#when karens faced instant justice

[dmmahfuj]

Entitled Karens Shut Down by Police: Instant Justice

Get ready for one of the most jaw-dropping encounters you’ll see this year! In this video, we're going to share when entitled Karens shut down by police. Let's see the entire video of what the happening there. 👉 Subscribe to my channel to stay tuned:    / @instantkarenkarma  

This Karen clearly underestimated the power of the law and thought she could talk her way out of it. From making unreasonable demands to throwing a tantrum, she shows us the textbook behavior of entitled people who think the rules don’t apply to them. If you’ve ever seen a “Karen” moment, this one tops them all.

Watch as this heated interaction escalates from minor frustration to a full-on meltdown that leaves everyone in disbelief! The situation quickly gets out of hand as she refuses to comply and tries to talk her way out of a clear violation, but the officer isn't having it. You won’t believe how it ends.

We’ve all seen entitled people, but this Karen truly takes the cake with her overblown reactions, false claims, and complete disregard for the law. Watch how she tries to twist the facts and even blame the officer for doing his job, all while the camera captures every moment of her entitled behavior. From verbal outbursts to attempting to create her own version of the law, this is one Karen encounter you’ll have to see to believe.

This video is not just about watching someone’s meltdown — it’s a powerful example of how entitlement and a lack of accountability can lead to embarrassing, avoidable situations. It also highlights how police officers often deal with stressful, unpredictable encounters and manage to keep their cool in the face of extreme provocation.

Karen thought she could get her way with some loud complaints, finger-pointing, and a few choice words — but this officer wasn’t having any of it. This is the kind of public meltdown that you have to see to believe! Every part of this incident was caught on camera, so you won’t miss a single second of the drama as it unfolds. It’s a perfect example of how not to handle a situation and what happens when you push the boundaries of decency and law

[1rsoldiersince2012]

Bound by Law (Matt Murdock x Reader)

Words: 3503 (chapter 35)

Summary:

You and Matt met in the courtroom. Now, you may think that Matt was a knight in shining armour and defended you in the name of all United States laws, but that was not the case. Matt was totally destroying your client, and you wanted to tear him into pieces right then and right there, because with Murdock as your rival, your head is on the firm's plate with each case. Did Matt care? No, he only cared about bringing justice, he was a human-machine, driven by the need to bring righteousness no matter the cost. Or was he just that? What happens when you get involved in Fisk's business and Daredevil's lies against your will?

35. Man-Eater

The whole night was restless and tiring, both mentally and physically. You were used to having nightmares from time to time, some of them were realistic, some - only shapes and blurriness that you couldn't make out. But tonight was probably the worst night that you've had since you began working with Matt and Foggy.

Shapes and shadows gradually turned into bodies and faces that you would recognize everywhere, twisting into a parody of a bad horror movie. You saw Matt, sitting in his office, so furious at you for accepting Fisk's offer that he was fuming in his seat. You tried to apologize, tried to explain how there was no other way for this to end but were quickly shut up when Matt's strong hands grabbed your throat and started squeezing the life out of you - the same always bruised big hands that just hours ago felt so soft on your skin were cutting your vocal cords like a big butcher knife. You tried to speak, but words struggled to leave your mouth, jaw tightly locked in hopes to save the precious air. Matt's face changes into someone else's. His. You're back on the bed, he's pushing you into the mattress, full body weight on your throat probably enough to crash your trachea into tiny pieces, but you're desperately fighting for your life, face almost purple, but you're gnawing your nails at his face, his white as a paper sheet face with the claw-like nail scratches. Everything turns red, as if blood vessels in your eyes popped and blinded you. 

You rise up from your bed, gasping loudly and touching your neck, feeling the pulse beating in your throat loudly, proof that you're still alive. Sheets tangled between your legs feel like a trap, and you kick them off the bed immediately. "Shit." You say out loud, reaching for your phone on the bedside. Only midnight. "Fuck." You mutter again, and fall back on your pillow, trying to stop yourself from reaching for another cigarette. Maybe Foggy was right. Maybe you've had too much nicotine today. But only your body knew what a shitty day you had. The sudden involvement of Wesley and the Kingpin guy messed up the whole perspective of the case for you and you were not sure what you should do. The threat was serious enough for anyone smarter than a child to back off, but you couldn't break your promise to Elena.

You also couldn't risk involving your father into these shady schemes and endanger his life. Not after the last time.

*** "Wow, you look like crap."

"Thanks, Foggy." You grumble, hanging your coat next to Matt's. "You look...fresh."

Foggy smiles widely, disappearing in his office with a bunch of documents, and you step into your office, to find Matt already sitting in his chair comfortably. He looked better than you, that's for sure, yet still somewhat tired. "Morning." You squeeze out, dropping your briefcase on one of the armchairs. 

"Morning." Matt smiles warmly, and in an instant, you feel like you're home. But you weren't. The nightmare was never over.

You suddenly lack words, especially after yesterday. When his body was so close to yours, when he was pressing his lips to yours with such hunger that if Karen didn't show up, you probably would've torn each other apart right here in the office kitchen. Opening a can of Red Bull, you take a big gulp, probably emptying about half of the drink. Matt smells the sweet flavour in the air, scrunching his nose. He also stays silent, not knowing what to say after what happened last night. A lot of things went downhill for him as well, yet both of you would rather die than tell each other about what happened after you left the office.

"Oh, rough night?" Foggy says behind your back, eyeing the energy drink.

"Not the kind you think." You sigh, trying to keep your head up.

"Tough." Foggy replies, suddenly feeling tension rising up. 

"Anything new?" Matt asks, somehow compassionate, about your situation. He was certain that you only slept bad, and he was half right. 

"Nothing about Elena's apartment, but some woman called, she's coming today for a legal consultation or, as she said, 'whatever you law guys call talking'. "

"I can already tell how enjoyable the talk's gonna be." You almost yawn and drink again. 

"Well, she sounded quite pleasant." Foggy defends.

"Foggy, every woman on the phone sounds pleasant to you." Matt chuckles, fixing his red shades. 

"What can I say, I love the thought of imagining the face of the mysterious voice." 

"No comment." You say when Foggy looks at you for some sort of answer, and almost giggle when Matt tries to hide his grin.

"Yeah, you guys suck." Foggy storms out of the room, leaving you and Matt alone again. 

"We haven't even said a word, Foggy!" Matt shouts back at Foggy and imagines him showing his middle finger at the wall. "So, rough night?" Matt tries to use Foggy's icebreaker, not sure how he could approach the conversation after what happened yesterday. Your lips were on his mind the whole time.

Your hand unconsciously touches your neck and shivers go down your spine. "Just a shitty sleep." You smile slightly, "you?" 

Matt slowly shakes his head, remembering how he was the last one to speak to Blake before his own partner and long-time friend Hoffman killed him.  And then he had a little chat with Urich. Last night wasn't easy for him, too. Just differently. "Me too." 

"Really?" You say almost teasingly, but perhaps Matt was just imagining that tone.

"Yeah." He smiles, and you're quick to notice the dimples on his cheeks. 

"We've got guests!" Foggy shouts when he hears a knock on the door.

"Morning, are you the lawyer...s?" A red-haired woman appears in the doorway, adding the ending to the word when she sees you and Matt step out of your office, Matt standing very closely to you. Her attire was a bit shocking to say the least, especially for a legal consultation. Bright red dress, almost covering her butt, short sleeves showing almost half of her shoulders and a deep deep v-neck, like a cheery on top. Her fur coat, that was almost the same length as her dress, which made her look like a hooker. And this was the nicest thing going on in your mind at the moment. You couldn't see Foggy's reaction as his back was turned on you, but from the lack of words, you guessed that he probably stood there with his mouth open.

"Yes, we are, please, take a seat there in my office."Foggy finally rambles, showing the woman way to his small office and when she goes in, he quickly turns to you and Matt and whispers, "come here with me."

"Should we?" You half whisper to Matt, leaning close to him, when Foggy almost runs into the office, scrambling to his feet to pull the chair for the woman. 

"Yeah, why not?" Matt smirks at the closeness and follows you like a puppy when you pull him by the sleeve of his jacket into the corner of Foggy's office, where two chairs were put. 

"So, Miss Loren, you wanted some legal consultation, right?" Foggy asks, sitting with his back turned to you and Matt, where you two rather sat closely on the chairs. The redhead was right on display for all three of you, and you almost felt a strange relief that Matt wasn't able to see her with those twins half out on display. 

"Yes," she crosses her arms on the table, slightly pushing her breasts together. You almost roll your eyes at the sight of this pure embarrassment. "My therapist was using me for sex." She states so simply as if it was a normal conversation about the weather. 

"Sorry, what?" Foggy stammers, opening his notebook to write it down.

"My therapist was using me for sex. What's not to understand?" She repeats, head held high.

"Let's maybe just start at the beginning."

"I was going to therapy sessions for two months. I was failing three subjects in college, and my parents sent me to this therapist. To talk about my problems or whatever." She shrugs.

"And did he help? With those problems, I mean." Foggy steals a confused look at you, and you only reply with a raise of eyebrows.

"He did. He's a good therapist." 

"So... how did everything else happen?" Matt interferes in the talk, making himself available to the eagle-eyed woman. 

She directs her whole attention to Matt, seeing you frown and shift in your seat in the corner of her eye. "He told me that he liked me. It was the end of one of our sessions. I said that I liked him too. We went on a date, and later he was fucking me in his apartment." She looks again at Matt and stresses the word 'fucking', making something twist in your stomach. Matt felt uneasy and restrained under the intense gaze of the redhead.

"So it was with consent? You agreed to it?" Foggy reassures that he's understanding the situation correctly. 

"Yes."

"How was he using you then?" You ask, a hard look in your eyes. Things like that are not something to be lied about, especially to the lawyers.

"He wanted it often. I was okay with it, but let me tell you, the sex was bad." She laughs, showing a row of unnaturally white teeth.

"Miss Loren, I don't think we understand exactly why you came to our law firm." Foggy shakes his head, looking at the empty sheet of his notebook.

"I think I stated the situation pretty clear." She leans forward again, and you roll your eyes at the clear intention of messing with Foggy.

"What was the reason for you to come here?" You ask, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"To get my money back, of course."

"What money?"

"The money that he took from me when we together."

"Miss, could you stop speaking in riddles?" Foggy makes himself available on the spotlight again.

"When we got together, sort of, I was no longer going to therapy," she pouts, and you're 80 percent sure that she has a lip filler. "We used to talk about my problems after sex, and when I said that I'm breaking up with him, he got upset and told me that these talks are equal to therapy sessions and I need to pay."

"So you paid?" Matt asks, manspreading enough for his knee to touch yours.

"Of course I paid. But now I want my money back." 

"Why the sudden change?" You ask, earning a hard look from her, "I mean you could've not paid at all."

"He threatened to go to his lawyers."

"Yeah, and now you're here." You say under your breath and thankfully Miss Loren fails to hear it. Matt on the other hand, tries to contain his grin under his fist.

"Well, if you signed a contract, I'm sure it said that only sessions held in his office count as sessions that you need to pay for." Foggy crosses his arms, looking at the empty sheet of paper in front of him.

"I... Yes, I did." She thinks for a moment, and you can clearly imagine the little mechanism firing up in her head.

"Then we need to get your money back." Foggy turns back to look at the two of you, only to be met with your doutbful look. Matt remains tight-lipped, as if afraid to say something that might affect a potential new case.

"You'll help me? Really?"

"Yes... We will try but I doubt that you have a cheque for the money you gave." Foggy sighs, understanding the difficulty of the situation.

The woman says nothing and you stand up, smoothing your clothes, "Can you just excuse us for a moment?" You offer a fake smile to the red-head and gesture for Foggy to step out, slightly touching Matt's shoulder on your way. Matt almost immediately stands up, leaving the woman in Foggy's office alone, chasing the trail of perfume and energy drink smell that you left. 

You pull Matt by his sleeve again, this time closing the doors of your office. "This is a dead-end case."

"I know." Foggy exhales, looking around the room for any support.

"Oh, do you?" You ask in a whisper, afraid that Miss Loren might hear something through those paper-thin walls. "Because I thought that you were staring at her breasts this whole time."

Foggy's face turns red in an instant, which confirms exactly what you said. "It's not my fault, okay?"

"Okay, despite the... exposed breasts or whatever," Matt begins, feeling the side eye that you just gave him, "this is a terrible case. There's little to no hope that we can prove that she really gave him money, especially if it was in cash-"

You slightly hit Matt's chest, exclaiming silently, "That's it, cash! If she transfered money via bank, there has to be a document, go, go" you begin pushing Foggy out of the office, "go ask her now!"

As Foggy leaves, you notice that you've held your hand on Matt's chest the whole time, and awkwardly pull away, "shit, sorry." 

"I see that the energy drink is really working." Matt smirks, pretending to touch his chest.

Foggy bursts in, face light up with a smile. "We got him." 

You get squished in the middle between Matt and Foggy's hug and groan in protest, feeling Foggy's hair tickling your face. Matt's body tightly pressed against your back, even for a brief moment, takes your breath away, and you stand flustered when the men pull away and Foggy rushes off.

The moment of a small victory gets destroyed into pieces when Karen comes in with the news - Elena was shot dead in her apartment building.

*** 

You sit on one of the armchairs, looking nowhere in particular, blinking only occassionally, when the dryness starts stinging your eyes. The chatter between your coworkers has died minutes ago, the speculations were exhausted and only Karen seemed to be more active than the three of you. Turning on the news, she tried to put you out of your thoughts, unsuccesfully.

You didn't know what you felt inside at this moment. The feeling was so familiar, yet so different. It wasn't the heartbreak of losing someone close to you, or your parent, but it made you feel something, because Elena wasn't a complete stranger either. Honestly, it would've been easier to deal if you stayed away from her case, unfortunatelly, you were already head and heart deep in it. Matt sat beside you on another armchair, deep in thought. He didn't need to have super abilities to read the mood in the room, and they were not helping him to lessen his own grief as well. He desperately wanted to hold your hand, to squeeze it tightly, so that the closeness would take his heartache away, yet he couldn't. He was grasping his knee to the point of his knuckles turning white, holding the inside of his cheek between his teeth as a distraction. 

Foggy and Karen were perhaps shaken the most, after all they spent more time with Elena not discussing case matters, simply chatting. Karen, familiar with things like that, was thinking further than all three of you - who is going to pay for the funeral expenses, and who will organise the whole thing? She had no money, obviously. The firm too. Matt and Foggy literally looked like they survived each day by pure miracle. And of course... Karen's eyes fell on you. Your expensive watch and jewelry, that Karen herself would probably have to work three jobs in order to buy something similar. Sometimes you just stank richness and she despised it, for whatever reason. Maybe because she grew up with almost nothing, and you just had your rich daddy to fund your desires. She's never seen your apartment, but she was guessing that you liked to live like you liked to dress - fancy. Everyone had their own opinion about you, and Karen's was this. She couldn't deny that she thought you were just another little slut, who liked to fuck around, but as your time here went on, Karen has only heard about that dick Wesley, and she wasn't entirely sure if you two were a serious thing or not. Not that she cared about that at the moment; or any other moment of the day. Karen had her eyes focused on one man, and one man only. Her glance fell on Matt's worried face, tracing the lines on his face, the slight scrunch of his nose, the almost faded bruise just at the end of his glasses outline. Karen wanted Matt only for herself, and if she somehow managed to get him, she wouldn't be stupid to let him go. But there was something in Matt's behaviour towards her that always left her dissappointed; he was so cold to her words, her shy, not-so-accidental touches, or invites to grab a drink, as if he was already devoted to another. From the perspective of seeing the obvious, Karen was the blind one, not Matt. Especially when she fail to notice the obvious crush that Foggy had on her.

Foggy felt devastated. Ever since he met Elena, she was nothing but only kind to him, and he genuinely wanted this case to be a success. Maybe it was particularly hard for him because in his whole life he has never had any experience related to death. His parents were alive and well, his brother... Well, he was somehow still there, and still bugging him, and his grandparents were kicking asses in their small shop. This was something new, something disgusting, something you can't grab and put in a jar and throw it away. He wished he had powers to do so, yet he was helpless, only a mere watcher.

"I'm not very good at this, out, being in public. But I felt the need to speak up for this city that I love with all my heart. No one should have to live in fear. In fear of madmen who have no regard for who they injure." A familiar voice on the TV says, and you whip your head up so fast, that it takes a moment for your vision to return to normal. There he was. The so-calledKingpin. Your eyes widen in the forgotten fear and hatred when you see his bald head on the screen. Matt, disturbed by your sudden movement, turns his head in the direction of the small TV. The camera zooms out of Fisk's face and you see that he's not alone. Foggy and Karen share a worried look when they recognise Wesley and your face becomes pale in a matter of seconds.

Matt feels the shift in the air, especially with you literally burning with hatred next to him, but he tries to focus on the next words coming from TV.

"In fear of the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, who has inflicted untold pain and suffering. This masked terrorist and psychopaths of his kind, we must show them we will not bow down to their campaign of coercion and intimidation. We must stand up to them." Fisk continues, and Matt feels his blood boiling in his veins. "As this man, my dearest friend, Leland Owlsley, a pillar in the financial community, stood up when he was recently assaulted. But this assault was for no other reason than to send me a message. A message warning me to stop." 

Owsley? Was he out in public too? Who else was with Fisk there?

"To give up my dream that I have for this city. A dream of a better place. A place for its citizens to feel safe. To feel pride. I tried to do this quietly, not wanting to draw attention. The last thing I wanted was for anyone close to me to become a target from those who do not share my dream. For those who will have this city stay exactly as it is, mired in poverty and crime. But I know now it was foolish to make that decision. That I can no longer do it alone.That I cannot keep living in the shadows afraid of the light. None of us can. None of us should be forced to. We must do this together. We must resist those who would have us live in fear." Fisk takes a moment to inhale some air, and you notice the proud look on Wesley's face when he glances at Fisk as if the latter was some sort of God to him. You feel the sour drink in the back of your throat, or maybe you just imagined it, as the desire to puke becomes almost unbearable. 

"My name is Wilson Fisk. And together, we can make this city a better place." The crowd starts cheering for him and you rush to the toilet on the first floor, bursting through the doors and tightly gripping the edges of the sink and splashing cold water on your face. The whole thing just took an unexpected turn. Hell's Kitchen was about to suffer even more than before.

[neko-naruto]

The one time it mattered

Summary: Five times Kenny confessed and the one time he didn't

Warnings: swearing, loss of faith, check Ao3 port for full tags

Authors Note: Never written a 5+1 fic before and maybe this was just a little bit ambitious on a time constraint but I managed. Day four was secret/confession, and I chose confession! the K2 comes like, after everything else so feel free to just skip ahead. so I hope ya'll enjoy and if ya do maybe consider dropping a reblog or checking out the Ao3 port

1.

Kennys first crush was on Butters, the adorable and innocent Butters. Almost everyone could see that, they were young as they were when Chef was still around, and still terrible at hiding emotions. At the time Kenny didn't really get how to make a formal confession, or how to do it. He did understand the parts that came well after an established relationship though.

Still, he played plenty of games that put him in all sorts of roles and positions. This is the first time he plans on fully utilizing his role to get what he wants. And what he wants at the time is a kiss from Butters or for Butters to say 'I love you' and mean it. He doesn't do that a lot at home, or school, more focused on taking care of Karen or not dying. But just this once in grade four in South Park elementary, he plans damn well on getting what he wants.

If he has to use his Princess Kenny persona then so be it, he'll use his dress and his 'royal presence' to distract Butters into a kiss.

"Oh god! Princess Kenny is dying!" Came the shrill cry of High Jew Elf Kyle as he watched Princess Kenny go down.

"I got it!" Butters shouted as he ran over to his fallen ally and helped her up.

"Thank you, Paladin Butters," Kenny said as calmly as he could muster as he Butters handed him a cure potion for the bleeding. The same one that he had drank from- Kenny guzzled it in mere moments, "You look magnificent in battle Butters."

"Thank you Princess," Butters said before dashing off to smite some enemies with his hammer of justice.

Kenny sighed dreamily as he watched.

"Kenny block!" Kyle cried out just in time for Kenny to barely avoid the attack.

"Thanks!" Kenny shouted back as Butters returned to his side.

"Let me heal you," Butters said as he walked over to give Kenny a pat on the shoulder.

Kenny grabbed onto Butters, albeit extremely gently so he could escape if he wanted to. Shock played itself on his friends face, "Kiss me Paladin Butters."

An instant and visceral response of 'Gross!' was how Butters reacted, dropping the princess.

Kennys fourth grade mind took it as a devastating rejection. Took it as such to the point that while staying completely in character he ran off crying, one hand keeping his dress from dragging and all. He had a hard time believing he got rejected, they were so close, how much could one little kiss change that? His fourth grade mind just didn't get it.

His fourth grade mind also let him move on in a months time.

2.

Kenny realizes that he's bisexual in grade six when gets a crush on Wendy Testaburger. He previously thought he was just gay. But nope, now he wears a little pin on his shoelaces, blue, purple, and pink. He doesn't wear it with a whole lot of pride because he has too take it off every day after school so his parents won't know he swings both ways. But at school he does wear it and flaunt it a little bit, happy he can sit comfortably with himself despite everything else.

He's forgotten about the horrible rejection of grade four, and him and Butters are just friends anyways. He can see now that it was just juvenile attraction, a foolish puppy crush not to be confused with what he feels for Wendy. The major hurdle when it comes to Wendy is the fact that she's in a rough spot with her on and off relationship with Stan. And as much as Kenny wants Wendy, he likes his friendship with Stan a lot more.

"Hey Stan," Kenny begins with as he sits down next to his friend whose lazily drinking a juicebox.

"Yeah man?" Stan asked in response as he prodded at his vegetable medley.

"How pissed would you be if I hit on Wendys best friend?" Kenny asked nervously, glad that Kyle and Cartman weren't around to hear it.

Stan looked confused, "Go for it, it's not like she's my girlfriend."

Kenny cleared his throat, "And if I hit on Wendy?"

"Dude! Fuck no! She's my girlfriend," Stan said defensively, putting up his hackles and spitting his words.

"Alright, alright," Kenny said as he rolled his eyes, hands thrown up in surrender, "She's all yours."

"At least wait until she's gonna break up with me before you start trying to get her for yourself," Stan said, tossing a juicebox to Kenny who expertly caught it.

-/-/-/-

Stan trudged to school the next day, Kenny meeting him at their lockers. The Marsh looks absolutely wrecked, like he got no hours, or minutes of sleep, the night prior. And that's saying a lot, usually if he goes without much sleep no one can tell that anythings wrong with him.

Kenny placed a hand on his shoulder, "What happened?"

Stan sighed, "Wendy broke up with me Kenny, she's all yours."

"Really?" Kyle asked, trying his hardest not to sound excited.

"Really," Stan echoed back with a nod, "Hope you enjoy her, if she even says yes."

"I have maxed out charisma Stan, it'll work perfectly," Kenny said boldly, bringing a hand to his chest in an eloquent manner.

"Good luck with it," Stan said, "I'm hanging out with Kyle while you make a fool of yourself during seven minutes in heaven."

"There's a game of seven minutes in heaven?" Kenny asked eagerly.

"Yep, drama room at first break, I'm not going," Stan said as he pulled off his outer jacket.

"Well I am, I'll make sure to tell you how much I score," Kyle said as he walked off to his own class, making sure to grab his homework before slamming his locker shut.

-/-/-/-

Kenny idly meandered around the halls as he waited for the bell to ring, he had sneaked out a few minutes early. He just had to get lucky now. The loud and obnoxious ringing of the stupid bell sounded and he was already rushing into the drama room. Most of the girls were already inside, sitting in a circle with a couple of the guys.

Kenny awkwardly wedged himself across from Wendy, sitting in between Clyde and Craig. He crossed one leg over the other.

"Alright, everyone knows the rules of seven minutes in heaven?" Bebe asked as she walked into the center of the circle, holding a glass pop bottle as she spoke.

Everyone nodded along.

"Cool, now," Bebe began as she placed down the bottle in the middle, "We spin!"

The bottle scratched on the hardwood floor as it spun in a perfect rotation. There was meager grinning and chatting as it came to a halt. Bebe drew an imaginary line from the mouth of the bottle to the person it pointed to.

"Contestant number one in this matchmaking game is Kenny!" Bebe exclaimed as she raised one of Kennys arms as though she were a ring announcer. He stood up and grinned a little bit as he was pushed out of the circle, he stood patiently.

She spun the bottle once more and Kenny is practically vibrating as he watched the bottle slow down. This was his best chance, he just had to get lucky. Obscenely, and impossibly lucky, but he's recently placed himself in the anything is possible category. He can die and come back the next day! Getting lucky in a game of seven minutes in heaven is nothing in comparison.

"And the second contestant is Wendy!" Bebe announced as Wendy stood up and walked over to Kennys side.

"Seven minutes," Wendy muttered under her breath as they were led to the closet.

"Have fun," Bebe said in a taunting singsong as she closed the door after them.

Kenny dropped down to the floor, crossing his legs. Wendy sat across from him, knees bent.

"So, Wendy," Kenny begins with, "You dumped Stan?"

"Yes," Wendy said.

"Which means you're up for a brand new a relationship?" Kenny asked, tapping his hand on his knee as he spoke.

Wendy raised a brow although Kenny couldn't see it, "I suppose it does."

Kenny took a bit of a shaky breath, "I'm pretty sure I have a crush on you," 'Pretty sure' what a lie. He was absolutely certain that he did.

"Mood, lot's of guys do," Wendy answered with, "What makes you think I should choose you over Clyde? Or maybe even Damien?"

Kenny couldn't form an answer.

"You're sweet McCormick but you have nothing to bring to the table," Wendy said, she gave a small smile as she spoke, "Maybe next time."

Grade six, drama room closet, first break, is the exact second that Kenny realizes he needs to plan things out if questions are asked.

3.

Kenny has secretly been planning this moment for weeks, the perfect confession to his massive crush. More massive and more important than the last two combined, he's in grade eight now, this one is the winner. He has it all planned out, but he's fully prepared for something to come along and mess it up as well. He has a little speech prepared and enough confidence to kill a horse which is all he needs. Cartmans petty remarks are not part of what he needs but that's what he'll get if Kyle and Stan aren't around.

"Hey Craig!" Kenny called out from across the cafeteria, waving a big to grab the ravenettes attention.

He started on his way over.

"He's not gonna accept your confession man," Cartman said as he inched away from Kenny.

Kenny turned to throw him a smirk, "Jealous I have balls Cartman? Ones that will be sucked without fail?"

"Shut up," Cartman snapped back, "You're lucky that Stan and Kyle aren't here to see your pathetic attempt."

"You won't be either," Kenny said smugly, sticking out his tongue a bit.

Craig sat down across from Kenny, "What is it man?"

"Not a whole lot," Kenny started with as he drummed his fingers on the table, "I was just wondering if you're free for ten minutes after school?"

"I am," Craig said bluntly, taking a forkful of his salisbury steak, "Why does it matter?"

"Meet me where the goths usually sit right after school, they've all come down with a terrible case of the shits, it's fucking tragic," Kenny said, having to repress the grin on his face as he spoke.

Craig gave a single chuckle, "Did Cartmans mom cook for them?"

"Hey!" Was the only venomous exclamation Cartman could get out.

Kenny nodded, "Yeah, the chocolate chicken potpie was too much for them to handle."

"What a shame," Craig said, "Anything else? I told Tweek I'd only be a couple minutes before I go back."

Kenny shook his head, "Nope!"

"See you after school," Craig said as he made his way back to his table.

"Cartman it's gonna be great," Kenny said, taking a bite of the side dish.

Cartman sighed, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

-/-/-/-

Kenny has one flower behind his back, a lupin, as he waits out back for Craig to arrive. He's smiling a little bit as he watches the ravenette come into view and walk on over.

"So Kenny, what did you want to talk about?" Craig asked, tracing Kennys expression.

Kenny cleared his throat before holding out the singular flower, "Craig, I'm deeply enamored and adoring of you. You're one of the coolest fucking people on this planet and I'm lucky that I know you well enough to mostly read your emotions. I, I think you're one of my all time favorite people- more than Cartman, Stan, or even Kyle!"

Craig was silent.

"And with all that being said," Kenny said before taking a steadying breath, "Will you go out with me? Please?"

Craig roughly swallowed, "Kenny me and Tweek went on our first date this weekend."

That punched Kenny in the gut, all he could produce was a lifeless, "What?"

"Yeah, we were gonna tell everyone about it tomorrow during lunch," Craig said stiffly, "I'm so, so sorry."

"That's fine, thanks for letting me know," Kenny answered with to the best of his abilities, "You aren't, you aren't telling anyone right?"

"Fuck no," Craig said, "That'd be a total betrayal of trust and ruin our friendship."

Kenny nodded silently.

"Unless this did," Craig tacked on helpfully.

"No, we can still be friends, probably," Kenny said, "I'm going home."

"Me too," Craig said before turning to leave.

Kennys hands still tightly clutched the stem of the flower.

-/-/-/-

"What do you mean you knew and didn't tell me?!" Kenny snapped at Cartman.

"That's what you get for asking out everyone who says hi like some fucking whore!" Cartman shot back as he pressed a finger to Kennys chest.

"I don't do ask everyone out, formally at least," Kenny defended with in a sputtery manner.

Cartman narrowed his eyes, "Look man, it's gonna start wearing on you and I'd hate to see my best friend down in the dumps over it."

Kenny did nothing, not a nod or a word out of him.

"Wanna watch a shitty movie and eat KFC?" Cartman asked.

Kenny nodded, "Thanks."

4.

Kenny feels a flutter in his stomach when he realizes who it is next, and for once cupid has good timing. That cunt shot his red tipped arrow into Kennys skull a week after Stans most recent breakup, right around the time he's rebounded entirely. They're finishing grade eleven now, almost prom at that, and the McCormick feels a sick satisfaction because he can ask Stan to go to prom if nothing else.

He can plan it out in advance again, watch his good friends love life like a hawk, make sure there's no hangups. He'll have someone say yes! Someone'll accept his confession and he hopes so much that it ends up being Stan instead of anyone else.

He does try to plan it out, he really does, but everything has a way of going to shit for the McCormick.

"Pass another one down!" Kyle called out for only for Craig to hand him a bottle of some local brew.

"Can I have that?" Kenny whined.

Kyle rolled his eyes and handed it over, "Fine."

"Thank you," Kenny said, batting his eyelashes a bit as he spoke. He popped open the bottle and tilted his glass before pouring in that golden liquid once again. This was his third beer, and maybe he was a bit more of a lightweight than he accounted for.

Stan placed down his mug, only the faintest red on his face. By all accounts he was sober, except for the amount of alcohol running through him, and the lack of filter. He pushed out his chair, "I'm heading outside for some fresh air."

"Alright, you do that," Was what he got in response from Cartman who was attempting to stay sober enough to drive. He was failing, but he could still walk straight.

Kenny watched eagerly as Stan left, sipping on his glass of beer the whole while. A small ring of foam was left on his upper lip, "I think I'm gonna do it."

"Don't do it," Cartman warned, heavily aware of what Kenny was referencing as he spoke, "You had a plan."

"I did but last time that fucked me in the ass with a chainsaw," Kenny explained with a shrug, "It's not coming out when I'm sober anyways."

"That's the problem idiot," Cartman muttered, "I'll preorder KFC for your mourning period."

Kenny gave a laugh, "There will be no mourning period this time."

Kyle reached over and swiped his thumb along the foam, wiping it down as best he could, "Don't wanna get beer in your kiss dude."

Kenny instantly froze at the soft, smooth touch. He was shoving it aside again in an instant, "Wish me luck dear friends."

Somehow he got a chorus of 'Good luck!'s on his way out to the sliding door. He wore an all too confident look on his face as he sidled up next to Stan. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill, fresh and green.

"Stan," Kenny begins with boldly.

"Yeah?" Stan answered with.

"I'll give you this crisp twenty dollar bill if you let me kiss you," Kenny said, waving the bill in the air as he spoke. He held it tightly between middle and pointer finger, saccharine grin on his face. He was winning right now.

He studied the slight shifts in Stans expression like he would be tested on it. He waited patiently for a response, he's answered with his twenty dollar bill being snatched away and pocketed. Then it's followed up with a hand at the small of his back tugging him flush against Stan and their lips meeting in a brief instant. That one instant is all he wants though, and maybe he's a bit too drunk to truly appreciate but he still craves it.

Stan releases him, "Thanks for the quick buck."

"Dude I fucking love you," Kenny accidentally said, words coming out in a mush of what he wanted to articulate.

"Real fucking shame," Stan said, leaning against the porch railing.

"You and Wendy hooked up again?" Kenny asked cautiously.

Stan laughed, a beautiful and angelic sound to Kenny, "No, god no. I think she's having an affair with Wendy right now. It's just that I'm shit."

"But you're not," Kenny said blandly, tugging on the syllables just a bit.

"Like, I'm bad at relationships dude. That was a good twenty bucks, but you can't buy your way into wasting your time on me," Stan explained. He tapped his foot on the wooden planks a bit, "Besides, if you're lucky you'll just forget this in the morning."

Kenny was not lucky and he remembered it perfectly when he woke up.

5.

Kenny finds himself holed up in the bathroom at one of his best friends house when the realization of his next accomplice of romance hits him upside the head. Because of course it had to be him, it had too! He almost feels ill to the stomach because he knows exactly what the answer is, he doesn't even want to give himself false hope.

But he does anyways.

Life isn't worth anything if it isn't accompanied by the little lies you can tell yourself.

"Hey dude? You good in there?" Came a rather worried voice from the other side of the bathroom door.

"I'm fine," Kenny answered with as he stood up and unlocked the door. He hesitantly opened it and stepped out.

"So, no KFC or else you're gonna yak?" Cartman asked, Kenny nodded.

"Yeah. Definitely not," Kenny answered with a nervous chuckle.

"Deal breaker man, that's our usual 'Kenny just got rejected' meal," Cartman teased, "We could get something else, I guess."

"Thanks bro," Kenny said with a playful punch to Cartmans shoulder.

How was he gonna go about it this time?

-/-/-/-

He ended up deciding on a letter, a long, well thought out love letter. He knew it was too sappy for Cartman of all people but he also knew he'd just get turned down anyways. Why not do it with a little bit of flare? Have some fun while he's getting rejected for the umpteenth time before he's even done his school education.

He's scrapped at least four rough drafts, looking over the best parts of each and avoiding the really bad parts of the rest. He absolutely wants to die, but Cartman would remember and ask why he died so easily. Stupid curse and it's absolutely garbage ruleset, it really pissed off Kenny at times like this.

He took a deep steadying breath before paper to pen again.

Disclaimer: This letter is entirely seriously. Take each word at face value unless it's clearly part of a metaphor. It isn't a joke. I'm sorry in advance and I'm working on dealing with it.

Maybe that's a little bit too somber for the start, he keeps writing anyways.

Okay, with that disclaimer out the way, I need to say something. Dude I think I like you, I'm know that I do actually, even though you're an awful fucking asshole most of the time. You're just, you can be nice in private if you actually want to and that's pretty fucking endearing. And you've been sitting at my side for each and every single one of my rejections, even back in grade four!

Kenny pauses, maybe grade four is a bit too far back. He's writing in red ink, no going back now.

Look man. Every single time I've had someone reject me, brutally or otherwise, you've been there for me. You've spent entire nights playing shitty video games and eating KFC with me so I can forget and feel better about it. No matter what, and that's impressive if nothing else.

He tightens the grip on his pen a little bit and the side of his hand smudges a bit of the ink.

I already know what the answer is, I think it's helpful to get it out of my system as soon as possible so I don't dwell on it. I already know you're gonna say 'no' and probably call me a stupid homo or a whore cause you do that sometimes.

Sorry in advance, Kenny McCormick.

Before he can dwell on it he folds the paper in half and stuffs it in his pocket before heading out to Cartmans house.

-/-/-/-

"What is it this time? Get rejected by Tweek?" Cartman asked as he leaned on the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. He stared at Kenny, searching for the usual indicative reactions but there wasn't any.

"Worse," Was all Kenny could muster as he pulled out the folded paper.

"What's the paper?" Cartman asked as he snatched it out of Kennys hands. He expected some form of reaction or retaliation but he got absolutely nothing in response which was wrong. It was entirely wrong, he knew exactly how to push each of Kennys buttons and taking something without incentive was usually one of them.

Kenny glanced to his feet, "Read it."

"Right now?" Cartman asked, unfolding the paper doused in red ink.

Kenny nodded, "Or later, whenever works best."

"Something is seriously wrong with you today," Cartman said as he stared at his friend.

"You'll know when you read it," Kenny said absently as Cartman read over the words.

He glanced over them at first, latching onto a couple as he went before rereading it. He held the paper in one hand and tapped it with the back of the other a couple times. Then he checked it once more, disclaimer and all.

"Wow," Was what Cartman could manage.

Kenny couldn't even look Cartman in the face.

"At least you knew the answer am I right?" Cartman got out on an awkward laugh, "Look, I'll still be here eating KFC with you until the end of time, but saying vows? No fucking way."

"I know," Kenny got out quietly, "I know."

Cartman stuffed the letter in one of his few pockets, "Wanna watch a shitty movie and get some KFC?"

Kenny nodded, "That'd be fun."

6?

Kenny just feels dread whenever those butterflies start to flutter in his stomach now, he's trying his hardest to beat them down. To ignore them, stuff them deep down where they'll never surface and hurt him again. He just wants to sob when he fails to keep himself safe, when he feels that all too familiar and unwelcome sensation crowd his skin.

He'll let himself have it one last time, he has a good net to fall back on. Said net being Cartman, and Cartman being used to dealing with an emotionally messed up Kenny. He's even roped Stan into helping him out with rough landing from getting rejected.

The real problem is that Kenny can't tell who it is, he can only tell it's definitely festering in his veins.

All he can do is wait patiently for the catalyst that's gonna set it off. The thing that's gonna let him know exactly who he needs to confess too and get it over with. He's just going through the final motions of school at this rate, trying to survive and ignore the ache.

He tried his best to give a smile when he opened the front door to find Kyle standing out front, "Hi Kyle."

"Meet me at Starks Pond, 5 'o clock sharp," Was what Kyle answered with.

Kenny was just stunned. "What?"

"Starks Pond, just me, and you," Kyle explained, "Five in the evening."

"We'll have to wait and see what happens then," Kenny said as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his parka, "I am curious about why you'd like to meet me at Starks Pond."

"You'll have to come meet me to find out," Kyle spat back, trying to provoke a reaction out of Kenny. He hadn't been the same since the Stan thing, the Cartman thing went under the radar, even to Kyle.

Kenny raised a brow, "Oh? What makes you so sure of that, I have my ways Broflovski."

"Your ways aren't gonna get a word out of me this time," Kyle countered with, "Not when I've already paid them to keep quiet."

"Impressive," Kenny said, he held out a hand, "Consider it a deal."

Kyle took his hand in a firm shake, "Thanks bro," Then he pulled Kenny into a brief hug.

Kenny short circuited at the touch, the tough but still gentle squeeze. Hand to hand contact never once broken and head resting on his shoulder. He returned it the best he could despite how tense he felt, mostly because it was unexpected. Definitely because it was unexpected.

He watched Kyle walk off in one direction until he was starting to blur on the edge of Kennys eyesight. The McCormick pulled out his phone before sending over a message to Stan for help.

'what the fuck am i supposed to do?'

He watched the bubble flicker with intent.

'good luck man'

-/-/-/-

Starks Pond.

Kenny stagnated at the sign for much longer than he had too, but he really wanted to run away or just sink to the bottom once again. He had a pretty good idea of what was about to happen considering the past of Starks Pond. He wasn't sure if was mentally able to handle it, but it's Kyle, there's no way in fucking hell that Kyle would confess to him.

Especially not at Starks Pond of all places. It's far too cliche. Far too traditional. Far too perfect and exactly what Kennys ever wanted if someone were to confess to him instead.

He looks up from the sign before glancing around to find Kyle situated across the pond. Kenny starts on the trek over, eyes fixed firmly on the ground. He kicks small stones as he goes, some ending up in the consistently near frozen state of the pond. He plucks a crocus on his way over, bright purple petals standing out amidst the frozen ground.

He spins the stem between his thumb and pointer finger as he makes his way over. He actively refrained from the strings on is hood to cover his face, to protect himself just a bit more. He takes a small breath before he speaks up.

"What was it you wanted to talk about?" Kenny asked.

Kyle simply handed him a small, store bought bouquet. He could only tell it was store bought due to the variety of the blooms. He toyed with the petals as he thought over his next words.

"So, you brought me here to give me flowers?" Kenny asked, trying his hardest to avoid the topic that he knew was going to surface. He tactfully placed the crocus he picked alongside the rest of the flowers.

"Idiot, I'm here to ask you out," Kyle corrected, "And I thought you, ever the romantic might understand the connotations of a bouquet."

"Oh I do, I just didn't expect you of all people to fall for someone like me," Kenny said, "I'm kind of a loser these days."

"Who the fuck told you that?" Kyle questioned, both stern and worried all at once.

"No one, I am simply stating facts. Bad luck streak, poor- I am the worst romance candidate possible," Kenny got out on a light laugh, using himself as the butt of the joke just to make sure that Kyle understood he wasn't the right choice. That there are thousands of better choices out there.

Kyle simply answered with a firm, "You're the best one I've met."

"Prove it," Kenny said with a hum of laughter, he swung a foot back and forth, brushing the sole across the ground.

"Firstly, you don't fucking give up, ever, like, at all. Even when you were dying of muscle deterioration you still came back, somehow. You're a determined asshole and I admire that so much you would not believe," Kyle started with, raising a finger for his point, "Secondly, you have a decent sense of humor. In the worst of times and the best of times you're making everyone laugh one way or another. It's impressive honestly."

"And?" Kenny asked, still refusing to believe that Kyle is here to confess to him. It's making his heart pound a little bit harder in his chest, not hard enough to burst an artery of course. He knows exactly what that feels like. This is like a light summer breeze compared to a hurricane.

"Thirdly, you look hot, like honestly bro you are no doubt about it the most attractive of us all. Even more so than Craig, but that might be my blonde bias coming out when I say that. You got a couple scars here and there but honestly it's part of the look, and somehow your hair always looks nice? I don't know how you do it but I'm impressed," Kyle explained carefully, watching Kenny for any form of muted reaction, "And lastly, I love you man. I've grown into it and I doubt I'll grow out of it, but whatever we have, well, it's definitely mutated to love on my end at least."

Now Kenny felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest. He couldn't get a single word out.

"I love you Kenny, here's hoping I'm not too late in fessing up," Kyle said, lowering his hand as he spoke.

Oh.

That's who Kenny had fallen for this time.

"You're not, I'm shocked I didn't confess first honestly," Kenny managed to get out.

"I've been procrastinating on this for years man," Kyle said bluntly, "Trust me, there was a massive window of time you could've spoken up first."

Kenny clutched the bouquet a little bit tighter, "I doubt I was in any shape to tell someone like you was crushing on me when I was jumping at the first sign of anything for anyone."

"So, you'll go out with me?" Kyle asked hopefully.

Kenny nodded, "Of course man, I'd fucking love to go on a date with you."

"Wanna go rub it in Cartmans face that you finally have a boyfriend?" Kyle asked in an almost teasing tone as he held out a hand.

"Fuck yeah," Came Kennys knee jerk response, gladly taking hand and interlacing their fingers.

[tillinghastcorporatemedia]

Hello, Fellow white person here, and i'm gonna help y'all by pointing some big actions and small actions you can take too, sometimes you gotta figure out things for yourself and every interaction is different, but here's what helps me.

first some demographics and imagery

this is an older chart but a good one. Kinda breaks down how white supremacy has systemically been placed into out lifes without us realizing.

Now im not gonna give an 8 page essay and following ted talk, but we'll go over some things i see a lot/the most

Either/or thinking

Right to Comfort (this is a huge one)

Individualism

Defensiveness

Now before we go farther this is something i have learned and am still actively learning so at some point this post may not age the best but actual actionable stuff can help a lot of people so ill post it anyways.

Either/or Thinking: this is both kinda hard and a bit easy to do with, but you gotta block the cop in your head, and to steal a meme from the kids, gotta recognize more than one thing can be the truth/true

but this also falls into trappings such as what's right/wrong and can also tie into justice and different movements but most of us white people gotta recognize that life is so much more than black/white thinking, and life isnt even just giant grey area. this also applies to other sections of the chart but all of this is interconnected so its all gonna kinda brush up to each other.

Things you can do to kinda break this issue and pattern: work on being less reactive and knee jerk responses. Listen to more voices speak on their experiences without trying to interject or comment. Honestly a lot of us dont listen to others very well and this is a big one. SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN. no need to comment or argue or anything. Its amazing what you learn if you just listen to someone without trying to make it feel like a vent or a problem. Then take some time, mull it over in your brain, and maybe come back if you maybe need some clarification. other people dont owe you labor. together we can work on issues but if we're not listening to the voices of those who have actually experienced it then we dont have the full breadth of context needed.

Right to comfort

this honestly is the biggest one for white people. i see this all the time in my everyday life living in a lower income section of my city. We all know the feeling. you know what im talking about. we've all been that person in line. we've all had times where it's obvious everyone is looking at you because you're out of place. you're gonna have to get used to that, brush the dirt off of your shoulder, and keep going. I can see it our white faces, and everyone else sees it too. Ive seen the mood change the instant someone who is a person or color brings up race or racism. You have to stop somewhere in the city. You lock the car doors the moment you realize you're on mlk/mlk jr blvd/st/rd in whatever city you're in. you ignore someone trying to get your attention or just hustle to the car and back. there's so many situations i dont think i could list every single one but all of the white people reading this probably know exactly what im talking about.

Guess what.

that's what we did and are still doing. our right to comfortable in any space has basically made most spaces that our presence is in unsafe for anyone who doesnt look or act white. it could be the karen calling security on the kids just playing around in the park or neighborhood, the dad who sits outside and yells at people driving, etc.

it will happen to you

you will be made uncomfortable in areas or times in your life

that feeling of wanting to run away and hide in the little haven you have sitting at home somewhere isnt gonna go away

until you can actually sit and stew and deal with it in a proper way you wont be able to really get deep into anti racism work

dont try to use white guilt or any type of way you feel when you learn this information. sit with it and learn is really the only option to defeat this. our presence as white people can be dangerous to other people and you gotta realize that and work to undo that for everyone around you. normally i would be softer but this is a real big one and you cant really pussyfoot around this topic so you gotta put on the big boss pants and fucking deal with it.

individualism

this is also another one that is huge. our individualism will be what kills us. this includes the nuclear family model of america and most of patriarchal values are trying to uphold. this is also why most of you cis men feel fucking alone all the time. there is no way for any change to occur without some other external force or viewpoint to challenge or any other form of conflict. you are a single person. most non european societies were much closer and didnt have all this social bullshit men and women can only do this type of bullshit. this also applies to self sufficiency, tradfem beliefs, farmer communes, etc. you as a person cannot be legitimately part of a community or society without destroying some form of individualism in your life. this can also play into your "right for comfort" <- (like i said this shit is in almost every tenant of white supremacy) when you want to just shut out the world and not interact with anyone/anything. Isolation is also part of individualism. ill repeat it again. you cannot be part of an actually function community where everyone needs can be met and still be individualistic. Me has to become We in at least some portion or area of your life to help everyone and it will take everyone else to help you help someone. any sort of system falls apart when there is no support to the critical areas.

defensiveness

this one is apparent any time white people get critiqued. "its not about race" its probably about race and you just dont want to feel like your racist. This one is spotted a lot on social media, the moment a white person is pushed back on they will react very fast to control narrative and be reactive and push back on any and every portion they can to not be considered racist. hell it happens in most if not all white peoples arguments the moment that you hit the button to do it. Guess what white people, including me, we're gonna be racist/bigoted/etc to someone even if we did not mean it. the moment you push back on the narrative to not seem racist, you're hitting the trifecta of defense/control/right to comfort. plus you make yourself an individual away from the white community by doing/saying things like "im not racist" "i didnt mean it like that" "dont twist it into a race thing" etc. guess what. for us. we dont get to decide what is or isnt racist to someone. they do. You gotta defeat the knee jerk reaction to defend or deflect. As you can see these all kinda interact with each other like a fucked up ouroborous. with help from others and each other we can break these standards even for ourselfs and then with others to help make society more anti racist. but its gonna take a lot of work you're not gonna want to do or say. and thats gonna be something to deal with on your own fucking time and not expecting poc to do all the labor and learning. listen to different voices, read different voices, experience different cultures, whiteness is a man made concept that can be defeated but not without some form of structural upheaval in us white peoples lives, homes, and communities.

its early in the morning and the coffee isnt hitting yet so ill wrap it up here and just add a few more graphics to help further your research and path to becoming not a shitty person. but this applies to every white person reading this, yes even you. this includes me. we can't do this alone and that is what everyone is trying to fucking tell us. "whiteness" has corrupted us fundamentally and we gotta fucking do better.

white ppl think racism and imperialism just spring into existence from nothing like big bang style instead of being constantly reproduced and upheld by ... say it with me ... white ppl

[comrade-meow]

The male-centered progressive left has successfully made woman-hating trendy.

Today, yet another “Karen” video went viral online. This time, it seems a woman flipped off a male driver, one Karlos Dillard, who then followed her home and filmed her as she melted down into hysterics, posting the video online, which included her home address and license plate. Over eight million views later (sure to be more by the time you read this), and Dillard is selling t-shirts based on the incident.

It seems this is a hobby for Dillard, who has posted other similarly antagonistic videos, accusing women of “racism” (despite no evidence of racism) in an attempt turn Karen virality into profit. Other t-shirts for sale on his Instagram profile include one with the words, “Karen… Are you OK?” and another reading, “Keep that same energy, Karen.”

The Karen meme has been misogynist from the getgo, originating from an anonymous male Reddit user, Fuck_You_Karen, who was angry at his ex-wife, named Karen, for taking custody of his children. In 2017, his misogynist rants became a subreddit, r/FuckYouKaren.

Recently, the meaning of “Karen” was said to refer specifically to middle class, middle aged white women who are so entitled they ask to speak to the manager when perturbed, but has since morphed into a specifically racist white woman, who “weaponizes” white, female fragility against largely black men. This connects to sexist tropes that claim women use their emotions, vulnerability, and tears to manipulate men.

What began as a joke has become more than that, and has moved into explicitly misogynist (and, in my opinion, dangerous) territory.

“Becky,” which originated as a means to refer to basic white women — the Uggs-wearing, Starbucks-buying, pumpkin spice-loving kind — probably young, probably blonde, probably not working class. Like “Karen,” I never found this to be particularly offensive, as I had little desire to defend boring people who love Starbucks, but what was once a joke has become something much more egregious.Following someone to their home, doxxing, filming, and harassing them because they gave you the finger is unhinged. People are going to act like assholes in this world, and you need to learn to deal with that. Moreover, these viral videos, like the Amy Cooper/Christian Cooper bird watching/dog-off-the-leash incident, are always decontextualized. No one really knows what happened preceding the video, nor do they know why either party reacted as they did. We all know social media leaves little room for nuance, and far too many people enjoy a rage reaction over asking questions or considering they may not know the full story. The truth is that, today, people’s lives can be destroyed in an instant, via a viral post. And our culture is wielding that power with very little care.

While those participating in the mobs targeting the subjects of these currently popular Karen videos claim some form of racial justice, this is not an accurate representation.

This has little to do with race, and everything to do with a progressive left that has adopted woman-hating as political virtue signalling.

Last week, journalist and editor Jonathan Kay tweeted a “Wanted” poster he’d come across in Toronto, depicting a young, blonde, white woman. The text below her face mocked her as a “Basic Bitch” — privileged, entitled, and unwoke. The image and text presents “Becky” as dangerous — the new enemy. The A.C.A.B. (All Cops Are Bastards) logo on the poster implies it likely was produced and distributed by young anarchist men. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they were white men, considering the face of groups (or non-groups, depending on who you ask) like Antifa.

The trend of presenting women as a threat extends beyond Becky and Karen. In recent years, Antifa, anarchists, trans activists, and leftists have targeted feminists who question the impact of gender identity ideology on women’s rights as dangerous — even more so than male predators. Rhetoric that claims “TERFs kill” intentionally erases the fact that it is men who are overwhelmingly responsible for violence against both women and men (including trans-identified males). As a result, reversing this claim to say “Kill TERFs” or to show up at events discussing gender identity with cardboard guillotines with the words “TERFs and SWERFs step right up” written on them has become an acceptable form of “activism.”

This has all happened within a left that has consistently ignored and even defended the misogyny, racism, and violence of prostitution and pornography, painting women who fight the sex trade as “whorephobic” and as causing harm to “sex workers.” Everyone knows who is responsible for the abuse that happens to women in porn and prostitution. We can see it on PornHub or we can read about it in the news. Yet the left consistently fails to hold those men accountable for the harm they cause. No, no. The real problem is women. Terms like “TERF” (which means “trans exclusionary radical feminist,” but, in practice, is used to smear anyone who questions gender identity legislation or ideology) and “SWERF” (which means “sex worker exclusionary radical feminist,” but is used to smear women — even women who have worked in the sex trade — who wish to stop the universal violence and exploitation inherent to prostitution) exist to misrepresent, vilify, and end conversation. One cannot defend a “TERF” or “SWERF” any more than one can defend a “Karen” or “Becky,” unless they would like to be pilloried as unwoke and bigoted themselves.

A few years ago, trans activists and their progressive allies adopted the term “cis” to refer to those whose “gender identity matches their sex.” Putting aside the fact that no one’s “gender identity” matches their sex, as whether or not a person is male or female has nothing to do with whether or not they identify with a list of sexist gender stereotypes, the term “cis” is said to denote “privilege.” This means that a woman who understands she is female is, as per trans ideology, “privileged” over a man who desires to be viewed as a woman or who does not feel connected to masculine stereotypes. This is ridiculous, of course, as women are impacted by sexism on account of being born female, and are vulnerable to male violence regardless of how they identify. Understanding one is female does not make a woman “privileged,” it makes her a sane human being. In other words, “cis” or “cisprivilege” completely erases the reality of sexism and male violence against women. Suddenly, we are to believe women pose a threat to males who identify as transgender. Just as we are now to believe “Becky” and “Karen” are so dangerous they deserve to be hated, harassed, and destroyed. Maybe punched. Maybe worse.

This is, I’m afraid, woman-hating. And it is dangerous. The popularity of the Karen meme has led people to seek out and invent Karens in order to gain followers and profit, as evidenced by Dillard’s racket. And rhetoric that positions feminists as dangerous, harmful “TERFs” has led to the acceptance of open violent threats against women, simply for speaking out in defence of women’s rights and spaces. Karen, Becky, SWERF, and TERF are nothing more than excuses to hate women. And I am tired of people participating and defending this misogyny simply because it is on trend, and because it results in applause from the male centred left.

Yes, women can be assholes. Yes, women can be racist. No, women are not all innocent victims. But this has become about much more than calling out annoying, racist, or entitled behaviour. And, in fact, I think it was always about more than that. Let’s stop this before someone gets (literally) hurt.

[ghostburs-blue]

Peter’s on patrol and he sees the reader walking alone in the pouring rain. He decides to buy an umbrella at the nearest shop and safety walk the reader back home. I’d love to see you write this 💗

Hi love! I enjoyed writing this so much, I hope I did justice to your req <333

It’s Getting Dark

Summary: You forget an umbrella and Peter gets soft

Warnings: Angst if you squint, fluff! (oh and soft Peter)

Word Count: 1197

(Peter)

Peter stood on a rooftop, gazing down at the civilians below him. It was pouring rain and he would freezing if not for the heating capabilities that Tony had added to the suit.

All the pedestrians below him looked like little ants, covered with their black umbrellas and pushing past one another.

“Karen, let me know if there are any emergencies happening, okay?” He murmured to the AI in his suit.

She confirmed, and he sat on the edge of the tall building, legs swinging. He sat there for as long as he could, watching it progressively getting darker and colder outside. Glancing down, something caught his eye. Not something, someone.

A girl.

(Y/N)

You grumbled, pulling up the hood on your jacket in an attempt to stop your already soaked head and body from getting wetter. You had gone on a walk to try and clear your head, but, as per usual, you had forgotten to check the weather. It had started pouring about 15 minutes into your walk, but it was too late to turn around and grab an umbrella.

The rain was surprisingly refreshing, the cold water hitting your skin. You felt like it washed away everything, the stress, the pain.

It had been an hour or so by this time, and it was starting to get dark. You knew you should head back, but, you just couldn’t get yourself to.

Your parents were out for the weekend and you knew there was no one who was going to get mad at you for not coming home on time. So, you stayed out and walked around, feeling at peace surrounded by the noisy crowds of Queens.

(Peter)

She was alone. And clearly wet. Her arms were wrapped around herself, as if trying to provide some feeling of warmth on the cold day.

Shaking his head, Peter clambered to his feet. Quickly checking with Karen, he swung his way over to the nearest department store.

Pushing open the door, he grabbed an umbrella from the nearby shelves and ran over to the register.

Breathlessly, he dropped the umbrella onto the checkout counter along with $10 and smiled. “Hello! How’s business today?” He asked, voice muffled from the mask.

The old lady behind the counter grinned. “They said you were a sweetheart. I didn’t think it was true!” She finished, handing the item back to him with his receipt and change.

Peter laughed. “Thank you Miss! I gotta go, see you!” He waved and disappeared out the door. 

Heading back to the spot where he last saw you, he swore as he realized you were gone. “Karen?” He asked, ashamed.

“Yes, Peter?” She responded. He swore she was laughing at him.

“I- can you track someone for me?” He requested, to which she obliged. Peter’s face scrunched up as he attempted to remember the details of what you looked like. “Well, she was wearing a blue hoodie and had long (y/h/c) hair. She was wearing grey sweatpants and some white sneakers,” He finished, knowing the description was possibly too vague for Karen to identify someone. However, luck was on his side.

The instant Karen told him where the girl was, he took off, swinging until he reached her. She was in a small park, gazing out at the scenery around her. At this point, she wasn’t even attempting to hide from the rain anymore. To Peter, she looked beautiful.

(Y/N)

“Excuse me!” Someone called. You blinked with surprise as you looked around, trying to identify the source of the sound. You were a little shocked when you noticed Spiderman walking up to you.

“Who, me?” You asked confusedly, pointing to yourself. He nodded and held something up to you. It was an umbrella.

You smiled, still not quite understanding what was happening. “What is this?” You looked quizzically at it.

He stepped a little closer to you, pressing the umbrella into your hand. He became almost shy as he let go of it, reaching up to rub his neck with one of his hands. He stepped back and awkwardly clasped his hands in front of him. “I uh- I saw you earlier walking without an umbrella. So, I stopped and got one for you,” He finished, nervously rocking back and forth on his heels.

Laughing, you opened it up and invited him under it. He shook his head and motioned at her.

“I’m okay, the suit keeps me dry,” Peter muttered, and you could almost swear you could see a smile on his masked face. “It’s getting pretty dark, you should get home soon,” he said, stuttering a little.

You glanced up at the sky with a little frown on your face. “Yeah, I guess I should,” you whispered, starting to turn around and head back. An exclamation behind you stopped you.

“Wait!”

You turned around, smiling a little bit. “What?” You asked.

“Um, well, it’s a little late and dark, you know? I- I don’t want anything happening to you. Can I at least walk you home?” He asked, sounding bashful and shy.

You nodded, grabbing his hand and tugging him in the direction of your apartment. “Come on, Spiderman. Take me home,” You laughed. 

Peter blushed under the mask, recognizing the suggestive nature of your comment. He let you pull him away, stumbling slightly.

On the way back, you two talked about anything and everything, you walking under the umbrella while Peter strode next to you.

The hour and a half long walk back to your place was filled with laughter and smiles. Somehow, the two of you had grown closer together over the course of it, hands now brushing. He walked you up to your floor and stood behind you as you struggled with the lock.

With a little trouble, the door swung open and you stepped inside. You turned, smiling at him. “This was fun. Let’s do it again sometime?” You laughed with a wink.

“Y- Yeah! It’s a date,” Peter replied. He stood there for a second until he realized what he just said. “Wait! I mean, it’s not a date- well it could be if you wanted to-” You stopped him as you stepped closer and pressed a finger to his lips.

“A date would be wonderful, Spiderman,” You whispered, smiling.

“Actually, it’s Peter,” He whispered back, pulling you even closer.

“Well, a date would be wonderful, Peter,” You smirk as you pull away, leaving him frowning. “Goodnight, call me,” You grinned, and Peter was left staring at a closed door.

Confused, he crossed his arms. Call me? he thought. How could I-, his thought was cut short as he noticed a folded piece of paper on the ground in front of him He bent down slightly, picking it up and unfolding it.

He gave a little laugh as he read it. It had your name and number on it.

“Karen, add this to my contacts, would you?” He asked the AI, Karen responding with a sound of confirmation. 

Just as you were about to go to sleep, your phone screen lit up. Picking it up, you glanced down at it.

Unknown number:

Goodnight, see you soon <3

-Spideyboy

[that-yandere-life]

Hey, I'd understand if this is too triggering. But if you don't mind, may I have headcanons of Peter Parker and Captain America finding that their claustrophobic s/o was locked into a small room by some jerks looking for entertainment? If it's too much, then just general headcanons with a claustrophobic s/o is fine.

[Warning: Talk of Panic Attacks, Murder, Threats, Forced Imprisonment, Talk of Claustrophobia Obviously]

Peter Parker-

When Peter couldn’t find you he was beginning to panic, fearing that something horrific had happened to you because of his secret.

That’s when his senses led him to a tiny broom closet on campus where you both studied.

The door had a chair in front of it effectively locking it from the outside.

So if you were in there you couldn’t get out no matter how hard you tried.

Instantly dread filled his entire body as he threw the chair out of the way, it breaking into a million pieces against the wall with the force he used.

Throwing the door open his heart sank as he saw you curled into a little ball.

Sobs tearing through your body, every ounce of you trembling in fear and anguish.

Hearing him call your name, you looked up relief causing you to cry even harder as you flew into his arms.

Holding you close against his chest, stroking your hair attempting to soothe you in any way possible.

Hiccups wracked through your body as you tried to calm down, but your negative thoughts kept raging on.

After helping you take a few deep breaths, he then used his sweatshirt sleeve to wipe your tear stained cheeks lovingly.

Waiting for you to be ready to tell him what happened, knowing that you were claustrophobic beforehand but not understanding how you got there.

When you told him about the assholes who thought it was funny to lock you in there after a class discussion on phobias.

Laughing as they told you they were going to help you face your fears all while shoving you in there forcefully.

Talking about it almost made you start to tear up again, you felt violated and traumatized beyond belief after what you had been through.

Picking you up in his arms bridal style he carried you to the apartment you shared that was near campus.

Laying you down in bed he put on your favorite show and got you a hot beverage to help make you feel better.

That was when he left you for a little while, going to find the guys that did that to you.

All he had were the names and descriptions you gave him.

Although he was sure they were the right ones when he questioned them about what they had done, and they started cackling at the memory.

Looking around seeing that there was no witnesses nearby he turned his suit on to instant kill mode ignoring Karen’s voice inquiring as to what he was doing.

Quickly he stabbed through them both several times leaving them bleeding to death on the concrete walkway.

Turning the mode off he erased Karen’s footage and memory of the incident so it couldn’t be traced back to him.

Also so Tony didn’t find out that he was using his suit for his own gain instead of to protect others but in a way he was protecting you and that was good enough.

Making his way back to you he picked up a pint of your favorite ice cream to surprise you.

In his mind what he did was justified, because no one harms the one he loves most in the world.

Never would he be able to rid himself of the vision he had of you looking so scared out of his mind, not even after avenging you.

There is nothing he wouldn’t do to make you feel safe and loved.

He would eliminate anyone who tried to hurt you, anyone who even thought about hurting you.

Steve Rogers-

Steve kept checking the time as he thought that you were supposed to be done training the new recruits by now.

Sure it could have run over if someone needed to be disciplined or had some questions about performance but never usually that long.

Feeling like something was off he decided to just take a walk down to the gym and just see how you were doing.

When he didn’t see you or anyone else in there he started to worry.

Attempting to call your cell phone he heard it ringing from your gym bag still sat on the bench closed up.

Now he was in full panic mode searching high and low for you.

Hearing some banging coming from the ladies locker room he didn’t hesitate to enter.

Calling out your name he heard you scream back, your voice hoarse and broken.

Locating that it was coming from a locker he ripped the door off its hinges not even caring about Tony having to get it fixed.

Catching you as you practically fell out, he sank down to the floor with you in his arms holding you close.

While your body was shaking like you were sobbing, no tears were falling from your eyes.

Steve realized it was because you had been in there so long crying that you physically couldn’t produce anymore.

Rage filled his chest as he knew someone had to of done that, you can’t just accidentally get locked in a locker.

Not to mention he knew of your phobia and you were always so cautious that it was impossible for it to be your fault.

Kissing your forehead over and over again whispering sweet nothings to soothe you.

Setting you on the bench behind you both he went and found a towel wrapping you up in it to give you a little warmth.

It was pretty clear that you were in shock as you couldn’t even form words to explain what had happened.

Pulling out his tablet he brought up the surveillance footage from the gym leading up to the locker room.

Rewinding it until he saw the end of your training session.

There two of your recruits were being reprimanded by you, that was until you dismissed them.

Unknowing to you they followed you into the locker room where they presumably locked you inside your tiny metal prison.

Walking back out the camera caught them laughing and patting each other on the back for the stunt they pulled.

Steve was out for blood this time, calling Natasha he had her stay with you while he went to go take care of business.

Locating them via their cellphones he met up with them at their shared room in the recruit wing of the tower.

As soon as they opened the door they knew they were in major trouble.

Very quickly they found themselves on the roof dangling over the side by the collar of their shirts.

“Do you feel like you are going to die? Do you understand the fear that she felt now? Are you ready to accept your fate?!”

Throws them back onto the rooftop angrily making sure not to go light on them.

“Now you are going to resign and leave this place never to return. If you do, then you will find yourself falling over the edge.”

Goes back to hold you for the rest of the night reassuring you that you were safe and that you would never see them again.

From now on he trains recruits with you, never trusting them with you.

The most precious thing in his life, the one thing he couldn’t live without.

[Thank you so much for your request! I hope that I did it justice and that it was what you were wanting! I don’t know if this actually happened to you, but if it did I am so sorry and I would gladly take them out for you darling!

[sad3girl]

do a headcanon for the byers+el And Hopper BUT not in canon timeline, more like if Hop hadn’t died and that 3 months later was him and El moving in instead of the Byers moving out

I started this and then someone called me and you know tumblr it didn’t save shit, so this is going to be a shitty version of what I originally planned.

I can do canon or AU headcanons you guys just let me know, here we go:

Hopper and Joyce trying to take it slow (and failing)

Hopper finally taking Joyce on that date and it being slightly awkward at first

Then getting over the awkwardness and it turning into the best date of their lives

Hopper kissing her when he drops her off at her place

Joyce getting home with the biggest smile plastered on her face

Hopper getting to his motel room (because his damn house was destroyed) and being glad El was staying at Max’s because if she saw his goofy smile now she would never shut up about it

Hopper taking Joyce out a lot and treating her to all her favorite foods

Always wearing his super fashionable shirts

And getting made fun of by El because of them

Secretly, Will and Jonathan also make fun of him

The kids being super happy for their parents

El staying over at the Byers a lot because Hopper doesn’t want her to stay at motels all that much

El staying over at Max’s a lot too because of that

After the first couple of weeks, Joyce and Hopper start having more dates in, just at her place

Hopper tried to cook once, and it doesn’t go over that well

Joyce teaching El many ways to do her hair

Will and El hanging out and becoming friends

Jonathan teaching Will and El about music

Will and El drawing together all the time

El bonding with Will about the Upside Down and feeling like they don’t fit in

Jonathan driving El to her dates with Mike, and becoming just a bit protective of her

The Byers boys and El constantly teasing Joyce and Hopper

Hopper and El having dinner with the Byers every Sunday

Hopper and Joyce hosting a Sunday barbecue every other weekend for the whole gang

Joyce going shopping with El

Hopper giving advice to Jonathan about pursuing his dreams

Hopper becoming a father figure for Will, who was always verbally abused by his real father

Joyce giving El the talk, much to Hopper’s dismay

Movie nights with the Byers boys and El when their parents go out

Will and El covering for Jonathan when he sleeps over at Nancy’s

Movie nights with Hopper, Joyce and the kids

Mike going over to the Byers to have dinner with all of them

Mike apologizing to Hopper and respecting him

Hopper warming up to Mike, eventually

Hopper and El having game nights with the Byers

Hopper and El having father daughter time

Them going out to dinner, to the movies, and Hopper teaching her how to play poker

Mike actually apologizing to Will and being a good friend again

Mike making more time to spend with his friends, both as a group and one on one

Will telling Mike he was right about him not liking girls

Mike having known for a long time that was true, but not judging him for it (”it may have been true, but I said it like it was a bad thing, and it isn’t, it was stupid and I’m really sorry”)

Joyce teasing Hopper every time El goes out with Mike

Hopper and Joyce being really over the top on the PDA in front of their kids to annoy them

Hopper gradually moving in and while they both notice, neither says anything

Will and Jonathan being completely done with them every time they get cheesy

El never being annoyed at their PDA but thinking it’s romantic

Max spending the night at the Byers a lot because her house reminds her of Billy

Max and Will annoying Mike and El by pretending to be grossed out by them all the time

Max giving Mike advice when he’s an idiot because she feels bad (”i swear if anyone finds out, you won’t be dead but you will wish you were”)

Max and Mike being best friends but acting like they hate each other 

Their bickering getting to everyone’s nerves

Nancy and Jonathan spending more time at the Wheeler’s place because it seems like the Byers home is always full nowadays

People in town talking about Joyce and Hopper’s relationship

El meeting Mike’s parents

Ted being shocked to learn his son has a girlfriend (because unlike Karen he pays zero attention)

Karen being so happy to finally meet El (because listening in on their phone calls didn’t do their cuteness justice)

Karen taking a million pictures of them, to the point it gets really awkward, but she is so proud of her baby boy

And obviously Karen showing El Mike’s baby pictures (and El having to pretend she has never seen them before)

Hopper trying to help out by going to the supermarket but forgetting it isn’t just him and El anymore, so instead of buying what was on the list buying only junk food

Joyce telling him to just clean up if he wants to help and to leave the shopping to her

Hopper and Joyce being domestic and married AF

Joyce going to the station to have lunch with Hopper during her break

The Party getting to officially meet Suzie

The girls becoming instant friends with her

Lucas and Max breaking up every other week

Everyone making fun of Lucas for it

The Party playing D&D again

Lucas and Will spending two weeks planning a campaign

Max making so much fun of her boyfriend for being a giant dork

But still playing the game

El getting really into Wonder Woman, and eventually just into comics in general (her favorite superhero ends up being Scarlet Witch, but Wonder Woman is right there too)

Dustin and El going to the comic book store way too much

Steve being the one to drive them and complaining the whole time

But reading a couple of comics while he waits for them

Dustin and El just being the best of friends

Max, Dustin and El being an iconic trio

Will and Mike having really deep conversations

Lucas trying to get El’s advice when he and Max fight

And failing

Instead getting advice from Mike, who knows what to say because Max told him

The Party being normal, carefree kids 

El learning to live without her powers

Hopper being there to hold her when it gets too much and she breaks down

El feeling kind of useless without her powers

But having her friends and family to remind her she isn’t useless, and that they love her

Will coming out to his friends and family one by one, after a lot of talking things through with his bestie

Some being more shocked than others (Hopper suspected, Joyce and Jonathan knew, and so did Max, because let’s be honest she came from California)

El not getting why it’s a big deal Will likes boys (”so? i like boys too” “yeah, but you’re a girl” “so?” “i don’t know, that’s normal!” “why?” “because!” “well, that’s stupid” “yeah, i guess it is”)

Hopper becoming even more protective of Will after that

The Byers-Hopper clan going back to school shopping

El wanting everything that sparkles and is colorful

Will laughing at Hopper’s “i’m about to shoot myself” face

Jonathan picking the least amount possible of things so his younger sibling can get better stuff

Hopper and Joyce arguing about whose car they should take when they go out (“mine is newer!” “well mine isn’t a police car Hop” “and mine is bigger too!”)

School starts and El being really nervous

El and Will sleeping in the same room when they are scared, anxious, nervous,etc

Will and El talking about their fears for high school the day before they start freshman year

The Party having an awesome first day of school

Until they leave and Troy corners them

El being confused about what the term ‘fairy’ means

Once Max tells her, wishing she still had her powers

But realizing you don’t need powers when you have fists the next day when Troy calls Will that again

Getting low key high-fived by Lucas and Max while Will chastises her for punching Troy

The Party going out with Steve, Nancy, Jonathan and Robin on Friday to talk about their first week

Things not being perfect, but pretty damn good because they all had each other

[yinnezha]

Hi! I wanna start this by saying that I don't really have an opinion on the karedevil relationship, as in I'm fine with it going canon or not as long as it's well written. So this is a genuine question: where do you see the writing that hints towards them having an actual relationship? Because to me personally it always seems like Karen is super into Matt, while he comes across as not that interested. Especially in S2, it felt more like he thought 'okay whatever, I guess we can go out.'

I also kinda feel like Karen deserves better? I love Matt dearly, but I mean, he basically dropped Karen the instant Elektra was back and acted like a douche, then decided to die with Elektra in Defenders, and then in S3 he seemed totally bitter he had to save her instead of going after Fisk. Maybe I’m just not seeing the writing you’re seeing, but that could totally be me since I’m not invested in any ship on the show. (2)

hey, I wanna start by apologizing for how long this answer is. I will address the points you raised and keep it as objective as I can, talking about the writing of the show and my understanding of it. All bias towards or against particular ships will be kept to myself.

“where do you see the writing that hints towards them having an actual relationship?”

The writing of the first season is filled with hints and foreshadowings, and while Matt and Karen spend the first season without a romantic involvement, it is underlined that they will. But is under lines, it is subtle, less in your face than Matt’s involvement with Claire (and for a reason but I’ll get to that). It is lines like Karen explaining how she promised to her grandmother to only serve her recipe to her future husband and then proceeds to serve it to Matt first, then Foggy. It is lines like Matt telling Foggy back in college that he’s looking for someone that he really likes listening to and a couple of episodes before that, he mention to Karen very matter of factly that he likes listening to her voice. It is lines like Karen’s acceptance of and trust in the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. If you rewatch the first season looking for signs like these, you’ll find them (there are more).

“to me personally it always seems like Karen is super into Matt, while he comes across as not that interested”

Of course Karen’s interest in Matt was obvious from the start; she admires his idealism, his will to fight for justice, how he’s a person who wants to do good. But to understand why Matt wasn’t immediately interested in Karen we have to see things from his perspective. She’s a stranger, involved in some messy things, who is good but lies to him (for whatever reason that she has) and we cannot forget this, that Matt knows Karen lies to him. So with Matt’s “understanding” of people we can assume he is wary of having a relationship. See, Matt’s relationship with Claire was surface and it was meant to be that way. It happened fast, it developed fast and it ended fast. Because Claire was not the one who would accept him and understand him. And so in parallel with that, because Claire cannot accept Matt’s fighting crime, we have Karen’s undying support for the Man in the mask. You see what I mean? But back to Matt’s “disinterest” in Karen… He knows she is a good person, but that’s as far as it goes. They needed time to adjust, to get to know each other beyond the circunstances of their meeting. They needed to build a foundation, and that was happening slowly throughout the first season. The strangers become friends. Enters the second season where some time has passed and they are more confortable with the idea of exploring their mutual interest. 

“it felt more like he thought ‘okay whatever, I guess we can go out’.”

Again, let’s take into consideration that they work together, they see each other all the time, they go out together. In the first episode we see a shift in Matt in which he is more playful with her, more lingering looks… Foggy says “I leave you two alone for one minute” which kind of implies that this is a common ocurrence now, that Matt and Karen are on the flirting banter for a while. And then later on the episode in which Matt kiss Karen for the first time, Foggy says “careful Matt keep going like this you might just end up happy and for a catholic boy that’s a pretty dangerous thing” interesting that he could’ve just teased Matt about being happy but he mentioned Matt’s religion as a subtle reminder to the audience of Matt’s inner struggles, how he beats himself up over what he deserves. You see when is something serious, meaningful is harder for him, his beliefs, his doubts gets on the way. Matt probably wanted to be with Karen for a while but didn’t know how, didn’t know if he deserves her (because of how he sees her, because in reality we the audience knows that she would understand and accept him). So you see, I disagree with your point on Matt “settling” for going out with Karen.

“I also kinda feel like Karen deserves better? I love Matt dearly, but I mean, he basically dropped Karen the instant Elektra was back and acted like a douche, then decided to die with Elektra in Defenders”

Remember my point on Claire not accepting Matt’s Daredevil identity? Well, Elektra is the opposite. She accepts Daredevil, but she does not accept Matt. See? This is good writing! We have different ends of the issue of Matt’s double life in both seasons. And both relationships were wrong for him because something was missing, and in both seasons we have Karen being underlined again as the one that would accept him as a whole. This is very important and it is in the storytelling. There is a reason why Elektra’s relationship with Matt was a parallel to Karen’s in episode 5, it was to show to the audience which relationship is the right one. A lot of people has issues with how Matt handled things but we’re here to talk about the writing and the second season was about Matt’s struggle with his double life and what he really wants. He spends the whole season losing control of his life, and it reflects on his choices.

Now on Karen deserving better, don’t you think Matt deserves better as well? Elektra was a toxic relationship that destroyed Matt’s life as he knew and drove away the two people that matters the most to him. And I’m not erasing Matt’s responsibility here, but no matter how we feel about his actions Matt is the hero of this story, it’s his show and so the writing is telling us to root for what is right for him and that is not Elektra. And he does deserve better. Matt is a complicated man, a tortured man (I mean he is a devoted catholic for crying out loud) he is messy so of course things won’t be easy for him. And that is what makes him interesting. And he did not just fucked up his relationship with Karen but with Foggy as well to whom he was also a bit of a douche. So it’s not about the romance here, but more about Matt’s choices and development and what he needs to fix it. And he does in the third season, he is heading in that direction.

In Defenders Matt was holding onto Matt Murdock and then in season 3 he was holding onto Daredevil. Matt never had a season in which he was not struggling with this. And part of the reason why his relationships don’t work is because of that. But now at the end of the third season we will finally see Matt being fully himself and the people that matter the most to him accepting and understanding because that’s the natural progression of the writing. We had to go through all of this, we needed him to reach this point. And not only Matt but Karen needed some development too. And the third season stripped them of their lies and made them face the truth and when that happened we had one of the best scenes of the season (a little biased sorry) and that is the start of a new chapter for them.

Both Karen and Matt deserve better and the better is themselves, a better version of themselves. Honesty and truth and trust. And that’s what we have been watching since the first season, that’s the story. That’s what the writers are telling us. They are the right, just not right now. They need to learn, they need to deserve, they need to reach that point where they’ll have the understanding and trust that we know they can have, and we know because it’s underlined, it’s being shown to us since the start. It’s a slow burn, beautiful and difficult and complicated and messy… just like Matt’s life. Just like Karen’s life. Just like all the good love stories are.

Many people has issues with Matt and Karen’s relationship, but from the writing and storytelling perspective is great. And is the direction the show will keep taking. They have been developing this romance since the very first episode of the show. Charlie Cox absolutely loves and understand the relationship because he knows Matt Murdock better than anyone, and he is right. Karen is Matt’s soulmate. It’s more deep and slow. And now to finish, something he said that sums up everything I said in a less annoying way:

What we never tried to do, and I think I’m speaking for the writers of the series as well, was to make the beautiful story with Karen – Deborah Ann Woll - look like a rebound relationship. Ultimately it’s a much deeper bond, which lasts fifty years and ironically is more important exactly because it doesn’t draw from roof-jumping, but from everyday life. I think if Karen and Matt could find a way to match their respective darknesses, they would find an excellent balance.

[sserpente]

A/N: Okay, you guys. I just can’t wait any longer, I’m so excited to share this fanfiction (and the cover on Ao3) with you all. I am so hyped! May I introduce? In a heartbeat.

Synopsis: Showing up on time for an important job interview is all you worry about when you rush through the streets of New York City on a sunny day, not expecting at all to bump into Thor, God of Thunder and his mischievous brother Loki. Before you know it, you get dragged right into a gruesome battle between two foreign realms and the atrocious menace of Ragnarök, confronted with breath-taking magic, terrifyingly hazardous threats and a fierce warrior who claims to be a Valkyrie. And as if this wasn’t enough already, you find yourself headfirst falling in love with the God of Mischief who, much to your disppointment, already seemed to have set his eyes on someone else, leaving you struggling with rejection, jealousy, heartache and more antagonising pain than your human heart could ever cope with.

Pairing: Loki x Reader Rating: M Chapter: 1/? Warnings: SPOILERS FOR THOR RAGNAROK, violence and blood, mentions of slavery, death, self-harm, depression, panic attacks, jealousy, grief, heartache, smut, Dom!Loki. (More warnings might be added throughout the story)

Read it on AO3!

Find all chapters on my masterlist!

                                      Það er aldrei of seint fyrir ást.                                          It's never too late for love.

“We are going to be late!” You ranted, stomping your foot when Susan started to flirt with the questionably young taxi driver that had brought you here. New York City was crazy, especially if you were in a hurry. Note to self—leave at least two hours earlier next time. This job interview would determine what direction your hopefully successful future would take, so you were definitely not having your friends ruin this one opportunity for you… even if you had to act all bitchy and bossy.

“Please, (Y/N), calm your tits, we’re gonna be on time. We still have…” —Karen looked at her fancy watch— “…twenty minutes.”

“So I can call you?”

“Anytime,” Susan bat her long eyelashes at the taxi driver before waving him goodbye like a spoiled princess, making you roll your eyes in plain annoyance.

“Why did I even bother bringing you two?” You asked, rather yourself than your friends when they giggled. They decided to answer you anyway.

“Because you love us? The building is only three blocks away, don’t worry.” Susan appeased. Her long black hair was falling over her shoulders like a wave of shimmering pitch when she loosened her tight ponytail. A sigh escaped her lips.

“Let’s go then.” You mumbled, seeking to distract yourself with your surroundings as you wandered along the busy pavement. This city was insane. Luxurious and important, it screamed career and success like a euphoric fury. How you would adapt to living here if you actually got that job today, you were unsure of. As for now, you were staying with Susan and her younger sister Karen, who had generously offered you a place to crash.

You were grateful, really—but sometimes, the siblings were a pain in the arse. Susan was right though. You still loved them and you three had experienced amazing things together already. You were best friends for life.

“Excuse me? Can you help me?” No. You could not. Being a tourist yourself, you would be of no help to anyone and besides, you were way too focused on your upcoming job interview. Two more blocks and your future would, if you got lucky, change for the better forever.

You flinched when Karen let out a scream, turning around in an instant to kick whoever had scared or attacked her right in the balls. The self-defence class, which you attended thrice a week, had been training you for situations like that. It made you feel safe when you were walking on the streets on your own, especially when it was dark out already. The slow progress you made with your personal trainer was paying off and making you vigilant, when you found her jumping up and down like a gummy ball and fangirling as if to react to spotting One Direction on the street, however, you frowned.

“OMG!” Susan spelled out, her jaw dropping. Her eyes were fixed on the long-haired blonde, who had addressed you. A tall and broad man dressed in battered clothes that reminded you of a homeless person. It was his face that made you realise your friends’ excitement though.

“You are Thor! OMG! You are Thor! You are the Thor! I love you! May we take a selfie with you? Please?”

The Thunderer smiled cordially and despite his confusion (welcome to the club, mate), he nodded. You didn’t care about the Norse God at all. Crushing on superheroes was Susan’s thing. You were fine dating normal men.

“Of course,” You doubted Thor knew what a selfie was in the first place but it was the least of your problems right now. Standing a few steps away, you scratched the back of your hand like you always did when you were nervous.

“Guys, we’re going to be late, for Fuck’s sake, please hurry!”

There was another person waiting. Clothed in a plain black suit that looked like it had been tailored for him, he dug his hands into the pockets of his pants. He appeared to be as irritated as you were, however, when you looked up to study his face, your heart skipped a beat.

This… was Loki. This was the very man who had tried to take over the world and caused mayhem all over New York City a couple of years ago. The man who had killed hundreds of innocent people and fought against the Avengers! His raven hair framed his flawless features, his stinging blue eyes boring right into yours. It seemed like with a single glance, he learned all of your darkest secrets and deepest desires.

You blinked, frantically, and looked away quickly when you noticed you were staring each other down, though you could still feel his scrutinising gaze on you when you brought your attention back to your friends who were now snapping crazy pictures with the God of Thunder.

You would never make it in time if they kept dawdling. Susan and Karen were both busy ignoring Loki completely as they talked to Thor, although Karen shot him one disgusted peek when she spotted him standing next to him.

“How can we help you, Thor?” Susan smiled and for just a brief moment you feared she would faint from pure delight.

Ten minutes.

“I am looking for a man.”

“Ha, I could swear most men are looking for a woman.” You muttered to yourself, scratching the back of your hand even fiercer.

“(Y/N)!” Susan admonished embarrassed. A careless shrug was all she received in return.

“Well, can you be a little more specific?” You continued. “Half of the population of New York is male.”

“(Y/N)!” Susan repeated. You shrugged once more all the while sudden curiosity hit you. What was he doing here in New York City and much more importantly, why had he brought Loki? For all you knew from watching the news, the God of Mischief had been called back to Asgard where he would have had to face justice and a proper punishment for his actions. Your curiosity was directed at him, fascination washing through your veins like a gushing wave of hot water. He just stood there, watching you, with a barely visible smirk playing on his thin lips.

Thor took a deep breath. You could tell he was irritated by your scornful remarks, clenching his fist repeatedly to assumingly keep calm, the other hand fumbling around with the ridiculous umbrella he was carrying despite the sunshine. Something was bothering him when he scowled, this much was obvious. But as were you—you had approximately five minutes left to show up for your job interview. Thor was a self-proclaimed superhero. Surely, he could take care of his problems himself and on top of it, deal with a few cocky insults.

“We are looking for my father,” he tried again, speaking slowly as if he was scolding an immature and young child who had stolen biscuits from the kitchen before supper. “Odin. He disappeared.” Following his dark words, he glared at his brother angrily from the corner of his eye. So he had something to do with it. You were not surprised he was, you had read the articles in the newspapers where they had described him as a mischievous, evil and witty cockroach from outer space.

“What does he look like?” Susan tossed in eagerly, playing with a strand of her black hair.

“He has… grey hair, a beard… he is one-eyed and wearing an eye patch and—“

“Thor…” It was the first time you heard him speak. Instantly, you turned your head to face Loki. His smooth voice was seducing, alluring and enchanting and nothing like what you imagined what a man who tried to conquer and subjugate the planet would sound like. You wished he would say more. You wanted to see how well-chosen and witty words left those thin lips.

No wonder he had succeeded in making a crowd kneel before him in fear… or had it been awe in the end? Loki wasn’t what SHIELD had let the world know he was. He didn’t seem like the monster they had described him as at all… was this the fatal mistake they had made back then?

Better stay away from him, you thought to yourself, withdrawing your gaze to stare longingly at the busy street in front of you. You were only a few blocks away now. Maybe you should just leave and let your friends deal with the strange Asgardian brothers.

Sighing, you moved to step away when you realised the reason for Loki’s unnerving comment. The mist crept up right behind you. Black, green and silver, it spread on the busy pavement, scaring passengers away and alarming a few pigeons. Wind was blowing where there appeared a black and gaping portal, promising dread, fear and death. Your blood ran cold. What was this sorcery?

Susan and Karen were frozen in place. Not daring to move, their eyes widened. They barely noticed Thor striding forward to shield them from the unidentified threat in the heart of New York City. Loki stood idly by, his lips slightly parted. Concern was present on his face, along with the undeniable expression of thinking hard. A plan was forming in his mind already.

Out of the green fog stepped a woman. Long and black hair framed her pale face, her stinging blue eyes even more intense with the black eye shadow she was wearing. In fact, she was abusing it but still, it suited her eerie appearance.

Smiling cruelly, she moved towards you.

“Who are you? Identify yourself!” Thor demanded, his right fist bringing up the umbrella. A weird sound erupted from it when he did and you understood with a start it was his famous hammer Mjölnir. This attire had merely been a disguise, hence Loki’s black suit.

“Me?” The woman replied, shrugging. “I am Hela. I am the Goddess of Death. And I am your queen.” She shrugged once more, her wicked grin widening. “Kneel.”

“I beg your pardon?” Loki narrowed his eyes, leaning forward ever so slightly.

She was another power-hungry sociopath then. Narcissistic and self-driven, with an inexplicable desire to rule a people. You needed to get away. Now.

“I don’t think so.”

What happened next was too fast for your mind to comprehend. Thor threw his hammer at Hela, a swift movement of his umbrella which had turned back to its original form within the blinking of an eye—and a lightning bolt swallowing him whole for the fraction of a second but instead of it colliding with her body, all covered in black leather, she… she caught it.

Hela sighed—she sounded almost disappointed. “Very well,”

An explosion erupted, knocking you to the ground. Simultaneously, you were pushed aside by someone and something hit your head—whether it was a body part or a piece of debris you did not know, for the only thing you could hear was the staggered screams of passengers and the high-pitched ringing in your ears. There was a sticky liquid running down your forehead and staining your cheeks. It was burning in your right eye, you could hardly see anything. Blood? Were you bleeding?

“(Y/N)…” It was Susan who croaked your name. She was lying on the ground, it was her foot that had connected with your head when you fell and when you looked up to meet her terrified gaze, you saw fear and anguish glistening in them.

A piece of metal was buried deep inside her chest, reddening her revealing outfit. There wasn’t much you knew about anatomy but with the blade being plunged into her body this close to her heart, you knew she would not survive even if an ambulance brought her to the hospital this instant.

Hela had killed her. Her absurd wrath had snuffed an innocent, one of your best friends.

“Susan… Susan, open your eyes, look at me! We’re gonna get you help!” You cried, biting back your tears.

Anger, fear and panic flooded your veins, paralysing every last limb of yours. Frozen and dumbfounded, you lay there, struggling to get up and breathing heavily all the while the goddess of death kept attacking Thor and Loki.

Thor was powerless without his hammer. He was surprised and confused and even Loki seemed startled. He flipped his daggers gracefully before flinging them at Hela so smoothly you could barely see it but even he would, on the long term, be defenceless against the ruthless goddess.

You attempted to get up and run, save yourself and Karen for as long as it was still possible. Was it? You doubted it. Momentarily, your important job interview was forgotten. If you died today… would the last thing you felt be worry about showing up on time?

It was then you heard an ear-piercing hiss. Out of thin air, orange sparks extended on the pavement. They created a circle through which suddenly, you spotted the head of a man. Dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard framed his face, a red cloak complementing the colour of it.

“Get in there! Quick!” He spoke, urging you on to… step through the portal? You could barely believe such a thing existed when Thor frowned and jumped inside without hesitation, quickly followed by Loki but then again… Hela had stepped out of a cloud made of green and black fog.

“Karen! Karen!” You bestowed frantically. She had realised now that Susan was dead too. She was kneeling next to her on the ground, her watering eyes empty and lost. She was bleeding too but at least, so you figured, she would be able to heal.

“Karen!”

“We don’t have time! Leave her, you can’t help her!” The head of the strange man shouted severely as it appeared once more. A foreign hand wrapped around your upper arm, pulling you inside the orange portal.

With a start, the streets of New York City, Karen’s kneeling form and Susan’s dead body were gone.

A/N: Let me know what you think! I’m already working on the next chapter, I’m so hyped!

[irondevilpunisher]

arms-and-arrows

replied to your post “Karen Page Foreshadowing”

I’m obsessed with this meta and I want to bring one more thing to your attention. In the episode where Matt, Foggy, and Karen go to the hospital to offer Frank their legal services, there is deliberate focus on Matt and Karen taking each other’s hand. They enter the room holding hands. There is a very deliberate shot of their hands entwined with Frank Castle in a hospital bed in the background of the shot. They let go. Before that scene ends, Karen crosses the red line on the floor. Thoughts?

Oh that is a very interesting scene you just pointed out @arms-and-arrows. I absolutely have a meta in mind for that moment😁 But its not so much about foreshadowing for just Karen as it is about both her and Matt. I’ll explain:

I’ll start with the obvious which is the title of the episode 2x06 “Regrets Only” [as in the past catching up with you] ironic how the writers chose this being the episode where Karen and Matt rapidly start to break down as a couple. Up until now they were getting to know one another; their feelings were growing. Shared their first kiss in 2x04 and had their first date in 2x05. But the truth of the matter is both of them were getting caught up in the fantasy of one another. Their feelings were/are real but not what they presented to each other. Karen and Matt are both hiding dark secrets and lies; and ‘honesty’ is the very basis of any solid, healthy relationship. So right there was instant foreshadowing that things are about to deteriorate. 

Then the next obstacle happened in the form of Matt’s ex-lover Elektra unexpectedly showing up just as he’s getting his life together. Before Matt, Karen and Foggy go to meet Frank in the hospital keep in mind that he’s been sneaking around with Elektra behind their backs since 2x05; and conveniently just met her at a diner to tell her off. So his dishonesty with Karen is expanding. And by the time the trio enters the hospital, Elektra is lodged in his head.

At the hospital like you said Karen takes hold of Matt’s hand; conjoined hands is the symbol of ‘lovers’. But the way they entwine their fingers is almost disingenuous. There’s tension and they kinda squeeze each other; holding on for dear life. Also Karen is the one who initiates this, did she sense him pulling away from her? Matt’s pretending that everything’s fine as much as Karen is. But his past has just come back to bite him in the ass and Karen is still reeling over her ordeal with Wesley not to mention she’s yet to tell him anything real about herself. This was them trying desperately to hold onto that fantasy of one another. 

For instance in 2x05 during the Karedevil date, Matt tells Karen he has this ‘incredible ability to bring disaster to the best things in his life’ he’s subtly telling her his demons/past could ruin what they have [which is currently taking place with Elektra’s arrival]. Funny thing is Karen has those same fears about her own past and demons. She’s yet to confide in Matt about shooting a man to save her life. And I think a lot of that stems from fear that he’ll judge or reject her. 

Now when they enter Frank’s room the camera focuses on Matt and Karen’s hands again, this time they let go, and in the background you can see the red tape around Frank’s bed; and its more visible against Karen’s thumb. This is deliberate. It’s almost as if the bts people are telling the viewers that the pair is slowly drifting apart. They don’t share an impenetrable bond right now. And regret is weighing on them; regret of deceit. For me this isn’t so much about just placating the pretenses nor hiding their relationship from a potential client as it is about them still hiding from each other. Its reminding the audience that as long as there are secrets and lies between these two they will never have a solid foundation for a relationship. Matt and Karen can’t be together if their personal baggage keeps getting in the way. And in this episode it really does.

Coming back to this scene you mentioned Karen’s actions concerning the red tape. Well first keep in mind this moment is taking place at a hospital. What springs to mind when thinking of a hospital? Death. This was also the place where Karen and Grotto had a violent encounter with Frank during 2x01 “Bang”. And interesting color choice for the tape surrounding his bed. Like the red light reflected on Karen’s face in that bar scene of 1x11; the red symbolizes darkness, sin or blood. You notice how the shot focuses on Matt walking up to the edge of the line but he doesn’t pass it? And that line is very thin, easily tempting. Immediately my mind goes back to what Frank told Matt on the roof:

“you’re only one bad day away from being me”

It’s true. This is the story of a man unwilling to cross the line by any means necessary to exact justice which is Daredevil’s code of conduct. He cherishes that sense of morality. Matt doesn’t have have blood on his hands yet. But obviously when you watch both seasons of DD its hinted to the audience several times throughout that there may come a time where Matt may be faced with that hardened choice. Matt is a hero but he’s also human. All that anger and darkness brewing inside he may not be able to resist that line in front of him forever. Karen is his light as much as he is her’s. Within each other they bring balance but it is their deception which keeps them apart.

As you said before Karen has no problem passing the red tape to get to Frank; that’s because her character has already been forced to cross the line. Something Frank has done numerous times. She’s no longer restrained the way Matt is.  When Karen pulled that trigger on Wesley she put even more distance between herself and Matt. Yes it was self-defense and therefore she didn’t feel she had any other choice in the matter. But then she disposed the evidence and didn’t bother telling Matt or Foggy about the abduction. Her lies are manifesting more and more each day that she forsakes the truth from Matt. Which leaves very little room for their future as a couple at this point. You just know the consequences of her actions are going to lead to something astronomical down the road; especially if/when Fisk learns the truth. 

Another thing I found interesting about this scene is the fact that Matt tries to hold Karen back while avoiding the urge to pass the tape. He still doesn’t want to abandon his morals for the sake of love but instead bring that person he cares about back on his side. Matt knows how dangerous Frank is, that he’s soaking neck deep in blood and doesn’t want Karen to be exposed to that. However he’s completely unaware she’s already long passed nefarious. This is the one thing he can never protect her from. Karen’s demons. Which are consuming her as much as Matt’s if not even more with taking a life. That’s my take on the whole scenario. 

The writers weren’t presenting Matt and Karen as a bad couple who couldn’t be together nor that they don’t love each other. If that were the case then they wouldn’t have given us a sneak preview at how beautifully they could function together as a duo; that kiss and first date is only a tip of the iceberg. This episode was about honesty or lack there of. Neither one was willing to admit who they really are. They’re both the type who hides behind a mask. Love and romance is all fine and dandy but if you’re not honest there’s no hope for a long future. 

Matt and Karen’s date had already foreshadowed the enviable breakup when he told her rushing into things would bring disaster. Their secrets and lies are their personal obstacle course. No one is holding them back but themselves. My speculation about this is it all hints to being a big part of DD3′s ‘Born Again’ theme; honesty, forgiveness and love. Karen knows who Matt is but he is yet to learn who she is. And that long awaited honestly is only going to strengthen their bond going forward.

[theladyragnell]

pluckyredhead replied to your photo: crimsonclad: The thing about Persuasion that...

I think I may have asked you about the Matt/Foggy Persuasion AU before but I CAN’T FIND IT, tell me about it please? :D?

If you have asked me about it before, I have forgotten what I said about it!

So, this is one of those ones that you can cast either way, but the way I like better is Matt as Anne and Foggy as Wentworth.

This is a world where Matt and Foggy fell in instant love when they became roommates and were making huge partners-in-law-and-life plans within like a month.

This is also a world where Stick tracks Matt down before the first semester is even over and basically says “Kid, what the fuck are you doing with this loser who will only hold you back.” It’s a world where the war with the Hand happens almost ten years early, and Matt is called away to fight in it before he ever even makes the choice to be Daredevil. He’s a stubborn shit so he still gets his undergrad degree, mostly through online courses, but I’d say he’s too busy to do law school, so he’s saving up time and money and favors to take the time off to do it and in the meantime working as a paralegal at the company where Karen works, where the two of them together find the information ... and Matt finds himself in trouble and wanting to enact some vigilante justice that has nothing to do with Stick’s war.

... And into the interrogation room at the police station comes Landman & Zack associate Franklin Nelson, doing some pro bono work on the firm’s behalf.

He probably should recuse himself from the whole mess, but a. Matt seems to genuinely be in trouble and b. he’s maybe always had some secret fantasies about rubbing Matt’s face in what a successful lawyer he turned out to be, not dead weight at all like the taunts Stick threw at him.

Of course, it would be way easier to rub Matt’s face in it if Matt didn’t look so heartbreakingly happy to hear his voice.

[ofaberrations]

Dasey writing prompt: Derek and Casey going to freshman orientation on the same day. People ask how they know each other and only mention they attended the same high school (step-siblingness be damned) - sorry if this is a crappy prompt

omg i was excited to write this one! let’s hope I do them justice because it’s been a while.

She was excited, he was annoying. She didn’t sleep and he wouldn’t wake up. Unfortunately, he was her ride to Queens and she was going to have to deal with every snarky remark he threw her way. Or I could just take the bus? That would be more convenient or so she thought. 

While she quickly ate her eggs, he lazily chewed his cereal–the crunching she heard only getting on her nerves than anything else. “Will you hurry up? How hard is it to finish a bowl of cereal?” she questioned rhetorically before getting up to place her plate back into the sink. It was freshmen orientation at Queens and she did not want to show up late all because her step-brother couldn’t finish his bowl of cereal. “Hurry up Derek, we’re going to be late.” His spoon fell into his bowl of cereal which was now practically milk as he glanced at the clock. 

“We’re two hours early. Why am I up at this time?” And in response all she could do was roll her eyes. “Traffic, parking, you have to think of these things. If we leave now, we’ll get there in time to snag a closer parking space, and have time to view the campus, so let’s go. You ate enough! ”The only thought going through his mind was how much worse it was to have Casey be this hyperactive at six a.m. Just for her comment he pulled the bowl up to his lips to slurp slowly. He couldn’t see her, but he could practically visualize her face of disgust at his actions and he knew that his work had been done.

The car ride had been worse. With her rules and protocol of what to do if they were to wander off and away from each other. Normally, he’d tune her out, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t excited for this. If anything, he owed it to Casey for helping him graduate. He had his own future plans set for him, so even if he made it seem like he wasn’t listening– he was listening. However as she became repetitive, that’s when Derek knew he had to do something to shut her up–or at least annoy her. 

“Again, if we get lost, our starting point shoul–” and he cut her off mid sentence by turning the volume up. “De-rek!” Came the familiar use of his name he enjoyed so much but she turned it down. “We’ll be fine. Stop worrying.” Despite her given nature, it was also clear to him that she was nervous. Typical Casey. As they reached the campus, Derek parked the first space he could find, and seeing that it was in the visitor parking space, he was just glad Casey wasn’t going on about how his car could be towed. Yes he paid attention to her rambling while pretending to zone her out. 

They were sent to the courtyard once they signed into the admissions office after explaining their reason for being there. Well, it was Casey who did most of the talking while Derek just stood around checking out the girls that walked past him. “And you two–” the teenage kid behind the counter asked while signing them in. “–are together.” Came Derek’s instant response before Casey could shut him up. Why did he have to answer so fast? Well, he didn’t like the way the kid was staring at his step-sister. She was going to be a freshmen, not fresh meat.  The group held about fifteen or sixteen kids at most and he wondered why he let Casey sign him up for a morning orientation when they could have been back for the afternoon orientation–which just meant more sleep for Derek.

“Here, hold my bag.” without really listening for the response she handed him her bag and as he held it she pulled out her organizer. Typical was the only thought that ran through his mind as she began writing down notes. “Casey, what are you doing?” “Writing notes.” And they both rolled their eyes. Their Orientation Leader happened to be some kid named Shawn who oddly resembled Sam–his best friend. His thoughts instantly went to Casey as she moved to the front of the group while forgetting about her bag. Derek on the other hand moved closer and draped an arm around her shoulders. His eyes meeting the Orientation Leader’s–as if daring him to even try. Luckily for both, Casey hadn’t budged or pushed him off. She was oblivious;

The orientation continued on, they were told to get to know each other. There weren’t any girls that had caught his eye, so he was stuck with Casey. It didn’t prevent others from coming up to them in which Casey happily introduced herself--not to mention him as well. “So, how do you two know each other?” the blonde who introduced herself as Karen asked while eyeing Derek. “We went to high school together.” and that was it. It surprised him that she hadn’t mentioned their actual relation, but he wasn’t complaining. The conversation died down with that and as the future students of Queens circled around, their leader stopped by next. Derek decided to step forward and do the talking, while Casey was pushing her organizer back into her bag after he gave it back to her mid walk. Thank God. She must have realized the note taking would be unnecessary since they were just taking a tour rather than learning anything.

“I see that you two have been together all this time. Everything okay?” Was he actually concerned or was he just being nosy? “Yeah, we’re fine. It’s better when we’re together. Prevents us from losing one another.” what Casey thought was an attempt at a joke, Derek could only roll his eyes at how pathetic it was. The kid smiled despite that and Derek had to hold back the urge to roll his eyes again. When was the tour going to end? “Well, i’m Shawn.” And as he extended his hand out for Casey, Derek was the one to take it and he gave it a firm shake. “Nice to meet you. I’m Derek. This is Casey.” And he left it at that.

Their orientation leader understood and rather than questioning, he excused himself to speak to a few other students. “I think we’ll be going to the cafeteria next. You hungry? I packed some snacks but i’m sure we can check out the cafeteria.” 

And her ramblings began. Once again, he draped an arm around her neck before pulling her alongside with him. “Yeah, we’re going to take our own tour.” is all he said before walking away from the group. 

[sundayeveningthoughts]

Killing

Sunday Evening Thoughts

January 27, 2019

Dear Paul and Rachel,

                                                         Killing

Thou shall not kill Exodus 20:13

       Over 10 years ago between Marie’s Second and Third Year of college, she and I went on a three-week backpacking trip to Italy. It was great! (Note: Ladies, tell your dad you want to go on a cheap, three-week backpacking trip to Italy with just him — emphasize that point, just him, staying in Youth Hostels throughout Italy. He’ll be surprised and delighted. Hey… I bet he pays for it too.) I saw a change in Marie on that adventure from a young college kid to a young adult woman. Three memories illustrate that development during the trip. The first was when we landed in Assisi. After having travelled for many, many hours from Rome by bus via the local route, we had had no lunch or dinner. Upon exiting the bus, I see a McDonald’s and think, “Great! Quick, familiar food,” and say, “Let’s just go to McDonald’s.” Marie immediately protested, “I did not travel all the way from the U.S. to eat at McDonald’s,” and then demanded we eat locally, though not expensively.

       Her second exertion as an adult on that trip was at the end of a long day in Siena. After spending several hours in the Cathedral of Siena and in the connected museum where St. Catherine’s thumb is prominently located in an upside down glass jar or reliquary (I have pictures to prove this!), I said, “I’m bushed. Here’s some euro, go buy some beer!” “But I’ve never bought beer before,“ she noted. “Sounds like a European backpacking trip is the time to learn, “ I instructed. And off she went, returning in 45 minutes with a stash of cold beer. Clearly she had crossed into the adult world!

The reliquary with St. Catherine of Siena’s thumb. 

       But the most fun memory of that trip was one day in Rome, having just finished reading Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons the day before, in which he describes in detail about ten of the many fountains throughout Rome, we spent the entire day hiking all over Rome examining each of the ten fountains. Talk about experiencing the setting of a novel. Fun!

       This last memory became a flashback because I recently read The Association of Small Bombs by Karen Mahajan while in India. In the novel two protagonists set off a small bomb in Old City Delhi that injures only a handful of people. Mahajan tells the story from several perspectives: the two terrorists, the two families that were effected — one family losing two sons and the other family whose son lives, but suffers long term physical and mental anguish. The bomb is detonated on the first page of the novel in a crowded market in Old Delhi where we visited on our recent trip to India. Like the fountains in Rome, the markets and the setting come alive in this novel having visited those very spots.

            I won’t give away any more of the plot in case you decide to read The Association of Small Bombs, but it reads easily. I confess though that Mahajan did lose me about three-quarters of the way through, because of too many coincidences that occur.

       At the risk of taking an easy-to-read fictional novel and turning it into something depressing, I did think about the collateral effects of so many of our bombs that we have dropped in the Middle East — thousands in the last ten-plus years. Just in Yemen alone hundreds of ordinary citizens have died, been maimed, or psychologically scarred from our bombs.

       When will it ever end? How can Christians justify it? (The question is rhetorical; my belief, they can’t.) Let’s just ignore the New Testament commandment to “love your enemies” as reference by Jesus in Matthew 5.

Have a good week...

Love,

Dad

P.S. Not to demean the significance of small terrorists bombs or the many bombs we drop every day in the Middle East, but maybe we also continually drop “social bombs” on our own citizens by the discrimination in our justice system? At least Meek Mill thought so on SNL last night singing “Champions”… Crank it up!

Yeah, uh

All the youngins in my hood popping percs now

Gettin' high they get by, it's gettin' worse now

You gotta tell 'em put them guns and the percs down

Them new jails got ten yards in 'em and that's your first down, uh

And I ain't come here to preach

I just had to say somethin' 'cause I'm the one with the reach

Youngin' gotta quarter ounce, he tryna turn into Meech

Ain't had no daddy, he's had to learn from the streets

I used to be a honor roll student, damn

Then I turned to a beast

The first time I seen a nigga get some blood on his sneaks

He had on Air Max 93s but was slumped in the street

His mama cryin', that did somethin' to me, oh Lord

The shit I'm doin' for my hood I won't get an Award

I used to sell Reggie, damn how' I get to the Forbes

I take a shot, if I miss I'm gettin' 'em boards

Ain't quittin' no more, like give me some more

We wearin' Old Navy, it felt like Christian Dior

Was dead broke but rich in soul, was we really that poor?

Was we really that dumb? 'Cause we carry a gun

And every nigga in my neighborhood carryin' one

'Cause we had nightmares of our mamas got to bury her son

I'm speakin' to you as a prophet as rare as they come, uh

Gunshots sound like music hangin' out the Buick

Why you wanna be a shooter?

Mama told me not to do it but I did it

Now I'm locked up in a prison

Callin' mama like I shouldn't have did it

Watch my dream shatter in an instant

I'm on a visit posin' for the picture

Like I'm going for my prom or somethin'

Like I ain't facing time or somethin'

Ride for these niggas like that shit ain't hurt my mom or somethin'

Only one gon' get me commissary or even buy me somethin'

When it all fall down

I can call y'all now

Even if I hit your phone

That won't get me home

Seen so many different times, these niggas did me wrong

Shit that's the reason that I did this song

Shit we was kids used to play on the step

A couple years later we flirtin' with the angel of death

I was eleven years old, I got my hands on the Tec

When I first touched it that shit gave me a rush

My homie's dying I'm like "Maybe we next"

That just made me a threat

Knowin' the niggas smoke my daddy it just made me upset

Made me a man shit I was five when God gave me my test

Go to court with a court appointed and he won't say object

Now it's you against the state and you ain't got no cake

Jail overpopulated they ain't got no space

I know a youngin' that got murked ain't get to drive no Wraith

But he in hearse on the way to church, I know his mom gon' faint

When she smell like embalment fluid, cologne all on her baby

Pastor said he sendin' you home, she goin' crazy

When they drop that casket all in the ground, who gon' save me?

How could you blame me? When I'm tryna stay alive and just survive and beat them odds

When niggas die by twenty-five

[mood-for-you]

14 fresh mini-series for every taste that is easy to swallow in one sitting

In this article, we have collected fresh high-rated TV shows that can be watched for a couple of evenings or over the weekend. They do not have long monologues, boring episodes or drawn-out scenes. Everything is emotional, dynamic and fresh - as a modern viewer loves. A variety of genres will allow you to choose something to your taste and have a good free time. At  moodforyou.com, we love TV shows and swallow mini-series in one go. Perhaps with our selection you will also want to postpone things in order to immerse yourself in new fascinating stories. Maniac

© Maniac / Netflix   Since childhood, Owen has been living with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and suffers from a rejection of himself. Annie is tormented by a broken relationship and tries to drown out the mental pain with pills. They are found on a test of a new drug, the creators of which promise to rid the wards of all emotions and mental problems. It seems that for the heroes this is a chance to start a new life, but scientists, as always, are silent about the side effects. IMDb Rating  - 7.8 Wayne

© Wayne / YouTube Premium   Mother left Wayne a few years ago, and his father, who has been raising the guy all this time, is dying. In order to somehow escape from the loss, the teenager, together with his girlfriend, goes in search of a stolen vintage car - the only thing that he inherited from his father. Escape from a past life turns into a couple of brutal, adrenaline-filled adventures, which not everyone will decide. But these two have nothing more to lose. IMDb Rating  - 8.4 Miracle: Tears of the Madonna

© The Miracle / Arte France   In the house of the cool mafia boss, police find a figure of the Madonna, who is crying with bloody tears. The phenomenon immediately arouses great interest among the government and scientists, but in order to avoid unnecessary publicity, few are allowed to the statuette. A priest who has lost faith and is mired in sins himself, a laboratory doctor and the prime minister will try to explain what is happening from their perspectives. In the meantime, they will test their atheism for strength, a miracle will affect each of them. IMDb Rating  - 7.6 Keepers

© Watchmen / HBO   The alternative universe of "Guardians" only resembles the familiar world. In it, natural disasters are replaced by skirmishes of white and dark-skinned people, those who are under the guise of trying to do their justice are called superheroes, and the police are not always able to stand up for themselves. But when a new wave of racial extermination is coming, the guardians of order have no choice but to hide their faces under masks and find out who is behind all this. IMDb Rating  - 8.1 Homecoming

© Homecoming / Amazon Prime Video   Heidi once worked as a psychologist at the Homecoming Military Support Center. She helped soldiers deal with post-traumatic stress disorder and adapt to a normal life. But that was a long time ago, and since then she seems to remember nothing. She doesn’t even remember why she decided to suddenly leave and get a job as a waitress in a cafe. An employee of the Ministry of Defense, who for some reason is very interested in Heidi’s past, will help her return to the past and find out the true events. IMDb Rating  - 7.5 Sons of freedom

© Sons of Liberty / The History Channel   Before becoming an independent state, America has long been a British colony. Huge taxes, oppression and the tough policy of the colonialist caused constant discontent among the local population, until a group of people who called themselves “Sons of Liberty” decided to confront the invaders and fight for the independence of their country. IMDb Rating  - 7.5 Trash

© Fleabag / BBC Three   Rubbish has no name, but there are more than enough problems. She unsuccessfully tries to establish communication with her sister, father and his new wife, conducts mental dialogues with her deceased friend, tries to find somewhere to live on and meet a normal guy. But everything usually goes head over heels. Therefore, Rubbish lives the moment, waving at all troubles. And she does it pretty well. IMDb Rating  - 8.7 Cancel

© Undone / Amazon Studios   Alma’s boring and routine life changes in an instant when she sees a dead father on the side of the road and gets into an accident. Waking up from a coma, the girl realizes that her father has not disappeared. Now he invariably penetrates her life, shows her the other side of the world and shares secrets with her. A man teaches his daughter to control feelings, move in time and asks her to return to the past in order to save him from death. An unusual picture in the series was achieved by rotoscoping. After filming, each frame of the film was traced and processed manually. IMDb Rating  - 8.3 Just kidding

© Kidding / Showtime   Jeff Pickles is a true storyteller, the hero of any child and adult. He leads the funniest children's television show, helps the sick, participates in charity - in a word, he tries to make this world a better place. Only his own life is falling apart before his eyes. Jeff lost one son, the other refuses to talk with him, his wife leaves him after a long life together. Now a person who is used to smiling wholeheartedly whole life has to solve personal problems and hide real tears. IMDb Rating  - 8 Life after death

© After Life / Netflix   After the death of his wife, Tony is ready to hate the whole world. All people around and including themselves. He had repeatedly thought of going to the next world, but who then would take care of his dog? In order not to go crazy with emotional experiences, Tony allows himself to express feelings: he says what he thinks and does what he wants. Now he has to accept the loss and learn to live for himself. IMDb Rating  - 8.4 Miracle workers

© Miracle Workers / Warner Bros. Television   In a huge heavenly office, consisting of many departments, not the best of times. God depressed, began to sit days on the couch and ignore prayers. After that, he decided to destroy the Earth, because "the world has become completely different." Two angels from the Department of processing and execution of prayers are slightly concerned about this state of affairs. They decide to make a bet with the boss to save the planet. Now, in 2 weeks, they need to perform one of the most difficult prayers and return to the Lord faith in humanity. IMDb Rating  - 6.9 Incredible

© Unbelievable / Netflix   The series is based on real events that occurred in 2008. Schoolgirl Marie filed a police rape complaint. The girl said that an unfamiliar man had entered her house and threatened with reprisal if she made noise. Law enforcement officers promptly checked the crime scene and did all medical examinations, but found no signs of violence. Marie was considered a liar and forced to answer before the court. Having taken an interest in the case, detective Karen Duval and her colleague Grace Rasmussen find out that in 30 different cities about 30 women reported similar attacks in 3 cities and the man did not leave any marks at any crime scene. IMDb Rating  - 8.5 She is Grace

© Alias Grace / Netflix   For 15 years, Grace has been serving a sentence for the murder of his former master. She does not remember what happened on the night of the murder, but she still sees in the nightmares the horrors that happened to her in the employer's house. Dr. Simon Jordan is trying to help the girl restore the events preceding the crime, but this only further confuses herself and her. IMDb Rating  - 7.8 And nobody is dead

© And Then There Were None / BBC One   On a remote island off the coast of the county of Devon, 8 guests arrive, previously unknown to each other. They are met by a couple of servants and reports that the owners of the estate are temporarily absent. During lunch, the participants notice the figures of 10 soldiers on the table and hear someone's voice telling about the crimes committed by the guests. Excited people rush to get out of the island, but find themselves in a trap where, one by one, they become victims of someone’s well-thought-out killings. The series is based on the famous detective novel by Agatha Christie "Ten Little Indians." IMDb Rating  - 8 Bonus: Irish

© Kill the Irishman / Netflix   Martin Scorsese’s new film with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci turned out to be so long that netizens offer to watch it as a mini-series. Not everyone can handle 3 and a half hours of gang fighting. But, if you break a long tape into logically complete parts, a viewing will really be easier and more enjoyable. What mini-series of recent years could you recommend to watch? Photo preview Maniac / Netflix Read the full article

[newstfionline]

Jails, Justice System at Breaking Point as Philippine Drugs War Intensifies

By Neil Jerome Morales, Reuters, Aug. 31, 2017

MANILA--In a teeming prison for undertrials in the Philippines’ capital Manila, Rody Lacanilao, an inmate for 18 months, says he prays for clear weather at night.

A downpour, he says, will prevent him and hundreds of fellow prisoners in the Quezon City jail from sleeping on plywood mats in an outdoor hallway. The cells themselves are overflowing with an influx of detainees from President Rodrigo Duterte’s year-long war on drugs.

Thousands of people have been killed in Duterte’s campaign, mainly drug users and small-time peddlers. Tens of thousands of others have been thrown into jail, and both prisons and courts in the Southeast Asian nation are creaking under the pressure.

“Since the war on drugs started, it became harder to sleep,” Lacanilao told a Reuters team allowed access to the Quezon City jail. “We have no place to go to when it rains.”

The 37-year-old is facing trial on a drugs charge.

The prison was initially built for 262 inmates, but now has 2,975, three-quarters of them jailed for drug-related offences.

At night, its basketball court, chapel, classrooms and walkways become sleeping areas for detainees.

Inmates who spoke to Reuters said living conditions were unbearable, made worse by the prospect that it could be years before their trials are decided. Many of them are not eligible for bail or cannot afford to pay the bond.

“Prisoners came in one after the other. If you have money, you can buy a spot in the sleeping quarters,” said Junjun Vallecer, who says he has been in the jail for four years for possession of drugs but is still being tried. He says he has to wait four to six months between court appearances.

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) put the prison population in the country, including undertrials and convicts, at 137,417 as of the end of June, up 22 percent since Duterte took office at the end of June last year.

Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency arrested 96,703 suspected pushers, users and chemists from July last year until earlier this month, according to police data. A staggering 94 percent of people jailed for drug offences are still undertrials, according to BJMP.

Police in Manila arrest nearly 100 drug suspects each day, says Oscar Albayalde, the capital’s police chief.

“Whether they are minor charges or not, we have to arrest these people,” Albayalde told Reuters. “We make these arrests that contribute to the over-congestion of the detention cells ... but what can we do?”

Including a backlog, the BJMP says 303,534 narcotics cases were at trial or being processed as of June.

Most of the cases are defended by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), a legal aid agency attached to the Department of Justice. At the end of 2016, the agency had a backlog of 303,000 drugs cases, compared to about 82,000 at the end of June 2016, just before Duterte unleashed his fierce anti-drugs campaign.

The agency says it has 1,665 lawyers to handle a total of 709,128 criminal cases currently pending, meaning an average of 426 cases for each of them.

“We have tons of work,” said public defender Karen Jay Sabugo, eating a meal of instant noodles at her desk. “There are times when I return to the office so exhausted that I can’t speak with colleagues anymore.”

The 30-year-old, in her first year as a trial lawyer, told Reuters she attends more than a dozen court hearings a day.

“In the morning, we attend court hearings and in the afternoon, we prepare pleadings and meet clients. I go to jails to prepare our defense.”

Boxloads of documents are piled up inside the PAO’s office in Quezon City. Most are related to cases, but some are applications for about 750 new positions the government has agreed to create in the agency in the next two years to handle the overflow of cases.

Typically, trials in the Philippines begin some years after arrest, said Maria Socorro Diokno, executive director of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), an organization of human rights lawyers. Trial last two to three years on average in regional courts, and another two or three years are taken up by appeals.

Even before Duterte’s anti-drugs crackdown, the Philippines had the third-most-congested prison system in the world after Haiti and El Salvador, according to the London-based Institute for Criminal Policy Research.

An average of six inmates occupy a space of 4.7 square meters, the space intended for one prisoner, data from the BJMP showed.

One Philippine prison officer watches over 63 prisoners on average, far from the stipulated one-to-seven ratio, and there are insufficient numbers of guards to escort suspects to court hearings, the data showed.

“The ratios are really wild,” said Martin Perfecto, deputy director of the Philippines Bureau of Corrections.

FLAG lawyer Alex Padilla says judicial reform is not a priority in the Philippines because there is scant sympathy for those accused of crimes. Duterte is extremely popular because people are fed up with crime and many support the killings in his campaign, he said.

“Judicial reform is the last reform because it’s dirty,” Padilla said. “These are criminals ... they are the garbage of the society.”