#we KNOW joe will destroy us

[behindthesefangirleyes]

Alice: Love! Pain! Healing!

Me, a whimpering mess on the floor: … okay

[violet-phoenix-nebula]

I don't give a flying rat's ass how much you hate Joe Biden.

I don't give a flying rat's ass how you feel about Kamala Harris.

You need to suck it the fuck up and vote for him her in November.

I don't like it either, trust me, but this is the ticket that's being put in front of us.

So go out, vote Harris Biden, then go home and get shit faced after if you need to.

But for fucks sake don't let this entire country turn into a goddamn dictatorship.

And for the love of fuck DON'T SKIP IT!

Edit 7/21/24 - Well...

[khaotunq]

TYPECAST: Khaotung Thanawat edition

[technofeudalism]

sorry, but i'm going to get a little grim here.

i have seen more dead children and dismembered bodies on social media in the last year and a half than any other period in my lifetime. Gaza has been destroyed. homelessness in the US is at an all-time high. COVID tore through virtually every community like wildfire because Joe decided we had to get back to work ASAP. there have been 107 $1 billion-dollar natural disaster events since 2020 including the most destructive wildfires in the history of Texas, California, Hawaii and New Mexico. several entire cities burned to the ground. several more were completely wiped off the map in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and more by floods and hurricanes and tornadoes. there have been 339 shootings on K-12, college and university property since 2020. there have been 3,100+ mass shooting incidents total since 2020. outside of 2021, every year had a massive number of layoffs, especially in technology. i was one of those layoffs.

this is why people get so angry when people who ride or die for the Democratic party engage in fantasy thinking about how perfect the world is whenever someone with a blue (D) next to their name is running things. the world has been more chaotic, violent and hard to look at in the last 4 years than most of my lifetime. i know this to be true for most people. so when ideologically purist liberals start talking like this, i completely tune out and so does 99% of the public. that's why no one takes the party seriously. we're not living in the same reality.

[wilwheaton]

President-elect Donald Trump will come into office next year with four extra slots to fill on the federal bench, thanks to a deal Senate Republicans struck with Democrats. Republicans agreed to relent on their procedural warfare waged in recent days in an attempt to thwart the confirmation of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees to lifetime appointments in his final weeks in office. In exchange for the GOP allowing lower-level district court nominees to receive quicker votes, Senate Democrats will not move forward with confirming four higher-level circuit court picks and saving the positions for Trump to fill. Both sides spun the arrangement as a win-win: Republicans will guarantee slots for Trump judges, and Democrats will save valuable floor time on fighting for nominees they were unsure could be confirmed.

Trump scores win on judges from Senate GOP despite attendance problems

I’m old enough to remember Democrats “keeping our powder dry” during the entirety of the GW Bush years, while the entire — literally the entire — Democratic base was screaming for them to do anything to reign him in.

So when I see Durbin pull this shit, I am both entirely unsurprised, and also furious. They all told us, again and again, that if Trump wins, our entire country and everything it means will be destroyed. I happen to believe that is true, but I don’t know that they did (or care that they will be affected, too).

Because if they did believe that the entire American Experiment was on the line, they would be doing what the GOP in North Carolina is doing, and what Republicans do every single time they lose their majority: exploit every loophole, push every boundary, use every single tool, no matter how cynically, to push through as much of their agenda as they can, and make it as hard as possible for the incoming majority to enact their agenda. Use the tools you have to protect and expand your policies, and let the winners complain about it, because policy is what matters.

Instead, we get a bunch of Model UN dorks who want to write stern letters and wring their hands at the lack of comity, while the Republicans are walking around setting the entire building on fire.

Durban, Schumer, and all the elder Democrats have got to go. We’ve tried it their way since the 90s, and look where it has gotten us. Get out of the way and let younger Democrats who aren't afraid of being disinvited from country club parties and fancy DC dinners do the work we sent you all to Washington to do.

[yelenasbraid]

lover — joe burrow

summary — joe’s only clingy when you’re around

warnings — fem!reader, so much sweetness you’ll get a cavity, joe being clingy, not proofread + rushed writing lol

tags — @wickedfun9 @starsinthesky5 @blairsworld22 @softburrow @joeyfranchise @willowsnook @iosivb9 @ebsmind @joeburrowshaircurl (comment/send an ask if you wanna be added!)

note — whipped this up in like two hours because we need some fluff in this tag. it’s getting absolutely ridiculous. mind y’all’s business. ANYWAYS enjoy!

JOE LOVED WHENEVER you worked from home. It meant that you were there when he left, and there when he came back. Joe wasn't the type of person — or boyfriend for that matter — to tell you you couldn't work. But whenever you worked from home, it was like a little treat for him.

The two of you were sat on the couch, friends softly playing on the tv in the background. Joe sat next to you, iPad in hand, reviewing film. He wore a loose t-shirt and sweats, funky spongebob socks adorning his feet. He was snuggled right up next to you, his shoulder squished against yours. He was leaning on you, and of course you didn't mind, not until he started to push you over.

“Babe, you're pushing me over,” you giggled, shoving him back a little with your shoulder.

“No, I’m not,” he argued with a pout, letting up anyways. You rolled your eyes, returning your attention to your laptop screen. You sent a few emails, while also replying to a few. It wasn't long before Joe had his body weight against you again.

“Joey, baby, I can't use my arm when you're putting all 200 pounds against it,” you laughed, and he only shrugged. That was Joe’s plan; he wanted you all to himself.

“Maybe that's the plan,” he gave you a cheesy grin, making you give him a look.

“You are such a distraction,”

“Oh I can be a distraction,” he wiggled his eyebrows at you. You knew what he meant even without the wiggling of the eyebrows. Even though you were working from home, you still had work to do. You couldn't just go wherever whenever. That part Joe didn't seem to understand, or maybe he did, he just liked being annoying.

“I’m well aware,” you agreed. Some other things were done, and the warmth of the atmosphere covering you like a blanket. Joe adjusted, laying his back against your shoulder, spreading his legs across the length of the couch.

“You're annoying, you know that?”

“You love me,” he smugly replied, his eyes trained on his film. He usually watched it on his laptop in the seclusion of his office, but today was one of those days. He clung to you like velcro, never wanting to leave your side. It wasn't every day that he was like velcro, but Joe found peace in your presence. You weren't always demanding something of him, applying pressure to him, or criticizing his every move. You provided a safe space for him, and he never wanted to leave it.

“Yes, yes I do,” you hummed, kissing the top of his head. Your hand left your laptop, snaking over Joe’s shoulder and landing on his chest. You patted his chest, running your hand up and down. Your hand went up to his face, grabbing his chin and wiggling his head around. You smirked, wiping your hand all over his face, causing a giggle to erupt out of Joe.

“What’re you doing?” he asked, moving your hand from his face back to his chest.

“Two can play at being annoying,” you hummed, kissing the top of his head again. You caught a whiff of his shampoo, well, your shampoo.

“You're using my shampoo,” you stated, causing Joe to flip around and face you. He flipped his bottom lip and shrugged.

“It smells better than mine,” he argued, placing his iPad on the coffee table. He rested his head on your shoulder, wrapping his arms around your middle. No one ever saw him this way. No one ever saw the soft side of Joe Burrow. They always saw the cool, hard exterior. The man who is always ready to destroy. Joe-cool. He let that wall down around you, showing his soft and clingy side. If his friends ever saw him like this, he would never hear the end of it.

“Of course it does,” you laughed. Your arm wrapped around Joe, running up and down his arm. Your nails grazed his tan skin, sending warm prickles down his body. You still read something for work, but your hand absently moved across Joe’s body. Up his arm, to his hair, down his neck. There was nothing sexual about it, and he didn't feel that vibe, he just melted further into you and squeezed you a little tighter.

His face was buried into the sleeve of your sweatshirt, his eyes watching you work. He watched the computer screen, how you read articles and emails, responded to said emails, set up events. He watched you work, keeping in your element.

“What’re you doing?” He asked, his words muffled by the fabric of your sweatshirt.

“I’m setting up an event for some of the higher-ups. They wanted me to make sure they had the things they needed,” you explained, peering down at him. He looked so cozy, his hair soft and clean, his body completely relaxed against yours. He looked comfortable and at peace, which were feelings that were hard to come by nowadays.

“But you're not a secretary,”

“No, but they're still my bosses,” you reminded him, only to earn a slight eye roll from him. He watched you until the clock ran to 5, which marked the end of your workday. Joe was the one who closed your laptop, making you laugh.

“Impatient, are we?” you laughed, making Joe smile up at you and shrug.

“Your laptop gets more attention than I do,” he mumbled, making you laugh.

“Guess I should make it up then, huh,” you hummed in his ear, which made him sit up and look at you with anticipation.

“Yes, yes you should,” he smiled and he immediately kissed you, hard and fast, making you smile. Threading your hands through his hair, you moved your lips effortlessly against his. He pulled away, resting his forehead against yours.

“Very eager, I see,” you teased, making Joe blush and attack your neck with kisses. You giggled, kicking your feet as you attempted to thwart his tickling. You loved working from home, and Joe loved it too.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Trump’s Tiktok two-step is a lesson for future presidents

I'm about to leave for a 20+ city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me on Feb 14 in BOSTON for FREE at BOSKONE , and on Feb 15 for a virtual event with YANIS VAROUFAKIS. More tour dates here.

Remember the Tiktok ban? I know, it was ten million years ago (in Musk years, anyway), so it may have slipped your mind, but let me remind you: Congress passed a law saying Tiktok was banned. Trump said he wouldn't enforce the law. The end.

No, really. I mean, sure, there's a bunch of bullshit about whether Trump will pick up the ban again after Tiktok's grace period ends, depending on whether they sell themselves to his creepy wax museum pal Larry Ellison. Maybe he will. Maybe Tiktok'll buy so many trumpcoins that he forgets about. Whatevs.

The important thing here is: Congress passed a (stupid) law and Trump said, "I've decided not to enforce that law" and then that was it:

https://prospect.org/justice/2025-01-31-trump-administration-test-supreme-court-tiktok/

Sure, there's some big rule of law/checks and balances/separation of powers problems here, and there are plenty of laws I'm mad about Trump not enforcing (like the law that says corporations can't bribe foreign governments, say). But this one? Sure, it's fine. The problem with Tiktok is that it invades our privacy in creepy ways, not that it is owned by a Chinese company. I don't want Zuck or Musk or (especially) Trump invading my privacy.

Congress hasn't passed a consumer privacy law since 1988, when they banned video store clerks from telling newspapers about your VHS viewing habits. That's why Tiktok is a problem. Pass that law, and if any president decides not to enforce it, I'll be mad as hell and I'll be right there in the streets next to you, in head-to-toe CV dazzle, with all my distraction rectangles in Faraday pouches, shlepping a placard bearing the Social Security Numbers of every Cabinet member in giant writing.

But the point is, the president defied Congress, which is a thing that Very Serious Grownups told us radicals Joe Biden mustn't do under any circumstances, lest the resulting constitutional crisis tear the country apart, or, at the very least, alienate so many voters that Donald Trump would become the next president.

We let Very Serious Grownups call the shots, and Donald Trump is president. Maybe we should stop listening to Very Serious Grownups?

Look, presidents ignore Congress's laws all the time. The Comstock Act (which effectively bans transporting pornography and contraception) is almost entirely ignored, and has been for generations (though Trump's creepy Heritage Foundation puppetmasters have promised to bring it back). The Robinson-Patman Act hasn't been enforced since the Reagan years, which is a damned shame, because Robinson-Patman would put Walmart, Amazon, Dollartree and Dollar General out of business (Biden started to enforce Robinson-Patman again during his last year in office):

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/14/the-price-is-wright/#enforcement-priorities

I'm not trying to say that enforcing (or ignoring) the Comstock Act is the same as ignoring (or enforcing) the Robinson-Patman Act. The Comstock Act is bad, and the Robinson-Patman Act is good. I am capable of making that moral judgment, and I would like to have a president who does the same.

The fear about Trump ignoring the laws and procedures is justified, but not because of the damage he's doing to laws and procedures – it's because of the damage he's doing to the people of this country and the world.

Take the records that Trump has destroyed – vital data about public health and other subjects (thankfully, most of this was saved from destruction by the Internet Archive). The most important fact about that act of destruction is the harm that will result from it, not the failure to follow procedure.

There are plenty of times in which I am OK with people ignoring the law and destroying records. In 1943, Dutch guerrillas bombed the civil registry building in Amsterdam, to keep the records of where Jews and other disfavored minorities lived out of the hands of occupying Nazis. The firefighters on the scene kept their hoses running until any paper that hadn't been burned was reduced to slurry:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1943_Amsterdam_civil_registry_office_bombing

I'm fine with destroying records that wicked, vicious authoritarians would use to harm my neighbors.

Remember when Biden tried to cancel student debt? He could have started off by destroying the records of who owed what, so when the courts overturned his administrative action, it would have been hard or impossible to collect on the debts that were still held on federal books, or whose records the feds had (no, I'm not suggesting that Nazi death camp deportations are equivalent to unjust student debt collections, but if you agree that sometimes it's OK to illegally destroy records, then all we're left with is haggling over the specifics).

Sure, this would have been a constitutional crisis, but, as Ryan Grim says, "It is apparently unconstitutional for the president to instruct the Department of Education to restructure and forgive some student loan debt but it is ok for DOGE chair Elon Musk to just get rid of the whole department. Anywho."

https://twitter.com/ryangrim/status/1888973174819164663?t=Cd8fl4FWjY5zsOlQWZGv4g

Canceling debt isn't forgiving debt. Student borrowers have been preyed upon by colleges and lenders. People who borrowed $79.000 and paid back $190,000 can somehow still owe $236,000 do not need to be forgiven, because (unlike Trump) they haven't sinned. Rather, their debts need to be canceled (like Trump):

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/04/kawaski-trawick/#strike-debt

Trump's shown us what a president should do when the courts get in their way: fight back. Worst case scenario is the court prevails, and a bunch of Fedsoc judges (up to and including the Supreme Court) set binding precedent that reduces the power of the president, which would be, you know, great. Best case scenario: Americans are freed from these crippling, fraudulent debts and, you know, vote for Democrats and against Trump, instead of staying home because they don't feel like the Democrats have their back.

Defying unjust court decisions isn't Trumpian – it's Rooseveltian. Roosevelt (following in Lincoln's footsteps) spent years discrediting and weakening the Supreme Court's power, using his bully pulpit to rob them of authority and build the political will to pack the court, which he was on the brink of doing when the Supreme Court surrendered:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/20/judicial-equilibria/#pack-the-court

Democrats developed an online organizing playbook, and it worked, so Republicans took it, improved on it, and won elections. Republicans have developed a devastatingly effective constitutional hardball playbook. Democrats should steal that playbook and run with it:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/10/18/states-rights/#cold-civil-war

I rang doorbells, made phone calls, and shelled out money for Democrats in the last cycle because I wanted them to do stuff that helps Americans, not because I wanted them to follow procedures. The fact that Trump is building offshore concentration camps and has deported our neighbors to them (to name just one of many cheap dystopian fanfics that Trump is LARPing) should be the kind of five-alarm fire that sent South Korean lawmakers scaling the barricades last month.

This is the kind of crisis where I'd expect Democrats on the Hill, at a minimum, to be refusing to give Trump and the GOP anything. Call quorum on every vote. Debate every amendment. Raise every objection. Vote against everyting. Do not confirm a single appointee. And any elected Dem that refuses to play along? Kick 'em out of the caucus. Oh, we can't afford to do that because we can't afford to lose a single lawmaker? How did that work out with Kirsten Synema and Joe Manchin? Shoulda kicked them out after the first vote, shoulda raised money for any real Dem willing to primary them. Should have shunned them in the hallways and refused to invite them to the Christmas parties. We should do that to Fetterman. Party unity got us nothing under Biden. Party unity got us Trump. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome isn't actually the formal definition of insanity, but it is nevertheless very, very stupid.

For the past four years, Very Serious Grownups in the Democratic machine kept telling us that we couldn't expect the president to do anything, or Congress to do anything, or the Senate to do anything, because the Republicans would stop them. Or the courts would stop them. Why fight when you know you're gonna lose? Because sometimes, you'll win. And even if you lose, you'll go down fighting.

Better yet, if you lose in just the right way, you'll force Trump's judges to take away powers from the President and the administrative agencies – take away the powers Trump is now wielding like a sledgehammer.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/11/you-and-what-army/#student-debt

[love-of-the-red-star]

That time I got reincarnated as an Aeon

Chapter One: Fuck it we ball!!

(Series)

Obligatory chapter warning: Violence (there’s a gunfight), description of blood, reader being a liiiitle dubious.

Maybe you shouldn’t have wondered how the crew even knew.

You had asked in the “acktually☝️” type of way— in layman’s terms, rather awkwardly.

Who could blame you? You were stuck in space with no human interaction for god knows how long with only your fellow eldritch horror looking gods that occasionally passed by for company.

Your brain may be incredibly big and fast now, but it didn’t mean you weren’t any less awkward. (Though you’re pretty sure you speak better than most of the Aeons— however, that’s just your opinion.)

“We could feel your energy.” That’s what Himeko said. “Well— our system did.”

“Okay?” You blinked, but then went cold when you realized having your energy levels out as Himeko told you meant that you were basically walking out with your fly open.

“The influx of energy isn’t allowing us to jump.” She added, and you understood now, it was like coming across a stellaron infested planet, except it’s worse because it’s God— one of them anyways, and not just some random piece of space cancer.

“Sorry.” You blurted out, then had an idea, wondering if that one bit in the show you watched in your world would help. “Can I get out of the train and excuse me for a bit? I’ll be right back, I’ll just uhhh… suck the energy in, if you know what I mean.” You pointed to the open door, and the stop that thankfully no one is occupying.

“Go ahead.” Himeko nodded, and you made your way out.

You took a deep breath and exhaled, then looked side to side to see if anyone is going to see what you’re pretty sure is going to be an embarrassing looking spectacle. Seeing as the coast was clear, you took a deep breath again and scrunched your face in concentration, adapting a kamekameha pose like Veldora had.

You then grasped at your energy that you now saw around you and crumpled it, until it became smaller and smaller to just enough to thankfully pass like a normal Joe.

A Joe that can fight, but a normal Joe regardless.

What you did was just basically return some of the energy you’ve poured into this projection back to your main body, not exactly holding it in. You’ve managed to succeed, thankfully without having to accidentally explode a planet.

You weren’t Nanook, and you weren’t going to plan becoming a 2.0 very soon. And now that you thought about it, you’re pretty sure they hate you— but when do they not hate anything enough to not destroy it?

Brushing your thoughts away, you returned to the parlor car, and Himeko blinked in surprise. “That was quick.” She told you.

“I know.” You said. “It was surprisingly easy.”

If she had seen what the hell you just did outside, she wasn’t going to say anything about it.

(You’re pretty sure she saw that, much to you wanting to shrivel on the inside like a raisin.)

“So uhh… anything else?”

Himself shook her head, then the parlor car door closed.

It was only the start of your journey.

————————

Seeing the stars through the window of the express had been a surreal experience. It’s strange, to be inside of a room— you almost forgot how it felt like to step on the ground or not smelling the radioactive scent of space. The parlor car smelled nice, nostalgic almost.

It was funny that you only took notice of that now when you were left to your thoughts in your projected body.

“I can’t believe I’m missing the smell of air freshener of all things.” You mumbled as you watched Pompom sweep the floors of the parlor.

Welt and Himeko were talking about something behind closed doors— probably about you. Honestly you can’t fault them for that, because even though you’d like to deny it, you were in fact a big deal.

A very big deal. An elephant, an obnoxious colored elephant, in the room.

You just hoped they’d come to a conclusion to give you time just enough to prove you mean well. And you really do mean well.

In the next 168 hours (god, that was such a weird way to call an entire week), you were assigned a room of your own.

In the game, you recalled there were only four rooms, but in this one, in reality, there were more. It would make sense, you thought as you observed your own room that’s still rather barren of decoration.

You could just think of what to place into it later.

Another 168 hours go by and you’re entertained by either the little music player in the parlor, or helping Pompom. You spoke to Himeko and Welt from time to time, but it felt Ike you were a bit… out of place. Now that you thought about it you realized they were far more mature than you were, and it wouldn’t be lie either.

While it was nice to have something close to a parental figure, you knew they couldn’t entertain whatever it was that you craved. You realized you’re surprisingly a bit more childish than you thought, especially for a cosmic entity.

You were starting to feel a little antsy though, and decided you’d go back to your main body for a while to fuck around— yeah, you should do that, you thought as you nodded to yourself.

You stood from your bed and made your way out of your room to find either Himeko or Welt so you could tell them you’d be leaving for a while.

Pompom seemed to pout a little at the thought of your absence when you spoke to them about it, but their emotions were quelled when you had mentioned promising them trinkets.

You bid the three farewell, and your body eventually dissipated.

———————

“What the fork are you looking at me for, darlin’?”

Oh wow. You thought as you blinked. “Nothing, I just thought you look rather… interesting, that’s all.” You said. You meant to say handsome, but you didn’t want to be creepy to the cyborg as much as you loved him. It was a little embarrassing to admit now, considering that he was just as real as you were, that you were probably his biggest fan.

“What brings someone like you in a place like this? You don’t fudging look like you’d be into the shady business, unless…” He doesn’t finish the sentence, taking a swing of the strong smelling shot of whiskey handed over to him by the bartender.

How did you even end up here? Simple, you got bored in the parlor car.

You left the express, went to your body, chose a random planet and saw Boothill and decided to make an appearance because why not? It wasn’t exactly everyday you would get to interact with a cool cowboy (probably the coolest space cowboy), so you made the spontaneous decision to simply appear as you were in this little.. town and entered the tavern.

“I got bored.” You said, swirling the drink on your hand that would undoubtedly send you to a hospital for alcohol poisoning had you been an actual human. You took an entire gulp and made a face afterwards. Boothill laughed.

“How do you even enjoy this? It tastes like battery acid and fire.” You grimaced, but you took more sips of the drink despite your own comment. “Anyways, I was bored, and I saw this place and thought: hmmm why not? It feels weirdly liberating in a way.” You confessed.

“Not that much of a stickler for rules despite being dressed like a goody two shoes huh? That’s fudging funny.” The glass clinked, and Boothill’s attention still remained on you funnily enough.

“I’m not nice.” You frowned. “I just dress like this because it’s nice to pretend to be a pretentious bastard sometimes. Plus, it’s cute.” You bristle, and he only smiled at you.

You found that Boothill’s surprisingly way too easy to speak to.

“Sure, sure.” He waved a hand. He doesn’t believe you, and in the far corners of your mind you heard Aha’s laughter. Great, you inwardly groaned, but at least it was just Aha. Then you realized they might just fuck around with you AND have people know you’re an Aeon so they could look at you— maybe not today, but at some point in time.

You felt your lips thin at the thought.

Your attention snapped back to Boothill when you saw him glance at a few people, probably lackeys, in a way that you could describe as nasty. Then you suddenly remembered the posters outside in passing.

“Hey darlin, you might wanna hide your pretty face under the table right now. There’s about to be fork load of bullets, don’t want any one of them grazing your face.” Boothill muttered over to you. And you realizing what was happening and what he was going to do, you played along, slowly sliding under the table as he took out a gun. “‘Bout time these motherfudgers showed up.”

It didn’t take two seconds and hell broke loose.

You felt bad for the bartender.

Patrons screamed and some women ran out as you heard gunshots, and suddenly you felt the urge to poke your head out of the table to see the action. It wasn’t like you’d die if a bullet hit you, it would be embarrassing for an Aeon to die by a mere bullet.

You whistled, then gaped as you witnessed this absolute unit of a man literally moonwalk his way out of the bullets. You felt like a little kid watching an action movie, except you had front seats, and this was very much reality.

“Behind you!” You warned Boothill, and he made a show of shooting the lackey (that you now recognized was an IPC grunt) in a way that got you clapping with joy. “Beat their ass mister! Fuck ‘em up!” You cheered, and one of the grunts tried coming for you instead. You weren’t a coward though, and instead grabbed a chair and threw it as hard as you could.

You heard a grunt and a really ugly crack that you know that definitely wasn’t the wooden chair. “Eugh.” You cringed, feeling a little bad about co-signing the man’s obituary but coming for you with a weapon in hand was just natural selection waiting to happen.

Now that you were out of the bag, you grabbed another heavy chair and decided you’d give Boothill an easier time by helping. “I don’t know what’s going on, but damn I feel bad for the owner of the establishment.” You said loudly through the sound of gunshots, Boothill laughed again as another man had been shot down.

“Yap later darlin! You should worry about the side of your fudging head first!” Just as he said that, you threw the chair at one of the final three lackeys. And like the other one who you took out, this one too went out to board his one way ticket to god.

The establishment had gone completely quiet aside from your breathing and the sound of Boothill’s engine quietly whirring.

“Is it over?” You asked, hopeful.

“Yep.” The cyborg drawled.

You released a sympathetic “oof” at the state of the tavern though. “This place is a wreck.” You said flatly.

“Don’t worry too much about that, they’ll take care of it.”

“Okay….” You exhaled. “Wow.. that was.. a lot.” You eyed the bodies, frowning as you prayed your default appearance won’t end up in a wanted poster. Scratch that, it probably would.

“Didn’t know you’re darn crazy like that though.” Boothill spoke, patting off the nonexistent dust off of his pistol.

“Yeah sorry.” You muttered, then clearing your throat. “I felt bad for them but I realized they’re capitalists for a certain corporate office. They can go die in a ditch.” You shrugged, you don’t grieve this time, maybe you would at some point in the future when you’re wiser.

“Also, it wouldn’t hurt to help a friend out I think.” You said, though you’re uncertain as to how Boothill would react to such a sentence.

“Oh fudge me sideways, care to shake my hand? The name’s Boothill.” He grinned, teeth sharp like a shark’s as he held out his metal hand for you to grasp.

Oh I know very well who you are, you thought, not that he would ever know that. You grasp his hand and introduced yourself, happy that he actually likes you.

You eventually had to part ways with him for the day, having each other as contacts through the phone (Welt was kind enough to give you one of your own) so you could keep in touch.

You ended up spending the remainder of your time in that little town looking around for souvenirs to pocket just for Pompom. Now where did you get your money? It’s a little mean, but you looted them off of the IPC bodies.

It’s blood money, but it’s money regardless. And if the people who initially owned it were rich and dead? Then you don’t have to feel bad about pocketing it, you were free to do as you wanted.

Getting back to the parlor car was easy, making your presence known to the beloved little conductor who very much anticipated your presents.

“[Name], where’d you get the money to buy all this?” Welt asked as he inspected the personalized mug you gave him. (It was a neat wooden mug with his name carved on it, Himeko had one of her own too.)

You merely smiled innocently.

Welt sighed, he shouldn’t have asked.

———————-

Part I, Part II (HERE), Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII….

AAAND THATS A WRAP UP FOR THE CHAPTER FOLKS! And yes, reader is a litttle unhinged (curse being a cosmic entity, they’re a little dubious as a treat). And YES they’re a big Boothill fan (like me), like come on who doesn’t wanna hang around a cool space cowboy who has a censored vocabulary of a COD lobby?

[save-amal-family]

Hello my dear I'M AMAL FROM GAZA

My story in the crazy Gaza war For more than a year, this deadly war has been raging, for which we are not to blame.

Before the war my family lived a happy life 💔

We were displaced from our homes and our land to the tents of the displaced.We have seen all the horrors and dangers of this war.We have been hungry for a long time We lost a lot We lost our friends, our families, and our source of income. They bombed our dreams before they bombed our homes.

They destroyed my neighborhood, and my home too was deteriorated by bombardments.

My father also had a neck injury and needed spinal surgery.

How to help us 🙏

1-Donate whatever you can it make difference

2- Reblog and boost my post to reach to all of people to know about our suffering 😞

Thank you 🙏

wayneradiotv @worm-suggestion @wingwaver @extremelycursedimages @emil @rickybabyboy @redbuddi @tamamita @teaboot @turtletoria @itwashotwestayedinthewater @imlizy @ot3 @omegaversereloaded @paper-mario-wiki @prisonhannibal @poetrylesbian @punkitt-is-here @akajustmerry @amygdalae @annabelle--cane @pitbolshevik @drukhari @sporesgalaxy @danijaci @daughter-of-sapph0 @sayruq @silba @gaza-evacuation-funds @hotvampireadjacent @hungry-joe @justsomeantifas @jame7t @kurtwagnermorelikekurtwagnerd @kibumkim @lesbianchemicalplant @littlestpersimmon @zvaigzdelasas @zzoupz @charlott2n @communist-ojou-sama @valtsv @velvetys @vague-humanoid @beetledrink @bongjoonheaux @bixels @neechees @meshugenist @wolfertinger666

@wayneradiotv @worm-suggestion @weirdmarioenemies @wolfertinger666 @wis-art @wingwaver @emil @rickybabyboy @redbuddi @rednines @tamamita @itwashotwestayedinthewater @prisonhannibal @punkitt-is-here @papasmoke @amygdalae @pitbolshevik @annabelle--cane @anarchblr @sporesgalaxy @drukhari @dailymonkiekid @danijaci @hotvampireadjacent @justsomeantifas @kurtwagnermorelikekurtwagnerd @kibumkim @klapollo @longseasons @lesbianchemicalplant @zvaigzdelasas @beetledrink @neechees @marxism-transgenderism @charlott2n @valtsv @nabulsi @gaza-evacuation-funds

[robertreich]

Friends,

One of the purposes of “flooding the zone,” as the Trump regime is trying to do — shocking and awing us with its blitzkrieg of bonkers orders — is to make it almost impossible to sort out what we should be incredibly freaked out about from what we should merely freak out about.

I’m incredibly freaked out about the regime grabbing people from their homes who are legally in the United States, with permanent status — not just visas permitting them to work or study here but green cards — and then whisking them away to prison because they’ve engaged in constitutionally protected speech that the regime doesn’t like.

You think I’m exaggerating? This is exactly what happened to Mahmoud Khalil on Saturday night. Khalil, who graduated from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs in December, has a green card. His wife, who is eight months pregnant, is an American citizen.

Immigration agents appeared at his apartment building and told him he was being detained. He now appears to be in a detention facility in Louisiana.

Khalil did nothing illegal. He has not been charged with a crime. He expressed his political point of view — peacefully, non-violently, non-threateningly. That’s supposed to be permitted — dare I say even encouraged? — in a democracy.

So why is he in jail?

Khalil was one of the leaders of last year’s peaceful pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump conceded Khalil was snatched up and sent off because of his politics. “This is the first arrest of many to come,” wrote Trump. “We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it.”

Where, may I ask, are the “First Amendment absolutists” such as Trump First Buddy Elon Trump when it comes to protecting speech that the Trump regime finds objectionable?

Where are all the Republicans who for years have accused liberals of “cancelling” their views?

Where are the conservatives who have claimed for even longer they only want to conserve traditional American values?

Nearly 13 million people in the United States hold green cards. Tens of thousands more are here temporarily as foreign students and professors. Apparently all are now in danger of being arrested if they speak their minds.

If this assault on civil liberties stands, Trump could just as well arrest and expel permanent residents who voice support for, say, transgender people or DEI or “woke” or Ukraine, or anything else the regime finds “anti-American” and offensive.

If it stands, what’s to stop the Trump regime from arresting American citizens who support any cause the regime doesn’t like — such as, say, replacing Republicans in Congress in 2026 and putting a Democrat in the White House in 2028?

Does anyone remember Senator Joe McCarthy’s communist witch hunts? I do. They weren’t pretty. Careers were ruined; reputations, destroyed. They remain a stain on American democracy.

American democracy. That’s what’s at stake. The Trump regime is out to trash it. The regime doesn’t believe in the First or any other amendments. It doesn’t believe in the Constitution.

Let’s commit to ending Republican control of Congress in 2026 and sending this regime packing in 2028 — if there’s still a democracy that enables us to do so.

https://robertreich.substack.com/p/the-trump-regime-will-arrest-some

[joeybsversion]

Like and Love

Joe Burrow x Reader

Joe and Reader have a competitive relationship

“Loser buys drinks for the rest of the night?” Joe pulls the smoky cigar from his mouth, passing a smirk your way.

The tiniest of smiles graced your face, “Considering I’m a struggling project manager and you’re a millionaire, that seems fair.” You tease.

“Hey now, don’t insult me. I’m a billionaire.” Joe corrects, popping the ‘B’. “But if you have no faith in your pool skills, we can call it off.” He tilts his head.

You rolled your eyes, hating this reverse psychology act he always tries to pull over on you, yet you fall for it every time. “I have plenty of faith in my ability to hit a few balls.” You lean over the pool table, lining your stick up with the cue ball.

Joe comes up beside you, his large hands resting on the edge of the table, he’s so close you can almost feel his breath down your neck as you stand back up, making your way to the opposite side of the table for your next shot.

“We have a little pool shark on our hands!” Joe’s teammate and best friend Sam Hubbard teases as he makes his way over to Joe. “Nice shot!” He high fives you.

Joe and the Bengals had just won the AFC championship and would be heading to the Super Bowl. You were out with the team celebrating at a bar in downtown Cincinnati.

“I’m just trying to boost her confidence before I destroy her on my next turn.” Joe proclaims, taking a sip of the drink Sam had just handed him.

His remarks earned a laugh from Sam, who quickly was distracted by the bartender bringing another round of drinks through the room.

“Hold this for me.” Joe hands you his drink as he lines up to take his next shot. “And get ready to go buy us a round.”

“I’m liking the confidence, Joey.” You giggle, taking a sip out of his cup watching as he completely misses his shot. “But your game could use some work.”

He rolls his eyes, nervously chewing on the end of his cigar, trying to decide what to say next as you strike the cue ball, making another shot.

“All that’s left is the 8 ball and I win. You better get your wallet out.” You tease.

Your chest is heaving as you nervously lean over and make the shot, you stand up excited, throwing both arms into the air as you win the game.

“Good thing you’re a billionaire, because I’m ordering the most expensive drink on the menu for the rest of the night.” You smile and turn around, heading towards the bar.

Joe grabs your arm, “Not so fast.” He stops you, turning your body back around to face him. “Best out of three.” His lips are so close to yours, you can practically taste the alcohol on his breath.

“Changing the rules after I win.” You tease. “You’re a sore loser.”

“I don’t lose.” He scoffs.

“Then what do you call whatever just happened?”

A mischievous smile came across his face, “Alternative,” he presses a kiss to your lips, “winning.”

You can’t help but giggle as he pulls away, “Get out of here with that nonsense.”

“So what do you say, best 2 out of 3?” He steps away to start preparing the table for another game.

“Bring it.” You smirk.

Drinks continue to flow for the rest of the night, into the early morning hours, and you continue to beat Joe at pool. He finally followed through on his end of the bet, buying you both a few rounds of drinks while you celebrate with the team.

Just as the sun starts to peak up over the city scape, Joe leads you hand in hand out of the bar as you both head outside to catch a ride.

“I had fun with you.” Joe peppers your face with kisses as you stand on the sidewalk waiting for your car.

“I had fun beating you.” You giggle, his kisses ticking your face and neck.

“It feels good to win, doesn’t it?” He smiles, thinking back to the game his team just won hours prior.

“The best.”

The car pulls up and Joe climbs in, drunkenly pulling you into his lap. You cling to him like he’s the only sense of security you’ve ever know, his hands furiously tracing up and down your sides.

Your apartment is a long way from downtown, making it a 40 minute ride home. Snuggled into Joe’s body, you feel yourself slowly drifting in and out of sleep, while Joe makes small talk with the driver.

“S’go inside.” He whispers, doing his best to wake you. He helps you from the car before thanking the driving and picking you up, carrying you inside.

“You’re so pretty.” He murmurs, hand smoothing over the back of your legs as he carries you. “I like you so much, and you smell so good, and I like when you’re competitive and beat me.”

You feel like you’re dreaming. “You’re drunk.” You mumble still half asleep.

“Uh-huh.” He sets you on your feet as you reach the bedroom, before guiding you towards the bed. “And I also like you so much. So much more than anyone.” He slurs. “I like you and I love you.”

[burreauxsss]

now everybody knows

background: y/n goes to a frat party and defies every warning her friends give her about the newest LSU quarterback joe burrow.

(all pics from pinterest, all rights reserved.)

notes: welp.. long and awaited part 2, (i promise ill get to its over im sorry soon, i just have to start plotting) also i hate writing scenes of people confessing their feelings so take it or leave it.

word count: 497

warning: 18+ obviously, read part 1 to get it.

<- part 1 -> part 2

It had been 11 months when you both first hooked up.

Somehow, you'd both kept it on the low. Joe broke up with his girlfriend a few months ago and ever since then the routine was the same, after a game or practice, he'd want you. If he was away he'd let you know on the way back to campus.

But along time, you both realized the feelings were very mutual. You both started caring for eachother, and with you being a basketball player and him being a football player, it was extremely difficult to hide your relationship. No posts, locations had to be off when you were both around eachother. Easy, or so you thought.

After Joe's eligibility at LSU ran out, he moved back home. Long distance was never easy, going from someone who was down the street to someone across the country destroys a person, especially when you both never came clean to eachother about the thoughts you had about eachother.

So when March Madness started and LSU being a strong contender, he knew he had to watch you. He knew he had to support you and while he was expected to wear orange and black, you'd still be wearing purple and yellow (with a mix of gold) for a bit. The first rounds were easy, blowing out teams that barely made the cut by 50+ points.

And soon you were called a MVP, awarded titles for Player of the Year and even became a overall pick of the WNBA, but with all of that the quarterback still watched on the sidelines. When someone asked him in public about a girlfriend, he'd always shake if off, shut down the topic or just ignore it entirely.

But in the championship, and your birthday being the next day, one of your teammates decide to post a picture without blurring or cropping out Joe's face midday.

And as you texted the last message, Joe called. Knowing he fount out about the photo leak, you pick up the phone.

"Why the hell is there pictures of us on the internet. I thought we were on the low." Joe says, his voice sharp

"I thought too."

"Your teammate shouldve never posted that photo, I never got to admit my feelings for you or requested for us to be posted together." He replies

"We adknowledged this as a hookup onl-"

"Well you thought wrong y/n, I really love you. Im not trying to play you but just give me one chance. Ill be the last, i promise." His voice seems weak, the weak spot opening up to something youve never seen.

"I love you, I never lie but I believe I caught feelings before you did.." You say with a slight smile on your face.

The two of you both stayed on the phone for a bit before hanging up, knowing it all subsided and he gave you the reassurance of a comfortable soft launch, you decide to go for it.

totallynoty/n

❤️ 284,947 💬 19,133

Liked by: joeyb_9 journ3y lsuwbb itskarmyn adeline and others

totallynoty/n: nuff said 🤐

username_1: WHOOOO is in that first photo

username_2: joe i did not know your game was a+..

username_3: theyve been hooking up for the past year according to a insider, why are we surprised....

journ3y: Y/N!!

itskarmyn: abort mission..

joeyb_9: who is that in the first pic??? 👀 y/n: its this guy, hes super fine and he plays quarterback with a #9 in his username??

username_4: we lost a good one 💔

*load more comments*

[uramakimochi]

GIVEN ENOUGH

Joe Liebgott x Reader

!!!DISCLAIMER!!!: This story is based on THE CHARACTERS of the show!! Just like you write ff of your favorite character from your favorite serie/movie, this community does the same with this one. I obviously don't mean to disrespect the real veterans and soldiers who fought the war!

WARNINGS: based on ep.8, fluff & angst + comfort, description of war, death and blood, panic attack (i never had one so i'm sorry if it's inaccurate), FEM!R + use of Y/N and petnames, maybe Joe being a bit ooc? Inaccurate american accent because english is not my first language sorry, i tried my best~

"Yeah, absolutely not"

Joe chuckled as he sat on the bed, watching you pace back and forth in front of him.

"Sweetheart, this isn't really something you can decide" he retorted with a bitter smile.

You shook your head in protest as you brought your finger to your mouth to chew on what little nail you had left.

"That's out of discussion. You can't go on that patrol, none of you guys can! It's not fair!"

Joe sighed and leaned forward so he could take your other hand that was free, squeezing it and pulling you closer to him. "Hey come on, c'mere"

Even though you were full of anger at that moment, you let yourself be carried away by his touch and positioned yourself between his spread legs, while he looked at you from below.

"Stop worrying, it's just a patrol, nothing big" he tried to console you, placing his hands behind your thighs and caressing you gently. You let out a breath through your nose, still looking at him worried and angry.

You believed that after overcoming that cold nightmare you had experienced in Bastogne, between the mortar shells, the sharp splinters of the destroyed trees and the freezing Christmas spent huddled in your foxholes, there would be nothing worse in this terrible war. You believed that once you arrived in Hagenau, after losing men in the forest and in Foy, you could relax even just for a few minutes, in a warm bed and with a roof over your head. You believed the end of the war was near. But alas, you were wrong. You were all wrong.

It had been decided that a patrol should cross the river to take German prisoners, to get information.

And none of you liked the idea.

"It's madness. It's a suicide mission and no one cares about the hell we went through in Bastogne and Foy. We don't deserve this" you retorted.

Joe sighed again, trying to give you an encouraging look.

"They know it, sweetheart. Lip knows it, Speirs knows it and Winters and Nixon know it too. It's Sink's orders, not theirs."

"I know they know. It's just..." you murmured, running a hand over your heartbroken face. "We lost too many men. Hoobler, Joe, Bill... Muck and Penkala..."

Joe took your hand to bring it to his lips, kissing the knuckles, remaining silent and continuing to look at you from below, almost pitying your concern.

"I don't want any of us to get hurt again. What if something were to happen to you? I don't know what i'd do-"

"Hey hey no. Look at me baby, look at me" Joe raised an arm towards your face so he could rest his hand on your cheek, making you look down at his eyes. "Nothing will happen to me nor to any of us, okay? Everything will be fine. We've made it so far and i'm certainly not gonna get off the line 'cause of a damn patrol"

You continued to look at him in silence, since even though his words and his eyes tried to bring you comfort in every way, it was difficult for you to free yourself from that horrible feeling of fear and anguish that was slowly devouring you from inside.

Joe looked into your eyes for a few seconds and then sighed through his nose, stroking your cheek with his thumb.

"And even if some stupid kraut gets me, at least i know my sweet favorite medic will be there to heal me, right?" he then asked you with a small smile, indicating with a small nod the medic's band you were wearing on your arm.

You felt your heart become lighter even if only slightly and you couldn't help but smile back.

"There it is" Joe murmured and you saw his smirk grow softer. "I would like to see you smile more often. You're so beautiful when you smile"

You felt your face heat up as you tilted your head to rub your cheek against his palm, looking at him shyly.

"I'm glad you're here with me Joe"

He smiled at you and finally stood up, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you towards him to place a kiss on your forehead.

"Same goes for me, sweetheart" he murmured against your skin and you closed your eyes, enjoying the contact. "You're the only reason i'm fighting this goddamn war. And nothing's gonna take me away from you, you hear me?"

You nodded, raising your arms to hug him around the waist and burying your head in his chest, currently covered by the new and clean jacket he was wearing. You had received one too, but you hadn't had time to change yet.

For a few seconds, silence fell between you. It was nice to be able to enjoy those few minutes of intimacy you could have before any of the other soldiers needed you. And although you so wanted to stay there hugging him until the last day of that stupid war, you knew that unfortunately there were many other things to do.

But the calm atmosphere that had been created between you in that dingy little bedroom was not disturbed by you or Joe, but by Babe Heffron.

"Hey Y/n" he called to you appearing in the doorway of the room, also dressed in a clean warmer uniform like Joe. "All the men have taken their showers. You have free rein if you wanna take one too. In fact, i really think you need it, you know?"

You pulled away from Joe to look at your friend with a suspicious look.

"Are you saying i stink, Heffron?"

Babe shrugged, holding back a smile. "Perhaps"

You quickly took a step away from Joe, trying to slap Babe and he ran out with a giggle.

"Idiot" you muttered, shaking your head.

Joe came next to you and took your hand, making your fingers intertwine and starting to walk towards the exit.

"Come on. You deserve a nice hot shower too"

You turned to look at him with a smirk.

"You want to come in with me?" you asked him. "You've already taken a shower"

Joe rolled his eyes.

"Believe me doll, i'd take 10 more showers just to be with you" he said and those words made your heart flutter. "But Winters would never let me. I'll stay outside to make sure no one bothers you"

You reached over to kiss him on the cheek, squeezing his hand.

"My scary guard dog"

After a nice relaxing hot shower and getting changed, there was the patrol meeting and since you honestly didn't want to wait for Joe and the others outside, you went to Eugene to see if he needed any help, as his fellow medic.

When you got to him, Eugene had his back turned to you as he was busy organizing the supplies that seemed like a lot but were never enough. You reached out to the doorframe to knock with your knuckles and he turned to you.

"Need a hand?" you asked.

Eugene gave you a small smile.

"I could use some company"

You entered the room and approached him, clasping your hands behind your back as he resumed his work.

"Are you okay Gene?" you asked him then.

The medic's hands froze, taken aback by the question and he let out a breath through his nose, then continued tidying up. "I should be the one to ask you this question"

You furrowed your eyebrows, confused by his words and fell backwards to rest your back on the edge of the table he was working at. "Why?"

Eugene raised his head to look at you.

"We know it was tough for you and Lieutenant Compton after Guarnere and Toye. So i'll ask you this question: are you okay darlin'?"

You remained silent for a few seconds thinking about what to answer, while his light eyes remained fixed on yours, as if he wanted to search your soul. But you realized that Gene was right.

After all the work you and he had done, after all the wounded soldiers you had taken away from the line, after all the dead soldiers you had lost under your hands, you still hadn't managed to save Joe and Bill from the cruel fate that had been reserved for them. Yes, they were still alive, thank God, but the image of their bodies lying on the snow, which was tinged red from the blood they were leaking from their legs that had got blown off, was something you would never get out of your head again.

Lipton had come to talk to you after the incident, on Gene's advice and he tried to console you as he had done with Buck. But unlike your lieutenant, you insisted on staying with everyone else, you didn't want to leave Eugene and Spina alone.

And now that you were in Hagenau were you better? To tell the truth, you didn't know at all.

"I think so" you only murmured, crossing your arms. "Seeing my friends in that state disturbed me a lot, i'm not gonna lie. But knowing that at least the two of them are still alive reassures me"

You gave him a small smile, trying to let him know that he didn't need to worry. But as if he was reading your mind, Eugene looked at you with sympathetic eyes.

"You know you don't have to go through this alone, right?" he asked you, tilting his head slightly. "We're at war and people die in war, against our will. And when this is the situation we're living in, it's okay not to feel okay, darlin"

Eugene reached out to your shoulder, placing his palm on top of it and stroking you with his thumb. You looked at him with teary eyes and shook your head.

"I don't want to leave, Gene. I don't want to end up like Buck. They need me here" you murmured in a low tone, for fear of bursting into tears at any moment.

But Eugene nodded with a smile and moved his hand from your shoulder to your cheek when he saw a lone tear escape from one of your eyes and gently wiped it away with his fingertip.

"We know you won't leave, you're too stubborn" he retorted making you smile slightly. "Talk to Liebgott about it. Just let him help you. You've always taken care of the others, so let us take care of you now. Okay?"

You sniffed and nodded, running a hand over your face to wipe away the tears that were forming in your eyes.

"Y/n, i have good news baby!" another voice suddenly exclaimed bursting into the room and both you and Eugene jumped in fright.

You barely had time to turn towards him when Joe came towards you to give you a big hug, placing a kiss on your temple.

"What happened?" you asked, looking at him in confusion.

Joe gave you a toothy grin, placing his hands on your shoulders and shaking you back and forth lightly.

"I won't go on patrol" he said and your eyes widened.

"Really?? That's great!" you replied, smiling back.

You didn't like the fact that your other companions would still go on patrol, but for once you wanted to feel selfish and rejoice in the fact that at least Joe wouldn't risk his life.

"But why?" you asked him then.

"It was thanks to Webster. That guy finally did something useful" he replied with a smirk.

"Joe…" you called back to him in a mock reproachful tone, giving his shoulder a light push. "You need to stop treating him like he's a replacement. You and everyone else. He doesn't deserve this, it's not his fault"

Joe rolled his eyes with a smirk. "Fine. Yes ma'am"

And before you and he could leave to go back to the others, you took one last look at Eugene who gave you an encouraging smile.

When night fell, the soldiers crossed the river. Joe was no longer part of it, but he told you he would remain on the outside providing covering fire with the machine gun.

So you stayed with Eugene, bouncing your knee and biting your nails anxiously, hoping that no one would come calling for you to assist someone who had been wounded. You just wanted you and the others to be safe sleeping in your warm beds.

But sadly, your prayers were not answered.

It wasn't long before you began to hear gunshots and mortar blasts outside, accompanied by screams that were getting closer and closer. Then suddenly someone came to you calling your name and Eugene's. It was Johnny.

"Doc! Jackson is hurt! Quick!"

You and Eugene jumped up and followed him towards the basement, your heart beating faster.

"What happened to him??" Eugene asked.

"Wounded by grenade splinters! He threw it himself!" replied Johnny.

As soon as you went down to the basement you heard the myriad of voices filling it in a multitude of echoes. You managed to catch a glimpse of the German prisoners and Lieutenant Jones. Then there were Webester and others hunched around the table, trying to tend to Jackson.

You and Eugene made your way through the soldiers, reaching poor Jackson and once you saw him you noticed how serious his injuries were. His face was full of blood and dirt, scarred by shards of wood and glass.

"We're here Jackson, we're here!" Gene said, placing a hand on his neck and turning him towards him. "Stay calm!"

You positioned yourself next to him and took Jackson's hand, knowing that unfortunately there wasn't much you could do at that moment except try to console him.

"I need light, give me some light" Gene ordered and Skinny next to him pulled out a lighter.

Silence fell for a few seconds as everyone's eyes were fixed on Jackson, Eugene and you. Then Eugene lifted his eyes from Jackson's mouth to look at you.

"We gotta get him outta here, let's go"

You nodded and helped him and the others load Jackson onto the stretcher.

"I don't wanna die!" Jackson exclaimed in pain. "I don't wanna die!"

While he was being carried, you placed your hands on his bloody neck, trying to bring his gaze to yours.

"Jackson listen to me, you're not going to die! Okay??" you exclaimed. "You're not going to die! But i need you to hang on! Hang on, Jackson!"

You placed the stretcher on the floor and Jackson continued to breathe heavily, looking at you with the heartbroken eyes of someone who was afraid of death. "I don't... I don't want to die..."

"Jackson!" you called out to him, cupping your hands over his wounds. "Please hang on!"

"Jackson!" Eugene continued.

But the young boy began coughing and his mouth filled with blood. His head wiggled for a couple of seconds until suddenly he stopped completely and let go like... Like dead weight.

Your hands loosened their grip on his neck and when they left his skin you saw your palms covered in fresh blood. You slowly raised your head to look at Eugene and shook your head.

Jackson was dead.

In the silence of that basement, some of the soldiers began to cry silently, while Johnny stepped forward to place a blanket over Jackson's body.

You had your eyes fixed on your bloody hands, which were slowly starting to tremble from the knowledge that another innocent boy had died under your eyes. Because of you.

"I-I’m sorry…" you muttered to no one in particular, catching the attention of a couple of men.

You stood up and even though your intention was to run outside, you knew that unfortunately it wasn't possible as long as the Germans continued to shoot. So you simply went to a corner of the basement, as free and away from the others as possible, and sat on the floor with your back against the wall.

You tried to wipe your hands on your new uniform, but the dried blood remained on your skin, so to ignore that horrible feeling you hugged your knees to your chest and buried your face between them. You could feel some of your companions gazes on you and it only added to the humiliation you were feeling.

Someone put a hand on your arm, but you rudely made him move away. You raised your head and met the worried gaze of Eugene, crouched in front of you, who still had his hand in mid-air. You wanted to apologize to him for having that reaction, but you didn't have the strength to do so. And looking closely into your shining eyes, he too understood that at that moment it was better to leave you alone and so he did.

You were all grieving in that basement.

As soon as the sounds of the gunshots stopped, you took the opportunity to get up and run upstairs, leaving without saying anything to anyone.

"Y/n!"

Babe tried to call you, as he and Chuck started to follow you, but they were blocked by Eugene who stretched out a hand towards them and shook his head.

Meanwhile you ran into one of the empty bedrooms and almost crashed into one of the bunk beds. It was dark, but fortunately the light of the full moon that was shining in the sky that night was able to make the inside of the room more visible through the windows. You wanted to sit on one of the mattresses and think, but with every step you took, you felt your strength fail, leaving room for another strange sensation of anguish.

You tried to lean on one of the beds with one hand, but your legs started shaking and in a few seconds you found yourself kneeling on the floor. You felt your breathing start to get heavy and you put a hand on your chest, trying to calm your pounding heart, but it was no use. You couldn't calm down, all your mind was thinking about were the images of the bloody bodies of your comrades, of all those you had failed to save. But why were you panicking just now??

As you tried to inhale oxygen through your mouth, you squinted, hoping you could rid yourself of those horrible images. But the bloody and cut face of Jackson, who until a few minutes before had begged you not to let him die, appeared before your eyes. And only then did you realize how much his death was haunting you, like the ghost of a victim searching for his killer.

You wanted to scream but you felt suffocated, you couldn't speak. You felt like you were dying.

"Shit. Hey, Y/n, hey hey hey"

You jumped in surprise when you heard a familiar voice enter the bedroom. The sound of your heartbeat was ringing in your ears and you couldn't hear the footsteps of anyone approaching.

"Look at me. Baby, look at me"

Someone placed a hand on your cheek, forcing you to lift your face towards him and you finally opened your eyes. It was Joe.

"It's okay, it's okay" he said.

You shook your head, looking at him with wide eyes and irises twitching frantically, not knowing which part of his face to focus on. You didn't even know whether to be happy that he was there to comfort you or humiliated to let him see you in that state.

"J-Joe... I can't-"

"You gotta breathe, you hear me? Breathe sweetheart, breathe" Joe replied worriedly. "I know it seems difficult, but you have to do it. Breathe with me"

He began to take deep breaths and you tried to do the same, but it all seemed pointless.

"I-I can’t do it..." you sobbed, closing your eyes again. "I c-can't do it, i can't do it... Joe..."

He tried to comfort you by wiping away with his fingers the tears that had started to come out of your eyes. You didn't even realize you were crying.

"You can do it doll, it's okay. You just need to take a deep breath, hm? Keep trying"

You felt him start breathing again and you tried copying him. Seeing that you weren't showing any signs of improvement, Joe took your hand and brought it to his chest, under his jacket.

"Feel the beat of my heart. Follow it"

He squeezed your hand in his and you concentrated the last strength you had left to focus on his heartbeat, throbbing under your palm.

And finally after a few seconds of pure panic you managed to breathe in sync with him, despite your breaths being occasionally interrupted by sobs.

"That's it" he murmured, stroking the back of your hand with his thumb. "It's okay sweetheart, you're safe. Just keep breathing"

A couple of minutes passed before you could calm down.

You lifted your head to look at Joe and he gave you a genuine smile of encouragement. But despite the darkness of the night, the moonlight still allowed you to see the thin veil of worry that was still spread over his eyes.

"Doc told me what happened down there" he said and for a brief moment his gaze lingered on your bloody hands. "Is it because of Jackson?"

You sniffed and roughly ran the sleeve of your jacket over your face.

"Y-Yes" you nodded, but then shook your head. "I mean, no... Fuck, i-i don't know..."

Joe looked at you with pity and even though you had just wiped the tears off your face, they started flowing again.

"It's just a lot, you know? I-I'm tired..." you whined with a trembling lip. "I'm so fucking tired of not being able to save lives. Every time i close my eyes i see their empty gaze a-and every time i try to sleep i hear their screams, their cries and t-their moans of pain. They beg me to save them , to be able to go home and see their mother for the last time. And i jus let them die.... All of them"

Joe shook his head, clasping your hands in his to cover the dried blood that stained them. "Sweetheart, you know that's not your fault-"

"How can it not be?" you retorted. "I am a medic and my job is to save people. Yet no matter how hard i try, in the end they all die before my eyes!"

Joe looked at you silently, contemplating what to say. You looked like a little girl crying because she had just had a nightmare. It was strange for him to see you in that state.

Your presence was like a ray of sunshine in the middle of a storm and it was usually you who took care of him and the boys when they were down. Too busy thinking about others, you had kept inside all the pain that the war had caused you, slowly becoming a bomb ready to explode as the months passed.

Now the bomb had finally exploded. And Joe knew that now it was his turn to take care of you.

"What can i do for you?" he asked you in a sympathetic tone.

You looked at him almost with an insecure look.

"Can... Can you just hold me? Please?"

And he nodded without hesitation.

"Yeah. Yeah doll, come here. C'mon"

He wrapped one arm around your shoulders while with his other hand resting on your hip he brought you closer to him, holding you close to his chest. Your lower lip began to tremble again and your eyes filled with tears again. Within seconds you started crying again, this time not out of panic, but more as a way to let go of everything you had kept inside of you.

"I-I want to go home…" you sobbed, rubbing your cheek against his jacket. "I just want to go home. I'm tired of all this"

"Shh, don't worry sweetheart, it's alright. Shh..." Joe tried to console you, reaching a hand towards your face to dry your tears. "Just let it out"

You covered his hand on your cheek with your own, holding it close to you, as if to make sure he was really there with you. Finally feeling his body heat against yours, you felt your heart become lighter even for just a little and you were immensely grateful to whoever was up there for his presence.

You didn't know how much time you spent crying in his arms but after you were done you stayed there with him, not having the strength to get up and go back to the others.

"You feelin' better?" Joe asked, breaking the silence and you nodded.

"A little"

Joe took a breath, wrapping his arms tighter around your body.

"I want you to know that everything that happened is not your fault. You shouldn't even dare to think that"

"But-"

"No, i'll do the talk now" he interrupted you gently. "Doll, every one of us here is doing everything they can to make it out of this war alive. We're doing what we trained for and so are you. I saw it, the boys saw it. Fuck, you think Winters didn't see it? We all saw it. You're a goddamn hell of a doctor, sweetheart"

You sniffled as your brain tried to absorb everything he was saying. "But… But i could have done more…"

Joe shook his head and lifted your face towards his, forcing you to look into your eyes as he caressed your cheek with his thumb.

"No. That's the point, baby. You couldn't do nothing more, because you always gave your all. You're not a god, you can't save everyone. You've already done enough for us and that's okay"

You remained silent, pondering his words, your gaze fixed on the floor. Joe continued to stroke you, while with a sigh he turned his head to take a look out the window. The stars that decorated the sky shone in the darkness of the night. It was a celestial, poetic vision, but it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before: during his time in the foxhole, when he wasn't looking out over the horizon at the Germans, he often found himself admiring the sky with you.

"Joe"

When in the midst of the silence your voice sounded faintly in the bedroom, he looked back down at you, at the same time you also turned to look at him again.

"I'm sorry i kept this from you" you murmured, almost humiliated by your behavior. "I know it's better to let go when you feel this way, but i was afraid of showing my emotions. I didn't want you to see me as a weak... Sorry"

Joe shook his head, looking at you apologetically.

"It's normal to be scared, it's normal to have feelings. It's what makes you human, sweetheart. And you know you can always talk to me when you don't feel good, right?"

You nodded and he continued.

"So i want you to promise me one thing: if you ever feel this way again, i want you to go talk to someone about it. Whether it's me, Roe, Lip, or even Speirs or Winters, i don't care. Anyone. But i don't wanna see you suffer again 'cause you think you haven't done enough. Got it?"

You realized that everything that had happened was exactly what Eugene had told you was best to do. Talking to someone helped you on not going insane. It was the only way to move forward. For a moment you felt stupid for not doing it sooner, for keeping it all inside for fear of being judged. But Joe and the others were your friends, your family. They would've never judged you.

So you nodded again and you felt your eyes become teary again at his words, but this time you managed to keep yourself from crying. And finally Joe saw your lips curve into a small, trembling smile.

"There it is" he said, in the exact same tone he had used that morning. That tone that always made your heart beat like a teenager in love. "I missed your smile. You're so beautiful when you smile, y'know?"

You wrapped your arms around his torso, pressing your body against his and  getting even closer to him than you already were. He wrapped one arm around your back, while his other hand went to rest on the back of your head, so that it rested on his shoulder.

"Thank you" you said against his jacket, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. "I'm so grateful you're here with me, Joe. I don't know what i'd do without you"

Joe tilted his head to leave a lingering kiss on your hair as he caressed your back with his fingertips.

"Same goes for me sweetheart. Same goes for me"

[contemplatingoutlander]

Patel is a very dangerous conspiracy theorist. Putting him in charge of the FBI will destroy the independence of that institution. Patel will likely turn FBI agents into 'enforcers' for the Trump agenda that will be used to investigate and intimidate his critics.

“We will go out and find the conspirators — not just in government, but in the media — yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections. “We’re going to come after you. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out. But yeah, we’re putting you all on notice, and Steve, this is why they hate us. This is why we’re tyrannical. This is why we’re dictators.... Because we’re actually going to use the Constitution to prosecute them for crimes they said we have always been guilty of but never have.” Kash Patel (Dec. 2023) on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast

Indoctrinating Children Into MAGA Beliefs

I don't know if Patel is just corrupt or he actually believes the conspiracy theories about the 2020 election having been rigged, or that "federal bureaucrats in the 'deep state' tried to overthrow the former president."

Regardless, Patel actually wrote a series of children's books whose purpose was to indoctrinate children into the belief that the Democrats had created terrible "plots" to prevent Trump from becoming and remaining president

Here are the book series titles: The Plot Against the King (April 1, 2022),The Plot Against the King 2000 Mules (Aug. 29, 2022), The Plot Against the King 3: The Return of the King (Sept. 9, 2024).

Furthermore, the article above claims the book series features Patel "as a 'wizard' defending “King Donald.'”

Below is the cover from the third book. You can see Patel as the "wizard" on the left:

I'm sorry, but anyone who stoops to indoctrinating children regarding MAGA conspiracies should NOT be in charge of the FBI.

For a humorous take on the second book in the series, by a left- leaning TikToker SnoozeAlarmMom, see this POST.

[Below the cut are some excerpts from the article. It's one of the more thorough articles out there about Kash Patel, so I highly recommend reading it.]

President-elect Donald Trump announced Saturday he would pick Kashyap "Kash" Patel, a 44-year-old loyalist with little significant experience in federal law enforcement, to serve as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. [...] A former senior law enforcement official who interacted with Patel in the past said he was not qualified for the position.

"It’s ridiculous. He’s arguably the least qualified person ever nominated for a senior position in federal law enforcement," said the former official, who asked not to be named citing fears of retaliation from Trump. "I don’t know anything significant that he achieved at the DOJ. He was not well regarded as a prosecutor." [...] Patel has promoted the falsehood that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump as well as the baseless conspiracy theory that federal bureaucrats in the “deep state” tried to overthrow the former president.

Patel has called for replacing “anti-democratic” civil servants in law enforcement and intelligence with “patriots” who he says will work for the American people. In his memoir, "Government Gangsters," he described the current political moment as “a battle between the people and a corrupt ruling class." [...] Patel has also echoed Trump’s rhetoric labeling journalists as traitors and calling for “cleaning out” of allegedly disloyal federal civil servants. In an interview last year with longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon, Patel vowed to go after “conspirators” who he claimed had abused their positions in government.  “The one thing we learned in the Trump administration the first go-around is that we have to put in all-American patriots top to bottom,” Patel told Bannon. 

“And the one thing that we will do that they never will do is that we will follow the facts and the law and go to courts of law," he said. "And correct these justices and lawyers who have been prosecuting these cases based on politics."  “We will go out and find the conspirators, not just in government but in the media — yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections," Patel said. "Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’re going to figure that out — but yeah, we’re putting you all on notice."

A “wizard” defending “King Donald”

Patel joined Trump on the 2024 campaign trail and has promoted his memoir, a film adaptation of the memoir and a line of children’s books featuring him as a “wizard” defending “King Donald.” [...]  A former senior federal law enforcement official who served under Trump during his first term said that the Patel and Gaetz nominations were signs of Trump's disdain for the DOJ and FBI and both agencies' efforts to not be used to settle political scores.

"He's just going to run roughshod over them," predicted the former official, who asked not to be named due to fear of retaliation by Trump. "He’s thumbing his nose at the DOJ and FBI with these nominations. He’s going to effect his will regardless of our norms."

[lunajay33]

Finding You🩵

Summary: The group has been split up since the prison feel and you’ve been all alone with Judith until you come across a terrible group of men

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x f!reader

Warning: This story might have some uncomfortable parts for some readers, nothing fully happens just some harassment

•Masterlist•

Things were going good, we had our crops and the community was coming together with the people who came from Woodbury but then….the sickness spread through the prison taking out a lot of people thankfully Daryl was smart to keep me away from anyone with signs and then to top it of the governor came back, he came back and killed Hershel right in front of us which broke out into a full battle field

I lost track of where Daryl was, I ran out of the prison with a quick to go bag finding Judith still in her bed, taking some more food for her and I ran out through the opening in the back of the prison

That’s how I got here, wandering the woods hoping just praying to come across anyone from the prison, Maggie Beth Rick anyone, if I ever found Daryl again I’d be the luckiest person on earth but it’s been what feels like two weeks, along the way I found a house got a blanket and tied it around myself making a makeshift baby holder for Judith so she wasn’t as difficult to carry

I was sat on these train tracks feeding Judith a can of peaches when suddenly I was surrounded by a group of dirty men, I held her close to my body scared of what might happen but I’ll be damned if I won’t fight tooth and nail to protect her

“Well well well, look what we got here, sweet lil thing like ya, might have some fun” this one guy with longer dark hair said as he ran his hand across my cheek but I flinched away

“Don’t touch me” I said trying to find away out of this circle

“You’re with us now darlin ya ain’t going anywhere” the older man said and now I was at the back of the group walking along the tracks just waiting to find a moment to escape

We eventually ventured off the tracks onto a road where we saw a man sitting in the middle of the road and my heart skipped a beat, I ran up ahead of the group careful not to upset Judith

The closer I got the clearer that winged vest became, the one person I needed to find the most and here he was

“Daryl” I said kneeling in front of him, he looked dirty and exhausted and……..broken

But when he looked at me I saw that hope in his eyes like when we first found the prison

“Are ya real?” He asked squeezing my arm

“I’m here D, I’m real”

He pulled me into a tight hug until Judith gave out a little whine

“Ya got lil asskicker?”

“Yeah, I lost track of you during the fight I saw Judith and I had to get out…..I’m sorry”

“Ya got out that’s what matters and ya found me”

“There’s something else I need to tell you”

I was cut off before I got to finish

“He yours? Ya claiming him?” Joe asked as the surrounded us

“Yes he’s mine” I looked back at Daryl and he looked defense and for good reason these people were dangerous

“Okay we’ll stop here for the night” Joe said as people started picking cars to sleep in

“Guess we can take the floor” I said sitting down farther from the others as Daryl tried to make himself comfortable laying on his garbage bag

I looked down at him my heart swelled with so much love and appreciation that I was able to find him again

“What’re ya lookin at” he asked with a slight smile

“I really thought I’d never see you again, thought I’d be alone out here just me and Judith forever and this ba…….but then I saw you again” I still haven’t gotten to tell him the news I found out that I was meant to tell him the day the governor destroyed our home

“What were ya meaning to tell me earlier” he asked as he leaned up on his arm

I sighed looking down at little Judith fast asleep in my arms

“I meant to tell you but then you know……..the governor came………I’m pregnant” he was silent for a long time he just looked down to my stomach where a little bulge was showing, it was early so it was only noticeable if you knew about it

“How’d this happen” he asked his eyebrows furrowing

“Are you mad?” I asked feeling my heart pump harder, I know this isn’t ideal but it’s done now and there’s nothing I can do

“Nah just……scared, for you, I can’t lose ya like Lori”

“Lori had a c-section with Carl, that’s why she died, I’m sure I’ll be fine D”

He motioned for me to lay on his chest, holding me close

“I love ya” he whispered

“I love you too Daryl”

Should I do a part 2?

[yelenasbraid]

𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 — 𝒋𝒐𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘

summary — joe joins you while you babysit your niece for the evening. thing is, your niece has the cutest loud mouth

warnings — fem!reader, eliza is the name of your niece, straight up fluff, best friends to lovers type deal

𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄. then again, you were the only aunt that your niece, eliza, had. your brother and his wife were going out for the evening, and you were in charge of eliza. she was the spitting image of her mother, but had the personality of her father. which for you, tonight, would prove to be a comedy show.

your best friend since college, joe burrow, had come over to catch up. considering the different career paths the both of you had, seeing each other became few and far between. you understood, though. joe had a successful career as a quarterback, you had different career. a quieter one. as much as you missed the craziness of college, you recognized that you weren’t college kids anymore. it was still nice to be able to catch up, though.

even if your niece was in the middle of the whole thing.

“liza! you didn’t finish your dinner,” you called for the blonde girl while you were in the kitchen, seeing the half-eaten piece of pizza. you didn’t see your niece, but you heard her giggles. you looked up from the sink to see eliza sitting on joe’s lap, whispering something to him. her whispers weren’t quiet, but you couldn’t expect much from a 6 year old.

joe had a grin on his face, interacting eagerly with the little girl on his lap. you didn’t know what she was saying, and in the moment you didn’t care what eliza was saying to joe.

maybe you should have.

“eliza,” you called in a softer tone, catching the eyes of both eliza and joe.

“you better go finish your dinner,” joe told eliza, who giggled and jumped off of his lap and grabbed her piece of pizza vigorously.

“guess what, aunty y/n?” eliza said as she swallowed a bite of pizza.

“what?”

“joey thinks you’re cute,” she bit into the pizza, but the choked sound that came from both you and joe wasn’t missed.

“what?” bewilderment swam in your eyes as you exchanged a look with joe, who’s face had gone pale.

“he told me,” eliza bit into her pizza again, triumph painting itself on her face.

“oh did he?” you crossed your arms over your chest as you looked at joe, who had his hands over his eyes. that was supposed to stay a secret. guess you can’t trust 6 year olds.

“yeah, he did. he also said that-”

“alright alright eliza, enough spilling the beans over there,” joe finally composed himself enough to look over at the little blonde girl, who only giggled at him. his face was pink, butterflies eating away at his stomach as he looked at your amused expression.

��what does that mean?”

“it means stop telling my secrets,” joe teased as he walked up to the counter, leaning his forearms against it.

“oh, but aunty y/n also thinks you’re cute! she didn’t tell me that but i heard her telling daddy, he told her to ‘not have too much fun.’” eliza just kept going, and it was your turn to go pink. you felt your heart jump in your chest, eyes wide as they met joe’s.

“oh did he now?” it was joe’s turn to be smug, prying the little girl for more. you were silently begging for your niece to stop talking.

“he did! i think we are having fun, so i don’t know what he means by that,” eliza’s baby blues caught yours and then joe’s, a smile forming onto her face. for a 6 year old, she was pretty smart.

“daddy just meant that he doesn’t want us to destroy the house, that’s all,” you recovered nicely, taking your niece’s empty plate from her. your face was hot, and you knew that the second that little girl was in the arms of her parents, you and joe were going to have a conversation.

and not a comfortable one.

—

“bye!”

“bye aunty y/n! bye joey!” eliza waved her little hand to the both of you, a yawn escaping her mouth. she was exhausted, and thankfully she was going home. it wasn’t that you didn’t love your niece, you did, but after the beans she just spilled, you were glad she wouldn’t have the chance to spill anymore.

now was the time for that conversation.

joe shut the door and looked down at you, your eyes finding his as the nerves built in your stomach. you’ve never had to confront your ever-building feelings for joe burrow. you kept them to yourself, your other best friend and your brother. you didn’t ever plan on telling joe, but apparently eliza had other plans that evening.

“i think i need a glass of wine,” you sigh as you push yourself away from the entryway. you couldn’t stand there under his eyes, even if they were soft and filled with an emotion you couldn’t put your finger on. joe followed you into the kitchen, his chest tight with expectation. he was outed first by your niece, and then you were. was eliza joking with you? or was she serious? he hoped that this wasn’t some sick, but smart, prank done by your niece. his eyes were wide as he followed you, his nerves tangling up inside of him.

you poured yourself a glass of wine, taking a hefty sip of your glass before setting it back down. the silence was loud, and you finally looked over at joe. his face was soft, the glow from the kitchen lights made him heavenly. you hated how attracted you were to him and how a 6 year old made that apparent to him.

“she’s not wrong,” joe’s the first to speak, his chest heaving with every breath he took.

“no, no she’s not,” you agreed as you averted your eyes back down to your glass.

“i just wish those things could have been said on my terms,” you admitted softly, joe’s expression creasing due to an oncoming grin.

“she’s six, i don’t think her plan was to play matchmaker,” joe smiled, watching as a grin of your own made its way onto your face.

“you’d be surprised, she’s smart for being only six,” you smiled. another silence filled the space between you. joe walked up to the counter, facing you. he leaned down on the counter, resting his arms there. you looked up to meet his eyes, admiring just how blue they were.

“let me take you dinner,”

“joe-”

“just, listen, i want to take you dinner. i have been wanting to ask you for a while, and i didn’t want your six year old niece, no matter how adorable she is, to be the one to suggest that, but i guess i needed a push. so, y/n, i’m not asking you out of obligation, i’m asking you to dinner because i genuinely like you,” joe found himself speaking from his heart, his words genuine and free flowing. he swallowed, watching your eyes for your reaction.

you were baffled. you’d always liked joe, and hearing him say it back illuminated your chest. you felt light as a feather, as if nothing could touch you. a smile blossomed onto your face, your eyes averting his as you attempted to hide a blush.

“well then, joe burrow, i accept,” you brought your eyes up to meet his and relief swept over his face. you chuckled, rolling your eyes and shaking your head. he came around and wrapped you in a bear hug, swinging you side to side.

“it’s a date then,” he told you, keeping you in his arms for the rest of the evening.

back in my joey phase hehe. it’s also because it’s football season and i just love a good game of football. it’s also been a century since i’ve written something so i deeply apologize for that (senior year things). so, pls enjoy this little thing for joey b