#op this is truly a chief kiss

[rhosgobelbun]

sorry I can't hear anyone over how loud baby boy steves' big wet begging eyes are, with how pink and soft his bottom lip gets when steve nervously nibbles on it because he thinks eddie might be flirting with him and he thinks he maybe likes it a lot?? cant hear you over how long and thick his hair that's perfect for pulling and petting is, and how hes all confident and chill with women but would probably blush and stutter and become a nervous wreck the second robin confirms that eddie is flirting with him.

i refuse to listen to anyone who saw steve in that scoops ahoy uniform and thinks eddie wouldn't of taken one look at him in all of that tight blue bubble butt glory and wouldn't of automatically tripped on thin air, landing flat on his back RIGHT BEHIND where steve was leaning over to wipe down tables.

I can imagin steve would turn to look down at him in worry asking, "holy shit dude, you ok??"

And it would practically be canon if trying but failing very hard to look away from those shorts that were hugging steves plump v noticeable assets, eddie answered, "fuck yeah im ok" without even thinking about it.

cue eddie changing steve's nick name King Steve into Baby Boy Queen Steve, steve having a bi-panic break down over it, robin having to constantly assure steve that yes, eddie totally wants to hit that, and me once again not listening to anyone who think steve isn't fucking baby boy

[suguru-getos]

| Itachi Uchiha x Reader | Grief |

Summary: Itachi’s s/o has finally awoken her Sharingan. As much as it’s an opening for visual prowess, it is also a room for grief.

Warnings: Mentions of massacre, blood, it’s the Ninja world come on :3; Itachi being… insane, mentions of comfort, unhinged Uchiha brr! Also, I wrote this one on this blog let me live 🥹 not beta’d.

Despite being from the esteemed, established Uchiha clan, the unmatched Kekkei Genkai weilders, you were deemed ‘safe’ from the cursed anomalies of this world. Sometimes you felt like a disgrace, when you saw younglings flash their Sharingan and Kunais, train with all their might and wits to be a remarkable Shinobi. Then, there was you, physically strong, knew Taijutsu, but nothing much apart from that. What truly was the salt in your open gash wounds were you being the sister of Shisui Uchiha. The teleporter, the powerful, renounced Ninja.

That also meant that you knew Itachi and Sasuke ever since you were a child. Itachi was three years older than you. Sasuke being two years younger. Being the middleman, you always spent time with Sasuke rather than Itachi. The latter being too engraved in his training, Hell he was the chief of Anbu Black Ops when he was 12.

You remember 9 years old you, walking upto Itachi, noticing his Sharingan, gleaming with pride. “Congratulations Itachi! You are so powerful,” you grinned, flicking his forehead softly. “So proud of you, keep protecting us yeah?” You brought him Dangos, watching him take them and bowing down to you as a token of thanks. “Thank you, y/n san.”

Itachi— always the respectful and distant one. You wouldn’t be lying if you confessed that there had been days when you bitched about his stoic behavior with his younger brother. Sometimes Itachi was just too much to handle. Too much to take in.

You had no idea how things twisted and turned, how your visits collided with his, how you two started talking more. Enough to deem everyone else’s presence as unfit. Things seemed sudden and yet, took enough time to root deep within, creating a stellar foundation between you & the Uchiha. There was no resistance from Mikoto or Fugaku. Kagami had always been the liberal one. Who else was left really? Shisui? He couldn’t really mind you getting close to his best friend.

Itachi was shy yet brave enough to take the first move, ask you out several times to go get Dango together, sitting by the lake and enjoying it. Not his problem that you couldn’t take it as a date! He was trying his best!

Hell, how you and Itachi really, really got together? That story needs a meticulous elaboration in itself. As a summary, let’s just say the Uchiha are a jealous, territorial, intense-emotion honers.

Having faced several instances in your now adulthood with the Uchiha, where you had been crying on his chest about not having a Sharingan. About not worthy of carrying the Uchiha name, you were slowly getting comfortable with the whole thing.

“Sssh~ stop shedding tears, my love. You have no idea, how gleeful it makes me,” Itachi cupped your face, kissing your tears away. “That you aren’t tainted, traumatized by the filth of this Shinobi world,”

Itachi meant every word he said. There was a carnal desire to protect you from all things bad instilled in him. Instilled in the very marrow of his bones. Often he has caught himself pondering about how he would lose a part of his sanity if something were to happen to you. If something as meagre as a wound makes him so worried; he can’t bring himself to imagine the wrath he would unleash if something were to…

It was nothing more than an escorting mission, something that you could carry out easily given you are to traverse through the Hidden Sand village. Nothing stressful was going to happen. Nothing that you could expect.

No one would’ve expected an assassination of your team mates, full scale on spot death taken by. No one would’ve expected ‘you’ to come out unscathed because of the cursed boon that ringed into the pupil of your eyes, shining red, thirsty for blood.

It happened before you could register anything, the mission was successful having you saving the host, passing out the very next moment.

When you woke up, you felt different, you felt disgusted, you felt like burning yourself alive. The gory, grotesque scenary of your comrades being stabbed, broken into pieces, dead. Kept replaying over and over and over.

Being still within the fourwalls of The Hidden Sand’s medical room, you gasped out, screaming loud enough for the room to vibrate.

It was then, that you saw a familiar face, rushing towards you. Worry & regret written all over him, his arms carefully snugging you close, making you listen to his heartbeat; which was also haywired.

“Sssh~ there there, it’s all okay. Breathe for me. I’m here, everything is fine and I’m here. I’m here for you Angel, please calm down,” your sobs only heard his soft cooes, his hands rubbing your back soothingly.

Then your tear prickled eyes, stained with grief met his. One tomoe Sharingan glazing against Itachi’s black eyed features. Itachi suspected it, how else were you able to finish the mission? What he didn’t expect was him feeling your grief as well.

“I’m sorry-” He managed to utter with a lost, defeated sigh. Eyes glossed up, gritted teeth at his abstinent belief to think you were fine. Careless, foolish— belief.

“It’s okay,” you managed to mumble, holding his now cold, hands in your warmth. “It’s okay Itachi, how long could you have stopped it anyway,” you leaned against his chest, hugging him tightly, wanting to be broken apart by nothing but his embrace alone.

Itachi hugged you through the whole night, not saying anything else. Kissing the crown of your head, kissing your fingers, your inner wrist, cherishing every single square inch of your body.

The soothing comfort oozing out of your lover lulled you into your sleep, eyelids drooping down into nothingness. Or maybe, just maybe it was his Genjutsu. He swears by it not to use it on you, because it induces headaches. But this time… it maybe was different.

Itachi’s pupils were finally shot open, his Mangekyo blazing in revenge. Let’s just say, the Bandit clan that caused this mishap on your way to the Hidden Sand had a thousand members, women, children. All unspared, all despicable, all worthless & useless.

Itachi had only one trail of logic, they were all future criminals if not present, the women are ill born and gave birth to those future criminals, the men have their hands stained by blood already. War is the masterpiece of havoc seen by Itachi; to protect his own, to save another war happening, he is just eliminating another threat.

That was the only trail in his mind when he massacred each and every single one of them. Eradicating their blood line from the land, blood stained all over his face. He knew the real reason isn’t war, isn’t the logic that he built up. The real reason was your Sharingan.

Your newly awoken Sharingan needed a sacrifice, it only deemed fit after you lost your innocence, after you were drilled with grief.

Maybe you will wake up and hate Itachi, to be a Shinobi is to be hated after all. Maybe he will hide it from you. Maybe he will confess. All of that can be handled later.

[lorenzobane]

Oh! It's evil author day. Have some of my Sweet Home Alabama!Garashir AU.

Summary: Chief Medical Officer Julian Bashir suddenly finds himself engaged to his new partner, Ezri Dax. Normally that would be a cause for celebration... Except for one minor detail. Technically, Julian is still married to someone else. A certain Mr. Elim Garak.

-----

Julian wakes up smiling as a series of sweet kisses pepper down his neck, and he squirms happily into his bedding to enjoy both sensations a bit longer. 

“It’s time to wake up,” an amused, sweet voice says, and he smiles unconsciously. 

“Five more minutes?” He asks, turning slightly so he can face the other body in his bed more easily. 

“You,” Ezri replies, her messy black hair spilling in every direction, “will be late. How did you make it to anything on time without me?” 

Julian grins more broadly. “I truly cannot remember now.” 

She smiles and flings blankets at his face. “Get up. I want breakfast before the staff meeting.” 

They go to ops together, hands lazily intertwined as they reach. Ezri breaks off before he gets to the senior staff meeting- without the war and Sisko, she is no longer technically considered Senior Staff. 

He greets everyone else at the table and nods jauntily at Kira. 

“You seem happy this morning, Julian,” Nerys says. 

“You make it sound so unusual,” Julian replies. 

She rolls her eyes and starts the meeting, and Julian opens his spreadsheets to his staffing needs and inventory. The rest of the staff circles around and discusses their weekly needs and inventory requirements- Julian makes sure to request more general analgesics, and they’re free to go. 

Thank god because he has something to talk to Kira about. 

“Nerys,” Julian calls as she starts to walk out of the room. 

She turns around, and Julian is struck by how much calmer she is and more content and in command of herself. She is a wonderful person and an even better friend. Which is why– 

“I have something to tell you!” 

“Well?” She replies, amused. 

“Well…” He trails off. “Well! I’m going to ask Ezri to marry me.” 

“Marry… you…” Kira repeats. “Julian! That’s… Wonderful! Truly, I’m very happy for you. But, well, are you sure? This is pretty sudden. You’ve only been dating for six months.”

Julian smiles softly, “when you know! Besides, I feel very calm around her. Content. I never feel too much of anything.” 

“And that’s a… Good thing?” Nerys asks. 

“Yes! Goodness, you of all people should know how, well, I can be a bit too much. And this relationship and Ezri are really helping. Of course, I love her too. Obviously. She’s remarkable.” 

“Well, in that case,” Nerys starts, though her smile seems forced, “I give you my blessing if that’s why you’re here.”

Julian laughs. “No! I want you to perform the ceremony. Though I am happy that you approve.”

“She’s already said yes?” Nerys asks, raising an eyebrow.

Julian smiles a bit sheepishly and says, “not just yet, but I’m confident!” 

She looks at him, exasperated and amused. “If she says yes, then, of course, I will.” 

Julian is practically walking on air for the rest of his shift, cheerfully blazing through bodily fluids and unhappy parents and research. He’s booked Ezri’s favorite holoprogram of a hike on Trill and asked Quark to pack a picnic with her favorite spring wine. He knows he’s vibrating by the end of his shift. Julian had come close to proposing once, with Palis on Earth, and he had planned it. 

But this is different, adult. 

He’s still lightly whistling when he realizes that he hasn’t talked to Miles today. Even though his shift is technically over, he jumps into his office in the infirmary and pulls up Miles O’Brien on the comm. 

“Julian?” Miles asks, a bit groggy. Oops, Julian forgot to consider the time difference in his excitement. 

“Miles! Sorry to wake you, I just… You know how I mentioned I was proposing to Ezri last week?” 

“Yes?” Miles says, a bit suspicious. 

“Well! That day has come; it’s today! I was hoping you could wish me luck.” 

Miles rubs his eyes but smiles. “I’m happy for you, Julian. Now, if you could save your good news for a time o’ day that isn’t the middle of the night, I’d also appreciate that.” 

Julian chuckles, letting Miles’ rough voice coast over him. “Sorry again. I’ll let you know what happens after dinner. Sleep well.” 

“Blood–” Then Miles stops suddenly and shakes himself. “Julian, really. I am happy for you. You’ve been lonely a long time, and Ezri’s a good girl. You could do a lot worse.” 

“Not sure I could do better, actually,” Julian replies, feeling quite warm. 

Miles chuckles at that. “Damn straight. Now, good luck! Once more unto the breach, and all that.” 

Julian shakes his head fondly and cuts the line. He looks at the time and sees he has just enough to get ready and meet her at the holosuite, which he does. He forcibly keeps down his anxiety and levels his pulse. 

He idly wonders how people without control over their nervous system manage to do this without fainting. 

“--And then Lieutenant Perfect tells me that I’ve misfiled my form,” Ezri continues as she leads him up the path. “It's not my fault that a genetically modified super genius designed the filing system for the medical department!” 

“Complaining about the boss?” Julian asks playfully. “I’ll have you know that my filing system is the envy of all. Just last month, Dr. Crusher visited and was in awe. Asked me to walk her through my file naming conventions.” 

Ezri rolls her eyes. “She only did that because she feels bad about sleeping with you when she was your medical ethics professor.” 

Julian huffs. “Unfair! You only know that because I told Jadzia!” 

Ezri’s face crinkles sweetly as she laughs at him, and Julian lets the sound fill his mind. As they crest the hike's summit, Julian takes a deep breath. The stunning natural beauty of the Trill homeworld is spilling out all around them. It’s perfect. 

Slowly, he approaches Ezri, still facing the remarkable vista, and lowers himself onto one knee. He knows that this is a human marriage custom that Ezri will recognize, and she had mentioned previously that she did not want a traditional Trill proposal. 

“Julian!” She says, still gazing out. “Look at–” 

Her eyes go wide as she sees him kneeling there, a small velvet box in his hand. 

“Julian– are you?” 

“Ezri,” he starts after a deep breath. “I know this might seem quick, but I don’t know if I’ve ever felt this calm around another person in my entire life. You make me happy, and I would like to spend the rest of my life making you happy. So, Ezri Tigan Dax,” he makes sure to include her pre-joined last name, “will you–” 

“Yes!” She cries, flinging herself at him.

“Marry me?” He finishes with a laugh, wrapping an arm around her and inhaling deeply. 

“Oh, yes,” she replies. Her stunning blue eyes are awash with tears, and her smile is so bright that he thinks he just might match it. 

He carefully pulls the necklace out of the box, explaining, “you work a lot with your hands. I didn’t want it to get caught on anything.” 

“Oh, Julian,” she breathes, “it’s beautiful.” 

And Julian Bashir is confident, at that moment, that nothing could bring him down. 

—---

“What the hell do you mean?” Julian barks, not quite able to help but glare at Kira, who looks like she’s going to laugh. 

“I mean, you can’t get married, Julian. You already are married.” 

Julian looks frantically over at Ezri, whose face is frozen and unreadable. “Ezri, I swear, I have no clue what she is talking about.” 

“I mean, you’re–” 

“How can I possibly be married? You’d think I’d remember a little something like that, given my perfect memory.” 

“I guess not that perfect, Julian. Because you got married about two years ago.” 

“What?” Julian replies, even more baffled now. “On the station? To who?” 

Kira is fully chuckling now, but Ezri seems to have thawed. 

“Remember that one mission where you and Garak went to Alpha Sigma IV?” 

“Yes?” Julian answers cautiously. 

“Well, it appears you got married there.”

[gertlushgaming]

Sakeworld Review (PlayStation 5)

 For this Sakeworld Review, where Something ain’t right in La Brea – punks everywhere who got no respect for anyone or anything. But the more I fight ‘em off, the weirder things get. Am I tripping, or is that dude some kind of rabbit man? Welcome to Sakeworld, a beat ‘em up where rappers fight punks and aliens to keep the streets safe. Play as Rappers Trippie Redd, Chief Keef, D Savage, Rucci, or Yung Bans to save Earth. Featuring the late Jack Phoenix’s hand-drawn art, intense fighting, a fire MP3 Player, and some funny $3it… Sakeworld’s like nothing you’ve ever played before!

Sakeworld Review Pros:

- Decent hand-drawn graphics. - 670.4MB download size. - Platinum trophy. - Own in-game achievements. - Optional tutorial. - Side scroller beat 'em up gameplay. - Two game modes - boss rush, and new game/continue. - Five characters each with a unique ability and damage/charge rate stats - D Savage, Chief Keef, Trippie Redd, Rucci, and Young bans. - Three difficulties - Easy, normal, and hard. - 2.5D perspective. - Break items like crates and bins to get drops and food for health. - Fast-paced combat. - Comic book-style shout-outs for in-game conversations. - Power-ups vary from calling in a dog or a plague doctor to fire and Super punches. - Big boss encounters. - On the character select you get a brief description of each rapper. - The score is achieved by fighting and collecting items, your current rank is shown, and how close you are to the next one. - Local leaderboards for both modes and each difficulty. - Health bar system with food to replenish. - The art is crazy good and sets the theme. - Hip-hop themed from the atmosphere to the music and menus. - The weapon wheel allows you to quickly swap between them, drop them, and go back to just fists and kicks. - MP3 allows you to listen to brilliant soundtracks, sort/filter, and make up a favorite list. - Each stage has three objectives that earn stars and the time and score go to the rank. - Cops will drop health items for you. - Kiss females, that's it. - Some truly whacky levels and enemies like aliens and stoners. - Bonus levels can be found for more cash and score. - Hitting enemies causes cash to fly out. - Game over will trigger a random mini-game that allows you to try and win back a continuation. Sakeworld Review Cons: - Had the tutorial glitch out a few times and I died on the text pop-up screen. - Takes a bit of getting used to weapon management. - Dealing with a group of enemies can be tough at times. - Every level plays the same from the cops mid-way, the cars you need to blow up, to the boss at the end. - The music repeats far too often and any tracks without words are dull. - Very repetitive. - The trophies are stingy and take way too long with most of them being that you need to complete the game on all difficulties with all characters. - No replay value. - Last track of the story. - No real voice work. - Doesn't have online leaderboards. - Spomgey boss fights. - Doesn't really have much variety. - Having crates just spawn in front of you all the time kind of Ruins the fun. - It's more about power-ups and guns rather than fighting. - Can be hard to make out who is an enemy and who is just a bystander. Related Post: Tiny Troopers Global Ops Review (PlayStation 5) Sakeworld: Official website. Developer: Sake  Publisher: Sake  Store Links -  PlayStation Read the full article

[tooweirdforyou]

How The OP Boys Say “I Love You” To Their S/O

How You Know He Loves You- idk man

A/N : enjoy.

includes » Ace, Sabo, Luffy, law, Sanji, Zoro, Marco, Rosinante, Kid, Shanks, Mihawk, Katakuri, Izo, Koby, Cavendish,

Summary : the boys’ own way of saying “I love you”, with their own words and ways. Or, how you know he loves you.

? Wait did I do this before? I don’t even know. also these aren’t GREAT, but they aren’t HORRIBLE. Yk? Honestly tho, some of these seem like they’re all over the place, which yes, they might be. UGH IT WAS SO HARD THO.

-

Monkey D. Luffy

Luffy loves you like an adventure. Everything is new and always fun to try with him, and no matter what happens, you don’t ever regret it, because you’re doing it with him.

He’s persistent in staying with you everywhere, he wants to do everything with you. He tends to invite you ( by pulling your hand ) to do crazy things with him and away from the others so you’re alone.

He’s always showing off his skills and stupidity in order to make you laugh, because your smile is the best thing he’s ever seen and giggles are the beautiful sound he treasures.

His actions are genuine when he holds your hand and pulls you to his side all the time, with the warmest, loving grin.

Luffy always makes sure to remind you to never give up hope.

“Let’s go on an adventure together, [Name].”

-

Roronoa Zoro

Zoro loves you like you’re his one and only. No one has priority over you, ( except maybe Luffy ), and you will always be his, if you’ll let him.

Zoro is not a man of many words when it comes to his own emotions and feelings, so he shows it through his actions.

He always has an eye on you, so wherever you are is where he ‘sleeps’ so he can keep you close, his swords at his side to protect you from danger, ( but he knows you can handle yourself. )

Zoro is the perfect person to lend a comforting shoulder and ear. He will listen to every single one of your problems intently and if he can, will offer the best advice you’ll hear, even if it’s a bit harshly. However, whatever got you so down, Zoro will bring you back up.

Zoro is always reminding you that you are strong, no matter how tough things get.

“Oi, come take a nap with me. I could use a body pillow.”

-

Portgas D. Ace

Ace loves you like a gentleman, respecting boundaries, bowing to the elderly you pass by together and always ready to pick you up for your date at seven, bouquet of flowers in hand.

If Ace is good at anything, it’s knowing how to distract you with a good time. He knows the best way to bring a beautiful smile to your lips and can easily make sure to avoid the thoughts that brought you down in the first place.

He’ll share stories that will make you die of laughter or feel so wholesome that you literally melt at how sweet it is.

The few times he expresses and shares his insecurities to you, something he hides within him because he trusts you enough to do so. He loves your understanding and comfort for him.

Ace always reminds you that you’ll be okay, even at the worst times.

“You are the light of my life.”

-

Chief of Staff Sabo

Sabo loves you like a prince. He holds the door for you, takes your hand so you don’t fall, has the most charismatic smile on his face and is just so charming.

Sabo will remember the littlest things, the smallest details that you yourself don’t even know until he reminds you, and because of this, you are often gifted the most memorable and cherishing gifts, like the scarf you two bought for your perfect snowman, to the necklace you were staring a little too longingly at on display.

He’s always busy, but he doesn’t hesitate to drop whatever he has just for you. He will run through fire if it means you’ll stop crying or if you’ll be happy to see him. You are his lifeline, his soul, his love.

He may not know how to properly cheer you up like his brothers can, but he knows that he wants the best for you. If you need space, you got it. You need some tender loving cuddles and buckets of ice cream while watching Disney movies? Vanilla or chocolate ice cream?

Sabo reminds you that you deserve happiness and peace.

“Whenever you need me, I’ll be there.”

-

Trafalgar D. Water Law

Law loves you like you’re his savior, someone who’s always there during his time of need and insecurities, by his side when he needs you most.

He’s a little blunt and straightforward occasionally, but he’s honest somewhat. He won’t ever tell you his feelings until he deems it the right time, but you can tell he has feelings by the change in treatment.

He’ll keep you closer to him, making excuses by saying that he needs you to help him with the supply run, or that he needs your assistance with a particular menial task.

He’s awkward and shy about it at first but he cares and that’s all you need to know. Especially once you catch him during one of his weaker times, the anniversary of a particular someone rolling around, where he’s locked in his room. He needs you beside him, so please don’t leave him when he needs you.

Law reminds you that you are human, that it’s okay to be vulnerable.

“Just stay here with me.”

-

Vinsmoke Sanji

Sanji loves you like a god/goddess. He will treat you with the utmost respect and care and offers you everything you could possibly want or need, just say the word.

His genuine, endless daily compliments are given to you with pure love and passion, his daily refreshments and snacks to keep you energized and hydrated keeps an eye out for your health.

He makes sure you know the true meaning of flattery, chivalry and love, because that is all he can show you.

However, under that chivalrous exterior, is his calmer, understanding loving self, where he shows his true self and when he finally shares this side with you, where he holds his insecurities, it’s the true honor and love you can receive. And it’s even better, when you become the one who loves for him in return during this time.

Sanji reminds you that you deserve to be and are loved.

“You are my world, my everything.”

-

Marco The Phoenix

Marco loves you like a married couple who grew old together, still playing jokes and having fun to life’s fullest, no matter your age.

He’s constantly lecturing you for the smallest things repeatedly, since you always seem to forget. His lectures lack any annoyance or malice though, he’s just kind of done with you sometimes.

Nonetheless, he’s taking care of you more than you think, always the first one there whenever you need help. He’s always prepared for whatever you need so you don’t have to look for it and get worried.

He’s stern at times but he loves you more than you could ever know, often questioning himself whenever he’s beside you. He half-lidded eyes watching you with warmth and admiration because you always look so determined.

Marco always reminds you that you are free. To live life to its fullest and however you wish.

“Let me fly you to the moon.”

-

Donquixote Rosinante

Rosinante loves you like a husband, he treats you like his wife, either you or him welcoming each other home after being gone for so long and greeting each other with a loving kiss each time.

He knows just how tough things can be and as much as he tries to make things right, he knows how bad situations really are and no matter how much he wants to cry or get angry, he always holds a smile, in front of you. To assure you that things will be okay.

He gives the warmest hugs, and knows that, so whenever you’re angry or sad, or just randomly at times, Rosi envelops you into a large hug, waddling you back and forth a few times, you feel instant relief and content, which makes him smile.

His priority will always be you, even if he’s hundreds of thousands miles away, he will find his way back home to you. He surprises you with the littlest gifts; being flowers, jewelry, candles, or more.

Rosi will always remind you to smile, even during the hardest times.

“I will protect you.”

-

Eustass Kid

Kid loves you like a game, it’s unexpected, unpredictable of what will happen and it’s exciting and thrilling. For you both, one wrong move, and the other is gone for good, but perhaps, second chances/rematches are available.

He can be brash and a bit much, but Kid has high respect for anyone who actually makes it onto his crew and can actually tolerate him, you included.

He’s loud and wild but that only makes it part of the fun. With such a short fuse, as long as you play your cards right and pick your moments to bite back, it’s kind of fun knowing how dangerous it can be with a guy like Kid, and he also loves it equally, because your feistiness is attractive.

Being a bad bitch that doesn’t play by the rules is so incredibly attractive and Kid knows how to reward and punish so tread carefully. ;) however, he has his down moments and as annoying he can be, he does appreciate the effort you give if you try to comfort him. He’ll be harsh about it but eventually, he just wants you to be with him in the end.

Kid reminds you to rebel, take risks and enjoy the thrill of getting in dangerous situation every once in a while, breaking a few rules doesn’t hurt anybody. Most of the time.

“Don’t fucking ever leave me.. okay?”

-

Dracule Mihawk

Mihawk loves you like you’re an empress, only the finest and highest quality for you, nothing else can compare.

Mihawk will buy you the most expensive dress that suits you, with an equally expensive matching jewelry to go with. Not to mention the heels, and, tch, how could he forget the roses you require? Despicable.

As much as he loves to show you off, he despises the stares of awe and admiration you receive whenever you go out, so his possessiveness takes over and he has an arm around your waist at all times, successfully showing you’re taken and to back off if they don’t wish to be cut into oblivion.

He trains you to handle yourself, obviously, you should know at least some basic skills. He’s not too hard on you but does push you to keep going until you truly wish to stop. It’s only because he’s worried that one day, he won’t be there and won’t be able to protect you.

Mihawk reminds you that you are a queen/king, a strong person who shall hold your ground and never back down from fear and show your bravery.

“Come here, mi amor.”

-

Red Haired Shanks

Shanks loves you like you’re his future. It’s an unknown journey, but he’s there for the ride and whatever may happen, he’s there staying and won’t be going anywhere, unless it’s with you.

The red head is a goofball, he drinks, parties and messes around but he is an incredible captain and genuine to a fault. So when he expresses kindness, it is purely from his heart and not out of manners.

He is extremely playful and yet when down to business, he is calm, collected, and cool. He knows just what to say in tough situations and great comforting advice, so he’s the one to go to when you’re feeling down. And as laid back as he is, disrespect to those he loves is the one shit he won’t take.

He’ll hold you close and with his signature grin, compliment you and tell you how much he appreciates you and as soon as someone lays a finger on you, his hand is on the hilt of the sword and he waits three seconds for an explanation before he cuts them down. No one messes with his beloved.

Shanks reminds you of loyalty. To always protect and care for those close to you, and keep that built up trust and bond you created with them.

“Trust me. I won’t let go of you.”

-

Charlotte Katakuri

Katakuri loves you like you’re glass, he’s careful, protective, cautious and treats you like you’re fragile, because he’s afraid of hurting you.

He’s larger than most, he’s aware of that, so he always takes the precautions to be aware of his surroundings, especially when you are around. He wants you safe and he will be devastated if he is the cause of your pain.

His large stature is a blessing to you though, because cuddling is so comfortable and comforting, it’s amazing. You can curl up and relax and just be at ease with him, because he’s so protective of you, even from his family members. He often keeps you away from Cracker and Perospero, in the slightest chance that they try to take you away from him.

He’ll be extremely heartbroken if Big Mom doesn’t approve of you, but his love for you is stronger, so he’ll keep it a secret if he has to but eventually, he’ll pray and wish for her blessing, asking the help of his siblings to convince her.

Katakuri reminds you of family, that even friends or crewmates are family and love you all the same.

“I will be here for you.”

-

Captain Koby

Koby loves you like a typical high school crush. He’s all shy and blushy, and evidently embarrassed when the pretty one at school is talking to him, ( that’s you. ).

He’s like the wallflower type, who tries to blend in but somehow, he sticks out in a way that lures you to him, like he’s hit the jackpot.

He is incredibly sweet, and his shyness is so adorable. You can’t help but coo whenever you see his red cheeks and soft smile of care he offers.

Always helps you with everything, will take the blame whenever you get in trouble, takes the suffering and pain when guys try to mess with you, and no matter how tough things get, he’s holding a brave face for you.

Koby reminds you of kindness, treat everyone with care and kindness, and it goes a long way.

“If you fall, I’ll be there to catch you.”

-

16th Division Commander Izo

Izo loves you like you’re a painting, he thinks you are true beauty, inside and out, you are a work of art, a true Mother Nature masterpiece born. One to be admired.

The type to be there. He’ll hold your hair while you vomit, rubbing soothing circles on your back while you cry, painting your nails while you complain about Ace, assure your perfection when you’re feeling insecure.

Best advice giver, holds no judgements at all. He’ll help with anything, because you need him. Romantic advice, friendship, sexual advice ;), he will help you any way he can.

He truly admires you, not because of your beauty, but your strength to be able to cry. Crying doesn’t mean weakness but rather, strength to be able to move forward even in the worst of times.

Izo reminds you that you are beautiful, no matter what anyone thinks or says.

“You are true beauty, my love.”

-

Cavendish Of The White Horse

Cavendish loves you like you’re a princess, and he is your handsome Prince Charming.

Every thing he does it like from a fairytale, if it involved a rather.. bit of a narcissistic Prince Charming. But he means well, because he still treats you like a real princess.

He gives you daily horseback rides, teaching you with his strong arms wrapped around yours and his black fancy hat on top of your head, as you two ride around and share laughs and memories.

And even through his big ego, he still makes sure to compliment you, tell you how proud he is of you and how much he truly admires you for your strong will and determination, because he really does love you. More than you know.

Cavendish reminds you that dreams can come true, sometimes it just takes a leap of faith and effort.

“I will treat you like the princess you are and deserve to be.”

-

A/N : 15 fucking people and having to think of different things while I’m distracted is so HARD. 😭 please tell me you enjoyed though ;-;

but did I do this already? God I can’t remember a thing, especially since I still haven’t updated my masterlists- and I’m terribly sorry if this really is all over the place ;-; also apologies if this is repetitive for some of them! It really is difficult yk ;-;

[bokutoyaoya]

The fine line between sanity and sleep deprivation slash breakdown was getting blurrier by the days and the bags under your eyes were just one of many evidences proving it. Having reached your limit for the week, you didn’t waste a second running off to the residents’ lounge once today’s teaching lab was over. You got undressed in record time, tossing your scrubs in your backpack, thinking about nothing but the hot shower waiting for you at home.

However, since you were an exemplary senior resident and chief, you promised Aran to update a few of his post-ops and fetch some consent forms. Exemplary, truly.

You rolled your neck and winced as your joints cracked. The nurses’ station was just a few steps ahead, but your limbs were torturing you it felt like dragging a bag of bones, literally. Not only that, your eyes were heavier by the seconds and you didn’t know if you could trust yourself to get home in one piece.

What a great idea it was to skip the nap, you grunted, ignoring the intern glaring at you from behind the desk.

“Y/N?” you couldn’t mistaken this voice even if you tried, the voiceprint memorized by now.

“Suna, Rin. Sunarin,” you huffed in embarrassment.

Days, probability weeks have passed since The Situation™ and you had almost forgotten about it, keyword : almost. You thought about the kiss at random occasions, often freezing during surgeries with Aran. There was also one time where Atsumu was operating with you and found it was the perfect timing to tease you about it, since obviously he’d been aware of it, you would’ve been surprised if he didn’t.

“Y/N,” Rintarō sighed.

“Y-You said that already,” you scratched the back of your neck. Well this was awkward.

“Yeah, um, are you… are you good there? You’re leaving?”

“Yeah, I’m done for the week,” you fiddled with the straps of your backpack, shifting in place. “You?”

“Far from done, a group of teenagers fought and I have too many bones to repair, and I also have a meeting with the attendings in a few, so…” Rintarō trailed off, hands tucked in the pockets of his white coat.

“Okay, well, you should go then, I wouldn’t want you to be late,” you scoffed, an all too hesitant smile stretching your lips. This was awfully awkward.

You plugged the tablet back onto its charger and looked back at Rintarō, who had been starring and immediately avoided your gaze.

Thinking back on it, Tanaka was right, you wouldn’t randomly nap and cuddle with a friend, not the way you and Rintarō were. But it all felt too casual that you never truly questioned the nature of your relationship, and the kiss, it was fine, as in casual fine. As in natural fine, like you-had-kissed-each-other-before-and-it-wasn’t-a-big-deal fine. Yet, you couldn’t deny the fleeting sensation that ghosted your lips for the next days, a quick, gentle peck tattooed on the sensitive red skin of your lips.

“Hey, Suna, fuck,” you cursed, “Rin, about the kiss —”

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to do that,” he cut you off, running a hand through his hair, “well, I did, but I didn’t expect for it to happen like that…” his voice wasn’t particularly louder, if anything he still has that deep sleepy voice, but Rintarō seemed to have stopped thinking and kept rambling.

“Okay, Rin —”

“I liked it! I liked kissing you, I didn’t expect to do it so casually and I probably freaked you out, I’m so sorry …”

“It’s fine, don’t be sorry,” you finally managed to blurt out.

“But I freaked you out, and I thought I should give you some space —”

You grunted and gathering that little spark of energy you had left in you, you grabbed Rin by the collar of his coat and pulled him against you, lips crashing onto his.

It was all teeth clashing and not knowing what to do with your free hand, but Rintarō swiftly responded and his lips were now moving with ease against yours. Your grip loosened while Rin’s hands snaked down your waist, pressing you closer and tighter to his chest, deepening the kiss as you brought your other hand to cup his face.

You’d probably be drained after that, but it was worth the impulse, it shut him up for good, and now there was no way you’d wanted to end it. You were both melting into the kiss, panting and eyes shut, blissfully ignorant of the people passing by and the nurses and interns watching you.

A natural, not-a-care-in-the-world kiss.

“Please don’t give me space,” you breathed out, leaning back, “I‘ll give ya all the kisses ya want, if I get just as much in return.”

“Anything for you,” Rin smirked, pupils blown out and lips swollen and redder, he was panting. “Can I get another one then?”

“No need to ask,” and you were already closing the distance, his lips ghosting yours when a high-pitched complaint echoed throughout the place.

You both turned to the source of the noise and noticed Atsumu and Osamu starring from the stairs, one’s face contorted in disgust while the other was still whining about a “public place, just get a room”.

“I guess the meeting will start soon,” you prompted, looking back at Rin.

“They surely can wait another minute,” he grinned and you giggled as Rintarō’s lips met yours for a second kiss.

Both arms wrapped around his neck, you smiled into the kiss. You were starting to feel lightheaded, dizziness making your legs go limp for a second but Rin’s hold was tight and secured and he wasn’t going to let you go so soon. Not that you minded anyway.

“You should really go,” you heard him groan and it took all remaining mental strength in you to not go in for another kiss — probably hotter and needier — while you were still standing at the nurses’ desk.

“Okay then, I’ll see you soon I hope.”

“Sooner than expected,” you replied.

Rin pecked your lips one last time and left with the twins.

「 HEART’S CUTS 」 26. sooner than expected

MASTERLIST – NEXT

– I’m sorry I was late for the updated I slept all day 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♀️

– like I said, it was experimental, I’m not that great when it comes to writing more suggestive stuff

– I hope it’s a least decent lol

– Suna and Y/N *kissing shamelessly at the nurses’ station* / everyone else : 👀👀👀

TAGLIST IN THE REBLOGS

© BOKUTOYAOYA 2021. do not repost, copy, modify or translate any of my works. do not claim any of my works as your own.

[magnoliasinbloom]

Lie To Me - 19

AO3 :: Previously

Jamie prays as he has not done so in a long time. He prays on his knees in the hospital’s nondenominational chapel, long enough that there are likely permanent dents in the bone. He lays prostrate on the weathered linoleum, hands held fast in supplication, hands beating at the floor in anger and desperation.

His voice in the empty chapel is rigid with fear and grief. He pleads; he bargains; he threatens; he begs for a miracle out of the lavishness of his God’s grace.

“Dinna leave me, Sassenach. This time I’ll beg. A Dhia, dinna take her from me.”

Dr. Denzell Hunter is listed on a whiteboard as the man responsible for operating on Claire. She had been rushed to the nearest operating room, and it had taken several nurses and a security guard to stop him from going in after her. The threat of being kicked out and banned from the premises had made him acquiesce.

Now, curses mingle with his prayers as he recalls the fabric of Claire’s dress turning almost black with her spilled blood. He vows to destroy the MacKenzie, to strangle Dougal with his own bare hands and watch with fervent glee as the life leaves his eyes.

Jamie had failed, once again, to protect her. That particular thought gnaws at him and will not let him rest. He briefly touches the bright red stains on his white jacket, some already rusted brown; a nurse had offered him clothes from the lost and found to change into, but he had refused. He would wear this until he knew for certain whether Claire lived or died.

Claire.

He struggled to his feet, knees protesting from the hard floor. He stumbles to the nurses’ station near the waiting room, hoping for an update on her condition. Geillis rounds the corner, in surgical scrubs but an incongruous, fully made-up face from the gala.

“Jamie!” She hugs him briefly and takes in the bloody jacket with a gasp. “I came as soon as I heard. The group chat blew up, saying a doctor had been shot outside the museum. I’d hoped it wasna Claire, but…” she trails off and suppresses a sob. “Hunter’s operating, he’s one of the best. She’ll be alright, Jamie.”

“They dinna ken… they havena—” He gestures helplessly towards the board and the nurses’ station and Geillis grips his hand, squeezing it tightly.

“Aye. They’ll talk to me, let me see what I can find out.” She whirls away through the doors marked for authorized personnel only. Jamie feels time slog by in fits and starts, minutes dragging on endlessly, and before he knows it, it’s already been three hours since Claire arrived in the ambulance.

Geillis returns and takes him by the arm, dragging him to a secluded corner of the waiting room. “She’s stable, for now. The bullet hit her liver, which is very vascular—meaning there was a lot of blood loss, because it has many blood vessels,” she adds, understanding the look on his face. “But the liver regenerates itself, and she’s received blood transfusions to replace it. She was damned lucky.”

“Not lucky enough, to be with the likes of me,” Jamie whispers, dragging his hands through his hair. Geillis pulls his hands back down roughly, shaking him out of his stupor.

“It verra well could have been you, and I’d be having a different conversation with Claire. Now.” She regards his blood-soaked jacket with distaste. “I’ll take you to the doctors’ lounge, and ye’ll have a shower and change into something less morbid. Ye have to take care of yerself too—do it for her, at least.”

Her words tug at what’s left of Jamie’s heart and he agrees, if only to kill more time while the other half of his soul lies on a cold operating table.

X-x-X

“John Grey is here to see ye, Fraser,” Geillis calls into the lounge where Jamie is tying up the drawstring on the too-short scrubs. He fits the brace back over his hand and comes out to meet John Grey.

Jamie’s first instinct upon seeing the chief inspector is to wrench him into a hug. It catches Grey by surprise, but he is quick to return Jamie’s tight embrace.

“Thank ye, John,” Jamie manages, fisting handfuls of Grey’s shirt in his hands, the struggles of the previous night catching up to him once more. “I dinna ken how to thank ye.”

“No need, Jamie.” Grey pulls away and gestures toward the waiting room. “If you don’t mind, there’s someone here from SCD who would like to take your statement regarding the… incident. I know it’s a lot to ask, with what happened to Ms. Beauchamp, but it’s important to have all our ducks in a row. We’re moving ahead with the legal process, and bringing Leoch down. And I brought Murtagh along as well.”

The thought of seeing his godfather lifts Jamie’s spirits. The waiting room holds an elderly couple and a young man reading a French newspaper, and Murtagh surrounded by a few police officers. He sits and at Grey’s prompting, begins to recount everything that happened. Remembering the moment that Claire was shot makes his voice and hands shake with anger, and he glances at the clock behind the nurses’ station. Almost 3 AM. As he signs the affidavit, he’s suddenly yanked to his feet by Geillis.

“Family for Claire Beauchamp?” A tired-looking surgeon with blue paper booties covering his shoes emerges from the direction where they’d taken Claire.

“Yes, doctor?”

“Are you family?” He has an American accent, odd amongst the Scottish burr he’s accustomed to hear in Glasgow.

Jamie wavers, but Geillis intervenes before he can say the wrong thing. “He’s her fiancé, Dr. Hunter. Jamie Fraser.”

“Very well, Mr. Fraser. Miss Beauchamp is presently in the post-op recovery room. We managed to extract the bullet, and patch up her liver as best we could. The next 48 hours will be critical, as we’ll be watching for infection, but hopefully that won’t be an issue. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. She was very lucky indeed.” Hunter extends a hand to shake Jamie’s, and he feels a small weight lift off his shoulders.

“Can I see her?”

“We’ll make sure to let you know when she’s in a room. She’ll be sleeping most of the time. And yes, Inspector Grey, I’ll appraise your team when she is in fit condition to talk to you,” Hunter adds, anticipating the officer’s comment.

With a grateful handshake, Jamie watches Dr. Hunter walk away. He drops onto the vinyl couch like a stone, his face in his hands, as the storm within finally gives way to racking sobs.

Alive. Claire’s alive.

X-x-X

Claire is aware of her body before anything else. A dull, throbbing ache laces her right side, and it feels rigid. Bandages, her mind thinks fuzzily. Why am I bandaged?

Her eyes still closed, she tries wiggling her toes. Still there. The feeling traverses up her legs, avoiding her abdomen which she instinctively knows will hurt like bloody hell, and then a fluttering of her fingers. She finds her left hand entrapped and she panics for a second. At this, she struggles to open her eyes. She blinks at the harsh white lighting above her head.

Claire glances down as she feels a warm wetness, and she realizes it’s Jamie. Jamie is crying, kneeling by her bedside. She wishes she could cradle his face and wipe his tears away, but decides it would hurt too much to move. She settles for speaking, after clearing her throat.

“I’ve decided… not to die.” Claire’s voice is soft and rusty from misuse, but it still startles Jamie. He comes out of his reverie to see that her eyes are open, a luminous gold in her white face.

Jamie doesn’t know what to say to that, so he manages a strangled, “Oh, good.”

“I could have. This is… bloody awful.” She winces as she tries to shift her body, but Jamie stops her. He is afraid to touch her further, for fear of hurting her, but can’t bear not to. He lays a hand as lightly as he can on her cheek, finding it cool. No fever; the IV pumping antibiotics into her via the needle in her right arm seems to be working.

“I know,” he says roughly, recalling the weeks spent in hospital healing from his own wounds. Jamie brings her untethered hand to his lips. Her bones feel frail. She hasn’t even the strength to squeeze his hand.

“But I… wouldn’t do that to you.” Already this small interaction is tiring her, and she is out of breath, but it seems important to let him know, that she is here, and she is still fighting. For herself, and for him.

“Thank ye, Sassenach. Truly.” He pushes himself off the floor with a groan, knees stiff and painful. He drags an uncomfortable-looking chair from the corner of the room and sits, still as close as possible to Claire. She looks him over, notices the dark bruises under his eyes and how his hands shake slightly.

“You haven’t slept or eaten, have you?” she asks critically; Jamie ducks his head and she knows she’s right. Claire is mindful of how much energy each word expends. She wants to remain awake, to drink him in, to just be with him, but knows the road to recovery is just beginning. “It won’t do me any good to have you sick, either. Go eat, please, and then get some rest too.”

“I dinna want to—”

“Stubborn Scot.” Claire sighs, and exhaustion wants to pull her under again. “There’s a couch. I’m sure it pulls out.”

Jamie offers a small smile. “What I want right now, Sassenach—I want verra much to kiss ye.”

“Come here, then.” Afraid to hurt her but even more desperate to feel her lips against his, he brushes his mouth in the gentlest kiss.  

“Do ye need anything, Claire? Shall I call the nurse? Geillis has been around, but ye were still out.” Jamie is anxious to leave her, but understands that he cannot run himself ragged; he would be unable to help her recover and be with her.

“No.” Her eyes are already drifting closed, with a combination of what her body endured and the pain medication. “I just need… you. Go. I’ll be… here.”

With a final peck on the lips, Jamie heads for the door. Even though Claire is sleeping again, he makes her a promise, out loud: “You werena the first lass I kissed, but I swear to ye that ye’ll be the last.”

[fundielicious-simblr]

Character Recap! Gen 2

After a good break to sort my life out, I decided that it would be good to do an update on everybody (yup, this is one of those posts) Why, you ask? Because I enjoy driving myself crazy by creating unnecessary amounts of work for myself - but y’all knew that already 😂 Keeping in line with that theme, one night at 4am I decided that I wanted to revamp my character pages (which ended up being my whole Tumblr theme) which would require updated pictures of everybody. I don’t know what possessed me to dredge up my old coding knowledge - if you can even call it knowledge- but I’m still in the process of finishing the character pages for gen 3 because there’s so many of them. 😅

Even though we’re on gen 3 officially, these characters are still mentioned in some parts of the story, and I also find it hard to let go of these since they’re my OG 8, the first sims born in game that I’ve ‘raised’. I’ve only just had the time to sit down and calculate peoples ages, meaning that the first 2 couples should technically still be adults, but I’m not reversing the aging process - we’re too far in 😂

I’ve updated my character’s page for gen 2 (gen 3 is almost done, but this isn’t about them 😂) I decided to add the ‘labels’ for each couples (where they fall on the fundie scale) because then it would align with what I do for gen 3′s character pages and how I label them. I tried to summarize all the ‘yikes’ bits of the relationships with the bulletpoints to truly highlight the 🥴-iness of it all you know? 

Allan & Casandra 

Meet Allan (54) and Casandra Collins (51) - Here’s a quick recap of their relationship:

They met at Family Bible Camp at 22 and 18 respectively, and were married 5 months later - both had their first kiss at the altar.

They continued to live as quiverfull fundamentalists after their marriage, subscribing to conservative biblical modesty standards, meaning that Casandra (and their subsequent daughters) wear skirts and dresses. They pledged to allow the Lord to decide their family size which led to 15 children - 13 living and 2 miscarriages.

Allan works as the Head Pastor at Newcrest Baptist Church along with being on the Board of Directors for the Centre For Learning and Life, whilst Casandra homeschools their children still at home and ministers to the women of the church in her duties as the Pastor’s wife. When she’s not doing that she’s visiting her grandchildren that live in town, or traveling to see the children and grandchildren that live elsewhere.

Here they are with all their children:

Back L-R: Adalynn (32), Barrett (31), Macie (31), Zoe (29), Maggie (25), Reece (24), Beckett (23)

Front L-R: Amira (22), Priscilla (20), Annette (20), Allan (54), Casandra (51), Charles (18), Parker (17), Ashton (15)

Branden & Lea

Meet Branden (52) and Lea (50) Collins - A recap of their relationship

They met when Lea’s family visited Newcrest Baptist so her father could give the sermon as the visiting pastor when he was 17 and she was 16, and they were married a year later - they saved their first kiss for their wedding day.

They had trouble having children for the first year and a half of their marriage, eventually having their twin girls Abbey and Brittany (28), their son Tanner (25) joined the family 3 years later.

Branden is now a retired Christian novelist, whose books have been bestsellers and he travels from church to church to run writing seminars for authors who are hoping to make it in the business. Lea stays at home and tends to her garden now that all their children are grown. She started the garden in their time before children and that garden has grown to be a local hit - she’s been selling the honey made by their bees and runs workshops to teach young women how to start their gardens to promote healthy eating. She travels along with Branden when he's teaching somewhere, and if she doesn’t she’s visiting her grandchildren.

Here they are with their children:

Front L-R: Abbey (28), Brittany (28), and Tanner (25)

Claire & Ryan

Meet Claire (51) and Ryan Paulson (55) - Here’s their recap:

They met when Claire travelled with a music group to perform at Ryan’s home church when she was 20 and he was 24, they were engaged 3 months later and married 3 months after that - they too had their first kiss at the altar.

They too pledged to allow the Lord to decide their family size and ended up having 10 children, like their parents they subscribe to conservative biblical modesty standards, meaning that the girls in the family wear skirts and dresses only.

Ryan runs his own IT business whilst Claire is a renowned Christian musician. Despite her immense talent, Claire’s main focus was and still is homeschooling her children and being a keeper of the home. As Ryan is his own boss, he is able to travel with Claire whenever she travels to teach of perform, she’s taught their children (who’ve seemingly inherited her talent) and the family performs at various events.

Here they are with their children:

Back L-R: Carter (30), Valentina (28), Alan (27), Celeste (26), Kristyn (24), Sabrina (24)

Front L-R: Jarrod (20), Zachary (18), Conner (15), Jarrett (15)

Danielle & Sebastian

Meet Danielle (51) and Sebastian (53) Hunt - Here’s a recap of their lives:

They met when he moved to Newcrest for his Veterinary residency and started attending their church, where during their courtship they both realised they had a shared love of nature and animals. 6 months later they were married, at the ages of 28 and 30.

They struggled to have children, and when Danielle did get pregnant 3 years into the marriage they ended up losing that pregnancy in the 3rd trimester - Danielle was pregnant with a baby girl they named Sarah. The next year they got pregnant and had their son James (19), and 4 years later they had their daughter Gabriela (15).

Sebastian runs a Vet Clinic in Brindleton Bay and Danielle stays at home to homeschool Gabriela, she does work at the clinic when she has the time and is responsible for the bookkeeping.

Here’s their family:

Elaine & Taylor

Meet Elaine (48) and Taylor (49) Godwin - Here’s a recap of their lives so far:

They met when Taylor moved to Newcrest to be a commuter into the city for his job as an engineer, and started attending their church. They courted for a year before marrying at the ages of  24 and 25.

They had their daughter Kyra (23) a year into their marriage, followed by twins Rory and Ruby Rae (17) 6 years later, Ava Grace (15) was born 2 years after the twins, and the youngest Amelia (11) was born 4 years after Ava.

Taylor works as a mechanical engineer whilst Elaine uses her teaching degree to homeschool the children and teach at the local homeschool co-op. Elaine wanted her children to have the experience of being taught by more than one person, but wanted control of their curriculum, meaning that the co-op was the best thing for them.

Here’s their family:

Fletcher & Cara

Here’s Fletcher (45) and Cara Collins (44) - Here’s a recap of their lives:

They met at Cara’s university when Fletcher was 22 and Cara was 20 and married 3 years later at the ages of 24 and 23 respectively. They set their own standards and therefore kissed before marriage. 7 years into their marriage they had their only child, a son that names James Lee (14)

Whilst Fletcher was raised in a conservative, fundamentalist household, Cara was raised in a less strict conservative Christian home and they chose to realign with less strict rules for their lives. 

Fletcher works as a Sergeant for the Newcrest Police Department and Cara works as a fundraising specialist for the local Conservative party in Newcrest. 

Here’s their family:

Grayson and Keira

Meet Grayson (42) and Keira (40) Collins - Here’s a recap of their lives:

They met when Keira moved to Newcrest to work as a Nurse in the pediatrics ward at Newcrest General hospital, Grayson had begun his rotations and they were in the same orientation group. Keira also joined Newcrest Baptist, their relationship blossomed from there and married after dating for a year and a half at the ages of 26 and 24.

They were open to having as many children as the Lord saw fit to provide, and they had their son Matthew (14)  2 years into their marriage, followed by their son Archie (11) 3 years later. There were complications during Archie’s birth that lead to Keira having a partial hysterectomy to save her life, meaning that their family is complete with their 2 boys.

Grayson works as an Obstetrician/Gynaecologist at Newcrest General, and Keira worked as a Nurse until they had their children. They’ve chosen to homeschool their children until high school, after which they enroll them in a private Christian high school. Once Archie the youngest moves into high school, Keira plans to return back to work at the hospital.

Here’s their family:

Harley & Gabriel

Meet Harley (42) and Gabriel (45) Barnard - Here’s a recap of their relationship:

They met at a dinner party in San Myshuno, they became fast friends and started dating a year after they met. They dated for 2 years before getting married at the ages of 28 and 21.

Harley was the first of her female siblings to go to college, she has a 1st class degree in Fine Arts with a focus on Fashion. She’s also the first of her female siblings to work a full time job. After going to college, Harley realised she was more like her older brother Fletcher and his wife in terms of beliefs, so when she married Gabriel they both agreed that in terms of beliefs that they’d attend a conservative non-fundamentalist church in San Myshuno. They both chose not to have children, so they spend time with their nieces and nephews, as well as the children their nieces and nephews.

Gabriel works as the Head Chef of a 5 star restaurant in the city, and Harley is the Editor-in-Chief of the popular fashion magazine ‘Myshuno Madness’

Gen 2 total: 8 sims (16 if you count the spouses)

Aaaand that is the first reintroduction post! Posts will restart after this one, mostly because I need queue some things up before doing the gen 3 posts so that I don’t need to worry about spoilers 😂

[hilllsnholland]

Undeniable (Grey’s Anatomy Inspired)

Attending!Tom Holland x Resident!Reader 

Wc: 4.2k 

Warnings: medical talk, swearing, smut 

Summary: It’s a beautiful day to save lives....and get freaky in the on-call room

A/N: I maaaay have watched a little too much Grey’s lately because all I want is to write some sexy Doctor smut. Also, I know nothing about the medical field. If I get something wrong, who cares? It’s fanfiction. Or you can message me nicely. Either way, enjoy this mess of feelings. 

_____

Hospital life was not all it was cracked up to be. You learned that your first year interning, having to clean patient’s cavities and do the dirty work for your Resident. Yet, somehow it was the most calming place in the world. You could have a full day of rounds, surgeries, and post-ops and you’d still feel like the luckiest person in the world to work at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Although it did have its moments, like now. As soon as you stepped onto your usual floor you were bombarded by your interns. They asked you questions that you were far too busy for, begging for a chance to scrub in on a surgery with you that day. You didn’t even have any for them to even pick from. But interns were savages. Birds picking at dead skeletons hoping to prove their worth. You remembered those days so you went easy on them. Giving them chances and building them up, but today was not a day of compassion. It was tough love day.

“Doctor Y/L/N, patient in room 304 needs-”

“Is it something you can do?” You interrupted while looking down on your papers.

“I mean yes but-”

“You don’t need permission to be a Doctor, Reid.” You handed your interns paperwork for rounds and sighed. “Reid, go with Maloney and deal with whatever the patient needs. Unless he’s literally dying I don’t want to be bothered,”

Your interns nodded at you like a bunch of children, grabbing their round work and rushing off into the rooms. Sometimes you swore they’d be the death of you. They needed confidence, which is why you set them loose on days like these. It wasn’t busy, just routine surgeries and looking after patients. It was vital they learned how to do busy work. Not every day you’re a hero. Even though you felt particularly heroic today so you scanned the surgery board, looking at today’s schedule and noticed a General surgery that piqued your interest.

“Hello Doctor Princess,” Harrison greeted you, leaning over the nurse's station.

“Morning Doctor McHottie,”

Harrison grinned but pretended to roll his eyes at you. He was playful, young, and bright. A Trauma God is what the interns called him. He was a master of problem solving in tight situations, which is why you admired him. Harrison moved next to you, whistling at the board.

“I think a certain someone will be asking you to scrub in today?” He hummed, winking at you.

“Would that be you?”

“Sadly not, it’s me darling,”

You and Harrison shot to your left, seeing Tom coolly writing in his paperwork. His curls were pushed back, giving him that sexy relaxed look. You try to hide the redness coming to your skin by smiling at the Attending, but your heart was pounding in your chest. You’ve scrubbed in with Tom plenty of times, but it always happened like this. You would get all child-like, shaking in anticipation to show your worth. You were like an intern again. It was a constant battle, but the surgery was worth it.

“I can’t wait,” You nod to Tom who smiles. Harrison mocks you and you slam your elbow into his side.

Tom walks past you, eyes locked on yours with the most sensual smirk on his lips. Tom was a sight at the hospital. Attractive, young, and a heart of gold. He was everything you wanted in a doctor and more. As Tom walks away from you, there’s a glimpse of something in his eyes. Longing? Fierceness? You weren’t sure, but it was sexy. The thirst was aching in your heart, to get more than a somewhat friendly, somewhat work, relationship with him. Tom looks directly into your eyes and you stop.

“It’s a beautiful day to save lives,”

____

“You’re a petty prick!”

“And you’re a self-serving psychopath!”

That did not last long, you heard Harrison mutter as you and Tom rushed out of the operating room. You slammed your gloves into the disposal bin, tossing aside your scrub cap while Tom followed close behind. He was fuming, veins popping from his neck and eyes narrowed on you. He disposed of his bloodied garments while you slammed the door in his face. The two of you were pissed at each for what was the hundredth time.

This time though it was inexcusable. Tom didn’t trust you in the surgery and belittled your judgment. It was a routine procedure that went horribly wrong. There was too much bleeding and the patient's heart was flatlining. You did what you thought would be the most efficient, cutting out the rest of the mass and finishing the job. Tom, however, was upset as he was leading the surgery, and you took over.

“Y/N, don’t walk away from me,” Tom keeps his voice calm around the nurses and patients but you kept walking.

You needed a break. It was a long surgery and you needed to get away from Tom. After working with him for several years you would have hoped that he trusted you but nope. He treated you like that small minded intern that he met so long ago. That was your worst fear. Being just a child to the older surgeons. They would never respect you the way they respected their peers, especially male peers. Harrison said you were making it up in your head, but this just proved it. Suddenly though you were dragged into an on-call room. Tom shuts the door and crosses his arms at you, like a father lecturing their child. It angered you, causing the heat in your stomach to rise.

“Y/N, you put the patient at risk with that stunt you pulled-“

“I saved his life!”

Stubborn, a word that everyone would associate with you. It was clear to you though that you did what was right. You saved the man’s life, ruling out the need for a second surgery. In your eyes, you were a hero.

“You didn’t know that though!” Tom raises his voice and throws his hands up. “You could have made it worse. You may have made his recovery harder than it needed to be. You were rushed and could have left pieces of the mass behind. You don’t know Y/N.”

Tom had snapped, but not in frustration, tears were brimming to his eyes. In all your years you’ve only seen Tom cry a few times. Only after losing a truly emotional patient or a child. And that one time he got so drunk at the Christmas party that he cried over a kitten pillow. This though, he was serious. His body shook with such ferocity you’ve never seen before. He was shaken, humiliated to be outright disregarded in his own surgery. Completely torn because you didn’t trust him.

“Tom, I’m sorry,” You speak softly. “I just wanted to save this man’s life. Make it easier for him to go back to his family. I’m sorry,”

Tom rested his head on the top bunk of the on-call beds. He looked a mess, something was eating him up inside. There was so much pressure on him, on his team, on this whole entire hospital. It was something you never thought of when in surgery. It was only you and the patient. Everything else was background noise to your end goal. It sounds selfish, but it had the highest success rate yet. You thought you had control, but watching Tom break down made it clear that what you did was irresponsible.

“Y/N, you got a lot of heart.” Tom rubs his face and pushed the hair out of his face. “More heart than a surgeon needs. You put the good of the world over the reality of medicine. One of the reasons why I admire you most is because you look death in the eyes and tell him ‘fuck you’”

You laugh and Tom cracks a smile through his broken composure. For years it had been this weird friendship between the two of you. One or both of you would get pissed, someone makes a joke, and then it’s all better. Most of the time it was stolen glances, smiles behind surgical masks, or late night drinks at the bar.

So many nights at the bar though, drinking shots of tequila or vodka. If you wanted to see someone drink themselves into oblivion, watch a doctor. It was some sort of right of passage to drink at Emerald City Bar across the street, drowning sorrows from the day’s surgeries or consultations. The Bar was a safe place, and an amazing place to sit down with Tom and have existential talks late at night. Talks that became so passionate, so intimate, that you felt the sexual tension coursing through the room. Many times you thought Tom would take the leap of faith, but here you were, becoming flushed by his simple compliment.

“I admire you also,” You take a step forward. “You’re the only surgeon in this fucking hospital who gives a shit. I’ve seen you send holiday cards to your old patients. You make them feel safe. You make them your family,”

Tom exhales softly, his body moving on its own to get closer to you. It was undeniable at this point. All the frustration was stemming from his urge to have you. Long nights on call he would think of you to calm his nerves. Even nights away at the hospital he wished you were to banter with him, keep him warm, and satisfy his needs. It was against every code he set for himself but he wanted to kiss you so badly.

“Y/N, although I’ve been a surgeon longer than you have, I feel like you’ve taught me more than any professor or chief.” Tom’s fingers dance up your arms. “You are a brilliant surgeon. You are the sun and we are only the planets and meteors that surround you,”

Tom’s eyes are locked on yours. He can’t look away anymore, he needs to finish this now. You saw this, the hunger building and it only antagonized your affection for him. It would be a lie to say you haven’t had feelings since your first day of interning. How could you not? Tom was the youngest Attending at the hospital, charming and sweet. He took you under his wing without taking advantage of you. What was happening now though, this was a blossoming attraction that had been building for years.

“I wouldn’t say that.”

Since the beginning, it had been you and him. It made sense for the two of you to be the ultimate team. When you’ve scrubbed in for his surgeries there was never a doubt in his mind that you would fail. That was what sparked his interest long ago, your determination during a Whipple procedure. You were skillful and delicate, making sure that this patient would never have to worry again. Tom stood back, watched you with ease. That was not common, especially with a first-year intern. Most interns couldn’t tell the difference aphagia and aphakia. You though, you were the sun. You shined bright and gave life to every patient you touched.

“I would, especially after today’s surgery,” Tom was now almost pressed against your body and breathing offbeat. “Watching you hands…so agile and…and…”

What happened next was a flash, but you would be lying if you didn’t expect it. Tom melted his lips into yours in a flurry of passion. You grabbed his face and pulled at his luscious curls, needing him to be as close as possible. It was sloppy, but what can expect from years of build up? Not everything was roses and champagne. Right now it was the aroma of sanitizing soap and scrubs. Tom hoisted you up so that you could wrap your legs around his waist and then pressed you against the wall of the on-call room. His lips traveled down your neck, leaving wet kisses over the sensitive area. Fuck it’s been too long.

It was a mess of massaging and groping, his hands moving everywhere on your body while you held him as close as possible. Nothing had ever felt so right, his body grinding down on yours in a lustful, almost animalistic, rhythm. You could feel him tenting in his scrubs, the low groans leaving his lips and vibrating on yours. It was a scene of weakness, finally coming together after so much pinning in silence. If either of you knew how easy this would have been then this would have happened ages ago. It felt right. Your bodies made for one another.

“Is this…is this okay?” You whine while still holding a tight clump of his hair.

“More than okay,” He gasps against your skin. “I’ve been in love with you forever Y/N. I’ve been holding back because I didn’t want to jeopardize our careers…but I can’t hold back anymore.”

There was a pause. He put all out there, no going back essentially. Tom waited to see if you would want to continue. If he needed to walk out and act like the never happened, he would. But he couldn’t deny those pestering feelings anymore. Tom could not act like you were not the most amazing thing in his life. You meet his gaze and kissed him again but sweeter. Much more innocent to the previous actions. It wasn’t so timid like a first kiss you have in middle school, but it was soft. It was the kind of kiss you give to the person you cherish more than anything in this world. Like a goodbye kiss, but only this one spoke a thousand words for Tom.

“I love you,” You whispered. “Tom, I need you…”

With a swift roll of your hips you ground yourself against his groin. Tom threw her head back slightly, murmuring a low groan against your lips. That was all he needed. Tom dropped you to your feet and scrambled to lock the door. You started throwing your scrubs off, pulling your hair out of the tight pony and letting the hair fall seductively on your shoulders. Tom turns to you and just stops dead in his tracks. He memorized the moment so he could have it forever. The way you looked in a mismatched bra and panty set and how you were smiling at him. Tom had never seen you like this, so undone and vulnerable. You kept yourself professional, taking your hair done only after work and sometimes during lunch breaks. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

“What are you waiting for huh?” You tease.

Tom picked you up again and laid you on the bed. He continued to kiss down your throat and sucked on the ample skin of your breasts. Your hands went to massage him through the scrubs, his cock desperate for your attention, which prompted his low grunts. He couldn’t stop being vocal, this has been his dream for years. Tom wanted you to know that it was only you who could make him feel so good. You felt victorious, getting a man so desirable like Tom to melt into your hands.

It was more than the sex though, it was the need for him to get closer to you. Tom could have stopped at just the kiss, but you were devouring him in every way. Your eyes spoke sex and your hands were needy. Tom couldn’t resist you, urging the only fabrics in the way to be removed. You slipped the rest of his clothes off and tried to hold in a gasp. You had always wondered what Tom’s body looked like under the loose-fitting scrubs, but you did not expect him to be completely built. Tom’s toned abs felt like magic on your fingertips. Tom was confident though, smugly laughing as you admired his body.

“Get in me now,” You whined.

Tom chokes a laugh out while your lips go to raid his perfect skin. He treasures the moment, dragging his fingers down to your clit and moving slow circles on them. He knew the body, he studied it for years, yet touching you for the first time was otherworldly. The way you thrusted forward towards him boosted his ego even more, his fingers continuing the pace and feeling the wetness pool around him. Your hand went jerk Tom, his member twitching as your thumb spreads precum down the tip. Thank god the room was sound proof because the desperate whines of presex were uncontrollable. Tom slipped your black thong down to your ankles, you kicked them off and eased yourself back under his control. It was no longer a power struggle, the two of you were working through the motions and loving every second of it.

“Ready?” Tom shifted himself so he was leveled with your opening.

He didn’t need the verbal confirmation, the passionate kiss you gave him was enough. Tom eased himself into you and the overwhelming euphoria engulfed your body.  Tom lifted himself on his forearms to get better leverage to pump in and out. You were in a fit of giggles with the pure happiness bubbling deep inside. Tom only stopped grinning once he bottomed out and the sloppy flat smile appeared on his face. His eyes rolled back as you bucked toward him. He had never felt something so intense in his life. The way you knew how to use him, move around him to get that knot in his stomach to tighten. Tom followed your rhythm, slowly pumping in and out of you so he could savor the feeling. Your nails clawed into Tom’s back to steady yourself with the movements and you met Tom’s gaze through dazed eyes.

“You…are so…beautiful,” His words came out in short huffs of air.

Tom couldn’t look away. He loved the closeness that he felt when staring back at you. It was only you and him. It didn’t matter if there was a hospital full of people, or a whole world full of people, it was just the two of you against it all.

“I love you,” You whisper like it was the first time you had said it. “I do…fuck I love you…”

Your head fell back at the knot loosening in your stomach. You didn’t want it to end, but something about this was shaking you to your core. It may be the way he thrusted so deep inside of you, turning you into a mess of whiny moans. Or it could be the way his fingers danced along your clit, easing you to your quick release. He knew your body too well, even if it was the first time. It was instinctual.  Tom met your lips again while quickening his thrusts. His sloppy movements and muffled curses intensified the incoming orgasm. You buckled down as the knot snapped inside of you. Tom pressed down on you as you shook with pleasure.

“Fuck…Y/N…” Tom’s eyes rolled back and you felt his warmth fill you.

His body slumped down on top of you. The heat of his body flushed against you made the realization of what really happened hit you even harder. Your fingers trickled through his hair, pulling at the loose curls that were wet with sweat. Tom peppered sweet kisses to your forehead, humming against the skin while his fingers trace your arms.

“We…we really did that…” Your breath is rippled due to his weight on your chest.

“Yeah,” Tom looks down at you. “Are you having second thoughts?”

Tom was trying to not gulp so loudly at the sudden fear coursed through his body. You nuzzled into his chest, shaking your head and kissing his toned fiery body.

“Never. I mean it when I say I love you,” You hold his face to make sure he looks straight into your eyes. “I just don’t want this to jeopardize anything we have. Our careers and friendships, you know?”

There wasn’t a ‘No dating’ policy at the hospital, but when people did date it got complicated. You were not one for drama, neither was Tom, so to add this aspect into your lives was another feat. It also didn’t help that gossip traveled quicker than sickness in Grey Sloan Memorial. Tom kisses your temple and nods.

“I totally agree love. We should keep this to ourselves for a bit until we figure everything out.”

You kept your feelings a secret for years so a few months of dating in secrecy wouldn’t be a big deal. Tom longingly looked at you, the same look he gave you that morning when asking you to scrub in. That was the face, he wanted to say those words and longed to finally hold you in his arms. You kiss him again, but you couldn’t imagine not kissing him anymore. So many years you spent wondering what his lips tasted like and now they were yours to take. It was pure, even if you both naked and glowing with post-sex, but it was innocent and full of those gooey emotions. Although you were adults, medically trained adults at that, it was so easy to fall for the feelings that only appear in romance novels. But it was love.

“Hey, are-”

You and Tom shot up with wide eyes looking at the open door. Tom locked it, he was sure he locked the fucking door but there was Harrison, peeking his head in with a bewildered expression. You didn’t know what to say or do, Tom tried to get up but he was covering your naked body and you held him against your chest. He grabbed the blanket that was tucked underneath your legs and covered the both of you to save some modesty.

“Harrison, I swear to god, if you say anything-”

“Mouths shut!” Harrison exclaims and shuts the door behind him, entering the room. “I’ve been waiting years for this. My two best friends together! A dream come true!”

Harrison paced around the room excitedly, seemingly ignoring the fact that the two of you were naked and in a compromising position. Tom grabbed his scrub bottoms from the floor and shimmied them on from underneath the thin blanket. Harrison was too consumed by his ramblings, going on and on about how he knew there was something happening, that he didn’t notice Tom shoving him towards the door.

You couldn’t help but stare, although you found it amusing you were still in shock. Harrison oblivious to it all, and you wondered how long he’s suspected something. And how long he’s known the two of you liked each other and didn’t say anything.

“Haz, I love you mate but you gotta read the room,” Tom patted him on the back and opened the on-call door slightly.

“Yeah, yeah man. This will be our little secret.”

Harrison winks and struts down the hallway, giddy as could be. You finally took a breath for the first time since Harrison caught the two of you. There was an awkward tension in the air as you grabbed your clothes to put back on. The day had to go on, there were interns to instruct and patients to save. But you would be lying if you didn’t want to spend the whole day in bed with Tom. It would be a dirty lie to say you wouldn’t be craving him and wanting him again later tonight. Tom threw on his shirt and made his way to the bed to kiss your head again. He was one for simple gestures, you noticed. He loved to simply touch you, know that you’re in arms reach for confirmation.

“So much for our plan huh,” Tom murmurs.

“It’s alright. We still have each other,”

You stood up, grabbing his hand and bringing him to the door. It would look suspicious if you left together but you wanted to enjoy the last few moments of bliss before you’re whisked away by some foolish intern or another Resident wanting to compare notes. There could be a whole tragedy going on outside those walls and you wouldn’t know it. But for once, your mind wasn’t on that. It was how Tom was smiling at you, slightly crooked teeth but they were sparkling the same. His cheeky smile didn’t make you feel like a schoolgirl anymore, but it did fill you with glee to know you were causing that smile.

“I’ll see you around,” You kiss him quickly and open the door.

“Where you going so fast?” Tom hid against the sidewall while you looked for any watchers.

You step out, only looking into the room to say your final goodbye to your lover, boyfriend, what have you now. That was a conversation for another time.

“A sexy man once told me, ‘it’s a beautiful day to save lives’,” You winked at him and strutted down the hallway.

Tom watched you, wholeheartedly smitten with everything about you. It wasn’t your looks, but your brains, wits, everything that made you, you. Surgeon life could be sorrowing, having to break the news of death and pain, but somehow you were the sun in all of that. The hospital walls seemed lest dreary, the cafeteria tasted less bland, and Tom felt a resurgence of vigor towards the craft. It was stupid, undeniable, love. And he was absolutely okay with that.

////

///

tagging cuz idk: @spiderboytotherescue @laureharrier @starksparker @stuckonspidey @hollandroos @peterplanet @peterporkerpete @naturallytom @captainbuckyy @marvelouspeterparker @madmadmilk @blissfulparker @mcuspidey

[twehlve]

ok so i got tagged by @a-death-like-icarus to do my 9 favorite albums so i im doing these in kind of chronological order of how i got into them?? yeehaw

1. Meteora - Linkin Park

definitely the album that influenced the most as a person. it was my first favorite album. as a young kid i had 2 copies of it—one to actually listen to and one to carry around with me constantly. growing up it helped me through so much shit and the album just means so much to me. and also it slaps

2. The Emptiness- Alesana

truly the start of an era. alesana is my all time favorite band and while the emptiness wasnt the first album i heard from them, it was the one that really got me hooked. @alesanaofficial-blog please do a 10 year anniversary tour for this album i am BEGGING you

3. What Separates Me From You - A Day To Remember

this was the first cd i actually bought on my own with my own money. adtr is another band that heavily influenced me as a person and all of their songs absolutely slap my nuts off. i love that their style ranges from song to song and it always feels fresh. this album itself has gotten me through some of my toughest relationships and i'll always cherish it for that.

4. Sometimes - City & Colour

i didnt get into this album until like 10 years after it was released but like it still fucks bro. every time i need something chill and kinda sad i go back to this album. i almost chose bring me your love instead of sometimes, but i think i like the songs off this album more as a whole. its just a go-to and almost every personal playlist i have has at least one song off this album.

5. ALARMS - Galileo Galilei

ok so when i was like 14 i started to really get into j-indie and j-rock. galileo galilei was the first band that i really got into n it was because of the zankyou no terror op. i always feel odd saying that i love this music because i dont know a lick of japanese but the translated lyrics and the sound are all just . chefs kiss. i love this album so much.

6. dc snuff film / waste yrself- Teen Suicide

bro this shit is dark. i wont lie. but its also an album that helped me a lot through high school. the sound of it was a lot different compared to other things i listened to and i LOVED IT. i still do. excellent shit

7. E•MO•TION - Carly Rae Jepsen

what can i say i got into crj because of griffin mcelroy constantly talking about her. i would always listen to this album on my drives from my hometown to my college campus my first year. it was such a staple to my overall mental stability. i had never really given pop music a chance before i got into crj but it did briefly make me a happier person. emotion bonus tracks on spotify when

8. BOOTLEG - Kenshi Yonezu

i dont know fucking jack shit about bnha except that the second op is on this album. but anyway i initially listened to shunrai and was like god this FUCKS and it was all downhill from there. i love this shit.

9. Peach Club - Emarosa

ill be real with u chief before this album came out i fucking hates emarosa. i didnt have any reason to but ????? i was a hateful little fuck. and then spotify was like "new music for you: peach club" earlier this year and i was like. sure yeah ill give it a shot. and givin' up????? holy FUCK bro this album slapped my nuts clean off. ive been back to listening to it for the last 3 days straight. this album fucks so hard. also i was scared off of twitter because i tweeted about how it slapped my nuts clean off and the only people who liked it were the fucking band members. thats so scary

i considered putting a waterparks album on this list but . shrugs. anyway uhhh ill tag @qodhead and @elvenphoenix and @curb-check and anyone else who wants to do it ?! jshdks yeehaw

[elejah-wonderland]

Game of Love/3

Fanfiction

Part 3

AU TVD/TO crossover story with Saving Hope

Joel Goran x reader

ft Klaroline, Kennett, and Stebekah

Summary: Y/N and Caroline Forbes are best friends and interns, who start work in the ‘Salvatore University Hospital’ in Mystic Falls. 

The night before their first day Y.N hooks up with Dr Joel Goran, and Caroline with Dr Klaus Mikaelson - but the boys have baggage - how will this pan out for them? 

a/n: I hope you like. Thanks for reading. xoxo

tag @rissyrapp20 @dendrite-lover @cassienoble2000 @captainshurley @goddessofthunder112 @elejahforever @ hides2000 @arivalappears

_____________

A couple of weeks after

"Happy birthday"-Y/N said to her best friend as she joined her in the kitchen and brought over a muffin with a candle to the breakfast table.

"Awww, thank you! Did you just make it?"- Caroline said as the women got out of the hug. 

"Yeah, it"s like the easiest thing in the world. It"s a banana cinnamon one. Ok. Come on, make a wish"- Y/N said and lit the small candle.

"Ok."- Caroline said closing her eyes to make a wish. A second later the blonde blew the candle off.

"This time I really hope the wish comes true."- Caroline said as she now sliced the muffin in half.

"So, last year it didn't?"- Y/N said.

"Well, it kind of did and then"- Caroline replied- "He didn’t turn to be so special. Ok, you should wish something, too.”

“It’s your birthday”- Y/N said.

“It doesn’t matter - we are like sisters and - let’s pretend I am this good fairy and she wants you to make a wish too”

“Ok”- Y/N said and as if she was a little girl, closed her eyes and made her wish.

Before taking a mouthful of the muffin, Caroline now shot-

“You wished Dr Goran falls deeply, madly in love with you!”

“Care!”- Y/N now smiled and looked at her friend with a ‘stop this’

"I know you. And - the way you looked at him just before we went out of the hospital- he crawled into your heart - but just remember what you went through with Kai."

“Huh- don’t remind me- but - there was - that something - in his eyes”- Y/N now tried to defend herself and those feelings she had rumbling every time she thought of the dishy Dr Goran. 

"And - I kind of get you.Yesterday - he rocked the OR. And he was so brilliant with the little girl in the ER!”- Caroline said.

"Exactly. He does these amazing things. You know that patient that did that awful OP in Aruba, just because he so wanted to join the air force and couldn't and got his friend out to talk to the guy and tell him that he could work as an airline pilot. He gives that extra something for people -  and I just don't get why he - can't get it together. How come he- HUH- and now that man-slaughter charge. Just can't believe it."- Y/N shook her head sighing deeply.

"I got a message from Liv that he got bail."- Caroline then said.

"Why didn't you tell me?"- Y/N said.

"I thought you were done with him?!"- Caroline said-"Even though I didn't believe it for a minute. Knowing you."

"I kind of am, and I am not. Oh, Care- I saw this something in him- like some kind of sadness. I can't explain. Like - he is scared to show his real feelings, like- what is really inside of him."- Y/N now said.

"You pretty much said the same about Project Kai." - Caroline now said.

"Don't call him that."- Y/N said not pleased. 

"Ok. Sorry. But admit it - you were set to change him. And- look how that turned out."- she reminded Y/N that Kai stayed the same smug-self as he always had been. She could not change him. 

"Ok, I got this #saveaguy complex"- Y/N admitted-"but, everything about Joel is so different. I had- altogether three one night stands in my life, but - with Joel it was- different. There were two things- the way he gave these pecks just after we- finished, and the other- he then kind of held me close to him, so tenderly for like a minute-  and then - it was like he kind of snapped out of it and - well, I went to the bathroom. When I got back to the room, he was on the phone to his cousin in New Zealand or whatever- and I just went. I can't forget about it. I know I should."

"Give me the recipe."- Caroline said now her thoughts swaying to Klaus. After seeing Camille and Klaus kiss,Caroline avoided Klaus as much as possible and even when she was assigned to his team, she acted beyond professional. Same as Y/N with Joel, she tried hard to get him out of her head, and heart as well. Caroline now looked at the half eaten muffin and Y/N now said somewhat teasingly- "Oh, yeah, who put the chocolate muffin in your locker?"

"Klaus."- Caroline now said.

"What? That's like- was it a happy birthday thing?"- Y/N continued with the quizzing.

"No, well- maybe. I don't know. It was - I got to the cafeteria, waiting in the cue and there he was. In the cue before me and Liv and - he took the last chocolate muffin. I was so - ugh- you know what I am like with chocolate when I got to have it."

Y/N nodded- and now said-"And?"

 "And Liv made a comment - quite loud-"There goes your muffin! He must have heard it. I got paged and had to go."

"Did he leave a card or something?"- Y/N was excited to hear more.

"Yeah. It said 'For your daily dosage of tryptophan. K.'"- Caroline replied.

"Well, he and his wife are still divorcing- and it was her kissing him."

"I know. I heard. But, I - kind of don't want to be dragged into this whole thing. And now, she went to talk to Chief of Psychiatry, and the Mikaelsons are friends with the Fells and I heard that Dr Felix is leaving and you'll see, she will get the job. And I don't want to be in the middle of it. Plus I heard from Rayna, that the Mikaelsons want them to reconciliate."- Caroline got all huffy now.

Y/N sighed and both of them now said they should close the subject of guys for the time being and think what they will do about the birthday party their friends were throwing for her at the Grill that night.

But before that, the two friends went shopping and Caroline decided to change her hair style a bit, and had it curled just a bit. Y/N decided to keep hers as it, and just went for the wash and a tiny bit of a trim.

They then went for lunch and later had a take away coffee and sat outside.

Both of them exchanged the presents, as Caroline was more than a generous soul and had to buys something for her bff.

And each of them now launched their hand in the little gift bags, and got out a box of jewerly.

"This is what I think is?"- Y/N said and Caroline nodded.

"You did the same didn't you? We have to stop this."- Caroline then said-"we are so not original."

"Sorry, but I thought you'd like it."- Y/N said.

"Ok. On 3-" Caroline said and the now counted one, two, three and opened the boxes.

"Lucky charm!"- Y/Na said and then looked at her fiend surprised-"A heart?"

"It is for love.So you finally find love. Real love."- Caroline said.

"Aww, thanks."- Y/N now put her little pendant on her necklace  and said-"Oh, I wish you the same."

Caroline opened her box now and there was a Chinese lucky coin pendant.

"It's great."- Caroline gushed.

"It was meant for like - everything- now that we started the internship."

"Maybe this time we get to be lucky in  love, too, even though we always choose the complicated."- Caroline said-"and so hope these charms worked their magic. And he falls truly, deeply and madly in love with you"- Caroline said looking at Y/N.

Y/N sighed-"I wish- but-"- and she thought of the trial hanging over Joel's head.

Seeing her friend’s mood damper, Caroline now tried to cheer her up- "Come on, Y/N. I have a feeling that it would be just fine. Elizabeth Forbes is on it. Not that she is my mom, but she is a kick ass lawyer. She will get Joel off the hook.”

"I know."-  Y/N said trying to be positive.

Caroline's phone rang and she answered. It was Rayna.

"Yeah, we are heading home now. Ah, thanks. See you around 8- ok. Bye"

"What's up?"- Y/N asked.

"She took care of the cake."-  Caroline replied.

"Ah, right. I thought we are not doing anything like that."

"Why not. And I thought we do a lip sync competition  thing."- Caroline said.

"Oh, God-you're mad."- Y/N laughed a little.

"Let's have fun. Come on, still haven't figured out what I am going to wear."

🎃

And at the Grill that night, it was fun and celebrations. The lip sync battle proved to be the blast.  Caroline was totally in her element.

      Klaus entered the Grill  with his brother Kol just as her performance was about to start. And her performance was hotter than Hell. And he could not take his eyes off of her. 

      Y/N, having seen Klaus come, pointed to Caroline to look at the bar. Seeing Klaus now, Caroline now inadvertently shot her eyes as if she sang to him.

There's nothing wrong with me

Loving you, baby no no And giving yourself to me can never be wrong If the love is true

And having finished the song, getting all the applause, she bowed and sent kisses to everyone. She stepped down off the stage. Rayna now said to her friend-

"He has not taken the eyes off you, at all."- and seeing Klaus approaching them, went off with Stefan.

Y/N thought of kind of disappearing as well to kind of give them some space, but Caroline pulled at Y/N's jacket a little to stay put.

As Klaus now was there, he smiled at both of them now saying- "Happy birthday.If I'd known- I would have - got something."

"Oh, it's ok. But if you like, there is some cake left."-Caroline now said clumsily.

"Chocolate, I guess."- Klaus said raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah. Need my daily dosage of tryptophan."

Klaus now smirked cheekily- "I will make sure I don't take the last chocolate muffin, and have it reserved for you."

Y/N excused herself now and left them to their flirtatious chat, which led to Caroline leading Klaus, a tad bit later, after a few Tequila shots to the Grill’s storage room. Caroline tried not to let herself go. But Klaus was so hard to resist. But as the Mariv Gaye song, she sang earlier said-      

 You don't have to worry that it's wrong If the spirit moves you Let me groove you good Let your love come down Oh, get it on, come on baby Do you know the meaning? I've been sanctified, hey hey Girl, you give me good feeling So good somethin' like sanctified Oh dear I, baby Nothing wrong with love If you want to love me just let your self go Oh baby, let's get it on  

For Caroline the birthday went down with heart set completely on fire. For Y/N, it was the set on freeze. Her thoughts were with Joel and  all the trouble that was hanging with him. She clutched the heart charm that her sister gave her and tried to send good vibes out to him.

🎃

Days after

Y/N now got out of the hospital and saw Joel sitting on his own head dropped down. As she walked up to him, he put his head up

      "Hey"- Y/N said.

"Hey"- Joel said back to her.

"I was- ok- I heard that you had a call from the lawyer. I know that you should be alone, but-"

"Alone- well, not really."- Joel said.

"I- and what did they say?"- Y/N didn't beat around the bush.

"I am free. I mean the prosecution dropped the charges, because they think that they can't get a conviction. There were cameras there showing he attacked me. It's not a victory, though, is it? I still killed a person- and these feelings- they just- they are still here- so raw- so- I- can't magically undo what I did- I killed a man "- tears now welled up in his eyes. 

Y/N now embraced him warmly, and Joel held onto her as if life depended on it. And as they moved out of the embrace, Y/N now took him by the hand and said-

"Come on, let's get out of here. Are you ok to drive?"

Joel wavered for a second and looked at her, sighing- "Y/N, you don't- have to- "

"I know I don't."- she said with compassion oozing out of her eyes and Joel now nodded and without a word, went with her.

😊

Joel woke up and his tired eyes descended on Y/N lying on the sofa. He looked at her sweetly. There had not been any woman that had managed to undo his facade and have him bear all that was inside of him. 

Flashback

"My parents divorced when I was seven, and I lived with my mom. They had shared custody. She died when I was twelve, and so I went to live with my father in New Zealand. I finished medical school there, but I so wanted to come back here, where my mom was from, but I couldn't get the internship here, So, I went to New York, and well, I guess you know."- Joel said.

"So, you and your dad are ok. He is a surgeon too, right?"

"Well, we are ok now. But- he was hardly there when I was growing up. He was always at the hospital. Dating different women. I grew up more or less with the housekeeper."- Joel said.

"Oh"- Y/N let out.

Joel continued-"Selina- this guy's wife I had this -well, I've been sleeping with like six months ago before I got back with Alex- she said that I was emotionally crippled. And - she was so right."

"Joel-"- Y/N started but he cut her off-

"She was right, Y/N."- he stressed out-" I never really thought much about other people's feelings- "

"And Alex- I mean- well- kind of not really appropriate to go there-cuz you and me-  but - we are cutting into it all- so- she must have meant more than - "- "Talking like a real surgeon-"- Joel said-"yeah, let's cut into me"- he was pensive for a second and it felt strangely that he was under an anaesthesia and this was an out of body experience of him being there looking at Y/N doing an open heart surgery on him- he then  continued- "Alex was- like-  this good in my life. I really cared about her. I and I fucked that up. She doesn't even want to talk to me now all this happened. I just hope she doesn't stop me from seeing the baby."

"Come on, I don't think she will do that."

"You have not seen the sheer disappointment in her eyes when I got arrested that day. And yesterday, she spoke to me just like a colleague."

"She is pregnant, hormonal. And now that you are cleared, it will be fine. She has a real good heart."- Y/N said comfortingly.

"She does, but you- yours is something else. Why are you wasting time on me? You should be - home, or out there having fun with your sister and your friends or fellow interns- 

"Because I have this #saveaguy complex - according to Caroline- no, it's not that- it's -  I know a thing or two about being messed up and lost."- Y/N sighed a little.

Joel could see the streak of sadness break through her eyes-She continued-"My - adoptive parents and my brother were killed in a car crash when I was 16. It was - like the whole world came down- and I- I just didn't want to feel anything, because if I did,  it just hurt, and - well, to cut things short, I got into the wrong crowd. You can only imagine- it lasted for about a year, till I met- Stefan. I was with his cousin Zach at the time. Stefan, but also Caroline - wouldn't give up on me. And- well, Stefan and I started something. It was good, but I managed to messed  that up. Because- huh- this was so complicated. And then his best friend came to live here. And- to cut the long story short- Both me and Care, wanted to get out of this ‘bad boy’ thing. And it- just got- too intense, between him and me- and well, I ended up breaking up with Stefan and starting the most toxic relationship ever with Kai. And I broke up with him at one point, too- But - then we got back together, cause it looked like he really got it together. And it was ok, for about a year or so and then he cheated. So, been there. And- well, the night you and me hooked up- was kind of me trying to get back at him. Sorry. So, there. ‘Miss Messed-up’ right here. That is why I love medicine, and surgery- it's clear cut. No emotions-"

"Yeah, medicine is the only thing I am good at."- Joel said then said agreeing. He went quiet for a second and then said-"I've never really- just - talked with- a woman- like this. If you know what I mean. Not even when I was in a relationship, whatever it was."  

"There is a first for everything, right?"- Y/N said. 

Joel nodded. He excused him for a second and went to the bathroom. As he returned, Y/N was asleep. He covered her up and stayed on to watch some TV. All different emotions rippling inside of him were keeping him awake for a long while, till he eventually got asleep on the neighbouring armchair.

 Now, he looked at her somewhat in awe. If he believed in magic, he would now think she possessed it and put a spell on him. She managed to lessen the burden from his soul a bit. Huge bit. He smiled a little. His heart feeling extraordinarily warm and uplifting. 

 Y/N's alarm on the phone now went off and she moaned a bit, sitting up and looking around, realizing quickly that she was not in her apartment. Seeing Joel there, she muttered a hey and he now reached for her bag.

 "Thanks."- she got the phone out and swiped the dismiss button to stop the alarm.

"Making sure you're always on time!"- Joel remarked. "Yeah, it's on repeat."- Y/N said."6 a.m. every day?"

"Well, sometimes I switch it off and continue sleeping. Depends"

"Yeah- ahm- do you want a cup of coffee?"- Joel now suggested getting up. 

"Yes. Thanks. One sugar. Milk."- Y/N said and asked where the bathroom was. 

"On the right"- Joel said and went to make some coffee. A little later, she got back, and he had made some pancakes.

"Ah, you can cook?"

"I lived on them in med school. It's the easiest thing to make."- Joel said.

Y/N smiled a little and had the pancakes.

"So, any good?"

"Yeah, really good."-Y/N  said-"but why are you not having any?"

"I ate all of the pizza when you fell asleep."

"Sorry, I was so beat."- Y/N said.

"Hey, no apologizing. You - kind of gave me this - I can't thank you enough for last night."                  

Y/N smiled a little at him- "You're welcome." She slipped some coffee and then got up saying that she had to go home and change before work.

 "If you wait for me to shower I'll drive you. You left your car at the hospital."

"Ok - ahm- but I can call Caroline. She will come and get me."

"Right. As you like."

"Yeah. I will see you later." -Y/N now got her bag. He walked her to the door. He opened it for her and they stood for a second looking at one another. Joel then muttered -"Later."

Y/N nodded a little and said the same, walking away. 

😊 

Later that day, as Y/N got out of the OR, Joel got out of the gallery and walked down to her and placed a little kiss on her cheek walking away as he got paged.

Y/N looked after him puzzled at the sudden gesture.   

               😊 😊 🎃The next day In the Withmore cemetery

 Mikael put the flowers down on the grave of Mary Goran. "I wish- that I never agreed to your terms."- Mikael said-"and I wish he knew that I was his father. He has been in a pretty messy jam. But thankfully it was all sorted. And his girlfriend is pregnant. So, I will have a grandchild. My first grandchild, and I will not be able to part of his or hers life. Life throws us such curveball, as you would say. Niklaus has returned and- well he and Joel are working together now, side by side."Mikael sighed a little and then said-"I have done nothing but think about telling him that I am his real father. And I know it will have terrible repercussions, but- oh, Mary, how I wish you were here."

😊

____________

[clickbliss]

My Personal Top 9 Games

By: RJ (@rga_02)

I took a two-month hiatus from writing about video games. It wasn’t because I’ve fallen out of the medium, it was just that I had other obligations to fulfill such as focusing on graduation to get that fancy piece of paper saying I’m qualified to write about the news. 

But whether you liked my writing style here or not, I’m back and there is no better way to launch a comeback other than a top-9 list (yes nine, not ten) because who doesn’t need any more of that in their life?

The following list is my top-9 favorite video games in no order, and I do want to note that this list is littered with personal anecdotes. 

Football Manager 2017

I’m not ashamed to say that I placed about 100+ hours on a glorified spreadsheet simulator. For a good amount of time, this was the only game I was playing. This game–and its predecessors allowed me to see my local club make it all the way to the top using players that would probably never step foot anywhere near the training grounds unless they were held hostage.

Related Reading: I used FM17 as the base to predict the 2018 Chicago Fire season for SBNation.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

Ask me any day of the week and I will probably say Final Fantasy VIII is my favorite Final Fantasy of all time. But ask me what Final Fantasy game I had the most fun with and I would say with a straight face it is Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

Without a doubt, this is the most fun I’ve had with a jRPG to date. Disregarding the mess of the story, everything in this game blends in together to create a perfect experience. From the costumes to the simply sublime battle system, there was not a moment where I felt bored. Plus, the game had a fantastic soundtrack as well.

Ace Combat 5

At the time of this publication my friend is currently watching me replay Ace Combat 5 and despite three missions in she is hooked on to the story. What she is feeling right now is what I felt and still feel about the game today. It was one of the first games that made me feel for the characters around me. Maybe I’m just easily captivated, but the immersion in this game is second to none. Regardless, Ace Combat 5 is an experience that anyone shouldn’t miss out on. The gameplay still holds up to this day pretty well and the soundtrack can make you want to strap yourself in a fighter jet.

Related Reading: How Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is one way to make me a cynical person.

THE iDOLM@STER: Stella Stage

To quote the review I did of this game earlier this year, “you will never feel frustrated at any moment because you are constantly rewarded for your efforts.”

It is not only rewarding but also one of the sweetest, and charming games you will ever play. Even if you have no connection to anyone in 765pro, you can’t help but feel a connection with the idols that you help to their eventual stardom.

Related Reading: Read my review of Stella Stage here.

Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald

I haven’t enjoyed any other Pokemon game fully since these trios of gems--pun intended. It might be nostalgia talking, but the Hoenn region was just so captivating and immersive (oops I said the “I” word again). I enjoyed spending the days of my youth roaming the oceans, forests, volcanos, and deserts of the region looking to get lost despite knowing the routes and landmarks by heart. I yearn for the days where my friends and I would get our link-cables together and swap secret bases.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

I honestly think that this game was the one that planted the “muh aesthetic,” seed in my brain long before vaporwave and the likes. Vice City was another game that truly engulfed me even to this day. For the longest time, I didn’t do any missions at all, I would just spend my time roaming the neon-lit streets of Vice City. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Maybe I’ve watched Blade Runner too many times and seen so many conspiracy videos on YouTube but this game hits all the right notes for me. From the setting, to the story, it was just *chefs kiss.* The combat, while clunky, was oddly satisfying, especially when you did a beatdown melee attack.

Related Reading: You can read why that beatdown is oddly satisfying with my colleague and clickbliss’ Editor-in-Chief Amr piece on Elastic Energy.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX

If I was banned from all video games but one, I would choose this game as my sole video game for life. If I ranked this list, then this would be my number one game of all time. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is the most satisfying experience I’ve had in gaming ever. It’s simplistic but so addicting and there is nothing more I could ask for. 

Gravity Rush

Most people would credit Persona 4 Golden as their reason to get a PlayStation Vita. I’m sorry Rise, but this was the reason I got mine. I could of have been a victim or marketing, but I instantly fell in love with the game as soon as I saw the previews. The gameplay mechanics, setting, and soundtrack blends together to make a truly wonderful and memorable experience. 

Honorable Mentions:

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Gran Turismo 4

R4: Ridge Racer Type 4

The iDOLM@STER: Must Songs

Sim City 4

Call of Duty: Black Ops

[fapangel]

And what is your take on the media finally reporting on Antifa, and the people who have gone strang my silent while comparing them to Indiana Jones or th soldiers of Notmandy

It's a perfect time to answer this question,because in the last few days, the media has begun to tentatively trydigging up Charlottesville again, such as this utterlybugfuck headline in the Atlantic, lastweek's WaPo op-ed digging it up again, and CNBC's horrifiedscreeching over Trumppointing out how his comments on Antifa were vindicated. Thusthere's no better time to stuff this narrative right back down thebastard's throats by reviewing how they went from praising anddefending violent anarcho-communist insurrectionists as freedomfighters to condemning them as thugs in the space of only two weeks -all because of Trump.

Nobody seems to have grasped the significance ofwhat happened in the last two weeks of August. It's high time thatchanged.

The Power of the Media

It all started, of course, on August 13th,when Trump's initial statement on Charlottesville pointed out thatthe IllinoisNazis weren't the only ones that came to Charlottesville looking tostart trouble. The ensuing savage attacks by Democrats and theirmedia establishment was routine and expected - as was the usualgibberingpsychopathscalling Trump a jackbooted Nazi - but then theestablishment GOP rushed to gore him in the back in a veritableRINO stampede, followed by CEOs on his “advisory councils”resigningwith grand flourishes of self-righteous back-patting. The“mainstream” media and associated attack dogs had been callingTrump Hitler from day one, andyet people that had stuck by himthrough monthsof that unrelenting slanderwere now running scared.

The biggest tellwas Trump himself - the man who'd weathered over a year of beingcalled a racist, homophobe, Islamophobe, sexist, and rapistwithoutoncebacking down, flinching or even blinking, utterlycaved after only 48 hours of constant attacks. Thethorough shredding of their own credibility and the democratizationof information has stripped the media of most of their onetime power,but their ability to tell lies of omission - to exclude entire topicsof conversation from the public sphere - was still enough to sendTrump's most loyal admirers and the majority of the establishment GOPrunning in a panic,andbring to heel a man that'd shrugged off a 13-month campaign ofnonstop hate, character assassination and viscous slander. Thisis also the power of the label “Nazi:” once the media finallymanaged to make it stick - even a little - they got exactly what theywanted; Trump standing before the nation reinforcing their narrativethat Illinois nazis, and onlyIllinoisnazis, were the problem.

Itwas a mistake, of course - the media rewarded Trump by squealing withdelirious glee, then attackinghim allover again with twicethe frothing, foaming-at-the-mouthsavagery, as anyone with a brain could've told him would happen.

Trumprealized his true error almost immediately - andsaid so in as many words on Twitter, stating the obvious: Thatthe Fake News Media were malicious bastards that would never, ever besatisfied by any capitulation he made. Thatpublic tweet was a harbinger of things to come - but not even Iexpected the sheer brass balls Trump displayed when he walked intothe next day's press conference swinging.

The Absolute Madman Actually Fights Back

On August 15th, Trump walked into aTrump Tower press conference and didsomething no careerpolitician would've had the sheer steel balls to do -he stared down the mainstream media jackals that had routed hispolitical and social allies in only 48 hours, and calledthem out as the partisan, lying bastards they were. Thetruly incredible thing was that he didn't walk in with preparedstatements - he counterattacked into the inevitable bad-faithquestions that had fuck-all to do with the point of his pressconference (infrastructure.) He started by calling out the fleeingCEOs out for being job-exporting thieves putting their personalprofits before the national interest, pointed out the partisanship ofreporters and their penchant for timeliness over accuracy, and thenhe dropped the bomb.

Hecalled out Antifa and theblack bloc.

Hechallenged their never-questioned blanket slur “alt-right,”demanding they define it, hepointed out that there was an “alt-left” at Charlottesville thatcharged into the fray swinging clubs,he called a reporter Fake News, like it was their name, (whiletelling them to shut their yap,) and nailed the media for theirdeliberate omission of truth regarding “both sides” atCharlottesville. He even got digs in at McCain and Obama withoutbreaking stride - all of it completely unscripted and in full-contactconfrontation with a hostile media gaggle.

Butby far the most important thing he did was call out the black bloc:

“Now, in the other group also, you had somefine people but you also had troublemakers and you see them come withthe black outfits and with the helmets and with the baseball bats.You had a lot of bad people in the other group too.”

It was arguably betterthan calling them out by name - because he was describing whathe'd seen, as he said, “in the same pictures” we'd all seen. In afew minutes, Trump had blown months of willful media silence andconcealment wide open.

The media did what theyalways do, of course.

They doubled down.

Withindays, the WashingtonPost was stridently defending Antifa, painting them as heroic“anti-racist” activists, their savage violence, oppression anddomestic terrorism as self-defense, and comparing them to WWIIfreedom fighters. That boot-licking pack of lies - written by self-admitted Antifa ally and apologist Mark Bray (a Californianprofessor, of course,) was regurgitatedad nauseum by this long-winded screed as well. Then there's thisalleged “news” story painting Antifa as mostly a fantasy oflunatic right-wing media, (including those dreaded murders theNRA!) and thisopinion story striving to deny any moral equivalency between onegang of race-obsessed, club-swinging totalitarian thugs and theother. Oh, andthis opinion story which shed more whiny bitch tears thanHillary's campaign staff on Nov. 8th. And thislong-winded pile of lies again trying to label antifa thugs asinnocent “protesters,” offering as evidence a twitter video clipby “Unicorn Riot,” a packof left-wing propagandists who leaked the Denver PD's riotmanagement manual, an especially helpful bit of intel for theviolent assholes in Antifa who's black bloc tactics revolve aroundfighting, assaulting, and escaping police riot control techniques.Theyhave a complete fucking tactical manual for such things. (It'sa real scream to read, too.) Therewas also thisarticle claiming Trump was foolish to try fighting the media -this one, as they say, “didn't age well.” Andif all of that wasn'tenough, havethis stirring call from another extremist professor tellingpeople to “start throwing rocks” to stop the “ancientevil now standing unhooded.”

Andthat was the Washington Post alone.The truly insaneoutlets, like Slate, didn't mince words - outrightpraising Antifa as heroic defenders of the innocents against the eviljackbooted fascist stormtroopers, in addition to thisass-kissing, massive feature article that's little more than amouthpiece for an antifa activist to - and I quote - “explain[Antifa's] strain of left-wing militancy to a fascinated but deeplywary wider world.” Fascinated.You can hearthe drool dripping fromthis writer's slack-jawed, star-struck awe. Thenthere was oldreliable the Atlantic asserting the “no moral equivalence” lieonce again. Time magazineexemplified the standard tack for any media (i.e. most of them) lessbatshit fucking loco than the WaPo inthis article, introducing Antifa as some milquetoast, generalized“anti-fascism vibe, man,” whitewashed their violence and savagebeatings of bystanders as mere “window-breaking” vandalism (alongwith parroting their apologies, “the media's picking on US!” and“but they fight back sometimes!”) and talking about the blackbloc's black clothing without naming the actual reason for it - toevade police arrest via anonymity. (CNN'ssimilar puff piece was so savaged for its “peace through violenceheadline” that they hastily changed it.)And it didn't stop there, of course - theRINOs caved again like the craven cowards they are, Trump simplydissolvedhis business advisory councils before any more CEOs could makeself-aggrandizing shows of their resignations, and the arts committieresigned en-masse completewith grade-school theatrics in their maudlin resignation letter.But the absolute best partwas when they started comparing violent anarcho-communist thugs toAMERICAN SOLDIERS STORMING THE BEACH AT D-DAY.

Yes,really - startingwith the Editor In Chief of the Atlantic himself, butsure as hell not stoppingthere. Even CNN couldn'tresist the dank meme. They had gone all-in, lionizing theseCommunist thugs - adherents of the ideology that'd go on to murdertens of thousands of American soldiers and servicemen in Korea,Vietnam and elsewhere - as American heroes. Within a few days ofTrump's doubling down, the mainstream media was erecting Antifa onthe plinths they'd just torn Confederate statues down from, anointingthem with the blood of fallen American soldiers, and praising them asfucking heroes.

Two weeks later, it blew up in their goddamn faces.

That Didn't Age Well

On August 27th, a small “No Marxismin America” rally in Berkeley, consisting entirely of unarmed,peaceful protesters, weresavagely set upon and beaten by a much larger pack of Antifa blackbloc thugs after Berkeley riot police let the bastards into theprotest site without a fight. Since the violence waswitnessed by an AP wire reporter, even the WaPohad to mostly report the facts for a change. That AP footageshowing single conservative rallygoers being viciously beaten andkicked by five or six masked, black-clad thugs apiece proved Trumpright in dramatic and undeniable fashion - but more importantly, itproved the media absolutely, utterly, and horrifyingly wrong.

After piling thatpack of lies as high and wide as they possibly could for weeks, themedia was forced to swallow every ounce of their own shit.

Amere two weeks after churning out that disgusting pack of lies,apologies and outright praise for Antifa I partiallysampled above, the WaPo had to publish thisofficial editorial board op-ed condemning them. The Berkely PD'swillfully allowing the violence to take place must've been especiallyawkward, given the WaPo's twoseparate articlesblaming the Charlottesville PD's lackluster response for the earlierviolence.

Theshit-eating just kept going and going. Mark Bray, the aforementionedAntifa historian, apologist, and cheerleader, was himself disavowedby his own college's president forsupporting a pack of violent thugs, followed by the WaPo'slengthy review of his book which ended with the telling line“The inherent contradiction of antifa is that, if America isindeed so irredeemable and hypocritical that violence is the answer,then what exactly are you fighting to preserve?” Theyalso ran thiscolumn explicitly refuting their earlier denials of moral equivalencybetween antifa and Illinois nazis, which pointed out that theUnited States defeated Nazis andCommunists (onetime ally of the Nazis) but that only Communists areroutinelydefended by the New York Times. Even this defense of antifa bythe WaPo's own media columnist (which blames antifa's sudden bad rapon a Vast Right Wing Meme Machine) opens by admitting that antifa'snewly-tainted name was suddenly everywhere- anda week later they were running demandsfor specific Democraticpoliticians todo the ritual denouncing of The Enemy,for a change. EvenNancyPelosi herself jumpedon the condemnation bandwagon. Even the Mayor of Berkely, JesseArreguin (opensupporter of one of the most violent and cultlike of Antifagroups, By Any Means Necessary,) whowas responsible for ordering Berkeleypolice to stand down on prior occasions (resulting in violence,)went on-record to demand Antifa be classifiedas a “gang.” (The FBIopted for rather stronger labeling.) Eventhe partisan, serial liars at the Southern Poverty Law Centercondemned them, though they refused to apply the “hate” labelthey rubber-stamp almost everyone else with. Even the Chicago fuckingTribune, one of the most consistently rabid anti-Trump publicationsI've seen this side of the WaPo openly criticized Democratsfor their conspicuous silence regarding the Communistinsurrectionists among them.

Theentire debacle was a glorious comeuppance without peer - the entireDemocratic party and mainstream media smear machine caught dead torights in their ghastly, bald-faced lies and forced to choke themdown again.

Amedia smear machine powerful enough to coerce CEOs of massiveinternational corporations, powerful career politicians and even -momentarily - the most powerful man on the planet.In the waning days of August, two weeks after they bent the Leader ofthe Free World to their will, they weren'tjust humiliated and discredited - they were also forced to openlyacknowledge the violent political terrorists that had benefited sostrongly from their willful veil of silence, de-masking them forever.

Andit was all the work of Donald J. Trump.

Hope Rides Alone

Trump knew exactly what he was doing.

His tweet the night before his bombshell Aug. 15thpress conference proves his (most impressive) loins were well-girdedfor combat before he walked before the cameras in Trump Tower - hewas ready and willing to offer battle. He knewthe press (as they always, always do)would be launching questions at him completely unrelated to the topicat hand, questions calculated to do him the most damage - and hechose that as hismoment to engage, rather than working it into his speech as preparedcomments. He countedon their malice to give him the openings he needed - and in a fewminutes of unrehearsed, ad-hoc debating, gave the mainstream mediathe poke needed to set their zealots fervor ablaze. I hate the mediawith such horrific passion that I've said nicer things about anglerfish and Windows ME andeven I wasleft astounded at the media's rush to lionize club-swinging communistterrorists as freedomfighters and heroes - butTrump wasn't. Thecourage to take on the people - and the lies - that'd sent hispolitical allies running like craven cowards not 48 hours earlier isnothing short of astounding, and the kind of risk no careerpolitician would ever entertain. I could've told you that the mediawould paint themselves into a corner with their hysterical, manicscreeching, and that they'd be proven for fools (again)when Antifa inevitably committed a new act of barbaric thuggery, butTrump hadthe sheer brass balls to bankhis very fortunes on it.

And he hitthe jackpot.

Anyonewho thinks Trump isn't playing “4D chess,” or that he's “cavingto pressure” after the lastweek of August is either a boomer crewman, Amish, or a raging idiot.The metric asston(ne?) ofshit the media was forced to eat was absolutely, entirely thanks toTrump's August 15thpress conference. He took their greatest victory over him to-date andturned it into their most bitter defeat in only two weeks time. Onlya fool could doubt the man's brilliance at this point.

Thenext time you hear some Bannonite drone screaming to the high heavensabout DACA, remember the last week of August.

[pamphletstoinspire]

Our Universal Mother - Part 19

September is Dedicated to Mary’s Sorrows - Our Lady’s Greatest Sorrow

Looking at her Son, Our Lady prayed that everyone would go to Heaven; that all would truly follow God, so that Jesus’s torturous death would not be in vain.

THE TAKING DOWN FROM THE CROSS

Contemplate the heart-breaking situation of the Mother of Jesus. As evening came on, it grew quieter and quieter around the Cross of Jesus. See the soldiers occupied in dragging the dead bodies of the thieves down the hill to the common burial-place. See the Immaculate Mother —her eyes fixed on Jesus. Oh, with what unutterable pain Mary contemplates this Holy Body hanging on the Cross—now robbed of all form and beauty, even of Its soul—torn and shattered, borne down by Its Own dead weight on the Cross. She could not take Him down, and had no grave for Him. Any request from her might result in grosser execration (cursing). The Holy Mother feared every moment that the soldiers would come back and drag away her dear Son’s Body also to the burial-place of criminals. It was considered a disgrace among the Jews not to be buried in their own family sepulcher. The Mother of Jesus had always been poor—poor in Bethlehem, poor in Egypt, poor in Nazareth—but never had she felt her poverty so bitterly as here in the sight of her Jesus’ dead Body.

Note the party of men passing through the judgment-gate bringing ladders and many other things. They are hastening rapidly towards Calvary. Our Blessed Mother, sick at heart, asks John anxiously: "Who are coming?" At last, when they are near enough, John whispers to the Blessed Mother that she has nothing to fear. They are friends. Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews—Nicodemus likewise. But lo! Jesus in His Death has made all things new. Joseph and Nicodemus are not afraid now. The Passion of Christ has strengthened them. Scarcely had Jesus breathed His last sigh than the efficacy of His Blood inspires them with a courage they had not known before. They are determined to honor the Body of Jesus Whom they recognize as the Messiah. At once Joseph goes to the Praetorium and boldly asks Pilate for the Body of Jesus. A glorious testimony to the innocence, sanctity, kingship, Divinity of Jesus, all of which have been well proved by the miracles of His life and death.

See with what ardor and reverence they approach the Sacred Body of Jesus. They salute the Mother of Sorrows, but neither can speak, their hearts are full of emotion and deepest sympathy for the Mother and Son. The beloved disciple joins them—all prostrate and adore Jesus on the Cross. Then the ladders are placed against the Cross and they begin the most sacred of duties.

Note how lovingly and reverently they touch the Sacred Body. First, the crown of thorns is removed—kissing it reverently they give it to the Immaculate Mother, who stretches out her hands to receive it, and she, too, kisses it and presses it to her heart. With the tenderest care the nails are drawn out, and passed one after another to the heroic Mother. See how gently and with what reverent love Joseph and Nicodemus wind linen bands around the limbs and then lower the Sacred Body to the ground. John holds the Adorable Head, Joseph and Nicodemus support the Body, and Mary Magdalan—always at her chosen place—takes the Sacred Feet of the Divine Master. No priest can treat the Blessed Sacrament with more care and reverence than these holy men of high degree treated the Body of Jesus. How dear they must be to us for their love of our Lord, and His Holy Mother, and for the generosity with which they give not only their property, Nicodemus his wealth and Joseph his sepulcher, but also themselves, the personal service of their hands; and lastly, for their courage.

It is not without significance that we are told that Joseph went "boldly" to Pilate. It really needed courage to do this, seeing the fanatical hatred borne by the Chief Priests and Rulers to Jesus, and the victory they had gained over Him. Joseph’s and Nicodemus’ sympathy for the fate of the Crucified—their intervention for Him—and the public burial they gave Him—might well be regarded as a demonstration of opposition, and might have the worst consequences for themselves. But they care nothing for all this. They came to know Jesus, they love Him, and everything must be done to serve and honor Him—Love is proved by deeds! These noble-minded men and their acts is the first victory of the Death of Jesus, and a fruit of our Lord’s gentleness and patience. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth"—by being crucified—"shall draw all to Myself." He did not take it amiss that they kept the fact of their discipleship secret for a time. Jesus waited patiently, and now His patience has borne fruit. And this is all the more wonderful—seeing that they were the only ones of all the disciples and Apostles, except St. John, who openly declared themselves for Jesus and espoused His cause.

As soon as the Sacred Body is lowered, going a few steps they place the "World’s Treasure" in the winding-sheet that our Lady has spread on her knees. Then all prostrate and adore. I also will kneel and adore, fixing my eyes alternately on the Sacred Body of Jesus and on Mary. Contemplate lovingly, and mark how all who surround the Sacred Body of Jesus preserve a religious silence! How the Blessed Mother’s heart speaks to her Beloved Son as she gazes on His bleeding face, His glazed eyes, His mangled body, His pierced hands and feet, His opened side. She speaks to the Eternal Father, the Holy Angels, the faithful friends of her adorable Son, she looks over the whole human race for whose redemption Jesus has suffered and died. She prays for all—for me! How reverently Jesus’ faithful ones listen to the Immaculate Mother—her words are loving and tender—they illumine the mind and move the heart. Mary’s incomparable grief alters neither the peace of her soul nor the majesty of her countenance, and "in peace is her bitterness most bitter."

What were the Holy Mother’s thoughts as she gazed into the five wounds and sees the Sacred Body covered with gaping wounds and bruises, battered out of all shape by the cruelty of man! O Mother of Sorrows, great as an ocean is thy sorrow! What must be thy hatred of sin, when thou seest what it has wrought in the Divine beauty of thy spotless Son! What a mixture of agonizing compassion and mournful sorrow, of hope and consolation, gratitude and triumphant joy, fills her holy soul while she looks on the dead Body of her Son. The day on which Jesus died is indeed well called Good Friday. It is the day when Jesus consummated His victory over death.

Shall I not condole with my Mother—the Mother of Sorrows—as with unutterable woe she lives through the whole Passion again, following it out by the dreadful traces it has left? Now she sees it all close at hand. What have I to say to her as she arranges the hair, touches, kisses, and closes the wounds? And of what does she think? Surely of happier times—of the hour of the Last Supper—the majesty and nobility of His Sacred Person during the three years of His public life—of the sweet days in Nazareth and Bethlehem. See! The Babe of Bethlehem has come back to His Mother’s lap. But how differently His arms are stretched out now! Oh, of what do all these wounds speak to the Blessed Mother, if not of His love for us? We were bought with these wounds, this Blood, and this death. How could she help loving us? How could she forget us? We are graven on her heart in a thousand wounds. Everyone who passes by the Cross sees the Mother there with her dead Son on her lap, and blesses God for having so confounded our enemies through her means. Blessed art thou—above all upon earth! O Holy Mother, Queen of Martyrs, imprint deeply on my heart the wounds of thy Crucified Son. So long as this heart of mine shall be capable of loving, it will love thee. O Mother of Jesus, and my Mother, too—yea—it will burn to influence all hearts with the same fire of love—that all may begin upon earth to love thee for the sake of Jesus—and Jesus for His Own dear sake. O Mother, give me to Jesus! Now and at the hour of my death. Amen.

by Fr. Reginald Walsh, OP

taken from his work

MEDITATION ON THE PASSION

with Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur, 1922

[jellyryans]

Doctor, Your Crush is Showing

Prompt: Injury

Relationship: Sawamura Daichi/Tanaka Ryuunosuke

Sawamura Daichi is a serious doctor and he seriously tries to bury his crush on a patient, but Tanaka Ryuunosuke doesn’t make it easy. 2312 words. 

Written for Day One of Daichi Rarepair Week! Read it here or on AO3!

“Alright, alright, quit your yapping and focus,” Ukai grumbled.

He stood next to a hospital bed, both hands in the square pockets of his white coat. The group of interns splayed in front of him stared with wide eyes and Daichi could almost hear their knees knocking from where he stood at the nurse’s station. “Our next joker here...”

He was interrupted by a delicate cough from down the hall and his shoulders tensed as he looked over the shoulders of quivering mass of young people and locked eyes with Takeda Ittetsu, the thorough and devoted chief of medicine, who smiled, and Daichi didn’t have to follow Ukai’s line of vision to know the exact look that made Ukai shiver.. “Fine,” Ukai corrected himself, “tell me about our next patient, um, Yachi.”

There was a loud squeak from deep in the group of interns and Ukai tapped his foot as Yachi pushed her way to the front. “Tanaka Ryuunosuke, um, knife wound to the shoulder?”

Ukai motioned for her to continue, and she glanced at the guy in the bed, who waggled his eyebrows. She smiled brightly and squared her shoulders. “T-Tanaka-san underwent emergency surgery to repair damage to the brachial artery. Primary repair was successful and, um, continuity was achieved. We’re watching him for potential nerve damage and infection.”

“He’s currently Daichi-san’s patient,” Yachi added. Tanaka gave her a thumbs-up and cheered silently, the memory of what happened when he interrupted Ukai’s rounds the day before obviously still fresh in his mind. Daichi held the first piece of paper he could find to muffle his laughter, because he remembered, from years ago, what happened when someone cut into Ukai’s time.

“Good,” Ukai nodded at Yachi, then he checked his watch and jerked his thumb down the hall, toward the next patient on their list. He turned around without a word and the group shuffling behind him like a single entity.

Daichi watched them leave. He wasn’t sure he had the words to express how grateful he was not to be an intern anymore. Rounds were stressful, nights were long, and tears were plenty. He was finally at the point where he got his own patients. Patients like Tanaka Ryuunosuke, who was happily showing something off to Ennoshita, the head nurse, as the nurse adjusted the IV in his arm.

Tanaka was rushed to the emergency room with a stab wound four days earlier and, post-op, he was thrown into Daichi’s care. The surgery had gone smoothly, despite the knife having nicked his artery, and despite the injury and blood loss, Tanaka had somehow dragged himself to the hospital, collapsing in the lobby. Daichi never got the full story, just enough for him to do his job.

But, that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious. He was probably some sort of drug dealer, or a member of a gang, or delinquent thrill-seeker, or something, while Daichi was a guy who didn’t remember what it felt like to not study for eighty hours a week, who had chosen this path over so many other, who had, unexpectedly, found himself with a problematic crush.

“Once you’re done staring, you might want to go check on him. He just ripped his bandage trying to flex for me and I know you like to do it yourself.”

Ennoshita’s stealthy approach and sleepy monotone unnerved Daichi, so much so that he almost fell out of his chair. “Right, hey,” Daichi coughed. “And, uh, it’s not that I like doing it, I’m just observing, the, uh healing. The process and stitches.”

“Wow,” Ennoshita deadpanned. “Your fancy doctor talk is truly impressive. You sure you’re only a senior resident?”

Daichi knew when he had been beat. He got up from the desk, nodded at Ennoshita, and crossed the hall to lean in the doorway of Tanaka’s room.

“Sawamura-san! Doc!” Tanaka shouted. He turned in the bed so quickly that it tipped and Daichi rushed in to steady the metal frame. “Was wondering when you’d come see me,” he winked.

“Hey, Tanaka,” Daichi smiled back, hand firmly on the bedrail. He ignored the way his heart squeezed when Tanaka grinned at him, all teeth and dimpled cheeks. “How’re you feeling today?”

“Good,” Tanaka replied brightly. “Great, actually! I’m pretty famous, you know, with those groups of kids coming to ooh and ahh over me and all. That Yachi’s getting much more confident, which makes sense, you know, because you guys are all a bunch of nerds,” he teased.

Daichi logged into the mounted computer by the bed and tried his hardest to not look at Tanaka while he rambled. The glow on Tanaka’s face when he gloated was annoying, and Daichi was annoyed that he wasn’t annoyed, and he tried to avoid it altogether. “Mhm,” he hummed into the screen, “famous, huh? Maybe for being the hospital idiot.”

“Hey!” Tanaka said sadly. “I’m wounded! And you sound like the big blonde doctor dude. But c’mon.” He scooted to the side of his bed, close enough to Daichi that he could almost feel the warmth from Tanaka’s skin through his scrubs. “What would you guys do without my charm?”

He didn’t have a good answer to Tanaka’s question so, instead, he chastised him. “Ennoshita told me that you ripped your bandage again. That’s twice today. Hence, hospital idiot.”

Tanaka raised his hands in surrender, but dropped them almost immediately with a sharp hiss. He pouted and looked at Daichi, face tight and screwed up, obviously trying to mask the pain.

“That’s what you get for moving around like you do. Now let’s take a look at your shoulder.” Daichi sighed, motioning for Tanaka to sit up so he could untie the back of his hospital gown and roll it down. As his fingers ghosted Tanaka’s skin and the deep brown of his skin was unearthed, Daichi sent a silent prayer into the universe. Please help me keep it together, he pleaded.

Tanaka shifted with a little difficulty, but the smirk grew on his face. “I’ve been meaning to ask… Isn’t this the nurse’s job? Or do you just like what you see?”

Daichi whacked him lightly in the head, but it was true When Ennoshita had asked the first time, Daichi told him it was good practice. His fingertips ghosted over the muscle corded around Tanaka’s shoulder and his eyes traced the dip of his sharp collarbone. He was mesmerized, as always, by the tiny bumps that formed in the cold hospital air. Yeah, he thought, good practice.

He was so deeply immersed in his thoughts and the expanse of skin in front of him that, for the second time in the last hour, someone caught him by surprise. Tanaka poked the side of his head and Daichi swatted his hand away.

“What?” Daichi asked reprovingly.

“I can almost hear those smart doctor wheels turning in your head,” Tanaka motioned to his own temples with his index finger.

Daichi finished wrapping Tanaka’s shoulder, with something that felt dangerously like disappointment. “Thinking about your chart,” Daichi lied. Well, he reasoned, he had been thinking about Tanaka’s chart at some point. And he had a job to do, teenage crush mumbo-jumbo or not. “I saw that you refused pain medication today. How’re you feeling?

“Fine, fine,” Tanaka waved it off with his uninjured arm.

“Do you want any meds?” Daichi asked carefully.

Tanaka thought about it. “Nah,” he said. “I’ll tough it out.”

Daichi nodded. They had this fight before, and Tanaka insisted that pain medication made him seem less manly, and that it would be a travesty. Daichi tried arguing, but Tanaka never budged, and it occurred to Daichi that he really knew nothing about the guy. And it weighed on him. “Okay, well, if you change your mind, which would be fine,” Daichi emphasized, “you know where the buzzer is to ring the nurse.”

“Who’s on today?” Tanaka asked quickly, suddenly alert.

“Shimizu’s not on tonight,” Daichi warned.

Tanaka sunk into the sheets and pulled the blanket up to his chin with his uninjured arm. “You think if I cry and scream and wail for her, she’ll come to my aid?” He asked, and, in a hopeful, higher voice, that Daichi assumed was supposed to be Shimizu, he clasped his hands in front of him and cooed. “Ryuu, I’m here for you, here, hold my dainty and glorious hand and shower kisses upon it…”

Daichi couldn’t help the rolling laughter that spilled out of his chest and, when Tanaka saw it, he laughed too, and they laughed together. Daichi wished he could keep moments like these. “You know that, even if she was here, she’d ignore you.”

“Ah, but I love it when she ignores me,” Tanaka replied wistfully, the tears of laughter fresh on his face. “I guess Ennoshita will have to do. He’s not bad on the eyes,” Tanaka shrugged.

Daichi choked on the spit in the back of his throat. Guys, huh? That was a thought. Daichi bit his tongue and reminded himself of his place. “Better not let him hear you say that. He might withhold your food again.”

Tanaka moaned into his hands. “Again? Is that why I was so freaking hungry the other night?”

“You did ask if Ennoshita would fluff your pillow five times in as many minutes,” Daichi pointed out.

“Okay, I kinda deserved that,” Tanaka admitted with a snort.

Daichi knew he couldn’t stay much longer, that his time with Tanaka was running out. He hated these moments, the ones where the total idiocy of his situation, an impossible, unprofessional, irrational crush, hit him hard. He was just about to excuse himself when a kid came crashing into the room, pushed past Daichi, and jumped on Tanaka’s bed.

“Ryuu!” He cried.

“Yuu! Buddy! My man!”

Daichi took a couple steps back and was about to call security when Tanaka embraced the jumping bean in his bed with a sob. They cried into each other’s arms and Daichi got a good look at the kid. Turns out, the guy wasn’t a kid, just small and lean, with a prominent tuft of bleached hair and a wide variety of piercings, tattoos, and scars. Daichi cleared his throat and, when they both looked over, noses running and eyes red, he took his leave.

“Thanks doc,” Tanaka said with a lopsided grin.

His friend, Yuu, eyed him briefly and gave him a mock salute.

When Daichi left the room, he stopped at the nurse’s station leaned on the counter, right out of view but close enough that he could eavesdrop on their conversation. He just wanted to make sure Yuu wasn’t some drug dealer or troublemaker, that Tanaka would be okay. It was a totally natural thing, right?

Ennoshita looked up from the computer with tired eyes, his hair clipped back and a stack of paperwork at his elbow. “Need something?”

“Ah, no,” Daichi said.

“So you’re just standing at my station?”

For lack of a better excuse, and not wanting to give his presence away, he nodded. Ennoshita glared at him, but accepted it with a heavy sigh and started typing again. Daichi leaned on his elbows and tuned into the voices coming from Tanaka’s room.

They talked in rapid fire succession about people he didn’t know, places he had never been too, and bands he had never heard about. There didn’t seem to anything sketchy going on, and Daichi felt guilty trespassing on Ennoshita’s patience more than he had to, and he was about to leave, really, but Tanaka shushed Yuu so loudly that it reverberated in the walls.

“Dude! Not so loud!”

“Nah dude, you got it so bad, you’re blushing like a bride on her wedding night! I cannot let this go.”

“I know!” Tanaka whined. “It’s fucking embarrassing! I can’t help it. It’s like, he comes near me, and I have to take off my clothes. I might even rip my bandages on purpose.”

Daichi inched closer to the wall, until he was right up against it.

“You’re pathetic,” Yuu laughed.

“Well, I gotta get my kicks when I can, ya know? What am I gonna do, ask him out?”

“Wait,” Yuu stopped. “You’ve actually thought about it?”

Tanaka laughed without humor. “Since the moment he greeted for the first time in his deep, manly doctor voice and told me I looked good.”

“He was probably just talking about your gaping wound, dude.”

The room went quiet for a couple minutes. Then, Tanaka started talking. “He probably thinks i’m some deadbeat drug dealer or gang banger or something. I mean, who else gets fucking stabbed in an alleyway and passes out in a hospital lobby?”

“Fuck, Ryuu,” Yuu said quietly, almost too quietly for Daichi to hear through the wall. “You didn’t tell him how you got stabbed?”

“Nah, not really important.”

“Not important? Those fucking assholes threatened your sister.”

“Yeah, and who’s the dumbass that tries to pick a fight with guys with knives? Idiots who aren’t good enough to date doctors.”

Daichi was now right around the corner, gripping the edge of the wall.

“No, no. You might be a dumbass, don’t get me wrong, but you’re a dumbass that loves his sister and if some hoity-toity doctor thinks he’s too good for you,” Yuu choked. “Just, don’t ever fucking do that again.” His voice shook with every word.

“Hey Yuu,” Tanaka whispered.

“Yeah?”

“You’re a pretty crier.”

“Shut up!”

“You shut up!”

The voices dissolved into laughter, the bed creaked with the weight of two full-grown men, and Daichi thought he heard someone get smacked in the head with a pillow. With a deep breath, he pushed away from the wall and walked past the nurse’s station as casually as he could.

Ennoshita glanced up just in time to catch a glimpse of the skip in the doctor’s step.  

[cringeynews]

New Post has been published on

New Post has been published on http://cringeynews.com/featured/progressives-should-not-cave-to-anemic-liberals-in-the-identity-politics-debate/

Progressives should not cave to anemic liberals in the "identity politics" debate

One of the fundamental challenges for liberals, in the Trump regime, will be trying to hold on to their basic commitments to equality and inclusion, while facing the pressure to jettison some of those commitments when it would seem to be politically disadvantageous to be too liberal.

This piece is part of The Big Idea, a section for outside contributors’ opinions about, and analysis of, the most important issues in politics, science, and culture.

As early as the 19th century, John Stuart Mill, whose work deeply influenced our ideas of liberalism, recognized that increased economic equality had not been accompanied by equality in terms of either gender or race. He was fully committed to widening the scope of equality in those realms, writing, along with his wife Harriet Taylor Mill, “The Subjection of Women”: “[T]he legal subordination of one sex to another — is wrong in itself, and now one of the chief hindrances to human improvement; and that it ought to be replaced by a system of perfect equality, admitting no power and privilege on the one side, nor disability on the other.”

In 1850, Mill also wrote powerfully for the abolition of slavery. He fully recognized that in taking both these positions he was going against the tide of convention and popular opinion, but for him, taking these unpopular positions was perfectly consistent with his commitment to equality for all.

Since that time, until this November at least, history seemed to have slowly caught up with Mill; many felt that things had evolved. And the road of progress was not a smooth or easy one — many well-meaning liberals dragged their heels during the civil rights movement, causing Martin Luther King Jr. to write in his famous “Letter From a Birmingham Jail”: “I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Councilor or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice.”

Now, with the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, those who are working for racial equality are once again confronted with both of those nemeses: out-and-out white supremacists and their silent abettors, anemic liberals.

The notorious Mark Lilla essay

In the aftermath of the presidential election, many white male liberals have come forward with the following claim: Democrats lost largely because they had neglected the issue of class; Trump won because he catered to the alienated white working class. The conclusion they draw is that it is time to get rid of “identity politics,” which are attentive to issues of gender and race and other things, and get back to the economic base. Mark Lilla’s New York Times op-ed, “The End of Identity Liberalism,” is a much-discussed manifesto for this position. Lilla, a professor of humanities at Columbia University, writes:

We need a post-identity liberalism, and it should draw from the past successes of pre-identity liberalism. Such a liberalism would concentrate on widening its base by appealing to Americans as Americans and emphasizing the issues that affect a vast majority of them. It would speak to the nation as a nation of citizens who are in this together and must help one another. As for narrower issues that are highly charged symbolically and can drive potential allies away, especially those touching on sexuality and religion, such a liberalism would work quietly, sensitively and with a proper sense of scale.

It is crucial to remember that Clinton won the election in the popular vote — by an increasingly sizable margin. That does not mean that liberals do not have to think hard about how they lost the Electoral College to Trump, but it does put into perspective the degree to which Democrats must rethink how they “appeal to Americans,” and who they feel these Americans are, and what their priorities are. Lilla believes that in neither case should issues of minority identities be accommodated in any substantial, public manner — his notion is that “identity politics” are the kiss of death for liberals.

But to follow Lilla’s and others’ advice would be to precisely turn away from not only progress but also reality. The United States is increasingly less white, and although some minorities voted for Trump, the overwhelming majority did not. Our country is also increasingly liberal. The Atlantic notes: “There is a backlash against the liberalism of the Obama era. But it is louder than it is strong. Instead of turning right, the country as a whole is still moving to the left.” So why abandon “identity politics”?

The term “identity politics” is disposable, but the disadvantages some groups face are real

In fact, I am all for retiring the term itself — it is a term that more and more people wish to get rid of, especially since now it’s patently clear that Trump and his followers are enraptured by white identity politics. When we fixate on this term, we tend up enmeshed in a battle of whose “identity” is worth preserving and whose is not. We end up either arbitrarily championing one over another or simply saying “All Lives Matter.” In both cases, we lose sight of what we should be aiming to achieve politically, and that should be equal rights for all, with a full understanding of how some groups are at a specific and real disadvantage in this regard. That would seem a noncontroversial idea for liberals, but some are balking at it.

What we find in the backlash by liberals against progressives is nothing other than a betrayal of the true and full values of liberalism. Liberals like Lilla would have us turning back the clock to compete for the leadership of what one might call an “off-white America,” with issues of race and gender and other minority positions relegated to the background — yet somehow not entirely abandoned, so that this America would not be confused with the starkly “pure America” favored by white supremacists. For many of us, this is an unappealing prospect.

We believe we should instead build on the gains we have made and the multiracial structures we have built — such as the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the National Immigration Law Center, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and groups working for housing rights, such as Urban Habitat.

We should not accept the logic that would demand that we must choose either economic justice or racial justice (or gender equality). As Cinzia Arruzza, an assistant professor of philosophy at the New School, writes:

An effective opposition to Trump should work on disentangling these heterogeneous and even incompatible motivations, by, on the one hand, fighting back against the new wave of racism, misogyny, and homophobia ahead of us, and on the other, addressing the legitimate desire for a radical change expressed in part by votes for Trump and in the abstention of millions of former Democratic voters.

Liberalism will have to struggle with its conscience once again, but the question should not be, “How equal can we afford to be?” but rather, “How can we best form lines of solidarity with the most vulnerable?”

The notion that on one hand is class and economic identities and on the other hand is race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation is a false binary. As the journalist Conor Lynch notes, “Economic struggles and civil rights are deeply interconnected. Women and people of color, for example, are much more likely to suffer disproportionately from poverty and economic inequality.”

People of many different identities stood together against the Dakota Access Pipeline

In response to such injustices, coalitions that recognize these connections have appeared and are growing every day. What is happening at Standing Rock demonstrates that while a movement might be led by a particularly affected group, diverse peoples can see their interests and values represented by the same historical event. The issues of water rights, indigenous rights, and minority rights have drawn people who have been aware of these issues from Hawaii and Palestine and from Flint, Michigan. None of them have checked their “identities” at the door.

Indeed, with the news that the Army Corps of Engineers has turned down the permit for the Dakota Access Pipeline to be built under the Missouri River, we find a landmark case of organizing and activism across many so-called “identities.” One veteran wrote that for the first time in his long service to the country, he felt that he had truly served the American people. He writes:

I was in Iraq when President Bush announced the “surge” in January 2007. I was in Afghanistan when President Obama announced the “surge” in December 2009. But it wasn’t until I visited Standing Rock in October 2016 when I actually served the American people. This time, instead of fighting for corporate interests, I was fighting for the people… The Sioux struggle against the pipeline embraces so many other struggles in this nation. It encompasses struggles against climate catastrophe, a history of breaking treaties with Native Americans, attacks on the right to assemble, assaults on journalists, the militarization of police, and placing corporate profits over human rights.

This places Lilla’s assertion of what constitutes “most Americans” and especially what political activism has to look like in an entirely new perspective.

And this is not new. The longest fight against an eviction in United States history was the multiracial protest against the International Hotel eviction in San Francisco.

For more than a decade, a coalition of Asian Americans, black people, Hispanics, religious groups, senior citizens, and college students fought to allow a group of elderly Filipinos to stay in their residence. Even the sheriff of San Francisco initially refused to carry out the eviction notice. All these groups and individuals understood that “urban redevelopment” meant the loss of their city, their residences, and their autonomy. Although the eviction eventually went through, the builders agreed to create low-income housing — thus setting an important precedent for urban development.

What’s more, in 2005 the city of San Francisco partnered with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco to rebuild the International Hotel as a cultural center and senior housing. We find similar coalitions fighting for housing rights today, as even white middle-class individuals and families see their communities torn apart by skyrocketing housing prices.

All this is to say that “identity” need not be a barrier to getting 51 percent of the votes in the Electoral College. A recent piece at Slate argues that the idea that Trump won the Rust Belt by appealing to poor whites misses the fact that many Democrats either voted for third-party candidates or didn’t show up to vote; in short, the Democrats lost those voters. Rather than attempt to continue a brand of managerial liberalism that decides in a top-down matter what matters to “most Americans,” it would be vastly more effective to, if one is really interested in social justice, recognize what drives people to action and commitment and to the polls. They may well be bearing their identities with them, but building something together.

Mills felt that whatever inequality might exist should be balanced in favor of the weak and the most vulnerable. Those who wish to win the next election by muting calls for justice emanating from the margins have, at that moment, given up the name “liberal” for political expediency.

David Palumbo-Liu is the Louise Hewlett Nixon professor, and professor of comparative literature, at Stanford University, as well as the founding editor of Occasion: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities. Find him on Twitter @palumboliu.

The Big Idea is Vox’s home for smart, often scholarly excursions into the most important issues and ideas in politics, science, and culture — typically written by outside contributors. If you have an idea for a piece, pitch us at thebigidea@vox.com.

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