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meazalykov · 1 month ago

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fifth language

esmee brugts x quadrilingual!reader

summary: you want to speak your girlfriend's language, even if its a challenge

you sit on the edge of the bed, the soft light from the bedside lamp casting a warm glow over the room. it’s a peaceful evening, one of the rare ones where both you and esmee aren’t completely drained after training or traveling for games.

the calm feels nice, but there’s a tension humming underneath your skin, a thought you’ve been turning over in your head for weeks now.

esmee’s beside you, propped up against the pillows, her phone in hand as she scrolls through something. her relaxed posture is in stark contrast to the way your body feels—stiff, on edge. you glance at her, taking in the soft lines of her face, the curve of her lips as she reads something that makes her smile faintly.

you’ve always admired how easygoing she is, how she never seems to let anything faze her. it’s part of what drew you to her in the first place.

you and esmee had been teammates at barcelona for just over a year now, but you’d been dating for about seven months. things between the two of you had developed naturally, the chemistry on the field translating seamlessly off of it.

being with her felt like finding something you didn’t even know you were missing—a sense of calm, a sense of being understood in ways that didn’t need words.

except now, words were exactly what you needed.

you clear your throat softly, trying to find the right way to bring it up. the thought has been sitting with you for a while, but you’ve hesitated, unsure of how she’d react.

"hey," you say quietly, breaking the silence. esmee looks over at you, her blue eyes soft with affection and curiosity. she raises an eyebrow as if to say,

“what’s up?”

you shift a little, turning to face her more directly.

"i’ve been thinking about something, and i... i wanted to talk to you about it."

her expression turns more serious, though the warmth in her gaze never fades. she sets her phone down on the nightstand and gives you her full attention.

"okay, what is it?"

you take a deep breath, the words feeling heavy on your tongue even though they shouldn’t. it’s not that it’s a bad thing—it’s just something you’re unsure how she’ll respond to.

"i’ve been thinking about learning dutch."

for a moment, there’s silence, and you watch as her expression shifts, processing what you’ve said. her brows knit together slightly, and she tilts her head, studying you.

"learning dutch? why?"

you bite your lip, trying to put your thoughts into words that will make sense.

"well, i mean, you’re dutch, and i just... i feel like it’d be nice to speak your language. it’s a part of who you are, and i want to understand that part of you better. plus, we already speak english most of the time, es... i don’t know, it feels right, you know?"

esmee’s expression softens, but there’s still a flicker of concern in her eyes.

"babe, you already speak four languages. isn’t that enough? i don’t want you to overwhelm yourself. we get along just fine in english."

you know she means well, and she’s right—learning a fifth language on top of everything else you’ve got going on is a lot. there’s something deeper driving you, something that goes beyond the surface level of just wanting to understand her better. it’s tied to who you are, how you’ve always been.

being the daughter of german immigrants, you grew up in a household where both german and english were spoken interchangeably. your parents had always made it a priority for you to be fluent in both, ensuring you could connect with your heritage while also thriving in america.

you did. from a young age, you were always a bit of an overachiever, always pushing yourself to excel—whether it was in school, in sports, or in learning new things.

that drive had followed you through your entire career, from your early days in youth leagues to your time at lyon, where you spent two seasons honing your skills in france. at just 17, moving to a new country, immersing yourself in a new language and culture—it had been daunting, but you’d thrived.

you picked up french quickly, out of necessity at first, but then out of a desire to truly integrate yourself into the team, the culture, the city.

by the time you left lyon at 19, french felt as natural to you as english and german. when you made the move to barcelona, you knew the same determination would carry you through learning spanish.

it had. within five months of joining the club, you were conversing fluently with your teammates, navigating life in a new country with a sense of confidence and ease.

now, sitting here with esmee, the thought of adding a fifth language to your brain felt... different. it wasn’t out of necessity. it wasn’t even really out of practicality. it was something you wanted to do because it mattered to you—because esmee mattered to you.

"i know it’s a lot," you admit, rubbing the back of your neck.

"but it’s important to me. i just... i feel like if i can speak to you in dutch, in your language, it’s a way of connecting with you on a deeper level."

esmee sighs softly, her hand reaching out to take yours. her fingers are warm, reassuring.

"you’re always doing this," she says, her tone light but tinged with affection.

"pushing yourself to do more, to be more. and while i love that about you, i don’t want you to burn yourself out."

you offer her a small smile, squeezing her hand.

"i’m not going to burn out. i’ll take it slow. i just... i want to be able to speak to you in dutch, even if it takes time."

there’s a pause, and you can tell she’s thinking it over. finally, she lets out a breath and nods.

"okay. if it’s something you really want, i’m not going to stop you. but promise me you won’t stress yourself out over it. learning a fifth language is... well, it’s a lot, babe. i can barely speak three."

you laugh softly, leaning your head against her shoulder.

"i know. i’m used to ‘a lot,’ remember?"

she chuckles, pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

"yeah, that’s true. you’re always going above and beyond. but just... promise me you’ll take it easy, okay?"

you nod, relaxing into her embrace. "i promise."

over the next few months, you begin your journey into learning dutch. you start with the basics—greetings, simple phrases, and common words. esmee helps when she can, correcting your pronunciation, giving you pointers, for the most part, you rely on language apps.

it’s slow going at first, as expected. dutch is a tricky language, with its own set of rules and nuances that make it difficult to pick up quickly. you’re determined, and after a while, you start to see progress.

simple conversations with esmee become a little easier, even if they’re stilted and peppered with mistakes.

you take pride in those small victories—being able to ask her how her day was, or tell her something funny that happened during training.

esmee always responds with encouragement, even when you stumble over words or struggle to remember certain phrases.

as the months go on, the pressure you’ve been putting on yourself starts to build. speaking four languages had always felt like second nature to you, but dutch... dutch was different. no matter how much you practiced, it never felt like enough.

you weren’t picking it up as quickly as you had with french or spanish, and that frustrated you.

one night, after a particularly long day at training, you find yourself sitting at the kitchen table, staring down at your notebook full of dutch phrases. the words blur together, your mind foggy from exhaustion.

you’ve been at this for six months now, and while you’ve made progress, you still feel miles away from being able to hold a proper conversation in dutch.

esmee walks into the kitchen, her curly hair damp from the shower, and notices the frown on your face.

"hey," she says softly, coming over to sit beside you.

"what’s wrong?"

you sigh, closing the notebook and rubbing your temples. "i don’t know. i’m just... frustrated. i’ve been trying so hard. esmee, is my dutch good? be honest. i still feel like i can barely speak dutch."

esmee frowns, her hand resting on your arm.

"babe, you’ve made so much progress. you’ve learned more in six months than most people do in years."

"it doesn’t feel like it," you mutter, leaning back in your chair.

"i can’t even hold a full conversation with you without messing up. it’s like my brain just... shuts down."

she gives you a sympathetic smile, her thumb rubbing gentle circles on your arm.

“maybe it’s because you’re pushing yourself too hard. you’ve already got so much on your plate at barcelona, and learning a fifth language is... well, it’s a lot, y/n. no one expects you to be perfect at it, least of all me."

"i know," you sigh, running a hand through your hair. "but i want to be able to speak it fluently. i want to be able to talk to you in dutch, not just stumble through broken sentences."

esmee’s expression softens and she leans in, pressing a soft kiss to your cheek.

"i appreciate that you’re doing this for me, but you don’t need to be fluent in dutch to make me feel loved or understood. we already have that. the language thing... it’s a nice bonus, but it’s not necessary."

you glance at her, feeling a wave of guilt settle in your chest.

"i know it’s not necessary, but... i just want to do this. it feels like... i don’t know, like i’m proving something to myself, too. if i can master this, then… like… i don’t know."

she gives you a knowing look, her eyes soft with understanding.

"you’ve always been an overachiever," she says with a small smile.

"always pushing yourself to be the best at everything you do. but sometimes... you need to give yourself a break. learning five languages isn’t something most people can do. it’s okay if you don’t get it right away."

you swallow hard, her words hitting a little too close to home. you’ve always been like this—setting high expectations for yourself, pushing yourself to meet them, and then feeling disappointed when you fall short.

it’s something that’s driven your career to where it is now, but it’s also something that can be exhausting.

"maybe you’re right," you say quietly, leaning your head against her shoulder.

"i just... i want to be good at it. i want to do this for you."

she wraps her arm around you, pulling you closer.

"and i love you for that. but you don’t have to stress yourself out over it. i’m proud of you no matter what, whether you can speak dutch or not."

you close your eyes, letting her words sink in. she’s right, of course. you’ve been pushing yourself too hard, setting impossible expectations for something that doesn’t need to be perfect.

"okay," you say softly. "i’ll try to chill out a little."

esmee laughs gently, pressing a kiss to your temple.

"good. you’re amazing, y/n, and i don’t want you to forget that."

masterlist

#esmee brugts #woso fanfics #woso x reader #woso community #barcelona femeni #fc barcelona #oranjeleeuwinnen

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weepingtalecowboy · 3 months ago

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Legend has very strange priorities

Fanfic prompt: Ravio and Legend have the weirdest relationship in the entire chain and it literally is the equivalent of a girl who had a perfect dream partner and then afterwards just settled for the least likely weirdo to abandon her

Like Legend definitively has no idea what a standard relationship is

It is either perfect or messy as hell with lots of issues from both sides

the chain talks about romance during a quiet moment (only the older ones over alcohol)

Time speaks about Malon and how much he loves her

Sky is not passing the opportunity to talk about Zelda

Twilight is talking about how a girl he loved left him and how he had to accept that she had left him for the safety of Hyrule

Warriors talks about some dates he had with some random women and doesn’t pass the chance to slander Cia for being a weird creep

And then Legend's turn starts

And he tells them the abridged story about how he met Ravio (because he will start crying if he has to talk about Marin)

But does it so poorly that everyone now thinks that Legend is in a relationship with a living, breathing red flag

Because who breaks into other peoples houses sets up a shop and scams you in your own god damn house

Then has the audacity to steal the weapons you were forced to rent from you if you get injured

And just rerent them to YOU

And then married you less then a month later to get a legal way to stay in Hyrule as an immigrant

And still is squatting at your house with their illegal weapons selling gig

And the only reason why you are not reporting on this madness is because you know for certain that he won’t leave you as your first lover did

Like afterwards the chain contemplated absolutely everything legend has ever done

Because his preservation skills on their adventure are not human

But he apparently sees nothing wrong with that relationship he has

Warriors already knew Ravio and his already low opinion on the scammer just dropped to below hell itself

Because no matter how much they argue Legend is his annoying younger brother who he won’t let down by letting him continue that mess of a relationship

Because Warriors knows how utterly awful such people can be and only barely escaped such a relationship himself with Cia

And now their new argument topic is about how awful Ravio seems and While Warriors is determined to make Legend see the truth about his supposedly terrible relationship

Legend not noticing that Warriors is serious about an argument for once accidentally makes it worse

Warriors: Do you think that he won't leave you if you go on adventures

Legend : he definitely won’t leave my house so no worries about that one

Warriors: ….?

Legend : I have high standards afterall

Warriors *genuinely concerned*: those are not standards that is basic decency what the actual…!?,?,”?!

Legend : he won’t even sell my stuff if he is feeling nice ,because he is a good boyfriend

Warriors: LINK WTF ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT IS NOT FINE AT ALL

Legend : he also has never hurt me for no good reason so stop being hypocritical about it for no god damn reason (talking about that one time when Ravio had to slap him out of shock or when he did his stitches or similar necessary pain)

Warriors: WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK !!?!?!?,!!!?!

Legend : it didn’t even hurt that much honestly it was just a slight sting if anything

And by that point Warriors was ready to execute somebody because his brother truly says everything like it is something nice of his partner

Spoiler it was not Legend

Twilight joined as well when Legend told him how much Ravio likes bunnies and how it probably keeps their entire relationship together

Because that is just wrong to diminish someone’s abilities into just that one thing ( Legend should stop with the self depriveing jokes for his husband’s sake )

By the time the chain was in Legend's Hyrule again everyone was out for blood

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moni-logues · 1 month ago

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Promessus [teaser]

Pairing: Hoseok x reader (afab, she/her)

Genre: fake dating (marriage), immigration fraud, friends-to-lovers

Summary: An administrative error means you don't have the right to live and work in Korea as you have been. Your options are leaving Korea forever, winning the lottery, or asking your best friend to marry you.

Word count: TBC

Content: flimsy (read: no) knowledge of immigration law and made-up stuff, eventual smut, eventual angst; reader is explicitly not a Korean citizen, nor does she have access to an ancestral-type visa, she does know English to a fluent level, it's not necessarily her first language but no other languages are explicitly mentioned; to be updated when chapters are posted (each chapter will also have individual warnings)

Teaser below

Your blood ran cold. You were trying to focus on the words in front of you, trying to force them into your brain so that you could make sense of the situation, but no matter how hard you tried, they swam and splashed, dancing across the page, refusing to sink in.

“Immigration investigation”

“... come to our attention...”

“Visa... invalid...”

You bent at the knees, intending to sink onto the sofa, but it wasn’t behind you and you tumbled to the floor, letter still clutched tightly in your hand. Without bothering to get up, you looked at it some more, telling yourself that they must have made a mistake. Some wires had been crossed somewhere. There was no way that your visa wasn’t valid; there was no way you were in the country illegally; this was some mistake. It had to be.

Your mind was still swimming when you sank into your office chair and woke your computer. Your heart leapt to your throat when you noticed an urgent meeting had been booked in for you, first thing, right now. The words ‘absolute priority’ were used.

Fuck.

You felt sick. You felt faint. You still held your letter in your hand, its paper softened by your sweat, its words no less stark. Your legs almost gave way beneath you when you approached the meeting room, reaching out a shaking hand for the handle.

“Ah, there she is!”

You shuddered when you saw who you were meeting with. This was not just your manager or you manager’s manager. The large conference table was full, save a single seat for you. You were introduced to HR representatives and lawyers and yes, your manager and their manager and their manager. You barely heard a word. You could feel your consciousness narrowing, a funnelling, pressurising kind of feeling in your head. You knew you should be paying attention, listening carefully, taking notes, but it was all you could do to continue breathing.

You felt a hand on your arm and flinched, whipping your head around so fast it made you dizzy, to see your manager, to barely see your manager as spots danced in front of your eyes. When she spoke, it sounded muffled, far away, and then she was dragging you out of your seat and out of the room.

She held your wrists under the tap in the toilets, gave you a bottle of water to drink from, waited patiently for you to stop feeling like a trapped animal.

“What the fuck is going on?” you asked, voice hoarse, not even noticing that you were swearing in front of a superior, much less caring.

“The long and the short of it is that someone, somewhere, messed up our original sponsorship of your visa, so you’ve been working here illegally. It only came to light when we were submitting your extension. It’s nothing for you to worry about, really; we have a whole team working on it and it shouldn’t take more than a couple of months to fix.”

“And I’m allowed to keep working here until then?”

Her face told you all you needed to know.

“Oh god. Am I fired?-”

“No! Of course not! We want to keep you which is why we’re doing what we can to fix this, but, as it stands at this very moment, you do not have a valid visa for working in Korea. Unless you can get one by some other means, you aren’t allowed to work and it’s not something we could sweep under the rug for you either; immigration are fully aware of the situation now.”

“I’m fucked,” you said, more to yourself than to anyone. “I’m fucked. I’m fucked.”

It rang through your head as you made your way back home, less than an hour after you got to the office. You had no idea what you were supposed to do. It could take months for your company to get a valid visa for you. You didn’t have months’-worth of money sitting around. You couldn’t even leave; by laws you could not understand, you both were not allowed to work in the country and not allowed to leave it.

You decided your brain had had enough confusion and overwhelm for one day. It needed clearing. So you took a notebook and your laptop and started on a list of things you needed to know and research you needed to do.

It took you all day and you had reached a conclusion. It wasn’t an easy conclusion or one that you were hoping for, but it was a conclusion nonetheless and you had little other choice.

You sat in front of Hoseok, your best friend in Korea, perhaps your best friend anywhere, and waited for him to respond.

“You want me to marry you?!”

#hoseok x reader #hoseok fanfic #hoseok fanfiction #jhope x reader #jhope fanfic #jhope fanfiction #bts x reader #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction

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mariacallous · 7 days ago

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There are few circumstances under which inflation can be comforting. But in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the U.S. presidential election, one of them appears to be when it serves as an alibi for an electorate’s sharp turn toward meanness, selfishness, and a hard-edged type of identity-centered nationalism.

Many Americans have used inflation to explain away the country’s embrace of radical political change. Yet this ignores basic facts about the U.S. economy. Before the election, I wrote a column highlighting some of these remarkable statistics, noting that the country has recently far outpaced its G-7 peers in economic growth and brought unemployment down to nearly historic lows; that inflation, after briefly surpassing 9 percent in 2022, has plunged to 2.6 percent; and that gasoline prices, one of the most important pocketbook issues for Americans, are relatively low.

Even George F. Will, a dean of conservative columnists in Washington, indirectly laid bare the ridiculousness of this explanation. As he wrote this week, Trump “ran promising to increase living costs” due to the large tariffs he has vowed to impose on imports.

But to fully understand why the inflation explanation doesn’t add up, one must examine the broader nature of Trump’s program—specifically, its retrograde racial politics. After all, Trump was explicit about his policy priorities during the campaign, and the president-elect’s staffing moves and statements since Nov. 5 have reaffirmed his intentions.

Trump has quickly announced a prospective team of hard-liners to execute his priorities on the border and immigration. This includes Stephen Miller as his deputy chief of staff for policy; Tom Homan as his so-called border czar, and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. By all indications, Trump will rely on this team to carry out a sweeping expulsion of millions of undocumented migrants.

Pulling off such a feat would disrupt the economy and everyday life on a scale with few comparisons in U.S. history. Trump’s zealous associates have pledged to carry out workplace raids and suggested deporting whole families to meet their goals. Given the small size of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, accomplishing deportations on this scale would probably require using the National Guard—including by dispatching units from Republican-led states to Democratic-governed ones, a move of dubious legality.

Trump has long devoted himself to laying the groundwork for this. Since his first presidential campaign, he has denounced Mexicans as “rapists,” alleged that countries such as Venezuela have emptied their prisons to inundate the United States with “criminals,” and amplified vile and baseless claims that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, are preying on the community’s pets.

More overtones of white nationalism and nativism can be found in Trump’s infamous 2018 disparagement of what he called “shithole countries,” which in his definition are home to Black and brown people. Meanwhile, Elon Musk, a top Trump ally and now formal advisor to the president-elect, has called for women to have more babies—calls that conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, another prominent Trump backer, has echoed while also casting the issue in explicitly racial terms.

Hinting at a much broader anti-immigration agenda, Trump and his surrogates have also repeatedly inveighed against birthright citizenship, a provision of the U.S. Constitution. Trump’s efforts to call into question who “real” Americans are date back to 2011, when he started saying that he had “real doubts” about Barack Obama’s citizenship and demanded that the then-president produce his birth certificate. Couple this with Trump’s other comments suggesting a preference for immigrants from Nordic countries, and a sense of racial purpose running through many of his fondest projects begins to emerge.

This racial agenda also lurks in the Trump movement’s designs on remaking the country’s education system. In Florida and other states, Trump allies have launched a wholesale attack on books that are frank about the country’s history of slavery and its aftereffects as well as those that discuss gender and sexuality in anything but heteronormative ways.

Meanwhile, Trump couches his hostility toward diversity and inclusion initiatives in higher education as a way to protect the country’s white population from discrimination. In July, for instance, he said, “I will direct the Department of Justice to pursue federal civil rights cases against schools that continue to engage in racial discrimination. And schools that persist in explicit unlawful discrimination under the guise of equity will not only have their endowments taxed, but through budget reconciliation, I will advance a measure to have them fined up to the entire amount of their endowment. A portion of the seized funds will then be used as restitution for victims of these illegal and unjust policies—policies that hurt our country so badly.”

Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth as his secretary of defense appears to have been made in a similar spirit. Hegseth, a veteran Fox News host with no policy background, has made a name for himself attacking diversity efforts in the military, saying that Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, should be fired for his support of “woke” programs. Trump’s transition team is reportedly considering creating a “warrior board” of retired military officials that, some analysts fear, would be able to purge military officers who are not loyal to Trump. If he is confirmed by the Senate, Hegseth could be essential to carrying out that board’s recommendations.

All of this fits with a pattern of stoking culture wars based largely on white resentment in the interest of sustaining political support. As historian David W. Blight wrote in an astute New York Times column, “Trump exploited our social fissures to make them deeper, uglier, ever more bitter and therefore useful. We were reminded that culture wars are won by fueling them, not by seeking harmony. Unity coalitions and kindness and joy don’t win elections in a bitterly divided society where neighbors and family members are not on the same team.”

As perceptive as Blight’s assessment is, it misses the important global dimensions of Trump’s strategy and appeal. By pledging to abandon international climate agreements at a time of dangerous levels of warming (which even the head of Exxon Mobil says is a mistake), by opposing wind power and vowing to “drill baby, drill,” by threatening to impose unilateral tariffs on other countries as a core economic strategy, by pretending that the United States can prevail through tough guy optics and bluster, Trump is engaging in an elaborate fantasy that is both pedigreed and dangerous.

It is an approach to politics that is based on nostalgia for a time when, as the historian Greg Grandin has written, the world seemed for many Americans to be an open frontier—that period in the 19th and 20th centuries when it was permissible to pretend that “America” essentially meant “white,” and that with sufficient will, Washington could bend the rest of the globe to its whims.

There were elements of this ethos in past administrations—notably, in the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush—but even those leaders knew that going it alone and humiliating allies was not smart, and that appeals to racial identity carried political dangers. Trump, however, fully taps into chagrin over the loss of that unquestioned privilege.

What is more, Trump’s brand of voluntarism—his vision of a United States that can say no to whatever displeases it—arrives at a time of relative decline in Washington’s standing in the world compared with its principal rival, China, and even with a larger set of rising middle powers. The United States is about to learn that in order to succeed, it will need strong cooperation with others and more internal harmony of its own. Four years on the path that Trump is setting could be an expensive learning process for the entire nation.

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heartshapedconchas · 2 years ago

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everlong

chapter 1: patrol | ellie williams |

summary — You knew Ellie Williams. You weren't close with her by any means, but you knew her. You knew that she had been dating Dina for 5 months when you arrived, and you also knew that you were fairly interested in her. One night after a day of patrol together, the two of you talk during a get-together. And not just about the normal trivial things you'd say every now and then to break the almost comfortable silence during patrols. You actually talked.

pairing — ellie williams x reader

warnings — femme-based reader, slight violence? reader is a lesbian, dina & ellie are dating (she doesn’t cheat dw)

word count — 1.8k

author’s note — Hello Hello, I have not written since about middle school so i’m so sorry if this is just horribly written (　ﾟдﾟ) Also I apologize if there are any mistakes/inconsistencies or anything like that. I was raised by an immigrant who’s English wasn’t perfect when he had/taught me so mine isn’t perfect either! So much for Eng being my first language LOL.

7:15 AM. The bright red numbers from your shitty alarm clock burned into your eyes as you decided to actually open them and make an attempt to wake up and start your day. You didn’t just wake up now though, you had been awake for the past hour or so; listening to the sound of Jackson slowly coming to life. Your body is still on its usual sleep-wake cycle from traveling on your own. Before you came across a few people and were welcomed into this community, your sleep wasn’t exactly a priority. Sleep was a luxury, you only got a few hours of sleep so you naturally woke up early even though you didn’t exactly need to. Which of course, was miserable but unfixable so far.

Deciding to actually function, you sit up with a sigh; and internally groan at the feeling of the frigid air compared to the warmth of your bed sheets. “Fuck that,” you mumble to yourself, and wrap one of the blankets around you and stand up. After dressing yourself in the appropriate kind of clothing for the mid-December weather, which was beautiful but fucking miserable, you head out to start your day.

Ellie’s coming with you on your patrol today, which wouldn’t be the first time. You two weren’t usually paired up, but you remember her from a few of your first non-group patrols. Actual conversation never really occurred between the two of you, you said hello when meeting up and all that shit; and talked about how to take out the infected that were in the area. But it was never more than that. Not a big deal though, it didn’t make a huge difference to you. Although, a part of you longed for more. Just a little bit more, even if she just asked you how you were feeling that day or if you had any plans. One time during one of your very first patrols you attempted to shoot and ride at the same time; which evidently failed as you got knocked off by a runner. Ellie took care of the infected that had knocked you off, but she had pulled you to safety before doing that. She was grabbing you by the arm, yanking you behind her. After that, for some reason, you couldn’t stop thinking about her grabbing you. Her touching you. You replayed that moment in your head over and over again, even after arriving back in Jackson that day.

But Ellie had been with Dina for 5 months at that point. You had just gotten there, you didn’t already want to tarnish your image with the idea that you’re going after a taken woman. That would fucking suck. That and the fact that it's just plain wrong. So you just took those feelings and shoved them deep down inside you so they would never see the light of day.

“Hey {name}, you signing in? I grabbed Lady from her stable for you already! ” someone else getting ready for a patrol said as they saw you. “Oh, thank you! And uh yeah, just waiting for Ellie. Have you seen her, she's usually the first one here?”

Almost as if on cue, Ellie walked in. Her face was slightly red, and it looked as if she was frowning; her eyebrows furrowed as she mumbled something to herself that you couldn't hear. “Maybe she’s not a morning person,” you thought to yourself, “maybe we have that in common. God, I hope it doesn’t affect her attitude on this patrol, I really don’t feel like dealing with that shit right now.”

You gave her a small wave and a slight smile, and she gave you a nod of acknowledgment as she grabbed Shimmer from her stable.

“You ready? This shouldn’t take too long, this area never really has any infected.” She handed you a map of the route since you’ve never been on it before, and she didn’t want to deal with you getting lost along the way.

As you saddled your horse you took a quick glance over the route, “Hm, yep. Seems easy enough!”

She gave you a small smile, finally. “Alright, let's go then. I just wanna get it done quickly.” And with that, you mounted your horses and headed for the gate to leave.

The ride was quiet for the most part, aside from a few comments about the weather or a random animal one of you saw. It was really pretty too, you were kinda upset you had never come along on this route before. No infected to take out and good scenery? It was perfect, completely serene.

There were, however, buildings you had to clear of course. And this one seemed rather large and broken down, it almost looked like some sort of gas station or store like that. All of the entrances were blocked by something so you had to figure out a different point of entry.

“Hey,” Ellie motioned towards an open window with her head, “over here. I’ll boost you up and you can help me get in.”

You silently nodded and jumped off Lady, patting her on the side once before jogging over to said window.

She bends down, links her hands together, and nods up towards the opening, “Okay, up you go.”

Stepping onto her hands, she pushes upwards and you’re able to grab onto the very edge of the window. “Fuck, I think I need a little bit more help—it’s a little too high for me to reach.”

Another touch. This time she grabbed onto your leg to help boost you up more. It wasn’t your lower leg though, it was like—The directly below your ass leg area.

Your breath hitched and you were finally up through the window; standing on what you assumed was some sort of storage unit. After helping Ellie up, you turn on your flashlight and start looking around. There wasn’t much really, you found a few extra bullets and some supplies. Plus an old corpse, which wasn’t too pleasant of course.

“So..” Ellie suddenly interrupted the comfortable silence that you two usually experienced during your patrols, “you coming to that party at the church tonight?” Oh. Oh. That's more than the usual small talk.

“Ah, yeah actually. I planned on at least stopping by if I wasn’t too tired. Why? Did you get ditched by Dina?” You said with a slight laugh.

Ellie bit her lip, almost as if that was partially true, “Mn no, was just wondering.” she shrugged and turned to open another door to see if the room was clear. You raised an eyebrow at her before turning to do the same and see if your room was clear.

It was definitely not clear. As soon as you creaked open the door, a clicker rushed out at you. You stumbled back, grabbing your gun from your leg holster and pointing it at its fungi-overtaken head. But you couldn’t aim steady, so much was happening so fast and you were shaken from being jumped by a fucking clicker.

“{reader}, watch out!” Ellie screamed as she ran towards you and the clicker, who was on top of you now. You were barely able to keep it away from your face, its mouth biting down on air as it failed to reach your skin; loud screeches disorienting you even more.

“Fucking— get it off!” Jesus christ this thing was fucking strong. You weren't weak but you’d have a hard time if you were rushed suddenly like this. Ellie grabbed the clicker off of you and shot it once in the head, and it fell to the floor beside you limply.

“{reader} , {reader} are you okay? You’re not bit are you?!” she said panicked, her voice urgent and unstable; and she kneeled down in front of you so you were face to face. “Yeah…yeah, I’m fine.” but you winced. Your face felt..wet? Reaching up to your left cheek you touched where it felt damp, and when your hand drew back you found your fingertips smeared with blood. Were you bit? Maybe you don’t feel it when it happens, and that's why there’s always that dramatic moment in the cheesy old zombie apocalypse movies where the side character realizes they’ve been bit later on.

“Shit, it’s just a scratch but you’re bleeding pretty heavy,” she paused for a second, “I have stuff in my bag for that, you’ll be fine.” She shrugged her backpack off and rummaged around in it before finding a package of first aid supplies. She grabbed cotton balls and hydrogen peroxide before she began dousing them in the liquid.

“Alright this is gonna sting a bit.” she leaned in close and started cleaning your cheek. You know how when you would fall and hurt your knee when you were a kid? And your parents would pull out the rubbing alcohol and tell you it wasn’t gonna hurt at all. But it actually ended up burning really badly? That’s what it felt like, the stinging making you flinch and almost whine.

“I’m sorry, I know it hurts.” she looked at you with sympathy and continued cleaning, apologizing sweetly every time you would wince or groan. A minute later she was done, and she threw the used cotton balls to the side. “Alright, you’re all done. Feel better?” She got up after pausing to stare at you for merely a second and grabbed her backpack from the floor. “You okay to continue? I wanna get through this as quickly as possible now, I don't want that happening again.” She laughed a little, before reaching out her hand to help you get up.

The two of you finished the patrol, not finding any other infected aside from a few runners that you took down easily. It started snowing at some point while you were scavenging for supplies in some small building and hurried out of there before it would get any worse. She didn’t ask any more questions as she did before on your way back through the route, she was quiet and almost nervous. She’d glance at you every few minutes or so, and just as quickly as she would look she would turn away from you.

The entire trip back home, you dreaded that party. Pulling your horses into the stable, Ellie hesitated before finally speaking for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

“So uh… you said you are going to the party tonight, right?” She looked almost hopeful as if she’d be disappointed if you said no.

“Oh, yeah!” You smiled, a bit too awkward for your own liking, “Uh.. see you there?”

She smiled and nodded, before handing Shimmer off to the stable handler. As you watched her walk away, you felt that same anxiety bubble up in your stomach again. The same anxiety you felt when you first saw the girl before you were informed that she was in a committed relationship. It almost made you feel sick to your stomach, it was that kind of excited anxiety that made you so giddy you could jump up and down and scream. But you couldn't. "Man I'm delusional" you mumbled to yourself as you followed Ellie's actions and handed Lady off, "She's just being friendly. No need to get excited."

No need to get excited.

Right?

#the last of us #tlou fanfiction #ellie williams #ellie williams x reader #lesbian #dina nolastname #wlw #wlnm #sapphic #tlou x reader #friends to lovers #strangers to lovers?

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marketfreshfics · 9 months ago

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OC: Paisley Gallos

Basics:

Full name: Paisley November Gallos Nickname: Pais Gender: Female Species: Witch / Vampire Date of birth: December 14th, 1874 Nationality: Spanish-French, born in the Americas Blood status: Muggleborn Wand: Walnut, dragon heartstring, 11”, unyielding

Appearance

Hair colour: Dark brown / mahogany Hairstyle: Short, wavy Eye colour: Hazel Skin tone: Medium Height: 5’2” Body type: Average, slight muscle definition

Clothing style: Functionality takes priority; light-medium, but durable fabrics such as cotton and leather for ease of movement. Prefers more fitted clothing, especially when travelling or exploring outside the castle walls. Fond of worn denim; often wears her brother’s hand-me-down pairs when out of class.

Accessories:

Often carries a harmonica in her back pocket

Her father’s wristwatch, despite it always running a few minutes ahead

Other distinguishing features:

Three diagonal scars on the left side of her jaw (obtained while trying to escape from a vampire)

Two small birthmarks below her bottom lip

Personality

Traits: Intelligent, resourceful, clever, determined, crass, blunt, intuitive, curious, decisive, quick to anger, observant, goal-oriented, remorseful Likes: Early morning hikes, writing in a new notebook, solving problems, the ocean, strong coffee (with two sugar cubes), stargazing, foraging for minerals/rocks Dislikes: Perfume, wet socks, the afternoon sun, formal attire, dishonesty Hobbies: Fishing, metalsmithing (when out of school) Fears: The unknown, her own thirst (once she becomes a vampire)

MBTI: INFJ-A Zodiac: Sagittarius sun, Aquarius moon, Libra rising Temperament: Choleric Archetype: The Rebel Similar characters: Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, Sam Winchester, Harry Callahan, Lisa Simpson, Han Solo, Max Mayfield, Jon Snow

Family/Friends

Father: Pierre - Muggle, Fisherman Mother: Rosalyn - Muggle, Teacher (Died in 1882 from scarlet fever) Sibling(s): Mathieu (age 19) Pet(s): Barred Owl, “Crispen” Friends: Sebastian Sallow, Ominis Gaunt, Garreth Weasley, Amit Thakkar, Natsai Onai

Magic

Boggart: Extremely thick fog, accompanied by a foghorn Patronus: Colossal squid Polyjuice: Turns crimson, tastes like spring water and copper Amortentia: Smoke, bergamot and clean, starched cotton Special abilities:

Fire-based offensive spells and charms

Non-verbal magical spells

(Once transformed into a vampire) can sometimes "absorb" a person's abilities after consuming their blood

Backstory

Born in Nova Scotia, Canada to immigrant muggle parents, Paisley grew up in a small fishing village just on the outskirts of a port city. Because of this, she spent many days on fishing vessels with her father and older brother, while her mother worked as a teacher at the schoolhouse in town. When she was eight, her mother fell gravely ill and unfortunately passed away from complications of scarlet fever. Her father, Pierre, often struggled to balance work obligations with raising Paisley and Mathieu, and more often than not her older brother was left responsible, which caused her to develop a great deal of independence.

Being from a non-magical family, Paisley's magic was a startling discovery. It revealed itself when, while arguing with her brother, she made a milk bottle spontaneously explode in frustration. The following morning, two members from the Ministry for Magic arrived, explained magical abilities to her and her family, and promptly enrolled her in the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

She was sorted into the Horned Serpent house, based on her high level of intelligence and ambitious, goal-oriented mindset.

Paisley excelled in her studies, her hunger for knowledge consistent, and while graduating from her fifth year she was recognized for her advanced magical comprehension. She was hand-selected by the Minster for Magic himself to take part in an accelerated graduate program at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, and with great excitement she transferred at the start of her sixth year. Having researched the Hogwarts houses before her arrival, she anticipated being sorted into Ravenclaw... however the mysterious rumours about the Slytherin house fostering several dark wizards in history captivated her curiosity, and thus the sorting hat placed her there instead.

Soon after arriving at Hogwarts, she was captured by a well-known criminal, who subsequently bit her and changed her into a vampire against her will. The details around this, and why she was selected specifically, are still unknown...

Academics

Best subject: DADA Favourite subject: Astrology Favourite teachers: Professor Fig, Professor Sharp Worst subject: History of Magic Least favourite subject: Divination, Theory of Magic Least favourite teacher: Binns Quidditch: N/A

As a student:

Prioritizes her studies as much as possible; she is aware of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study at Hogwarts and does not take it for granted.

Sometimes misses classes without explanation, particularly on sunny days.

She is always happy to help fellow classmates, however, she is wary of many. This only increases once she has been turned.

Mostly keeps to herself; has few, close friends, with whom she places a great deal of trust.

Future

Career: Researcher or Archivist Naturally, Paisley is drawn to a career path that allows her the opportunity to further her education and learn something new. Her ambitions focus on filling her brain with as much information as possible, so taking up a job as a Researcher or Archivist for the Ministry is very much in her wheelhouse.

Spouse: TBD Children: TBD

Special thanks to @hazyange1s for letting me follow their OC layout 🤍

#hogwarts legacy oc #hogwarts oc #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy mc #hogwarts legacy fanfic #ominis gaunt #amit thakkar #sebastian sallow #garreth weasley #natsai onai #the stratagem strain #oc profile #paisley gallos

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warping-realities · 1 year ago

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A Better Familly I

Melissa was furious but she couldn't show her feelings, not there in her workplace, although it was precisely because of her work that she felt that way. She was a daughter of Mexican immigrants and had encountered her share of asshole rich men in her life. But she wasn't expecting to find an arrogant boy lying completely naked waiting for her in the dorm she would have to clean. It was a tremendous shock, as the place should have been empty and suddenly she was facing a… a… she preferred to forget. At that moment she wanted to finish off the boy with her broom. But she needed that job to support herself while she attended nursing school at night. Her father could have helped her of course, his auto repair shop was doing well, but she refused on principle to bother him about it. And there was that other reason too… Henry, though in there he was Professor Roberts. Here's a rich and influential man who broke the mold, she thought as her eye was caught by a glow in the corner of the hall.

"What do we have here?" She murmured to herself, holding a small metallic disc in her hand.

As she admired the Reality Warper someone snuck up behind her and hugged her around the waist. "Hijo de la …" She started to curse thinking that the cheeky boy had decided on a new type of advance, but she controlled herself when she saw who was actually grabbing her. "Henry… I mean, Professor Roberts, don't do that here."

"Ah, Mel, where then? We never have time for ourselves." "I know, but this is my job and yours too, it could get us into trouble." "It won't if the relationship is official." "Henry, don't play with this." "No kidding, I know your classes don't start until next week. How about I drop by your house tonight so we can make things official with your dad? You told me he's the traditional type, so I want to start from a right way." "Oh Henry!" She responded with a smile on her face, followed by a quick kiss. As she tucked the small metallic disk into her uniform, not paying much attention. And there it stayed until Melissa got home and inadvertently knocked it to the living room floor as she pulled the uniform out of her bag. ….

Henry put on his best suit and put on his biggest smile for the difficult battle he knew would lie ahead. Diego Huerta, Melissa's father, would be a difficult opponent, he had crossed the border illegally carrying Melissa as a child in his arms, shortly after the death of his wife in Mexico, the trigger for the small family to come to the USA. He faced all kinds of humiliating work and over time managed to establish his own business, a car workshop that became a reference in the entire Latino community in the region, just like Diego himself. Soon he found himself surrounded by options of women who would love to be his new wife, but from what his daughter commented, he never took any of them into the house he shared with his daughter. Melissa was his top priority, all of his focus and dedication on her. He had authorized his daughter to work outside the home only after much insistence. Henry suspected it would take a lot more insistence to get the man to accept that his little girl was dating someone like him, that in her father's eyes he represented the white privilege the man so detested.

Despite all this Henry was confident that he would manage to win the man's trust, the feelings he had for Melissa were true and once her father realized that things should become easier. At least that was what he longed for. With a last breath he rang the doorbell of the Huerta house, willing to do anything to show Diego that he would be the perfect son-in-law given the opportunity.

As soon as the front door opened and Henry found himself in front of Melissa beaming with beauty, he was absolutely sure that any argument, dispute or injury would be worth it to keep her forever. She was stunning wearing a simple floral dress that enhanced all her beauty, from the cheerful face with the luminous smile that would warm the coldest hearts to the long and shiny black hair.

"You're perfect." He said looking dumbfounded at her.

"I think that was the best good night I've ever heard in my life."

"I'm sorry, but I got totally lost when I saw you!"

"So it's time to find your way back, my father is on his way and we need to talk before he arrives." She said opening the way for him to enter the house.

He tried to kiss her as he walked through the door, but she dodged and directed him straight to the couch.

"Please sit down, mi amor. I'm afraid my father will have a harder time accepting our relationship than I thought. He's furious."

"But why?" Henry asked sitting on the couch and staring back at her with a questioning look.

"He expected me to meet someone from our community. Don't get me wrong, my dad loves America and his greatest pride is that we got our citizenship. But we've been through a lot before that, and when it comes to me he's like even more... defensive."

"Then let me prove to him that my intentions are good. I come from a good family, I have a steady job in a prestigious place, not to sound arrogant, but I'm a great catch, he can't possibly refute someone like me."

"Not only is it possible, it's why he was against our relationship. My father is convinced you're going to take advantage of me and dump me like a used object."

"Melissa, never say that again! I would never do that to you… I… I… I love you!"

"Henry!"

"It's true, I've wanted to tell you this for weeks, but I was afraid of scaring you. But now I see that I can't hide it anymore, I love you and I'll do anything for you!"

"Oh Henry!" Melissa said with tears in her eyes as she threw herself on him and kissed him passionately.

And it was precisely in this position that the two were found by her father.

"Hija, ¿qué está pasando aquí?"

"Papá, puedo explicar..."

"No hay nada que explicar, ¡tenía claro que no quería a este tipo cerca de ti!"

"Papá, no es como piensas, Henry me ama y yo lo amo".

"¡Déjate de tonterías! Y tú, maldito sea, sal de aquí antes de que lo mate".

Not fully understanding the altercation, Henry tried to intervene.

"Mister Huerta, please let me explain..."

"Don't speak to me, otherwise I'll kill you." Said the older man being prevented from advancing by his daughter.

"Papá, no, por favor, cálmate, vamos a otra habitación. Henry, please go away, I... I'll try to calm him down."

"Exactly boy, get the hell out of here and don't you dare come back." She added Diego letting himself be carried away by his daughter. Leaving behind a stunned Henry, who, without realizing it during the discussion, placed his hand on a small metallic disk that completely altered his future when he uttered the following words:

"Damn it, I just wanted to be the son-in-law he expected."

When he finished speaking those words, he got the biggest scare of his life. The small disk expanded, enveloping him in a metallic cocoon, without him even having time to think about running away or calling for help. If anyone else had been in that room, they would have seen the front part of the structure liquefy and solidify again, demonstrating on its surface the image of a young man very similar to Henry, to then liquefy and solidify again, demonstrating the image of a completely different man.

Finally, the metallic cocoon retracted back into the small disk that originated it, leaving a man who was certainly not Henry Roberts sitting on the sofa in the Huertas' living room.

This new man was a fine example of what the Latino community and the male gender itself has the best to offer, a handsome square face, with a well-trimmed dark beard accentuating an already marked jawline, almond-shaped brown eyes and stylish hair, all this accompanied by an enviable physique, wide pecs and big arms, wrapped in a blue button-up shirt that didn't do much to hide all that musculature. That man's picture could be placed next to the word sexy in any dictionary.

Unfortunately for those (many) who showed some interest in him, disappointment would be the only answer. That big fish had already been hooked and it was the voice of his fisherwoman that woke him up:

"Rico, can you help me with the table while Papá gets ready for dinner?"

"Of course. I'll be there in a second." Answered the man leaving the small metallic disc on top of the table in the living room. As Henry himself inadvertently wished to be changed without knowing what he was doing, reality readjusted itself around him in a way that his wish was possible. Henry Roberts was now Enrique - Rico - Ramirez, Melissa Huerta's longtime boyfriend, whom he intended to propose to her father that night.

Rico worked as a Physical Education teacher at Saint James Prep School. An active member of the local Latino community and the neighborhood's golden boy, he played baseball in high school and won a college scholarship, though he never made it to the professional level. But he didn't care about that, being back where he belonged and next to the love he had cultivated since adolescence was more than enough for him.

Rico’s relationship with Diego couldn't be better, he was the son that Sr. Huerta never had. So much Diego supported Melissa's boyfriend throughout his life. He hoped for a few years that Rico would take over his business, but when it became clear that the boy had talent, he buried those dreams and supported young Ramirez in his new job, allowing Melissa to work in St. James just knowing that he would be around. The girl had applied for a job as a cleaner there, but with the help of her boyfriend, she ended up with the position of secretary in the sports department. For which her father was extremely grateful, he doubted any spoiled brat would dare with the coach's girlfriend.

Which made that marriage proposal just a formality. But Rico knew how important such formalities were to his future father-in-law. Therefore, before dinner is served, with everyone already seated at the table, he begins his speech.

"Mr. Huerta, you have been like a second father to me my whole life, some of my earliest memories are running through the equipment in your car workshop when I was so little that you could lift me up with only one arm. Because I've known you and Melissa my whole life and because you know me so well and know that I'm the only person who will love your daughter with as much love and care as you do, I humbly ask you to her hand in marriage." Concludes the young man, his voice trembling with anxiety and expectation as he faces the serious face of the father of the woman he loved. Only to see that face break into a bright smile.

"It's about time, boy! I thought you two would never give me grandchildren. You know I always wanted a big family! Of course you have my acceptance and my blessing. And, I ask this even though I know the answer in advance Is this what you want, Mel?" Diego concludes with a voice as shaky as his future son-in-law's, looking adoringly at his daughter. Which in turn opened a smile as bright as his father's.

"Si, papá. It's all I want in the world!"

"So let's toast to the beginning of a new family" Said a proud Diego raising a glass and being followed by his daughter and son-in-law.

.....

The following morning, Diego Huerta watched through the window with a smile on his face at his daughter and son-in-law, whom he loved as if he was his son, thinking that finally his family would grow the way he always wanted.

Possessing an enviable physique and a handsome face, maybe he could finally get back on the market, he thought, with the image of a specific woman coming to mind. As he absently held a small metallic disk in his hand.

....

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, in the same St. James as the Reality Warper's new journey began, another young man glared at his car, unaware that very soon his history would also be permanently altered...

...

#reality change #mind change #male tf #race change #cultural change

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 2 months ago

Text

Mike Luckovich

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

September 30, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Oct 01, 2024

One hundred years ago tomorrow, former president Jimmy Carter arrived in the world in Plains, Georgia. According to the Atlanta Constitution of that date, he arrived just after the worst wind and rainstorm of the year passed off to sea. His home state of Georgia, along with North Carolina and Virginia, sustained significant damage, with railroad tracks and bridges washed out, crops damaged, and at least seven lives lost.

Today, almost a hundred years later, the destruction from Hurricane Helene continues to mount. At least 128 people have died in six states, and many more remain unaccounted for. Roads remain closed, and power is still off for more than 2 million people. In remarks to reporters today, President Joe Biden called the damage “stunning” and explained that the federal government is providing all the support it can. He noted that federal help was on the ground before the storm and when asked if there were more the government could be doing, answered no and explained that the administration had “preplanned a significant amount of it, even though they…hadn’t asked for it yet.”

Biden said this morning he will not tour the damaged areas until his presence will not disrupt emergency response operations. This afternoon, he said he would travel to North Carolina on Wednesday for a briefing and an aerial tour of Asheville, after ensuring the travel “will not disrupt the ongoing response.” He has also said he may have to ask Congress to come back into session before its mid-November return date to pass a supplemental spending bill. Punchbowl News political reporter Melanie Zanona noted that Congress left disaster aid out of the short-term continuing resolution to fund the government it passed before leaving town.

And yet, the hurricane has become the latest topic of disinformation for MAGA Republicans. Social media today is full of accounts claiming that the federal government is not responding to the crisis in western North Carolina because it prefers to spend money in Ukraine and on undocumented immigrants. Newsmax host Todd Starnes claimed that FEMA’s “top priority is not disaster relief” but to push diversity, equity and inclusion. “So, unless you’ve got your preferred pronouns spraypainted on the side of your submerged house—you won’t get a penny from Uncle Sam. Western North Carolina is just too Conservative and too Caucasian for FEMA to care.” The House Judiciary Committee posted that “Joe Biden was at the beach.”

These posts echo Russian disinformation, and Trump was on board with it. Touring Valdosta, Georgia, today, as a private citizen where people are still without power amidst the devastation, Trump said he had spoken to Elon Musk to get his Starlink satellites into North Carolina; FEMA has already provided 40 of the systems to North Carolina. He claimed that Georgia governor Brian Kemp is “having a hard time getting the president on the phone. They’re being very non-responsive.”

Kemp himself told reporters that Biden had called yesterday. “And he just said, ‘Hey, what do you need?’” Kemp told him, “We got what we need, we’ll work through the federal process. He offered that if there’s other things that we need just to call him directly, which I appreciate that.” South Carolina governor Henry McMaster, a Republican, called it “a great team effort…the federal government is helping us well, they’re embedded with us. There is no asset out there that we haven’t already accessed.”

Republican governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin told reporters that he was “incredibly appreciative of the rapid response and cooperation from the federal team at FEMA.” Asheville, North Carolina, mayor Esther Manheimer told CNBC “We have support from outside organizations, other fire departments sending us resources, the federal government as well. So it's all-hands-on-deck, and it is a well-coordinated effort, but it is so enormous….”

FEMA spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg responded to a post claiming that FEMA was refusing to help certain Americans, saying: “This is a lie. We help all people regardless of background as fast as possible before, during and after disasters. That is our mission and that is our focus.”

In contrast, numerous posters today noted that Trump repeatedly withheld federal aid from Democratic governors—including that of North Carolina—after disasters in their states. After the Trump campaign organized a fundraiser for victims of the hurricane, David Frum of The Atlantic reminded readers that in 2019, Trump was fined $2 million and three of his children were ordered to take classes as a penalty for taking for their own use funds from charities they ran.

When a reporter asked President Biden and Democratic North Carolina governor Roy Cooper to respond to Trump’s accusation that they are ignoring the disaster, Biden responded: “He's lying. And the governor told him he was lying…. I've spoken to the governor, spent time with him…. I don't know why he does this. And the reason I get so angry about it, I don't care about what he says about me, but I care what he communicates to the people that are in need. He implies that we're not doing everything possible. We are…. I assume you heard the Republican Governor of Georgia talk about that he was on the phone with me more than once. So that's simply not true. And it's irresponsible.”

Economist Paul Krugman noted: “We’ve all become desensitized, but it’s amazing how at this point the Trump campaign rests entirely on denouncing things that aren’t happening—[an] imaginary bad economy, imaginary runaway crime and now an imaginary failure of Biden and Harris to respond to natural disaster.”

In Florida, though, Governor Ron DeSantis says his state does not need more federal help. “We have it handled,” he said. DeSantis might be eager to downplay the damage to the state in part because in May he joined other Republican leaders in an attack on Biden’s actions to address climate change.

DeSantis signed into law a new Florida measure that erased any references to climate change in state law, where they had been included in a 2008 climate change and renewable energy package then backed by the state’s Republicans. The new law prohibited cities and counties from approving restrictions on energy policy, relaxed regulations on natural gas pipelines, and state and local governments from taking environmental concerns into consideration in their investing policies. DeSantis also rejected more than $350 million in federal funding for initiatives to promote energy efficiency, and $320 million for reducing vehicle emissions.

Like DeSantis, the authors of Project 2025 claim that those working to address climate change are part of “the climate change alarm industry,” which is “harmful to future U.S. prosperity.”

In fact, the U.S. economy is booming in part thanks to the climate change initiatives begun under the Inflation Reduction Act, which have prompted both domestic and foreign investment in alternative technologies. Biden approached the need to address climate change as an opportunity to create good jobs, including union jobs, in the United States.

With those investments, economist Mark Zandi wrote yesterday that the U.S. economy is one of the best performing economies in the past 35 years. “Economic growth is rip-roaring, with real GDP up 3% over the past year. Unemployment is low at near 4%, consistent with full employment. Inflation is fast closing in on Fed’s 2% target—grocery prices, rents and gas prices are flat to down over the past more than a year. Households’ financial obligations are light, and set to get lighter with the Fed cutting rates. House prices have never been higher, and most homeowners have more equity in their homes than ever. Corporate profits are robust, and the stock market is hitting a record high on a seemingly daily basis.”

Zandi noted that there are “blemishes.” Lower-income households are struggling, there is a shortage of affordable housing, and the government is running large budget deficits. As always, things could change quickly. “But in my time as an economist,” he wrote, “the economy has rarely looked better.”

North Georgia, the area represented by MAGA Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, is one of the areas that has been revitalized with new solar panel manufacturing funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. Yet Phil Mattingly and Andrew Seger of CNN reported on Friday, September 27, that while voters there like the strong economy, in this year’s election they say they still plan to back Trump, who has called Biden’s green energy initiatives a “scam” and vowed to claw back any money still unspent from the Inflation Reduction Act.

Aaron Zitner, Jon Kamp, and Brian McGill of the Wall Street Journal today called attention to this paradox, that people in counties that vote for Trump are significantly more likely than those that vote for Democrats to rely on federal government funding. This is in part because they are older and thus receive Social Security and Medicare, and in part because they live in areas hollowed out when industries there left. These are the areas the Biden-Harris administration have targeted for investment.

The authors note that these government-funded pro-Trump counties are clustered in the swing states that will decide the election. About 70% of the counties in Michigan, Georgia, and North Carolina rely significantly on government income. So do nearly 60% of the counties in Pennsylvania.

In other news today, in Georgia, Fulton County Superior Court judge Robert McBurney struck down the state’s six-week abortion ban, which prohibited abortions before many women know they’re pregnant, as unconstitutional. A government investigation recently showed that two Georgia women died after being unable to obtain abortion care in the state shortly after Georgia’s ban went into effect.

In a searing 26-page decision, the Republican-appointed judge wrote that the state cannot force a woman to carry a fetus that cannot live on its own. “Women are not some piece of collectively owned community property the disposition of which is decided by majority vote. Forcing a woman to carry an unwanted, not-yet-viable fetus to term violates her constitutional rights to liberty and privacy.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Mike Luckovich #Letters From An American #Heather Cox Richardson #election 2024 #Judge Robert McBurney #women #women's rights #reproductive rights #Georgia #hurricane #Jimmy Carter #the US Economy #DeSantis #FEMA #disaster relief

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misfitwashere · 2 months ago

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A variety of subjects

September 30, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

OCT 1

Like DeSantis, the authors of Project 2025 claim that those working to address climate change are part of “the climate change alarm industry,” which is “harmful to future U.S. prosperity.”

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#heather cox richardson #letters from an american

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naminethewriter · 1 month ago

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What story do you have backstory that no-one seems to ask about? I want to hear it all!

Oh Edu, that's a can of worms you're attempting to open 😂 I basically never get asked about backstories to my stuff, so I'll see what I've published so far and what I remember of those. I might have talked about some of these things before but for most of them it's been so long, I don't really remember 😅

Let's start with my first Sanders Sides Gift X-Change story His Brother's Wedding. It's a Romile story, my first and only for that ship, and I had a lot more ideas for the AU then I got around to, both because of procrastination and other story ideas. Coincidentally, as I saw in my notes, I did plan to add Lilith to this one as well! Emile is in town to help his grandmother with her flower shop and he's taking a break from his psychology degree to do so. Roman on the other hand is working in Remus' tattoo parlor, though he actually wanted to be an actor and was in Los Angeles for a year or two trying to get into the industry but he failed. He hasn't given up on his dream yet though! As for the other sides that weren't mentioned in the fic, Patton is Emile's cousin who lives in town and is otherwise the one who checks in on Granny Maggie the most. Virgil is his best friend. Janus is Remus' best friend from their school days and he'll be Logan's best man since Roman will be Remus'. Lilith is a distant relative of Remus' landlords, an elderly couple that adore him and see him as their son to a degree. Lilith is spending her summer vacation in town and bonds with Remus, even becoming the flower girl at his wedding.

I might still return to this AU someday, but it's not very high on my priority list...

Second, let's return to Between Two Lives, which I wrote for Intrulogical Week 2 years ago. I don't actually have a lot of extra info about my future plans for that AU written down, but from what I remember some background stuff that might come up is that Janus always has been a demon and he is the reason why Remus became one too. Roman arrived in the afterlife after Remus and while Remus couldn't be there to greet him as soon as he died, he visited him as soon as he could. Roman did think about reincarnating for a bit but decided against it in the end, becoming an angel instead. Patton is one of the first soul to ever become an angel, as in human souls transformed to be an angel. Virgil is a spirit of death that guides souls to the afterlife.

The one one shot I wrote for a ship week that I'm really proud of and that didn't get much attention is Cursed Woods. I really like the vibe I created with it and while I don't have the backstory for it entirely figured out, I can say that Janus is not trapped in there maliciously. In fact he made that choice himself, even if he doesn't remember it. Roman on the other hand was betrayed by someone he trusted and banished. It will be a struggle for him to rebuild his position once he gets back.

Lastly (for now), let's talk about the story I gifted to you: You're Not Alone. As is very clear in the story, Logan was raised by a single mother, but Janus and Remus both have loving parents who all made it their mission to give Logan all the parental love he missed out on. Remus and Roman's parents are immigrants from Germany and they were with the twins on their Christmas trip though they stayed longer and will only come back in the new year. Janus' parents live a state or two away but they will come around before the year ends. They're a bit hippy like and like traveling a lot. Patton, Roman and Virgil are in a QPR, though only Roman is aromantic so Patton and Virgil are dating.

That's all I have right now and a lot of this is more me making up stuff on the spot than actual notes I made but all of these stories have a place in my heart and I could spin more out of them if I wanted to. But there are other projects I feel more connected to. For now at least 😉

Thank you for the ask, even if it took me a bit to get to it 🤭

#ask game #ask answered #edupunkn00b #backstories #His Brother's Wedding #Between Two Lives #Cursed Woods #You're Not Alone #additional tidbits

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beardedmrbean · 4 months ago

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A new lawsuit from a local conservative group seeks to force election officials in Arizona's most populous county to take extra steps to verify the citizenship status of about 26,000 voters.

The suit, filed against Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer by Trump-aligned America First Legal on behalf of Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona, is the latest in a series of legal challenges regarding voters who register to cast ballots in federal races without providing documentary proof of citizenship. It comes weeks after the law group sent out demand letters to counties statewide and hits during a key period for voter registration before the high-stakes presidential election in November.

Nationwide, registration forms generally require voters to attest that they are American citizens. Voters do so under the penalty of perjury, meaning they can be held criminally liable if they are found to have provided false information. But Arizona also requires voters to hand over a birth certificate, a passport or one of a handful of other documents proving their citizenship.

Of the state's 4.1 million registered voters, about 42,000 haven't provided that proof, creating a unique, two-track system. Federal courts have repeatedly ruled that state lawmakers can block voters who have not shown citizenship documents from participating in state and local races, but must allow so-called "federal-only voters" to cast ballots in federal contests. That includes the upcoming presidential race, U.S. Senate contest and congressional matchups.

These voters still go through checks.

State law mandates that county recorders "use all available resources to verify the citizenship status" of those registering to vote, including checking the citizenship status of federal-only voters against an immigration status verification service provided by the Department of Homeland Security when practicable. That system requires specific identification numbers that county officials don't have for every federal-only voter.

Voter rolls are also routinely checked with information from the U.S. Social Security Administration, the U.S. Postal Service, the Arizona Department of Health Services, the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Maricopa County Jury Commissioner’s Office.

But attorneys with America First Legal said that isn't enough and raised concerns about growing numbers of federal-only voters in recent months. Their suit accuses Richer of failing to perform required voter list maintenance — a claim his office denies.The lawyers say county officials should take extra steps to verify the citizenship of federal-only voters, such as directly requesting citizenship information from the Department of Homeland Security under provisions of federal codes that requires government entities to exchange information about a person's citizenship status for purposes mandated in law.

"This lawsuit seeks to restore public trust in our State’s electoral system by holding Recorder Richer accountable for his failures and to ensure that the list maintenance required by the law — and common sense — is performed," the suit reads.

Sierra Ciaramella, a spokesperson for the Maricopa County Recorder's Office, said the agency maintains "accurate, up-to-date voter rolls."

"Under Recorder Stephen Richer, voter list maintenance has remained a top priority, removing more than 400,000 voters from the rolls since January 2021," she said. "As an administrative office, we will continue to follow the letter of the law."

Ahead of election, conservatives raise concerns about federal-only voters

The lawsuit against Maricopa County comes on the heels of several dizzying swerves in an ongoing legal appeal that ultimately aims to require all Arizona voters to show proof of citizenship to register to vote.

The appeal, brought by GOP legislative leaders and national Republicans, challenged a federal judge's decision to block portions of two laws passed in 2022. Last month, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily stayed that decision and said voters registering on state forms could see their applications rejected for not providing proof of citizenship. The court determined voters could continue to register to vote in federal races if they used federal voter registration forms.

It then swiftly reversed its decision, ruling last week that Arizonans would again be allowed to register to vote in federal races with state forms without having to prove citizenship. Republican officials have since vowed to seek an emergency stay from the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ciaramella said at least 200 voter registration requests were rejected in the time period between the two court decisions. She said the most recent ruling didn't include a retroactive reconsideration of those registration attempts, but county officials are in the process of sending letters to rejected voters informing them of the new ruling and how they can register to vote.

#nunyas news #ugh

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going-to-ikea-for-the-fries · 8 months ago

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WIP List

It's finally TIME for me to make one of these because I'm very excited about the things I'm working on/planning.

I'll update this page basically every day! Come back often!

A reminder:

LEGEND

👀 -> Coming out soon!!! (current Priority!) 🏃‍♀️ -> Rushing to complete (very excited/passionate!) 🙏 -> Please be patient, I'll get there eventually (need inspo/research/be in the mood) 🫶 -> Stuff I'm writing in my own time and have no timeline to post.

ASKS

🙏 American Dream (shitty husband!Graves x Immigrant!Wife)

🙏 Coming out as Genderfluid x 141.

👀 Portuguese!Reader x Poly!141

👀 Genderbent!141 HCs

👀 First Date! w/ Dad!141

DRAFTS

🙏 It's a Match! - Chapter 34

🏃‍♀️ WW2!141 x MI6!Spy!Reader

👀 "Ghostbuster" - Serial Killer fic (Part 2)

🙏 "Don't cry." - Nikto fic (Part 2)

👀 Dad!Price x Child Tutor!Reader

🏃‍♀️Something with Soap ;)

OTHER BRAINROT

🫶 Hospital Benefactor!Ghost x Nurse!Reader

🫶 After MW3!Amnesia!Johnny x Florist!Reader

#blog housekeeping #ikea is a busy woman

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sk-lumen · 11 months ago

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Im a 20year old immigrant who moved independently for uni to the Uk at 17. After, I started working and met someone long distance who I felll in love with and after things went bad, I went into a streak of depressive phase and chasing cheap dopamine. We have come back to one another multiple times but he stands on the notion that we are too young and he doesn’t want us to impress the effort meant for our career into a relationship but it was something I was willing to do. It seems like a silly excuse and although I know I want to move on but a voice in my head says what if he’s ready to try again and put in the required effort tomorrow? Also, it’s been more than a year x. Help meee

Hi darling, This is a truth that you're yet young to believe, but experience proves it to be a fact with time: when a person shows you, even better, tells you, that he doesn't want to be with you... believe him! And stop trying to "fix" him! He's literally telling you his priorities and feelings. He's not interested. If he wanted to, he would. It's that simple. It's not your job to psychoanalyze him and create a strategy to "win his heart" back.

As women, we don't chase, and we don't take sloppy seconds, and we're not in beggar or mother theresa energy. We are in receiving energy, knowing that what's meant for us will find us. The right, healthy relationship won't require you to sacrifice yourself, or bend over backwards in order to be chosen. I know it's tempting to do anything to be "chosen", but that's operating on scarcity mindset, and from a survival mode.

I promise you, a real man that cares about you will show and tell you that he wants you and he will actively fight for you and your relationship.

For heaven's sake, don't waste your most precious years fretting and chasing unavailable people! That's one advice I would've loved to receive when I was in your position. Instead, decide what you want, maintain high standards, and in the meanwhile focus on your self improvement (develop hobbies, follow your passions, educate yourself, read books, try new sports, etc). The right one will come along at the right time.

But chasing unavailable people will only keep you in a pattern of your love interest running away from you (energetically, that's the dynamic you're volunteering for - you can't chase unless the other is running), and validating your toxic belief that you're not worthy of love or being chosen. Get off the hamsterwheel altogether. You can either do it in your 20s, or you can waste another 10, 20+ years on toxic dating until you're fed up and decide you deserve better - your choice.

Hope this helps. 🕊

Much love,

-Lumen

#relationship advice #toxic relationships #high value woman #growth mindset #confidence #self esteem #ask

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