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squirrelly831 · 5 years ago

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Caught in Public [Kyungsoo, Jongin, and Sehun]

The oc’s are the wives prior to getting married. You can read this as part of the daddy!au series or a stand alone~~

Enjoy~

Kyungsoo

Kyungsoo stormed out of the office pissed off and hurt. He’s been nothing but dedicated and loyal to EXO and SM and still he couldn’t go out and tell the world about his fiancée and their child. He had agreed to keep their relationship a secret from the fans, but things had changed. He was about to have a family with his pregnant fiancée. What did SM expect him to do when it came time for the baby’s birth? To just hide them from the world?

His mind raced as he was on stage. Kyungsoo knew he needed to focus as he missed his cue or more than one occasion as he was performing. He was drenched in sweat, but he caught a glimpse of his fiancée, Yihyun, off stage with concern written on her face. He mentally cursed himself for making her worry about him because if she was worried then so were his fans. Kyungsoo shook his head of the discouraging meeting earlier in the day and got into the groove of the concert.

It was intermission and Kyungsoo and a few other members headed off stage to get changed and catch their breath as the others remained to talk to the fans. As Kyungsoo vanished behind the curtain he saw Yihyun with a towel in her hand and a bottle water for him. Without hesitation, he moved close to her and gave her a kiss.

She chuckled in the kiss as she was caught off guard and pulled away from him, “What was that for?” She pressed the towel against his sweaty brow.

“Can’t I kiss my fiancée?” Kyungsoo took the towel from her and wrapped it around his neck.

She pressed her index finger to the corner of her mouth in a thinking pose, “Hmmm… Maybe after the concert is over. You smell like sweat” she teased.

Kyungsoo scowled, “You’re such a tease.” He leaned down once more and kissed her again. Just as he deepened the kiss the sound of rapid camera’s shutters echoed close behind them. Kyungsoo broke the kiss to see one of the paparazzi had snuck into the back with his camera in his hand. He looked like a deer in headlights when he caught Kyungsoo’s dark eyes and he ran off before security could grab him.

“What are you going to do? There’s no way they won’t post those pictures” Yihyun panicked.

Kyungsoo wrapped his arm around her protectively, “It’s fine. It was bound to happen one day.” He flashed her a smile, “Now I can go out in public with you and kiss you whenever I want!”

Yihyun’s anxiousness slipped a couple of notches as she shook her head at her fiancé, “You’re too much sometimes. Now hurry, you need to get changed.” Kyungsoo chuckled as he pecked her lips once more and took off to the dressing room.

Jongin

Jongin wasn’t going to take Lee Sooman’s no to him going public with his girlfriend, Maya, of three and a half years. He wasn’t going to keep hiding her from the world when he had plans on eventually asking her to marry him. He knew it was going to be reckless and that his company would be livid, but he wanted his fans to know that he was happy and in love. He knew his true fans would be happy for him.

He had convinced Maya to go out to the aquarium with him. Seeing them out in public together wasn’t ever taken out of context as SM did a great job of covering their dates by claiming they were just close friends. But that was changing today and Jongin was going to make sure of it. They spent the day at the aquarium and enjoying each other’s company before they decided to stop at a cafe to grab a bite to eat.

After eating, they went to the park where they just sat at one of the more secluded benches. “Oh, I found this song yesterday that I wanted to” Maya pulled out her phone from her bag and held out one of her headphones.

Jongin took it and put it in his ear as she played the song with a headphone in her ear. He looked over at her and flashed her a smile before he looked off at the park. He listened to the music and nodded approvingly not noticing Maya was watching his reaction. “This has a good beat” he grinned. He looked down and caught her eyes on his. The music faded as his focus went from the music to his girlfriend’s lip.

Maya noticed the change of his expression and her eyebrow rose, “What’s wrong?”

Jongin said nothing as his hand went to her chin and he pulled her close to kiss her. Maya was about to protest, but he pressed his lips to hers to silence any protest she had. It was supposed to be a quick kiss, but he found himself indulging as he nibbled on her lip and pried her lips apart to slip his tongue inside her mouth.

There was a camera shutter sound near them and they jumped away from him. A man ran off before the could stop him. “Is that who I think it was?”

Jongin raked his hand through his hair with a fake stunned expression. “Shit, I’m sorry, Maya! I didn’t want us to be found out this way” he hugged her tightly as she tried to come to grips with what happened. Their secret relationship would be revealed in a matter of hours. Now, if it all goes according to Jongin’s plan, his company will let him make the announcement before the news releases the photo.

Sehun

Sehun’s relationship with Dasom hit the news by accident. He was half asleep when he arrived to Incheon Airport. He had arrives earlier than the others due to a solo schedule he had and Dasom was his ride home. When he saw Dasom, his mind blanked as he approached her and kissed her. It was the only thought that coursed through his head. It was a late night arrival and neither of them thought that anyone would have noticed them.

A week since that day, Sehun didn’t receive a lot of backlash that he expected he would like others had done in the past. Sure, he got some angry comments, but nothing really bad happened to him. When he asked Dasom, she told him nothing too bad had happened, but he soon found out it was a lie.

He had went to her apartment to surprise her with some flowers just to do something nice for her. He entered with a spare key and called out for her, but received no answer. As he entered her apartment, he could hear a faint cry coming from the bedroom.

“Hyesoo, I don’t know what to do” she cried. “They found out everything about me. Some fans went to my mom’s work IN AUSTRALIA! Some of the fans trashed the restaurant and tagged it.” Dasom wiped her eyes as she listened to her friend on the phone. “No” she said sternly. “I can’t tell Sehun about the fans. Do you know how disappointed he’ll be with his fans for being so rude? I deleted all my sns and I’ll make new ones with a privacy setting, but I can’t tell him. Maybe it’ll go away.”

Sehun leaned against the wall by Dasom’s bedroom. His mouth slightly parted as he pressed his tongue to his cheek in frustration. Dasom wasn’t right. He wasn’t disappointed in his fans, he was pissed off at the ones who claimed to be his fans. If he was disappointed in anyone, it was Dasom. After being with him for a year and a half, he thought Dasom knew she could confine in him about anything. He needed to know about the harassment when it first happened because he could have done something. Sehun left the apartment without announcing himself after he put the flowers in a vase. He was going to do some damage control and let his fans know that attacking his girlfriend and her family would lead to criminal and civil lawsuits. As well as convey how he wished his fans would support him because Dasom made him one of the happiest men in the world.

Part I || Part II

Credit to gif owners

Written & revamped by Squirrelly831

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#exo #exo reactions #exo scenarios #kpop #kpop reactions #kpop scenarios #kyungsoo #kyungsoo reactions #kyungsoo scenario #jongin #jongin reactions #jongin scenario #sehun #sehun reactions #sehun scenario #kai #kai reactions

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yellowcanna · 5 years ago

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Two Sides, Same Coin

Summary: Since the beginning of Quirks, Yokohama has announced independence from Japan and closed itself from the rest of the world.

To this day and age, no one knows what lies within the city of Yokohama—or that was what the public was made to believe. In reality, Yokohama has long fallen into the control of the world’s largest criminal organization known as the Port Mafia.

Follow Class 1-A as their principal organized a field trip to Yokohama! In their short trip there, they must change their perspectives and learn exactly what it means to be justice and what it means to be villains.

Rating: T

Genre: Crossover, hint of shounen-ai (boy love)

Pairing: Contains mild Soukoku (Dazai x Chuuya) and Shin Soukoku (Akutagawa x Atsushi)

Author: Canna / Yellow Canna

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◅ PREV MAIN NEXT ▻

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CHAPTER 3

TALES FROM 14 YEARS (PART 2)

When midnight fell over the city, a huge blond man wearing blue, yellow and red spandex could be seen walking down the quiet street.

Toshinori—no, he was All Might now. The No.1 Hero looked at the windows that were lit up around him.

He had never experienced such a quiet night in a populated place before. While this was what he has been fighting for all this time, actually experiencing was something else. Hearing some noises, All Might brought his eyes back down to see an elderly couple walking by. The old lady was using a walker while the old man was using a cane. All Might stepped aside, turning his body so that his large frame wouldn't block their path.

The two elders thanked him with warm smiles on their faces. All Might smiled back. He watched two go, feeling a bit uneasy. He felt a sense of responsibility to escort them home. After all, night time was never dangerous, especially with Villains lurking in the shadows.

All Might had to remind himself that this wasn't the outside world. Just one look and he could tell these two elder couples must come out for a nighttime stroll a lot. There wasn't a single fear or wariness on their faces.

All Might looked around the buildings that were filled with people resting in their homes.

He needed to get away from the residential area.

All Might sucked in a deep breath.

It was time.

Gathering power into his legs, he darted swiftly into a nearby alley.

He ran through the maze of the city, having memorized every single road as he headed for his destination. He made sure to keep his pace slow, just so his pursuers can catch up.

He eventually came out into a wide street filled with factories on both sides.

He ran until he found the place he was looking for.

With a huge leap, he soared into the air and landed at the center of a construction zone. The entire place had been sealed off to prevent people from coming near.

All Might took a deep breath before he shouted, “I know you’re there!”

His voice echoed into the quiet night.

His enemies didn’t keep him waiting.

A loud buzzing sound vibrating the air as helicopters flew out from behind buildings. They covered the night sky; each helicopter was armed with a machine gun with a shooter already in position. Strong headlight shot down from the helicopters, lighting the entire construction ground as men in black suits appeared. They swiftly surrounded the premise, armed with assault rifles with the muzzles aimed at their target.

All Might watched as the men in black suits parted before him, revealing a man in his forties dressed in long black coat and brown scarf.

“Greetings.” The man greeted, walking forward with his hands behind his back. “My name is Hirotsu Ryuurou, Commander of Port Mafia’s assassination team—the Black Lizard.”

All Might didn’t move. He just continued to stare at the man, watching for any move he might make. With his lack of knowledge in Abilities, the Hero had to be extra careful to all of his surroundings.

“It is not every day we get an honorable guest like yourself visiting our humble city. My apologies for being unable to present you with better a welcoming party.”

“I think you got together a grand party already.” All Might replied.

The man raised his hand. With a snap of his fingers, two silhouettes emerged from behind him.

All Might’s smile nearly broke at the sight of two children—a girl and a boy. The red-haired girl looked to be another twelve years old while the brown-haired boy appeared older, but a child nonetheless.

“Allow me to introduce, they are Kouyou and Kajii, our Port Mafia’s latest addition. They will be your opponents for tonight.”

“YOU—!” Toshinori gritted out, eyes burning with rage but the two children had already sprung into action.

“Ability: Golden Demon!" The girl called out, drawing a katana as a crimson woman appeared behind her, wielding a similar blade.

“YAHOOO!!” The boy cheered as he threw out a bunch of lemons—no, those weren’t lemons!

Gathering power into his legs, Toshinori leaped into the sky. The Hero held back most of his strength so that he wouldn’t get too close to those helicopters circling the sky. The moment those lemons scattered over the ground where he once stood, they exploded.

Dirt was blasted all over the air as dark smoke created by the explosions covered the construction site.

All Might landed back onto his feet and looked around the smoke obscuring his vision. His clenched his fists in anger. To think the Port Mafia will go as far as using such young children against him in a fight!

He looked around cautiously. He knew these children were just a distraction. The Port Mafia had counted on the fact that he wouldn’t be able to hurt them. While these children drew his attention away, the real enemy must be hiding somewhere, waiting for the best opportunity to strike.

Sensing something coming at him from behind, All Might jumped to the side as a katana thrust by him, missing him by half a meter. The little lady clutching onto the katana didn’t falter. Instead, she flipped her blade around and instantly changed the course of her attack. When All Might dodged that as well, she jumped back and vanished into the smokescreen.

All Might frowned, unable to keep his smile just from what he saw. Had he not dodged, the girl’s blade would have pierced his heart the first time, and split open his throat the second time. Every move the girl made was to take his life. There was absolutely no hesitation in her movement.

And what’s more, the moment All Might met the girl’s gaze, he saw intense bloodlust spilling from those ruby red eyes…

As much as All Might didn’t want to think about it, this girl was used to battle. Or rather, she was used to killing. His right hand curled into a tight fist.

“Texas Smash!”

He punched the air, the power of his fist created a strong gust of wind and blasted the smoke away.

“Hya!” The red-haired girl screamed as she was blown back, but thankfully the creature she made caught her protectively within its arms.

All Might had purposely lowered his power. He didn't want to risk harming the girl, and if he used any more strength he was also wary of those helicopters over his head. He hadn’t thought they would bring out helicopters…this was bad.

The No.1 Hero wasn't worried about the guns on the helicopters. What made him worried were just them being there. From the map and what he saw on his way here, this place is filled with power plants and warehouses for dangerous chemicals. If he accidentally knocked one of these helicopters down from the sky and hit one of these warehouses, it might cause explosions. He couldn't risk that, not when he has no idea if there were any civilians around. That was the whole purpose of leading these people here, so innocent people wouldn't get involved.

“Golden Demon, eliminate him!”

All Might swiftly leaped back and dodged the creature that had appeared over his head and slashed its sword at him. He didn’t know what will happen to the girl if he destroyed this creature.

Will she suffer the same damage as her creature?

Will she receive any backlash if this creature was to disappear?

With those thoughts in mind, All Might once more has to control his strength. His first lightly collided into the creature’s gut, sending it hurling backward. Blue eyes instantly shifted to the girl who didn’t seem to feel anything as she rushed towards him with her sword.

Not connected then, that makes things easier.

On the sideline of the battle, Hiroshi observed the way the Pro Hero so carefully fought with Kouyou.

“Truly frightening…” He mumbled with a hint of awe in his voice.

Everything was going according to how the boy said it would. Right from the start, the Hero was fighting while holding back his strengths. He didn’t even realize the changes his body was already going through. Perhaps even now, he was still waiting for his real opponents to show up.

The No.1 Hero on the Hero Billboard Chart…such a pity.

Hirotsu pulled out a golden pocket watch, taking a glimpse of the time and raised a hand.

The men surrounding the perimeter raised their guns and took aim at their target.

All Might who had kept a close eye to these men naturally didn’t miss this. His eyes widened as he watched the man, Ryuurou Hirotsu, brought his hand down. Sounds of gunfire shook the ground as bullets pierced through the air, coming right at the Hero and the young girl.

All Might quickly grabbed the girl, dislodging her katana and ducked behind a stack of steel beams. It was at that moment that searing hot pain blossomed from his abdomen. He looked down to see a dagger halfway buried into his flesh. On the end of the dagger's hilt was a pair of small hands, shaking as they tried to push the blade through the hard muscles.

“Stop, you don’t have to do this.” All Might tried to calm the girl down with one hand holding the blade of the dagger, preventing the girl from pushing any deeper. He smiled, trying to show the child how he meant no harm.

However, when the girl saw his smile, she only smirked. She let go of the hilt and jumped back.

“NO!” All Might shouted. Ignoring the blade half stuck inside him, he darted forward, reaching for the girl who was falling towards the rain of bullets.

“Golden Demon!” The crimson creature appeared, materializing behind the girl as it unsheathed its sword and swung it down towards him.

All Might held up an arm over his head. He tightened his muscles as searing hot pain shot up his arm. He bit down and endured it, sacrificing his arm to block the blade so that his other arm could reach out for the girl.

But despite all that, the girl was falling further and further away from her. No matter how hard All Might tried, he couldn’t reach her.

Why?

All Might’s mind almost went blank as he stared at his quivering hand that was so far from the girl.

Something was wrong.

He should be able to move faster.

He should be able to reach her.

So why?

Why was that girl still so far away?

Why wasn’t he reaching her already?”

“AAAAH!” All Might roared, as if by doing so he'll miraculously gain the energy he needed to propel himself forward and reach the girl.

The girl looked back at him, that condescending smirk still on her face. There wasn't the slightest bit of fear on her face at the concept of death. With a flip in the air, she landed gracefully out in the opening.

The air instantly became silent.

It was as if the thundering sound of bullets a split second ago was nothing but a dream.

All Might was dumbfounded by the sudden change. He didn’t even realize when the girl’s summon creature had disappeared, leaving only a deep cut in his arm. The girl turned around, throwing him one last smirk before she darted away.

“HEY OLD MAN!!” A voice echoed from the sky as a dark shadow cast over the man.

All Might looked up in surprise. Through the bright light shining down from the helicopters, he saw a figure dropping towards him at a dangerous pace.

It was that boy!

“Which one do you believe?!” The child shouted with a gleeful look on his face. “When you die, do you see God, or does God not exist at all?!"

And then, All Might watched in horror as lemon-like grenades poured down from the helicopters.

“WHY DON’T WE FIND OUT TOGETHER?! AHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

“Bastards!” All Might cursed the Port Mafia from the bottom of his heart. He gathered strength into his legs and leaped into the air.

He had wanted to snatch the boy and fly away from this construction zone, away from these helicopters, away from Port Mafia…but reality was he didn’t. He had used all of his strength, but he only just barely reached the boy. He wrapped his arms around the boy, watching in surprise as the muscles in his arms began to thin down.

His Quirk has deactivated!

The sound of explosions pierced his eardrums as heat scorched his body. He held the boy tightly in his arms, using his body to shield him even as he hit the ground with grenades raining over him. Pain blossomed from all over his body. All Might couldn’t even think, all he knew was the scorching pain, yet despite all that he held the boy under him, desperately trying to keep him safe.

He didn’t know how long the explosions lasted for.

It could be seconds.

It could be minutes.

It could be hours.

By the time it ended, All Might was laying on the ground. His hero costume was pretty much destroyed with the blackened flesh underneath still sizzling. He coughed out a mouthful of blood, weakly opening an eye to see the boy he had protected crawling out from beneath him and tossing his battered hand away.

“Kehahahaha, just kidding~” The boy, completely unharmed even down to his cloth, laughed at the Hero’s stupidity. "My Ability, Lemon Bomb, is to not take any damages from any lemon-shaped bombs! Lemons! They are wonderful, don’t you think?! KUAHAHAHA!!”

All Might’s lips tremble, but he couldn’t speak. His vocal core must have been destroyed…or perhaps it was his lungs…he couldn’t tell anymore.

"I made those bombs myself!" The boy boasted, not caring if the charred man on the ground could hear him or not. "I even added that special gas that you Quirk users loved so much!”

Gas?

“…but to think that would lower the explosiveness…I must—…refine…da…”

All Might could no longer hear the rest of the boy’s words. The only thing he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat steadily getting slower and slower. His visions were slowly being consumed by black spots, like insects chewing away a film. The immense heat that was burning his body away began turning into bitter coldness. Every passing second, All Might could feel his life leaking from his body and pooling beneath him.

Was this how he will end? No, he can’t.

He hasn't defeated All for One yet.

He hasn't found a successor for One for All either.

He can’t let it end like this.

Damn it.

Damn it all…

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

Toshinori never expected to open his eyes again. He hadn't even expected that he could still be alive with that kind of injuries. Yet here he was, alive and well, without a single scratch on his body.

The pain and suffering felt like a dream. Nothing of this feels real at all. If anything, the whole trip to Yokohama felt like a dream, if not for the fact that he currently seated on a chair in the center of a dark room. The only light source in the room was the strange cubical energy surrounding his hands and feet.

Toshinori tried to move, but he couldn’t budge an inch. His hands were tightly secured against the armrest and his feet to the floor. Whatever these yellowish lights are, Toshinori found himself powerless against it. Someone was standing behind him, but all Toshinori could see of that person were the gloved hands hovering beside him, emitting the same light as these shackles holding him down.

This must be an Ability user.

Toshinori couldn’t tell if his Quirk was still working properly, but these things binding him were strong. He has a sinking feeling that even with One for All, he still won’t be able to break through these confinements.

“Exactly eight o’clock.” A voice spoke from across the room.

Toshinori looked up to see a man sitting behind a wooden desk. He was mostly hidden within the shadows, Toshinori knew this must be the Port Mafia’s Boss. This man was giving off a dangerous aura so similar to All for One that it made his stomach lurch.

“I have been waiting for you, eighth holder of One for All.”

Toshinori’s eyes widened with a sharp intake of breath.

How…?

“Randou-kun, leave us. I would like to have a talk with him.”

“Yes, boss.” A voice spoke from behind him, confirming that the man before him was indeed the boss.

The light around his hands and feet vanished as those gloved hands disappeared out of Toshinori’s sight. Despite being freed, Toshinori sat still. He knew he couldn’t move recklessly. Not without confirming whether or not his Quirk was working properly again.

Just from the power of that Ability user holding him down, he knew he was outmatched. The Mafia Boss himself must also be an Ability user as well. He had to act carefully if he wants to leave this place in one piece.

It was only when the sound of the door closing could be heard that Toshinori gave the Mafia Don his full attention.

"I can see you have questions to ask." The man hummed, folding his white-gloved hands over his desk.

“How do you know about One for All?” Toshinori demanded while testing out his body’s function. Everything felt normal.

“You One for All successors seemed to make it your business to come into our city every generation.” The man sighed as if it was something extremely troubling for him. “If we do not allow you into our city, you will start wrecking our barrier, that’s why I decided to invite you in.”

“Invite…?” Toshinori tried to think back to how he had entered the city. It was that crack in the barrier underwater that he…

“That crack in the barrier was made by you!” It wasn’t a question, because the moment Toshinori spoke out loud, he knew he was right.

From the very beginning, it was a trap!

When looking for a way into the city, Toshinori did tons of researches. He looked through the barrier’s history, ran a marathon around the city, dive underwater and even tried digging underground nonstop for three days, just to see where the barrier would end.

In the end, he came to the same conclusion that all those that had researched the barrier came to.

The barrier protecting Yokohama is spherical. Which means—there was no opening.

With that fact confirmed, Toshinori decided to go with Plan B, which is to break the barrier down with pure force! However, he had to do it in a place where the people in the city wouldn’t be alarmed, and the best place for that would be in the water.

He bought a full set of diving gears and a year's worth of oxygen tanks. He swam around the barrier. Due to not being able to see what's on the other side, he had to be cautious. There was no telling when the enemy may spot him.

It took him a full week of living with the fishes until he found a small, barely noticeable crack in the barrier. Knowing this was the breakthrough he needed, he quickly began to work. He started pounding on the barrier carefully with his fist. He didn’t dare to do it too hard, fearing it might alarm the Port Mafia or worst—create a tsunami.

After two days of nonstop pounding, Toshinori finally made a hole big enough for his body to squeeze through.

Never did he suspect that crack would be a trap. It was too small and too unnoticeable that he brushed off the possibility. But if he thought of it from another angle, that was what made that crack the perfect bait for intruders. Usually, baits should be something more noticeable. Otherwise, how else would the enemies notice? But these people did the opposite.

They made it nearly impossible to find so that only those looking for a way in would find eventually come across it.

“The last One for All successor that came into our city was twenty-seven years ago. I believe she was the seventh. I’m sure you are familiar with her.” Even from the shadows, Toshinori could see the grin on the Mafia boss’s face.

His teacher had come to Yokohama?

Why hadn’t he ever heard of it?

“Tell me, what is it that you seek within our city?” The Port Mafia boss asked as he slowly stood up. “Did you come to stop crimes? Did you come to save innocent civilians? Or perhaps you have come to take down the Port Mafia and free Yokohama to the outside world?”

Toshinori didn’t speak. He just continued to glare at the man.

"All you Heroes are like that. You come into our home, intrude on us with your beliefs without bothering to understand the circumstances of this city. The Port Mafia is what's been maintaining order within Yokohama. What do you think will happen to this city if we are gone?"

“Maintaining order?” Toshinori narrowed his eyes. “Forcing children to fight is also a way to maintain order?”

The Boss of the Mafia chuckled as if finding his anger amusing.

“You heroes never fail to amuse me.” He hummed. “Despite all the Villain activities going on in your world, you’re still so naïve and ignorant. Your belief in your so-called justice is so strong that you only see things in black and white. As result, you became incapable of seeing colours.”

“How many people did those children killed?”

“Hm?” The Mafia boss turned to him as if he didn't hear his question properly.

“How many did you make them kill?”

“Well now…do you remember how many ants you stepped on when going outside?” The Mafia boss questioned back. It was then that Toshinori saw those dull red eyes, staring at him coldly without a fraction of emotion.

Anger rushed through his veins as the No.1 Hero flew out of his seat. His Quirk activated, his body buffed up and his fist pulled back. In an instant, he was in front of the man, about to smash his fist into the other's head when suddenly, One for All deactivated.

Toshinori halted in his track.

The deactivation of his Quirk was one reason, but the second was the feeling of a cold sharp tip resting at the center of his throat. His breath hitched. He couldn't even swallow, as the pointed object was positioned just below his Adam's apple. The American didn't know what weapon was nipping his throat, but the Mafia Boss before him was emitting a pressuring aura as he gazed at the Hero with a light smile on his face.

“Sit back down.” It wasn’t a request, but a command. “Showing violence in front of a child wouldn’t be very heroic now would it?”

Child?

Toshinori slowly backed away and lowered his fist. The Mafia boss retracted his hand, and it was then that Toshinori finally saw the weapon the man had used.

It was a surgery knife.

Never in his entire Hero career has he ever seen or heard of anyone using these as weapons. Even with his trained eyesight, he couldn’t see when the Mafia Boss had pulled out his weapon. The only thing that even alerted him of danger was that flicker of silver before the blade kissed his skin.

Toshinori stepped back, only to feel something tugging against his right leg. Cautiously, while keeping his senses on the enemy, Toshinori spared a glance and was shock by what he saw.

A small and frail little kid was gripping onto his leg with those tiny quivering hands. Toshinori couldn’t see the child’s face as from his angle he could only see that mass of messy raven locks. However, from the way the boy was trembling and how he was covered in bandages, Toshinori instantly stood in front of the child, shielding him from the eyes of the Port Mafia Boss.

He didn’t know why a boy like this was here, but he has no doubt this was another one of this man’s trick.

The Mafia boss broke into laughter at the sight.

Toshinori’s hands rolling into fists as he tried to activate his Quirk again, but still nothing. What exactly was going on?

“I am finding the fact that the outside world still hasn’t been taken over by Villain very peculiar.” The Mafia Boss chuckled.

“How many children have you Port Mafia been keeping?” Toshinori asked. He has no interest in talking in circles with this man. All he wanted to know was if there were more children like this boy and those two kids he faced in the Port Mafia.

“Oh? I would have thought you’d be more interested to know the reason of your Quirk’s deactivation.” The Port Mafia said back.

Toshinori didn’t say anything. Yes, he was concerned about that, but he doubted the Mafia boss would tell—

“You were injected with Quirk suppressants, as well as inhaling a large quantity of Quirk suppressant gas.”

“What?” Toshinori’s eyes widened in shock.

Quirk…suppressant?

“Did you think Yokohama wouldn’t develop any weapons against outsiders?”

All Might thought back to that red-haired girl. He remembered the way she smirked at him after stabbing him in the abdomen. His hand unconsciously moved to where he was stabbed.

That’s right…it was right after that his Quirk started weakening.

That was why the girl smiled like that. All along, her only job was to stab him with her blade. But Toshinori had grabbed the blade. He didn’t feel anything smeared on the metallic surface, so that could only mean…

It was inside the dagger. That was why the girl kept pushing the dagger! She wasn't trying to push it deeper into his body; she was injecting the Quirk suppressant into him!

As for the gas…

Toshinori remembered the boy with grenades in the shape of lemons. He vaguely remembered the boy saying something about putting the gas into those grenades before passing out.

So those grenades he threw right at the beginning already decided everything...

And to think that Toshinori only figured all this out now.

“Tell me, Hero.” The Port Mafia boss said as the wall behind him began to move.

Toshinori stepped back, reaching down to gently push the petite boy back as he watched pieces of wall slide up one by one.

The morning pale light flooded into the room, chasing the shadows away as Toshinori stared at the huge panels of windows behind the Mafia Boss. The sudden exposure to such strong light made Toshinori squint his eyes, but never once did he turn his attention away from the dangerous criminal before him.

With his back facing the light, the Port Mafia boss was completely covered in shadows as he regarded the Hero with those red eyes.

"Do you see children as liabilities? Do you see them as weak and fragile beings that need your protection?"

“What are you trying to say?” Toshinori gritted his teeth.

“What do you think will happen to this city once we are gone?” The Mafia Don then asked, turning to the window with his hands behind his back. He wasn’t even the slightest bit concerned whether or not the Hero would use this opening to attack him.

Toshinori blinked a couple of times to get accustomed to the light. When his eyes finally adjusted, the first thing he saw was the blue sky and the city of Yokohama. The blond took in the peaceful and undisturbed city.

There was no explosion, no smoke rising out from the distance…nothing.

“The answer is simple.” The Port Mafia glanced back at the blond, crimson eyes meeting the Hero’s ocean blue ones. It was at this very moment that Toshinori has finally gotten a clear view of the enemy.

The man was quite young, looking to be in his early thirties with chin length-black hair slicked back over his head with two bangs hanging on the side. He wore a set of black suit with a black trench coat and maroon scarf hanging around his neck.

He was looking at the Hero with a mixture of bemusement and mockery. It was the gaze of someone looking down upon another that is below them.

"When Port Mafia falls, every organization lurking in the shadows of this city will fight to obtain absolute control. Battles will occur and lives, including innocent ones, will be lost. Orders will no longer exist. The idiotic bunch may even open Yokohama's barrier, wanting to use their Abilities to conquer the world. What do you think will happen to your world if that happens?”

Toshinori wanted to say something back, but he couldn’t.

What organization was this man talking about?

What order exactly did he mean keeping Yokohama in place?

“Yes, you cannot answer, because you never thought about consequences.” The Mafia boss ridiculed. “In the outside world, defeating Villain means justice. There are never consequences for Heroes to defeat Villains, as your Villains do not play a role in your society.”

The Mafia boss looked sharply at the No.1 Hero.

"Since you cannot answer I will answer for you. The moment the barrier of Yokohama falls, your world will come to an end. If you think this barrier exists to protect us from the outside, then you are sorrowfully mistaken. This barrier exists for the protection of you outsiders.”

Toshinori shook slightly as the blood in his veins turned cold as a scary realization dawned him.

“There are countless Ability users within Yokohama that can end the outside world as simple as a snap of their fingers. The only reason they hadn’t is due to Yokohama’s barrier and the fact that all these individuals have zero interest in your world. But that is only if your world doesn’t interfere with ours.”

Toshinori felt cold.

Never did he ever felt like what he does might be considered bad.

He stared at the peaceful city displayed before his eyes. He remembered the carefree looks on people’s faces and those elderly couples taking a midnight stroll. If he brings down the Port Mafia, what would happen to those smiles?

But were these Ability users really that powerful?

He wanted to think of it as a bluff until he remembered that boy on the street. The power of his Ability was not a combat one, but that level of intelligence alone could change the balance of good and evil depending on where he stood.

Then there was also that Ability user that was holding him down just minutes ago. What exactly was that man's power?

Finally…there were his injuries. He had been blasted by explosions. He remembered the pain, remembered the way his body had looked. He wasn't even supposed to be alive, yet he was standing there with his body completely unscathed. Was this also the work of an Ability user? If so, then he has never in his life heard of such strong healing power.

No, this can't even be considered healing anymore. Even among Quirks, a power like this only exists in fantasy.

The thought of Ability users like these being exposed to the outside sent a chill down his back. It may be fine if they were to become Heroes, but if they were to join the Villains…

For the first time, Toshinori was lost. A criminal was standing right here in front of him, yet he wasn’t able to bring him down. He couldn’t. He might be able to before knowing these facts, but now…he didn’t dare to think what might happen if he does.

“This is Yokohama.” The Port Mafia boss said, once more reminding the Hero that this was not the world he lived in. “Do not presume our world is the same as yours. Naturally, that goes for those you see as children. You seem to think that the reason you lost was due to us using them as shields, but the truth is that the ones that defeated and capture you were none other than three children. Isn’t that right, Dazai-kun?”

Toshinori felt the tiny hands that had been gripping his leg disappeared. He looked down, watching with rounded eyes as the young boy walked around him and headed towards the Port Mafia boss.

He wanted to reach out and stop the boy. Despite everything the Port Mafia boss had said, Toshinori still held strong to his belief in protecting those weaker than him. He wanted to hold this child and tell him that it’s alright anymore. That he didn’t need to obey this man…that he was here.

However, when the boy looked up and their gaze met, Toshinori froze.

Dull burnt umber eyes gazed back at his without a speck of life reflected in them.

In all of his years of careers, Toshinori has seen different kinds of eyes.

Those brimming with anger, desperation, sadness, pain, terror, lost…but these eyes showed nothing of that. If Toshinori had to come up a word for it, it would be 'hollow'.

“This boy is a prodigy.” The Port Mafia boss decided to enlighten the Pro Hero. “However, because nothing can surpass his expectations, he became extremely bored with everything around him, including life. That’s why he came to Port Mafia, so that he can seek out challenges—something that can surpass his mind. When you came into Yokohama, I decided to let this boy handle your case. All I told him was to bring you here at eight o’clock sharp, and he did just that. I’ve never instructed him on how to proceed with your capture. Do you understand what that means, Hero?”

Toshinori felt himself tremble as he stared at the boy.

"Everything you did and everyone you came into contact with, including the two children that you fought—they were all planned by Dazai-kun here.”

“Everything? Then…?” Toshinori couldn’t continue as he remembered that cheerful smile the boy wore as he ate his treat.

Was he also part of Port Mafia?

Was that also a part of their setup?

He wanted to ask, but he couldn't. He was scared of finding out the truth. He was even more scared if he was wrong, because that will expose the boy.

Never would Toshinori ever expect himself to doubt the heart of a child. However, he could no longer see any of these children as mere kids. Any last shard of hope he had been gripping onto shattered the moment he looked into this boy—Dazai’s eyes.

At the very least…he can’t see this boy in front of him as a mere child.

This boy…

“Leave our city, watchdog.” The Port Mafia boss said with a cruel smile on his face. “There is nothing for you to protect here.”

He does not want to be saved.

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#bnha fanfiction #soukoku #bungou stray dogs #my hero academy fanfiction #crossover #bungou stray dogs fanfiction

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piroco · 6 years ago

Text

Instants of Happiness

Status: One-shot (Complete) Word Count: 2627 Rating: General Pairing: Yuuri Katsuki/Viktor Nikiforov Tags: Omegaverse, Family Fluff, Based on Kashoku’s “Hourglass”, Secret Santa (stupidly delayed) Un-beta’d Warning: None AO3 Links: https://tinyurl.com/ycktoabn Notes: My Secret Santa gift for Kashoku, based on her latest omegaverse fic, also stupidly delayed bc of my bullshit internet problems

Inside the Nikiforov-Katsuki's home, there's a particular set of pictures visible in the main room. While never subjected to public attention, they're proudly displayed for anyone with the privilege to visit.

Three in total, similar in composition but obviously taken in between years. A loving illustration of the family's devotion.

------

The first had been taken in the shores of Hasetsu, a few months after Vitaly's conception.

If there was one thing both Viktor and Yuuri utterly detested, it was the pedestals they had been forced into. Sure, they both enjoyed their time on the podium back when they were still figure skaters, but being held by others as an example of ideals neither Yuuri nor Viktor shared or even agreed to was frustrating, insulting, and a complete disregard of their autonomy that became more evident and intolerable as the years went by.

And both of them had to suffer plenty for it. First as alpha and omega, then as 'Living Legend' and 'Japan's Ace', then as opposers of the WAOR's restrictions.

For reasons both Viktor and Yuuri cared very little to know, people who opposed the WAOR's restrictive laws on reproduction had repurposed their decision to wait out on having children as a flagship example of childfree alphas and omegas. Which was a complete bastardization of the couple's actual declaration of wanting to have children on their own time.

So, after twisting their words, those very same people started decrying them when, inevitably, they decided it was time to have a child. Made worse when supporters of the WAOR jumped in and also twisted their words into some ridiculous 'redemption' story about 'finding their true calling as alpha and omega' — or something equally stupid, neither Yuuri nor Viktor cared to know.

They both had expected the backlash, but even with the previous mental preparation it was still too much for Yuuri. Viktor himself had been disappointed, annoyed, but it wasn't anything that surprised him anymore after a lifetime of being the object of rumors and false information. Yuuri however couldn't keep his calm for long and eventually the insidious wagging of tongues started to get to him.

The day Viktor found Yuuri in their lounge sobbing, asking the alpha if he was disappointed at Yuuri for 'caving in' to the WAOR in the end, Viktor had enough.

They left for Hasetsu two days after that.

Unlike every other place in the world, Yuuri's hometown had remained a safe haven for them. The townsfolk respected their privacy and even defended them from paparazzi, hounding reporters and nosy tourists. Yuuri's family has remained ever supportive of their choices and having them be so fussy and excited for their unborn child was as refreshing as the breeze from Hasetsu's shore.

Yuuri's mood soon improved. He didn't speak of the WAOR anymore, wasn't ashamed of being seen in public anymore. Viktor was pleasantly shocked when, during a quick errand run for Hiroko, he saw Yuuri chatting about his pregnancy to a pair of old neighbors, when before he would clam up when asked about it.

It was Yuuri who prompted Viktor about a name.

"As cute as it sounds, we can't keep calling the baby 'little bean' forever," Yuuri said. He had been laying down of the main room's floor, a hand idly brushing over his belly — he was starting to show by then.

"But why?" Viktor replied with mock-disappointment. "They will be our 'little bean' forever even after they’re old and wrinkly."

"I'm being serious Viktor," Yuuri said, his amused smile lacking in any seriousness. "We already searched for baby names on the internet but never decided... Let’s choose now."

"Well, I can think of a few. But did you have any in mind?" Viktor asked.

Yuuri kept his gaze on the roof, his hand stilling for a moment.

"I like 'Vitaly'," he said with a dreamy expression.

Viktor moved over from his seat to lay by Yuuri's side. He caught Yuuri's hand on his own and placed them both over the omega's belly before continuing their conversation.

"Aw, Yuuri. It's because it kind of sounds like my name? So flattering!" He said, a heart-shaped smile beaming on his face.

Yuuri's face turned crimson immediately. "I— I wasn't thinking of that! I just liked the meaning!"

"And what meaning is that~?" Viktor asked, his smile still firmly plastered on his face.

"M-Maybe it's a bit corny but... It means 'life-giving'..." Yuuri replied between stutters.

Viktor's smile vanished then, losing himself to his thoughts for a moment. Yuuri worried for a second, but before he could ask if it was bad, Viktor whispered. "'Life-giving'... That's perfect, my love."

"...You like it then?" Yuuri asked, still timid.

"Definitely. But... That's a boy's name no? Isn't it a bit early to know little bean's gender?"

Yuuri hummed. "I just have a feeling it's a boy..."

"So you haven't thought of what to name her if it's a girl?" Viktor asked.

"Not really..."

"Well then, In that case..." Viktor said, straightening a bit before replying in the most melodramatic voice he could make. "She will be known as Viktoria Viktorovna Katsuki-Nikiforova!"

Viktor hadn't finished saying it before Yuuri snorted against his chest. "Oh my— Your own name, really?"

"Excuse me, that's my dear mother's name. And your surname."

"Sure, sure..." Yuuri said, Viktor's silly joke making his skittishness disappear. "But we have to seriously think of a name if little bean turns out to be a girl, you know?"

"Yeah," Viktor hummed, hugging the omega a little bit tighter against him. "I do like 'Vitaly' though. It's a beautiful name."

In the end it stuck, as did the assumption of the baby being a boy. When Toshiya heard them call the baby a boy during conversation, he told them of both times Hiroko had been pregnant, how she had sworn left and right she was having a girl the first time and a boy the second before she was even out of her second trimester, and how she turned out to be right both times. Hiroko claimed it was a family 'sense' Yuuri had inherited, and guided by that both Yuuri and Viktor began to phase out 'little bean' in favor of 'Vitaly'.

Hasetsu had been the perfect backdrop for giving their baby such a hopeful name.

But Viktor knew they couldn't stay forever. Eventually they had to go back to their lives, to the troubles they left behind. And now with a name, the reality of their choice became stronger than ever.

So Viktor promised himself to always ensure and protect Yuuri’s and their children’s happiness. And thought of a way to preserve that promise in a way they could see.

Viktor took Yuuri to the beach a little after dawn, without any more explanation than "It's a surprise". Used to his husband's whims as he was Yuuri didn't argue, and let himself be guided.

He did jump a little when he saw a woman with a camera case approaching, but Viktor was quick to assure him.

"It's ok. She's a photographer I hired a few days ago."

"Oh... The surprise is a picture then?" Yuuri asked, his voice still hitching a bit.

"Yes~"

"Nikiforov-san, Katsuki-san," the woman said once she was close enough. "It's a pleasure to do business with you."

The woman easy politeness helped calm down Yuuri's nerves, deviating from the memory of intrusive cameramen from the past. They found a quick understanding on what they wanted to make, and in just a few minutes both lights and camera had been set.

"How should I pose?" Yuuri asked, more towards Viktor than the woman.

"Stay just like this," Viktor replied with a sweet peck to Yuuri's cheek. Yuuri did as told, but couldn't hold back a little gasp when Viktor got on his knee in front of Yuuri's belly and kissed it, hands over Yuuri's sides.

The flash came quickly afterwards.

They had taken a few more pictures afterwards, just in case they weren't content with the first one, but in the end that was the one they choose.

Yuuri, one hand over his chest and the other touching Viktor's, cheeks reddened in pleasant surprise; Viktor kneeling in front of him, kissing Yuuri's belly — that held their precious Vitaly.

------

The second had been taken during a family vacation in Russia. A beautiful beach that, according to Viktor, was one of the rare places in the country where you could see the sun clearly.

It had been three years since Vitaly's birth. They had braved the storm of invasive public opinion that came with their firstborn's arrival, and while they could never quiet all the discourse both couple and child had had not only survived but thrived in the end.

Now both retired from figure skating, they took to a more private lifestyle for Vitaly's sake. Both Viktor and Yuuri agreed a quiet, happy childhood away from the public and the cameras would be the best for their son. It was for them as well, not having to worry about paparazzi and gossipers did wonders for Yuuri's anxiety, and despite the occasional complain of boredom Viktor was all too happy for the freedom privacy gave him.

Especially since it meant he could focus completely on his promise to protect Yuuri's and Vitaly's happiness.

Until he screwed up. Literally.

Viktor's rut had taken him by surprise. He wasn't supposed to be due for another week, and as a happily mated alpha with a very loving omega and a very active sexual life his rut shouldn't be so intense either. But he was due, and it was bad, and it's not like they could count on the WAOR for suppressants anymore — the ones they ordered privately would still take a few days to arrive.

Yuuri, caring, loving husband that he was, quickly took care of his mate. That they were in Hasetsu at the time and Yuuri's family could take care of Vitaly for the duration of Viktor's rut helped.

So, the rut passed, and they didn't think much of it aside from the oddity of its arrival.

Until a few weeks later.

Yuuri had been feeling sick for days. Dizzy, antsy, and unable to hold down food. Even Vitaly had picked up on it and became distressed whenever he noticed Yuuri's condition. When time passed and Yuuri's symptoms didn't change, they started visiting clinics.

And after one or two visits, they found the actual problem.

Completely unplanned, somewhat inadvertent, very much welcome “problem”.

And just like their second little bean’s conception, the name came as a coincidence.

They were sitting on their lounge, back from a regular checkup at the clinic. Now five months in, Yuuri was starting to show, but insisted he looked much smaller than he did when he was carrying Vitaly. Not wanting to disregard his mate worries, Viktor made sure to never miss a single date for their checkups.

Vitaly himself had taken to the news of becoming a big brother with glee. Anytime he could, he would press his ear or run his fingers over Yuuri’s belly, trying to feel their little siblings’ movements.

For some reason, he had also taken to calling the unborn baby “Yuu”

“Yuu…” he mumbled, pressing his ear against Yuuri’s belly.

“I don’t know why he calls you that,” Viktor said, sitting by Yuuri’s side with an amused smile.

“Maybe he heard my name and now thinks it’s the little bean’s name?”

“Mama… Yuu…” Vitaly mumbled again, bursting into laughter when he felt a small kick from his sibling.

“It could be a sign. For the baby’s name,” Viktor said with a heart-smile, the pad of his index against his chin.

“I don’t know… I wanted it to be Russian as well, so they would match and neither of the babies would feel excluded,” Yuuri replied.

Viktor hummed as Vitaly kept babbling their sibling’s name. In a few minutes, an idea occurred to him.

“What about ‘Yulian’?” He said, turning towards Yuuri, embracing the omega’s shoulders.

“Yuu…” Vitaly muttered against Yuuri’s belly.

Yuuri smiled at the sight before replying, “‘Yulian’... It has a nice ring to it…”

It was settled then, and like before, ‘little bean’ was phased out in favor of ‘Yulian’.

Not long after that, they took a vacation trip to the beach. A place whose name Yuuri couldn’t pronounce but Viktor had advertised as a beautiful spot during the summer.

As soon as they arrived, Vitaly was hyped up by the sight of the ocean. They booked for a week on a secluded part of the beach. They may not have as much money to spare now that they lacked the WAOR’s funding, but their savings and promotional work was enough for the occasional pampered treatment.

The smell of saltwater carried by the breeze and the feeling of sand under their feet harkened Yuuri and Viktor back in time.

"Yuuri... Do you remember when we took that picture in Hasetsu, three years ago?"

Yuuri's expression immediately softened, a smile drawing on his lips as he turned his eyes in the same direction as his mate, towards Vitaly who cheerfully played with the waves as they crashed on the shore. "I remember..."

"Having you and Vitaly here, Yulian soon to join us, and the ocean, I was thinking... I'd like to capture that moment again, but as we are now."

A beat passed, in which only the sounds of the wind and Vitaly's mirthful laughter could be heard, before Yuuri spoke again.

"I'd like that too."

They were patient this time, but not by much. They spent that day relaxing and enjoying each other's company, indulging in Vitaly's enthusiasm — the boy had spent the entire afternoon digging a small bucket full of clams, just to bury them back in.

They organized a photo session before the end of their vacation trip. The pose chosen was similar to the one from three years ago, with a key difference.

"Vitaly, come here." Viktor beckoned his son. The boy's good mood meant he was unusually obedient that day, and he toddled to his father's direction quickly. Once he was close enough, Viktor whispered to him.

"Papa will carry you so you can hold Mama's face. When I say "now", you'll kiss Mama's cheek, ok?"

“Ok!”

They posed just like last time, Yuuri standing with a content smile, Viktor in front of him, holding his belly, and Vitaly riding on his father’s shoulders.

When the cameraman announced the moment of the flash, Viktor said “Now”

And the instant was caught. Yuuri’s blushing face, Vitaly holding his mama’s face and placing an enthusiastic kiss on his cheek, and Viktor mimicking the pose with a kiss over Yuuri’s belly.

This time they only needed the first shoot.

------

The third had been taken neither in Japan nor in Russia, four years later.

Time had passed. Yulian had been born, and despite some complications at birth he had grown healthy and happy just like his older sibling. Yuuri and Viktor, for the most part, faded into voluntary obscurity, dedicating themselves to their children and the peacefulness of their family life.

The idea of the third picture came during another summer vacation, this time in France. Unlike both times in the past, this wasn’t about a promise or a memory, but as a celebration of the road they had walked together.

This time Yuuri held Yulian in his hands while Vitaly rode on Viktor’s shoulders, this time with a bit more effort from both. Viktor kissed his bashful secondborn’s cheek while Vitaly — who surprisingly had a mostly clear memory of the photo from four years ago — kissed his mama’s cheek.

All four of them smiled this time. The picture capturing in an instant the contentment that surrounded the family.

#my fics #yuri on ice #omegaverse #secret santa #kashoku #gift fic #based on another fic

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madamhatter · 6 years ago

Note

“ fine. you’ll never see me again, okay? ” ( sin leaving sophie after a fight post marriage ?? )

- ; phrases that really hit you where it hurts / accpt / @saeiqas

Her life was anything but picturesque for the eldest of three, destined for misfortune and plainness throughout the rest of her years. As the retainer to her father’s legacy, the flighty sparrow who’d rushed between duties meant for five bodies versus one, she knew that expectations on her were heavier than gold. But, support and care were void from her relationship with her guardian or those who relied on her; all the expectations of her were required from her (and the complication of emotions that weren't “appropriate”).

Now, deep within the Southern Seas, a contract created beyond their years by now phantoms to this realm had been the latest in a line of mishaps. Far from home, far from company, far from her life, Sophie was bound by ink to a greater mystery known to man. It was a union that was destined for failure.

Despite the stubbornness to locate loopholes, the drive to exploit diction in a contract older than their own lives, the tenacity to refuse marriage unless conditions were made, she has found herself to be a wife. Though with the technicalities she harnessed and sharp tongue she wielded, Sophie formally arranged a system of checks and balances for the newly established and officiated marriage.

One of the agreements imposed by Sophie (without better thought) was constructing their “relationship” to where he continued in the indulgences of sin, the leisure of fertilized grapes and appreciative flesh of his concubines. Positioning herself not as a burden and barrier to his common practices and routine, in theory, would’ve facilitated their future betrothal with minimal infringements to their lifestyle. Conceiving the layout of tolerance and cushioning the radical change would’ve sufficed in their lawfully dreaded union.

If they kept to their routines, diminishing interactions outside of their obligations, Sophie guaranteed that their future wouldn’t allude to the treacherous marriage both knew would come.

Contracts, by written or oral compromise. followed one rule: it must be abided by. Head turned in the opposing direction, melancholic in the silence of tolerance and practiced etiquette to play ignorant, Sophie dared not utter a word. Alas, reckless was he who held the world in his palms but, his gaze was to the horizon, with any objectable plan and action within his cutch. Power without supervision, however, only encouraged a spiral of control to the intoxication of arrogance. Sophie Hatter never shied from asserting herself to remind him of moderation. Though, her talk remained brief.

Mahrajan, among the many festivals and public holidays, were the times in which the peculiarness of their relationship was found. To be found within the crowds was common for the wife of the King of the Seven Seas, she partook in the festivities with her genuinely tired smile. Yet, she flocked to the civilians, remaining in her customary plain attire, greeting many old faces and checking on the families. However, as she proudly twirled on her feet, lost to the flow of music and energy, she had been worlds apart from her partner.

Sinbad, on the contrary, remained his most trusted of camaraderie – his Eight Generals – lavishing in the day’s reaps and marveling over the country he knew to be his family. Nevertheless, he joined the joyous occasion with loved ones, be it his underlings or those who flocked to his body. And, never had it been with the “loving” wife.

However, Sophie never bothered with the strangeness of their arrangement. All she did was passively stare from afar, which over time, turned to bitter glares. Her folded hands devolved to crossed, tight arms over her chest. A soured expression resided on her face the further she caught herself looking with each passing month.

Turmoil was non-negotiable; to be against her own word was beyond her comprehension. Whatever spite that armed her mind with silent vengeance and pettiness only churned her, trifling with her plans. Her fists squeezed, her skin turning ghostly white, whenever she refrained from commenting when she witnessed his infidelities leisure. She swallowed her pride and picked at the flesh at the center of her palm, over the scars that littered the entirety of both of her arms.

Nevertheless, she had been the parasite, the fiend who’d taken upon herself to measure distance through each backlash and riposte against one who’d been determined to be an anomaly of miracles.

The patience she held onto grew shrill anytime her eyes met with his, her scorn flashing across her eyes. With the question emerging whenever Sinbad caught her, the woman ignored her husband’s suspicion and concern. Though, dismissively, she commented clearly whenever they crossed paths, “Have fun.”

At that point, the High King of Sindria searched only for answers and was cursed with throbbing headaches and frustration over his wife’s ever-changing attitude. Sweeter than primroses when outside of the palace, docile yet excitable when in the presence of Sindria’s future, eager to know his creation, his pride and joy that was his destiny – his country and his people; however, the flower wilted within his reach, transforming to vixen with eyes only wanting to pry and unravel all she could of his being, almost always with judgmental eyes – almost pained whenever he spotted her at the corner of his eyes when she passed by. Yet, something lingered like a fondness, an unsung softness. And, the light in her eyes twinged, fading in moments when he went through his business.

The breaking point was finally met when Sophie’s tongue loosened and her true blunt nature emerged. To stare Sinbad down to the sun-bursting yellow eyes, to criticize him relentlessly from the beginning days to the moment they stood in front of another, to accuse him of the inconsideration of others’ emotions for his own ploys, the courtyard only turned to an amalgamation of trials and tribulations.

He, in turn, wasn’t complacent, he known currents more treacherous and chaotic than such a debacle. However, in turn of every inquiry her way, he only questioned her motive, her actions, her everything, trying to dig deeper to the point of what truly was her essence. All that built up where empty scenarios that were created with each new unanswered question, all there was the remains of their languishing relationship in the fresh cemetery full of wildflowers that twisted around the vineyards and architecture.

Refusing to meet his eyes, rebelling through the most childish of actions with her back turned towards him, Sophie gritted her teeth into her gums. A shaky breath escaped her heated body, how the temper swelled hotter than torrid wildfires and how the fire swelled in the pit of her stomach.

Silence occupied their distance, disarming the married couple, only leaving the unresolved tension wide open for all the flies and maggots to satisfy their appetite. With their relationship rotting with each second, Sinbad finally spoke:

“Fine. you’ll never see me again, okay?”

A dagger buried into her womb, the thin side of the blade repeatedly sawing through her, it all occurred the moment he dared mention that. While her body remained stiller than a corpse, her hand clenched desperately to the fabric of her shirt above her heart. Her mouth parted without any sound or breath leaving, only the vacancy of her unintelligible emotions escaping in the night silence.

You don’t mean that. Please don’t make me imagine that. Sinbad, none of this is funny and that’s the worst offense of them all. Please don’t leave me.

“Sinbad, I–” She choked on her words. “Wait,” Sophie cleared her throat, forcing herself to speak with heavy thought in each word. Her pleads struggled out as she maintained her composure, her hand still trembling. She shut her eyes, swallowing her heart, as she finally turned to him.

“If you need to, I won’t stop you.” Every saturated emotion of her true self vanished when she met his eyes once more, coolly acknowledging his proclamation. Who was she to argue against a King’s word? Who was she to feel her heart shriveling the moment his hardened gaze was as loveless as ever?

Only the quietly bland “good nights” were exchanged as their eyes stuck to another, animosity bleeding through their formalities.

If her own presence ailed him greatly and even sickened herself to the point of forgetting herself, she should’ve considered Sinbad’s words to have some semblance of weight. Troubling her mind was unattainable and uncooperative emotions, troubling him was simply her existence. To remedy such conflict of interest and tension, perhaps, distance was the answer.

Sweeping through her own cramped office to her belongings neatly stacked in the corner of the bedroom, a simple gesture from her wrist sent her magic to work. Every object to her name, be it her own materials, books, clothing, accessories, drawings, creations, and many more, flew into the air and began sorting into shelves and boxes as tightly as possible through the most utmost respect to size and color.

Leaving these rooms she haunted spotless of her presence was only the beginning. Sophie soon loosened her braid and tightened it into a ponytail. Garments belonging to her “status” (as plainly as they were) were discarded, folded, and placed away. Slipping into her black tights, tucking in her white cotton-pressed shirt, buttoning her gray jacket, and flattening the length of her knee-tall skirt, she resorted to her traveler’s attire.

“Come,” the sorceress reached out her arm, unphased at the thought of her magic being known at this point. Her qualms were secondary to her problem-solving. Her broom came flying into her hands and she tapped the front of her boots into the pristine floors, spotting his empty space on their mattress.

He must be out in the “entertainment” district, drinking away the facts of this horrendous life we have. He must be reconsidering accepting this situation. Inebriated beyond the point of comprehensive choice-making, he’ll find more solace there than here with a stranger like me, an idiot who is lost beyond words with what is going on with me.

Fastening her bag over her shoulder, gathering last-minute writing utensils and paper, she snapped her finger as her broom floated at her midriff. Stationing herself and straddling properly on the broom, she glanced back once more to the lifestyle of hopelessness she only more than ever regretted, if not for her strange daydreams.

Turning her cheek, adamant to stick to her word now, she chewed on her tongue and left past the open windows.

The silhouette of the sorceress was accentuated by the high risen moon, only a speckle of dust in the radiant capital of parties and dreams. Past the bustling resident district, past the orchards, and past the outskirts of the city, the witch continued onward to the horizon to where she could better hear the oceans crashing against the sands, to where the busy lives of man were nothing more than echoes to her reclusive ears.

Sophie only found herself in the company of the stars, moon, and ocean when she made contact with the beach far from the ports. The forests were behind her but, she kept relatively close to the waterside as the tip of her boots grazed the sand in landing.

Now, the kindling of fire comforted her as she set camp, rethinking every action and line, charting every other path she should’ve taken. She sat at the front of the flames, huddling close. Her hands, however, were clinging to the fabric of her shirt as she took a deep breath – plummeting back to lay in the sand…to sob.

Loneliness was a part of her inevitable lifestyle, her fate. Yet, the wound to her heart continued to bleed as her arms covered her face, shielding her from the unwanted voices that’d tear her limb to limb if they found her in such a state. Hot tears trailed down her face as the rolling currents were louder than her cries of realization and pain.

Pathetic, aren’t I? I don’t want this, I don’t want to feel any of this. It isn’t meant for me, I don’t deserve it; there’s only more suffering that’ll come from it. But, I want to be looked at, I want to be touched, I want to be felt, I want something as impossible as his attention without the pity of this tragedy. Why did I open my mouth? Why couldn’t I have just been satisfied with these arrangments? Why did I want to be selfish?

When did this even start? How come I can’t stop this? What’s going to happen if this continues? Who do I think I am for feeling this way? And why do I want him to love me?

The ocean was the guide to all who wanted to see the world. Capricious currents to halcyon tides were among the power and beauty of the sea for the tumultuous motions couldn’t be controlled nor predicted. No matter, it shimmered in the moon and sun upon the ocean tops. Yet, underneath, the depths of the sea were like an abyss with only mystery shrouding the true intentions of its turbulent strategy.

However, the stars were a farther distance and couldn’t ever be touched; only through the illusion of a hand held to the sky, it could be imagined. However, the scattered constellations were navigators for being so far, aiding with their glimmer with those lost within the rifts of life. All that was shining was beyond human touch but, it was beautiful.

Perhaps, this was why there was the space in-between the water and sky. To reach out with hopes only ended with cold air between your fingers, making one realize how impossible it truly was.

TLDR: Sophie realizes she fucked up and unexpectedly realizes her own feelings.

Also, she went back after three days to the palace. She definitely returned to the city to help out residents (and customers). She definitely kept out of general sight. But, I’m too lazy to write that.

#[ IM MCLOVIN IT ]#[ also me: figuring out what her hypothetical last name would be ]#( verse: bound by ink and sea )#saeiqas #( checkbooks inquiries and much ; answered asks )#( only in the reflection of the tides did the star & sea kiss | sinbad & sophie )

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patriotsnet · 3 years ago

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Which 10 Republicans Voted For Impeachment

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/which-10-republicans-voted-for-impeachment/

Which 10 Republicans Voted For Impeachment

David G Valadao Of California

Here are the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump

Mr. Valadaos district in the San Joaquin Valley is somewhat difficult to characterize politically, given his performance in it: He sailed to victories in 2012 and 2016 even though Democratic presidential candidates won the district by double-digit margins. In 2018, amid a Democratic wave election, he lost by less than 1,000 votes. He recaptured his seat last year even as Mr. Biden ran up an 11-point margin in the district.

What is clearer is that Mr. Valadaos survival in such a skittish district is seen as important to Republican efforts to recapture the House. That may explain why, despite his impeachment vote, Mr. McCarthy, now a vociferous Trump ally, has been helping Mr. Valadao raise money.

For his part, Mr. Valadao has been a reliable Republican vote in the House since his support for impeachment and has said very little about it in the intervening months, aside from voting for Mr. Katkos doomed Jan. 6 commission.

But he has expressed some solidarity with other pro-impeachment Republicans: He appeared at a fund-raiser for Mr. Newhouse and donated to eight others all except Ms. Cheney, whose political action committee donated $5,000 to Mr. Valadao.

So far, he faces only weak opposition: His leading primary challenger lost a Republican primary for Congress in New Mexico last year.

Reached by phone on Friday, Mr. Valadao showed no interest in discussing his relationship with the former president. I have a comms director, he said. Have a nice day. Goodbye.

House Votes To Impeach Trump But Senate Trial Unlikely Before Biden’s Inauguration

9. Rep. John Katko, New York’s 24th: Katko is a moderate from an evenly divided moderate district. A former federal prosecutor, he said of Trump: “It cannot be ignored that President Trump encouraged this insurrection.” He also noted that as the riot was happening, Trump “refused to call it off, putting countless lives in danger.”

10. Rep. David Valadao, California’s 21st: The Southern California congressman represents a majority-Latino district Biden won 54% to 44%. Valadao won election to this seat in 2012 before losing it in 2018 and winning it back in the fall. He’s the rare case of a member of Congress who touts his willingness to work with the other party. Of his vote for impeachment, he said: “President Trump was, without question, a driving force in the catastrophic events that took place on January 6.” He added, “His inciting rhetoric was un-American, abhorrent, and absolutely an impeachable offense.”

Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler

Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington State said that she would vote to impeach because she believed that the president had acted in violation of his oath of office.

I understand the argument that the best course is not to further inflame the country or alienate Republican voters, she said. But I am a Republican voter. I believe in our Constitution, individual liberty, free markets, charity, life, justice, peace and this exceptional country. I see that my own party will be best served when those among us choose truth.

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Trumps Ready To Fight

Fox News reports that the only Republican who voted to impeach Trump that isnt facing a primary challenger is Rep. John Katko .

They write that Katko appeared to get back into good graces with GOP leadership quickly after his impeachment vote and noted he was one of the faces of a border trip with House Republicans earlier this year.;

He did, however, join Cheney, Kinzinger, and the other Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, in also voting to establish a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Capitol protests.

Supporters of a Jan. 6 commission are settling on a backup plan to fully probe the Capitol attack: a select House committee

But theyre worried that even in a best-case scenario, itll become a total circus. New from me:

Sam Brodey

In April, CNBC;revealed that Trumps leadership PAC Save America has $85 million on hand heading into the midterms, something one person with knowledge of the matter describes as a gargantuan sum of cash.

Another report indicates Trump is teaming up with Newt Gingrich on a new MAGA doctrine for the Republican Party, using the famed Contract with America as a framework.

With an eye toward winning back the House and Senate in the 2022 midterm elections, Donald Trump has begun crafting a policy agenda outlining a MAGA doctrine.

And hes teaming up with Newt Gingrich to do it.

POLITICO May 26, 2021

Read this NextonThePoliticalInsider.com

Trump Expected To Make A Statement On Impeachment Proceedings Official Says

From CNNs Kaitlan Collins and Jim Acosta

President Trump will make a statement reacting to todays impeachment proceedings soon, an official familiar with the matter tells CNN. It will likely be a video.

The House has just voted to impeach President Trump for the second time making him the only US president to ever be impeached twice. The resolution passed 232 to 197.

The impeachment resolution the House voted on charges Trump with;a single article, incitement of insurrection, for his role in last weeks deadly Capitol riot.

More on this: A White House official said aides to the President are concerned the video he is recording this evening will be removed by YouTube, as Trump has seen his presence on social media vanish in recent days as tech giants like Twitter and Facebook have cracked down on the Presidents often false and irresponsible content.;

The official said the plan is to post the video on whitehouse.gov. But YouTube is used by the White House to post videos on the official government site.;The official said news outlets would be wise to make a digital recording of the video as soon as possible, in the event it is pulled down by YouTube.

The Oval Office is under consideration as a location for recording the video. It could be posted sometime during the next couple of hours.

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Rep Jamie Herrera Beutler

Another Washington representative, Herrera Beutler, on Wednesday detailed Trumps middling response to the riot including his attacks on Vice-President Mike Pence while Pence was hiding from the mob inside the Capitol and Trumps ignoring of Republican pleas to forcefully condemn the violence.

Read more: Trump condemns violence at Capitol riot but doesnt mention impeachment in new video

The Presidents offenses, in my reading of the Constitution, were impeachable based on the indisputable evidence we already have, she said in a statement.

I understand the argument that the best course is not to further inflame the country or alienate Republican voters. But I am a Republican voter.

Jaime Herrera Beutler

Trump Calls For ‘no Violence’ As Congress Moves To Impeach Him For Role In Riot

This time, there will be more. Some Republican senators have called on Trump to resign, and even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he is undecided at this point.

Trump’s impeachment won’t lead to his removal even if he is convicted because of the timeline. The Senate is adjourned until Tuesday. The next day, Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president. But there’s another penalty the Constitution allows for as a result of a Senate conviction that could be appealing to some Republican senators banning Trump from holding “office” again.

While there is some debate as to the definition of “office” in the Constitution and whether that would apply to running for president or even Congress, that kind of public rebuke would send a strong message that Republicans are ready to move on from Trumpism.

Recommended Reading: How Many House Seats Did Democrats Lose

Staying Above The Fray

As autumn approaches, the pressure on Bice from within her party appears to be lifting. Oklahoma GOP leaders have said nothing about her since party Chairman John Bennett posted a rebuke on Facebook in May following her Jan. 6 commission vote. Bennetts post is now blocked from public view, and he did not respond to a request for an interview.

Bice, who voted in January to oppose certification of the presidential result in Arizona, has repeatedly given the same explanation for her stance;on both the 2020 presidential election and the Capitol riot, positions she reiterated in an interview with CQ Roll Call.;

She said she wanted to make a statement about the integrity of state lawmakers control over how elections are administered, noting a 2020 state Supreme Court ruling that allowed voters to cast absentee ballots without getting them notarized.

Voting rights advocates said the measure would protect voters during the coronavirus pandemic, but state Republican lawmakers called the decision judicial overreach and rushed a party-line bill through the Legislature restoring the requirement.;

Oklahoma could have become a statistic like other states that had their election laws changed by judicial or executive decree, Bice said. For me, that was something that was very troubling.

Video: Texas GOP working to redraw maps to favor Republicans as Senate Democrats introduce voter protections bill

Read Also: How Many States Are Controlled By Republicans

Who Were The 10 Republicans That Voted For Impeachment

Why 10 Republicans Voted For Impeachment l FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast

Posted onAuthortechnologieser

Ten Republicans Voted To Impeach Donald Trump The Backlash Has Been Swift Sbs News

The gop votes were in sharp contrast to the unanimous support for trump among house republicans when he was impeached by democrats in december 2019. cheney, whose decision to buck trump sparked an immediate backlash within the gop, was the only member of her partys leadership to support impeachment, which was opposed by 197 republicans. The 10 who voted with democrats to impeach trump could give a degree of cover and open the door a little wider for republicans in the senate to vote to convict trump. sen. With 10 republican votes, trump’s second impeachment was the most bipartisan one in history. by comparison, five democrats voted to impeach bill clinton in 1998. here are the 10 republicans:. With 10 republican votes, trump’s second impeachment was the most bipartisan one in history. by comparison, five democrats voted to impeach bill clinton in 1998. here are the 10 republicans:. the ten republicans in the house who voted for trumps impeachment were;house republican conference chair liz cheney. letters to the editor aug 20 2021. The ten republicans in the house who voted for trumps impeachment were;house republican conference chair liz cheney. letters to the editor aug 20 2021. ten house republicans crossed party lines on wednesday and voted to impeach president trump which is 10 more than the amount to go against him the first time around.

Recommended Reading: How Many Democrats In House

Rep Tom Rice South Carolina

Rep. Tom Rice, representing South Carolinas 7th Congressional District, voted to impeach Trump, though he had not spoken out publicly about his decision prior to the vote.

In a statement after the vote Wednesday, Rice said he was not sure whether Trumps speech before the mobs attack amounted to incitement of a riot, but any reasonable person could see the potential for violence.

Once the violence began, when the Capitol was under siege, when the Capitol Police were being beaten and killed, and when the Vice President and the Congress were being locked down, the President was watching and tweeted about the Vice Presidents lack of courage, Rice wrote.

I have backed this President through thick and thin for four years. I campaigned for him and voted for him twice. But, this utter failure is inexcusable.

Report: 9 Of The 10 Republicans Who Voted To Impeach Trump Facing Primary Challengers

Nine out of the 10 Republican lawmakers who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump are facing primary challenges for their congressional seats.

Fox News reports that a majority of those who joined Democrats and the media circus during the second impeachment trial are facing a barrage of pro-Trump primary challengers.

Some of them, like Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger , according to Fox, may have a very hard time holding on to their seats.

The former President has vowed to back challengers to any Republicans who voted in favor of impeachment as they gear up for a fight in 2022.

Republicans who voted for impeachment face barrage of pro-Trump primary challengers

Also Check: How Many States Are Controlled By Republicans

Stun Guns Stinger Whips And A Crossbow: What Police Found On The Capitol Protesters

Not long after security forces cleared the last of the;pro-Trump mob;from the Capitol, a police officer stationed nearby spotted a suspicious male in a white passenger van with red spray paint on the side. The Ford Econoline 150 had Georgia plates and a red MAGA hat on the dashboard.

Im one of these, the man said to the officer as he pointed to the hat, according to a police report.

The man, Grant Moore of Buford, Ga., went on to say that he was supporting the Chinese who were currently protesting around the city, the report says. Whatever that meant, Moore, 65, was soon placed under arrest on weapons charges.

Inside his vehicle was a book bag containing a semi-automatic handgun with a fully-loaded 6-round magazine, the police report says. The officer also found three other magazines inside the bag and 12 loose rounds in one of the vans front compartments.

The guns and ammunition were among an unusual collection of weapons the police seized from;protesters who flooded into D.C.;to support President Trumps effort to overturn the 2020 election.

Jaime Herrera Beutler Of Washington

Ms. Herrera Beutler took a bizarre star turn during Mr. Trumps second impeachment proceedings after she divulged that Mr. McCarthy, the House Republican leader, had told her that Mr. Trump had sided with the mob on a phone call with Mr. McCarthy while the Capitol riot unfolded.

Since then, Ms. Herrera Beutler has stayed mostly silent about her role in the proceedings and her vote to impeach Mr. Trump. A campaign spokesman confirmed that she plans to run for re-election.

She faces what could prove a tough challenge from a primary opponent Mr. Trump has endorsed: Joe Kent, a former Army Special Forces officer. Mr. Kents wife, Shannon Kent, a chief petty officer in the Navy who worked closely with the National Security Agency, was killed by a suicide bomber in 2019 while on a counterterrorism mission in Syria. Mr. Kent plans to speak at a rally in Washington on Saturday in support of defendants charged in connection with the Capitol assault.

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Of The 10 House Republicans Who Voted For Impeachment Already Have Primary Challengers

Rumble SAVE $50 OFF your 4-Week Emergency Food Supply Kit here: ?Dont wait for an emergency before you prepare for one! Click on the link now! ^^^??? YOUR PATRIOT PATH TO FREEDOM! ???9 Of The 10 House Republicans Who Voted For Impeachment Already Have Primary Challengers! In this video, were going to look at how pundits are already admitting that the 10 Republicans who voted for Trumps impeachment are set to lose their seats, how several of them had the gall to vote in favor of giving illegals amnesty, and why it is that the Republicans had better rid themselves of all RINOs or face eventual political annihilation; you are NOT going to want to miss this!

Rep Adam Kinzinger Illinois

Trump used his office to attack the legislative branch of government, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois 16th Congressional District said in a statement Tuesday, causing violence and destruction to our nations symbol of democracy.

There is no doubt in my mind that the President of the United States broke his oath of office and incited this insurrection, Kinzinger wrote. If these actions are not worthy of impeachment, then what is an impeachable offense?

FILE PHOTO: Members of the National Guard gather at the U.S. Capitol as the House of Representatives prepares to begin the voting process on a resolution demanding U.S. Vice President Pence and the cabinet remove President Trump from office, in Washington, U.S., January 12, 2021. REUTERS/Erin Scott TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY/File Photo

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Will The Stimulus Bill Boost Democrats Electoral Prospects

But is this opposition real or just noise? After all, were still a long way from the 2022 primaries, which leaves plenty of time for anger surrounding their votes to impeach Trump to fade.

related:Sometimes Senators Just Retire. Dont Read Too Much Into The Recent GOP Exodus. Read more. »

At first glance, the seriousness of the primary challengers does vary quite a bit, ranging from the very serious that is, other elected officials, who tend to be stronger candidates to political newcomers like a conservative activist best known for getting married in a MAGA dress. Yet, in most cases, these representatives should all have at least some reason to be concerned about winning renomination in 2022 especially those who hail from more Republican-leaning districts.1

Republicans who voted to impeach face primary challenges

The 10 House Republicans who backed impeachment, including whether they were publicly admonished by state or local Republican Party committees and whether they have a primary challenger

Representative -10.9

*Valadao lost reelection in Californias 21st Congressional District in 2018 but won the seat back in 2020.

Admonishment includes a censure or public rebuke by a Republican Party committee at the state, district or county level.

related:Why Republicans Dont Fear An Electoral Backlash For Opposing Really Popular Parts Of Bidens Agenda Read more. »

related:Confidence Interval: Republicans Will Win Back Congress In 2022 Read more. »

Gop Leader Mccarthy: Trump Bears Responsibility For Violence Wont Vote To Impeach

10 Republicans Cross Party Lines To Vote For Trump’s Second Impeachment

Some ambitious Republican senators have never been as on board the Trump train as the more feverish GOP members in the House, and the former might be open to convicting Trump. But their ambition cuts two ways on the one hand, voting to ban Trump opens a lane to carry the Republican mantle in 2024 and be the partys new standard-bearer, but, on the other, it has the potential to alienate many of the 74 million who voted for Trump, and whose votes they need.

Its a long shot that Trump would ultimately be convicted, because 17 Republicans would need to join Democrats to get the two-thirds majority needed for a conviction. But its growing clearer that a majority of the Senate will vote to convict him, reflecting the number of Americans who are in favor of impeachment, disapproved of the job Trump has done and voted for his opponent in the 2020 presidential election.

Correction Jan. 14, 2021

A previous version of this story incorrectly said Rep. Peter Meijer is a West Point graduate. Meijer attended West Point, but he is a graduate of Columbia University.

Read Also: How Many States Are Controlled By Republicans

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your-dietician · 3 years ago

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Behind China’s Takeover of Hong Kong

New Post has been published on https://depression-md.com/behind-chinas-takeover-of-hong-kong/

Behind China’s Takeover of Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s march toward an authoritarian future began with a single phrase in a dry policy paper. Beijing, the document declared, would wield “comprehensive jurisdiction” over the territory.

The paper, published in June 2014, signaled the Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s determination to tame political defiance in the former British colony, which had kept its own laws and freedoms. But the words were dismissed by many as intimidating swagger that the city’s robust legal system and democratic opposition could face down.

Hong Kong now knows Mr. Xi’s ambitions with a stunned clarity. The paper marked the opening of a contest for control in the city, culminating in the sweeping national security law that few saw coming.

Since that law took force one year ago, Beijing has unleashed a stampede of actions to bring Hong Kong into political lock step with the Chinese Communist Party: arresting activists, seizing assets, firing government workers, detaining newspaper editors and rewriting school curriculums.

While the clampdown seemed to arrive with startling speed, it was the culmination of yearslong efforts in Beijing. Interviews with insiders and advisers, as well as speeches, policy papers and state-funded studies, reveal Chinese officials’ growing alarm over protests in Hong Kong; their impatience with wavering among the city’s pro-Beijing ruling elite; and their growing conviction that Hong Kong had become a haven for Western-backed subversion.

In the years following the white paper’s release, Beijing laid the groundwork for a security counteroffensive. Officials attacked the assumption that Hong Kong’s autonomy was set in stone under the framework negotiated with Britain near the end of colonial rule. They pushed back against demands for democratic rights, while influential advisers audaciously proposed that Beijing could impose a security law if Hong Kong legislators failed to act.

There were clues to indicate that positions in Beijing were hardening. It was only the final push, in the months before the security law came down, that was muffled in near-total secrecy.

Those signals, often conveyed with the Communist Party’s usual calculated opacity, failed to cut through the political tumult in Hong Kong. The city’s opposition had envisioned grinding, shifting political battles against Chinese government encroachment over decades, not a lightning war. Given the risk of a global backlash, and the territory’s vital financial role, many assumed that Mr. Xi would move cautiously. Even Beijing’s closest loyalists in Hong Kong underestimated how far he was ultimately willing to go.

China’s offensive has dramatically accelerated its absorption of Hong Kong, portending deeper changes that could end the city’s status as Asia’s cosmopolitan capital.

“The whole process developed or evolved gradually, until a couple years ago, then it sped up very quickly,” said Lau Siu-kai, a Hong Kong scholar who advises Beijing on policy. “The problem is that the national security law came about very suddenly and many people were caught by surprise, including the so called pro-Beijing people in Hong Kong.”

A firewall vanishes

Mr. Xi came to power in 2012 amid expectations in Hong Kong that he might be a pragmatic overseer, content to rely on the politicians and tycoons who had long served as Beijing’s surrogates.

His father had been a liberalizing leader in neighboring Guangdong Province, and Mr. Xi at first cultivated a relatively mild image. He told Leung Chun-ying, then Hong Kong’s top official, that China’s approach to the territory “will not change.”

But as he settled into power, Mr. Xi revealed an iron-fisted ideological agenda. In mainland China, he stifled dissent and denounced ideas like judicial independence and civil society — values that to many defined Hong Kong.

The 2014 policy paper signaled Mr. Xi’s rejection of the idea that laws and treaties insulated Hong Kong from Chinese state power. Many in Hong Kong had long worried that the city’s autonomy was brittle, but previous Chinese leaders had preferred to exercise influence indirectly and covertly.

The paper’s new phrase, “comprehensive jurisdiction,” suggested that Beijing no longer saw a legal “firewall” encasing Hong Kong, said Michael C. Davis, a former professor of law at the University of Hong Kong and author of “Making Hong Kong China.”

While the term ignited protest by lawyers in Hong Kong, many considered it an intimidating political statement without legal foundation, one that would goad the opposition rather than deter it.

“This avowed posture of ‘crushing a crab to death with a boulder’ is a foolish move,” Chan Kin-man, an academic at the forefront of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy campaign, said at the time. “It will only prompt an even bigger social reaction.”

Beijing soon made clear that it was serious about setting new rules for Hong Kong.

Mr. Xi’s predecessor, Hu Jintao, had raised the possibility of fulfilling China’s repeatedly delayed promise to let the public directly elect the chief executive, Hong Kong’s top official. In August 2014, the Chinese government revealed a narrow proposal to allow a direct vote starting in 2017, but only from among a handful of candidates approved by Beijing.

Tens of thousands of people responded by occupying major streets for two and a half months. Chinese leaders began to worry that Hong Kong had become an ideological abscess that would need lancing.

Chinese media and pro-Beijing politicians began calling the protests a “color revolution,” the party’s term for Western-sponsored insurrection. Chinese officials intensified calls for the territory to pass security legislation, a commitment demanded by the Basic Law, Beijing’s framework of rules that give Hong Kong its special status.

The government began dismissing as a relic the joint declaration with Britain that laid out conditions for Hong Kong’s return to China in 1997. A Chinese diplomat in London said the declaration was “now void,” according to a British lawmaker.

But Mr. Xi was not yet ready to make dramatic incursions into Hong Kong. His policy shifted between warnings and reassuring economic gestures, lulling some into thinking that the party’s political bite would not match its rhetorical bark.

Mr. Xi’s hold over China’s own security apparatus was incomplete. Beijing also wanted to keep tensions with the United States in check and give Hong Kong time to repair its economy after the demonstrations, said Tian Feilong, an associate professor of law at Beihang University in Beijing who became a supporter of a tougher approach to protesters.

Given those considerations, he said, Chinese leaders “didn’t immediately set to work on solving the national security issue.”

‘Grab this hot potato’

Curtailing opposition in Hong Kong was more complicated than in other tense areas on China’s periphery, like Tibet and Xinjiang.

Hong Kong had its own British-derived legal system, a popular and well-organized democratic opposition and far greater global economic exposure. Bringing out Chinese troops to quell protests could spook financial markets.

Pro-Beijing politicians in Hong Kong were reluctant to push for national security legislation. A previous attempt had failed in 2003 after a massive protest.

“Nobody was willing to grab this hot potato,” Professor Tian said. “No one, including the Western countries, truly believed that Hong Kong locally had the ability to complete this legislation.”

After 2014, Mr. Xi’s calls for resurgent party power emboldened policy advisers to look for new ways to break the impasse over Hong Kong. Hawkish voices began advancing arguments that China could impose a security law on the city by constitutional fiat.

“Some people think that the central government can’t do anything,” Mo Jihong, a law professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a state think tank, said at a 2016 meeting about security legislation for Hong Kong. “The central government has the power to deal with these matters.”

Some Chinese academics published studies arguing that the mainland’s own national security law could be extended to Hong Kong. Others proposed that China pass a law tailor-made for Hong Kong, bypassing political obstacles in the city.

It was widely thought in Hong Kong that Mr. Xi would not go that far. When China adopted its own security law in 2015, the top security official in Hong Kong, Lai Tung-kwok, said the responsibility to enact laws in the city against crimes like treason and subversion would be “fulfilled by local legislation.” The administration, he said, “has no plan to enact” such laws. Insiders shook their heads at the idea that Beijing could impose one.

“I had never imagined that you could use this approach,” Tam Yiu-Chung, the sole Hong Kong member of the top committee of China’s legislature, said in a recent interview. “I’d heard about it, but there were so many difficulties with it.”

By July 2017, when Hong Kong’s elite gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the territory’s return to Chinese sovereignty, Mr. Xi was ready to raise the stakes.

It was his first visit to Hong Kong as China’s top leader. Hours before tens of thousands kicked off an annual protest for greater democratic rights, Mr. Xi inserted a steely warning into his celebratory speech.

Threats to “national sovereignty and security,” or challenges to the central government’s authority in Hong Kong, “would cross a red line and will never be permitted,” Mr. Xi said.

In China’s top-down system, Mr. Xi’s words galvanized policymakers to look for new ways to defend that “red line.”

One influential adviser, Chen Duanhong, a professor of law at Peking University, submitted several internal reports about Hong Kong to Communist Party headquarters, including one about adopting security legislation. Around that same time, he wrote publicly that in a dire crisis, Chinese leaders could “take all necessary measures” to defend sovereignty, casting aside the fetters of lesser laws.

“The will of the state must constantly respond to its environment of survival,” he wrote, “and then take decisive measures at crucial moments.”

‘Nobody in their wildest imagination’

For Beijing, the crucial moment appeared to arrive on the night of July 21, 2019. Hundreds of protesters besieged the Central Liaison Office, China’s primary arm in Hong Kong, and splattered black ink on the red-and-gold Chinese national emblem over the entrance.

The demonstrations had begun in June as a largely peaceful outcry against a bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China. Within weeks they had become a massive movement, venting years of pent-up discontent over Beijing’s encroachments. Some radical protesters began calling for independence.

For many Hong Kongers, resistance was necessary even if victory was unlikely. “We had thought it would be a slow strangling,” said Jackie Chen, a social worker who supported pro-democracy protests in 2019. “We were thinking about how to slow their strangling, stop it, and then turn for the better.”

To Beijing, the national emblem’s defacement confirmed that the protests had become an assault on its very claim to Hong Kong.

Official media, mute on the protests for weeks, erupted. People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s main paper, said the incident “brazenly challenged the central government’s authority” and “crossed a red line,” echoing Mr. Xi’s warning two years earlier.

“Enough is enough,” Regina Ip, a pro-Beijing legislator in Hong Kong, said in a recent interview, recalling the authorities’ reaction to the vandalism.

“And the slogan of Hong Kong independence,” she added. “That’s gone too far.”

The clearest sign of how Beijing would respond came in October 2019. State television showed hundreds of top officials at a closed-door meeting, raising their hands to endorse a move to tighten law and order across China. The plan, published days later, proposed a “legal system and enforcement mechanism for national security” in Hong Kong.

That warning was widely misconstrued. While many Hong Kongers figured that Beijing would move to end the protests, most thought the steps would be familiar. Some expected fresh pressure on local lawmakers to enact security laws.

At the time, Ms. Ip, the lawmaker, doubted that Chief Executive Carrie Lam could make much progress on a security law. “It’s not something that can happen anytime soon,” she said in November 2019.

Notably absent was any talk of security legislation imposed directly by Beijing. The mainland scholars’ proposals had largely faded from view. Top loyalists and government advisers in Hong Kong were not briefed on the option, which might have risked inflaming the protests.

It had “not been discussed in the media,” said Albert Chen, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong who sits on a legal advisory committee to Beijing. “Not even mainland Chinese scholars talked about this possibility at that time.”

But China’s leaders had already reached beyond the offices that usually dealt with Hong Kong — their credibility wounded by the months of protest — and quietly recruited experts to prepare for the security intervention, said two people who were told about the deliberations by participants. Top Communist Party agencies steered the preparations, said both people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the matter.

Mr. Xi would formally extend China’s formidable security apparatus to Hong Kong, creating an agency there that answered directly to the party.

Not even the most draconian public proposals for security legislation had envisioned this step.

“Nobody in their wildest imagination would have thought there would be a central agency in Hong Kong,” said Fu Hualing, the dean of the University of Hong Kong law school.

‘Welcoming and support’

The announcement stunned the city. Ahead of China’s annual legislative meeting, a spokesman said at a late-night news conference on May 21 that lawmakers would review a plan to impose a national security law on Hong Kong.

The law was quickly passed on June 30, laying out four offenses — separatism, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign powers — with penalties up to life imprisonment. It demanded oversight of schools and media.

And it created the new Chinese security agency in Hong Kong, virtually immune to legal challenges. It was empowered to investigate cases and bring defendants to trial on the mainland, where party-controlled courts rarely reject prosecutors’ charges.

City officials initially said the security law would be applied with scrupulous precision; instead, it unleashed a rolling campaign that has left few corners of society untouched.

The Hong Kong authorities have arrested more than 110 people in national security investigations over the past year, charging 64, including most of the city’s best-known pro-democracy activists.

The Chinese security agency itself has stayed largely out of view. Its most visible footprint has been its temporary headquarters at the 33-story Metropark Hotel Causeway Bay, overlooking Victoria Park, once the site of some of Hong Kong’s biggest protests.

But it has occasionally broken its silence, reminding residents that it looms behind the scenes.

It has pointedly praised the arrests of high-profile figures, including opposition politicians and top editors of Apple Daily, a brash pro-democracy tabloid ensnared by the law and forced to close last week. It has scrutinized museums for potentially subversive artwork, according to a local official. It has extolled the security law as a cure for Hong Kong’s political turbulence.

“I thank the Hong Kong people,” the agency’s chief, Zheng Yanxiong, said in a rare public speech on National Security Education Day, in April.

“They’ve gone through a very natural, reasonable process from unfamiliarity, guessing and wait-and-see about the Hong Kong National Security Law,” he said, “to acceptance, welcoming and support.”

A week later, the Hong Kong government announced that China’s security agency would build a permanent headquarters on the city’s waterfront, occupying a site about the size of two football fields.

Keith Bradsher contributed reporting.

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rwbyremnants · 7 years ago

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NOTE: Sorry about the wait there, but I hopefully can get the next chaps out a lot sooner! Thanks for all the reviews, I'm always given a little Mana Boost when I read them!

=Chapter 11

Within a little over a week, Weiss had completed her tour stops at St. Louis, Tulsa, Dallas, Austin, and Little Rock. Each show was a tremendous success, with media attention across all platforms. Thanks to Yang, any unwanted photos were unusable, and there had been seemingly no further slip-ups in security. Business as usual.

Not only that, but many of the fellow security staff and makeup crew had noted that Weiss seemed far happier than she ever had before, and that she was a lot kinder and more forgiving when they made mistakes. Even though there were bigger divas in the business, she had not been exactly “easy” to work with before. She was like a brand new woman, even if they didn’t know precisely why.

There were social benefits for Yang, as well. As time went on, she was growing more and more confident in not just her job, but with the staff and the crowds in general. Despite her flirtatious nature, Yang had an ingrained habit of avoiding talking if she was able to, but now it was no longer an issue. There wasn't the horrible feeling in the background that people would know her secret instantly, and the fear of anyone finding out had simply… vanished. For the first time in her life, she was starting to finally feel not partially, but fully comfortable in her own skin.

Alas, they couldn't allow their relationship to become public knowledge. There was too much of a risk to her career, with not just the media attention, but the backlash from her father. Considering he had pushed her into becoming a Christian singer when she was young, he certainly would not approve of her straying this far from “the path of righteousness”. But that didn't mean that cuddling, kissing and other things had to be off limits. They just had to remain behind closed doors.

As it neared midnight over a week after their relationship became so much more physical, their next destination still hours away, the couple got hungry. The crew had stopped for a nap break, anyway, so she and Yang zipped off a few miles down the road to a small coffee house along the highway. This time of night, there were only a few people inside, but that was preferable; less attention to be raised.

"So, what you having?"

“Hmm,” Weiss mused as she looked down the page of the menu. “I’ll try the… what is a ‘Po Boy’, anyway?”

“Sandwich,” the squat woman taking their order told her. “One of the better ones on the menu, I can tell you that.”

“Oh.” Glancing at Yang, she shrugged and said, “Then I’ll try one of those, and some of your fries with a light sprinkling of sea salt. And a lemonade.” The woman scribbled down the order – though she had rolled her eyes at the salt request – then looked over at the blonde.

"I'll have a fully loaded waffle, extra bacon, and a coffee with cream and sugar." She smiled up at the woman, placing the menu down in the small holster at their side as she left, then gazed over the room. It was a quaint enough little place, neon lights around the front counter to give off a fifties appearance, red leather seating on the booths and bar seats, a jukebox sat to one side that was turned off for some reason. If it were twelve in the afternoon rather than the morning, a place like this would usually draw a decent crowd in such a small town.

“Maybe I should have tried a milkshake,” Weiss hissed to Yang once the woman had moved off. “Or should I say ‘chocolate malt’? It would suit this atmosphere.”

"Milkshakes, fifties-looking joint… I should have worn my leather jacket. We coulda sang ‘Greased Lightnin’!" She glance over at the jukebox again. "Shame that’s out of commission. The quiet makes it a lil spooky."

Shrugging, Weiss pulled a packet of Sweet N’ Low out of the holder and began turning it in her fingertips, simply to busy her hands. They wanted to reach out and take Yang’s, but again, that would be a public display of affection - which they had both agreed was out of the question.

“Guess it does. At least it’s not on and playing one of my songs, though.”

"Good luck trying to get that ol' thing to work,” a rather tall blonde woman behind the bar called up, having either heard part of their conversation, or at least seen Yang staring over at it. “Broke a couple o' weeks ago. Had to hire my lil' brother to come in and play the guitar and sing all last week to keep the lunch hour entertained." As she went to fetch more cream for the coffee, she gestured toward the corner. "Hell, if you want music, guitar's right over there."

Smiling demurely, Weiss said, “No, thank you.” Then she lowered her voice to add, “I don’t want anyone recognizing my singing voice; plus, if I play the guitar I’m sure to break a nail. I only play while we’re recording and I’m not making ‘appearances’.”

Yang continued to stare for a moment, shrugging her shoulders lightly as the woman brought their coffees. One black, the other with cream as requested. Once she had gone, Yang chuckled. "Would you believe me if I told you I used to play?"

“Really?” The polite smile turned into one of genuine interest. “Xiao Long, there are more layers to you than meets the eye. What did you play? Lead, bass?”

"Lead. I only ever had an acoustic guitar before, but I had to sell it when I moved. Haven’t played in a little while, but I still remember some of the little tunes I made up." Taking a sip of java, she began to sink into her seat happily. "Ahhhhh, that's the stuff…"

That made Weiss contemplative for a moment, even as she was watching how happy Yang was to be sipping at her coffee. Eventually, she opened the packet of sweetener and poured it into her cup, but she was still thinking as she sipped the bitter liquid.

Then, right around the time their waitress brought out her lemonade, she suddenly blurted out, “Show me.”

It was said in the middle of her sip, and thus suddenly made her eyes snap open wide, and made her almost spit what she had in her mouth out. Thankfully she could swallow, but it didn’t erase the bug-eyed look.

"S-scuze me?! Weiss, that’s- c’mon, I know you’re suddenly all about dirtying up your ‘squeaky clean’ image, but we’re in the middle of a restaurant!"

"Not that you dolt! You’re terrible! I meant the guitar," Weiss whispered with a coy smile, fingertips playing around the rim of her coffee cup. "Right here, right now. Show me what you got."

Another gaze around the room was needed before she made her decision. It wasn't a very big audience. Weiss, three truckers sat up at the bar, one lonely police officer half asleep in one of the corner booths, and the two waitresses. Even so, she was years out of practice. Would Weiss want to hear her sounding like a cat on a fence?

But as she stared down at the coffee cup, the less she was beginning to care. Weiss liked her, and she was already the musician in their relationship; there was no real impetus to “impress” her when she definitely wouldn’t be impressed. That removed a lot of the stage fright. Besides, they had only come in for a quick meal, then they would be gone. And frankly, Yang could always fall asleep in the bus before it was brought up again.

"Ah, fuck it." Before she could talk herself out of it, Yang stood from the table.

Pleased both that she was getting her way, and that Yang would be displaying whatever level of skill she might have, her employer turned in her chair to face the corner where Yang was just pulling the guitar into her lap. Though the diva promised herself she would not react negatively, even if Yang couldn't carry a tune in a bucket; after all, she did say it had been quite some time since she last touched a guitar.

For a few short moments, Yang ran her fingers over the strings, playing a few quiet chords to test the sound. It seemed in tune, she thought. Then she played a few notes of a simple medley; nothing memorable, just to test its sound and refamiliarise herself with it after so long. Then she made sure her chair was faced as much toward Weiss as she could get it, staring down at the strings as she prepared. Tapping her foot to a somewhat slower rhythm than Weiss's songs would be, she mouthed in time with the beat.

"One, two, three, four…”

The gentle melody that began to flow out of the instrument was one that very much suited the sleepy atmosphere of such a small town at that time of night. It wasn't a song that had been on the radio, or in the background of the movie.

Which Weiss was certainly listening for. Yang wasn't lying when she said she had written a few tunes. Still, the way she had talked about her playing made her think it was a simple three-chord ditty, just something she had messed around with – maybe a slight variance on a popular song. But this was something completely new, and completely beautiful. Rough around the edges, and she heard a few notes in there that Yang had missed slightly, but clearly that was more a by-product of being out of practice than of lack of talent. The tune itself was completely captivating, effortless.

Yang, all of it was Yang.

By the time the strings fell silent and the spell broken, she was startled to see their plates of food were now on the table. So engrossed had she been in the strains of the guitar that she hadn't even noticed them being brought along. Hastening to fill the void left by the song, she began to clap, and the other patrons clapped, as well – one man wolf-whistled, probably mostly because Yang was a beautiful blonde. Maybe they hadn't enjoyed it quite as much as Weiss, but they definitely didn't hate it.

It wasn't something Yang expected at all. Perhaps polite applause from Weiss, but not from everyone present, including the two waitresses behind the counter. Looking toward them with a blush on her face, she placed the guitar back in the corner, offering a small curtsy to those looking her way before she rejoined Weiss.

"That…" The normally self-assured diva tried to form words for several seconds; she only succeeded in gesticulating weirdly. Finally, she reached across the table and grasped Yang's forearms as hard as she could. "YOU!"

Looking back toward her with eyes as wide as she could possibly manage in her somewhat sleepy state, she raised her shoulders hesitantly. Had she really stank that bad? "I told you I was a lil' rusty, but, yeah, that's that."

"Rusty? You… you are just…" Sitting back with wide eyes, Weiss chuckled just a little. "How dare you!"

Taking up her knife and fork, Yang could only keep her hands busy by cutting up her waffle, staring down at her plate to avoid eye contact. "What? I mean I just… I had a lot of free time when I made it up. Never claimed it was gonna take the world by storm, just that it was-"

"How DARE you keep this talent a secret, you jerk! I can't believe that all this time, I've had a gifted musician standing around and beating people up for me!"

Although flattered, which was somewhat obvious by the red cheeks behind the cup as she had another sip of the coffee, Yang continued to be modest about such a performance. Complimenting her looks was something she could accept pretty easy, but anything else was beyond her ken.

"’Gifted’, huh? You don’t have to butter me up. I mean it's nothing like your songs." She put the mug down, tucking into a slice of the waffle to fill the brief silence.

"The hell it’s not!" Taking a breath, she wiped a hand down her face, smearing a tiny bit of her mascara in the process. She was too distracted to notice. "You… I mean, okay yes, my songs are normally more glam-pop-oriented, but there's definitely room on the radio for breezy guitar pop like yours! What do you call that one?"

Looking upward in thought, she quickly swallowed what mouthful she had, already preparing the next bite before she could answer that question – a preemptive escape route. "It… doesn't have a name yet, I guess. Never bothered to think of one. But I remember writing it when…"

"When WHAT?!" But she noticed Yang was wincing at her outbursts, and being evasive, so she cleared her throat and tried to compose herself. "Sorry. I mean, when did you write it?"

“Well...” She began to lean in toward Weiss, quickly gazing around the room to make sure no one was listening in. It was a too sensitive subject to be yelled out loud. "I started writing it before I came out to Blake, as kind of a way of… y’know, venting my feelings. Had to do something. And I kept working on it before I came out to my dad and Ruby, too. I mean, you can't really tell from just a melody with no words, but it's sort of my way of trying to get me to accept myself? I guess. Um, nevermind."

"Oh…" Now Weiss felt stupid for having pushed so much; those parts of Yang's life were still very sensitive, even though she was so far along in her journey. There did seem to be a secret pain behind the melody, but she was so used to hearing songs day in, day out, that she sometimes didn’t pay much attention to the meaning that the music itself could carry. "Well… you can play it for me anytime you need to vent about it again. It's beautiful. Absolutely, hauntingly beautiful."

"Hey, don't sweat it. I don't mind you knowing its origin." But just before she finished the rest of her meal, a thought seemed to have crossed her mind. As much was obvious by the way she stared in the general direction of the guitar and smiled to herself. "It'd be even prettier with lyrics, I think. One of those 'this is who I am' songs rather than 'this is who I'll screw'. Don't think it'd ever sell well on the radio, but it would be nice if it was… out there. For anybody who needs it, or whatever. Not that I’m any kind of singer – trust me. My girl singing voice is almost as bad as my guy singing voice was."

All the diva did while listening was continue to make her way through her po' boy - which turned out to be tasty, even if a tad spicier than her palate was normally comfortable with. Her mind was racing, trying to make sense of all this new and fascinating information she had just been handed. She’d never expected this. Seemed her bodyguard was full of surprises.

A few moments of silence followed as both finished their meals, Yang draining the last of her coffee. Which as it turned out, was doing nothing to really wake her up; she was lucky to have even kept her eyes open all this time. But as she sat and waited for Weiss to finish her drink, she smiled contentedly. It was always nice being out with her girlfriend – even if it was still fresh and new.

“Well, it’s a shame you didn’t show me this talent of yours before now,” Weiss sighed as she set down her own fork. “We could have enjoyed some random duets all along the tour.”

“Stop,” Yang laughed easily. Then she came over wistful, staring down into her empty cup. "Wish I still had a guitar so I could play it more often, if you like it that much. Guess I could do air guitar."

"Do you?" she replied, playing it cool. "Then perhaps you should put aside a little money. We could even make a stop at a music store in a few days, so you can price them. Could lead to a whole new career path of busking in the park."

"Maybe once the tour is over, sure. But for now, I'd rather focus on beating people up for you." She winked. Not quite tired enough to completely change her personality just yet. “But apparently I suck at that and should become a street performer, huh?”

"That's… I was kidding, of course you're good at your job!" Weiss blustered, frowning at Yang as she set down her lemonade for the final time.

"You're damn right I'm good at my job. Saved your ass, remember?" They were at a point now when the subject of the knifeman could be brought up. At least, it could between those two. To anyone else, Weiss would be silent, not want to say a word. But with Yang, making light of the danger was a way of coping.

Finally, Yang rose from her seat, pacing out from their table as she waited for the diva. With a grumbled "Yeah, yeah," she eventually joined her, leaving a twenty on their table to cover the meal. But her mind was still deep in thought about Yang's playing. How could she not know she could play to please the angels themselves?

As they crossed the parking lot to get back to the bike, it seemed Yang's state of tiredness was becoming more and more apparent. She was wobbling in her footsteps occasionally, constantly yawning, struggling to keep her eyes open… How on earth could she ride the bike like this? It was only a five-minute ride, but she knew she wouldn't make it that far. But perhaps…

"Hey Weiss?" she asked tiredly, trying to hold off another yawn. "How about you drive?"

"How ab…" Her eyes went wide as she turned back to blink at Yang. "This is your baby though! You told me over and over – I couldn't dream of trying, I've only driven a motorcycle like, twice!"

"And that's still way more than I expected and throws me off whenever you say it." Passing her one of the helmets, and fastening her own in place, she had to yawn yet again. "Look, you're more awake than me. And it's only five minutes down the road. I'll be right there with you, okay?"

Weiss's eyes went to the motorcycle. There was fear there, and hesitation… but also a gleam of interest. She loved riding on the back of it, and wanted to be in charge of that power herself. Wanted to feel the handlebars thrum under her own palms.

"Are you sure?" she asked, turning away from the bike. Away from temptation. "I mean, I'd pay for everything if I put a scratch on it, of course, but I still don't want to hurt your ride."

"Thought you liked feeling me pressed up against your back." Yet again, she smirked to her, even giving a small wink. Of course Yang would refer to their sleeping habits and the things that drove Weiss mad with need in the middle of a serious chat. It was in her nature.

Cheeks only pinkening the slightest bit at the provocation, she sauntered over to the bike, calling over her shoulder, "Sometimes I think you like my ass more than the rest of me." But she put on a good show of throwing her leg over the bike, letting Yang get just the tiniest glimpse of her strawberry-patterned underwear under her skirt before it settled.

It only made Yang growl with joy as she climbed on behind her, budging herself forward as much as she could so she was right behind her. Allowing her arms to settle around her, she taunted by deliberately pushing her hips up against Weiss's backside a moment.

"Well, you do let me get pretty close to it. A lot."

A gust of flustered air pushed from Weiss's nostrils. No, she couldn't feel terribly much through all the fabric, but knowing what was back there made a tingling begin that she would have to ignore if she wanted to drive properly.

"Okay, so…" She slipped the key into the ignition, made sure she had the brake applied, and then turned the key. Instantly, the motor roared to life. "Anything else I should remember?"

"Works the same as a regular Yamaha, but the accelerator is tweaked. So just keep it slow and steady; don’t rev too fast," she warned, giving a small squeeze around her waist as she finally lifted her legs off the ground, giving Weiss full control.

They peeled out from the parking lot. Weiss did a good job of taking things rather slow - other than once or twice when her hand slipped and they took off like a shot, but she managed to bring everything back under control again within a block or two. Gradual decreases kept them from wiping out completely.

All the while, the warm presence of Yang against her back was such a comfort that she found it hard to be all that frightened of losing control. They both knew what they were doing; Yang simply had more practice, that was all. Meanwhile, Yang kept her hands on her girlfriend, watching the road ahead as though she were driving herself. Weiss was quite good once she had gained her confidence, just as well as Yang was a decent musician when she gained hers. In her tired state, she did manage to lean into Weiss's neck, giving it a small kiss as they continued the gentle pace.

"Am I doing okay?!" Weiss demanded in a voice nearly an octave higher than usual as they idled at a red light.

"You're doing fine!" She squeezed her slightly closer in the moment they'd stopped, pressing yet another kiss to her cheek. From how soppy she was being on their journey, it was obvious she was on the verge of falling asleep.

When they finally made it back to where the bus was parked, she leaned Yang against the side of the trailer hitched to the back before pushing the bike inside on her own. It wasn't easy for her thin arms, but she managed. Then she locked it up and led Yang inside their living quarters, patting her tired shoulders in sympathy.

By the time they got ready for bed and slid into the sheets, they were already on the road. The driver would be going all night so that they were most of the way back up toward Indianapolis by the time they woke up; he sometimes swapped out with one of the other roadies who wad guiding the bus full of Weiss’s entourage.

"Yang?" she whispered while snuggling up against Yang's back, just to see if she was asleep yet.

Nuzzled into the pillows and the sheets, Yang shuffled her head very slightly when she heard her name called, whispering very quietly, "Yeah?"

The younger woman debated for a moment. "I'm sorry for pushing you for the story about that song. Didn't think it would be so personal - but that's no excuse for me being pushy."

"You didn't push." The words were so quiet compared to her normal voice. Clutching the sheets to pull more of them onto herself, she continued, "Maybe one day, you'll have your own song like that. One about… coming out."

"Maybe," Weiss breathed into her blonde mane as she began to drift herself. "We'll see."

Under the sheets, Yang held the hand that Weiss had on her stomach tightly. At this time of night, it was too late for her to make up jokes, or even to lie; she was at her most honest. She might as well be drunk.

"I know it's hard for you. All this. You didn't want to be like me, because you don't wanna disappoint your dad, or your religion or whatever. But listen – you're not messing up, or hurting anybody. You are who you are. And that's perfect as it is, whatever it is."

Weiss's eyebrows knitted as she listened. Yang was trying to soothe her about things she hadn't even been thinking that deeply upon, but once said… she couldn't deny they were true. Her lyrics stuck to such surface topics as boys and "girl power" and partying because digging into anything deeper was terrifying. She didn't want to put herself out there, to challenge people's perceptions. Especially not those of her family. But Yang was right; she was who she was. Fighting it would have made her miss out on this glorious relationship. So maybe she should push her boundaries a little after all.

As she drifted off to sleep, the awakening diva also thought she might know exactly where to start…

#white noise #freezerburn fanfic #freezerburn #weiss x yang #yang x weiss #rwbyremnants

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interkomitet · 4 years ago

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Italy's Draghi seeks party backing to end political turmoil

Draghi, widely credited with saving the euro zone from collapse in 2012, accepted the mandate from head of State Sergio Mattarella, saying he was confident he could find backing in Italy’s fractured parliament for a new administration.

Financial markets rallied, hopeful Draghi can spearhead long-awaited reforms to boost growth in the euro zone’s third largest but most sluggish economy, bolstering the currency bloc.

All eyes turn to parliament, where Draghi must win backing from hesitant and divided parties across the political spectrum to get a government off the ground.

“This is a difficult time,” Draghi said after meeting Mattarella. “Beating the pandemic, completing the vaccination campaign, offering answers to the everyday problems of the people and relaunching the country are the challenges we face.”

The president moved quickly to anoint Draghi after talks aimed at salvaging outgoing Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s 17-month-old coalition imploded on Tuesday evening.

Mattarella warned that a new government had to take office immediately to prevent Italy from missing out on more than 200 billion euros ($243 billion) from a European Union fund designed to help overcome the economic slump.

Draghi said Italy must seize the moment: “We have extraordinary European Union resources at our disposal, we have the opportunity to do so much for our country.”

Italy’s borrowing costs fell sharply on Wednesday while the Milan bourse blue chip index rose 2.1%, the strongest gain in a month.

Early signs from the political parties were mixed. The centre-left Democratic Party (PD) signalled it was ready to support the highly respected economist, while its coalition ally, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, said it would not.

A political source said Draghi might offer the former coalition partners cabinet positions to get them on board.

“WITHOUT PREJUDICE”

The alliance of rightist parties led by Matteo Salvini’s League, which leads in opinion polls, said it preferred to go to early elections two years ahead of schedule, but would listen to Draghi’s proposals “without prejudice”.

The League and the PD are sworn political enemies who have repeatedly vowed that they would never join a majority together. A plausible scenario may see several parties abstaining in votes of confidence to ensure Draghi can launch a government.

Were he to fail, the blow to Italy’s international image and market backlash could be considerable, and Mattarella gave him no time limit for finding a workable majority.

One League source said the party would offer its support if it got a commitment from Draghi to hold elections within a year.

Draghi whose illustrious career has earned him the nickname “Super Mario”, was famous for pledging to do “whatever it takes” to save the single European currency during his time at the ECB.

He had largely vanished from the public eye since his ECB term ended in October 2019, but he emerged as a potential premier as political turmoil combined in recent weeks with health and economic emergencies to form a perfect storm.

The first European country to be hit by the coronavirus, Italy has seen almost 90,000 deaths since its outbreak almost a year ago – the sixth-highest toll in the world.

Lockdowns aimed at curbing the contagion have devastated the economy and data released on Tuesday showed that Italy’s gross domestic product shrank by 8.8% in 2020 – its steepest annual drop since World War Two.

A Draghi government would reinforce Italy’s international standing at a time when it has the presidency of the G20. But taking the job would carry risks for him.

The last time a technocrat took charge was in 2011, when economist Mario Monti, was entrusted with helping Italy out of a debt crisis. Parliamentarians soon turned on him when they deemed his economic medicine too pungent.

http://interkomitet.com/press/international-news/italy-s-draghi-seeks-party-backing-to-end-political-turmoil/

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x-compendiums-of-castiel-x · 7 years ago

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Just A Crush

Chapter 2: Will You Go With Me?

Castielxreader

Word Count: 3,414

Warnings: none yet (I'm pretty sure)

Summary: Cas finds out about your trip. Will you ask him to go or are Sam and Dean going to have to persuade him to ask you about it first?

It wasn’t long after you headed off to your room, that Dean resurfaced from the garage. Instantly heading towards the kitchen for a beer as he wiped away the grease and oil from his hands. When he entered the room, the first thing he saw was Cas, sitting alone at the table, reading a book as he nibbled on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

“Hey,” Dean nodded over to his friend as he walked over to the sink. Cas simply hummed in response, not even bothering to glance up from the pages he was entranced in.

“What are you reading?” Dean pressed, glancing over his shoulder.

“‘Message In A Bottle,” Cas’ response was just that, short and to the point; no more, no less.

“Oh no,” Dean grumbled, legitimately upset with the response.

“Not only has she got you watching chick-flicks but now your reading the crap too? Why are you reading that?” Dean shook his head and rolled his eyes as he turned back to make sure his hands were getting clean.

Cas’ blue eyes focused up towards the Winchester, his finger holding his spot on the page as he heard Dean huff again. Becoming slightly offended by his remark, Castiel spoke up.

“It’s about sailboats,” Cas gave, trying to trick Dean so he would back off a little.

“Cas please, I know what it's about. It merely even mentions a boat. It’s a romance novel…, and if the Nick guy who wrote it, started writing about two boats falling in love, I’m sure it would of gone public. A lot of love-crazed women would be all over that. It's not about what or who is falling in love, its the story of the love that grabs their attention."

"His name is Nicolas Sparks and even you seem to know a little about it yourself,” Cas made a point, inferring that Dean might have read it.

"Yeah, dude that's one of (y/n)’s favorite books. She has like three copies of it and she cries every time she gets to the ending. How could I not know about it?” Dean turned and pressed his back up against the counter as he dried his hands. Cas sent him a glare and started to read once more.

“Cas…” he paused, “can you put that up for a minute, I need to talk to you about something.”

“Can it not wait? I’m in the middle of a good part,” the ex-angel pleaded. The older brother gave him a look and in one swift motion grabbed the book from him, losing Castiels place in the same process.

“Dean!” Castiel lashed, clearly upset from Dean’s actions. Trying to get the book back, Dean scooted the book from his reach.

“No, it can not wait. Do you like (y/n)?” he questioned bluntly. Cas’ demeanor changed from upset to confused.

“Of course, she is my friend,” he stated, concerned why Dean would even ask him that; you were all a family.

“No,” Dean looked around at all the entrances surrounding them, making sure you weren’t within earshot, “do you like, like her?” He whispered to Cas though Cas still wasn't comprehending what Dean was trying to figure out.

“What?” Cas turned to face him more straight on.

“Dude, you’re killing me here. Do you like her personality? Do you find her attractive?” Dean threw in the two questions to hopefully clue Cas in on what he meant.

“I don’t understand why this is a topic of import?” Cas shifted in his chair a little, his cheeks warming up a little as he realized what Dean was asking.

“It doesn’t matter why. Do you like her?” he pushed.

“Dean, what are you doing?” Sam stood at the entrance, looking over at his brother horrified. When Dean heard him, he let out a sigh and shook his head. He knew Sam would probably try to stop this conversation from going any farther, no matter how much it needed to be talked about. Moving from his original question, Dean slid right into the next one, switching his gaze from his brother back to his best friend.

“If she asked you to go with her somewhere, would you go?” The blue sapphires met the gleaming emeralds. Cas furrowed his brows as he looked between both of the brothers.

“Where is she going?” Cas quizzed, concern fueling his voice. How long would you be gone? When were you leaving? Why were you leaving?

“That’s not the point. Just answer the question. Would. You. Go. ?” Dean spoke with annoyance as Sam began staring a hole through him. He knew this probably wasn't the way to handle this, but Dean had a little bit of a point.

“Yes…I would go,” he explained sharply, not fixing his gaze on either of them.

“So, you like her?”

“Dean!” Sam snapped, shaking his head clearly annoyed at his brother. If you found out about this, you’d be pissed. No, beyond it. You’ve liked Cas all these years, if you weren’t ready to tell him that was on you. But if Cas were to find out and things came backfiring, it would be on him; especially since he witnessed his older brother provoking the situation.

“Fine Sam, I’ll stay out of it,” Dean explained exasperatedly as he headed towards the fridge to get the beer he was originally after.

“What are you talking about?” Cas turned to watch Dean, waiting for an answer. Sam clenched his jaw, silently cursing his brother. If you were going to ask Cas, you were going to do it. If not, then you weren’t. That was that. Sam had tried and offered to help you, but you pleaded for him to let you do it on your own. And you had simply stated: If it happened, it happened. If not, then it didn’t, and Sam respected your wishes all these years. How did Dean even find out?

“She is going to her sister’s wedding, Cas. She needs a date. Seeing as I was busy, she went to ask Dean but apparently were both booked.” Sam exchanged, answering the question Dean wouldn’t because of his recent backlash.

“I told her to ask you,” Dean informed. Castiel stared at him for a moment before passing Sam a questionable gaze.

“She hasn’t asked me,” he sounded a little disappointed, which didn’t go unnoticed by either brother.

“I know,” Dean figured you hadn’t, “and she’s probably not going to. But you’re going,” he finished his sentence as he sent a look over to Sam. How could his little brother know all this time and not do anything about it for you?

“Maybe she doesn’t want me to. If she did, she would have asked,” he turned from Dean and looked over at Sam.

“Cas, you’re going. Trust me, you want to go. Now, go tell her you’re going and get your stuff packed before I pack it for you,” Dean pushed, not leaving any room for a negative answer. Pushing away from the counter, beer in hand, Dean began walking back out to the garage. Sam sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, thinking about everything that just happened.

“Do you think I should go? Or rather, do you think she wants me to go?” Cas was hesitant at first to ask the question, not sure which answer is was hoping for. Sam switched his gaze over to his friend, all his thoughts froze for a moment as he saw a look of hope in Cas’ eyes. Maybe Dean was on the right approach on this all along.

“She definitely doesn’t want to go alone, Cas. Maybe you should go talk to her. Perhaps….” Sam thought about what he was doing. After what all Dean had just said, Sam’s advice would be the icing on the cake.

“Perhaps you should insist on going,” the younger Winchester eyed him closely with complete seriousness.

“Also, you should go talk to her now. If I’m not mistaken, she’s heading out early in the morning,” Sam added as he made is way towards the door, in search for his brother to see what the hell all of that was about. Cas sat there for a few moments, not sure on how exactly he should approach you. If you didn’t want him to go he wasn't going to push you, no matter how much Dean thought it be fit to do so. Slowly, he gathered himself and made his way down to your room, grabbing the book back that Dean had took from him.

You were in the middle of packing your shower bag when you heard a knock on your door. After putting your shampoo and conditioner in your bag, you made your way to answer the door. All thoughts from earlier completely vanished from your mind sense you were trying to remember to pack everything. That was, until you opened the door and a set of blue orbs locked in with yours.

“Hi,” he greeted, if you weren’t mistaken you’d almost for sure seen his cheeks redden.

“Hey Cas,” you smiled, opening the door and standing aside to let him in. You noticed the book in his hand that you had lent him.

“Are you finished with that one already?” Your question caught him off guard, noticing as he turned back around questioningly.

“The book,” you lifted your hand to point to it, your smile growing by the second.

“Oh,” realization dawned on him, you thought he was here for the book.

“No, not yet,” he began, hesitating as he thought of how he was supposed to do this. He paused a little longer than what was socially normal and it struck you as weird. Cas was quiet sometimes, but never for this long. Plus it were as if he was thinking about something very important.

“Did you have a question for me?” you asked, and instantly his eyes shot up to yours as if you caught him red handed but he remained to say nothing.

“Cas you can ask me, don’t be shy. I’ve read the book a million times and I still have things I haven’t quite figured out.” He didn’t realize how fast his heart was beating until he understood you were again, talking about the book. He needed to get out of there, he wasn't going to be able to do it. If you wanted him to go, you would’ve already asked by now.

“I seem to have forgot…my question,” he replied slowly, dropping his eyes from you as he drew his brows together. You watched him for a moment before you realized this was probably your chance. Before you had the time to think yourself out of it and before you completely turned down the idea. As you were preparing yourself to bing the topic up, Cas spoke up.

“I apologize,” he continued, heading towards the door he just came through moment before. You didn’t want him to go, he knew you didn’t. You would've asked him right after you asked Dean. But you didn’t. So he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

"Cas wait…” you called him right at the last possible second.

"Maybe if you remember your question, you could ask me about it tomorrow,” you avoided yet again, way to go. When he turned around at first, he seemed to be a little hopeful. Sighing, you continued.

"What I mean to say… I actually have a question of my own, for you,” you speak quickly, your brain finally realizing you were actually fixing to ask him.

“Would you mind coming back in here for a second?” You pause, knowing the both of you should probably be sitting down for this.

“Is that your question?” he asked, sulking a little.

“What? No…, no Cas, that isn’t my question. I would like to talk to you about something actually, but it might be better if you came and sat down so we could discuss it.” You were hopeful for a moment and you couldn’t help but smile as he slowly made his way back through the door, walking straight up to you. You smiled again, your nerves making you almost nauseated as you lead him over to your bed, the both of you sitting down. You sat there procrastinating but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Alright, so…where should I even begin,” you let out a chuckle as you rubbed your hands against your thighs.

“I don’t exactly know how to say this so I’m just going to say it. My sister is getting married in a few days and she’s really been wanting me to go. Since she’s my sister and its a really big day for her, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her no and also I do actually want to be there for her. However every time, every single time I go home, my family bombards me with questions about my relationship status. If I’m being quite honesty, I don’t see that status changing any time soon, especially over the course of the next few days. With that being said, between Sam or Dean, have you heard anything about it?”

“Dean mentioned it,” Cas stated almost immediately, but that's all he shared. Immediately your mind started reeling. Dean mentioned it? In what, the short amount of time you’ve been packing? What else may he of mentioned?

“Dean mentioned it?” you repeated as a question, mortified at what all Cas may know.

“He and Sam said you asked them to go with you but they are busy,” he explained and inside your nerves calmed down a little at the relief.

“Yeah, Sammy’s researching a case and Dean’s fixing the car. Once she’s put back into place and is running well, they will probably started heading up that way, its all the way in Washington,” you tell, partly avoid the question yet again. “So, Castiel…this brings me to you. I hate to ask you because I don’t want to inconvenience you in any way, that’s part of the reason why I asked the boys first. I’m used to doing favors for them and they do things for me too, it's just something we’ve always done for one another. And… well, me and you, we’ve never really done this sort of thing before. Mainly because I go to the boys first and one of them always winds up helping me out. But this time they can’t…, and I was wondering… I was wondering if maybe you could help me out this time?” There it was. The question was out there, now all you had to do was explain what all it required. And that's if he even agreed to that.

“(Y/n), we are friends…friends help one another. I would be happy to accept your offer,” he smiled, happy that you did ask him and not just blow him off. His words hurt you though, even with him saying he would help, the fact that he labeled you as a friend. Perhaps that's all you’d ever be to him… just a friend…

“Thank you Cas,” you gave him another forced smile like you had earlier and he nodded his head proudly, still not catching on.

“There’s one more thing though…, it ties back in with the whole relationship status deal…” you hesitate as he tilts his head questioning you.

“If you were to go, by the way you can still change your mind, no decisions have been made final yet…. If you decide to go with me, you’d be my ‘boyfriend’,” you signaled the air quotes as you said the ‘B’ word. Cas’ head remained tilted but his brows drew together, signaling that he was taking in everything and processing it all.

“What would that mean exactly?” He questioned seriously, looking up at you. You felt as if your heart was bound to rip from your chest.

“It means, while we are with my family we’re together. You hold my hand, I hold yours, type of thing. We have to pretend that we love each other,” you explain, trying to swallow the knot in your throat.

“But I do love you,” he answered and had it not been Cas and his misunderstandings, you would of kissed him right then and there. But it was Cas and you knew he had misunderstood you.

“I know Cas, but you love me as your friend. I mean, we,” you point back and forth between the two of you, “have to be more than that. But only while were around my family. When were at the hotel, if you for some reason decide you do want to go, we would be like we are now; completely platonic.” You sit in silence as Cas thinks about what all you laid on the table. You knew it was a lot to take in and you probably should have had this talk with him earlier and not the night before you were supposed to be leaving.

“I’ve never been in a relationship before,” he admits, looking down towards the ground. Before you could even think about it, words left your mouth again.

“I will show you,” you claim, afterwards realizing he might of been trying to get out of it with his last statement but trying to be nice about it.

“That is, if this is something you want to do. If you don’t, I completely understand,” you place, refusing to say anything else until he said something next, otherwise you were going to start rambling.

“I do want to help you, (y/n). I already told you I would and my answer hasn’t changed.” You couldn’t help but smile and even hug him. The action happened so fast you didn't even see it coming. Squeezing him tight, his arms slowly wrapped around you too.

“Thank you Cas! You’re a lifesaver,” you smile up at him once you pull back and he does the same.

“I should probably start packing,” he declares and you nod, both of you standing at once.

“Okay, yeah,” your smile kept growing.

“Is there anything else I should bring beside what I normally take on hunts?” Looking down at you for guidance, he’d never been to a wedding before.

“Well, we’ll be gone for seven days. I hope that's okay,” you ask and he simply nodded his head.

“So seven pairs of clothes, maybe some extra if you’d like. Uh…, a swimsuit, if you have one. The hotel we’ll be staying at has a huge indoor pool. Maybe your dress suit for the rehearsal,” you had your eyes closed as you thought about what all events you had packed for.

“I think that might be all. If I remember anything else, I’ll come let you know asap!” you exclaim, simply overjoyed that he was coming with you, and you managed without any hassle.

“Okay,” he agreed, flashing you another smile as he headed for the door.

“Okay,” you whispered, watching as he carried himself. He began to shut the door before he stuck his head back in.

“What time are we leaving?”

“Oh! Yea, that's kinda important,” you announce and the way you said it made him look down and smile, “ We'll be leaving here around seven, if that's good for you?” He simply nodded and began to leave again when something popped into your mind.

“Cas,” you call, hoping he’d hear you. Sure enough the door opened a little again and he poked his head through.

“Will you bring the trench coat?” It felt like your heart stopped as you waited for his answer. The trench had been his signature piece when he was an angel. The question popped into your head out of nowhere, you didn’t even know if it was going to be raining or if him bringing it would just be taking up space. But at the same time, you didn’t care. You’d give anything to see him wearing it again.

“Of course,” he nodded and grinned. Earlier when you had mentioned his old suit, he couldn't help but hope that you’d say something about the coat. It made him feel like his old self again. As he shut the door this time, he let out a sigh of relief. He was going with you and you were happy for him to go. Now Sam and Dean, would need to help him pack so he got everything perfect for you. You needed him and he wasn’t about to let you down.

#castiel #castiel fluff #castiel x reader #castielxreader #casxreader #cas #cas x reader #Casxyou #sam winchester #dean winchester #supernatural #supernatural fanfiction #fanfiction #spn fanfic

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imaginetonyandbucky · 7 years ago

Note

Either Bucky or Tony is very shy when thi gs turn towards cuddling,kissing,nudity,sex and the other helps them overcome it

As usual, please remember that unanswered prompts aren’t bad prompts. Sometimes, our authors/artists just don’t get inspired, and after a certain amount of time it makes more sense to post them as unanswered.

If anyone wants to fill one of the unanswered prompts, go right ahead. And if you send us the link to it once you’ve posted it, we’ll even share it here on the blog!

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Imagine: Tony and Bucky come out publicly after being together for years and they gotta deal with the backlash from public figures. But then a couple weeks later same-sex-marriage is legalized and fluff because Bucky proposes?

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out of all of the Avengers Tony is actually the most health conscious. when the others moved into the tower they thought he wasn't taking care of himself but he actually takes good care of his body. and for a good reason, his immune system is all shot due to the reactor so when he starts showing symptoms of a bad case of the flu and he Bucky take care to make it so it doesn't get bad. however it sneaks up on him and hits him like a freight train, 103 degree fever, and all.

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Somehow I can't stop imagine Tony as a Despicable Me dad. Only that the minions are his boots and those cute flying batteries from his sorcerer supreme alternative-self. And I can't stop thinking of Bucky as a teacher to those children that gets somehow sucked up into the world of this very strange and crazy man and can't help fall in love with first his children and than this strange guy and his even stranger companions.

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(Mind the cut, mobile users!)

Imagine a parent trap-ish AU where Bucky's kid and Tony's kid are friends at school (their age is up to you :) and they're total besties and they know their dads are totally into each other even though they won't admit it, so it would be super awesome if their dads get married and they become a family right?? :DDD

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Hello lovelies, I love the work that you all do, I was hoping you could do a story where tony has asthma due to the fact part of his lungs were taken out to make room for the reactor. Bucky freaks out when he learn that he has asthma and starts to mother hen Tony. How tony react is up to the writer.

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how about a The Martian AU? Bucky and Tony are apart of the Hermes crew and were sent to Mars along with the others ( Steve being the commander ). Tony and Bucky were already a couple when they left earth and Bucky planned on asking Tony to marry him when they got back but then Tony is lost and presumed dead. then they find out that Tony is not dead but surviving on Mars like a badass, they get him back and Bucky finally gets to propose. Tony says yes of course!

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Tony suddenly loses all of his money (only for a short while) And he gets super sad and scared, because he just knows the Avengers will now leave him. They have no more reason to stay right? They don't like him, so now they have the perfect opportunity to leave. He can't provide for them anymore. Who cares that he loves them so much? But to his suprise the moment they find out they just start helping and when they realise what he had thought they start hugging and telling him that they love him.

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Hi first I want to say how grateful I am for all the amazing stories all the authors write, I can't get enough of them. (Imagine that when Bucky loses control of the Winter Soldier,he seeks physical challenge not trough fight but trough sex,for some reason he keeps finding Tony for that,but when he comes to he doesn't remember that. So tony thinks bucky only wants sex. I know the matter of consent is unclear here so I would understand if you decide to ignore this)

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(part 1) AU where Tony is still a child when the Winter Soldier kills his parents. Because Bucky is brainwashed, he has to follow the order to kill them, but instinctively tries to hurt as few people as the orders let him (like shooting through Natasha and letting her live in MCU). Tony is in the same car when his parents are killed, but doesn't see much. afterwards, Bucky gets Tony out of the wreckage and to safety, and takes care of him until emergency services arrive, and vanishes. (part 2) Over the years, Tony may start to notice strange things happening around him that prevent him from being hurt in accidents.

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Everybody adores Tony. That means everybody wants Tony Time he and Nat watch ocean documentaries, cuddling. Steve and he draw together, Tony blue prints, Steve, usually another teammate. He bakes with Clint, science time w/ Bruce, falling asleep on Thor as he tells stories about the stars. There is always some sort of cuddling involved with Tony Time (Tony loves it) and Bucky gets the least and is grumpy about it cuz he loves Tony and wants to hold him all the time and Tony is oblivious of this.

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Imagine Bucky being the only one on the team able to handle things to Tony. Maybe the team (or pepper) realize before Tony, and Bucky not understanding why it's a big deal (or on the contrary Bucky being really proud and happy, he is the only one).... Yeah anything about Tony trusting Bucky to handle him things... Thanks!!! You guys are doing an amazing job and all your fics and drawings are beautiful!

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My last Prompt of 2015 goes to you lovelies! Bucky is tired of his dads (the howlies), Steve, Natasha, Sam& even Clint! giving him grief over being single every effing holiday. (They just want him to be happy, but damn.) This weekend is the annual 4th of July get away to the family cabin. Well this year he's bringing his fiance! Okay fake-fiance. Tony the sexy mechanic, he flirts with on the way to work. Only he hasn't exactly asked Tony yet.. Oops! Thank you for all the lovely fics this year!

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Can you do one where Tony is sent back in time and falls in love with Bucky and when he comes back to the present he falls in love with James ( the name Bucky prefers to go by after regaining his memories) as well?

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Tony takes his baby daughter to an art gallery (at the insistence of Pepper), and Bucky is there to support Steve. In front of an ambiguous piece of modern art, the baby points to a splotch in the painting and deems it "poo." Unfortunately this gets Tony into a bit of fuss with the artist, and that's when Bucky decides to help the gorgeous man he's been eyeing all night instead of the art.

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Tony and Bucky got together but maybe it was at a bad time, where one or both of them are emotionally or perhaps physically vulnerable, so it's mostly arguments and they break it off but after a couple of years of angst and avoidance, they decide to try again

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Imagine medieval au where King/Prince Tony and King/Prince Steve are arranged to be married but Tony fell for Steve's royal knight and best friend Bucky instead (despite them arguing a lot)

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Maybe Avengers using pick up lines on Tony or Bucky for Bucky or Tony?

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Avengers being mean shits and flirting with Tony just to make Bucky jealous, cause they are so done with his pinning.

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Tony is acting just fine ang happy, but then something triggers him, so he runs to the lab. A little bit latter JARVIS ask Bucky to go to the lab. When he gets down there he find Tony in the middle of a panic attack. Fluff angst ensues.

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Imagine Tony being totally annoyed with having to help with the whole de-program Bucky shit. Really he just sits there and reads a Russian dictionary out loud and looks if Barnes reacts ... well Tony is annoyed until he finds the one phrase a young HYDRA recruit planted in the Winter Soldier programming for shit and giggles, the one that no one at HYDRA ever found out about, the one phrase Bucky has no bad memories of - the instand-orgasm-phrase! …lol

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Imagine prince Anthony is betrothed to somebody that he has never met and he does not want to marry so he runs away you can have this go anyway that you want

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Prompt: Bucky has a talent for making good coffee. Amazing coffee, really. Tony, as everyone knows, has a coffee problem. (And if that makes for a great excuse to spend more time with Bucky, well...) (Basically, fluffy coffee-themed shenanigans? Please?)

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Bucky works at an animal shelter, tony finds a stray dog and they hit it off during the check up so tony actively seeks dogs around the city's streets in order to bring them to him to spend more time with him

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Prompt: Winter Soldier goes to kill the Starks, but (Hydra) Tony is with them. "Mission compromised. Report to handler Stark for punishment".

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Bucky and Tony start a relationship post cacw. Tony doesn't tell Bucky that he and Steve had a relationship because he is afraid he will be like Steve and choose everyone over him

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Post civil war Tony no longer trusts the team. He pretends like everything is normal only trusting Bucky even more so than he did the team before. The team realises how bad they fucked up and they can't fix it.

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Oh man I'm so pumped prompts are open again okay so I've been dying for a Mr and Mrs Smith au with these two! But instead of two organizations its Iron Man doing his own thing vs Hydra (who Bucky thought was doing the right thing) ft Avengers trying to bring them both in (on the team or to jail no one is sure). Thanks!

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"The Last of Us" AU, where someone (Tony or anyone else) is immune to the cordyceps infection and the other person(s) tasked with the job of taking them to wherever they're going to create a cure.

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P1 Can you Write one about Tony who is blind from birth (Whether the team knows or if its a quiet afair is yours) but still manage to fall in love with Bucky voice and Bucky doesn't understand why Tony never see him but gets a gloom face when he talk P2 when in reallity thas's Tony's face of trying not to show how that voice makes him feel Thank you Btw your blog is amazin & there isn't enough words to say how much we love you! & how we wait for 11am to read all of you or how many times we read u

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Can we get a sequel to the prompt where Tony is sneaking around so Bucky follows him and finds that he volunteers to work with kids (sciencing). Maybe where they do adopt Bruce after their heart to heart.

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Hello, how about young (18-19) Tony being Ironman and an avenger and lots of UST between Tony and Bucky. And the team finds out that Tony has been trained as a spy and that he sometimes works for SHIELD. Cue badass Tony and worried/protective Bucky.

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#winteriron #tony x bucky #tony stark #bucky barnes #unanswered prompts #Anonymous

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toldnews-blog · 6 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/world/africa/sudan-dispatch-bullets-tear-gas-and-love-romance-blooms-in-the-midst-of-sudan-protests/

Sudan dispatch: Bullets, Tear Gas and Love: Romance Blooms in the Midst of Sudan Protests

The minivan sped along the Nile, weaving through the evening traffic. The bride sat up front in a pink dress, a sparkling purse on her lap and her feet swaddled in bandages.

The bride, Samar Alnour, was shot twice last month during the tumultuous uprising that toppled Sudan’s longtime dictator, Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Now she was on her way back to the protest site, to marry the man who saved her.

Muntassir Altigani, 30, a construction worker, had rushed to Ms. Alnour’s aid as she lay bleeding in the street. Bullets whizzed around them. Like her, he had joined the revolt as a howl against the misrule of Mr. al-Bashir. In the weeks that followed, they fell in love.

“I thought she was very courageous,” he said.

But the revolution is not over.

The minivan halted on the edge of the protest site where thousands are still camped out at the gates of Sudan’s military headquarters, demanding a transition to full civilian rule. Ms. Alnour, an unemployed 28-year-old college graduate, hitched up her dress as she sat into a wheelchair and joined them.

An uncle pushed her deep into the heaving crowd — past the pop-up cafes with lounging soldiers and flirting couples; past the street poets and speakers, declaiming their dreams for Sudan; and past the dreadlocked musician playing Bob Marley covers.

Trailed by a cheering crowd, she stopped at the spot where she had been shot.

All her life, she said, she had known only Mr. al-Bashir’s Sudan: a cheerless place where corruption thwarted her effort to get a government job. Now a new country — or at least the promise of one — beckoned.

“Before we did not celebrate,” she said. “You couldn’t express yourself, or speak out. Now we feel free.”

Revolutionary Sudan has become the site of extraordinary scenes. After decades of airless, joyless rule under Mr. al-Bashir, a wave of exuberance has rippled across the capital, Khartoum, where young Sudanese are reveling in newfound freedoms — to talk politics, to party and even to find love.

The epicenter of these changes is the protest area at the gates of the military headquarters. Women in jeans move about without fear of harassment from the hated public order police, whose patrols have vanished from the streets. Couples mingle easily, some holding hands.

Day and night, teenage boys beat stones against the sides of a railway bridge, in a steady rhythm that has become a kind of heartbeat of the revolution.

Down by the Nile, young people relax on plastic chairs on the grass, sucking on water pipes that were banned by Mr. al-Bashir.

Closer to the water, men swig openly from bottles of araqi — date wine whose consumption is punishable by 40 lashes under Sudan’s Shariah law.

A sweet odor of hashish hangs in the air. Uniformed soldiers, who have vowed to protect the revolutionaries, are among the revelers.

Mr. al-Bashir’s Islamist rule had made Sudan, already a conservative society, unaccustomed to such scenes. A backlash is possible. Yet change is reverberating far beyond the protest area.

One night a young woman in tight jeans rode on the back of a motorbike in southern Khartoum, her hair flowing — a once unthinkable sight, likely to invite arrest.

Now, men in a passing car tooted their horn and made thumbs-up signs. The woman smiled and flashed a victory sign.

“The changes were shocking at first,” said Zuhayra Mohamed, 28, a project manager who defied her parents to participate in the protests. “It’s as if the regime had its arms around our necks for so long, and now there’s something so beautiful.”

But while the old Sudan may be out of sight, it has not gone away.

On a recent morning, dozens of uniformed public order police sat drinking tea under a cluster of trees outside their brightly painted Khartoum headquarters, near the confluence of the Blue Nile and White Nile. They were awaiting orders, a commander said.

And as the protesters celebrated last week, Amer Yousif was being lashed.

The 35-year-old driver had been caught with a bottle of araqi in his pocket on a trip out to buy cigarettes. The next morning a judge sentenced him to 50 lashes, including an extra 10 for aggravated circumstances.

The judge “seemed angered by the revolution,” said Mr. Yousif, lifting his shirt to show a welt on his back.

Another young couple, Mohamed Hamed and Nahed Elgizouli, also met during the protests, but it wasn’t bullets that brought them together but a cloud of tear gas.

Mr. Hamed, a 31-year-old engineer, collapsed onto his knees in downtown Khartoum, his lungs filled with the gas. Ms. Elgizouli ran up to him and rinsed his face with Coca-Cola.

They got to know each other over the following months — congregating at protest sites, sprinting away from armed regime thugs and protesting the death of a mutual friend in detention.

“They beat him to death,” said Ms. Elgizouli, 26, who works for an organization that promotes reproductive health.

Both had fallen afoul of the dreaded public order police before the revolution. Ms. Elgizouli was detained last year as she returned with male friends from a camping trip in the desert. Mr. Hamed was punished with 40 lashes in 2016 for being drunk.

It wasn’t so bad, he said. He bribed the flogger to go easy on him.

Economic collapse didn’t hurt them as badly as it did poorer Sudanese, but they hated the way the Bashir government robbed them of opportunity, and provided regular reminders of their country’s humiliating isolation.

In Sudan, American sanctions mean that Netflix, Spotify and many other internet services are blocked, credit cards don’t work and international franchises are absent. One popular coffee shop in Khartoum is called Starbox, with a version of the Starbucks black-and-green logo.

They watched friends move abroad to make a better life.

“Sudan was like a hell,” Ms. Elgizouli said. “No hope, no freedom, no jokes.”

The couple’s friendship turned to romance during the final push against Mr. al-Bashir in early April. They lay on the ground together as gunfire erupted outside the military compound, and rejoiced when the dictator fell.

Now they hold hands freely as they pass through the crowd. “This is the new Sudan, the one we dreamed of,” Ms. Elgizouli said.

The differences of religion and ethnicity that Mr. al-Bashir exploited to cement his authority are being blurred or erased. A train packed with jubilant revolutionaries arrived from Atbara, 175 miles to the north, last week. On Tuesday a cavalcade arrived from distant Darfur.

“People feel more at peace with each other,” said Ms. Mohamed, the engineer. “There’s a sense of unity.”

Sudan’s new freedoms are fragile, and whether they can endure is unclear. Power-sharing talks between protest leaders and the military, now in their fourth week, have become tense in recent days. Outside the protest bubble, supporters of the old government are waiting and watching.

Some say the struggle has just begun. “It’s like you’re in a dark place and you can see a small light,” Ms. Elgizouli said. “We have a long road to freedom.”

#africa news 24 7 eoh #africa news burundi #africa news dw #africa news site #african news hub #south africa news h&m

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savetopnow · 7 years ago

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2018-04-06 06 CELEBRITY now

CELEBRITY

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Silence Rumors About Their Split

Real Housewives' Cynthia Bailey Undergoes Surgery to Remove Lipoma Tumor

Ayesha Curry Details Difficult Pregnancy, Including ''5 Hospital Stays''

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Brian Lancaster Dead: MTV Road Rules Star Was 43

Hollywood Life

Is The Big Show Going To WrestleMania 34? ‘Anything’s On The Table’

Chrissy Teigen, Anna Kendrick & More Celebs Freak As 5.3 Earthquake Hits LA: ‘I’m Gonna Be Dizzy’

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Brad Pitt Rumored To Be ‘Spending Time’ With Gorgeous MIT Professor: Moving On From Angelina?

Conor McGregor & Crew Smash Bus Window In Wild 25-Man Brawl With Other UFC Contenders

Media Take Out

Desiigner Caught Taking A PIZZ On Someone’s House!! (PICS)

Comedian Sinbad Appears To Be SNITCHING On Russell Simmons . . . Says ‘MORE WOMEN’ Are Gonna Come Out With RAPE Claims!!!

Shirley Strawberry From Teh STEVE HARVEY RADIO SHOW . . . Is Being Sued . . . For Being a ‘DEADBEAT’!!

People

Mom of Toddler Who Is Allergic to Water Says Her Condition Is 'Getting Worse'

Everything We Know About Carrie Underwood's Accident, Recovery — and What's Next

Everything to Know About the Religious 'Cult' That Took Over a Tiny Oregon Town Decades Ago

Vicki Gunvalson Says Daughter Briana Culberson 'Is at Home Resting' Following Hospitalization

‘White Girls Only’ Club: How Meghan Fought Racism as a Young Girl in L.A.

Perez Hilton

Instagram Fitness Model & Her Ex-Boyfriend Charged With MDMA Trafficking!

Lamar Odom Is Getting Into The Cannabis Business After Weed Helped Him In His Recovery!

Watch JAY-Z Explain Why Donald Trump's Presidency Is 'A Great Thing'!

Nick Gordon's Domestic Violence Charges Dropped — His GF Now Says He Didn't Beat Her!

Ahh! See The First Pic Of Meryl Streep On The Big Little Lies Set HERE!!

Popsugar

Prince William and Kate Middleton's Third Child Has a Royal Title, but There's a Catch

Awww! This Sweet Photo of Saint and Chicago West Will Turn Your Heart to Mush

Mark Wahlberg Shares a Shirtless Easter Message For Fans, and Our Eggs Are Cracking

Former Disney Star Alyson Stoner Pens Heartfelt Essay About Her Sexuality: "Dare to Be Yourself"

Eggs, Bunnies, and Chocolate! Here's How Your Favorite Stars Celebrated Easter This Year

Reddit Entertainment

How Bill O’Reilly Silenced His Accusers: Settlement agreements between Bill O’Reilly and two of his accusers — made public for the first time on Wednesday — filled in previously unknown details about tactics he employed to silence women who came forward with sexual harassment allegations against him

The Worst TV Shows of the 1990s

2017 Movies That Already Have Sequels in the Works

Alex Garland’s "Annihilation" Achieves Two Outcomes That All Artists Should Strive For.

NBC says Seinfeld and Friends revivals will never happen, but door's open for The West Wing

TMZ

UFC's Felice Herrig: Conor McGregor 'Put Our Lives in Danger, F**k You!'

JWoww Says Sex Doll Will Make Sammi Wish She'd Been at 'Jersey Shore' Reunion

Ice Cube and BIG3 Sue Qatari Investors for $1 Billion!!!

Dana White Says Warrant Issued for Conor McGregor's Arrest After Bus Attack

Steve Wynn Sues Lisa Bloom for Defamation

The Shade Room

Issa #BaeWatch! R. Kelly’s Ex-Boo Halle Calhoun Confirms She’s Now Dating Rapper Rocko

#HoldUpWeAintFinished!! Black Panther Will Be The First Film Shown In Saudi Arabia—Breaking The Country’s 35-Year Movie Theater Ban

#TSRUpdatez: CDC Epidemiologist Who Vanished After Leaving Work When He Got Sick Found Dead In The Chattahoochee River

Baltimore Student Accepted Into All 8 Ivy League Schools: “I Just Felt Extraordinary!”

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Us Weekly

Cindy Crawford Is Bare-Faced and Beautiful at 52

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#celebrity

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idombledore · 5 years ago

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Natural Selection

It was July 2003 and a second-year Harvard student called Mark Zuckerberg had been playing around with a pet project. He had no commercial aspirations for it. It was just fun to code. It was a "hot or not" photo comparison site. He called it FaceMash and his friends loved it. Then it found its way onto the main Harvard servers and Zuckerberg’s education as a young entrepreneur began. Facemash showed how an idea can go wrong, how an idea can be snuffed out, not because people don't like it. They did. Its first four hours online attracted 450 students and 22,000 photo views. Facemash was snuffed out due to rules. It was deemed inappropriate by the Harvard administration. As the Harvard Crimson reported in November 2003, “The charges against you are for security, copyright and privacy violations and you're staring down the barrel of expulsion from Harvard.” There was also an angry backlash from women, in particular, not least the Association of Harvard Black Women. The charges were subsequently dropped but the experience taught him that an idea is just the start. Although Facemash wasn't a startup per se, if it had been, the regulatory issues and the backlash from women would have strangled it at birth. The idea that it generated, Facebook, would need to overcome significant obstacles, regulatory, financial, staffing, competition and so much more. Survival of the fittest didn't just apply to biological life. It applied to startups too. Zuckerberg and Facebook went on to achieve great things but why do nine out of ten startups fail? You have solid ideas. You know your markets. You know your ideas can make money. So what happened to your vision? Neil Patel offers an insider's insight into what happens in his article, 90% Of Startups Fail: Here's What You Need To Know About The 10%. Patel summarises that, if a startup is already attracting a lot of customers like Facemash, you don't really need a business plan until you go out and get funding. Otherwise, it's vital. Planning from the start is among the key reasons your startup company will fail early. Planning sets the scene on your entire vision. Know your market universe. Know your strategy. Bill Gross of IdeaLab also wanted to know why so many companies fail. He looked into some of his own successes and disappointments at IdeaLab and some of the where-are-they-now companies of recent times and he discovered something he didn’t expect. Your timing, when you launch, at 42%, was by far the most important factor between a project that succeeded and one that didn't. "Your timing is vital," said Gross. "Are you too early? Do you need to educate the market first? Or are you bang on time? Airbnb launched at the height of the recession when people found it really useful to rent a room or two out and draw in a little extra money. Or are you too late, there are already too many competitors?" Second in the list was your team at 32%. Your people. The people who make the whole thing tick, their adaptability, the all-important customer experience. Gross says a company has to be prepared to be shouted at by unhappy customers. Things will go wrong. It's how a company reacts that defines the company. Gross quotes Mike Tyson, former world heavyweight boxing champion. "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” The uniqueness of the idea came in 3rd at 28%. Gross said he wasn't surprised by Business Planning (24%) and Funding (14%) if a startup already has some traction. If your customers are demanding what you're producing, you can develop a plan later and intense funding can easily follow. If you've got no market traction yet, like the vast majority of startups, The Business Planning and Funding pieces are vital to your survival. Your business plan will tell an investor if you and your idea are up to it, but more importantly, it will tell YOU if you're up to it. "It's at this point," says Gross, that "...sensible people see a bad idea play out on the page and just leave it alone right there." In three years time, what are your startup's projected sales? How much do you need to spend to get those sales? How many people will you need to employ and train, how much server space? What are the costs of giving away the free version before you monetise it? "You will find there's a lot more than you thought," says Gross. Out of your business plan will emerge a map. Suddenly there's a real business opportunity. Your business plan covers it all, revenue models, ad campaigns and how to design a seamless customer experience. And how to time it all to hit the market at the right time. It will tell an investor two things: 1. You can run a fifty-million dollar company. 2. Your startup will give them a Return on Investment (ROI) they can work with. So, now you're funded, you take a moment to enjoy the feeling. You give someone a hug. Can this be your dreams coming true? You're dizzy with the buzz it gives you. As Chris Herd writes on Hackernoon, "Welcome to the most exciting time in your life." Now it's time for you to crank up the engines. You do all the things you said you would in the business plan. There are deadlines, people to find, marketing agencies to meet, prices to negotiate. Neil Patel says, “It's now time to focus harder than ever. Ideas spring up everywhere but, unless it's a free energy idea or London to Sydney in six minutes, do not bother your current strategy with it. Focus. Keep your eye on the ball. You've still got so many more obstacles to come.” Before long, your idea will be copied. Products will hit the market that are cheaper than yours, maybe have a few nice ideas yours doesn't. It's inevitable. That’s why you chose the blitzkrieg option, saturate, colonise and cling on to your market share with all you've got. The nice ideas on those other sites? You were first to market. You're the market leader. Build them into your future releases. You were the first, so set yourself as the first right from the start. Keep improving it, keep inventing, keep creating new products with your brand all over them. There is another factor that so many entrepreneurs ignore or simply don't believe is important. And it's the fundamental essence of 'survival of the fittest'. If you invent a machine that can produce free energy, what are the big power companies going to do? Insist quite strongly you sell it all to them? Tie you up in lawsuits till you lose the will to live? It doesn't matter if it's the biggest energy company in the world or a company just a bit bigger than you. If they lose market share, they'll want you stopped. Life was just fine before you came along. Patel says, "This is the stage where your whole vision can be torn up and stamped on and this is the stage where it's most damaging. This is where all that hard work can vanish down the plughole overnight." Your competition is fighting for its survival. You're under attack. That photo of you on Facebook doing something nefarious, your less-than-exemplary school record. It all finds its way into the media and your brand suffers. When the co-founder of Facebook, Eduardo Saverin, underwent a week-long induction ritual at Harvard, he had to take a chicken with him everywhere he went, he couldn't imagine later being accused of animal cruelty but, eventually, the negative publicity was used as one of the reasons to write him out of Facebook. Zuckerberg had learnt well from his Facemash experience. This is survival of the fittest in its most corporate form. It's not fair, you say. It's all going so well. Everything is on-plan. You didn't do anything wrong. Or did you? You didn't see it coming but you should have. And where in the business plan did it mention anything was fair? Ever heard of a CDO? It's a Chief Defence Officer. In Sean Lyon's book, Corporate Defence and the Value Preservation Imperative, Lyons explains how to Bulletproof your Corporate Defences. "These problems are very real," he says. "If you haven't addressed it, you have a significant weakness." Your CDO needs to engage anti-hacking measures and have strategic contingencies in place for anything that comes after you. It could be industrial espionage, a negative PR campaign. The bigger you are, the nastier the things they say about you. You will even need to watch out for sabotage from within. Lyons says, "It's not paranoid. It happens. It's real. If you want your baby to get past childhood, realise what sort of world we're in and get ahead of it.” So why do nine out of ten startups fail? According to some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world, including Neil Patel and Bill Gross, it's bad planning, you took your eye off the ball and natural selection wasn't considered. Bill Gross said, "The startup is one of the greatest ways we've go to make the world a better place. If you take a group of people with the right equity incentives, and organise them in a startup, you can unlock human potential in a way never before possible. And to do that, you must miss nothing.” Mark Zuckerberg's human potential was unlocked with Facebook but Geoffrey James, writing for Inc.com had one more word of advice for all the future Mark Zuckerbergs out there. "There is one thing and one thing alone that every great entrepreneur absolutely must possess: Courage. When all's said and done, you can plan and strive and do all you can but if you don't also have the pig-headed courage of an entrepreneur, you won't be an entrepreneur." If Mark Zuckerberg had had a business plan for Facemash in 2003, he would have learned about woes about to befall him. Whether he would have done anything differently, only he can say.

#business startups #startup #reasons startups fail #zuckerberg #facebook #facemash #bill gross

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