#ruben ew

[dietcolqz]

Ruben and Larry are usually never on good terms. Why? Well I don’t know why, but I might have a feeling that it has to do with bing. Anyone that tends to interfere with Bing and Larry’s life, he instantly doesn’t like them. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

(Eddsworld X Danganronpa au stuff, Oc belongs to my friend and I !! <3)

Larry - Ultimate Assistant

Ruben - Ultimate Connoisseur 

[featheredomen]

The Evil Within Chapter 8: A Planted Seed Will Grow

[i-like-books-and-women]

Okay so my newest brain worm is kinda based around how after Zach comes out to Jon and Angel and they're like "omg bro thank you for telling us we love you" pretty much instantly Angel looks back between Zach and Ruben once or twice and is like "Shut the fuck up you're dating" and they're like "I mean like we haven't really talked about that but like-" and Angel essentially goes "Ooh friends with benefits? Based." And I kinda forgot how perceptive he is at times so I think it'd be really funny if he just straight up missed a lot of subtext but can clock any romantic/sexual developments/activities in any of them pretty much instantly. If Jon started dating someone he knew the next time he saw him without being told. He knew Zach and Ruben were gonna get engaged before it had even happened and sent them a congratulations text like the day after despite not being told, not seeing them in person for a hot second, and the fact that they didn't live together anymore.

[girltomboy]

I just watched Triangle of Sadness, a movie that's been on my watchlist for some time now, and while I was hesitant to click play on a 2.5 hour long movie, it was definitely worth it. It didn't feel long and excruciating, I didn't constantly check to see how much I have left of it. It's a gripping movie that honestly achieved what The Menu didn't even crawl close to: comedy, satire, a statement, a mirror.

The ending took me by surprise, I was pleased to discover that Ruben Östlund intended for it to be a puzzling cliffhanger, and even said himself that he doesn't know more about it. This playful approach to movies is rare but welcome, and it's quite refreshing to be able to analyze an ending in its entirety.

The big question about it seems to be whether or not Abigail ends up killing Yaya with the large stone after hugging her so genuinely moments before. I thought the parallel between the torturous killing of the female donkey and the rage-induced, cold blooded murder of Yaya would be quite clever. Some kind of a Cain vs. Abel moment, especially in the context of Abigail seeking Carl for herself. Returning to life as before would mean a loss of power and authority for Abigail; she would go back to her stable and secure life, but she would lose her entire "matriarchy", as Yaya had put it, that she quickly curated on the island. So it would somewhat make sense for her to wish to keep it, no?

Then there's (what would probably be) Yaya's last words. She proposes to Abigail that she work for her as an assistant, once they return. She speaks with her back turned, unaware of Abigail's intentions (or so we think - maybe she hears her footsteps? Maybe she senses Abigail's malice? The beauty is that we don't fucking know!). This could make Abigail hesitate, out of fear of Yaya turning around, or maybe out of gratitude. Why go back to being a toilet manager, when you can be the assistant of an influencer, go from a thankless job to an empty job? But Yaya utters this proposal with her back turned, we don't even see her mouth moving. So perhaps these words are only in Abigail's head. Perhaps she's trying to fuel her rage so she can drop the large rock on Yaya's head. Or perhaps she's trying to mentally talk herself out of it from Yaya's perspective. Either way, her expression makes it clear that she is about to make a life-changing decision.

The last shot of the movie shows Carl running through the island in a bloody and sweaty frenzy, at dusk. He is running towards the other side of the island, making it clear that the girls have not returned - or not both of them, at least. I read an interpretation that said he was running for his masculinity, I think that's a reductive take. Men are always expecting other people (mainly women) to bring them their masculinity on a tray, and when they're not satisfied with it, they spit it out and say "not like that", blaming the other for it, of course. Anyway, I thought that was a pretty sad projection, but it's welcome nevertheless because it's a fictional creation with an open ending.

Overall, I think this movie is a pertinent commentary on the futility of wealth, class differences and the ridiculousness of rich people. On the yacht, Abigail was a toilet manager. On the island, she was the captain, and made sure to let everybody know. Her skills were valuable to everyone both on the yacht and on the island, whereas the wealth of the customers was only meaningful on the yacht, where it was merely symbolic - a symbol of what they were allowed to say and do: order the staff around with ridiculous requests - power and authority. Not taking no for an answer, even being offended at the sound of a No. Ultimately, the abuse of power and authority leaked, and lead to a reversal of roles in terms of class, manipulation, cowardice, death.

What I also loved about it was that, despite being an open-ended movie, it left no room to question anything but the ending. Everything is pretty much pieced together and there was no scene that was pointless or useless. Every detail holds a message, which made me eager to check out Ruben Östlund's other creations, and VERY excited for his upcoming project.

[anaitm0]

it couple - ruben dias

pairing: ruben dias x reader

summary: ruben dias and reader being a famous couple brings a lot of good as it does bad..

A/N: this is kinda shi but i hope you guys enjoy it

none of these photos are mine :)

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youruser

liked by rubendias, joaofelix, jackgrealish, and 109,473 others

youruser: days like these 🫶🏽

tagged @rubendias

view 278 comments

rubendias: miss you

↪️youruser: i miss you too

user647: fine ass couple 🙁

↪️user958: fr man i want both

jackgrealish: ew

↪️youruser: ew

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rubendias

liked by ricolewis, erlinghaaland and 683,584 others

rubendias: beach day with @youruser 🩷

view 1938 comments

youruser: 🥹💕

↪️rubendias: 😘

erlinghaaland: lovely couple 👌🏻

↪️rubendias: thanks mate x

user153: rubens back muscles 😩

user627: i wanna be her

user637: ruben can do better 🤣

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youruser

liked by yourbestie, rubendias, dolcegabbana and 109,584 others

youruser: thank you dolce & gabbana for inviting me to this event 🖤

view 278 comments

rubendias: beautiful

↪️youruser: you

user123: MOTHERR

yourbestie: 😍

↪️youruser: ugh miss you

user989: face card is dangerous

user747: pretty af

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rubendias

liked by youruser, nathanake, joaofelix and 1,249,284 others

rubendias: feliz aniversário meu amor! i want you to know that i love you no matter what happens or what people say, have the best day ever <3

view 756 comments

youruser: ahh ilysm 🩷

user675: the cutest ever

nathanake: 🩵

user374: i hope yall y/n haters read that 👀

comment liked by creator

user158: ruben really called y’all out 💀

user647: 🤮🤮

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A/N: i really hope you guys liked it if you have any social media au ideas feel free to request 🫶🏾

[sseomtada]

being [ruben dias]

you finally learn the truth behind that night.

warnings: none | wc: 5565 | 3/???

“Umm, what are you wearing?” Aki lowered the bottles in her hand.

You cluelessly peered down at the clothes she’d literally seen you wearing earlier in the office. It took a while for your mind to construct the meaning of her slight chastise. Slacks and a button down was certainly not the appropriate attire for the occasion.

“Right! Shit…” You sprang into action, letting her in.

She made herself comfortable in your loft, beelining to the kitchen while you got prepared to join her in the long overdue ritual.

Some time had passed since the launch party at Nike. You’d been so busy with chasing up the next project on the agenda that your tradition had sadly slipped through the cracks. Luckily, your best friend was there to always remind you of the important stuff.

After sprinting through a shower, you slipped into a silk romper and joined her out in the living room. Her ability to whip up a master charcuterie board was out of this world. When did you even buy honey and feta?

“Early 2000s or something new?” Aki pondered as she scrolled through streaming options.

“I’m feeling modern tonight.” You replied around a cheese topped cracker.

She agreed, filtering for options within the last year. While the opening credits ran, you emptied the first bottle of wine she brought between your two glasses. That earned you a look of surprise to which you responded with a cheeky one of your own.

While you were on the more conservative side of alcohol consumption these days, you liked to let loose every now and then. What was the use of working so hard if you didn't blow off steam by getting a bit tipsy with your favorite girl?

Halfway through your glass, you started to wonder whether or not you’d made a mistake. Not on the wine, that was top tier, but the era of movie you chose. Film companies just didn’t put their soul into producing quality rom-coms like they used to.

You chugged the remainder of your Bordeaux and went in for seconds. Maybe fast tracking the intoxication would make this dry ass movie more palatable. Aki followed suit, hissing dramatically at the burn of her massive mouthful going down.

About five, or fifteen minutes passed - you honestly didn’t know now given your warped senses - before you turned to her with a grimace. She was already looking at you with an expression that made you burst into laughter.

“This movie fuckin’ sucks.” You gasped.

“I know!” Aki struggled to breathe. “I’m so sorry for picking it!”

Instead of torturing yourselves with the remainder of it, you decided to place a bet on what the ending would be. It was obvious that they’d end up together given the tone of the movie so far, but how they would get there was up for debate.

Ultimately, one Wikipedia page scan later, her guess was closer to being correct than yours.

“Okay…how about we do a drunk capsule now?” Aki dared you with her eyes.

It was an offer you couldn’t refuse, especially due to your current state. In these traditional events, nothing was off limits and everything was confined to the safety of the moment. To put it plainly, whatever either of you said couldn’t be held against you once you’d sobered up.

“Go on, I know you’ve been waiting for this forever.” You rolled your eyes playfully.

She clapped giddily, shuffling until her knees touched yours.

“Starting off a bit strong, but,” Her bottom lip reduced between her teeth. “Why haven’t you dated anyone since. You know.”

You blew a raspberry. “I-I have been on dates.”

“How many in the last year? Or two?” Aki hiccuped. “Come on, you’re still young and sexy! You should be getting pounded religiously!"

“Ew!” You slapped her leg. “Things have been really hectic with the company, you know that. I’ve barely had time to have a proper chat with my mom much less date a guy.”

That was the God’s honest truth. It was arguably a bigger task than you realistically could’ve handled, deciding to open a new branch of Bana.

The risk had to be taken, though. If you sat there trying to rationalize it through figures and statistics, you never would’ve committed to this next step that already was paying its weight in gold.

You also really needed to carve out time to call back home for more than just a quick hello.

Aki was the only other person who knew just how time consuming all of this was, so she accepted your response - albeit with an emphasized pout.

“We spoke,” She ran a finger along the rim of her wineglass. “Ruben and I.”

Your head reared back as you screwed your eyes shut. That information wasn’t too surprising considering that when you left, they both remained at the party. Still, it hit you with rather powerful force.

Trying to picture that conversation pulled your mind in several directions. Aki was a different person than you in many ways, her methods of communicating being one of them. She was far more straightforward than you were and was never the type to do a long song or dance before getting to the point.

The situation she had with him was rather complicated, though. She was collateral damage in his severance from you. His parting message to her was just as curt and painful as the one he’d sent you - with an added layer of which you now realized was the audacity he always had. 

We can’t be friends anymore. Take care of her.

Going through something like that could create deviations in anyone’s behavior. You wouldn’t hold it against her if she found herself too flustered to articulate herself properly. Especially if he’d displayed the same attitude to her that was directed towards you.

“How are you holding up?” It was embarrassing to admit that this was the first time you’d really checked in with her regarding the entire situation.

She sighed deeply and then nodded. “I’m okay, said what I needed to.”

o passado

aki

Her eyes had been on you since that giant blond man had made his way over.

Not exactly the type she’d seen you fawn over, but there was a first time for everything, right? Besides, it didn’t hurt that he was clearly acquainted with Ruben - whose gaze was glued to you and the guy like his life depended on it. Maybe it would hit him where it hurts.

She prayed it did.

“And that was basically how I figured out I was a genius!” The long winded man she was conversing with finally wrapped up his story - full cackle to boot.

“That’s amazing!” Aki matched his energy, going as far as to throw her head back for good measure.

“Was that your CEO you were sitting with - the one in the white?” His tone immediately had her eyes narrowing.

Your dress was cream, but he was a man so she’d let it slide.

While his appearance was more towards your usual taste, there was no way she’d let him near you. Not with his clearly inflated sense of importance and clear habit of never letting anyone else speak for more than ten seconds without interruption.

“Yep, that’s her.” Aki nodded proudly. It was always nice to tell people that her best friend ran a company.

“Is she single? I’m sorry that might be a bit forward, but I’m sure you’ve noticed how stunning she is.” He chuckled awkwardly.

“She…is.” The smart retort part of her brain clicked off when her gaze drifted to find you talking to Ruben.

Whatever thirsty homeboy was droning on about fell yet again on deaf ears as she watched your interaction with shallow breaths. It was the first time she’d seen him in years, stirring up strange emotions to say the least.

When he’d messaged her that night, her heart broke and sank all the way to her toes. Only a fraction of a moment passed as she tried to rationalize why she’d so suddenly lost the person who was like the brother she always wanted. Her mind almost immediately went to you.

Take care of her.

Fuck, those words still filled her with rage to this day. He knew just how deeply you were in love with him and he didn’t even have the decency to say that shit to your face, or give you a reason. He knew how badly it would break you. Yet, he did it anyway.

Aki would never forget the way every bone in your body shook as she held you. She’d never get over how the heartache ate you from the inside out, watching you turn into a hollow shell of the vibrant girl you used to be.

But more importantly, she wouldn’t ever forget watching you pick yourself back up. Piece by piece, you took shape. Watching you find and love yourself after what he put you through was the proudest she felt in your friendship.

And here he was again.

She thought she’d seen a ghost when you showed up soaking wet and in tears on her doorstep a few weeks ago. It wasn’t a question in her mind as to why you were that torn up suddenly because there was only ever one person that could do that to you.

What did Ruben want? So much time had passed, did he think that was an excuse of some sort to suddenly start popping up like a whack-a-mole? She would’t stand by idly and let him create chaos the way he once did.

Aki watched him as he watched you making your way to the exit, his expression forlorn. It twisted her insides like they were filed with bile instead of bubbly. She excused herself from Mr. Know It All and shot straight to her target.

“Ruben.”

He spun around, eyes widening. “Aki…”

“Look, I’m not interested in the past and I’m definitely not here for any kind of apology.” She breathed. “I just wanna know what you’re doing, Ruben?”

His brows pushed together, “I was just having a conversation, Akenna.”

“Don’t do that.” Her jaw ticked.

He didn’t have the right to say her full name like he used to in jest anymore. They weren’t good friends, they weren’t anything to one another as things stood - all by his doing.

“And don’t play dumb.” Aki scoffed, anger rising by the second. “You weren’t there to see the fall out. No, you were living it up as the nation’s new hot shot and embracing all that came with it. You fucking,” She pressed her nails into her palm to steady herself. “You devastated her.”

Ruben flinched. Her words and the severity of it all finally seeming to click into place. She could see the thoughts swimming around his mind, imagining probably the worse case scenario that she bet wouldn’t even scratch the surface of reality. The air around the two hung heavy, as still as a day with no wind to sway the trees.

“I’m not trying to hurt Y/N, or you, again.” He eventually whispered.

That was rich, was she just supposed to take his word for it? Aki sized him up with scrutiny, wondering what position he thought he would get into with you both to repeat such a thing. Yet despite all her glaring, she still couldn't grasp his intentions.

Maybe deep down, she didn't want to.

In any case, by the looks of him, life had appeared to go unjustly in his favor despite his misdeeds. While that was an annoying observation, she chose to cling to the other side of it. She decided to celebrate that you were infinite miles away from the version of yourself he’d last seen.

A new form of yourself that she'd silently vowed to protect at all costs.

“Then whatever you trying to do, stop.” Aki warned. “She’s in a good place now, don’t ruin that.”

o presente

you

Whatever she was able to get off her chest seemed to provide her with relief.

That left you grinning. Heartbroken or not, Aki stuck to her guns. It made you promise silently to yourself that you’d adopt her stance. If you ever crossed paths with him again, though you should say when since it seemed all but inevitable in this city, you’d lay it all out on the table.

“So…have you tried Hinge?” Aki smiled sheepishly.

You exclaimed and pounced on her, smacking her with a sofa cushion as the light-hearted mood returned. She was surprisingly agile for someone so tipsy, narrowly dodging most of your blows with full bellied laughs.

I’m just doing your mom’s bidding - ah, watch the face!

The small brawl ended just as quickly as it started. Your tolerance was far below what it used to be, lethargy taking over your limbs. With a huff, you flopped onto the carpet. Aki raised your head to tuck a pillow beneath it before assuming a cozy position of her own.

“We’re gonna regret drinking this much tomorrow aren’t we?” You groaned, a hand running over your tummy.

“Nothing a good, hot cup of coffee can’t fix.” She yawned.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true.

Even after shaking the last of a double shot into your mouth, you were laced with regret. As much as you adored celebrating last night, you currently wished you could’ve slept it off a bit longer.

However, duty called. You had two meetings to knock out and needed to get through a morning brief about both of them.

“Wow, you guys look…” Cindy tried and failed to hide her shock.

“Don’t worry,” Aki pushed her sunglasses up to her hair. “I brought the emergency makeup kit.”

“Let’s just get through this quickly.” You grimaced, clutching at your blouse.

As Cindy walked you guys through all the research she compiled, you chugged down a liter of water to bring your insides back to life. On top of regretting taking wine to the head, you felt guilty about letting a bit loose while she was probably busy working.

Another mental note: give her additional vacation days.

Erling’s online presence was pretty standard for a public figure and athlete. His social media was tightly managed as well. That was obviously smart on his part, enough people in similar standing had sometimes irredeemable flubs by not thinking before posting.

The water was kicking in, leaving your mind devising the skeleton of a pitch. It might’ve been jumping the gun a bit since you still didn’t know their hopes for partnering with Bana.

You always liked to be prepared for anything though, especially when it came to working with busy clients like him. Quick thinking could easily be the difference between success and failure.

“Uh, guys.” Cindy tapped her phone. “You’re gonna need to get started on using that kit - Erling’s assistant just asked if you could meet him for lunch instead.”

Aki yelped, immediately rifling through her bag. You high sprinted to the bathroom to empty your bladder before rejoining the room. After a quick touch up to make you resemble the human species again, you gathered everything you needed.

Since the meeting had been moved up, it would clash with a virtual call you had with another potential client. Cindy volunteered to stay behind to cover given that she was the only one other than yourself with extensive marketing knowledge.

“Where are we headed for this lunch?” You slung your tote over your shoulder.

“City training grounds.” Cindy pulled a face. “Not the most glamorous, but I guess he’s staying on brand?”

Your mind immediately went there. Of course it did, it wouldn’t be normal if he didn’t make an appearance in your thoughts when hearing the location. What you were grateful for, though, was that there was no sinking feeling. No ache in your chest or pit in your stomach, just neutrality.

Aki looped her arm around your free one and tapped your bicep. “Let’s catch this fish.”

“Good luck!” Cindy waved as you exited.

Uncharacteristically, you were the one that had to be forcefully awoken and shoved into the shower this morning. That meant Aki drove you both to work, so you hopped into her passenger seat once more as she fired up the engine.

“What do they even eat there?” She pulled up the address on maps. “Baked chicken and sweet potatoes?”

You snorted loudly. “I don’t think they have a whole team of chefs just to make Instagram fitness bro meal preps.”

Aki made a noise of agreement and then got to daydreaming aloud about their potential offerings. Her imagination had your stomach growling. You hadn’t been able to even sniff the muffins in the cafe earlier without turning green in the face, but you were finally entering the phase of your belly signaling for sustenance.

Her phone rang with an unsaved number on her dashboard. You pulled a face at her suggesting that it could be one of the suitors she’d been seeing under the guise of getting to know the new city. She bit at you like a puppy before answering.

“Hi Akenna, this is Meredith from Dr. Johnson’s office. We’re just confirming your visit today at twelve thirty.” The voice sounded out.

Aki’s mouth dropped open as she looked over to you. “H-hi Meredith! I…”

You didn’t know she had a doctor’s visit scheduled and by the looks of it, she didn’t recall either. That was one hundred percent okay with you. Obviously, her health came before anything else. Your head nodded incessantly, urging her to confirm.

“I will be there.” The words sounded as if she’d dragged them from the bottom of a deep well.

“Cheers! We’ll see you soon.” Meredith disconnected the call.

“Is everything okay?” That was your main concern at the moment.

She groaned. “Yeah, it’s just time for a routine check up with the pussypractor.”

You let out a laugh. Being happy at her using that word to describe her gynecologist was far from your normal reaction, but you welcomed it in place of the fear you’d felt for a minute.

“I’m glad you’re taking care of your magic conch.” You relaxed back into your seat.

“Are you gonna be okay? I feel bad leaving you there all alone.” Aki pouted.

“I’ll be fine.” You shot her a grin. “I’m just going to complete the mission and get back ASAP.”

Whether or not she was convinced remained a mystery. That question was a double edged sword, but so was your answer. You weren’t going there with any intention beside getting your job done.

And feeding the beast in your belly.

Thankfully, the grounds weren’t too far away and traffic wasn’t as horrendous as usual. She turned her car into the security checkpoint that went by without a hitch since they’d been notified of your arrival beforehand.

“This is…weird.” Aki peered around after parking out front.

It was like deja vu. Seeing the turf, hearing the sprinklers in the distance - your senses were all lit up and connecting the dots to your past experiences in a similar environment.

“Yeah.” You refocused on the task at hand, opening the car door. “I’ll see you at home. Want me to bring over an ice pack?”

“I’ll probably already have beat you to it, smart ass.” Aki shook her head. “Text me when you’re back.”

The lady at the front greeted you brightly and let you know that Erling’s assistant would be out shortly. In the meantime, you busied yourselves with taking a look at the large pictures lining the walls. Where City clearly had the money, they also had the success. Image after image were filled with bright smiles, medals and trophies.

“Y/N, it’s so nice to finally meet you.” A young brunette woman appeared into your impromptu gallery viewing.

“Likewise.” You shook hands, extending a smile.

“Please, this way.” She directed you to follow her down a hallway.

Animated voices became louder the further you walked and the smell of rich flavors filled your nose. Whatever was being cooked was so far from barely seasoned cutlets and bland potatoes. Your stride hitched at the sound of one particularly loud laugh.

Right. It must be lunch break for the entire squad.

Just as your ears started to ring, unwanted sensations deciding to make their return, she pivoted off to the left to deviate your path from the cafeteria. You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding just as your eyes looked back to catch Ruben’s - wide and confused, watching you disappear around the bend.

Coming somewhat prepared worked well in your favor.

Erling had a rough idea of what he wanted to do, but first asked your opinion about the direction you would suggest. Given the current era socially and culturally, coupled with the timeline of his playing career being almost predefined, you focused on building a diverse brand that spoke to longevity.

Football itself was such a vast world with many paths. You constructed a plan in front of him that held his passion at the center surrounded by interest that could tie back into it. If he wanted to expand his humanitarian efforts, a foundation was always the best bet - donating to boys and girls sporting programs, hosting summer camps, auctioning iconic jerseys for a cause.

Partnerships were the biggest way to expand image wise. Of course, there were the well known luxury brands that would die to have him as their ambassadors. If he wanted to hone in on a relatable image, he could partner with more affordable brands for an athletic line.

You wanted to show him that there was a world of possibility that was easily within his reach. All he had to do essentially was point the team at Bana in the direction he wanted to do and you would get it done.

Erling was extremely pleased with what you pitched to him. His assistant took notes for him to go over later in order to single out where he wanted to start, and get back to you guys with contract details. You were left buzzing with pride and very full with the most delicious chicken salad you ever had.

“I’m excited to see where this partnership takes us.” He beamed as he walked you back to the entrance.

“We intend to take you as far as you want to go.” You promised.

Him and his assistant headed out to his next appointment after you said your goodbyes. There wasn’t anything else on the agenda for the day now with both that meeting and the virtual one at the office being done.

You figured you might as well head home to check on Aki. Also, turning in early for a good night’s rest would be the best thing you could do for your body.

You requested a ride back to your place and hoped the wait would be less than 10 minutes. The confirmation came back to show that the driver was just under that, which nearly made you roll your eyes. Instead, you decided to be grateful and message Cindy to see how her call went.

“Are you going to wait eight minutes for Jeremy to pick you up?”

Your head craned to spot Ruben peering at your phone over your shoulder. Though there was nothing to hide, as well as him already seeing what was on your screen, you tucked the device into your chest and spun around.

“Obviously.” You cleared your throat.

“Why would you do that?” His gaze was scrutinizing.

“It’s what one does when they left their car at home and require a lift.” The hand holding your phone tilted it back slightly - six minutes.

“Come with me.” Ruben boldly suggested.

The laugh that left you was incredulous, there was that fucking audacity again. Under what circumstance would you get into his car with him?

You were actually starting to wonder, seriously, without any offense, whether or not he was entirely there mentally. It was like he had no recollection of what he’d done to you.

Or worse, that he didn’t care.

“No.” Your eyes turned downwards again - four minutes.

“Let me take you home.” He reached out to take hold of your wrist.

There was a slight tremble to your mouth that you were quick to shut down by pinning your lips together. Those words shoved your mind through a wormhole back to all those warm nights in Amadora. Your backpack slung over his shoulder, his fingers laced through yours. Both of your laughs bouncing off concrete structure lined streets.

“Absolutely not.” You spoke weakly.

A step too late, you registered his movement. Your small lunge was futile against his giant step back after he’d snatched the phone away from your unsuspecting grip. Getting onto your tippy toes was even more useless against his extended arm as he canceled your ride.

“Please, I owe you that.” Ruben handed it back to you. “And everything else you need to hear from me.”

Freedom of choice in this situation was an illusion. The opportunity to gain all the clarity you sought, all the answers to the questions that haunted you for years, landed in your lap without any effort on your end. Did the option of rebooking a ride share move the needle away from you wanting to know everything?

Not even an inch.

“Okay.” You conceded, motioning for him to lead the way.

Ruben walked you over to his jeep and opened the passenger door for you before you could even try. The gesture that once made you feel giddy did little to stir anything in you today. You fastened your seatbelt and placed your tote on your lap as he got in.

“Now would be a good time to,” He pointed at his console.

“Right…” You pulled up his gps to enter your address.

“Before you think something weird, just a warning that I’m leaving from the service exit.” His car spun in the opposite direction that you entered in. “Things get a bit crazy in the front with the fans and all.”

Wow, what a hero. You didn’t know whether or not to thank him for at least respecting your right to privacy, so you stayed silent and offered a nod.

The first few minutes of the ride stayed much like that - quiet. You wished he hadn’t turned off the music immediately as the car started. Whatever he listened to these days would’ve been miles better than the sound of his smooth engine running and the hissing of his tires on the lightly misted road.

“I’m sorry about the other night.” Ruben spoke alas. “It wasn’t my place to step in with a stupid suggestion like that.”

“No, it wasn’t.” At least you both agreed on that much.

He chuckled at your swift concur. “Everything went well with Erling then, I suppose.”

“You’re on a roll, Dias.” You said drily. “Two for two.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed, catching your attention from the corner of your eye. It was becoming apparent to him that this interaction wasn’t going to happen the way he imagined - whatever that may have been.

Did he expect you to be the same doe eyed girl you were seven years ago? Even without your shared history, that would’ve been an extremely naive ideal.

“Y/N…” Ruben tapped his steering wheel. “About that night…”

You dared to look at him for the first time during the ride. All over his face was the war he was fighting in his mind. As stupid and misplaced as it was, you actually felt a bit sorry for him. He had been a source of pain for you for so long, yet you still couldn’t stand to see him experiencing discomfort.

“Was it something I did, something I said?” Your biggest insecurity fell out uncontrollably. “Was it me?”

“No.” He interjected swiftly, almost angrily.

“What made you do it?” The question being posed directly to him after all this time didn’t offer you what you’d hoped.

You thought that if you had ever came to this moment, you would be on some sort of emotional pedestal. So far out of reach and so beyond what had transpired that no response he gave would have a great impact.

In actuality, it was completely the opposite. You didn’t feel elevated or safe out of reach from any negative outcome. Sitting beside him, getting swallowed up by his big leather seats, you felt small and vulnerable.

You were afraid.

“When I sent that message - those messages - it didn’t even feel like it was me.” Ruben appeared to be focused on the road ahead, but his eyes were distant. “I never felt like I truly deserved you. Sometimes when I looked at you, that feeling was overwhelming. I saw how much I meant to you, knew you’d do anything for me, maybe even give up everything for me…and I can admit it now that in those moments I was right about myself.”

He was really on a hot streak here. Three for three because you also felt like it wasn’t him speaking to you that night, or shutting off the lights on you. Four for four, actually. You would’ve done anything for him and yes, even given up everything if it meant you got to be with him.

The last part confused you though.

“Right about what?” You sought out comprehension.

“I didn’t deserve you.” Ruben provided it. “Because anyone who did wouldn’t have felt pressured by that. They would’ve stepped up even more and lived up to be the kind of person who was worthy of that kind of love. Instead, I was the type who was convinced that it was too much and ran away from it. I selfishly cut my emotions off and did what I did, not even considering the outcome.”

The fear you had was replaced with disappointment. You truthfully didn’t know what you expected his explanation to be. Maybe it wouldn’t have felt like this if he had said he started having feelings for someone else, or any other partially plausible explanation.

You guessed this was just as rational as all others in his mind, but you just couldn’t wrap your head around it. The guy you knew never showed any signs of wavering in confidence or expressed the slightest doubt that he was deserving to be deeply loved.

A part of you understood that everyone all wore masks, especially around the people they wanted to appear to be strong for. But he never had to do that with you. At least, you thought he knew that he didn’t have to pretend to be anything when he was with you.

“Ruben…” Your gripped tightened around your tote straps.

What could you even say at this point? The one expectation you did have that was met when you got into this car was that you’d received an explanation. It was just difficult to come to terms with the fact that all of your whys boiled down to something so simple yet complex.

Insecurity was an easy emotion to name, but far from that to dissect. And it certainly made people do often very shameful and hurtful things. Still, knowing all of that did nothing to ease the ache you felt watching him bite the inside of his cheek.

The drive suddenly didn’t feel so long as you realized he was pulling up to your building’s entrance. He put the car in park and reached to leave to get your door, but your hand quickly shot out to touch his arm.

“I’ve got it.” You slowly let it fall to unbuckle your seatbelt. “Thanks for the ride.”

Ruben left it until the very last second, calling your name as you were about to shut the door.

“I’m sorry for everything I put you through.” His shiny brown eyes held yours for as long as you could take before you finally sealed it shut.

You rushed inside, not daring to look back so that your tears could fall unnoticed. With rasps of breaths falling from your lips as you pressed your head against the back of the elevator, massaging the space over your heart, you found yourself asking a new question.

What would you do now, knowing that which you’ve longed to?

[markheathcliff5]

laura victoriano! Here is the drawing i promised :)

Also here is an essay about laura (kind of) because im bored!!

i read this post on tumblr that if instead, ruben died. She would continue his experiments as a legacy.

And i have one thing to say.

NUH UH.

I see laura as a person who wouldn’t harm anyone or anything. She would probably greive him but she wouldn’t go out of her way to create STEM in the first place. I think she would grieve in a healthy way, not in the weird way ruben grieved.

It is also heavily implied that ruben had ‘incestuous’ feelings for laura. I think that is one of the main reasons that drove him to create STEM.

In my opinion, Laura wouldn’t EVER return those feelings. She sees him as her little troubled brother that does weird experiments.

On the topic of ruben’s experiments, i think she would be uncomfortable, but wouldn’t say it to ruben’s face, so he doesn’t become sad. She would internally say ‘ew’ but she would smile at ruben and tell him that it’s a great experiment.

and to whoever ships rulika (ruben x laura), err 😟 ur gross sorry man

Thank u for coming to my ted talk!

[emilielfc]

a little game for u 🥰

pick a husband, one night stand, best friend from each of the following trios:

- leon, dusan, schlotti

- lexi, domi, darwin

- ruben, john stones, julian alvarez

🥰🥰 thanks babes! This is SO difficult tho omg🤭

Ok so I think I’d have to husband Leon, ons Dusan and be besties with Schlotti.

Husband Lexi, ons Domi and be besties with Darwin (the best friend chaos potential is off the charts).

Aaaaaand ok last ones hard cos ew city but such hot men 😂 I would marry Julian, ons Ruben and be besties with Stonsey cos again, chaos potential is incredible 😂

[kalakian]

"This is a huge statement on what a certain amount of power can do to a person regardless of their status in life," de Leon, 53, tells me during an interview at EW's Los Angeles offices in early November, shortly before she boarded a flight back to her hometown of Manila. "If [Abigail] suddenly has this skill that no one else [has], suddenly they're holding the trident, they are queen, and no one else can take it away from her, despite the fact that she's a woman, that she's Asian, that she's middle-aged."

[eatingbugsanddirt]

SPLAT OCS no way!!! I originally intended to fully color this sheet and all that, but after fighting tooth and nail with my art program to keep this file from corrupting, I’m just gonna save colors and whatnot ‘till the next time I draw them. One of em is filled with sodium and the other is a cowboy. Both of them reside in an apartment in Splatsville together, alongside a couple other roommates. They are in fish love!!!

Grit (Athirst Apotheosis, Hungering Teeth of the Great Steel Jaw) // She/her // Adult // Salmonling - Signature color is orange; she has silver and pink scales? Skin? Whatever it is it’s always at least a little grimy - Grew up near cephalopod society and in Splatlands sewers, hence mimicking their humanoid forms. Followed Curly back to Splatsville to become FRESH - Born in the maws ancestry to Gullet. Gullet’s a big ol dune-worm style king that swims beneath the map and swallows up large chunks of it as her main gimmick. Grit’s swim form shows off this heritage a lot better. Chomp - The salmonids’ race-wide death-food cult is more distant from her, but not entirely separated. She continues to cherish food and doesn’t mind participating in turf wars and such despite being shit and dying* constantly - Smells bad, dresses bad, literally eats garbage. Rabid - Fishnets lol. Always barefoot - Was nicknamed Grit by Curly after she held their hand and they went “ew this is gross why are you sticky” - HUGE casual. Never ever ever plays ranked, wouldn’t touch Grizzco with a ten foot pole. She plays turf whenever she feels like it, tableturf when she doesn’t, and otherwise just dicks around with the shell out machine and steals from the concessions. She has several pokemon-style binders for her tt card collection Curly J. Tucker // They/them // Adult // Octoling - Signature color is purple; they’re very dark skinned and plastered with the sort of web patterning you can find on coconut octopi - Can glow like coconut octopi!!! - Initially COULD NOT tolerate Grit. There’s a fish in their home taking all their money and food help. Fell in love slow-burn style, but Grit is a dumbass and eventually they just had to express their feelings explicitly - Continues to work at Grizzco after Grit. No Grit does not give a single shit - Coveredddd in scars from Grizzco, but it’s paid off; they have a max pay grade, they’re terrific at their job, and they have an apartment chock full of documents, trophies, and gear for work - Suuuper tired all the time thanks to both Grizzco and Alterna (Curly is my personal neo agent 3). Try to relax using ranked, but ends up getting even more exhausted and frustrated anyway. They recharge via Grit snuggles - Splatfest extraordinaire. Absolutely try hard bonkers for any big competition like this. Will come home miserable of their team doesn’t win - Always wears comfy clothes. Has the Texas curse of temperature confusion, hence the sweater and shorts - Bite mark on their hand is from Grit - The hat does NOT COME OFF. They originate from a distant Splatlands town notable for their skill ranching Zapfish and other silly goofy sea livestock, and they make it known 100% of the time Other notes * - In my personal canon getting splatted, falling in water, getting fucked up in ANY way in Splatoon is dying in a different sort of way. Getting your molecules dicked up or something, but not a permanent death, hence being able to revive. Maybe think the way immortal jellyfish are able to revert to earlier cell stages to escape death? - They both live in a big ol flat with another octoling gal owned by my friend @squidgobbler34 and a huge ribbon eel guy named Ruben. She is addicted to squid alt rock and he is long n fat and takes up so much space. He lines every wall of the apartment but its ok bc he’s good for snuggles

[anifffff]

my unpopular opinion is that Ruben wanted a serious relationship with Ginevra on the condition that she stopped dancing at Lio (the cabaret where she dances in Ibiza) but she didn't accept. On Valentine's Day, she posted that quote from Lady Gaga that says that careers don't abandon women, but men do.// if this is true then 🤮🤮 how toxic can you be ruben??? Not a fan of ginevra but let the girl dance, that's literally her job!! Ew ruben is such a walking red flag

ruben is a walking red flag, yes

[ccaliforniagirls]

Just because Niall was in a relationship doesn’t mean he didn’t dm her, some men cheat. But if so, that makes her even worse because why would you go to a tabloid and do that knowing he’s in a relationship ???? Like you’re trying to not only humiliate him but his gf as well. Ew

i was a fan of 1d, niall is stupid, hopefully he can have a relationship and he will have 2 hahaha IT'S A JOKE she literally before this with ruben she was with a weird bald guy who was smaller than her

[i-like-books-and-women]

I feel like not having an oppressive management company and getting room to breath would be so beneficial to the boys that their personalities would start to actually get a chance to develop since they were like 15-16 I'm pretty sure when their contracts started. Like they got put into little boxes of who they had to be for everyone else around the time people start to come unto their own. I think that theyd go on a hiatus to deal with all the legal shit and then they'd have like a m a j o r rebrand for Saturday where they just get to be them. So without further adue welcome to my late night hyperfixation dungeon.

Zach: so with the space and ability and support system to help him unlearn being such a people pleaser I feel like Zach would get one of the biggest character growth arcs. First off he played soccer before doing boy band things. He most definitely has a competitiveness to him that just didn't have time to get explored in the book. So competitive Zach. Also he gives sassy in a very sarcastic and over the top dramatic way. Just silly goofy because he doesn't feel pressured to be perfect in any way anymore. Does chaotic shit mostly with angel Very very cat coded. Still socially awkward though. King of questionable decisions.

Ruben: I think he just gets to a point where his solution instead of going to therapy is just very dry humor. He makes a lot of jokes at his own expence. Very much a "if I go to therapy I won't be funny anymore" type. King of sarcasm. "That sounds like an issyou not an issme". Doesn't typically participate in the chaos but is 100% an instigator. people watches with Jon in the mornings. He likes low level drama in his own life when there aren't any stakes. Very much a pot stirrer. Is constantly in disbelief that he gets to live this life this way and sometimes gets terrified that he's just gonna wake up one day and it's a dream but it never is. Eventually he gets talked into therapy and works through his shit.

Angel: still a very silly goofy guy revels in the chaos he creates. He still likes to party but not like before. He likes to people watch with some overly sugary drink and talk shit. He claims it's that "their introvertedness is rubbing off on me". Loves spoiling the boys and its constantly "omg I love you guys so much you're literally my family" but hates the second all that attention is redirected to him and it becomes "ew gross no get off of me feelings ick I hate you all". Since he doesn't have to dress in a way he doesn't want to anymore the first thing he does once rebrand plans are a go is post a shirtless picture captioned "it's finally time for slut era"

Jon: still the voice of reason sometimes. Shuts down the potentially dangerous chaos and very poorly pretends to be annoyed at the regular chaos but enjoys that their house is full of life and laughter and love especially with the high contrast it has with the way he grew up. During morning people watching sessions with Ruben sometimes they have really deep conversations about various religions and how they can be and are used to help and hurt people. Grows to own being referred to as mom by the boys and by fans. He still isn't super touchy feely but he shows he cares in litter favors or remembering one the one time five months ago that he was talking to someone about something they wanted and did/got that thing for them. Is the organizer of birthday parties. He likes thrill type scenarios when the risks are controlled and he knows how it'll play out. Strong believer in therapy and has been begging Ruben to go for ages.

Feel free to add on or tell me I'm wrong half of this was written way too late at night and the other half was deleted and I had to try and remember it all.

[artofapeach]

Do you think Rusty/Ruben has a crush on Autumn and is just in denial about it?

Oooooo, I haven’t thought about it. But he doesn’t even attempt to bully Autumn the same way he does everyone else.

A sensible person would think it’s because Autumn’s the one person who stands up for him.

But I have not been, and never will be, sensible ewe

[gabbysthoughts4thots]

Lets also not forget last summer he was spotted with a girl who is a known zionist. Then someone called him out on it on their story, he saw it too. He just doesn’t care as long as ruben jr is happy

Ew to the Zionism but yall gotta chill (not necessarily pointed at this anon) as I said I don’t really like the aggressive gossip and not just towards him towards who he’s affiliated with as well😭

[dhaaruni]

Lucas Kunce, the Democrat running for a Senate seat in Missouri, is kind of hot! But more importantly, he seems like a good fit for the state, even though he's still gonna lose this fall. I have to ask, why can't we have more Dems like him run for office? It just feels like he's a rarity, and our primary voters don't seem to usually elevate someone with stances like his.

Haha he is hot!

But I think that Democrats DO run candidates like Lucas Kunce in non-blue states, likable people with military backgrounds that seem moderate and "get a beer" types. Ruben Gallego is a former Marine and he's going very hawkish on the border in Arizona, Elissa Slotkin is a CIA girlboss in Michigan, and even in 2022, the candidates that lost were like, Val Demings the police chief in Florida and Cheri Beasley the former state Supreme Court justice in North Carolina.

The problem is that many voters just don't buy what Democrats as a party are selling even though they may like individual candidates, and that isn't really fixable in the age of social media. The reality is that Dem voters are much more moderate than like, Dem electeds and especially the interest groups and activists that staff the Democratic party. Like, it's NOT good that red/swing district/state Democrats and their campaigns are staffing from the same resume bank as like, Indivisible and the ACLU which want to abolish things (the border, the police, the state of Israel etc.) but that's an entrenched institutional issue.

All that said, good statewide candidates will outrun the top of the ticket and end up dragging over House/state House and Senate seats like Tim Ryan did in Ohio in 2022. He lost by 6% to JD Vance (ew) but the top of the ticket, Nan Whaley lost to Mike DeWine by 25% and dragged over multiple swing seat Democratic House Reps.