#so like yes vote blue no matter who

[onsomekindofstartrek]

There's another post going around about how many innocent people would be hurt in your typical conception of a violent leftist revolution. And that's great! It's entirely true that a little interruption of our infrastructure would immediately be fatal for a lot of vulnerable people that we have a duty to. The idea that a lot of leftists have in their head of revolutionary politics is idiotic. It's literally based on Stalinist propaganda of how righteous the fucking October Revolution (and the Cuban Revolution) were.

But I feel like every time I see a version of that post, the conclusion is "therefore we should all do hyper-incremental socdem politics and hope the capitalists don't kill us all before we achieve our utopia that way."

And look, that is on the face of it less violent. I understand why the more left-leaning kind of liberal champions that model.

But it's... like, you understand that there are actual anarchist academics who have written whole bodies of work on how we ought to change society, and it doesn't fit either the "bloody all-out revolution" model or the "let's just try to vote a socdem into office in a country where that's literally inconceivable" model.

Almost all educated and intelligent leftists I know are anarcho-syndicalists. The idea is this: we aim to unionize every single workplace. We fight for the power of labor by any means available to us, from strikes to sit-ins, malicious compliance, civil disobedience, and, yes, defending ourselves and each other violently from cops, strikebreakers and scabs when it becomes necessary. We aim to make organized labor so much of a force in society that not only will the owning class be brought to the table to negotiate with us, the governments of the world will have to come to the table.

And when we've achieved that dual power, we improve the world any way we can, but we damn sure hold onto that power and make sure that we're not only preserving the infrastructure that keeps society alive, but that we are synonymous with that infrastructure.

The state will lose its sheen of benevolence when the world sees who really protects the life-saving infrastructures of the world. It is important that we never be seen as threatening those infrastructures, but instead fight in every way we can to improve them and make them more accessible and equitable. When the boss tells us to raise prices, we should have union people in every position that would be necessary for that order to be carried out, and simply not do it. They can't fire everyone.

And little by little the old state will be seen as the parasite it is, and wither away and die in a world where it is no longer necessary.

This follows in a perfect logical chain if you don't view the infrastructure of the modern world as something the bourgeoisie and the state have graciously provided to us, but as something that workers built and workers maintain, often at personal risk and with great personal sacrifice.

We already have the power, because we do all the work and make up the vast majority of humanity. We don't have to violently seize power in an apocalyptic war in the streets, we just have to learn to exercise the power we have.

And frankly, it does piss me off when I can agree with the first nine-tenths of a post about the popular conception of revolution, and then the last tenth is "therefore we should be very passive and let the capitalists have their way or actually we're the real monsters."

[theriverdalereviewer]

everyone jumping to team kamala we will never experience true freedom in this country

[antaresferen]

"roe v wade was overturned during biden's presidency clearly he's useless!!" you absolute buffoon. roe v wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in a 4-5 vote. ONE Supreme Court judge would have made a difference. But guess who the latest appointments were?

SEX OFFENDER BRETT KAVANAUGH, AND CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN AMY CONEY BARRETT, BOTH APPOINTED BY DONALD TRUMP.

YOU LOST ROE V WADE BECAUSE OF TRUMP.

listen i am not american. i understand that even democrats fucking suck and its a genuinely shitty situation to be in. im so sorry. but hey, hey look at me. why are you guys bullying people for saying "you should still vote blue?" Like im curious about the alternatives youve got. voting red? firebombing walmart? tumblr user catboyssepticbutthole, i know you will not be firebombing walmart.

[sillimancer]

2024 us political landscape as someone on the lefter end of the spectrum feels kinda like the end of that one spongebob episode where he finally starts doing fry cook shit after pissing everyone off trying to act and sing and everyone's cheering for him as he gradually figures out people don't want him to act and sing they want him to make their fucking krabby patties

[pathfinderlittleduck]

Instagram - Jenan Matari

[eowyntheavenger]

Americans, these are things we are NOT saying in 2024:

"Voting blue won't solve anything." Yes it will: if enough of us do it, it will solve a problem called Trump's second term in the White House. We unfortunately live in a two-party system. If you refuse to vote, you're effectively voting for Trump. I shouldn't need to explain this to people, yet here we are.

"It doesn't matter who's president. Both candidates are the same anyway." No, they are REALLY not. Biden was never my first choice, and his shipments of arms to Israel are despicable, but don't try to tell me even for a second that a second Trump term would be the same for the world as a second Biden term.

"But voting blue won't fix [fundamental underlying problem in America]." Voting for Democrats cannot fix every issue, this is true. But by saying this and ONLY this you are discouraging people from voting by making them feel hopeless. Voting is one of many tools in our arsenal, not the only tool, but an important one, and it does matter.

"You shouldn't vote blue, you should do [other thing] instead." See above: you can vote and protest and organize at the same time. It's not either/or. You can do it all. Stop discouraging voters from exercising their rights under the guise of leftism.

"Voting is just legitimizing government power. It makes you part of the system." Literally just shut up. Women and people of color didn't fight for their voting rights to have you say things like this. If you live in America and you can legally vote, then you should fucking vote, and vote blue. There is no neutral option.

"Voting blue just makes you complicit in [this bad policy]." Inaction, and allowing Trump to have a second term, is worse for the entire world than any Democrat policy. Yes, even that one. Voting is not about finding a perfect unproblematic candidate. It is about choosing the lesser of two evils.

"Voting doesn't work because—" STOP IT. STOP DISCOURAGING PEOPLE FROM VOTING.

You know who wants you NOT to vote? Trump supporters, that's who. You should be suspicious of ANYONE who is suggesting that your vote doesn't matter, or that both candidates are the same, or that Biden's policy on XYZ means you shouldn't vote for him. Trump supporters aren't trying to get your vote by saying, "Vote for Trump!" They're trying to get your vote by DISCOURAGING YOU FROM VOTING AT ALL.

I don't like Biden either, but Trump is unequivocally worse. Voting doesn't fix everything, but it is the minimum fucking requirement of living in a democracy. Voting for president has real, tangible, immediate impacts on people's lives, and choosing not to vote is not the rebellion you think it is, it is just relinquishing your voice. So fucking vote. THIS IS A GROUP PROJECT AND DAMN IT WE ARE NOT FAILING BECAUSE OF YOU.

[summer-fruits-and-cream]

Hilary Clinton won the popular vote in 2016, so blaming the voters is the last thing we should do. I'm also increasingly convinced that if the university encampments happened under Trump, we would have all been saying that the shutting down of protest was happening because Trump is president

The vote being our political power is exactly why threatening to not vote for someone matters. Declaring why we're voting or not voting for someone tells politicians what they need to do to get elected. And tbh it'd be more effective if instead of blaming voters, we blamed politicians for not doing the one job they're incentivized to do (getting people to vote for them).

to be honest it would make me a lot more comfortable if you guys would show a little concern about trump running for president again. Do not inbox me and say you don’t like joe biden omg i already know. but can we show a little concern. about donald trump. being the republican candidate for president. for the third election in a row.

[mythica-ithaca]

the fact that I see some of y'all posting more about how important it is to vote for Biden than you ever have about Palestine just shows that you fucking "vote blue no matter who" people genuinely don't give a fuck about anyone but yourselves.

you only choose to speak up when YOUR hypothetical rights are threatened. you love to fear monger about how much hypothetically worse it would be under trump than acknowledge the actual atrocities that Biden is committing and condoning every single day. how exactly is he the "lesser" of two evils for?

do any of you actually look at the images coming out of gaza, or are you too fucking ~triggered~ to fully acknowledge other peoples suffering rather than your own. have you seen the video that came out recently of the little boy whose brain is exposed, about to be laid next to his dead family members, only to twitch and seize in his fathers arms as he screams and runs in horror to find a doctor, because his son is alive. his brain is literally falling out of his skull but he is still alive. that is one brief example of the most horrific shit you've ever seen in your life coming out daily for almost a year. how on this earth can you watch that and possibly claim that Biden is in any way shape or form "less" evil.

instead of demanding that the dnc force a different candidate, you're trying to guilt trip people who have actually seen the mutilated bodies of children on their timelines every single day and watched the press briefings of bidens administration denying genocide and defending Israel at the expense of literally everything else for the last 8 months, into voting for a man who supports it 100% and has not and will not be convinced otherwise.

this is where allowing them to push widely unpopular and centrist candidates has gotten us. it didn't work with Hillary in 2016. it BARELY worked in 2020. and hate to break it to you, but its probably not going to work again. so congrats. your "vote blue no matter who" rhetoric has got them thinking that they can push the most right leaning liberals on us and think that we'll vote for them just because they're in a blue tie instead of a red one.

if you care about democracy like you say you do, then the Democrats should be fucking TERRIFIED that you won't vote for them if they don't deliver. not constantly reassured that they can commit literal fucking genocide and still get your votes if they dangle abortion rights over your heads. you realize they see those posts too right? the ones that say "Yes! protest vote in the primary but make sure to actually vote for the guy in the general!!" like. you are literally telling them how performative your activism is.

if every election at this point is the one where democracy is on the line then we are already fucked. if they don't get it through their heads now that we will not support this shit, then every election to come will be between a fascist and a fascist who cares slightly less about whether gay people get married or not. but that's all you care about right? as long as your domestic policy is in your favor then the rest of the world can suffer at your tax dollars.

this isn't about morality voting. this is about recognizing that there is not actually a "lesser" of two evils in this situation, just because you think that the causes that you personally care about will be less affected one way or the other. because what if it was abortion rights? what catholic Joe Biden was firmly against abortion and was threatening to ban it completely and throw anyone getting or giving one in prison for murder. what if it was videos of lgbt people being slaughtered coming out every single day for a year. genuinely fucking ask yourself if you'd still be saying "vote blue no matter who" and that he's the "lesser" of two evils.

vote for whoever the fuck you want. and I do genuinely urge you to vote for the most progressive candidate you can for the house and senate and your local elections. but for the love of god, stop trying to convince people that there is, in any sense of the word, a "Lesser" evil in this situation. stop trying to absolve yourselves of the fact that you are CHOOSING evil. it's genuinely sick.

[itssideria]

Genuine question, really not sure what to do/who to vote for- uh do you have any suggestions? Protesting yes, but what now- today's like endless bad news

hey, anon.

i'm assuming you're referring to my post on the 'vote blue no matter what' gang — i wrote that in a complete (and justified) fit of anger. i should start by saying i am not american, or palestinian — i am an arab who grew up in an arab country, though, and all of us have long since grown sickened and enraged with american imperialism.

my honest answer? i don't know. i'm not american. i'm not a politician. maybe i'm some horrifically idealistic piece of shit but i just think that brazenly funding a genocide, lying about it, and then bombing the only country that tries to prevent it should earn you the death penalty, but oh well.

@/fairuzfan has posted a lot about this — she's a palestinian in the states. not tagging her bc we aren't mutuals. she has stated that she won't vote in the presidential elections at all, but rather at local levels and congress. one person has stated that they are engaging in activism more than ever, forming communities, movements, working their way up. other people will be voting for a third party candidate they agree with, such as Cornel West or Claudia de la Cruz — you can read up on their stances for yourself, i'm not active in US politics. some will threaten to withhold their vote from Biden, whether they are serious of pretending, as that may scare him into changing his tactics.

none of these are foolproof. most of them prevent nothing. i am aware that for americans this shit feels like life and death — it's what all of you say, every four years.

however, and i cannot state this enough, i am so past the point of caring. my entire region has been fucking devastated by your nation. egypt can't threaten suez access because it'll get invaded. yemen and syria and iraq are dealing with past and current bombing. the entire fucking gulf sucks your country's dick to get oil money to build vanity projects and hire more slave labour. and palestine? palestinian blood will run thick with the weight of the crimes the us committed against them.

for once in their stable, unaffected fucking lives, i want americans to pretend—pretend!—the rest of the world exists. for ONCE, i want americans to say "fuck this, he committed genocide, i will never write his name on my ballot". for ONCE, i want americans to sacrifice something, ANYTHING—you barely live under a democracy as is. poc americans report no improvement under biden compared to trump. white queer people think they'll be protected and so shout at the need to throw the developing world under the bus.

there are no good options. but dear God, just don't put the name of the man funding a genocide on your fucking ballot. it didn't save anyone four years ago. it won't now.

[notiddygothgf]

12. Ankle Biter

★ pairings: aki hayakawa x fem reader

★ ❝ I think we both know what you want. Be a good girl and you might get it. You want me? ❞ ❝ Yes, please. ❞

★ c.w.: smut, denji. (NOT BETA'd. olivia will be my beta-er.) (more content warnings and tags)

★ a/n: IM BACK FROM THE DEADDDDDD!!! hi  my pookies. so. depression and uni have been tag teaming me. woman in stem or whatever. your comments have been keeping me going!!! When you're reading this, I'll have a few chaps stored up so i don't have hiatuses like this anymore teehee. I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THIS!! its a two parter, so chapter two will be coming soon!!! okay!! comment!!! vote!!! love you all!!!! muah!!!! xxx

★ w.c: .6.8k

shameless ; chapter index

YOU TOLD YOUR HUSBAND you had a mission today. You told him you would be out all day – and probably into the night – with division four, which wasn’t totally a lie. In fact, it wasn’t even a stretch of the truth by much at all. You had spent the earlier half of your day making rounds in Tokyo with division four, ultimately finding that the perpetrator of a series of mysterious sounds coming from the downtown area was a tiny little cheese devil, which was disposed of in a matter of minutes.

What had been a lie, however, was that you would be out all night with the entirety of division four. Realistically, it was only one member.

“I’m hopping in the bath,” Aki sighed. He slipped his blood-soaked shirt (and coat) into a black trash bag. He kicked off his Converses, too. In the other room, he had left the tap on so that the tub could fill with warm water.

You followed him to the bedroom door, which you had left cracked open by accident a few minutes earlier when you and him had stumbled home. In the living room, Aki’s roommates ran around barefoot, chasing after one another for god knows what reason.

Even with his back turned – his toned, muscly back that rippled when he moved – he towered over you. Stepping behind him, you asked, “Can I come with you?”

He turned around then, face dusted with that pink tint you had grown to love. Like he – after all of the unspeakable things he had done to you – was embarrassed at the prospect of you wanting to bathe with him. Always the gentleman.

“The gremlins are home,” He mused, much more quietly than he had been speaking only a few moments earlier. His eyes, as moody and blue as ever, darkened as he added, “You sure you wanna start something so early in the evening?”

You retorted, “I never said I’d be getting in with you ,” like you hadn’t originally planned on doing exactly that.

“You’re just gonna sit and watch me, then?” He asked slowly, brow arched a little higher.

Shit. You couldn’t bullshit your way out of this.

“Okay, well, then, maybe I will get in,” You conceded, arms crossed – only because the way he was looking at you made you giddy and… a little nervous, to be frank. “But that doesn’t mean I’m starting anything. Not after the stunt you pulled earlier.”

The stunt in question? Aki had snapped at you for putting yourself in a compromising position on the mission – one that easily could have resulted in your demise, of course, but that was irrelevant, because all that mattered was that he had raised his voice at you to say, “ Stop being a dumbass. You almost died .”

You were the one who pulled a stunt, if anything. Still, you loved getting him riled up.

When he only peered down at you with a humored little grin, like he didn’t believe a word you had said, you added, “I’m just gonna be there to hang out with you.”

“Mmh,” He hummed after a brief silence, “Right.”

He knew you were playing hard to get. It wasn’t working, either. Not even a little bit.

Aki didn’t say another word as he led the way to the bathroom, his shirtless figure moving with that same quiet grace you’d come to know so well. You followed him, your heart doing somersaults in your chest, even though you tried to hide it beneath a casual air. When he reached for the robe hanging on the counter, he tossed it your way with an easy flick of his wrist, and you caught it.

The bathroom was warm already when you arrived, closing the door behind you and Aki and locking it with a quiet click. Aki slipped out of his pants without a word while your back was turned, busying yourself with the robe in your hands, unsure why you were suddenly so shy about it. 

You slipped your button-down off. Then your belt. Your pants came last – followed by your socks. Once you were in your undergarments, you stripped yourself bare – praying he didn’t see you in such an intimate position, like he hadn’t seen all you had to offer already.

You were trying to seem indifferent, but the soft sounds of his clothes hitting the floor did something to your composure. When you finally gathered the courage to turn back around, he had already sunk into the water, his body disappearing beneath the steaming surface.

Damn it. You missed it.

Now, Aki leaned back against the tub, his arms draped casually over the edges, and he was watching you with that half-lidded gaze that never failed to make your nerves fray at the edges. His hair, dampened slightly from the steam, clung to his forehead, and the way his eyes raked over you sent a shiver skittering down your spine. You stood frozen for a beat too long, feeling the intensity of his stare searing into you. He made no attempt to hide it.

“Stop looking at me like that,” you muttered, barely managing to sound anything but meek as you crossed your arms over your breasts.

“Like what?” he asked, his voice low and calm, though the smoldering gaze he cast your way didn’t falter. He didn’t even try to conceal the hunger in his eyes.

You huffed, rolling your eyes in a half-hearted attempt to mask the effect he had on you. You weren’t used to this kind of intimacy — not with him staring at you like that, all relaxed and self-assured in the steaming water. Somehow, this was more vulnerable than being naked – getting ready to bathe with him.

With a slight shake of your head, you shrugged off your clothes and stepped into the tub, sitting with your back pressed against his chest. His strong arms bracketed your sides, and you felt the warmth of him radiating through the water.

For a moment, everything felt quiet, like the world had shrunk down to just the two of you. Aki’s fingers reached for a washcloth, his movements slow and deliberate as he wrung it out over his head, dark hair dripping with water. Then, he did the same for you, squeezing the warm droplets over your back, and you couldn’t help the way your body relaxed into him.

“Is the water okay?” He spoke – voice so low it was almost a whisper. “Not too hot?”

You were going to pass out.

“It’s fine,” You answered.

He hummed low in response, the sound vibrating through his chest and into your back. You hesitated for a moment before speaking again, voice a bit more quiet, but teasing. 

"Your voice... It's super hot. Have I ever told you that?"

Aki paused, the water dripping from the washcloth over your skin like tiny, warm raindrops. He let out a low chuckle, and you could feel the way his chest rumbled against your spine. 

"You think so?" he asked, his lips curving into a grin you didn’t even need to see. "Is that why you get all flustered when I boss you around on the clock?"

Heat flooded your face as you laughed, turning away from him a little. "I do not!" You tried to defend yourself, but the way your voice cracked betrayed you.

You absolutely did. Made you so hot beneath the collar that it wasn’t even funny .

"Yeah?" He leaned in, his lips ghosting over the back of your neck, sending a chill down your body despite the heat of the bath. His voice dropped lower, teasing as he mocked you. " Yes, Sir, " he purred, the tone rich and velvety. "Sounds so goddamn sexy when you say it. Drives me fucking crazy."

You couldn’t help the embarrassed laugh that bubbled up in response, biting your lip as you hid your face with your hand. "Stop," you groaned, turning your head away, the flush on your cheeks deepening. But he didn’t stop—he could feel your embarrassment, and that only seemed to encourage him.

"You’re not saying anything now," Aki teased, his hand never pausing in its slow, comforting rhythm along your back. You tried to gather your thoughts, but it was impossible with the way your pulse quickened whenever he even touched you. "You’re cute when you’re flustered." 

You were going to combust. Actually.

His hand slid up from your shoulder, fingers lingering against your skin as they traced the line of your neck. You shivered, feeling the intensity of his touch, before his hand cupped the back of your head, gently tilting it back. Your breath hitched as your eyes met his, the steam swirling between you.

His lips brushed against yours, soft but deliberate, like a question answered in the quietest of moments. A rush of heat flooded through you, your pulse syncing with the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The kiss deepened, slow and sweet, before he pulled back, just enough to speak.

"Thought you said you weren’t starting anything, hmm? " he murmured against your lips, his thumb tracing your jawline. And in that moment, the world felt small again—just the two of you, wrapped in warmth, as if nothing else existed.

“I wasn’t,” You tried to protest, but whatever reply you had planned died on your lips the moment he pulled you in – by your jaw – for another kiss. It was soft at first, careful — but it didn’t stay that way for long. Heat flooded between you as the kiss deepened, his wet hand gliding down your chest, teasing touches igniting your skin with a slow burn.

"Bullshit. You love to get me riled up," His voice, low and husky, made your stomach flip as he murmured, “So I can give you what you want, right? Because you know I’m the only one who can.”

You did. You really, really did. And he was right.

Your breath caught, and your mind scrambled for some witty retort, but all you could manage was a shaky, "What do I want, then, if you know so much?”

One of these days, you would learn to keep your bratty mouth shut. That day was not today.

His fingers were gentle yet deliberate as they ghosted over your stomach – up, and then down, stopping just above the water’s surface. His lips hovered near your ear, "Watch the attitude. I’ll give it to you if you ask nicely.”

And, as his fingertips dipped beneath the surface, slipping down over your belly button and ghosting over the skin of your navel, you figured you would do whatever he asked if it meant he would go a little lower.

“I think we both know what you want,” He hummed. “Be a good girl, and you might get it. You want me?”

You broke without so much as a second of hesitation, “Yes, please .”

“Where, baby?” He breathed, voice deep and hot against your neck, your ear – while his fingers trailed a little lower, just barely caressing the place where he knew you needed him. “Here?” His other hand left your chin to slide down your side, coming up around your ribs to cup your breast ever-so-gently, “ Here?” 

“Yes– God, both,” You hissed quietly. When his hand slipped a little lower, towards the apex of your heat, you leaned into him.

“With those two sitting outside?” He added, continuing to tease you, like he was reveling in the feeling of drawing you closer to the edge of your patience. “We’d have to make it quick. They’ll start banging on the door any minute, now.”

You were going to say something, suggest that maybe the two of you should take a rain check on the bath, but the moment his fingers parted your lips and pressed gently on your clit, what came out was a desperate whisper of, “I’ll be quiet.”

“Good girl,” He breathed. Slowly, painfully slowly – he began rolling his finger over you in circles, applying a pressure so gentle it made your head spin. 

Meanwhile, the hand groping your breast began to massage it. The air of the bathroom grew suddenly cold, and maybe it was the warmth of the water, or of his kisses down your neck, but you felt your nipples form stiffened little peaks. A wonton shiver ripped itself from your core.

Clearly, he was just as riled up as you were – something that was evidently pressing up against your ass. You shifted your hips back a little further so that he could get a little friction – take the edge off a bit.

His touch was like a lighter, igniting sparks of pleasure wherever his fingers traveled, sending goosebumps up and down your body. And, for a few minutes, he sat there, rolling his fingers over that little bundle of pleasure that had you bucking your hips up – biting your lip so hard to prevent a sound from escaping that you drew blood.

When his hand slipped further up the slope of your chest, fingers pinching your nipple, you mewled, arching your back. 

“So sensitive today,” He said. You didn’t have to look to know he was grinning. Every time his calloused, wet thumb slipped over your nipple, you rolled your hips. “You want more?”

You nodded. Fuck, yes. 

And, thankfully, this time, he didn’t keep you waiting. His fingers dipped a little further into you, tracing over your needy pussy like he had all the time in the world. It felt strange, given the water between his fingertips and your body, but not at all unpleasant.

Then, when you least expected it, he breached your entrance with one finger, eliciting a gasp from you.

He hushed you, taunting you as he murmured into the skin of your neck, “You’re gonna give us away. Gotta be quiet for me, baby. I know you can.”

When the other finger followed suit, you weren’t all too sure. 

He propped his head up on your shoulder, glancing over at you. His eyes were dark, half-lidded, misty with desire. “Haven’t even started with you, yet,” He tutted. “My pretty mama… so sensitive. Thought you were mad at me, huh ?”

You said nothing – out of embarrassment, of course, but the way your whole body arched into his touch gave you away. Aki grinned, pulling his fingers out of you, then putting them back in. 

You found yourself melting into him entirely. Desperate for some form of friction, you began to grind down on him; his hand, his lap. 

“ Mmmh, ” you purred. His voice alone was enough to have you inching a little closer to your peak – already, like you were a pent-up highschooler and not an adult. You slurred, “Keep talkin’”

“Yeah?” He pressed more kisses to the inside of your neck. “You’re gonna take it like a good fuckin’ girl, aren’t you? For me?” His breath was hot and ragged, fanning against your skin with a purpose. He knew better than to suck hard enough to leave a mark. “Always so fuckin’ good for me.”

He leaned forward to capture your lips. You didn’t care that your head was craned at an awkward angle. You didn’t care.

You gasped when his digits curled up with a shocking suddenness. It was muffled, nothing more than a quiet cry silenced by the devilish onslaught of his lips dancing with yours like making a mess out of you was his job – and then you felt the pressure of his hand against your throat. That, combined with the feeling of his fingers curling inside of you, brushing against your tender walls… you were reduced to a babbling mess in a matter of seconds.

No one knew your body better than he did.

“Take it, baby,” He nestled his head into the crook of your neck, on the other side. His words, shadowed by his desire, spurred you on. His fingers picked up the pace. “Just like that.”

You shuddered, eyes threatening to roll back, feeling the slow pull and drag of them against your insides. When he scissored his fingers inside, you could feel yourself being stretched open. It felt so full, so good, your mouth hung open before you could even control it.

“ Aki ,” You whimpered weakly.

The way his fingers were hooked inside of you, fuck, they kept pushing at just the right spot. It felt like he was reaching into you and untying the strings of your orgasm; slowly, with every curl nudging you a little bit closer.

You glanced down at his arms. His big, strong, toned arms, his biceps, fuck. You could see the deep muscles of his forearm ripple and tense as he fucked you open with his fingers – a little quicker now. Your nails bit deep into the skin on his thighs, but he didn’t seem to care.

He seemed to be more focused on making you cum all over his fingers.

“You’re getting loud,” He spoke into your ear, nibbling just below the lobe soon thereafter. “What should we do about that?” The pace of his fingers quickened. “Feel good?”

“F–uck off,” You gasped out. “ Shit .”

He dove back into another searing kiss, body fitting against yours like two puzzle pieces finally reunited. You could feel him pressed up against you, his warmth, his hardness, and it sent a jolt of electricity through your entire body.

His lips spoke the language of his love, breathing his longing into your body. Your tongues were locked in a hungry, sensuous tango.

You whispered weakly, “Feels so good,” voice quivering with desire as his hand slipped away from your chest – he moved to cover your mouth with it, popping three digits deep into your mouth to shut you up.

“Want everyone to hear you?” He licked his lips. “Stay quiet, and I’ll give you what you want,”  A pause, then he crossed his fingers, twisting them deeper into you in a way that had your back arching away from him, had your legs quaking, 

“ Mn-ghh ,” You mewled around his fingers, feeling so damn good now that he was finally in you again. His fingers were so long, so big, the perfect size for you. No one could touch you like he could. You knew that.

You wrapped your tongue around the digits, sucking on them to give you something to do while you held in the shrieks of pleasure you knew would give you and Aki away to his roommates.

Pressing another messy kiss to your neck, he muttered, “ That’s my girl . You got it.”

You whimpered weakly in response. You were close enough already, and his voice was only nudging you closer and closer.

Somehow, despite the odds, the coil in your gut was drawing tighter and tighter. He was reaching deep inside of you and undoing you from the inside out like the lace strands of a tightly wound corset. The brutal pace of his long, fingers made your fucking brain go blank. You could do nothing but writhe and squeal for him.

He curved his fingers up sharply at just the right angle, thrusting his hand up and down and – before you knew what was happening, that warmth in your belly pooled up again. 

“You’re close already, aren’t you?” He grinned, voice a low murmur. “So fuckin’ sensitive. Don’t worry, I got you. I’ll talk you through it. I’m right here.”

When you whined quietly, eyelids fluttering shut, his fingers pressed deeper into you, massaging that spongy place deep inside of you that had you shaking. You gasped, clawing at his thighs.

“I know, I know,” He reassured you, Saccharine words dripping with venom. “ Wanna make you cum. You can do it f’me, yeah? I know you can. ”

For him.

“I’ll take care of you,” he mumbled into the crook of your neck, rutting up against you. “ Make you feel so good .”

You gasped, the sound muffled by his fingers. Your body, however, gave a different signal. Your legs spasmed once more. His fingers were deep inside of you from both angles – three fingers knuckle deep in your pussy, three fingers pressing deep enough into your mouth to make you gag on them.

“So fucking beautiful,” Aki panted against your neck. “You’re doing so good for me.”

You could feel your guts clenching around his finger like you were trying to push him out. The sheer power this man had over you was near absurd. 

“I got you, baby,” He panted, peering over at you with such feverish hunger that it made your legs shake. “You know I’ll always make you feel good, right?”

That much was true. You knew that he knew your body well – better than anyone else ever had or ever could.

Then, you moaned – it slipped out. Truly, you had never intended to let it slip. Yet, still, when his fingers curled up against a particularly sensitive spot with all of the ease of a harpist plucking at the strings of your core, your lips spilled a sinful, long, drawn-out moan, as if to say, Don’t stop, I’m close . 

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” His smirk grew in size with a satisfied hum, “You gonna cum for me?”

Instantaneously, somehow, his fingers pressed the right spot – just the right amount of pressure – then it snapped. The coil of your release snapped with all of the power of a freight train, your orgasm slamming into you in a way that had your back arching up off of him. The ebb-and-flow of the pleasure made your mind run wild with desire – your hips rode it out like you were surfing waves..

You gasped, biting down on his fingers. Finally coming down from your high, you laid your head back.

Fuck me. I can’t believe I just did that. This was a new low for you – in the bathtub? While his roommates were outside doing god knows what?

He slid his fingers out of you slowly, savoring the way you clenched around them one last time before pulling out. He sucked the slick of your arousal off of his fingers. 

“Hey, there. Welcome back.” He hummed, sucking gently on your neck, too gentle to leave a mark. The two of you panted, desperate to catch your breath. You were too weak to say anything as he turned your head to the side, pressing a passionate kiss to your lips. 

You whimpered weakly in response. Aki chuckled, wrapping his arms around your trembling body and bringing you in for a hug. 

“You okay, baby?” He hummed, tucking your hair away behind your ear.

This was too intimate. All of this was too intimate. It made you wonder what a life with him really would entail. 

As if sensing your thoughts, Aki leaned in, his movements slow and careful, like he was afraid of shattering the fragile moment between you. His lips met yours in a soft kiss, tender and undemanding, the warmth of his mouth mingling with the steam from the bath. It was brief, but enough to send a shiver through you, a quiet promise hidden in the way his lips lingered before pulling away.

He hummed softly, the sound reverberating through the humid air as his fingers found their way to your hair, massaging the water into your scalp with slow, rhythmic movements. You closed your eyes, letting the sensation wash over you, the stress melting from your body as he worked.

Without thinking, you shifted, moving to sit on his lap, your hands reaching for his shoulders, intending to initiate the next step. But before you could, his hand caught your wrist, stopping you gently but firmly.

“No, not in here,” Aki murmured.

You frowned, a playful pout forming on your lips. "Why not? You’re still..." Your voice trailed off, your eyes drifting over his body, but before you could say anything more, his quiet laughter interrupted your thoughts.

“Let’s finish washing up first, okay?” he smiled, brushing his thumb over your wrist, his gaze warm but teasing as he held you at arm’s length. There was something so endearing about the way he was in control, yet still patient with you.

You sighed, the heat still simmering in your veins, but nodded nonetheless, settling back into the warmth of the bath as his hand resumed its soothing motions, reminding you once again that with Aki, there was always time.

There was always time.

After finishing up in the bath – taking about 30 more minutes just to shampoo, condition, and wash up, you and Aki helped you into your robe (which was his robe, but he was letting you use it) and tied a towel around his own waist. Even though you protested, saying you could limp back just fine, Aki insisted on carrying you back to his room.

The fabric of Aki’s robe was soft and plush against your damp skin. Thankfully, the living room was empty. It sounded like both Power and Denji had retreated to their rooms for the evening (but you could never be too sure).

Still, at the very least, you didn’t think anyone could see Aki walking back to his room, carrying you like a bride – hair dripping wet, completely bare beneath the oversized robe he had given you. Neither Denji nor Power could see the way your face flushed when you passed their rooms – doing your best to appear as if their Captain hadn’t just been knuckle-deep in your pussy.

Once you were in his room, Aki set you down on the bed. “Pajama shirts are in the top right drawer on the dresser. Sweaters are in the closet. You can wear my boxers for shorts, if you want. They’re top left in the dresser. I’m a towel short, so I’ll be right back.

You nodded. He pressed a chaste kiss to the top of your head – leaning down to do so – and then left the room. You glanced around, taking a moment to soak in your surroundings. Aki’s room was so him , something so different from the cold apartment you knew back home with your husband. The walls of his bedroom were a soft, deep blue. All of his furniture matched – black. On his dresser, there wasn’t much more than a few small pictures and loose belongings he’d taken out of his pockets earlier.

Curiously, you rose to your feet and walked over, ghosting your hand over the smooth, finished surface of his dresser. There, like little mosaics of his life, the pictures told a story. A photo of him and Himeno on the far left – it looked like they were at some sort of event with a photobooth. She was grinning ear-to-ear, arm thrown around Aki’s shoulder, face a little flushed with what you assumed was liquor. Aki, in contrast, was pouting, as if the very idea of posing for silly little pictures pissed him off – he was younger, sure, and his hair was shorter, eyes a little brighter, but it was definitely him.

I still have to call her back and tell her what happened, You remembered.

The next photo was with Denji and Power. It was a picture of them at a bowling alley – Aki’s shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and he was wearing that Poker-Face expression you knew so well. Denji was stuffing his face with a hot dog, and Power was grinning with her arms crossed. 

The one after that made you stop in your tracks. It was a family portrait – or it looked like one, anyway. Aki was on the bottom left, wearing that miserable little pout of his. Behind him, a man and woman with black hair and soft features stood, smiling. Another boy was right next to him. He looked almost exactly like Aki, save for the shorter hair and youthful smile. 

He really had been serious his whole life. Furthermore, after glancing one more time at the woman you assumed was his mother, you could tell where he got his good looks from. She was beautiful. It was an honest shame that he lost both of his parents so young.

The door clicked, a reminder that looking through people’s personal affects was weird, and you skipped over to the closet. Opening the door, you quickly snagged a big gray hoodie. 

In tandem, the door to Aki’s bedroom opened. He came in looking like something straight out of a wet dream – towel tied loosely around his waist, his skin glistening with droplets of water that caught the dim light of his bedroom.

Your breath hitched as you caught sight of Aki’s bare chest, the defined muscles of his torso flexing slightly as he moved. Your eyes roamed up and down his body, lingering on the lines of his abdomen, the narrow curve of his hips, the way the towel clung to him just enough to drive you crazy.

Your mouth went dry, and you had to swallow hard to keep yourself from doing something stupid like staring too obviously or letting out the low groan building in your chest. It was impossible to look away, though — Your brain short-circuited before you could fucking think of anything else.

For a moment, neither of you said anything.

You blinked, trying to say something, but all you could think was: Fuck me. A ll you could think about was the man in front of you, who looked as if he had been cut from stone, shaped carefully by the hands of a Greek sculptor.

You were all too aware of the way Aki’s chest rose and fell with each breath, the droplets of water still clinging to his skin, the tantalizing glimpse of skin just above where the towel ended – the way the moisture trickled down his pecs and abs and his biceps , and–

“You want a picture?” He teased you. Then, clearly comfortable around you, he turned around and pulled a T-shirt, Sweatpants, and a pair of boxers out of the dresser. 

You wanted to add something, perhaps a witty comeback, but you couldn’t think one up. Not when he reached down and untied the towel, letting it fall to the ground with a quiet ‘floop’, and certainly not when he pulled a pair of black boxers up to his hips, wiggling from side to side until it hugged his ass perfectly .

Any moment now, you were going to start drooling like a fucking dog.

“You have a brother?” You asked.

He tensed – evident in the way his shoulders bristled at the mention of it. “Had a brother,” He corrected with a sigh that made you regret bringing it up. “Taiyo. He died with my parents.”

You felt your own shoulders drop. Gnawing on your lower lip, you commented, “I’m sorry. You look like your mom, though. You’ve got her eyes.”

He stilled, the tension draining from his posture, and when he turned to look at you, sweats halfway up his long legs, his face softened too. “Thank you,” he murmured, and the way his eyes crinkled in the corners when he smiled made your heart flip.

He tugged his shirt on next, pulling it down over his lean frame, and then moved to sit on the edge of the bed, towel in hand. You watched, momentarily mesmerized, as he rubbed the towel through his damp hair, still half-distracted by the quiet ache in his voice from before.

Finally, you slipped out of your robe and pulled Aki’s sweater on. You didn’t want to let the moment linger too long, not when the air still felt heavy with what he’d shared. 

You reached over and flicked on the radio on the nightstand, the dial clicking softly. The familiar melody of an old song spilled into the room, crackling in from a nearby station. An old 70’s song drifted through the speakers, setting a strange kind of peace over the space.

‘I go crazy, 

When I look in your eyes, I still go crazy. 

No, my heart just can’t hide that old feelin’ inside. 

Way deep down inside. 

Oh, baby, you know when I look in your eyes, I go crazy.’ 

Flopping back into the bed with a tired sigh, Aki glanced at you sideways, a small, amused smile playing on his lips as the song played on. He looked like the fatigue from the day he had finally caught up to him. You shifted closer, laying down on your side next to him. 

The two of you fell into a comfortable silence, your noses nearly brushing. His eyes met yours, warm, soft blue, like pools of desire. There was a tenderness in the way he looked at you now that made you melt. Something unspoken, but not entirely unfamiliar.

‘I go crazy when I look in your eyes, 

I still go crazy. That old flame comes alive, 

It starts burning inside, way deep down inside, 

Oh, baby, you know when I look in your eyes…’ 

For a moment, you didn’t need to speak. The music did all the talking, the lyrics wrapping around you both like a cocoon of nostalgia. But eventually, he broke the silence, his voice barely above a murmur. “You know… you didn’t have to say that about me. About my mom.”

‘I go crazy…’ 

You blinked, confused for a second. “I saw the picture on your nightstand. It’s true. Did I upset you?”

He let out a quiet laugh, his breath brushing against your cheek. “No, not that, but... it’s just strange, is all. ‘M not used to having someone notice the little details about me.”

“I notice a lot about you,” you admitted without thinking, the words slipping out, vulnerable but unguarded.

His eyes softened even more, something unreadable flickering behind them. “I know.”

There was a beat of silence, the intimacy thickening the air between you. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from your face, his fingertips lingering just a little longer than necessary.

“I love you,” he confessed, voice hushed, as though the vulnerability of the statement might break if he said it too loudly.

Your heart skipped at his words. You wanted to tell him that he did the same for you, that you’d been carrying around your own lonely weight for so long, but it was hard to find the words when his eyes were that close, and his hand was still on your face, warm and careful. Instead, you closed the space between you, pressing your forehead to his, feeling the soft hitch of his breath against your lips.

“I love you more,” you whispered, the words a promise.

His eyes searched yours, a lingering intensity beneath the softness, as though he was still making sure this moment was real. The space between you felt like it was shrinking with every breath, and then, finally, he leaned in. It was slow, almost hesitant at first, like he was giving you the chance to pull away, to stop it—but you didn’t want to stop it. His lips brushed yours, feather-light, barely there. The gentleness of it sent a shiver down your spine, making your breath hitch.

You felt your whole body relax into him, the world fading around you as the kiss deepened. His lips were warm and soft, moving over yours with such tenderness that it felt like he was trying to savor every second. He kissed you like you were something precious—like he had all the time in the world and wanted to make sure you knew exactly how much this moment meant to him. 

It was the same thing as before – the same lips you had felt a hundred times before, passionate and gentle.

The warmth of his hand cupped your cheek, thumb grazing along the line of your jaw as he tilted your face slightly, angling the kiss deeper. You responded, leaning into him, letting yourself sink into the kiss, into him. It was slow, unhurried, but there was a steady pull between you, a quiet need that grew with every second your lips stayed locked together.

Your hands, almost of their own accord, slid up his chest, fingers tracing the lines of muscle beneath his shirt. You curled your fingers into the fabric, tugging him closer, and he obliged, his body pressing into yours as he shifted. His lips parted slightly, and when your tongues brushed, the kiss grew hotter, more urgent. A soft sigh escaped you, and he swallowed it, his own breath hitching in response.

You felt him smile against your mouth for just a moment before the kiss became more heated. He shifted again, rolling on top of you, his weight settling over you in a way that made your heart race. The heat between you intensified, the kiss turning hungry, both of you chasing the feeling, lost in the closeness. His hands wandered, sliding down to your waist, fingers digging in slightly as if he needed to ground himself, to keep from getting completely lost in you.

Your arms wrapped around his neck, fist tangled in his damp hair, pulling him down even closer as you deepened the kiss, your lips moving together with a heat that sent electricity coursing through your veins. Every brush of his lips, every little movement, felt like it was setting something inside you alight. His mouth, his touch, the sound of his breath mixing with yours—it was all you could think about.

But then, just as the kiss reached a fever pitch, the door creaked open.

“When’s dinner gonna be rea— Oh, shit,” Denji’s voice pierced through the haze of your kiss, making your entire body jolt in surprise. He paused, voice lazy but amused. “Didn’t know you guys were getting freaky in here.”

Aki groaned, like shit like this was a frequent occurrence in this household, and threw the blanket over you to shield you from his roommate’s prying gaze. “What happened to knocking? ”

“Does Himeno know about you guys?” He asked. “It seemed like she did toda–”

“Denji,” Aki gritted out, rolling onto his butt and pointing at the door. “ Out. ”

“Fine,” Denji sighed, not moving from his spot, “If you’re gonna bang, do it quietly this time.”

“Do you want to starve?” He retorted.

“You’ll starve too, asshole,” Denji popped his hip out. “Some of us are injured. ”

Aki hissed, “You’re gonna have much worse than a busted leg if you don’t get out of my room.”

They’re like children, these two, you thought, but chose not to voice it.

“Alright, damn , sorry,” He conceded. “Can you make curry? Please?”

Aki’s gaze flickered from you to Denji, clearly weighing his options. The moment was already ruined, and you could see the gears turning in his head. He let out a low sigh, rubbing the back of his neck before meeting Denji’s gaze with a dry expression.

“Will you piss off if I do?” Aki asked, deadpan, his voice tinged with exasperation.

Denji shrugged, grinning lazily as he leaned against the doorframe. “I can try.”

Aki stared at Denji for a moment, as if he was weighing whether it was even worth the trouble. With a sigh, he pushed himself up from the bed, glancing at you briefly before heading for the door. As he slipped off the bed, he leaned down just enough for his voice to reach your ears, low and steady.

“ This isn’t over, ” he murmured, his eyes flicking to your lips for a beat before he turned and walked out, leaving you sitting there with your heart racing.

As soon as Aki was gone, Denji gave you his usual lazy grin, completely oblivious to the tension that still hung in the air. “Hi, by the way,” he quipped, wiggling his fingers in a half-hearted wave before stepping out and closing the door behind him.

You sighed, cheeks still warm, but a small smile crept onto your face. Typical Denji.

After taking a second to steady yourself, you got up and followed Aki down the hall. When you reached the kitchen, he was already there, pulling two cans of beer from the fridge. He cracked them open with practiced ease, the soft hiss of carbonation filling the quiet space.

Without a word, he handed you one, his earlier promise still lingering in the air between you, the cold bottle brushing your fingers. “Here,” he said, his voice a little softer now that it was just the two of you again.

“Thanks,” you murmured, taking a sip. The cold liquid slid down your throat, a welcome contrast to the heat still lingering in your body from earlier.

Aki leaned against the counter, his shoulders relaxing as he took a swig of his own beer. He didn’t say anything at first, just stood there beside you, the two of you wrapped in a comfortable silence. The tension from the bedroom had faded, replaced by the easy calm that always seemed to settle in when it was just the two of you, no interruptions.

After a moment, he glanced over at you, his lips twitching into a small smile. “I don’t know who he thinks he is,” he said, a little amused. “ Hi, by the way ,” Then, “Fuckin’ ankle biter.”

You raised an eyebrow, taking another sip. “What? You mad he interrupted us?”

“Maybe.” He deadpanned, his eyes softening as he looked at you. “Is curry fine with you?”

“Sounds perfect.” You smiled.

A/N: [pornhub lady voice] If you liked chapter 12... you'll LOVE chapter 13....... you know i hate to blue ball yall. thats why i wont!! stay tuned!!!! again, comment and talk to me, wya, i missed yall. how r u? howd u like the chapter??? what do u wanna see in the story?????? tell me everything omg. also HAPPY HALLOWEEN BITCHZZZZZZ !!! i'm gonna get wasted as little bo peep. wish me luck -- if my man lays it down who knows i might be inspired to write a smutty chapter about it. (stay tuned) seriously though take care yall!! i'm so glad to be back!!! kisses and hugs xx

credits: UNKOWN ATM. I found the cover pic on pinterest unfortch. If you know the artist, please let me know, so I can credit them properly for their work!!! This is NOT MY BEAUTIFUL DRAWINGGG. I obviously do not own csm or anything related to it. please do not reproduce, copy, or translate my works anywhere. dont fk w me im a bruja.

also: come find me on my wattpad if u wanna interact more!

taglist: @mitsuyeahhh , @sleepysnk , @enneadec , @noaabean , @em1e , @drakensdarling , @bertholdts--butt , @satanlovesusall666 , @mitsuwuyaa , @noctifule , @scaraphobia , @ask-the-insect-hashira , @lovingranchturkeyweasel , @bontensbabygirl , @slvdsjjk , @novacrystalli , @hanmastattoos , @kodzuksn , @hqtiny , @ohmaiscool15 , @redlittlequeen , @leivane , @goldeneagles-posts , @yeahblahlame , @no-oneelsebutnsu , @cookiesandcreammy , @cawwn , @the-haitani-baton , @littlelovebug98 , @armani78 , @mindurownbussines , @kokos-property , @violetmatcha , @hp-simp505 , @acethebrave , @mitsuyeahhh , @sleepysnk , @enneadec , @noaabean , @em1e , @drakensdarling , @bertholdts--butt , @satanlovesusall666 , @mitsuwuyaa , @noctifule , @scaraphobia , @ask-the-insect-hashira , @lovingranchturkeyweasel , @bontensbabygirl , @slvdsjjk , @novacrystalli , @hanmastattoos , @kodzuksn , @hqtiny , @ohmaiscool15 , @redlittlequeen , @leivane , @goldeneagles-posts , @yeahblahlame , @no-oneelsebutnsu , @cookiesandcreammy , @cawwn , @the-haitani-baton , @littlelovebug98 , @armani78 , @mindurownbussines , @kokos-property , @violetmatcha , @hp-simp505

wanna join the taglist? | shameless ; chapter index

[anarcowboy]

Boiling it down to any single factor is a mistake when it's a soup of dogshit

--there was substantial decrease in voter turnout between 2020 and 2024. more voters than 2016 tho, and still a popular loss. Woof. 3rd party votes did not make a difference and even if all "other", Stein, AND libertarian votes went to Harris she'd still lose (libertarian pulled from Trump more than Harris)

--running to the right of Trump on various issues normalized conservative policy, so those who they attempted to court could get the same results from Trump without having to vote blue

--those they attempted to court are also, yes, a lot of racists and misogynists. The Black vote was almost unanimously in favor of Harris. Just wildly strong polling. The Latino/Latina vote was split, men leaned Trump and women leaned Harris. The white vote skewed pretty strongly to Trump. Failing to ever address white supremacy and instead court it will never make a woman of color appeal to these people, no matter how "lethal military strong border" fascist you try to be

--Harris's campaign ruthlessly belittled her constituents. They refused to speak with people, canceled meetings, mocked them, and tried to make a fool of people in mourning, scared, devastated, yet still ready to vote for her if she gave them crumbs. She didn't. The campaign turned its back, like Clinton did before, on people willing to vote for her if she put any effort into getting their votes. But like in 2016, Schumer was confident you could replace blue collar dems with suburban republicans. it failed. twice. The whole campaign trail has been littered with contempt for their own base. Harris didn't even speak at her own rally last night and sent everyone home.

--2020 has shifted us into an era of extremism and desperation. People are angry. People are scared. Multiple people have tried to kill trump in the last few months. Many voted for him not because they like him but because they have contempt for Harris, whether reasonable or bigoted varies across the board.

--Even as min wage hikes pass, abortion passes, social security expansion passes, and "radical" politicians like Omar and Tlaib win re-elections in the same exact places Harris loses, anchors blame progressive policy for her downfall. Even now, the marginalized people used as pawns by her campaign are being thrown to the wolves for her loss.

--The dems never learn from a loss. They are a center-right party with substantial hatred for progressive policy even as progressive policy polls as wildly popular among the masses. They loathe their base, while Republicans are willing to kiss the asses of theirs.

--Trump will fail to meet all the expectations placed on him, and his base will become angry. Then rather than ever run a platform to help working class americans, marginalized people in substantial and lasting ways, the dems will court those disillusioned by Trump, until they fail to wow them next time and a new fascist runs.

--The two party system does not work, especially when both are right-wing. Trump is not the sole issue and never was. He's convenient cover. Biden is too weak to do anything, then Trump will be too powerful to stop. It repeats forever. But this dance is crumbling for people. Something is breaking and people are tired of it. We have always been a fascist nation that is rapidly becoming more fascist, and unless something truly radical on the left becomes a possibility for dems that can grab the masses and inspire hope--like say, Bernie Sanders--then we are doomed to slide ever right-ward forever until collapse. But hey, the dems certainly wouldn't sabotage and kill a movement like Bernie's, right?

To sum up: we are in a fucked up time where we refuse to reckon with our past and white supremacy and instead cater to it and then have the nerve to be shocked it bites you once again. In politics and in life you cannot appeal to white supremacy, it is a snake to defeat.

Organize, find solidarity, fight, and god while you need to stop bending over for your enemy, you'd maybe be inclined to learn from them, understand them, and realize the way to defeating them has always been with force and a "fuck you I'm here to stay" attitude.

Electoral politics are never the beginning or end of what politics is. The presidential election is even a very small part of that process. Support community work protecting the people neither party will, support organizations working to undo the harm of these parties, and stop seeing this as a team sport with black and white villains and heroes where one side of a corrupt system represents the good guys and so surely their loss can only come from Evil Forces and not a system performing as designed.

[qqueenofhades]

I completely understand if you don’t feel comfortable answering this, but my mind is spiraling out of control and you’re the only person I know with the level of knowledge to where I can feel comfortable asking this without getting some form of “bla bla we live in a safe state don’t worry.”

I’m sincerely wondering if I need to be making plans to leave the country in the event of November bringing the most horrible of outcomes despite our best efforts (and yes I’m planning to vote blue in everything I can); as a AFAB in CA?

I know about project 2025. I’m terrified. Forgive my pop culture reference, but I feel like a version of Princess Zelda staring down a barrel of possible doom while everyone around me is like “nah that future you literally had a nightmare about where they made it illegal for a woman to have a bank account without a guy co-signing it and took the money from everyone who didn’t comply by a certain date isn’t even a possibility!”

I’m just confused about my life and am trying to take it day by day, and exercising every right while I still have it to prevent this outcome, but it feels weird making plans and retirement accounts and just general Setting Up Adult Life And Future Things™️……while wondering if I even have a future in this place at all and I’m just making it harder to escape if need be.

I’m sorry I’m rambling, and I guess I don’t know what I’m asking since no one has a crystal ball.

But I guess, it’s stuff like how much can the feds effect state’s policies? Is it possible for them to immediately block international travel for all women practically upon inauguration? How much time would I even have to gtfo if the worst begins?

Bc honestly this whole thing feels like the lead in to a very nasty chapter of a history book, and even though I have hope we’ll have another blue tsunami, it can be hard to try and figure things out when it feels like there’s barely any historical precedent for any of it.

Welp. Okay. First of all, I am giving you a comforting hug, I am walking with you to your favorite coffee shop, I am paying for your favorite beverage and also a baked goodie of your choice, and we are sitting down in a corner where we can talk honestly. So that's where I want you to imagine us having this conversation.

To start with, yes, I completely understand this feeling of utter, paralyzing doom, where I am trying to go about my daily life and make plans for my career and carry out daily tasks and Be Responsible while there's still just this total void beyond the end of the year, the utter impossibility of knowing if we will have dodged an absolutely massive bullet and finally be safe (since if Trump loses again he is 100% going to jail in the next four years) or, well. You know. That is a very hard way to live, when you're wondering if anything is going to matter and you can't see beyond that black cloud of fear on the horizon. It sucks you down and tells you that nothing is worth doing now in case it just gets so much worse. I am not going to tell you not to feel that. We all do. We are all scared. That in and of itself is a perfectly normal way to feel.

However, there are things you can do both now and if (I repeat, if) God absolutely forbid, the worst was to happen (again). First of all, we have already lived through a Trump presidency once. It was terrible and scary and awful and demoralizing as fuck, but we can do it again if we absolutely Goddamn fucking have to (once, again, God forbid). Second, you are currently about as safe as you could be in California. Newsom has proven himself to be smart, tough, able to run rings around Republicans, and unwilling to comply with their stupid performative-cruelty directives. He's not a saint or a magician, but you don't need that; you need a shrewd politician able to fight back, and he has proven himself willing and capable of doing that. So as long as he is governor, you're going to be more safe than not, and I'd also like to ask all the shrieking Online Leftists if, should the shit go down, they would rather live in a state with a Democratic governor who will fight Trump 2.0 every step of the way, or a Republican governor who will just roll over and obey. (But that would destroy their BOTH PARTIES ARE THE SAME talking point, so you know.)

Next of all, even if the Republicans are doing their best impression, America in 2024 isn't Germany in 1934. There are different tools, different ways to fight back, and different awarenesses/social media/visibility factors. I also need everyone to remember that just as Biden can't just sign an executive order and fix everything everywhere, Trump can't just sign an executive order and fuck everything everywhere, just like that with no more discussion ever. He tried that last time, it generally didn't work, and trust me, at least this time nobody is sleeping on the danger he poses. His candidacy in 2016 was dismissed as a long-shot joke that nobody took seriously until it was too late, and for better or worse, people aren't doing that this time. He will be sued instantly, incredibly, and repeatedly with everything his band of wannabe fascists try, and since we have had four years of Biden fixing the courts from where Trump trashed them, that does mean something. There is no scenario where even if he does issue some outrageous order against women, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, etc (which to be clear, I'm sure he would try) it would just be carried out completely, immediately, and with no feasible way to stop it. Evil is evil, but it is also stupid, clueless, determined to hurt people just for the hell of it without any regard for what is possible or which will be allowed, and there's a lot more grey area in there than just "Trump says something terrible and it's instantly done, the end."

Once again, I'm not going to say that the worst-case scenario is not possible, but I don't think it's likely, and even if that does happen, there are ways for us to survive and fight back (again). Nobody wants it and it should not have to be asked of us due to the utter collapse of the social, civic, political, and intellectual fabric of this country thanks to the TrumpCult, but once again... these people are so loud and dangerous and cruel and stupid because they are in the minority. Etc. etc. polls are garbage, but we did just have an interesting piece of empirical data from the Iowa caucuses. Trump -- in one of the whitest, most rural, most conservative, most religious, most Trump-loving states in the country -- struggled to break 50%. Almost half of a rabid Republican fully-Trumpized electorate, among the diehards sufficiently motivated to get out and caucus in extreme freezing weather, voted for someone else (Haley and DeSantis took about 20% apiece). Now, no, we don't know how that will translate to the general election, and if registered Republicans will flock back to the nominee even if it's Trump, but as almost half of Haley voters said they would vote for Biden if it was a Biden-Trump matchup in the general, there is some sense that Trump is an aberration to their otherwise ironclad party loyalty. Now, Republicans are the fucking worst and nobody should be relying on them to save us; we still need to get out and vote for Democrats with all our might. But Trump is no longer barn-burningly popular even in core Trump heartland, and it'll be interesting to see how things go in future primaries.

My point is: I know the feeling that evil is awful and unstoppable and all-powerful, and will crush our lives and our futures no matter what we do to resist it. I really, really do. But Trump is a terrible candidate, he's running literally only to keep himself out of a long, long prison sentence, and if he had crushed the Iowa caucuses regardless, we might be having a different conversation. However, we need to remember that it is possible, again (God forbid) in the worst scenario, to resist, to live, and to win. Everyone who is motivated to work for a better world will still be here. Everyone who can help you and all of us will still be here. And there are more of us than there are of them. Yes, I do understand the feeling that we need to have contingency plans in place, I do absolutely know that it could get very bad, and all that (as you say, nobody has a crystal ball). But for now, I want you to take a deep breath, try to take this day by day, and remember that this is not a crushing and inevitable future that will sweep over you and destroy you without you (or any other person of good will) having a say in the matter. You still have agency, you still have the ability to protect yourself, and you still have others who will protect you in turn. You're not alone. The bad guys want you to think that, because when you're isolated and terrorized, you're easier to pick off and/or recruit into their cult. But you're not.

In conclusion: "What are we holding onto, Sam?"

[imsobadatnicknames2]

wrt your post about US elections influencing the whole world and the "European privilege" we exhibit: yes and? The dogshit american empire rules us. Before them it was the soviets. Before that it was the nazis and before them it the austrians and hungarians and turks. What is your fucking point? we KNOW your ratfucker private-sector-imported political class is salivating to make us work 7 days a week for 14 hours, and cook us in our cities by burning 30 trillion times more petrol. We have to see your fucking politicians' faces on every social media site and be swamped with gofundmes for black folks shot dead by your SS policemen. Are you trying to say politics is a distraction from labour disputes? WHAT? It's the same. Politics IS labour dispute. None of us are free until we all are, we KNOW. FUCK. Like no bitch, we KNOW the IMF is fucking us in the ass because a bunch of US economists normalized the Ayn Rand ideas of market capitalism 50 years ago. Yeah we would machinegun them for christmas if we could but we CAN'T. We can't even vote for the slightly less gaza genociding party but you can. SO SHUT UP! Don't you fucking understand we're governed by your economic power with no recourse or representation? That everything comes from you because you're at the top? Even fucking LEFTISM is INFESTED by tankie shitheads from america whose only idea of communism is that it must be good because they've reversed american exceptionalism in their heads and think anything opposing the US must be better? I can't even go online without some redfash LA shithead telling me about the virtues of Ho Chi Minh and Ceaușescu. GOD. If Trump pulls NATO out of europe Putin will be at my doorstep TOMORROW. Shut the FUCK up about europeans complaining that you english ratfucker colonists are governing us. Vote blue no matter who, strike, kill your bosses, guillotine your politicians and maybe our children - which we wont have - can live in peace one day. And for the love of gun-toting truck-driving hillbilly american Jesus shut the FUCK up and let europeans complain. CHRIST.

I love when I get five paragraphs long asks that can be completely invalidated with the following words:

I live in the global south.

[ysabelmystic]

Spent some time trying to see if there was any logical reasoning amongst the Americans refusing to vote for Biden and honestly, not seeing any. There seems to be a complete inability to think ahead.

Honestly, ask yourself:

1) is trump going to be better for Palestine than Biden?

The answer is no. Fuck no.

2) is there anything you can do personally to help Palestinians?

Donate money and protest. Are people being attacked for exercising their free speech on the matter? Yes, and that will continue to happen, possibly to a more extreme extent, under Trump. This country sucks ass.

So all they’re really doing by trying to punish the Democratic Party is convincing themselves that they will avoid having blood on their hands. Somehow, this same logic does not apply to them when it comes to the inevitable outcome, which, since there is no viable third party option, is that republicans win. I guess the republicans can do whatever they want to Americans, Palestinians, and people around the world, and these arrogant, “well read” fools will continue to pat themselves on the back, saying that America was already fascist anyways, that this couldn’t be prevented, that America deserves to fall actually, that voting does nothing, and aren’t they just so enlightened and moral for using “the real tools of the revolution” (which is almost always something that they aren’t willing to do themselves). If 2016 and 2020 taught them nothing, I suppose they’ll be harping on about it until the internet gets shut down.

It’s not a “Zionist take” to want my community to live. This isn’t a choice between Palestinians and Americans who aren’t cishet white men. This is a choice between shit staying the same amount of fucked and possibly improving, and full blown Christian nationalism. I’m guessing most of these people don’t know what that is. They probably didn’t grow up around it and they probably don’t live around it. They probably live in blue states or very blue cities and haven’t experienced right wing religious people consistently enough to really understand the extent of that threat. Or maybe they don’t care about themselves enough to feel like they have skin in the game at all (so fuck the rest of us I suppose).

Grit your teeth and vote for Biden, and if you think you’re too good for it and Trump wins, I hope you experience the fallout in the most direct way possible. If basic logic doesn’t work, maybe some personal experience will, that is, assuming you’ll still be able to vote in 2028.

[kickthecan-revolution]

So there's going to be a lot of rambly posts from me. Feel free to skip.

One other insight I have today is how big of a difference between self-flagellation and humility. A massive Grand Canyon of difference. Humility makes it easier to read and listen to hard truths and there's a kind of liberation within it that isn't about the sender of the message, but the message itself and how it resonates. I've always treated Tumblr like a journal, people reading it isn't something I initially think about, though I like validation just like anyone else. I guess that's why there's always so many typos in what I write, I do it quickly, spilling whatever I am thinking or feeling into the entry, rarely even going back and reading it again. But the people do matter, you all are a big part of my offline thought and I take what you say seriously.

One thing I'm reading on repeat today is the danger of separation. I see the "if you voted for Trump, remove yourself from my life". The 4B movement. To me, these are both symptoms of panic where the easiest and safest thing to do is make the world smaller and more secure. I had a moment like that yesterday, the contractor who is helping me with Alki told my sister what an impassioned Trump supporter he is and how thankful he is that he won. I instantly wanted to fire him, I didn't want him anywhere near my house. And then quickly after that, I thought about how kind he is in so many ways, how much he loves my sister and how complicated his life is - he's shy, not confident with others and would likely not rate super high on the IQ scale. He's a lot of things but I felt repulsed to let him into my house, and then I was grossed out by my reaction.

So really, how much of my rage is grounded in empathy and what parts aren't. What am I really afraid of? Yes, I'm afraid of a cancer reoccurrence and not being able to get health care and there's no way I will never not be able to afford insurance. I own two homes - my fear isn't grounded in reality. I'm not as vulnerable. I'm scared of evil and a lot of the evil in Conservative Christianity, in white men and women freaks me out, so I know I am reacting to that being in control of a lot. Trying to be honest about all of this is the only path out of it.

I also live in a State where gay marriage was just embedded into our State constitution and we voted for Harris but we're just fine with imprisoned people working for nothing and we didn't pass minimum wage. And now Gavin Newsom is picking a fight with Trump when our state wants to penalize shoplifters more who are literally stealing to survive from companies that primarily care about shareholder value, mine included. So what is liberalism anyway? What is a "Blue" state? If you really read, a lot of Trump supporters voted because they can't afford groceries. And why wouldn't you blame people in charge for that. I door dash a lot of food and eat it over a couple of days, I waste less that way but I'm cooking more and bought some stuff to make a bolognese sauce. The ground beef was THIRTY DOLLARS for 1.5lbs. I can afford it - what about people who can't? Does anyone understand a tariff? I'd venture a guess that just as many Harris supporters don't understand how it works and how we'll pay for it as Trump supporters.

I feel pretty powerful in my hatred. It keeps me safe. It also keeps me pretty deluded. This is a lot to unpack and the loss is big enough where these insights won't be fleeting.

[compassionatereminders]

Content Warning: U.S. presidential election (an attempt to offer hope)

~

Saw a couple asks related to the U.S. election & want to chime in, in case this brings anyone else hope or at least a reprieve/moment to breathe.

It is (unfortunately) typical for in-person votes in most states to be primarily Republican. That said, most states are still counting mail-in ballots (or even accept them up to 4 days late). Also, some states may be forced to extend that window due to disaster-affected late mail-in votes*.

It is increasingly common for Democrats/leftists to vote by mail, NOT in person, & all the current statistics show is in-person (and maybe a couple early mail-ins, but definitely not all of them).

This election isn’t won yet, though those of us who are at risk (LGBT+, women, BIPOC, etc.) are holding our breath too.

(I’ve heard my college professors (all happen to be in at-risk categories unfortunately— 3 women, & one nonwhite Hispanic man) repeatedly say “please vote”. As a nonprofit school they’re not legally allowed to tell us who for, but my Human Development teacher mentioned having “a contingency plan” & the urgency/fear from all of them really says enough.)

(* a potential relief but for a terrible reason - some of our ballot boxes were lit on fire (literally), so many mail-in voters will be counted even later in the delay of voting twice, & some mail-in ballots were fraudulently rejected & may have to be redone, so to catch up on those...)

Essentially, it takes 4 to 10 days for an election to actually be won (no matter when/if Trump tries to claim he won, which may be preemptive as it was last time).

As a person who will have to flee the country if this goes to Trump, I’ve been keeping an anxious eye on the votes thus far. I hope this (my last thread of sanity) can offer some of you comfort as well—or at least a moment to breathe & make plans for either situation, because let’s be real...Trump’s supporters will likely pitch a fit again if he loses.

Neither win will be pretty, but one of them winning (y’all know who) puts millions to billions of people worldwide at risk. (/terrified, stressed)

I’m going to keep checking anxiously for the next 10 days. But hopefully it swings blue and we can all breathe 😭

~💜

Yes, as far as I am aware this is true. There is lots of things to criticize about how US elections work, but we should not make any final conclusions before the final result arrives.