant dress you were wearing was a bit too pricey for your liking, but at least it accentuated your curves quite nicely. Kaim had to drag you around town all day to find ‘the perfect dress’ for the occasion. On top of that, you were forced to wear this damned corset that made breathing unbearable. However, beauty is pain so you supposed it was worth it. As you observe the ballroom, your eyes unconsciously trailed to the sunshine haired outcast that everyone seems to alienate.

You smile as you see him happily chatting to the lord of the Angels and King, Lucia. After repeating the same cycle for an eternity, he was finally able to liberate you both from the curse. Now that you have your memories back from other timelines, you felt just a tad bit closer to him. No matter how much you tried to be with him though, he always pushed you away. You feel a presence behind you and turn around.

“You will age faster if you keep glaring like that.” A green demon chuckles as he approaches.

“You don't say. Why are you even here Mefy?” You suck your teeth and roll your eyes at him.

“Fine by me hag but if you get old then how am I going to blame you for my pranks?” Mefy muses.

“Oh please. I’ll be a cool granny. Don't you ever think I can't keep up with you. Plus if I'm older than you, you'll have to listen to me for once.” As you were chatting with your frenemy you felt a pair of eyes on you. Mefy notices this and leans into your ear.

“Wanna make your crush jealous?” He whispers. 

“You know this won't work...” You lean in and whisper back. “He said he loves me but lately he has been avoiding me.”

“...There's a word for that you know.” Mefy smirks.          

“Don't you dare say it!” You hit him playfully.

“There might be a way for you to… motivate him” You can see the gears turning in his head as a sly smirk spreads across his face. You can guess what he was planning but was it fair to Lucas? What if he didn’t want you? Doubts in your head started swallowing you.

“Sulking about it wont do you any good. You have to take a risk at some point.” You can tell he was getting impatient.

“You're planning something, aren't you?” 

“Always. Now come on.” He giggles as he grabs your hand and drags you to the balcony away from prying eyes, especially Lucas’.

The cool evening air grazed your skin as you stepped onto the balcony. It was nice to take a breather from over ambitious nobles and all the court drama for a while. The balcony reminded you of some unpleasant memories but you decided to stay on point.

“Ok what's up Mefy? Why did you drag me all the way here?” You said.

Mefy takes out a vile of potion from his many hidden pockets. It was kind of ridiculous how many items he had with him at all times. It's like he had a warehouse in his pockets but considering his magical abilities it might not be far from the truth.

“See this thing? It's a love potion.” He smirks. 

“Love… potion…?” You give him a look of suspicion.

“What's with that look? You don't trust me?” He asks in a sickly sweet voice.

“Fuck no.”

“Aww come on. Have I ever lied to you?” He says as you remember when he used you in alternate timelines. 

“Literally all the time but okay. Ugh just give me this ‘love potion’.” 

“Sure. But you owe me a BIG favor, got it?” Mefy skips away and you sigh, wondering if this was a good idea or not.

You had a basic understanding of potions from living in Nightmare for a while and all your alternate memories. They’re not any different from drugs in the human world. You hid the vial of potion in your sleeve before you entered the ballroom. What you are about to do is really not fair and Lucas does deserve better but so do you. You were sick of being pushed away and not getting any answers from him. Desperate times require desperate measures.

You walk to the drink fountain and grab two drinks for Lucas and yourself. You carefully pour the liquid into Lucas’ drink. You were scared for a moment that the contents in the vile would change the color of the wine but luckily that didn't happen. With both drinks in your hand you seek out Lucas. You find him at the food table eating a cupcake.

“Hey Lucas,” You approach him like a predator stalks her unsuspecting prey. “I got you a drink.” You smile sweetly. 

“Oh thank you Y/N.” He smiles forcefully. You're not sure if it's that he is tired or pissed that you were with Mefy a couple moments ago. He tends to get awfully protective of you whenever you get close to Mefy or Ricardo. And you can understand why though. 

“Ever since you became the advisor I never got a chance to talk to you. I missed you a lot you know.” 

“I'm sorry it's been really stressful lately. Not all nobles are happy with the decisions that Lucia made.” He says as he takes a sip. Bingo. You get a surge of arousal just by looking at his neck and collarbones. He was a model in your eyes.

“Y/N?” His question snaps you back to reality. 

“Sorry, I couldn't hear that part.” You answer sheepishly.

“I was just saying if we could go somewhere else. It's really stuffy here.” 

With that you started following Lucas through many many identicals hallways the castle had. You reached out and grabbed his hand nonchalantly. 

“So where are we heading?” You can a sharp inhale escape from Lucas’ mouth.

“Planetarium. So we could get a breather. I'm so sick of the nobles but don't tell them that” He winks. 

The planetarium was huge. In fact, huge was an understatement. Above you was a dome shaped glass that made the stars seem bigger than they actually are. By the time you arrive you can hear the subtle huffing coming from Lucas. You ignore it and stare up at the sky.

“They are beautiful.” You say looking up at the constellations.

“Yes… they are..” He replies while looking at you. Lucas was really warm. He had a cute blush on his face already. The potion was working wonderfully. 

“Did I take your breath away Lucas? You are blushing” You nudge his side smirk. 

“O-oh it’s just a little warm in here that's all haha.” He shyly averts his gaze. 

Both of you sit at the bench in the planetarium and talk about your daily lives as if nothing was wrong. You decide to make a move and scoot a little closer to him until you can feel his warmth but he moves away. You get closer again and he moves away once again until he has nowhere else to move on the bench. 

You put your arms around his shoulders. 

“Y/N? W-what are you doing?” He whimpers pathetically. You lean to his ear and whisper. 

“I missed you Lucas. You never pay visits anymore.” 

“I-Im sorry it's just Lucia and the nobles-” He shudders and takes a sharp breath as you lick his ear. 

“That's no excuse Lucas~” You got him where you wanted. It's like he was under your love spell. Well he is under the potions influence literally. You sit on his lap so he can't escape. Not this time. The games end tonight whether it ends in your favor or not.

Lucas wraps his arms around you. Poor Lucas you thought. It was bitchy of you to do this but the look on his face was delicious. Droopy eyes, face red as a tomato, winded. You barely touched him and he was wrecked already.

“Do you love me Lucas?” You whisper against his lips.

“I do… more than anything…” The way he was rocking his hips sent shivers up your spine. This is all you’ve ever wanted. Him between your legs… where he belonged. 

“Prove it baby…” You murmured. His eyes were glossed with a dark, desperate and lustrous look. He was very motivated as Mefy would say. Even though there was no one but you in the planetarium, this was a public space.

‘What if someone walks in on you. Maybe this wasn't the right time-’ He worried to himself.

His thought process comes to a halt when you roughly grab his hair and slammed your lips against his. You can feel a deep shiver run through him. The taste of his lips were sweet probably by the cupcake he was sampling earlier. He let out soft whimpers and pulled your body closer to him as he was easing up. If only he was inside of you… You started removing his clothes and revealed his pale skin. 

“W-Wait! What if someone hears-” 

“Then we'll just have to be really quiet.” You smile at him. “Let me help you”

You got up from Lucas’ lap and easily stripped of your evening gown to reveal lacy lingerie. Lucas gasps and covers his face.

“Lucas… I want you to look at me…” With that you started touching yourself sensually and swaying your body to an imaginary song. Lucas was looking at you from the gap between his fingers. The damn corset was limiting your movements to an extent but it wasn’t so bad. You grab the strap of your bra and let it slide over your shoulders. You then toss the undergarment onto the ground in a whimsical manner. His eyes wander around your body before fixating on your chest. “Oops.” you say cheekily as if you accidentally dropped your bra. In a single gracious movement, you bend over, pretending to pick up your bra. You can feel his gaze on your ass intensify as you begin to peel off your panties in front of him and show how excited he made you. It seemed like Lucas forgot how to breathe after seeing your little stunt. You sit on his lap again and grind yourself against his thigh.

“This is what you do to me Lucas...” You moan. With shaky hands he grabs your waist and pulls you closer. It's like you were made out of glass and he was afraid of breaking you. You grab his hands and put them on your breast. 

“Touch me…” You say before resuming the kiss. He was a lot more eager to please you. Lucas started massaging your soft breasts while kissing you hungrily. You quickly unzip his pants and pull down his underwear to reveal his erection. Just looking at it his member makes your mouth water. A slight glistening on the tip of his cock suggests how aroused he already is.  When you grab it and give it a jerk, Lucas can't help but moan loudly against your lips. You break the kiss. 

“Ah ah ah Lucas... You need to be quiet or we'll get caught...” You tease him.

“It feels s-so good.. I can't stop it…” He stutters softly. 

“Well I did say I would help you…” Lucas squealed in shock when you stuff your panties in his mouth. The taste of your juices spread on his tongue and muffled moans emerged from his throat as his lips pursed over your panties. You resumed stroking his manhood as Lucas threw his head back in pleasure and exposed his neck. It was too tempting not to mark him like this. You pepper his neck with kisses before focusing on a certain area to mark. His body convulsed in pain and pleasure when you sank your teeth into his soft flesh. You tasted a slight tang of iron as you broke the skin. His cock started tensing up in your grip signaling his inevitable release. Lucas trembled when his orgasm hit him like a train. He spurts his hot load all over your chest and corset. You remove your panties from his mouth so he could breathe easier. The advisor took a big gulp of air as he tried to compose himself. You then bring your fingers to your lips and taste him while looking intensely at Lucas.

“I'm glad you enjoyed yourself” You teased.

“Y/N… why..?” He whimpered shakily. “Of all of them… why me..?” Tears welled in his eyes. The sound of his sorrowing echoed through the planetarium's walls. Your blood ran cold for a second. What was he referring to? Does he hate you now?

“L-Lucas?”

“I'm not like you!.. I'm not even like them. All my life, I’ve had a single purpose. To save Nightmare...I wasn't meant to have you...” He says while breaking down. You breathe a sigh of relief while tears of sorrow run down his cheeks. 

Lucas tensed up when you embraced him. “I know but.. It's not like that anymore. We saved this world. Together. Now we can be free.” You kiss his tears then softly kiss his lips. This kiss was more passionate than all the rest. You left little pecks on his lips before slipping in your tongue. He kisses you back almost immediately while his hands explore every crevice of your body.

“Lucas please… I want you in me…” You whimpered. He takes you by surprise when he lifts your hips and slams you down his cock, filing you to the hilt, stretching you. Lucas waited for you to get adjusted to his girth for a moment. “God you feel amazing… so warm and tight... “ Lucas growls against your ear.

After getting used to his size you started grinding your hips against his. Lucas was still somewhat sensitive from his previous orgasm but he didnt care. Pleasure was consuming his mind, throwing all the reason from the window. Both of you were trying to hold back your moans but with each thrust it was getting more difficult. Then suddenly you found your back on the bench. Lucas was on top of you, looking at you with an intense expression.

“Even though I still feel like I don’t deserve you, I am going to cherish you with all of my heart.” He softly smiles and kisses your cheek before starting to move. As soon as he thrusts inside, you wrap your arms around his body and dig your nails into his back. 

“Fuck...Lucas...your huge cock feels so good inside of my tight pussy.” Lucas clenches his teeth and starts to move faster. He leans down to suck on your nipples. He licks one nipple while flicking the other one with his fingers. 

“Princess… You are doing so great… I love you so much.” He moves faster while lifting up his head to place soft kisses on your neck and lets out small moans. You shiver every time you hear his beautiful moans on your body. It didn't take long for you to reach the edge of climax.

“Lucas...please...more. I’m gonna cum.” You feel drool running down your cheek. Lucas licks your cheek and leans into your ear.

“Come for me then.” You whimper and melt with his words. You can’t hold back anymore and cum. His pace became erratic and you could hear the low growls in his throat become louder and louder. He is about to pull out but you lock your legs around him and pull him closer gently.

“It’s okay Lucas...You can come inside.” He smiles and lets out a loud groan before releasing inside of you. He collapses on top of you and hugs your shaking body. 

“Y/N...Are you alright? Are you hurting anywhere? ” Lucas breathes into your neck and leaves a light kiss. 

“I… I’m okay Lucas. I love you. Please never say that you don't deserve me.” You lean into Lucas’ head and stroke his hair.

“Alright Y/N. Thank you so much for accepting me… I love you so much.” You can hear a little sniffle as he nods his head. “Can you stand up? Let me help you.”

“I can stand but i don’t think I can walk properly after such a performance.” Lucas blushes at your words and helps you stand. He grabs your dress and helps you put it on. He then sits you down while he gets dressed. 

“You're so handsome… It makes me want seconds~” You smirk as you stand up by yourself. 

“Just wait till I get you in bed then. I won't be holding back.” He chuckles as you reach over and smack his ass. His back jolts up and he turns to get revenge but you are already wobbling away. He smiles and walks slowly behind you to admire the stars for just a little longer. You make your way back to the hall and feel an arm wrap around you. You look to see Lucas smiling softly at you. You both enter the hall holding each other. You look around before seeing Mefy at the drink table sipping wine. He spots you and smirks while lifting his glass. You chuckle while Lucas looks at you genuinely confused. 

“What is up with that little gremlin?” He squint his eyes and whispers to you. 

“Ahh nothing honey, he's just being dumb~” You laugh his comment off. 

“What else is new.” Lucas rolls his eyes while grabbing you closer and pulling you in for another kiss before saying. 

“I can't wait for tonight.” 

[szappan]

tag time, thank you!

 Hello, I hope you’re all having a nice day. The things I was tagged in have clumped up so I thought I could just do them all now. Thank you to everyone who tagged me!!!

1. Diana @britneyshakespeare (thank you so much!!)

Rules: tag people you’d like to get to know better! (reading this i felt like one of those crying cats, im so honoured seriously thank you)

Top 10 songs I can’t stop listening to: this is actually very well-timed because i can actually name these and also @sastrugie tagged me in a similar one, thank you:

You Ain’t Going Nowhere - Bob Dylan

Atlantis - Donovan

All La Glory - The Band

Moondance - Van Morrison

Šlechtici - Golden Kids

Not Enough - FUR

Leave Her, Johnny - George Sneez

Be Bop A Lula - Gene Vincent

Series Of Dreams - Bob Dylan

Márti Dala - Pásztor Anna & Kiss Tibi

Favorite color(s): all but orange on its own. orange paired with something else is fine. it’s amazing if it’s obnoxious.

Favorite ships: two white cats they’re husband and wife, the coconut lorikeets in denver zoo and merthur

Lipstick or chapstick: neh

Last Movie: my brother and i watched Thor: Ragnarök again last week, I think that was it. I’ve been really trying to watch more movies lately, especially considering how it’s the primary art source of the era (not really but it is kinda.. what)

Currently Reading: Winnie the Pooh

i’ll tag everyone at the end of this, thank you!

2. thank you @smittyjaws and @savoy-brown-shoe for this tag from ages ago!

the point is that i shuffle my music library and list the first ten that come up

 A 67-es Út - Republic

Death Of A Clowd - The Kinks (look at this babie)

Feel A Whole Lot Better - Tom Petty

Somebody To Love - Queen 

Paintbox - Pink Floyd

Piano Concerto No. 1 - Tchaikovsky

No Time To Think - Bob Dylan

The Diary Of Horace Wimp - ELO

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - The Band

Oh! Darling - The Beatles

thank u!

3. thank you @thenesmith for this here very 7 questions tag! i love the format you did this in by the way and also @britneyshakespeare too!!

Relationship status: i’m not in a romantic relationship with anyone

Favourite colour: see above but i also realized that i really like that blue that my corduroy shirt is, it’s like light but strong and muted at the same time

Lipstick or chapstick?: no thank you

Top three ships: yuh

Last song I listened to: I’m listening to Help! by the Beatles, thank you youtube autoplay

Spell out your name with song titles: W - Wonderboy - The Kinks I - I Love My Shirt - Donovan L - Lod’ Do Neznáma - Tublatanka E - Everyday - Buddy Holly S - Summer ‘68- Pink Floyd 

4. Thank you, Diana @britneyshakespeare yet again!

15 questions, 15 mutuals

Are you named after someone? I am not.

When was the last time you cried? Two days ago on the way home on the bus because I was thinking of a song that made me cry

Do you have kids? no thankfully

Do you use sarcasm a lot? I try not to

What’s the first thing you notice about people? Well, I guess at first glance I see how they look, but behaviour-vise I tend to notice how aware they are of their surroundings

What’s your eye colour? You know that post telling hazel-eyed people to shut up? Brownish-green. Totally green if the lights are right. Totally brown when the lights are not right etc

Scary movie or happy ending? Both can be good, especially combined

Any special talents? I can bend my left thumb in a way that it looks like my hand is broken

Where were you born? Right in the middle of Budapest in a hospital

What are your hobbies? Reading, drawing whatever i can, i guess music, ruining various pieces of clothing with various techniques, putting whatever spices i see in whatever dish i’m making, being gentle with my cat

Do you have any pets? cat

What sport do you/have you played? I used to swim a lot, even tried synchronized swimming for a year or two, then gymnastics when I was littol, then I took up karate and broke my arm three months in so I quit, I tried ballet too this year but that’s over now and I also did yoga for a few months so yeah these are the official ones

How tall are you? 5′4″? 164 cm?

Favourite subject in school? I don’t dislike any of them. I like English a lot tho

Dream job? shepherd. but a lot of people told me that i have potential to better the world and i want to do that too somehow but also if i could just focus on getting through each day not by making money but by making bread or yes, herding sheep, i would do that too.

thank you!!

5. thank you @thenesmith again! this is to post gifs of my top 5 favourite movies. (currently)

1. Spider-man: Homecoming

2. The Road To El Dorado

3. Labyrinth

4. The Rutles - All You Need Is Cash

5. idk Back to the Future

wuh

6. thank you, @siliconpine!

20 songs tag game

A song you like with a color in the title || Crimson and Clover - Tommy James & The Shondells

A song you like with a number in the title || Fourth Time Around - Bob Dylan

A song that reminds you of summertime || Mary Jane’s Last Dance - Tom Petty (obvi)

A song that reminds you of someone you’d rather forget || i dont think theres a song such as this because i dont like forgetting people

A song that needs to be played LOUD || Birthday - The Beatles

A song that makes you wanna dance || anything pink floyd because i came to the conclusion that you cant dance to pink floyd so i always want to prove myself wrong

A song that makes you happy || Happiness Runs - Donovan

A song that you never get tired of || Ophelia - The Band

A song that you would love played at your wedding || Light A Roman Candle With Me - fun.

A song that is a cover by another artist || Dream A Little Dream Of Me - The Mamas & the Papas

A song that you have sung as a duet at karaoke || none sadly

A song that makes you think about life ||  It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) - Bob Dylan

A favorite song with a person’s name in the title || Maxine - Traveling Wilburys

A song that you think everybody should listen to || It’s Nice To Be Nice - Pugwash

A song by a band you wish were still together || See My Friends - The Kinks

A song by an artist no longer living || Rock & Roll Suicide - David Bowie

A song that makes you want to fall in love || I Got You Babe - Sonny and Cher

A song that breaks your heart || You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go - Bob Dylan

A song that you remember from your childhood || Egy bogár - Cseh Tamás

A song that reminds you of yourself || Friends To Go - Paul McCartney

thank you so much!

7. again by @siliconpine!! thank you so much

A This or That Tag Game

Honey and lemon or milk and sugar // musicals or plays // lemonade or iced tea // strawberries or raspberries // winter or summer // beaches or forests // diners or cafés // unicorns or dragons // gemstones or crystals // hummingbirds or owls // fireworks or sparklers // brunch or happy hour what // sweet or sour no // Rome or Amsterdam // classic or modern art // sushi or ramen// sun or moon // polka dots or stripes // macaroons or croissants// glitter or matte // Degas or Seurat  // aquariums or planetariums // road trip or camping trip not a fan of either // coloring books or watercolor // fairy lights or candles

thank you!! i think this is it!

thank YOU if you got this far in, and I’ll tag @vanillatumbleweedscoffee @stars-in-my-damn-eyes @sneez @fancybasementfestival @kipland00 @dreameramongwildflowers @punkslap @rhapsody-under-pressure and everyone who i tagged before and anyone who wants to to do any of these tags as they see fit and if they’re in the mood or have enought time or are just looking for something to do

[neonwizardheehee]

50 Q’s tag :O

tagged by the loevly @owowookies. so here i go~

1.  what takes up too much of your time? SNS ofc ahahaha

 2. what makes you day better? pictures of Jin

 3. what’s the best thing that happened to you today? i worked out after breakfast

 4. what fictional place would you like to go?  Rivendell no doubt

 5. are you good at giving advice? well if you want some gandalf or the dove keeper quotes as advice I’m your girl B)

 6. do you have any mental illness?  prob not, but i have mental issues and i want to see a therapist soon bc my disease fucks with my had and my wife has been saying i should see one for some years.... 

 7. have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?  not that i know of..?

 8. what musician inspired you the most?  gerard way -> robert smith -> leeteuk -> heechul -> j-hope 

 9. have you ever fallen in love?

 10. what’s your dream date? never thought about that? but prob a planetarium...

 11. what do others notice about you? my fluffy hair

 12. what is the annoying habit you have?  oversharing and spamming everyone with content they dont even like :PP

 13. do you still talk to you first love?

 14. how many ex’s do you have? 

 15. how many songs are on your playlist?  271

 16. what instruments can you play?  acoustic guitar q.q

 17. who do you have the most pictures of? gerard, from my hard-stand phase - so glad that is over by now 

 18. where would you like to go before you die? Japan!

 19. what is your zodiac? taurus

 20. do you relate to it?  i am faithful but not really down to earth i guess??? also i dont like rosé :P

 21. what is happiness to you? having no regrets and loads of smiling

 22. are you going through anything right now? yeah which issue do you mean? mental? body image? food relationship? self-acceptance? moving soon? new semester? no financial stabillity? career struggles? self-hatred? ahahahahaha

23. what’s the worst decision you’ve ever made?  canÄt say that bc i believe that bad decisions bring the best aftermaths :D

 25. what’s your opinion on abortion?  haven’t really thought about it to to form an opinion 

26. do you keep a bucket list?  not one for LIFE but i do have a shitton of different lists~

 27. do you have a favourite album at the moment? Three Imaginary Boys - The Cure

 28. what do you want for your birthday?  queen greatest hits vinyl :P

 29. what are most peoples first impression of you? i’m weird and cute?

 30. what age do you seem according to most people?  #forever young and smol

 31. where do you keep your phone while you’re sleeping? nightstand ~

 32. what word do you say the most?  oh MAN

 33. what’s the oldest age you would date? souls don’t have ages

34. what’s the youngest age you would date? again souls don’t have ages (The Dove Keeper folks)

 35. what job/career do most people say would suit you? something creative, like a crazy theater lady

 36. what’s your favourite music genre?  epic rock numbers

 37. if you could live in any country in the world, where would it be? scotland but bc of teh brexit prob japan

 38. what is your current favourite song? Shadow - Taemin

 39. how long have you had this blog for? longer than i can think of

 40. what are you excited for? coming home T_T

 41. are you a better talker or listener? talker definetly (not that im a good one b ut i love talking)

 42. what is the last productive thing you did? made an important phone call i put off for a week

 43. what do you want for christmas? Queen greatest hits II vinyl :P

 44. what class do you get the best grades in? iconography FOLKS B)

 45. on a scale from 1-10, how are you feeling right now? 6 bc ive wasted so much worktime while answering this :P 

 46. what can you see yourself doing in 10 years? GIRL, THAT’S TOO TOUGH I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT I’LL BE DOING NEXT YEAR

 47. when did you get your first heartbreak?

  48. at what age do you want to get married?  it would be nice before 40, otherwise i marry my wife officially but no stress :P

 49. what career did you want to have as a child?  politician

 50. what do you crave right now? to dance and have loads and loads of cheese fml

soo @vipelf814 if you’re down for it ;)))) this took so freaking long oh man

also #sorrynotsorry for all the what is love-twice gifs but yeah.... shit is too accurate :/

[pomhearts]

50 Questions Tag

uwu i was tagged by @mias97! thanks sweetie!

ill put this under a read more because its pretty long :’)

1. what takes up too much of your time? homework and classes :’)

2. what makes you day better? being able to talk @felegs easily makes my day 110% better

3. what’s the best thing that happened to you today? i got to play dnd with my friends today and thats always one of my day’s biggest highlight on sundays

4. what fictional place would you like to go?  uhhhh i wiukd kive ti hope into the world of the Night Circus? like circuses popping up suddenly and randomly and showing cool magic?? i love

5. are you good at giving advice? i am yeah im a very motherly psyc major with too much experience under my belt so im usually really great at helping people

6. do you have any mental illness? i do yes~

7. have you ever experienced sleep paralysis? no luckily god i cant imagine ever going through that

8. what musician inspired you the most? Garret Rapp and Tablo

9. have you ever fallen in love? i have yeah

10. what’s your dream date? night time beach or park adventure

11. what do others notice about you? my motherly nature :’) i’m always immediately told how kind and uplifting i am upon meeting people

12. what is the annoying habit you have? i tend to bite on my lip or tug on my piercings way too much

13. do you still talk to you first love? god luckily not i hope this answer never changes

14. how many ex’s do you have? .....six? official ones? but also 3 of them i dated 2-3 times it was v toxic and like 4 of them really fucked me up emotionally so~~~

15. how many songs are on your playlist? usually range between 6-10 because thats how long it typically takes me to shower and thats the only reason i make them but my longest currently is 337 because its my high school throwback one lmao

16. what instruments can you play? guitar!

17. who do you have the most pictures of? my dog lmao

18. where would you like to go before you die? Seattle, Washington, Boston, Massachusetts, Florence, Italy again and Athens, Greece

19. what is your zodiac? capricorn

20. do you relate to it? oh definitely sadly im very stereotypical for my sign :’)

21. what is happiness to you? not to be like... cliche? but im most happiest when the people around me are safe and happy

22. are you going through anything right now? mmmm im struggling a lot with school and mental health but? thats life i guess?

23. what’s the worst decision you’ve ever made? i??? dont know??? i have a lot of shit i really regret saying/doing but i dont know which would be considered my worst decision? actually no i know its having given my mom a second chance to be back in my life when i was in high school

24. what’s your favourite store? mmmm bath and bodyworks. im a big slut for candles and they have many

25. what’s your opinion on abortion? im pro choice man its your life no one else should dictate what you do with it

26. do you keep a bucket list? kinda? yeah i guess lmao

27. do you have a favourite album at the moment? Dawn by The Rose and 4 Your Eyez by J. Cole

28. what do you want for your birthday? ideally? to see vivi. realistically? to get drunk and just forget about responsibilities for a bit

29. what are most peoples first impression of you? super kind and attentive lmao

30. what age do you seem according to most people? either 12 or 21

31. where do you keep your phone while you’re sleeping? in my hand near my ear because i cant sleep without music but i also try to keep my music low enough that my roommate wont hear it

32. what word do you say the most? interesting

33. what’s the oldest age you would date? probably like 25??

34. what’s the youngest age you would date? 18? 19?

35. what job/career do most people say would suit you? psychology, teaching or being an editor

36. what’s your favourite music genre? probably rnb or hiphop/rap

37. if you could live in any country in the world, where would it be? as much as i absolutely hate this country, id probably want to stay in America

38. what is your current favourite song? Glue by Planetarium Records or I’ll Still Have Me by CYN

39. how long have you had this blog for? this blog I’ve had since June

40. what are you excited for? going home and seeing my dog next month :’)

41. are you a better talker or listener? oh definitely listener

42. what is the last productive thing you did? .....i studied thursday morning for the exam i had that day??? i took this weekend off form college and avoided almost all my responsibilities tbh

43. what do you want for christmas? ideally? a rat. realistically? i dunno i asked my aunt to buy my Tablo’s two books and Ikon’s Return album so?

44. what class do you get the best grades in? English courses in general but I’m currently getting the best grades in my Social Influences class

45. on a scale from 1-10, how are you feeling right now? probably like a 4? ive been getting really shitty sleep lately and i think its finally catching up to me and i have a bunch of homework and studying to do so :’) im feeling like crap

46. what can you see yourself doing in 10 years? hopefully graduating with my psyd and working at a hospital in seattle?

47. when did you get your first heartbreak? mmmm probably when i was in 7th grade? that year was real rough and just had back to back heartbreak in romantic and platonic senses lmao

48. at what age do you want to get married? lmao never i don’t want to get married i don’t see a point in it and also the thought of being that fully committed scares the absolute crap outta me

49. what career did you want to have as a child? this is gonna sound weird but from 5-8th grade i really wanted to be a homicide photographer???

50. what do you crave right now? sleep but also caffeine and attention :’)

i dont really,,, have the spoons to think of people to tag lmao so for today, im not gonna tag anyone. if you see this and wanna do it then feel free to tag me but i leave my usual bunch alone for tonight lmao

[peachy-cosplays]

Sunflower Asks

these are all inspired by the ethereal glow of sunflowers (and different types)

pacino: if you could be any age, what age would you be?

Probably about the age I am now (I’ll be 25 later this month). Or 30 with my life more figured out and my own place

ms. mars: what kind of flower or plant are you?

Probably a daffodil :P

goldie: do you wake up early to catch sunrises?

Not that early ;;;; I wake up early for my job but that’s not until 5:30-6 usually

maximilian: who is/are your current sunshine/s?

My Boyfriend :)

vanilla ice: are you a plant or an animal person?

Animals *^*

pastiche: what is your favorite color (include the perfect shade)?

Robin’s Egg Blue, Lavender, Periwinkle

red sun: would you rather have a planetarium or a botanical garden?

Planetarium

autumn beauty: who is the sun to your sunflower (a person that you look up to)?

Probably my mom for being so kind and strong and standing up for what she believes in.

moonwalker: do you consider yourself an idealist or a realist? why?

Realist. I daydream a lot but I know when to be serious and how to go about things organized.

valentine: make a playlist (with at least five songs) that reminds you of home?

nah

velvet ocean: what is your latest dream?

I had a nightmare I was subbing and couldn't find my class the other day, but that was a nightmare ;;;;

sungold: are you alright? really?

Yes. I am a bit stressed between going back to school and some medical issues. But I'm surrounded with people I love so I’m okay.

teddy bear: what’s the best present that you have ever received?

This year for Valentine’s Day my boyfriend gave me a notebook that he wrote in the whole time we were dating and that was probably one of the best things I’ve ever received. Also the first Harry Potter book from my parents, which got me into reading as well as the series.

sunspot: what’s been bothering you for a while?

Going back to school, medical issues I’ve been dealing with the past few months, losing a friend (which really isnt a loss bc they were horrible but still).

florenza: post a sunny selfie !!!

No thanks, in pjs lol

goldy double: what is/are the name/s of your pet/s?

Can’t say, I use some as passwords :P

sunrich limoncello summer: would u rather live in the ocean or the forest?

Ocean

mammoth russian: what’s your height? and dream height?

5′4″, Im fine as is

little becka: what’s your favorite seed?

??? Uh sunflower I guess?

lemon queen: can u bake? what are the pastries that you could bake?

Yes!!!! I love to make cakes and cookies for people! Not big on cupcakes though.

jerusalem artichoke: what do you normally do before sleeping?

Cuddle with Andrew, listen to relaxing music, shower etc.

willowleaf: what’s your favorite autumn outfit?

Flannels, skinny jeans, my comfiest hoodie

rosinweed: who are your favorite people?

Andrew (boyfriend), my best friend @rosepetals-in-thewind and my Mom

purpledisk: are you living ur dream life? if not, why do u think so?

Honestly at the moment I am. I really want a house and a dog and to live with my boyfriend but I know we’ll get there eventually so right now I’m just enjoying the ride.

serpentine: what’s your most favorite birthday memory?

Probably when my friend’s baked me my favorite cake and decorated the house for me lol

lakeside: what’s something that you like to do but you cant do it often?

Going to a beach or aquarium

prairie: what are the most beautiful things about your pet/s?

My pupper is super smart and loves everyone, my cat likes to snuggle up when im sad ^^

sawtooth: what’s a superstition that u can’t believe u believe in?

I still think there’s life on other planets tbh

downy/ashy: describe your dream significant other!

I’m already dating him so. Andrew is a bit cynical and sarcastic. He has zero filter and says whatever is on his mind, which has both helped and put us in bad situations. He can get temperamental but always realizes it quickly and apologizes. That said I’ve never loved someone so much before. He is always there to make me laugh and calls me just to tell me he loves me. He is there when I am in a great mood, when I’m sick on the bathroom floor and when I’m too depressed to do anything. I look forward to every day we spend together and every day apart is hard. Whether it’s walking through Philly and exploring or just cuddling at home I feel blessed, and I can’t wait for our future together.

Tagging whoever wants to do this, I was just bored :P

[trendingnewsb]

The Problem Isnt Just Trump. Its Our Ignorant Electorate.

For many of us, mornings have taken on a certain nauseating sameness. We roll out from beneath the blankets and, before the scent of coffee has reached our nostrils, we are checking the news feeds for the latest semi-literate tweet coughed up by the ranting, traitorous squatter occupying the Oval Office.

The rest of the day is spent in a kind of horrified suspension, holding our breath, waiting for whatever outrage will inevitably belch forth from the White Houseonce a bastion of seriousness and decorum, now ground zero for the demise of western democracy. How many lies will Trump spew today? Which dictators will he suck up to? Will he smear a Gold Star family? Attack a woman who dares to call out his smarmy predations? Unveil a puerile, racist nickname for a Senator or member of his own cabinet?

As much as we loathe it, however sickening it might have become, every day seems all about him, a former game show host and real estate failure, a hawker of rot-gut vodka and bullshit degrees from a fraudulent University who once styled himself as the Donald. The cable news shows lead with his most recent flatulence, the op-ed pages brim with intimations of doom, late night comedians are having a field day.

He is the president and, thus, bears watching. But we would be mistaken to think that he is truly the center of our universe, a man with a plan, commanding the heights, directing the action.

Virulent as he may be, Donald J. Trump is a symptom not the disease. Without us, he would amount to nothing more than what he had always been before the bizzaro presidential election of 2016: a foppish narcissist desperate for any measure of affirmation; a joke; a nothing. He did not create his voters. They have been there all along, seething with sometimes justifiable anger and suffering their various insecurities. They created and enabled Trump. And make no mistake, in all their vulnerable humanity, they are us: Gullible, compliant, distracted, marinating in irony.

At root, we the people are the problem.

We are understandably reluctant to impugn the intelligence and integrity of our fellow citizens. It is arrogant, uncivil, bad form. Who are we, any of us, to hold ourselves superior? When Hillary Clinton referred to some Trump supporters as deplorables, she was roundly castigated on all sides. How dare she? Yet it is an uncomfortable reality that anywhere from a fifth to a third of our electorate can be fairly (if gently) described as low-information voters. If the results of numerous polls and questionnaires are to be trusted, they know very little about the world they inhabit and what they do know is often woefully incorrect.

Surveys conducted every two years by the National Science Foundation consistently demonstrate that slightly more than half of Americans reject the settled science concerning human evolution. They are not unaware that virtually all credible scientists accept the overwhelming evidence that we evolved from earlier species. They simply choose not to accept that consensus because it doesnt comport with their deeply held beliefs. Many also embrace the absurd notion that the earth is only six thousand years old. Astonishingly, in the early 21st century, around a quarter of our citizenry seems unaware that said earth revolves around the sun.

It is a mistake to regard concern about such ignorance as effete snobbery or elitist condescension. While misapprehensions about basic astronomy, earth science and biology may have little impact on these folks daily lives, does anyone actually believe that similarly uninformed views arent likely to affect their grasp of policies regarding, say, climate change? Income inequality? Gun violence? Immigration?

Profound knowledge gaps like the aforementioned reveal an inability to think critically and leave a person vulnerable to all manner of chicanery. We are all ignorant about many things. Dont get me started on my dismal grasp of mathematics! But the hallmark of a sound education is not glorying in what you think you know, but, instead, appreciating the vastness of what you dont know.

If ignorance is the key that opens the door for charlatans like Trump, improved education, whether in school or in the public square, would seem to provide an obvious solution. But here we confront the perverse Dunning-Kruger Effect identified by psychologistsessentially, the less we know, the more certain we become of our superior knowledge. We have also discovered that exposure to facts and evidence does not always have the expected impact. Many people, when confronted by irrefutable proof that some core belief is incorrect, dont change their minds but dig in their heels. What feels right to them must be right and no amount logic and reasoning will dissuade them. Emotion trumps evidence.

Not too long ago, I fell into conversation with a woman aboard an airplane. Our chat somehow turned to health care. She offered the opinion that people who couldnt afford health insurance didnt deserve medical services. Why should she pay for someones care when they were obviously too lazy to earn their own money?

Because Im my own kind of fool, I rose to the bait. Did that mean they should be allowed to die in the street? I wondered. Well, no, she said. That would be inhumane. They could always go to an emergency room. So she was willing to pay for their care, I observed, but only in the least efficient, most expensive manner. This gave her momentary pause, but she quickly regrouped, simply repeating her prior assertion: Why should she pay? I didnt ask who she planned to vote for in the then-upcoming presidential election, but given that she had also voiced the opinion that women were, by virtue of their gender, unqualified to be news anchors, Im guessing it wasnt Hillary Clinton or Jill Stein.

She is hardly the worst example of an unthinking voter. Bill Maher once invited onto his show former GM Executive Bob Lutz. One supposes that such a fellow has benefited from an adequate education and that hes open to reason. Yet, when the subject of climate change arose, Lutz denied it was happening. A bunch of nonsense as far as he was concerned.

As it happened, Maher had also invited Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist, educator and Director of the Hayden Planetarium. Tyson patiently explained why Lutz was misinformed. The planet was warming. Humans were largely to blame. This is how we know.

You might expect an educated person to respond by at least engaging on the topic. Tyson was, after all, vastly more knowledgeable on the subject at hand. Had their roles been reversed, with the topic being cars, I have no doubt he would have deferred to the automaker, asking questions, trying to improve the state of his own knowledge. Not Lutz. You could see him shutting down before Tyson had even warmed to the topic (no pun intended). As Upton Sinclair famously put it, Its hard to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on him not understanding it.

Anyone who has watched the focus groups of Trump voters has seen this sorry dynamic played out again and again. Everything, no matter how tawdry or malicious, is excused or minimized. You get the feeling these folks would accept the sexual molestation of teenage girls as a trade-off for Neil Gorsuch. In fact, many did in supporting Roy Moore.

Welcome to the Post-Truth Era.

Much has been written about the impact social media and the internet in general have had on how people receive and absorb information. By now, we are all familiar with bots, trolls, phony scandals and the tendency of folks to hunker down in their own info-silos. The old adage that a lie is halfway round the world before the truth gets its socks on has never been more salient.

Consider the recent attacks on one of the young Parkland shooting survivors. A teenager who had just witnessed classmates being gunned down at his own school quickly discovered that speaking up for common-sense gun regulation resulted in vicious trolling and the viral lie that he was a paid crisis actor. This was similar to what befell the grieving families of the small children murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. Imagine waking one morning in a state of searing grief over the violent death of your baby to discover that some odious prankster like Alex Jones is telling his gullible audience that the whole tragic incident was staged, that your child was actually a paid performer doused in artificial gore and posed in a gruesome tableaux of death.

That Jones and his ilk have not been thoroughly shamed and driven from the public sphere says a lot about our growing tolerance for vile nonsense.

Trump did not invent Fake News. The Big Lie has been the stock in trade of con men and tyrants since time immemorial. But he understands its value. Alternative facts as his lickspittle factotum, Kellyanne Conway infamously put it, has long been his metier. Hes a bullshitter, a phony and now hes our president.

This shouldnt have happened. But we let it happen, though Trump did have plenty of help

Unsurprisingly, the Fox propaganda machine and any number of right-wing radio ranters enthusiastically clambered aboard the Trump Train. They were abetted by many in the mainstream media who, mindful that Trump lured eyeballs to advertisers and too timid to call him out as the carnival barker he so obviously was, went along for the ride. A number of Republicans in Congress dismissed him at first. But when it became clear he had a shot at winning and that his devotees comprised at least half of their party, they scurried to adopt him as their useful idiot.

Its true that we are not all equally culpable. Roughly three million more people voted for Trumps chief opponent. But the right-minded among us didnt do enough to forestall the plainly looming disaster. The proof of that is the Trump presidency itself.

So, if we in our various incarnations are the problem, then what is the solution? Is there any way out? Wed better hope so. Whats certain is that its on us. We made a wreck of our government and its up to us to fix it.

There are positive signs:

A once compliant media has begun to take the gloves off. Genuine conservatives, outraged that their movement has been hijacked by philistines, are sounding the alarm. People are rising up and calling BS. For every Sean Hannity there is a Rachel Maddow, Jake Tapper or even Shepard Smith (at Fox News, no less!). For every Paul Ryan, there is a David Frum or Max Boot. Frothing crowds at CPAC are countered by the #MeToo movement and impressively eloquent teenagers fed up with politicians of any stripe who cower before the gun industry. On a good day, a John McCain or Jeff Flake will stand up to the cringing accommodationists in their own party. And, of course, Donald Trump himself, along with his corrupt lackeys, face a formidable foe in the person of Robert Mueller.

NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers recent testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee should mark a turning point, though he merely confirmed what has been apparent for some time: that even as our nation is under attack from a Russia determined to subvert our democracy, the president has not directed any relevant agencies to defend the country. This is a violation of the oath Trump swore on inauguration day and smacks of treason. We have entered uncharted waters.

Whats clear is that we need to use all non-violent resources at our disposal to rid ourselves and our country of the dangerous infection spreading from the White House into our body politic. These are not normal times and our usual reflexes will no longer suffice.

Trump is a problem of our own creation. We must become the solution.

Ron Reagan is an author and political commentator who lives in Seattle and Arezzo, Tuscany.

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-problem-isnt-just-trump-its-our-ignorant-electorate

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