#white building shutdown

[liberalsarecool]

I owe my Trump-supporting friends an apology. I’ve been critical of the Trump presidency and am still exhausted from the experience.

But to be fair, President Trump wasn’t that bad, other than:

• when he incited an insurrection against the government,

• mismanaged a pandemic that killed over a million Americans

• separated children from their families

• lost those children in the bureaucracy

• tear-gassed peaceful protesters on Lafayette Square so he could hold a photo op holding a Bible in front of a church

• tried to block all Muslims from entering the country

• got impeached

• got impeached again

• had the worst jobs record of any president in modern history

• pressured Ukraine to dig dirt on Joe Biden

• fired the FBI director for investigating his ties to Russia

• bragged about firing the FBI director on TV

• took Vladimir Putin’s word over the US intelligence community

• diverted military funding to build his wall

• caused the longest government shutdown in US history

• called Black Lives Matter a “symbol of hate”

• lied nearly 40,000 times

• banned transgender people from serving in the military

• ejected reporters from the White House briefing room who asked tough questions

• vetoed the defense funding bill because it renamed military bases named for Confederate soldiers

• refused to release his tax returns

• increased the national debt by nearly $8 trillion

• had three of the highest annual trade deficits in U.S. history

• called veterans and soldiers who died in combat losers and suckers

• coddled the leader of Saudi Arabia after he ordered the execution and dismembering of a US-based journalist

• refused to concede the 2020 election

• hired his unqualified daughter and son-in-law to work in the White House

• walked out of an interview with Lesley Stahl

• called neo-Nazis “very fine people”

• suggested that people should inject bleach into their bodies to fight COVID

• abandoned our allies the Kurds to Turkey

• pushed through massive tax cuts for the wealthiest but balked at helping working Americans

• incited anti-lockdown protestors in several states at the height of the pandemic

• withdrew the US from the Paris climate accords

• withdrew the US from the Iranian nuclear deal

• withdrew the US from the Trans Pacific Partnership which was designed to block China’s advances

• insulted his own Cabinet members on Twitter

• pushed the leader of Montenegro out of the way during a photo op

• failed to reiterate US commitment to defending NATO allies

• called Haiti and African nations “shithole” countries

• called the city of Baltimore the “worst in the nation”

• claimed that he single-handedly brought back the phrase “Merry Christmas” even though it hadn’t gone anywhere

• forced his Cabinet members to praise him publicly like some cult leader

• believed he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

• berated and belittled his hand-picked Attorney General when he recused himself from the Russia probe

• suggested the US should buy Greenland

• colluded with Mitch McConnell to push through federal judges and two Supreme Court justices after supporting efforts to prevent his predecessor from appointing judges

• repeatedly called the media “enemies of the people”

• claimed that if we tested fewer people for COVID we’d have fewer cases

• violated the emoluments clause

• thought that Nambia was a country

• told Bob Woodward in private that the coronavirus was a big deal but then downplayed it in public

• called his exceedingly faithful vice president a “p---y” for following the Constitution

• nearly got us into a war with Iran after threatening them by tweet

• nominated a corrupt head of the EPA

• nominated a corrupt head of HHS

• nominated a corrupt head of the Interior Department

• nominated a corrupt head of the USDA

• praised dictators and authoritarians around the world while criticizing allies

• refused to allow the presidential transition to begin

• insulted war hero John McCain – even after his death

• spent an obscene amount of time playing golf after criticizing Barack Obama for playing (far less) golf while president

• falsely claimed that he won the 2016 popular vote

• called the Muslim mayor of London a “stone cold loser”

• falsely claimed that he turned down being Time’s Man of the Year

• considered firing special counsel Robert Mueller on several occasions

• mocked wearing face masks to guard against transmitting COVID

• locked Congress out of its constitutional duty to confirm Cabinet officials by hiring acting ones

• used a racist dog whistle by calling COVID the “China virus”

• hired and associated with numerous shady figures that were eventually convicted of federal offenses including his campaign manager and national security adviser

• pardoned several of his shady associates

• gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to two congressman who amplified his batshit crazy conspiracy theories

• got into telephone fight with the leader of Australia(!)

• had a Secretary of State who called him a moron

• forced his press secretary to claim without merit that his was the largest inauguration crowd in history

• botched the COVID vaccine rollout

• tweeted so much dangerous propaganda that Twitter eventually banned him

• charged the Secret Service jacked-up rates at his properties

• constantly interrupted Joe Biden in their first presidential debate

• claimed that COVID would “magically” disappear

• called a U.S. Senator “Pocahontas”

• used his Twitter account to blast Nordstrom when it stopped selling Ivanka’s merchandise

• opened up millions of pristine federal lands to development and drilling

• got into a losing tariff war with China that forced US taxpayers to bail out farmers

• claimed that his losing tariff war was a win for the US

• ignored or didn’t even take part in daily intelligence briefings

• blew off honoring American war dead in France because it was raining

• redesigned Air Force One to look like the Trump Shuttle

• got played by Kim Jung Un and his “love letters”

• threatened to go after social media companies in clear violation of the Constitution

• botched the response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico

• threw paper towels at Puerto Ricans when he finally visited them

• pressured the governor and secretary of state of Georgia to “find” him votes

• thought that the Virgin islands had a President

• drew on a map with a Sharpie to justify his inaccurate tweet that Alabama was threatened by a hurricane

• allowed White House staff to use personal email accounts for official businesses after blasting Hillary Clinton for doing the same thing

• rolled back regulations that protected the public from mercury and asbestos

• pushed regulators to waste time studying snake-oil remedies for COVID

• rolled back regulations that stopped coal companies from dumping waste into rivers

• held blatant campaign rallies at the White House

• tried to take away millions of Americans’ health insurance because the law was named for a Black man

• refused to attend his successors’ inauguration

• nominated the worst Education Secretary in history

• threatened judges who didn’t do what he wanted

• attacked Dr. Anthony Fauci

• promised that Mexico would pay for the wall (it didn’t)

• allowed political hacks to overrule government scientists on major reports on climate change and other issues

• struggled navigating a ramp after claiming his opponent was feeble

• called an African-American Congresswoman “low IQ”

• threatened to withhold federal aid from states and cities with Democratic leaders

• went ahead with rallies filled with maskless supporters in the middle of a pandemic

• claimed that legitimate investigations of his wrongdoing were “witch hunts,”

• seemed to demonstrate a belief that there were airports during the American Revolution

• demanded “total loyalty” from the FBI director

• praised a conspiracy theory that Democrats are Satanic pedophiles

• completely gutted the Voice of America

• placed a political hack in charge of the Postal Service

• claimed without evidence that the Obama administration bugged Trump Tower

• suggested that the US should allow more people from places like Norway into the country

• suggested that COVID wasn’t that bad because he recovered with the help of top government doctors and treatments not available to the public

• overturned energy conservation standards that even industry supported

• reduced the number of refugees the US accepts

• insulted various members of Congress and the media with infantile nicknames

• gave Rush Limbaugh a Presidential medal of Freedom at the State of the Union address

• named as head of federal personnel a 29-year old who’d previously been fired from the White House for allegations of financial improprieties

• eliminated the White House office of pandemic response

• used soldiers as campaign props

• fired any advisor who made the mistake of disagreeing with him

• demanded the Pentagon throw him a Soviet-style military parade

• hired a shit ton of white nationalists

• politicized the civil service

• did absolutely nothing after Russia hacked the U.S. government

• falsely said the Boy Scouts called him to say his bizarre Jamboree speech was the best speech ever given to the Scouts

• claimed that Black people would overrun the suburbs if Biden won

• insulted reporters of color

• insulted women reporters

• insulted women reporters of color

• suggested he was fine with China’s oppression of the Uighurs

• attacked the Supreme Court when it ruled against him

• summoned Pennsylvania state legislative leaders to the White House to pressure them to overturn the election

• spent countless hours every day watching Fox News

• refused to allow his administration to comply with Congressional subpoenas

• hired Rudy Giuliani as his lawyer

• tried to punish Amazon because the Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post wrote negative stories about him

• acted as if the Attorney General of the United States was his personal attorney

• attempted to get the federal government to defend him in a libel lawsuit from a women who accused him of sexual assault

• held private meetings with Vladimir Putin without staff present

• didn’t disclose his private meetings with Vladimir Putin so that the US had to find out via Russian media

• stopped holding press briefings for months at a time

• “ordered” US companies to leave China even though he has no such power

• led a political party that couldn’t even be bothered to draft a policy platform

• claimed preposterously that Article II of the Constitution gave him absolute powers

• tried to pressure the U.K. to hold the British Open at his golf course

• suggested that the government nuke hurricanes

• suggested that wind turbines cause cancer

• said that he had a special aptitude for science

• fired the head of election cyber security after he said that the 2020 election was secure

• blurted out classified information to Russian officials

• tried to force the G7 to hold their meeting at his failing golf resort in Florida

• fired the acting attorney general when she refused to go along with his unconstitutional Muslim travel ban

• hired Stephen Miller

• openly discussed national security issues in the dining room at Mar-a-Lago where everyone could hear them

• interfered with plans to relocate the FBI because a new development there might compete with his hotel

• abandoned Iraqi refugees who’d helped the U.S. during the war

• tried to get Russia back into the G7

• held a COVID super spreader event in the Rose Garden

• seemed to believe that Frederick Douglass is still alive

• lost 60 election fraud cases in court including before judges he had nominated

• falsely claimed that factories were reopening when they weren’t

• shamelessly exploited terror attacks in Europe to justify his anti-immigrant policies

• still hasn’t come up with a healthcare plan

• still hasn’t come up with an infrastructure plan despite repeated “Infrastructure Weeks"

• forced Secret Service agents to drive him around Walter Reed while contagious with COVID

• told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by”

• fucked up the Census

• withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization in the middle of a pandemic

• did so few of his duties that his press staff were forced to state on his daily schedule “President Trump will work from early in the morning until late in the evening. He will make many calls and have many meetings,” allowed his staff to repeatedly violate the Hatch Act

• seemed not to know that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican

• stood before sacred CIA wall of heroes and bragged about his election win

• constantly claimed he was treated worse than any president which presumably includes four that were assassinated and his predecessor whose legitimacy and birthplace were challenged by a racist reality TV show star named Donald Trump

• claimed Andrew Jackson could’ve stopped the Civil War even though he died 16 years before it happened

• said that any opinion poll showing him behind was fake

• claimed that other countries laughed at us before he became president when several world leaders were literally laughing at him

• claimed that the military was out of ammunition before he became President

• created a commission to whitewash American history

• retweeted anti-Islam videos from one of the most racist people in Britain

• claimed ludicrously that the Pulse nightclub shooting wouldn’t have happened if someone there had a gun even though there was an armed security guard there

• hired a senior staffer who cited the non-existent Bowling Green Massacre as a reason to ban Muslims

• had a press secretary who claimed that Nazi Germany never used chemical weapons even though every sane human being knows they used gas to kill millions of Jews and others

• bilked the Secret Service for higher than market rates when they had to stay at Trump properties

• apparently sold pardons on his way out of the White House

• stripped protective status from 59,000 Haitians

• falsely claimed Biden wanted to defund the police

• said that the head of the CDC didn’t know what he was talking about

• tried to rescind protection from DREAMers

• gave himself an A+ for his handling of the pandemic

• tried to start a boycott of Goodyear tires due to an Internet hoax

• said U.S. rates of COVID would be lower if you didn’t count blue states

• deported U.S. veterans who served their country but were undocumented

• claimed he did more for African Americans than any president since Lincoln

• touted a “super-duper” secret “hydrosonic” missile which may or may not be a new “hypersonic” missile or may not exist at all

• retweeted a gif calling Biden a pedophile

• forced through security clearances for his family

• suggested that police officers should rough up suspects

• suggested that Biden was on performance-enhancing drugs

• tried to stop transgender students from being able to use school bathrooms in line with their gender

• suggested the US not accept COVID patients from a cruise ship because it would make US numbers look higher

• nominated a climate change skeptic to chair the committee advising the White House on environmental policy

• retweeted a video doctored to look like Biden had played a song called “Fuck tha Police” at a campaign event

• hugged a disturbingly large number of U.S. flags

• accused Democrats of “treason” for not applauding his State of the Union address

• claimed that the FBI failed to capture the Parkland school shooter because they were “spending too much time” on Russia

• mocked the testimony of Dr Christine Blasey Ford when she accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault

• obsessed over low-flow toilets

• ordered the re-release of more COVID vaccines when there weren’t any to release

• called for the construction of a bizarre garden of heroes with statutes of famous dead Americans as well as at least one Canadian (Alex Trebek)

• hijacked Washington’s July 4th celebrations to give a partisan speech

• took advice from the MyPillow guy

• claimed that migrants seeking a better life in the US were dangerous caravans of drug dealers and rapists

• said nothing when Vladimir Putin poisoned a leading opposition figure

• never seemed to heed the advice of his wife’s “Be Best” campaign

• falsely claimed that mail-in voting is fraudulent

• announced a precipitous withdrawal of troops from Syria which not only handed Russia and ISIS a win but also prompted his defense secretary to resign in protest

• insulted the leader of Canada

• insulted the leader of France

• insulted the leader of Britain

• insulted the leader of Germany

• insulted the leader of Sweden (Sweden!!)

• falsely claimed credit for getting NATO members to increase their share of dues

• blew off two Asia summits even though they were held virtually

• continued lying about spending lots of time at Ground Zero with 9/11 responders,

• said that the Japanese would sit back and watch their “Sony televisions” if the US were ever attacked

• left a NATO summit early in a huff

• stared directly into an eclipse even though everyone over the age of five knows not to do that

• called himself a very stable genius despite significant evidence to the contrary

• refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power and kept his promise

And a whole bunch of other things I can’t remember .

[venuiscmind]

Please write some skin to skin with Ellie. I need a break from her strap!! 😮‍💨😪😫

I need rubbing pussies together and desperate fingering 😩!!!

<3

Skin. (Ellie Williams x reader smut) 18+

read this pls. and this too (info about the next strike.)

You and Ellie go out for a night on the town but things quickly get very heated.

W.C: 6.2K

Warnings: squirting (ellie squirts, i'll die on this hill), oral,semi public sex, tribbing, scissoring, fingering, multiple orgasms, getting called a good girl and a slut, spit play, tiny bit of anal, some sub dom dynamics (y'all are switches and like to change it up), small bit of exhibitionism, some degradation, praise, weed, smoking, alcohol.(please be responsible when you go out, do as I say not as I do.)

Genuinely think this is the nastiest fic I've ever written. I need to find god and touch grass.

Requests are open so keep giving me inspo cause it helps a lot.

Loved this request btw, I also got inspo from when I went out ooph.

</3.

You grinned at Ellie, looking at the girl exhale the carbon from your shared cigarette.  

"What." she inquired raising her eyebrows at you, her tone flat. She wasn't even looking at you, staring at a broad woman checking IDs of people queuing to get into the cities most favoured club. You didn't miss the furrow between them, a dead giveaway that she was not happy at that moment.  

You took the burning cigarette she held out for you. "Nothing." You smiled around the cigarette, taking a beat to look around at the streetlamps illuminating the dark pavements, letting you see the shutdown stores and closed cafes and restaurants, littered with girls strutting up and down them shivering much like you and Ellie were.

Smoke breaks were never warm but with Ellie's arm looped around you, and yours on her waist you didn't feel the cold as much.  

You loved your city at night. Filled with old streetlamps, the orange and yellow white light making you feel free and grounded at the same time. Especially with your auburn-haired girl in your arms.  

After weeks of rotting in the campus library you decided to go out, both of you dressing up for the occasion to make the most of the time you had with each other. Away from the textbooks and other students.  

"There's obviously something you'd like to say so c'mon, tell meeee." You whined at her, flicking ash off the cigarette before exhaling to the side.  

"All I'm saying is that bouncer didn't have to ask you to fuckin' smile to check your ID? The fuck was that even about." She mumbled looking off to the side at the bouncer who was doing her job checking the ID if some random girl trying to sneak in.  

You giggled and leant into Ellie's side more, putting the cigarette back between her lips, watching her inhale before holding it between her pointer finger and thumb. "Ignore her," you said, looping your now free hands around her waist, under her oversized leather jacket and dark flannel around her waist. "I'm here to get into your pants not hers." you said looking into her eyes accentuated by the smoked out black eyeliner you had given her, parting your glossed lips trying to soothe the girl's building anger.  

You took her jaw in your hand, angling it to face you before tilting it as if to ask if it was going to be an issue. She took the cigarette out of her mouth to take a breathe, never looking away.  

She looked down at your face for a moment before her full lips curved up. She brought the smoke back up to her lips inhaling deeply "You're trying to get into my pants baby?" You felt a bead of sweat drip right by your temple. You couldn't tear your eyes away from her green ones as she gripped you closer to her. Her lips were so close to yours that you could feel her breath on them, and she ran a hand down your face. 

"Maybe." 

She looked you over for a moment before giving you a peck and stepping away from you breaking the standstill moment. She gave you plenty of those, where all you could do was focus on her. The slight buzz the nicotine was giving you accentuating the feeling.  

"C'mon, before you freeze out her. Let's go back in." 

You nodded and she put threw the cigarette on the ground, stomping on it to put it out. She held out her hand to you, quickly flashing both yours and her ID to the bouncer who said a gruff "Go on." Maybe she had witnessed yours and Ellie's public display of affection and wasn't happy with it you thought.  

You hardly cared anymore. 

All you could feel was the excitement of feeling the bass in your boots as you shrugged off your coat, leaving you in your red leather, skirt and black top. Both of which hugged your curves, letting Ellie see all that you had.  

She did the same but took off her flannel too, leaving her in a black tank, jeans, docs brought out by a small chain and her rings. Fuck she looked good. Especially in the red, low lights of the club, with her smoked out eyeliner you had done for her before leaving the house. The black really brought out the green in her eyes, contrasting her pale freckled skin. You both stashed them behind some random couch of the room.  

"Drink?" You saw Ellie mouth at you, her voice drowned out by a thumping song which was begging you to dance. You nodded, watching her flag down a bartender to pour you shots of tequila. You did however sneak in your phone to tap against the card machine before she could.  

"My round!" You yelled into her ear, taking the shot from her smiling at her while raising the shot glass. She smiled and nodded, letting you pay for her this time. She always paid majority of the time, but you loved taking care of her too when you could. She raised her glass to clink against her before you both tilting your heads back to let the liquid go down your throats, burning slightly on the way. Ellie winced at the liquid while you grinned at her and said, "We have to dance!" 

Ellie laughed letting you pull her down onto the dancefloor packed with other bodies. She always said the shots went right your hips rather than your head, always begging her to dance with you after taking one. 

You slid right into the middle of it, taking her right under the lights. You hung your hands around her neck, placing your head right into the space between her neck and shoulder inhaling slightly. In turn she put her hands right on your hips. They burned into you as you both swayed to the beat of the song, slower one that you could slink against each other.  

You sighed into her. You really did love this girl, despite the occasional anger issue she had with anyone looking at you. In her eyes you were her pretty girl, and no one should be staring at you like that but her.  

The songs transitioned as the evening went on. You and Ellie had broken away from each other but were still tethered to each other by whenever your hands held onto each other, or you swayed together to the bass of the songs. You couldn't keep apart for very long, always wanting to touch the girl in front of you. You were both grinning, sweating and laughing under the red strobe lights as you danced together.  

Ellie was never a dancer but with you she tried, keeping pace but also wanting to watch you under the lights. You changed when you danced. Watching your hips roll in a way she could never outside of the bedroom or when you ran your hands up and down your body to tease her. Your instincts took over and you knew how to move. These were on of the few moments your body knew what to fully do.  

You loved dancing with Ellie because your body took over then too.  

You never broke apart for too long, letting her twirl you under the red hue or you'd rock your hips against hers. You held onto both her hands tightly as you stole a kiss from her. You melted, feeling your glossed lips push against hers and her hands slipped down from your hips to your ass covered by a leather skirt.  

You placed a hand on the middle if her chest as she deepened the kiss, slipping her tongue into your mouth but you pushed her back.  

She looked confused before grinning at what you had felt. She grabbed your hand pulling you in and whispering into your ear "smoke break?" to which you eagerly nodded.  

You both made your way deeper into the club, to find the smoking room. It was full of people who had either had enough of dancing or who had come to stand around here in the first place. You rubbed your ears as you could feel your eardrums re-adjusting to the lack of noise and easing into the chatter of the room.  

Ellie stroked your hand, keeping you grounded as you stumbled behind her. She led you to the outdoor area which had hardly anyone in there. A few people who you suspected had the same intentions as you, judging by the smell. 

You closed the door behind you, quickly joining your partner as she placed the joint she had rolled earlier and kept in her sport bra in case security patted her down and would confiscate from her in her lips. She cupped the end of it, sparking it with her silver reusable lighter patting the space next to her beckoning you to sit down so she could pass it to you.  

She blew the ash of the end of it before holding it for you to take. You hummed and slotted it between your manicured fingers before holding it up to your lips and inhaling the way you had been taught.  

"Still can't believe security didn't pat us down? Lucky fuckin' break ‘cause I didn't want my blunt going to that security guard." 

You giggled "Ellie, you have got to let that go." You brought the joint back up to inhale, the end if it lighting up as you breathed before passing it back to you.  

Now was smoking, drinking shots, and smoking a blunt the best idea? Maybe not. But you rarely went out and you figured why not? 

You felt so safe with Ellie. Her tolerance was far better than yours, and if anything should happen you felt right at home with her. You peered out past the railing keeping you near the building at all the twinkling lights. You felt Ellie come up behind you to sneak her hands around your waist. She placed her cheek on your shoulder grumbling.  

You laughed at her antics feeing her shake along with your laughter. You laughed even harder when you saw she was still holding out the blunt for you to take, it coming virtually out if nowhere but floating into your peripheral vision.  

Instead of taking it, you had Ellie keep holding onto it while you leant down and inhaled from it. Your lips brushed her long digits leaving a glittery, brownish pink, you shaped smudge on her fingers. 

She had straightened up at that point watching you, and you lifted your eyes to meet hers as you exhaled out the smoke.  

"Never." She said rubbing her thumb against your glossed lips.  

"That's a pretty colour, how come you've never worn this one?" 

"It's new baby, remember you bought it for me last week?" 

You kissed her hand, thanking her for her small, sweet gifts she always got you while out.  

Ellie couldn't stop her mind from drifting. Maybe it was the weed or the shots, but she wanted to feel your lips somewhere else. She wanted to see your lipstick and eyeliner smudged with from your actions.  

She coughed, clearing her throat and trying to keep herself grounded. She inhaled her last puff not wanting to overdo it and held it out to you in case you wanted more. 

You did the exact same thing, keeping your eyes trained on your girl, watching her breath hitch, her chain glinting in the moonlight as her breathing became uneasy.  

Distantly you wondered if people queuing outside the club could see you from down there, if people in their cars speeding down the streets could see you eye-fucking your girlfriend. You suspected the people in the apartments definitely could and the people in the smoking area absolutely cou- 

Well fuck.  

You definitely felt it.  

You giggled and looked down at the ground as you felt the high slowly creep up over your brain. It was a slow acting bud Ellie had gotten this week so it would take a while for the feeling to peak but you could feel your limbs become lighter and heavier at the same time.  

"You feelin' it pretty girl?" Ellie lifted your face to check on you. Your eyes had turned the tiniest shade of pink but were mostly still white. Your pupils had become a little big but not that noticeable unless someone were really looking for it.  

Ellie knew though, because she was feeling the exact same thing. You were both fucked, she thought laughing along with you. 

She felt you take her hands and hold them against your powdered cheeks and nuzzle into them.  

"C'mere." She said tugging you into her arms. You groaned into her chest. Your nose was practically shoved down her black sports bra. 

"You good down there pretty girl? Pretty sure motorboating is frowned upon in public spaces but I'm not gonna stop you." 

You laughed pushing her away from you and walking towards the door back into the club. "I need some water, you comin?" 

Ellie looked at you for a moment. Her eyes drifting up and down as she smushed the roach into the ashtray provided and joined you by your side walking into the club again. 

You pressed yourself up against the counter of the bar, slumping into it while you waited for a bartender to stop in front of you. Once you'd had them you walked over to where Ellie had sat down on the couch, near where you had hidden your jackets.  

You smiled down at her, gently handing her one of the glasses in your hands. You took a few sips looked her down, dark flannel, several buttons open, exposing her black sports bra underneath, and an expanse of pale freckled skin that you wanted to kiss right then and there. Her toned legs spread slightly open and although you knew you shouldn't, you sat down on one of them. 

She pulled you across her lap, fingers digging into your hips as you both set down your glasses of water. You both studied each other's faces, you held a hand to her face which she leant into while giving you a fulfilled look. You were sure you had the same one on your face.  

You were both pulled out of the moment by a song of both of yours playing on the dancefloor. You both grinned to each other as you got up and rushed back to the floor, dancing again. You both yelled out the lyrics, twirling each other and laughing together until the beat changed into something slower, something deeper more sensual.  

You moved closer to Ellie, dancing with you. She had your hands all over you and maybe the weed had made everything feel so much more intense, but you thought you could feel them everywhere. You turned around but kept close to her to you. You could feel her breath turn shaky, pressed up behind you as her breath came down on your shoulder. You swayed against her feeling her hands on your tummy keeping you close to her.  

You lowered your knees, keeping to the rhythm of the song to get closer to her centre and ran a hand through your hair in a way you knew would keep her eyes on you.  

You suddenly couldn't breathe when your ass came in contact with her crotch. She kissed your neck hard enough to bruise trying to keep herself grounded as she felt herself growing more and more warm and flush all over her body. 

You twirled back around, to take a look at your girlfriend which proved to be a massive mistake. The red lights had taken her, making her look more dangerous and devastatingly beautiful than ever. She looked at you, like she could take all of you then and there. 

You bit into your lip, before yelling into her ear "Bathroom?" 

Ellie nodded and tugged you, moving people gently out of the way so she could get you through them.  

She pushed open the heavy wooden door filled with multiple stalls in normal dim white light.  

You leant against the sink, taking yourself in for a moment. Skin flushed, eyes pink, hair dishevelled. Your eyes shifted as you laid them on Ellie, making eye contact with you.  

You turned taking her face into your hands. Full parted lips, parted to try to keep breathing even though she knew it was futile. She was always like this when it came to you. Always breathing her last breath, and never taking in enough oxygen because all that was on her mind was you. Freckles, flushed skin and green eyes that were focused on your lips. They had a pink hue to them, letting you know that she felt the high too.  

You leaned in to kiss her, pulling her jaw down to meet you in the middle. You groaned into the kiss, which had turned sloppy so quickly, or maybe you had taken your time with it but everything felt so fuzzy and warm you couldn't tell anymore. All you felt was the girl's lips gliding against yours, her tongue invading your mouth and all your senses. You moaned into her mouth, pressing yourself up against her to which she answered by letting her hands drifting under your skirt to your ass.  

"Fuck." Ellie groaned between kisses.  

"Are." Peck. "you." Peck. "trying to." Peck. "fucking kill me." Smooch. She turned your face to kiss every part of it causing you to giggle. 

"Maybe. But I just want to keep kissing you right now." You said brushing strands of her hair out of her face, which kept falling whenever she kissed you.  

Her hands were everywhere again but the touches more desperate than before. Under your shirt, under your skirt, squishing your cheeks to steal another kiss from you.  

You didn't exactly remember whose idea it was to move into a stall, but you do remember walking backwards against the door of one and Ellie following you in with a predatory gaze.  

She cornered you against the wall of the bathroom stall, kissing down your body murmuring pleas against the skin. You huffed out, letting your head fall back against the cool cement walls, as you felt her hot breath on your skin. You raked a hand through her short hair, stroking her cheeks as she pushed up your skirt to your tummy and pulled down your underwear, letting you step out of them before pocketing them.  

"I hope you plan on giving me those back later Els..." you whined out. 

"Wouldn't count on it." she said and finally ran a finger along your folds.  

You took a sharp inhale as you felt her moving your slick, running it along your clit before dropping them as far as your opening. You shivered, "Els?" you huffed out.  

She only responded with a soft "Hm?" appearing too busy with continuing your torment. "Please Els? Can you touch me properly?" You begged the girl, your knees buckling slightly as you tried to keep yourself upright while she touched you. 

Ellie held your thigh, keeping you upright as well as keeping your legs open that buckles and shut slightly every time she moved.  

"Dunno." She replied, casually as if nothing was wrong.  

You groaned, knowing what the girl wanted and you couldn't deny her anymore. Not like this anyways.  

"Keep 'em." 

"Sorry I'm gonna need you to say that again. Didn't catch that." 

"You can keep them Els, just fuckin' do something please." 

"Keep what baby?" She said looking up at you as she slipped her middle finger inside of you.  

You grabbed onto her shoulder to steady yourself as you felt her reaching inside of you, gently fucking into you, finding the spot that had you squirming away and simultaneously rolling your hips against her tattooed hand. 

"Keep the panties, El, they're yours just don' stop." You sighed out, head facing the ceiling as you breathed out your words. 

"Good girl." She rewarded your generosity by inching her face closer, to your pussy, and kissing your clit before latching her lips to suck gently on you. 

"Oh, fuck Ellie." You sobbed out trying to stay quiet, grabbing gently onto her head to try and get her impossibly closer to your sopping folds.  

The girl trailed her tongue down to your opening before shoving the muscle inside of you. At that point, you shut your eyes tightly, held your breath in an attempt to keep quiet and couldn't focus on anything except the feeling of Ellie inside of you, and her nose bumping against your clit. 

It wasn't long before you came, riding out your high with the girl tucked between your thighs and you practically humping her face, trying to get her tongue and face as deep inside you as possible.  

Ellie was trying to taste as much of you as she could, slurping and licking every bit of sensitive skin you exposed for her. When she spelled away you could see all the efforts of both your actions on her face, which was covered in slick, on her cheeks, lips, jaw and nose.  

There was still a string attaching you to her lips. 

"Oh." You said holding your hands up to your mouth, trying not to giggle. 

"What?" Ellie said, furrowing her brows at you, wiping at her chin as she looked at you. 

"What do you mean what? You have me all over your face Ellie." You said trying you help her clean herself off laughing softly.  

"What can I say I got lost in the sauce." She grinned. 

Your jaw dropped as you smacked her on her shoulder.  

She laughed, rubbing at her face getting most of if off but missing spots on her chin. 

"Here." You said taking her chin in your hands and kissing it off.  

She looked back at you with glazed pink eyes, before kissing you again. 

Fuck, you thought to yourself. This had been a bad idea. All you could think about was tasting her now. Your hands gently reached for the zipper if her pants as she took your wrist and said, "You don' have to if you don' want to you know?" She always got shy like this whenever you wanted to reciprocate.  

"I know but I really want to Els. Will you please let me?" You blinked at her with doe eyes you knew would always work. She looked as you nuzzled your cheeks near the zipper of her pants, face brushing against her clit as you whimpered against the fabric, wanting to touch her. She ran her hands against your lip and nodded after searching into your pink eyes.  

She stood up and let you unbuckle her belt, pull down her pants and boxes in one go. She was a mess, dripping onto her thighs, and all over her folds.  

You plunged your head between her thighs and licked, slurped and sucked. 

"Wanna fuck you again when we get home Ellie, can I?” You murmured against her clit. 

"Oh, fuck you're really feeling it aren't you? So fuckin' needy,” she said taking your jaw in her hands to stare into your reddish eyes. You had reached the peak of your and wanted more and more of her. As much as she could possibly give you that night. 

She lifted your face closer to hers and once she was beside your ear she said, "Open up for me." and she then proceeded to spit on your awaiting tongue, and you whimpered as you swallowed her.  

You felt your legs getting soaked again as you grinded against nothing.  

"That's my good girl" she sighed as you nuzzled your face against her thighs, nose brushing her pubic mound and clit. 

You went back to tasting her when she grabbed the back of your neck and pushed you against her folds. You moaned into her, feeling her slick seep onto your tongue as you suck on her lips, clit and slipped your tongue inside of her. 

She shivered at the sensation, looking down at you pushing into her thighs and entrance as she grabbed the back of your head pulling you in closer. "So fuckin' good. You love getting slutted out like this don't you baby hm?" 

All you could do was nod against her. You pulled back to speak and look up at her before going back in for more of her. "Uh-huh. Love you els, love you so much."  

"Love you too pretty girl-fuck." 

Ellie whimpered as she came on your lips and gently pushed you away once she came so as not to get too overstimulated too fast.  

She watched as you wiped your face off, licking off whatever was left off her on your hands on your tongue.  

She knelt down to press a messy kiss against your lips. "So fuckin' nasty for me baby." She kissed you over and over before murmuring "You wanna get out of here pretty girl? Promise I'll make you feel so good when we get home." She groaned into your neck.  

You nodded against her, letting her pull you onto your feet before dressing the both of you and making sure you looked presentable.  

"Ellie my underwear, you gotta give 'em back." You pleaded with her.  

She turned you around to look at your ass, pulled your skirt down and you squeaked at the sudden groping and quick smack she gave you.  

"Nah, don't think so. You'll be fine it's just a 10-minute walk back to the apartment. C'mon I'll keep an eye on you." She said ushering you out of the stall, as you both washed your hands and cleaned your faces properly in the mirror.  

You walked to collect, your jackets from the couch putting them on and walking back out to the street, Ellie keeping her hands on your waist. Unbeknownst to you, she looked back at the security guard who was watching you both strut down the street and smirked at her, watching as her mouth fell into a hard straight line.  

She grinned and kissed your hands, trying to keep them warm.  

Both your cheeks were pink from the cold, as you breathed into the air watching the air in your body turn to mist in the night sky as Ellie shoved the key to your shared apartment into the keyhole. You hopped around trying to stay warm till Ellie pulled you into the apartment. helped you take off your coat and pulled you in for a kiss.  

You gasped and whimpered as she pulled your hair into a tight makeshift ponytail and tugged, causing your mouth to pry open as you felt her gaze on you. You looked up at her as she said "You gonna be good for me, pretty girl?"  

You nodded, biting into your lip and humming an affirmative. She let go and smacked your ass telling you to "Get upstairs. I'll be with you in a minute." She said before pecking you on the cheek. 

You giggled and ran up the stairs, following the girls demands as she pulled off her jacket and sighed. She took out the pack of cigarettes and lit one quickly while she walked over to the tap and got two glasses of water for you and her to drink. She sat down on a kitchen chair with an ashtray next to her. She heard a thump upstairs and frowned. She wondered what you could be getting up to there.  

She took a last puff of it before she stubbed out her cigarette, took the two glasses of water in her hands and marched up the stairs to see what you were doing.  

She was met with you, sitting at the edge of the bed, looking up at her and naked. That thump she had heard was the sound of you dropping your boots on the floor as you stripped off and had thrown your clothes on the floor. She shook her head grinning and said "Here." handing over the glass of water to you. 

You took it and sipped from it before she took it back and placed it on the nightstand.  

She took off her rings too placing them on the wooden surface. 

She took your cheeks in hand, squeezing them together and kissed you. "You okay if I get a little rough with you?" she whispered in your ear, "Wanna make you feel it." She palmed your tits, groping and squeezing them making you whimper under her.  

You kissed her back and said, "It's what I wanted in the first place, please Els."  

She took this chance to push you back onto the bed and climb between the space of your legs, letting you hook them around her waist. She looked at you splayed out under her, tits bouncing from the push, hiding nothing from her. She slapped your tits, swatting one then the other, watching as you whined under her from the hit and groaned. Ellie leaned in to latch onto your nipples, sucking on them gently, rolling your nipples in your mouth with her tongue, and pulling on them with her teeth,  

You moaned at this, carding your hands through her hair pulling her closer to you, your legs tightening your grip on her waist, grinding your sensitive exposed pussy against her, wetting the front of her jeans as she humped your back. 

"What are you, a bunny or somethin' humping me like that? Fuckin' nasty slut." She groaned into your tits.  

You loved when she degraded you like this. Made you get so much wetter which you were sure she could feel too. 

She moved her hands down to your soaked entrance, rubbing around your juices before plunging her fingers into you again. You shrieked at this, arching your back against her as her middle and ring finger scissored in and out of you, letting you see her tattoo flex as she moved. You could feel your slick slip past your entrance dripping further down. 

She kissed down your stomach, slurping again at your clit, then your entrance then- 

Oh fuck. 

She kept moving further and further spreading your juices with her tongue and fingers down to your asshole. She pulled back, spitting on the entrance before continuing licking and tasting you, pushing your knees back as you moved trying to escape the sensations. 

"Mm, tastes so good all over, pretty girl." She hummed pulling back, before letting go and pulling back. She took off her flannel and jeans, leaving her in her black sports bra, silver chain and boxers. 

She thumbed at your clit watching you squirm again under her.  

"Wanna get on top pretty girl? Didn't you wanna fuck me? Make me feel good again when we get home?" She drawled, smiling at you under her. 

She gently slapped your cunt, prompting you to give her an answer when you sobbed at her "Yes, Ellie wanna fuck you please?" 

She stood up, pulling off her sports bra over her head, and slipping her soaked boxers, down her legs.  

She sighed lying down on the bed, watching as you clambered up on her body. You ran your hands down her body, watching her nipples stiffen from being exposed to the air, her abs rising and falling as she took in unsteady breaths, watching you take over.  

You hooked your leg over her hip, allowing you to straddle her. You took her chain under your finger tugging and pulling her up to meet her lips again. 

You felt powerful on top of her seeing her under you, waiting for what you were going to do.  

You shuffled upwards, deciding to plant yourself over her abs, sitting your wet pussy down onto it, moaning at the crevices and bumps as they brushed against your clit.  

"Fuck." You groaned out, your eyes fluttering shut as your head fell back and you could see the white of your ceiling.  

Ellie shuddered under you, feeling the wetness of you gather on her stomach, making the sloppiest mess she had ever seen from you. She loved watching you ride her like this. Something about seeing you take control of her like this, using her made her want to submit to your forever.  

She huffed out, "Please move down baby I can't take it." She really couldn't. She was soaked wet, exposed with no friction or anything to ease the heat building up between her legs.  

"Should've thought about that before you stole my underwear baby." 

"'m sorry, okay? I'll buy you a fuck ton of new pairs just please do something y/n 'm dying here." 

You looked at your girl under you, flushed and gasping, nails digging into your hips, and she clung on for dear life. 

You hummed before moving down and grinding against her pubic mound. Fuck, you were gonna get another noise complaint but fuck that because this felt too good to give up.  

Elle couldn't think or speak, feeling only white noise slip into her ears, as her eyes rolled into the back of her head, feeling you slip and slide against her pussy. She could feel the strands of slick from both of you, keeping each of you tethered to the other.  

She felt her soul leave her body as you kissed her, slipping your tongue in your mouth to silence the girl under you but that didn't work. So, you pulled away listening to her sob for a moment while you kept watching her moan out before slipping your pointer and middle finger into her mouth.  

"Gonna h-have to keep you -fuck- quiet somehow." You grinned at her, voice breaking from your moans. Ellie suckled on your fingers but ever the brat she was, she decided she wasn't going to take so easily. 

She slipped her hands behind you before sliding a finger inside of your asshole, making you lean back and almost fall off of the girl.  

You felt Ellie suckle harder on your fingers, keeping you somewhat grounded as you continued to bounce and slide on her clit. Soon you were both groaning out each other's names, creaming and cumming against each other.  

You watched Elle ride out her orgasm, nails making crescents on your hips which would last and bruise, letting you re-live this for days whenever you saw them. Her face was leaning back into the pillows, mouth hanging open as soft moans escaped it with her eyes squeezed shut. Her silver chain glinting in the soft light of your bedroom with each breathe she took. 

She rocked your hips back and forth pro-longing both your respective climaxes till you lifted off her, sitting on her thigh as you pressed your body against her, till you were close enough that she could feel your lashes against her face.  

She pried open her eyes, laughing at how close you were. 

"Can I help you? You're so fuckin’ close. Jesus. "  

You giggled, kissing her cheek. "Can you give me another?" 

Ellie raised her brows, at your question "Think so, what've you got in mi-" 

She was cut off as she felt you slide a finger into her.  

"Fuck me-oh my god!" She groaned as you picked a brutal pace to fuck into her, adding another digit, fingers hitting the spot that had been sensitive all night. She could feel a pressure building and thought about warning you about what was happening but couldn't get the words out.  

All she could do was take it and whimper and hold onto your hip and free hand.  

"Feeling good baby?" You murmured against her lip, echoing the words she had asked you earlier that evening when she had been tormenting you.  

She fucked herself back against your hands, groaning a series of "Yes-fuck- yes so good."  

You bent down to lick at her clit and moaned around her. "Can taste the both of us here Ellie, you taste so good with me like this." 

She felt herself clenching around your fingers at your words and the sensations, as a clear liquid came from her as you continued pumping into her, draining her of all that she had. Ellie had soaked, your fingers, bedsheets and herself as you had planned for her to.  

You pulled out of her gently, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, until she grabbed the back of your neck pulling you in for a proper kiss. 

You kissed her quickly before getting up and getting her a cloth to clean her with, before handing her an oversized shirt to sleep in. You repeated the process for yourself after handing her the glass of water she had procured for the both of you earlier. 

You helped her up to guide her to the sink to wash her face and brush her teeth and go to the bathroom. As you brushed together you thought about doing this with her forever, loving her, taking care of her, going out with her for the rest of your lives together. 

As you slid under the covers together, and pressed your foreheads against each other, you knew she had the same thought.  

"Love you, Ellie." You whispered to her squeezing her hand. 

She squeezed back before wrapping her arm around you, pulling you closer to her, as she whispered back, "Love you more, pretty girl." pressing a kiss to your forehead. 

[yourlocalbreadenthusiast]

ask for infodump about Chernobyl as someone who has never even heard of it

INHALES

Chernobyl is considered to be the worst nuclear disaster in history, rated at a 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), the only other disaster ranking at a 7 being in Fukushima back in 2011. The disaster occurred on April 26, 1986. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant was located in Ukraine, which was under the control of the Soviet Union at the time. It was only about 16 miles from the Belarus-Ukraine border, which was also under Soviet control. There were two main towns nearby, Chernobyl itself, which was older, had only about 15,000 residents, and was actually farther from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant than Pripyat, which had about 50,000 residents, and was only about 2 miles from the plant. Pripyat was newer, and residents had an average age of about 26. The town itself was filled with young, well educated people starting new lives. A large number of public buildings were located in Pripyat, including a school and a sports complex, which contains the famous Azure Swimming Pool. The plant supplied Pripyat with energy, and the place was considered a sort of "dream city." The plant was an RBMK-1000 type reactor, a generation I nuclear reactor, which are the earliest, and generally most hazardous, nuclear reactors. RBMKs were used to produce Plutonium, a radioactive material primarily used in nuclear weapons. However, they could also be used to produce civilian energy, so a few were constructed to supply parts of the USSR with power. At the time of the incident, there were four reactors in operation, with reactors 5 and 6 under construction. A test was scheduled to be conducted to see if the backup generators could successfully turn on in time to keep the cooling systems running at safe levels. However, the test was delayed until the less experienced night shift was in. They turned off the reactor's shutdown feature and lowered the power to the reactor. Reactors need energy to function, as they have to be cooled. For these reactors, large amounts of water were used to cool them. Without the shutdown function, the reactor was in danger of overheating if it wasn't cooled. Regardless, they ran the test. When the backup generators took too long to turn on, panic set in, and the reactor began to overheat. Then, somehow hit the AZ-5 button, which lowers all control rods into the reactor at once. Control rods are used to absorb excess amounts of shed neutrons from the nuclear reactions. However, they momentarily increase reactions when first introduced into the reactor chambers. The undertrained staff of the night shift were not aware of this. With the increased reactivity, the reactor was now dangerously hot, and the casinging around the fuel rods began to rupture, causing white-hot radioactive fuel to come into direct contact with steam. At 1:23 A.M., April 26, 1986, Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor #4 exploded. The contact between the fuel and the steam caused a steam explosion, blowing the 1000 tonne reactor roof into the air and spewing radioactive debris and particles into the air.

Two plant workers were killed instantly by either the force of the blast or from being hit by debris. Although plant workers realized what had happened rather quickly, superiors were slow to act. Firefighters were called in, but they were not told the dangers of the radiation. Most died within a few months. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. In Pripyat, the Amusement Park that had been scheduled to open the next day was hurriedly opened a day early to distract residents from the fact that the reactor was on fire.

It took 36 hours for Soviet Officials to finally begin to evacuate Pripyat, only after residents had begun to report nausea, dizziness, fatigue, vomiting, and headaches, all symptoms of radiation poisoning. A few weeks earlier, citizens were trained with gas masks in case there ever was an incident. Officials said that they didn’t need them, as they didn’t want to cause a panic.

Residents were also told they would be returning soon, and to leave everything behind. They did not come back. This left Pripyat as an eerie ghost down where everything seemed to have simply been dropped and left. Today, it is still abandoned, and is being slowly reclaimed by nature.

During the cleanup of the incident, “Liquidators” were called in. Some knew the dangers, others didn’t. The fire of the reactor was too hot to be put out by water, so tons and tons or boron, sand, and lead were dumped onto the burning reactor by helicopters that flew over. It didn’t help much, and the reactor finally stopped burning after about 2-3 weeks. A structure dubbed “The sarcophagus” was built over the reactor to contain the radiation, though it was rushed and leaked radiation. A large area of woodlands was contaminated by the radiation, and it turned red and died, earning the nickname “The Red Forest.” Most of these trees were cleared and buried. Highly contaminated houses were knocked down, animals were shot, and crops destroyed. Absolutely everything that was highly contaminated was at least attempted to be destroyed and buried. Still, not everything could be destroyed and buried, there was simply too much. One object, dubbed “The Claw of Death” was, according to conflicting accounts, either used to assist in the overall cleanup or was used specifically in the cleanup of the plant roof. It is radioactive enough to give a lethal dose if sat in for about 11 hours.

Another rather infamous object is “The Elephant’s Foot” which is a mass of sand, concrete, and melted reactor fuel that had melted its way through the floor and down into the basement. Upon discovery, the sheer amount of radiation it gave off was enough to give you a fatal dose within about 90 seconds. Today, that’s increased to about five minutes. The foot was unyielding to sampling tools, so, they shot it with a Kalashnikov Rifle (AK-47) to get a sample.

After a very short period of time, the remaining three reactors were up and running again, as the USSR simply needed power desperately. By December of 1987, all three reactors were up and running again. They were operated for years, until the last reactor was finally shut down for good in 2000. Being so close to the border, and with the wind conditions of the time, mass amount of radioactive particles were blown north to Belarus. The Soviet Union had planes fly over and seed the clouds with chemicals, forcing them to rain on rural land instead of heavily populated areas, but this still had a major effect, as about 1/3 of Belarusian farmland was contaminated. However, the winds began to shift, blowing radiation towards Europe. Sweden was the first to sound the alarm, asking if something had happened after detecting dangerous amounts of airborne radiation and determining it was not from any of their own reactors. The USSR finally admitted there had been a “very small” incident at Chernobyl, and was very reluctant to give the world information. Careful monitoring protocols were put on resources everywhere in Europe, from grain to milk to wood, all were carefully measured for radiation. Years later, after the Sarcophagus was determined to be unsafe, the New Safe Confinement unit was constructed, which is a semicircular dome over the existing Sarcophagus. The New Safe Confinement was finished in 2018. 

DONE!

(For now)

@not-wizard-council-aristocrat @anarcho-neptunism @siley-the-wizard @villainessbian

[feralplantwife]

Erzsebet Bathory- Thematic Character Analysis

I've seen a lot of posts about Erzsebet Bathory, and the general sense is that while her design is cool, she's not very well-developed or impressive from a character standpoint. I agree... Somewhat.

I'm going to get into it below, but the TL;DR version is that from a characterization standpoint, she is weak, but from a thematic standpoint, she is Everything.

Disclaimer: I have not been fortunate enough to play any of the games, so this analysis will focus solely on the show. <3

First, what do vampires mean in storytelling?

A vampire can symbolize many things, but here are the big three: they're a representation of the Other, the unknown (kind of like Frankenstein's Monster), but they can also be a manifestation of carnal, sinful, or deviant desires (think Dorian Grey). The one I'm going to focus on here, as it's the most relevant, is the third main type: the Parasite. Vampires are bloodsucking, gluttonous, selfish starving monsters that consume and consume until there is nothing left (think Robert Baratheon).

This was a theme that was explored in the first series with the Church's opulence and their desire to sacrifice innumerable human lives for the sake of their image and power. Carmilla is the same, but in contention with the Church.

This theme is expanded upon beautifully in Nocturne, with the French Revolution bourgeoise and American colonization and slave trade building upon the themes of the first series. Olrex talks about his home being destroyed, his lover's people being exterminated but holding onto his identity even in undeath. Annette holds onto her Yoruban faith and her Creole heritage taught to her by her mother and fellows even after generations of cultural genocide at the hands of her masters- a combination of more than one old indigenous faith and newer conglomerations of the same. (In this way, one could say that Erzsebet Bathory and Annette are foils!)

How does Erzsebet Bathory fit into this thematically?

Let me explain it like this: Erzsebet Bathory is a white woman dripping in stylized opulence who swallowed an Egyptian god. The truest enemy in this series is colonialism: the consumption of everything and everyone that isn't white and Christian to expand white and Christian ideals and desires using God as a face for their misdeeds- the consumption of people, land, culture, religion, knowledge, kindness. What could not be consumed was destroyed.

In this way, Erzsebet Bathory is the manifestation of all the greatest evils people of color and minorities have ever faced, and continue to face today: that of homogenization, exploitation, and destruction.

The fact that this is expanded by her vampiric elitism builds upon this idea by including all human beings. It's open knowledge among many anthropological circles that colonization destroyed a lot of technology, culture, and knowledge, has held society back, and continues to lead to unnecessary and painful struggle among society (largely due to that fact that many developed nations' governments are still being run by vampires today- how are all my fellow Americans doing as we barrel toward a government shutdown for this very reason?).

Erzsebet Bathory signifies the consumption of the human spirit and the death of mankind, wrapped up in a beautifully terrifying amalgam of every single sin the colonizers ever committed. She's not the ultimate character of Nocturne by a long shot, but she is the ultimate monster.

[erik-even-wordier]

I really don’t owe my Trump-supporting friends an apology. I’ve been critical of Trump these last several years, and am still exhausted from the experience.

But to be fair, Trump wasn’t that bad…………..other than when:

1. he incited an insurrection against the government,

2. mismanaged a pandemic that killed a million Americans,

3. separated children from their families, lost those children in the bureaucracy,

4. tear-gassed peaceful protesters on Lafayette Square so he could hold a photo op holding a Bible in front of a church,

5. tried to block all Muslims from entering the country,

6. got impeached,

7. got impeached again,

8. had the worst jobs record of any president in modern history,

9. pressured Ukraine to dig dirt on Joe Biden,

10. fired the FBI director for investigating his ties to Russia,

11. bragged about firing the FBI director on TV,

12. took Vladimir Putin’s word over the US intelligence community,

13. diverted military funding to build his wall,

14. caused the longest government shutdown in US history,

15. called Black Lives Matter a “symbol of hate,”

16. lied nearly 30,000 times,

17. banned transgender people from serving in the military,

18. ejected reporters from the White House briefing room who asked tough questions,

19. vetoed the defense funding bill because it renamed military bases named for Confederate soldiers,

20. refused to release his tax returns,

21. increased the national debt by nearly $8 trillion,

22. had three of the highest annual trade deficits in U.S. history,

23. called veterans and soldiers who died in combat losers and suckers,

24. coddled the leader of Saudi Arabia after he ordered the execution and dismembering of a US-based journalist,

25. refused to concede the 2020 election,

26. hired his unqualified daughter and son-in-law to work in the White House,

27. walked out of an interview with Lesley Stahl,

28. called neo-Nazis “very fine people,”

29. suggested that people should inject bleach into their bodies to fight COVID,

30. abandoned our allies the Kurds to Turkey,

31. pushed through massive tax cuts for the wealthiest but balked at helping working Americans,

32. incited anti-lockdown protestors in several states at the height of the pandemic,

33. withdrew the US from the Paris climate accords,

34. withdrew the US from the Iranian nuclear deal,

35. withdrew the US from the Trans Pacific Partnership which was designed to block China’s advances,

36. insulted his own Cabinet members on Twitter,

37. pushed the leader of Montenegro out of the way during a photo op,

38. failed to reiterate US commitment to defending NATO allies,

39. called Haiti and African nations “shithole” countries,

40. called the city of Baltimore the “worst in the nation,”

41. claimed that he single handedly brought back the phrase “Merry Christmas” even though it hadn’t gone anywhere,

42. forced his Cabinet members to praise him publicly like some cult leader,

43. believed he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize,

44. berated and belittled his hand-picked Attorney General when he recused himself from the Russia probe,

45. suggested the US should buy Greenland,

46. colluded with Mitch McConnell to push through federal judges and two Supreme Court justices after supporting efforts to prevent his predecessor from appointing judges,

47. repeatedly called the media “enemies of the people,”

48. claimed that if we tested fewer people for COVID we’d have fewer cases,

49. violated the emoluments clause,

50. thought that Nambia was a country,

51. told Bob Woodward in private that the coronavirus was a big deal but then downplayed it in public,

52. called his exceedingly faithful vice president a “p---y” for following the Constitution,

53. nearly got us into a war with Iran after threatening them by tweet,

54. nominated a corrupt head of the EPA,

55. nominated a corrupt head of HHS,

56. nominated a corrupt head of the Interior Department,

57. nominated a corrupt head of the USDA,

58. praised dictators and authoritarians around the world while criticizing allies,

59. refused to allow the presidential transition to begin,

60. insulted war hero John McCain – even after his death,

61. spent an obscene amount of time playing golf after criticizing Barack Obama for playing (far less) golf while president,

62. falsely claimed that he won the 2016 popular vote,

63. called the Muslim mayor of London a “stone cold loser,”

64. falsely claimed that he turned down being Time’s Man of the Year,

65. considered firing special counsel Robert Mueller on several occasions,

66. mocked wearing face masks to guard against transmitting COVID,

67. locked Congress out of its constitutional duty to confirm Cabinet officials by hiring acting ones,

68. used a racist dog whistle by calling COVID the “China virus,”

69. hired and associated with numerous shady figures that were eventually convicted of federal offenses including his campaign manager and national security adviser,

70. pardoned several of his shady associates,

71. gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to two congressmen who amplified his batshit crazy conspiracy theories,

72. got into telephone fight with the leader of Australia(!),

73. had a Secretary of State who called him a moron,

74. forced his press secretary to claim without merit that his was the largest inauguration crowd in history,

75. botched the COVID vaccine rollout,

76. tweeted so much dangerous propaganda that Twitter eventually banned him,

77. charged the Secret Service jacked-up rates at his properties,

78. constantly interrupted Joe Biden in their first presidential debate,

79. claimed that COVID would “magically” disappear,

80. called a U.S. Senator “Pocahontas,”

81. used his Twitter account to blast Nordstrom when it stopped selling Ivanka’s merchandise,

82. opened up millions of pristine federal lands to development and drilling,

83. got into a losing tariff war with China that forced US taxpayers to bail out farmers,

84. claimed that his losing tariff war was a win for the US,

85. ignored or didn’t even take part in daily intelligence briefings,

86. blew off honoring American war dead in France because it was raining,

87. redesigned Air Force One to look like the Trump Shuttle,

88. got played by Kim Jung Un and his “love letters,”

89. threatened to go after social media companies in clear violation of the Constitution,

90. botched the response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico,

91. threw paper towels at Puerto Ricans when he finally visited them,

92. pressured the governor and secretary of state of Georgia to “find” him votes,

93. thought that the Virgin islands had a President,

94. drew on a map with a Sharpie to justify his inaccurate tweet that Alabama was threatened by a hurricane,

95. allowed White House staff to use personal email accounts for official businesses after blasting Hillary Clinton for doing the same thing,

96. rolled back regulations that protected the public from mercury and asbestos,

97. pushed regulators to waste time studying snake-oil remedies for COVID,

98. rolled back regulations that stopped coal companies from dumping waste into rivers,

99. held blatant campaign rallies at the White House,

100. tried to take away millions of Americans’ health insurance because the law was named for a Black man,

101. refused to attend his successors’ inauguration,

102. nominated the worst Education Secretary in history,

103. threatened judges who didn’t do what he wanted,

104. attacked Dr. Anthony Fauci,

105. promised that Mexico would pay for the wall (it didn’t),

106. allowed political hacks to overrule government scientists on major reports on climate change and other issues,

107. struggled navigating a ramp after claiming his opponent was feeble,

108. called an African-American Congresswoman “low IQ,”

109. threatened to withhold federal aid from states and cities with Democratic leaders,

110. went ahead with rallies filled with maskless supporters in the middle of a pandemic,

111. claimed that legitimate investigations of his wrongdoing were “witch hunts,”

112. seemed to demonstrate a belief that there were airports during the American Revolution,

113. demanded “total loyalty” from the FBI director,

114. praised a conspiracy theory that Democrats are Satanic pedophiles,

115. completely gutted the Voice of America,

116. placed a political hack in charge of the Postal Service,

117. claimed without evidence that the Obama administration bugged Trump Tower,

118. suggested that the US should allow more people from places like Norway into the country,

119. suggested that COVID wasn’t that bad because he recovered with the help of top government doctors and treatments not available to the public,

120. overturned energy conservation standards that even industry supported,

121. reduced the number of refugees the US accepts,

122. insulted various members of Congress and the media with infantile nicknames,

123. gave Rush Limbaugh a Presidential medal of Freedom at the State of the Union address,

124. named as head of federal personnel a 29-year old who’d previously been fired from the White House for allegations of financial improprieties,

125. eliminated the White House office of pandemic response,

126. used soldiers as campaign props,

127. fired any advisor who made the mistake of disagreeing with him,

128. demanded the Pentagon throw him a Soviet-style military parade,

129. hired a shit ton of white nationalists,

130. politicized the civil service,

131. did absolutely nothing after Russia hacked the U.S. government,

132. falsely said the Boy Scouts called him to say his bizarre Jamboree speech was the best speech ever given to the Scouts,

133. claimed that Black people would overrun the suburbs if Biden won,

134. insulted reporters of color,

135. insulted women reporters,

136. insulted women reporters of color,

137. suggested he was fine with China’s oppression of the Uighurs,

138. attacked the Supreme Court when it ruled against him,

139. summoned Pennsylvania state legislative leaders to the White House to pressure them to overturn the election,

140. spent countless hours every day watching Fox News,

141. refused to allow his administration to comply with Congressional subpoenas,

142. hired Rudy Giuliani as his lawyer,

143. tried to punish Amazon because the Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post wrote negative stories about him,

144. acted as if the Attorney General of the United States was his personal attorney,

145. attempted to get the federal government to defend him in a libel lawsuit from a prominent lady who accused him of sexual assault,

146. held private meetings with Vladimir Putin without staff present,

147. didn’t disclose his private meetings with Vladimir Putin so that the US had to find out via Russian media,

148. stopped holding press briefings for months at a time,

149. “ordered” US companies to leave China even though he has no such power,

150. led a political party that couldn’t even be bothered to draft a policy platform,

151. claimed preposterously that Article II of the Constitution gave him absolute powers,

152. tried to pressure the U.K. to hold the British Open at his golf course,

153. suggested that the government nuke hurricanes,

154. suggested that wind turbines cause cancer,

155. said that he had a special aptitude for science,

156. fired the head of election cyber security after he said that the 2020 election was secure,

157. blurted out classified information to Russian officials,

158. tried to force the G7 to hold their meeting at his failing golf resort in Florida,

159. fired the acting attorney general when she refused to go along with his unconstitutional Muslim travel ban,

160. hired notorious racist Stephen Miller,

161. openly discussed national security issues in the dining room at Mar-a-Lago where everyone could hear them,

162. interfered with plans to relocate the FBI because a new development there might compete with his hotel,

163. abandoned Iraqi refugees who’d helped the U.S. during the war,

164. tried to get Russia back into the G7,

165. held a COVID super spreader event in the Rose Garden,

166. seemed to believe that Frederick Douglass is still alive,

167. lost 60 election fraud cases in court including before judges he had nominated,

168. falsely claimed that factories were reopening when they weren’t,

169. shamelessly exploited terror attacks in Europe to justify his anti-immigrant policies,

170. still hasn’t come up with a healthcare plan,

171. still hasn’t come up with an infrastructure plan despite repeated “Infrastructure Weeks,”

172. forced Secret Service agents to drive him around Walter Reed while contagious with COVID,

173. told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by,”

174. fucked up the Census,

175. withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization in the middle of a pandemic,

176. did so few of his duties that his press staff were forced to state on his daily schedule “President Trump will work from early in the morning until late in the evening. He will make many calls and have many meetings,”

177. allowed his staff to repeatedly violate the Hatch Act,

178. seemed not to know that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican,

179. stood before sacred CIA wall of heroes and bragged about his election win,

180. constantly claimed he was treated worse than any president which presumably includes four that were assassinated and his predecessor whose legitimacy and birthplace were challenged by a racist reality TV show star named Donald Trump,

181. claimed Andrew Jackson could’ve stopped the Civil War even though he died 16 years before it happened,

182. said that any opinion poll showing him behind was fake,

183. claimed that other countries laughed at us before he became president when several world leaders were literally laughing at him,

184. claimed that the military was out of ammunition before he became President,

185. created a commission to whitewash American history,

186. retweeted anti-Islam videos from one of the most racist people in Britain,

187. claimed ludicrously that the Pulse nightclub shooting wouldn’t have happened if someone there had a gun even though there was an armed security guard there,

188. hired a senior staffer who cited the non-existent Bowling Green Massacre as a reason to ban Muslims,

189. had a press secretary who claimed that Nazi Germany never used chemical weapons even though every sane human being knows they used gas to kill millions of Jews and others,

190. bilked the Secret Service for higher than market rates when they had to stay at Trump properties,

191. apparently sold pardons on his way out of the White House,

192. stripped protective status from 59,000 Haitians,

193. falsely claimed Biden wanted to defund the police,

194. said that the head of the CDC didn’t know what he was talking about,

195. tried to rescind protection from DREAMers,

196. gave himself an A+ for his handling of the pandemic,

197. tried to start a boycott of Goodyear tires due to an Internet hoax,

198. said U.S. rates of COVID would be lower if you didn’t count blue states,

199. deported U.S. veterans who served their country but were undocumented,

200. claimed he did more for African Americans than any president since Lincoln,

201. touted a “super-duper” secret “hydrosonic” missile which may or may not be a new “hypersonic” missile or may not exist at all,

202. retweeted a gif calling Biden a pedophile,

203. forced through security clearances for his family,

204. suggested that police officers should rough up suspects,

205. suggested that Biden was on performance-enhancing drugs,

206. tried to stop transgender students from being able to use school bathrooms in line with their gender,

207. suggested the US not accept COVID patients from a cruise ship because it would make US numbers look higher,

208. nominated a climate change sceptic to chair the committee advising the White House on environmental policy,

209. retweeted a video doctored to look like Biden

210. had played a song called “Fuck tha Police” at a campaign event,

211. hugged a disturbingly large number of U.S. flags,

212. accused Democrats of “treason” for not applauding his State of the Union address,

213. claimed that the FBI failed to capture the Parkland school shooter because they were “spending too much time” on Russia,

214. mocked the testimony of Dr Christine Blasey Ford when she accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault,

215. obsessed over low-flow toilets,

216. ordered the rerelease of more COVID vaccines when there weren’t any to release,

217. called for the construction of a bizarre garden of heroes with statutes of famous dead Americans as well as at least one Canadian (Alex Trebek),

218. hijacked Washington’s July 4th celebrations to give a partisan speech,

219. took advice from the MyPillow guy,

220. claimed that migrants seeking a better life in the US were dangerous caravans of drug dealers and rapists,

221. said nothing when Vladimir Putin poisoned a leading opposition figure,

222. never seemed to heed the advice of his wife’s “Be Best” campaign,

223. falsely claimed that mail-in voting is fraudulent,

224. announced a precipitous withdrawal of troops from Syria which not only handed Russia and ISIS a win but also prompted his defense secretary to resign in protest,

225. insulted the leader of Canada,

226. insulted the leader of France,

227. insulted the leader of Britain,

228. insulted the leader of Germany,

229. insulted the leader of Sweden (Sweden!!),

230. falsely claimed credit for getting NATO members to increase their share of dues,

231. blew off two Asia summits even though they were held virtually,

232. continued lying about spending lots of time at Ground Zero with 9/11 responders,

233. said that the Japanese would sit back and watch their “Sony televisions” if the US were ever attacked,

234. left a NATO summit early in a huff,

235. stared directly into an eclipse even though everyone over the age of 5 knows not to do that,

236. called himself a very stable genius despite significant evidence to the contrary,

237. refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power and kept his promise.

238. Don’t forget that he took many classified & top secret documents with him when he left the White House, many of which have not been recovered & may have been compromised.

I’m sure there are a whole bunch of other things I can’t remember at the moment.

Plz copy and paste. Whoever wrote this deserves credit but I don't know who it is.

[sutekh94]

Hoooh boy do I have some thoughts about Cohost shutting down.

I've been working on this post for a few days, letting thoughts simmer enough to be presentable enough, so… here goes something!

Yeah, I'm sad about that. Not surprised that it happened, but still sad. Cohost had a good philosophy behind it, wanting to build a social media platform without much of the usual trappings, and I appreciate all the work its creators, Anti-Software Software Club, put in to make that philosophy real. And it was real, if only for a couple of years. I'm so glad my art found an audience there, even getting a few lovely comments. I feel bad for everyone who set up shop there who now has to scramble towards other platforms to host their stuff on. I can understand why some people decided they were finished with social media after the site announced they were gonna shut down at the end of 2024.

I really wish Cohost succeeded as a social media platform.

And I will miss it.

All that said… (here come the controversial takes)

I don't hold much sympathy for its staff and ASSC. It really felt like they had no business sense nor did they want to have any business sense. That showed especially in how unprofessional some of their financial updates - and lack thereof on occasion - were. Casually saying "oops I forgot to do the update for X month" despite further funding for the site hinging on regular posting of said updates, acting all "we're your friends!!!" at times, and so on. Then there were things like the eggbux debacle, ASSC thinking they were gonna turn Cohost into a Patreon competitor without having the knowledge or resources to do that, Stripe policies aside. I'm aware that was one of ASSC's original goals for the platform, but still. I gotta factor in some of the monumental moderation fails the platform's had, including the Nazi incident. Their policies regarding generative "AI" - seriously, not blanket banning generative "AI" was asking for trouble. Oh, and an aura of negativity and toxic positivity that pervaded the place partially because of that inadequate moderation, and partially because that's what Cohost's culture was like to an extent. Still, my Discord server has more moderators than Cohost ever had - three, myself included, compared to one. That's comparing a platform with about 130 users (I'd say 12-15 of them are active and posting on the server) as of the time I'm writing this against a platform with over 25,000 users at the time of the shutdown announcement.

This might seem harsh considering Cohost's staff were known users and public faces there. I don't know any of them personally. I don't wanna pretend like I do. But I also don't wanna pretend like ASSC could do no wrong and Cohost was some heavenly paradise. One of the most popular posts on the site in its final months, at least regarding the number of comments and responses to it, was "Cohost So White", a lengthy timeline detailing some of the most notable moderation fails and racist incidents that've occurred on the site over its history. Much of that negativity I mentioned earlier stemmed from how bigoted and racist chunks of the userbase could be - and the times that was left unchecked until staff was bullied into removing offending posts and banning the people behind them. Remember the Nazi incident I mentioned earlier?

In short, a Nazi made a Cohost account to stalk and harass a Jewish person there. The Jewish person tried reporting the account, posting evidence of the Nazi's behavior off-site, and Cohost staff… did nothing about it initially because "they've done nothing wrong on Cohost so far" or words to that effect, causing the Jewish person (among others) to almost leave Cohost. Staff was then bullied into banning the Nazi and afterwards said things like "we're bound to screw up on moderation decisions every now and again". There's more to the Nazi incident than that, but I don't want this post to be entirely about that. Still, I get it. Moderation is tricky. People make mistakes. But that was an egregious moderation failure that should never have happened.

Disregarding all that, Cohost had this feeling of a group of friends creating a social media platform for themselves, their friends, and friends of friends, but it never grew out of that hobbyist mindset. Cohost felt like a very anti-social place more often than not. Discoverability was always spotty. Tag shotgunning was common especially for artists like me wanting to have as much reach as possible. The only major attempt to make discoverability better IMO, tag synonyms, came in too late to be relevant. Needed and welcomed, but still. Same for certain changes to moderation policies - the "missing stair" policy and so on, even if I feared they could've been weaponized against fair and civil criticism of the platform.

This is a personal thing, but I never gelled with the site's culture. I was mainly there to post my art; the site being NSFW/18+ friendly was a huge reason why I joined, and to its credit, Cohost never lost that particular quality throughout its existence. I didn't interact with people much there, and venturing outside of my carefully-curated feeds, both main and bookmarked, could feel as draining as doomscrolling on Twitter. Almost like Twitter's negativity sort of migrated over to Cohost and became integrated into Cohost's culture. Again, I'm not saying the entire platform was like that, just that the negativity sometimes drowned out all the shitposts and CSS crimes and whatnot.

Don't get me wrong. Cohost shutting down is a loss for the Internet as a whole for reasons I explained up top. I'll always appreciate it for what it tried to do and all the good it managed to do over the time it existed. I don't wanna walk away feeling like I'm blindly bashing on it with a sledgehammer or, worse, celebrating its downfall with a bag of popcorn in hand. It's just… Things could've and should've been so much better. There were more than enough misgivings on ASSC's behalf that didn't help matters. That's really why I'm sad yet not surprised about Cohost shutting down. Cohost deserved better. Much better.

The reason why I've been so critical about Cohost is… I give a shit. It's clear I'm passionate enough about Cohost to say what I said here. I genuinely wanted things to be better there. If I truly didn't care, this post wouldn't exist, and it's possible I never would've given Cohost a chance in the first place. Regardless, the fact that so, so, SO many people are sad about it shutting down speaks volumes. I enjoyed my time there despite all its faults, but that doesn't mean I could act as if those faults didn't exist. My personal experiences with Cohost weren't everyone's personal experiences.

I'm aware that places like Pillowfort have some of the same problems Cohost had, namely an uncertain financial and long-term future. It's why Pillowfort and other small platforms need support now more than ever, and I'm glad to see that some of Cohost's userbase has migrated over to Pillowfort. Unless you're gonna bail on social media entirely after Cohost shuts down (again, I don't blame you for wanting to do that at this point), you're best off diversifying where you post, especially if you're an artist and/or a writer. If you can spare the money, you should send a few bucks towards these smaller platforms to help keep them afloat. At any moment, that smaller platform you've made a home on can just… shut down one day, planned or not.

[lenbryant]

I owe my Trump-supporting friends an apology. I’ve been critical of the Trump presidency these last four years, and am still exhausted from the experience. But to be fair, President Trump wasn’t that bad, other than when he incited an insurrection against the government, mismanaged a pandemic that killed nearly half a million Americans, separated children from their families, lost those children in the bureaucracy, tear-gassed peaceful protesters on Lafayette Square so he could hold a photo op holding a Bible in front of a church, tried to block all Muslims from entering the country, got impeached, got impeached again, had the worst jobs record of any president in modern history, pressured Ukraine to dig dirt on Joe Biden, fired the FBI director for investigating his ties to Russia, bragged about firing the FBI director on TV, took Vladimir Putin’s word over the US intelligence community, diverted military funding to build his wall, caused the longest government shutdown in US history, called Black Lives Matter a “symbol of hate,” lied nearly 30,000 times, banned transgender people from serving in the military, ejected reporters from the White House briefing room who asked tough questions, vetoed the defense funding bill because it renamed military bases named for Confederate soldiers, refused to release his tax returns, increased the national debt by nearly $8 trillion, had three of the highest annual trade deficits in U.S. history, called veterans and soldiers who died in combat losers and suckers, coddled the leader of Saudi Arabia after he ordered the execution and dismembering of a US-based journalist, refused to concede the 2020 election, hired his unqualified daughter and son-in-law to work in the White House, walked out of an interview with Lesley Stahl, called neo-Nazis “very fine people,” suggested that people should inject bleach into their bodies to fight COVID, abandoned our allies the Kurds to Turkey, pushed through massive tax cuts for the wealthiest but balked at helping working Americans, incited anti-lockdown protestors in several states at the height of the pandemic, withdrew the US from the Paris climate accords, withdrew the US from the Iranian nuclear deal, withdrew the US from the Trans Pacific Partnership which was designed to block China’s advances, insulted his own Cabinet members on Twitter, pushed the leader of Montenegro out of the way during a photo op, failed to reiterate US commitment to defending NATO allies, called Haiti and African nations “shithole” countries, called the city of Baltimore the “worst in the nation,” claimed that he single handedly brought back the phrase “Merry Christmas” even though it hadn’t gone anywhere, forced his Cabinet members to praise him publicly like some cult leader, believed he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, berated and belittled his hand-picked Attorney General when he recused himself from the Russia probe, suggested the US should buy Greenland, colluded with Mitch McConnell to push through federal judges and two Supreme Court justices after supporting efforts to prevent his predecessor from appointing judges, repeatedly called the media “enemies of the people,” claimed that if we tested fewer people for COVID we’d have fewer cases, violated the emoluments clause, thought that Wakanda was a country, told Bob Woodward in private that the coronavirus was a big deal but then downplayed it in public, called his exceedingly faithful vice president a “p---y” for following the Constitution, etc. etc.

(character limit reached!)

[raincitygirl76]

I’m still on the YR subreddit from time to time, and I think someone there may have found the real life inspiration that led Lisa Ambjorn to create the series. They posted some very interesting info about a real-life elite Swedish boarding school called Lundsberg Skola that got shut down (temporarily, alas) in 2013 for severe physical abuse.

The Swedish Schools Inspectorate had repeatedly investigated Lundsberg Skola before over similar claims, but its incredibly influential alumni network had managed to keep it from being shut down until 2013, when the Schools Inspectorate declared that students were not safe there, and must all be removed. It’s educated multiple Swedish royals.

Lundsberg was allowed to reopen after firing their headmaster and instituting new anti-bullying policies. They’re still open, still charging insane tuition fees, and the Swedish elite are still sending their kids there despite well-documented abuses and decades upon decades of rumours about brutal bullying to which the staff turn a blind eye until a victim has to be hospitalized, the hospital notifies the police, and the media find out.

I’m a little skeptical that a new headmaster and a shiny new policy will actually make a dent in a culture of violence that goes back to 1896. Call me a cynic. And it’s insane that people are actually still paying to send their kids to this place that, in the Guardian article, an anonymous student described as “Lord of the Flies”. You’d think a simple Google search would have parents running for the hills.

Here’s the article from 2013 announcing the shutdown. Interestingly, the shutdown happened because of anonymous complaints from existing students about abuse the staff ignore. The article suggests the children of nouveau riche parents might be less loyal to the Lundsberg system than the children of old money families, where multiple generations have attended, and everyone considers the brutality and the culture of silence normal.

Here’s the Wikipedia page in English. Check out the list of alumni, which includes a bunch of Swedish royalty:

And here’s the link to the original Reddit post. The Reddit post also includes a link to a Spotify podcast about Lundsberg. I didn’t link to that because I haven’t listened to it. The Guardian article and Wikipedia were bad enough.

Here’s also a link to the school’s official website, but it’s all in Swedish. I clicked through a few promotional pictures of shiny students and shiny buildings. Every teenager I saw looked happy, like they weren’t in Lord of the Flies. And every single teenager in the photos I saw was white. I didn’t do an exhaustive search, though.

[headmate-lootbox]

hey, could we get a minecraft syspack with programming themes? mobs only, with at least one enderman. thank you!

Name;; Cyfir / Cynder / Castillo / Cassius

Age/Modifier;; Chrono 20 / Permateen 13

Gender;; Agender / Demigirl / Greenlexic / Blocklexic / Boomlexic

Pronouns;; She / Hiss / TNT / Boom / Explode / Crater / Green / Block / Build

Orientation;; Aromantic / Apressplatonic / Caedsexual / Panalterous

CisIDs;; CisMob / Cisprogrammed / CisHC-DID / CisPTSD / CisRAMCOA / CisSA / CisCSA / CisBPD / CisARFID / CisIED

TransIDs;; Transwings / Transeyecolor(Blue) / Transtail / Transheartpupil / Permahigh

Paras;; 👀 / 🦈 / 🦿 / 🌹

Role;; Trauma Holder

Source;; Minecraft

Extra;; Programs list: Delta Program, Beta Program, Eta program, iota program, scapegoat program, & princess program.

Name;; Emily / Lily / Oriya

Age/Modifier;; Chrono 28 / Permakid 10

Gender;; Genderhoarder

Pronouns;; They / Purple / Click / Stim / Tap / Black / White / End / Void / Vwoop / Pearl / Portal

Orientation;; Aromantic / Asexual / Aplatonic / Analterous

CisIDs;; CisMob / Cisprogrammed / CisHC-DID / CisPTSD / CisRAMCOA / CisSA / CisCSA / CisAquaphobia / CisAutistic / CisAVPD / CisASPD

TransIDs;; Transfamous / NullAVPD / Transblind / Transstalker

Paras;; 🐾 / 😶 / 💤

Role;; Caretaker

Source;; Minecraft

Extra;; programs; Prince program, eta program, iota program, omega program, callback program, flood program.

Name;; Styro / Spyre / Spruce / Janus

Age/Modifier;; Ageless

Gender;; Agender

Pronouns;; Any

Orientation;; Aplatonic/ Asexual / Aromantic / Analterous

CisIDs;; CisMob / Cisprogrammed / CisHC-DID / CisPTSD / CisRAMCOA / CisSA / CisCSA / CisChronicFatigue / CisPoorCirculation / CisBPD

TransIDs;; Transanorexic / Transanxiety / TransADHD / Transautisic/ Caneian

Paras;; 🦈/🌛/💐/⚙️

Role;; Protector

Source;; Minecraft

Extra;; programs; Duality program, shutdown program, lantern program, last dawn program, zeta program

Name;; Millie / Myra / Alya / Anri

Age/Modifier;; Chrono Ageless / Permakid 8

Gender;; Agender juxera

Pronouns;; She / Any

Orientation;; Asexual / Aromantic / Aplatonic / Panalterous

CisIDs;; CisMob / Cisprogrammed / CisHC-DID / CisPTSD / CisRAMCOA / CisSA / CisCSA / Cishoarder / CisCollector / CisEDS / CisDyslexic

TransIDs;; Transautisic/ TransOCD / TransBPD / TransNV

Paras;; 💤/🌹/👀/🛍️

Role;; Collector

Source;; Minecraft

Extra;; programs; idol program, innocence program, princess program, zeta program, iota program, eta program, omega program

[iibonniee]

A Flight Later | Lee Minhyuk

Paring: Lee Minhyuk x Reader

Genre: R

Warnings: strangers to lovers, fluff, angst, smut, fingering, unprotected sex

Rating: G

Word Count: 7.7k

Summary: Y/N finds herself in a race against time, barely managing to catch her flight, only to be stopped by the unanticipated arrival of a snowstorm. With all flights on hold, she opts to find shelter in a nearby hotel. Thanks to an unexpected mishap by the hotel's staff, she's given a choice - share her lodging with an irresistibly attractive stranger or brave the storm to find alternative accommodation.

Masterlist

Tags: @doveslittlekpoparchive @choicethot @xosunny @heaviihamonii

If time ever worked in her favor, she swore she never ever had to worry about the word “late” ever again in her life. But alas, the word “late” loved her too much just to disappear from her life like a pair of someone’s favorite socks or their lucky bag.

Y/N was simply never lucky. She swore there was a family curse, but everyone in her family had gotten the “lucky” side of it. In contrast, she was simply cursed with the unlucky aspect of it. She tried praying to whatever may catch her shitty attempts at warding it away, but nobody seemed to care.

She even went as far as to cry in the middle of her messy apartment, hoping that whoever was watching would see and maybe take some sort of pity on her. In favor, she was sure they were laughing their asses off at the free fucking show she was giving them.

Christmas was like any other year. Busy as fuck, fast-paced, and if you weren’t ready for the attack, you better be quick with dodging.

Y/N made sure to wake up just 5 hours before her flight was due every single year. She didn’t care if she was running off 30 minutes of sleep and leaving her house at 1:30 in the morning like a crazy person, almost late for their 9 am shift. 

No matter what it was, there was always something that would happen.

Christmas was never very forgiving to Y/N. Last year, it was the power shutdown. The year before, a broken heater caused the water pipes to freeze. The universe seemed to have a penchant for dropping wildcards in her path.   

This year, it played its cruel game again.   

Her alarm, the protective wall between the chaos of Christmas and sleep’s blissful oblivion, failed her. The promised shrill call to action never came, and Y/N woke up to an eerily quiet room, save for the sinister tick-tock of the clock that now read 5 - two hours later than it should have been. Her heart pounded in her chest like a sledgehammer. Before she knew it, she was racing around her cramped apartment, pulling on clothes, brushing her hair with one hand while stuffing her travel bag with the other.

Why she held off with packing until the last second was fucking beyond her.

To add insult to injury, the weather gods threw an impromptu snow festival outside. When Y/N managed to navigate down the slippery stairs of her apartment building, she looked up to a constellation of snowflakes, each falling with the grace of a feather in the wind.

Leaving her sanctuary of warmth, she grits her teeth as the seductive dance of the snowflakes teases her with their cold touches. Every flake that brushed against her skin sent a chilling reminder of the cruel winter. Despite her hurry, she took a moment to admire the ethereal beauty before the reality of her predicament crashed down upon her.

The routine hustle and bustle of the city had transformed into a slow-moving tableau. She could hear the frustrated honks and the indistinct cursing of fellow trapped souls, all fighting against the glacial embrace of Mother Nature. Her usual brisk walking pace was replaced with a cautious shuffle, each step a delicate ballet on the icy pavement. A ten-minute journey to the bus stop usually felt like she was running a marathon in slow motion.

Once there, her hopeful eyes were met with the sight of her bus, stuck a few blocks away, a streak of vibrant color choked by the sludgy white quilt of snow. The traffic, once an orderly stream of vehicles, was now a convoluted mess, frozen in an eternal deadlock synonymous with her own frustration.

A resigned sigh escaped her lips as she clutched her coat tighter, making an impromptu refuge as the snow relentlessly assaulted the city. She glanced at the watch she was wearing, frowning at the ticking hands, which now seemed more like an enemy than a companion. Cold, time, and paralysis were poignant reminders of her stuck state.

It appeared that rushing wouldn’t do any good today. Trapped in a rush, caught by the mischievous antics of weather gods, Y/N found herself laughing despite the freezing cold and her predicament. And so there she stood, alone in a crowd of bundled-up people sharing her plight, silently pleading for an end to this unannounced snow festival.

But as time ticked by to never be seen again, she slowly realized that the snow was slowly getting heavier, and if possible, it was getting colder. She was half tempted to test fate out even more, to give herself false hope and check her phone, which was probably dead, to see if a snowstorm was possible.

But the universe appeared to enjoy playing cruel jokes on Y/N. The gods seemed to enjoy watching humans squirm as they twisted the mundanity of life into a tempestuous voyage. And the cruel winter winds seemed to share their malevolent intent.

Her phone buzzed weakly in her pocket as if on cue, displaying a measly one percent battery. Increasingly cold fingers fumbled with the screen to catch a fleeting glimpse of the weather update. The damning news confirmed her worst fears, with the cold indifference of the phrase’ severe snowstorm warning’ displayed before her phone promptly gave a last breath and blanked out.

She cursed under her breath, her mutterings lost to the wind’s icy mockery. A cruel cosmic joke indeed. Her frustrations seemed to echo in the cold, lifeless device in her hand. In desperation, she reached for her travel bag for the elusive charger, her sanctuary from this growing maelstrom of lousy luck. But of course, it, too, had something to contribute to her unfortunate predicament.

Upon pulling her bag around, her heart sank at the sight.

Panic gripped Y/N as she noticed her bag’s zipper halfway open, half-heartedly clinging to its duty. A mad scramble ensued as she delved into its depths with frozen fingers, desperation wrapping her heart in its icy grasp. The contents of her bag felt unfamiliar under her trembling touch, cueing the impending doom.

With a gasp, her hand emerged void of the lifeline she sought. No charger. It was still sitting on her bedside table, a mocking reminder of her frantic morning. Now, it felt like a slap to her already unfortunate day. The tiny piece of equipment, usually so insignificant, now felt like the difference between life and death, a melodrama spun by the snowstorm’s pervasive presence in her life.

Just as she contemplated whether she should risk returning home to retrieve the forgotten charger, the strained sounds of an engine groaning to a halt broke through the cacophony of the storm. The bus’s vibrant colors, lost under layers of snow and mud, offered an undesired sense of hope.

With one last glance at her dying phone, Y/N pushed her disappointment aside and dashed for the bus entrance. Her movements were clumsy, hindered by her heavy clothes and the cruel winter winds. Still, she made it just as the driver was about to close the doors, locking her out in the ruthless snowstorm. She onboarded, drenched in a mix of relief, defeat, and snow - a plot device to the cruel joke penned by her fate.

Panic clawed at the edges of her thoughts as she settled into a spot at the back of the snow-dusted bus. The severity of the storm made her question whether it was capable of halting all air traffic, making her already tight schedule even more fraught with tension.

The dying light of her phone caught her attention once more. With a heavy sigh, she unlocked it, the screen flickering weakly, stubbornly hanging onto the remaining battery. The time stared back at her, remorseless, hinting at her possible failure to catch her flight. She swallowed hard, grimacing as her mind calculated the time lost battling against the cruel winter and the time remaining for her to reach the airport.

Reality seemed to set in further as the last flicker of life drained from her phone. The prospect of missing her flight seemed far more probable now, contributing another layer to her dismal day. She leaned back in her seat, the snow outside blurring into a white canvas, reflecting the uncertainty of her predicament. Her journey, catapulted into a chaotic flux by the snowstorm, was but a chapter in the tragically comic tale uniquely penned for her fate by the universe.

She swore every year there was always something, and it felt like it just got worse and worse each time. Last week, the weather called for sunny skies, with the weather at roughly 41 degrees. So where the fuck did the cold snow come from? Who did she have to fight to keep some of her own sanity?

After what felt like an eternity, the bus finally pulled up to the airport. The idle chatter of its engine ceased, leaving only the howl of the ruthless snowstorm outside. Her heart pounded in her chest as she collected her bag, the prospect of missing her flight flashing in her already stressed mind.

She rushed inside with haste born of desperation, the icy blast of air chasing her in. The ticking clock was not the only enemy she battled against now.

As the last of the passengers from her bus filed into the airport, an announcement rang out, cold and indifferent like the storm outside. All flights are delayed until further notice. A collective sigh filled the room, but Y/N could only feel the bubbling anger within her. The cruel joke wasn’t over yet, it seemed.

Quickly weaving through the throng of disgruntled passengers, she found herself standing before an airline representative whose expression mirrored the weary resignation of those around her.

“How long?” she asked, her voice laden with a mixture of desperation and frustration. Ignoring the lump in her throat, she took a deep breath. Her anger wasn’t truly directed at this distraught worker just doing their job but at the rapidly spiraling sequence of misfortunes hurling her sanity over the edge. As she stood there, awaiting an answer, she couldn’t help but wonder who in the universe she had wronged for such relentless testing.

The airline representative gave a weary sigh, her hands moving nervously. The woman’s response was quiet, almost defeated, as if the storm had reached in and stolen her certainty, much like everyone else’s. “Honestly, miss, we’re not sure,” she confessed, remorse filling her eyes. “The weather forecast is calling for a prolonged storm. It might be several hours... or more.”

The words echoed in Y/N’s head, settling with a weight that left her feeling breathless. Several hours...or more. The cruel irony wasn’t lost on her, the universe seemingly challenging her patience. Her lips formed a thin line, frustration etching itself into the lines of her face. Her meticulously crafted plan was being shredded to pieces by a force beyond her control.

She gave a curt nod of thanks, her throat tight and words failing her. Turning around, she felt the weight of the day settling on her shoulders. The universe’s amusement at her expense, it seemed, knew no bounds. She slumped into a seat in the waiting area, staring blankly at the snow-covered runway outside. Her annoyance towards the unforeseen circumstance simmered within her, the words replaying in her mind, ‘several hours... or more’. Who did she have to fight to keep some of her sanity within this relentless storm?

She caught a fleeting movement in her peripheral vision – the airline worker was heading towards Y/N, an expression of empathetic concern on her face. Y/N’s simmering frustration was squashed momentarily, replaced with surprise as the worker hesitated briefly before deciding to take the seat beside her.

“I called the hotel across the street,” she began, her voice offering a kind of troubled solace. “I’ve put a room on hold for you. Thought you might need somewhere to stay until this storm lets up.”

The words should have been a relief, a temporary sanctuary in the cascading chaos she was amidst. Still, all she felt was a sinking feeling of defeat. Despite her situation, a flutter of gratitude swept over Y/N. She sighed, nodding her appreciation at the woman, aware that she was just a casualty in her relentless battle with fate.

She stood, a sense of inevitability weighing her down. She cast a final glance at the snow-lashed runway before turning away, ready to face another unexpected twist thrown at her by the universe. The universe’s relentless testing, it seemed, was far from over. The frontlines of her fight for sanity were extending to the mundane hotel room across the street.

Retracing her steps led her back to the entrance of the airport. The storm seemed more angrier than it had been before, and she swore she could hear it laughing in victory as it watched as yet another year was ruined for her.

She took a deep breath and wrapped her scarf tighter around herself, bracing for the chilled onslaught that awaited. She set off towards the hotel, each step a struggle against the powerful gusts carrying an arsenal of stinging snowflakes. Her teeth chattered, her skin numbing rapidly as if touching upon the epitome of human endurance. 

“Fucking cold weather.” 

She mumbled softly to herself, feeling a slight fit beginning to brew. She was pissed, furious even. Yet the snow kissed her cheeks even without the permission she would once grant it. 

“For one fucking year, can you give me a break? What do I do to piss you off so much, huh?” She uttered once more, her eyes flicking around to see if anyone was crazy enough to watch her talk to herself. Thankfully, it seemed as though she was the only crazy person brave enough to walk through the storm. “It must be those ladybugs I keep killing. Maybe Mother Nature, if they weren’t so scary and if you didn’t give them wings they wouldn’t be dead at the hands of my shoes.”

After her verbal self-scolding was over, she cinched her coat tighter around her and trudged onwards, the roar of the wind and her own vexed thoughts her only company. Each step she took felt like a mile, the icy wind and swirling snow grappling at her, seeming intent on making her journey a tedious battleground. Though, in spite of it all, she pressed on. 

The maelstrom seemed reluctant to let her destination come into view, but gradually, a glow spawned through the white canvas of chaos. The hotel, an oasis of warm light amidst the tumultuous darkness, provided a renewed surge of determination. Armed with nothing but tenacity, she pushed forward against the shrieking wind until, at last, she entered the careworn but inviting doorway. 

Exposing her reddened face to the warm lobby air, she heaved in a shaky sigh of relief. The trek had been harsh, but she was there. Here, in this analog sanctuary of coziness amongst the storm. She removed her snow-sodden coat sloshed, and slipped her way towards the front desk.

A woman smiled sympathetically from behind the counter. Removing one of her gloves, she swept away some snowflakes from her eyelashes. Brushing away a strand of hair that had clung to her frost-kissed cheek, she took a moment to compose herself before approaching the woman behind the counter. The warmth of the lobby, a sharp contrast to the frigid world outside, brought a hint of color back to her face.

“Excuse me,” she started, her voice steadier than she expected, and continued to recount the day’s ordeal, her words stumbling out in a strained whisper. “You see, it just was not my day. The flight... it was cancelled, thanks to this storm.” As she gestured outside, her voice became tinged with sarcasm. “And well, now I find myself stranded.”

“Luckily, a kind soul at the airport booked a room for me here,” she continued, maintaining direct eye contact with the sympathetic desk lady. She ended her tale with a weary smile which didn’t quite reach her tired eyes, before adding, “Seems like my unlucky streak is finally letting up, isn’t it?”

The desk lady nodded in understanding and proceeded to assist her, a flicker of concern in her eyes. A hollow laughter sounded from outside the windows as she was handed a set of keys with a plastic badge reading ‘Room 204’. It seemed, even now, that the storm was not entirely done having its say.

With the key in hand, she thanked the lady at the desk, mustering a small smile. With anticipation of warmth and solitude, she navigated her way to Room 204. The deeper into the hotel she went, the fervent hum of the storm began to fade in the background, replaced by the soft whispers of the hotel.

Unlocking the door, she pushed it open and was immediately met with the hotel room’s invitingly warm lighting. However, the scene before her wasn’t what she was expecting. Already in the room, to her disbelief, was a man. Surprise registered on his face, matching hers.

“I’m sorry,” he started, his shock quickly manifesting into confusion. “I think there’s been a mistake. This is my room.”

“Actually, it’s my room. The front desk just gave me the key. There must be a mix-up.” She raised an eyebrow at the stranger, holding up her key badge. Her tired patience from the day’s unlucky events was beginning to wear thin, her exhaustion making her words sharper than intended.

Pushing herself up to her full height, she glared at him icily. “Listen,” she started, her voice as sharp as the icy wind that had tormented her all day. “I’ve been through hell and back today. Thanks to this unforgiving storm, I ended up hauling myself here through the snow. An anonymous good Samaritan booked this room for me when I was stranded at the airport, bordering on a full-blown meltdown. All I wanted was to get some rest. Queen-sized bed, en-suite bathroom, mini bar... and no company. Especially not yours.”

At her words, his confusion faded, replaced by a flicker of understanding that quickly turned into irritation. “Believe me,” he retorted, matching her challenging tone, “having to share a room with a travel-weary stranger, a nightmare-turned-reality, wasn’t exactly part of my plan when I claimed the keys to this room. But here we are.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, meeting her fierce gaze with an equally fiery one of his own. Animated by their strenuous day, they both radiated an energy, a tension that filled the room. 

“Well,” he said, his voice dropping an octave lower in a feeble attempt at reconciliation, “it seems we have a predicament. We’ll sort this out, but until then, let’s keep it civil, shall we? I’m sure we can both go downstairs and sort this out.”

Mutually unwilling to concede, they returned to the hotel lobby, striding in with a shared option and cold determination evident on their faces. Navigating through the hotel’s quiet corridors, the surrounding lighting cast long, stark shades on their faces, intensifying the severe nature of their unexpected predicament.

When they reached the front desk, the same lady looked up in surprise. The smiles they had shared in their earlier encounter were now replaced by furrowed brows and tense lines around their mouths. Quickly, they explained the situation, their voices overlapping at times due to their eagerness to resolve the matter.

Deep lines furrowed into the lady’s forehead as she tried to untangle the web of their story. The more they unraveled, the more she regretted the mistake made. Checking the system, she discovered that Room 204 had been double booked. Her face drained of color, “I truly apologize for the inconvenience. It appears we have made a mistake.”

She paused before (somewhat reluctantly) providing the unfortunate news, “Unfortunately, due to the storm, no more rooms are available. It seems ...” She swallowed hard, “you will have to share Room 204.”

The woman’s suggestion hung in the air. Share a room? After the day they had had? The suggestion was ludicrous to them.

They shared an incredulous look, their argument momentarily set aside due to mutual disbelief. Both tired and exhausted, they were at a crossroads. It seemed that they were in for an unexpected night, a consequence of the day’s misfortune - just not how they intended to end the night.

Seeing their shocked expressions, the woman tried to pacify them. “I understand this is far from ideal, but you can be assured we’ll sort it out as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the storm limits our options. It’s far too risky to send you guys out to another hotel if they weren’t probably booked up, too.” 

Under the weight of the woman’s words, their stunned expressions faded to looks of grim acceptance. 

“Alright,” Y/N sighed, her voice a reluctant symphony of resignation and exhaustion. Her eyes flicked toward the man beside her, curiosity stirring in her exhausted gaze. “And what about you?”

The man turned slowly, meeting Y/N’s gaze with calm acceptance. “There’s not much we can do, it seems,” he admitted, apologetically smiling. “Sorry, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Minhyuk.”

"Y/n." Y/N offered a small smile in return, appreciating Minhyuk’s introduction.

As they ascended back to the room, a palpable silence draped around them like a shroud. Minhyuk, feeling the need to break it, started organizing the situation. “Look, Y/N,” Minhyuk began, his voice steady. “We are in a bind, but we can get through this. I propose we share the room, but I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“That’s... that’s very considerate of you, Minhyuk. Thank you,” she grumbled, unable to keep gratitude from seeping into her voice. Y/N glanced at him, her eyes reflecting unease. She frowned, opening her mouth to argue, but a swell of appreciation stopped her. An awkward smile tugged at her lips as she nodded.

“We might as well make the most of it,” Minhyuk suggested, the lively glint in his eyes minimizing their predicament’s weight. Relieved, Minhyuk reciprocated her smile and began to take in the confines of their impromptu shared space. 

They moved around the room for the next few minutes, unpacking the essentials and setting up their individual areas. The room was a quiet symphony of rustling bags, zippers, and the occasional sigh. Minhyuk had claimed the small couch next to the window, setting a blanket and a pillow purposefully on it. Y/N took the bed, her belongings neatly accumulated on the bedside table.

Just as Y/N was checking her phone, she let out a sigh of realization. Her battery was dead. A painful reminder of what she had dealt with earlier. 

“Um, Minhyuk?” Y/N began, trying to figure out how to ask for his assistance. “Would you, by any chance, have a charger? My phone’s dying.”

“Yeah, hold on a second.” Minhyuk rummaged through his bag, procuring a charger triumphantly after a moment. “This should work.” he offered, holding out the charger for Y/N. She accepted it gratefully, thanking him. 

His eyes suddenly lit up as if remembering something exciting. “Oh, and by some lucky chance,” Minhyuk started, his hand disappearing into his bag again. This time, he emerged with a small flask. “I have some whiskey we could share, you know, to make this situation a bit more...bearable,” he suggested, the corners of his mouth upturned into a knowing smirk. “If you want to, of course.”

Y/N blinked, then burst into laughter, the tension finally flooding out of her. This was far from their ideal situation, but at least they weren’t alone. Confronted with the ridiculousness of their circumstance, they clung onto a fearless resilience that made the room seem less claustrophobic. 

“Alright, Minhyuk. I’m in.” she chuckled, relief clear in her gaze. Y/N’s laughter was contagious, infecting Minhyuk, who soon joined her. His chuckles echoed in the otherwise silent room. The tension that had been hanging heavy in the air dissipated, replaced by an unforeseen easiness. The somewhat confined space no longer seemed suffocating, rather intriguing with its own possibilities. 

“Just what I like to hear,” he grinned, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. 

They settled comfortably, the clink of their glasses punctuating the quietness. As time trickled by, so did the rounds of drinks, each gulp chasing away traces of inhibition and coating their tongues with ease.

 The alcohol warmed their insides, pushing back against the chill of reality lurking outside their solitude.

She watched as Minhyuk tried to navigate through his alcohol-induced haze, his usual composure fading as if on cue with each sip. His smile, unguarded and natural, was more infectious than ever. His giggles were a pleasant reverberation in her ears, causing her to bubble along with him over the nonsensical ramblings that fell from his lips. 

Minute shifts in their positioning were registered keenly by her slightly impaired judgment — two drinks turned into three. With each drink, she noticed how he’d subtly scoot closer, the distance between them gradually reducing to a whisper.

Waves of arousal flickered in his slightly droopy eyes, making her heart pound against her ribcage — a reaction she blamed on the robust alcohol rather than her actual feelings. His prior stiffness was washed away by whiskey, his fingers inching dangerously close to hers on the shared bed, the warmth of which made her breath hitch.

“Would it be crazy if I told you I wanted to kiss you so badly right now?” Minhyuk’s voice was a low whisper, husky from the alcohol and desire, his tone faltering towards the end as he met her gaze. His question dangled in the air, heavy with the swelling anticipation that crept up her spine. “Even though I know nothing about you but your name?” 

Y/N blinked, for perhaps the alcohol was playing tricks on her. A slow, bubbling laughter escaped her as she leaned on her palm, studying Minhyuk’s flushed face. The man was attractive; she’d give him that. And the alcohol, well, that was contributing to her inhibitions lowering with each passing moment.

“Crazy? Maybe,” she replied, eyes twinkling with mischief, her words just as heavy with unacted desire as his. “Does that mean I should say no, Minhyuk?”

She watched as his hopeful gaze flickered at her words, and she leaned in, whispering into his ear, “But I have never been one to turn down a little bit of crazy. So, yes. Kiss me, Minhyuk.” 

The glint in her eyes spoke volumes of the exciting night that lay ahead of them, full of reckless decisions and intoxicating feelings fueled by potent alcoholic concoctions and burning desires.

She watched as his eyes fluttered at her invitation, shimmering with a heat that matched her own. The anticipation hung thick in the air around them, an electrifying energy thrumming through every atom in the room. 

At her words, Minhyuk wasted no time. His fingers found purchase on the back of her neck, tipping her head back to grant him more access. The other hand snaked around her waist, drawing her flush against him, eliminating any space that dared to exist between them. Then, without another word of warning, he crashed his lips onto hers.

The kiss was a fervent collision, hungry and eager. Minhyuk’s lips were warm and intoxicating against hers, every stroke stoking the fire in her belly. She could taste the whiskey on his tongue, a sinful reminder of their reckless decisions. His hands became bold, tracing circles and lines on her back, mapping her out as though he’d run out of time. She whimpered against his mouth when he nipped her bottom lip, the sharp divide of pleasure and pain prompting her to tug his hair in retaliation.

Beneath him, she was a picture of desire, responding to every touch, every kiss with an equal level of fervor. The taste of her was ambrosia to him, sweet and addicting, filling him with a carnal craving that he hadn’t known till date.

Their world became a symphony of heavy breaths and soft moans, the kisses becoming steamy and sinful with every passing second. They were far gone in their desires, drunk on each other and the captivating spell of their shared passion. It was hot and intoxicating, the feelings surging like wildfire, engulfing their senses, leaving them reeling in its heat.

The glint in Y/N’s eyes had been a promise, one that was coming to life in their heated exchange. It was a prelude to what was to come. It was an exciting night filled with reckless decisions and intoxicating feelings, a night they would remember forever.

With each kiss, each caress, their bodies seemed to meld and unite, the sensual tension between them becoming a tangible entity, straining with shared passion. Minhyuk’s hands, guided by the fervor of his desire, sought her out, pulling her onto his lap. His arms curved around her waist, fitting to her body as though made for this singular moment.

Y/N, emboldened by her own burning need and the liquor fueling her courage, gave into the electric pull of his touch. She began a slow grind against him - a teasing rhythm that matched the intoxicating throb of the energy coursing through their intertwined bodies. Each motion created a scorching path of desire, the friction sending spiked eruptions of arousal coursing through them.

Every sway of her against him drew a groan from his lips, a testament to the effect she was having on him. Her movements were a siren’s call – seductive and irresistible, eliciting responses from the depths of his senses that he hadn’t known he was capable of.

His fingers dug into her hips, following the rhythm she’d set, guiding her movements to further stoke the spark between them. Minhyuk’s gaze, full of heat and longing, remained fixated on her - a silent plea and fervent desire inscribed in his intoxicating stare.

The room echoed their symphony of soft sighs and husky groans, pulling them even deeper into the whirlpool of their mutual desire. Each grind, each touch, was pushing them both further, scaling dizzying heights of intoxicating passion and desire from which there seemed to be no respite - not that they sought any. 

In a sudden grip of anticipation, Minhyuk’s hands grasped her hipbones, freezing her in place. His gaze, still burning with an intense fire, seared into hers. “If you continue to do that, I might just have to...” His voice was laced with a heady mix of desire and a warning, leaving the sentence hanging in the air. It was a dare, a tease, drawing her into his magnetic pull. “Fuck. I might have to fuck the shit out of you, and I don’t even know your last name.”

Y/N smirked, rising to his challenge, her eyes dancing with the same wild anticipation. She leaned in, her murmured response felt more than it was heard, “Then do it, Minhyuk.”

Emboldened by her words, a wolfish grin spread on his face. He wound his arm around her waist and, in a swift move, flipped their positions. The sudden movement caused her to gasp, the momentum throwing her onto the bed. His heavy gaze pinned her down, drinking in the sight of her disheveled yet undeniably enticing appearance.

Minhyuk towered above her, his gaze predatory, full of raw desire that echoed in the pit of her stomach. His eyes roamed across her form, taking in every last detail—each slight heave of her chest, each curve under the fabric of her clothes—all of it seemed to stoke his desire further. 

Minhyuk’s gaze roamed her body like a lover’s caress, the heat in his eyes enough to peel off her clothes. 

His hands inched their way across her body, each careful stroke setting her skin ablaze. With deliberate movements, he trailed his fingers over the fabric of her clothes, each pass leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. 

His hands traveled up her sides, lifting the hem of her shirt slowly. The swift intake of her breath was a testament to her anticipation. Within moments, the fabric was discarded, leaving her bare to his greedy gaze. Y/N could only watch, the intensity of his stare stirring a frenzy inside her.

Minhyuk leaned down to plant soft kisses against her bare midriff, each one a burning mark of his desire. His lips journeyed upwards, tasting the soft skin beneath her breasts, making her clutch onto the sheets in delirium. The sinful moan that escaped her lips sent a shiver down his spine, igniting his need tenfold.

His fingers found the clasp of her bra, and, swiftly, it joined her shirt on the floor. His hands traced the curves of her breasts, fingers teasing her already-hardened nipples, eliciting an audible whimper from her.

Hooking his fingers into the waistband of her pants, he swiftly pulled it, along with her panties, down her legs. His eyes surveyed the exposed expanse of her skin with a ravenous gaze. Lowering his mouth to her navel, he pressed a lingering kiss there before sliding his hand down to the V of her thighs. 

His fingers traced her slick folds, each pass causing a soft, keening sound from her. He gently slipped a finger inside, moving against the slick warmth that welcomed him, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. The way she writhed beneath him was a sight to behold, a sinful play of pleasure and anticipation. 

His gaze remained fixated on her, the raw pleasure on her face stoking a wildfire within him. Dipping his mouth to her breast, he took a hardened nipple into his mouth. At the same time, his fingers continued their sinful dance, and that was when all her inhibitions crumbled.

As he continued his intimate exploration, he gripped her hip to steady her squirming body. His low, husky voice echoed in the silent room, laced with desire and a faint edge of control. “You like this, don’t you?” His words were followed by a sinful smirk. 

“You’re so wet for me... you’re desperate for more, aren’t you?” he taunted, the predatory glint in his eyes intensifying. With every stroke of his finger, he painted her pleasure onto the canvas of the silence that hung heavy between them. His thumb massaged her sensitive bud in tiny circles, eliciting a cry from her. His fingers worked tirelessly, pushing her towards the precipice of pleasure, her responses a testament to his skillful touch.

A shaky affirmation escaped her lips, a breathy ‘yes’ that did nothing to halt his relentless pace. His fingers delved deeper, quickening their tempo, pushing her further and further into the abyss of ecstasy. Her body, under the torment of his skillful fingers, writhed and twisted in pleasure-filled agony, and all she could do was hold onto him as he steered her world towards a disarray of exquisite sensations.

He added a second finger, challenging her ability to keep her moans under control. His dirty comments only fueled her arousal, her mind barely able to register anything beyond the coiling sensation within her, ready to erupt under his persistent ministrations. 

Her frenzied movements matched the rhythm of his fingers, her body instinctively seeking more of the intoxicating pleasure he was granting her. The room was filled with the erotic symphony of her soft pleas and the sinful sounds of his fingers tracing her moist folds, a salacious testament to the heated exchange that was unfolding.

Just as she was teetering on the edge of release, he pulled his fingers away. His menacing grin widened at her whimper of loss. “Not yet, Y/N,” he warned, a gleam of amusement in his eyes as he observed her almost-pouting expression. “So cute.”

“Don’t do this, Minhyuk,” she protested, her eyes flashing with annoyance and desperate need. He chuckled low in his throat at her complaint, leaning down to kiss her, his teeth teasingly grazing her bottom lip. 

“Now, now... be patient,” he teased, swaggering backward as he began to undress, his eyes never leaving her. The sight of him stripping was just as erotic, his sculpted physique a masterpiece as it was unveiled bit by bit. Seeing him standing before her in all his glory made her heart race; her anticipation heightened with the knowledge of what was yet to come.

With a smirk, Minhyuk crawled back onto the bed, resuming his position between her spread thighs. He locked eyes with her, the predatory gleam in his eyes unwavering. His hand snaked between their bodies, his finger tracing the lines of her core. “You’re so wet, baby,” he cooed before his voice dropped into a low, intimate whisper. “Are you ready?” he asked, his eyes flaring with intense desire. “Because I can’t wait to fuck you.”

His toned body hovered over hers, his dominant presence casting a shadow that caused her excitement to flare. He watched her, eyes dark with anticipation, analyzing her reactions as he ran his length teasingly against her moist core. Her body shivered in response, a soft moan escaping her lips. 

Ignoring her eager pleas, he continued his slow torment, gradually inching closer but never letting his length fully enter her. The raw pleasure in seeing her squirm beneath him, her pleas becoming more desperate with each teasing stroke, consumed him. 

“Patience, baby,” he purred out, chuckling at her impatience. His hand snaked up to twirl a hard nipple, sending sweet sparks of pleasure through her body.

When her whining reached a peak, Minhyuk finally relented. Aligning himself at her entrance, he locked eyes with her, biting his lip as a devilish grin spread across his face. The heat in his gaze held a promise, one of relinquishing the intense torment he’d fabricated and giving in to the wild carnage of desire they both sought.

“Are you ready? Because I am,” he rasped as he started to push into her, his girth stretching her deliciously. The sudden intrusion made her gasp, her nails digging into his muscular back. 

He began to move inside her at a leisurely pace, testing her responsiveness, relishing the way she writhed beneath him. Each stroke he provided was deliberate and slow, making her squirm for more. “Is this what you wanted, Y/N?” he groaned out, the pleasure starting to build within him. “Is this how you wanted me to fuck you?”

Her nods, interspersed with pleas for him to move faster, caused him to chuckle darkly. Obliging her request, he snapped his hips faster, pounding into her with a rhythm that would leave her begging for more.

As he pounded into her, their bodies meshed in a rhythm that was all their own - raw, primal, and urgent. Her breathy moans harmonized with his low grunts, filing the room with a symphony of their ecstasy. “Minhyuk...more...” she gasped out between her moans, to which he only smirked devilishly.

Hearing her plead for more spurred him on, and he set an even faster pace, each of his thrusts designed to drive her to the edge. “You’re so tight, baby,” he praised, his eyes flashing with pure lust as he watched her unravel beneath him.

He leaned down to capture her lips, silencing her moans with a passion-filled kiss. She responded fervently, her hands grasping at his back, her nails leaving crescent imprints on his skin.

“Tell me, Y/N,” he growled against her lips, “tell me how much you need this...how much you need me.”

Her response was immediate, her voice a breathy whisper amid the ragged intakes of breath, “I need you, Minhyuk...only you.” Her admission acted as a catalyst, stirring him into action. He thrust into her with renewed vigour, intent on pushing her to the brink of absolute ecstasy. His movements became more erratic as he neared his climax, his grunts blending with her cries of pleasure. The room was filled with their combined essence, an intoxicating aroma potent with desire.

And just when she was on the edge, on the verge of tumbling into an overload of pleasure, he slowed his pace, wanting to draw out the pleasure for both of them. His movements were calculated, each thrust designed to elicit an even sweeter moan from her. He grazed his fingers down her body, circling her sensitive bud, causing her to quiver beneath him.

“Minhyuk, please,” she whimpered, her plea sounding almost pathetic in the saturated atmosphere. 

“As you wish, gorgeous,” he whispered into her ear, grinning against her skin, his teeth nipping at her neck playfully. 

Amused by her pleading, Minhyuk finally gave in, his control snapping as he thrust into her with renewed vigor. His hips snapped with the recklessness of a man starved, his every movement now dedicated to bringing them both to the precipice of pleasure.

“Yes, just like that,” she moaned, her nails digging into his back, encouraging his aggressive pace. Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him deeper within her. She could feel the coiling heat within her build with every pounding thrust, each one hitting a spot that made stars flash in her vision. 

“Fuck, Y/N…” he groaned, his voice rough with desire, “You’re so…fuck”. He couldn’t form sentences, the overwhelming pleasure fogging his mind like nothing else. His grunts and groans complimented her cries of pleasure, creating a lewd melody that filled the room.

With one last powerful thrust, he hit a spot within her that had her seeing stars. “That’s it, Minhyuk... don’t stop...” she cried out, her body shaking beneath him, “I’m close...”

His thrusts became more erratic, a clear sign he was reaching his end, too. Finally, with one last stroke, the coil within her snapped. She let out an intense scream, her climax washing over her in waves of sheer ecstasy. “Minhyuk!” she cried, her body convulsing beneath him.

Feeling her clamp around him was all it took to send him over the edge. He groaned, his voice deep and brimming with satisfaction as he came, his body trembling as he released into her. “Fuck, Y/N.” He stammered out, panting as the remnants of pleasure coursed through him.

He collapsed next to her, both of their bodies sweaty and spent. They lay in silence, their chests heaving as they tried to regain their breath. The smell of sex and sweat filled the room, a sinful testament to their heated exchange. “That was...” she began, unable to say it. 

“Perfect,” he finished for her, pulling her in closer, their naked bodies molding perfectly together. “Absolutely perfect.” His lips met hers in a tender but passionate kiss, the taste of her still lingering on his lips. 

After the kiss, he rolled himself out of bed, padding naked to the en suite bathroom. He returned with a damp washcloth, attending to her with gentle care. As he cleaned her up, her eyes fluttered closed in satisfaction, a soft smile playing on her lips at his tender actions. Once done, he discarded the cloth and climbed back into the bed, pulling her flushed body into his arms. They soon drifted off into a deep, contented sleep, their bodies tangled intimately together.

Upon waking, Y/N found herself alone in the sprawling hotel bed. The slight worry that gripped her was irrational; she knew, but she couldn’t help the pang of loneliness in the vacant space next to her left. The sheets beside her held the warmth of his body, a silent testament to the passionate exchange that had unfolded. 

Just as she was about to sit up, the door creaked open, and Minhyuk strolled in, a tray laden with breakfast in his hands and a smile on his handsome face. The sight washed away any residual worry, replacing it with a warm sense of happiness. His gaze met hers, and the smile he wore broadened. 

“Thought one of us should get breakfast,” he explained, setting the tray on the bedside table before crawling back into the bed next to her. He gently pulled her into his embrace, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. 

They spent the rest of the morning in bed, stealing bites of food from each other and sharing gentle kisses. As they giggled and conversed, Y/N couldn’t help but marvel at the man who had satiated her physically and managed to fill a space in her heart she didn’t know was vacant. Y/N knew one thing with certainty. She wanted more mornings like these, more moments filled with love and laughter with Minhyuk. And if his devoted gaze was anything to go by, he wanted the same.

“So,” Minhyuk said after swallowing his food, “I would like to know your last name. And maybe get your number. It seems far since we might be stuck together for another night together.”

“Is that so?” Y/N teased, her eyes sparkling with mirth. She was about to ask him why they might be stuck together for another night when Minhyuk cut her off.

“Look outside, Y/N,” he said, pointing towards the window. She followed his gaze, and her breath hitched at the sight. Outside the window, snow was falling heavily, forming a beautiful, dense blanket of white, reflecting the dim light from the street lamps. It was clear that the snowstorm wasn’t about to let up any time soon, meaning they really could be stuck together for another night.

An excited thrill ran through her at the thought. The prospect of spending another night with Minhyuk locked away from the world in their warm cocoon held a certain appeal she couldn’t deny.

“I guess we’re snowed in then,” she concluded, her lips curving into a playful smirk. She turned her gaze back to his, meeting his eyes that mirrored her excitement, “And my last name? My number? They’re all yours, Minhyuk. All yours.” 

They smiled at each other in anticipation for the night ahead, causing a delightful shiver to run down their spines. Outside, the snow fell even more heavily, all but guaranteeing they’d be spending another night of passion and connection together.

[sketchyonlooker]

< A camera feed comes into view.

Numerous monsters and dragons are seen through Domino City. Some of them are climbing buildings, others are blocking traffic. Nothing appears to be getting damaged, but given that some of these creatures are as tall as a building, their presence causes panic in the masses. Several men and women are running away from a purple two-headed dragon in the middle of the road. They're screaming in fear, some of them trampling over each other.. A white gecko-like creature is climbing the walls of a building, tongue flicking as if catching a bug. Several police cars are surrounding it with the policemen pointing their weapons at it. An officer with a megaphone seems to be demanding its surrender. Other scenes are playing out on the live stream as if the recorder is moving very fast from place to place. A window-in-window video can be seen in the bottom right corner of the stream.> ----- < A screen-in-screen video is currently playing. Seto Kaiba is in front of a podium with hundreds of reporters pointing their microphones at him. The camera that is observing Kaiba appears to be one of the few in front. There's a hint of unease in the air, and that unease seems to be fueling the many questions being fired now. Many of the questions are outright accusatory. There were so many questions being asked that it all just turned into noise. Nothing coherent could be heard. However, as soon as Kaiba opened his mouth, the media fell silent. "After these events, we've shut down our Solid Vision systems for extensive testing. However, during this time, the monsters were still appearing; therefore, these sightings are unrelated to KaibaCorp. Something else has to be causing this."

---

DMGBeloved (v): omg. Of course you're covering this Sketchy.

CardGamesSon (v): Guys guys! I was in the middle of a duel when my Duel Disk suddenly died. Did something happen at KaibaCorp?

CardGamesSon (v): Oh hey, Sketchy's back to covering Duel Monsters? I thought they were on a food tour around the world thing.

Capu4Life (v): i hate the fact that when something weird is happening in japan, my first thought was this channel.

Capu4Life (v): then again, clearly the alien has the most up to date news.

BlueEyesBlondeDragon (v): @/CardGamesSon : KC shut the Solid Vision down because Duel Monsters appeared all around Domino City. The fact that nothing happened despite the shutdown means that KC is not responsible. Which begets the question who is and why are they doing this.

ManDuckPig (v): Dude. It looks like someone developed Solid Vision like KC did. Except they did it better.

BlueEyesBlondeDragon (v): NONSENSE. KC could do the very same thing if they felt like it. It's just that they're not out to disrupt society like all this crap is doing.

BlueEyesBlondeDragon (v): Seriously, if this is some sort of publicity stunt for a new hologram system, they've gone about it the worst way. I heard that several accidents happened because they got scared of a duel monster suddenly appearing in the road. Each one of those is a lawsuit.

I'mYourDaddy (v): yeah. That's me. Curse of Dragon decided to divebomb me while I was in my Jetty, and I swerved right into a fire hydrant.

CardGamesSon (v): OMG. Are you okay?

DMGBeloved (v): You okay?

Capu4Life (v): of course he is. if he wasn't, he wouldn't be here. lol. of course, he is a card game playing nerd. they don't run on common sense.

I'mYourDaddy (v): Thanks for your words of care, especially Capu4Life :^). But yeah I'm okay. My poor Jetty, not so much. I think I totaled it.

BlueEyesBlondeDragon (v): Sounds like it's time to finally get a new car. The fact you still had that two decade old hunk of metal is a travesty.

I'mYourDaddy (v): Hey. Don't rag on my Jetty. It took a hydrant for me. :^(

BlueEyesBlondeDragon (v): ::marik_creepy_eye_roll.jpg::

I'mYourDaddy (v): :^)

DMGBeloved (v): All the Duel Monsters here are dragons and lizards in this part of town. Where's my Dark Magician Girl?

Capu4Life (v): maybe she got eaten by a dragon lol

DMGBeloved (v): I'll feed you to a dragon. ::kaiba_death_glare_at_lumis.jpg::

CardGamesSon (v): Anyone know how long Solid Vision will be down? We were having a small weekend tournament - and going back to the playmats is gonna be such a drag.

BlueEyesBlondeDragon (v): No. Probably not until this mess is unraveled. Geez. It's like a feeding frenzy on the news and social media.

BlueEyesBlondeDragon (v): Major news outlets are accusing KaibaCorp of lying about shutting down Solid Vision and that they actually can't turn it off. Or that terrorists hijacked the technology and are using it for nefarious ends.

BlueEyesBlondeDragon (v): Ugh. KC stock took a major hit just now. And it seems like the media is trying to hit them while they're down. Assholes.

Capu4Life (v): the smallest violin in the world is playing for you, rich boy.

BlueEyesBlondeDragon (v): Shut up.

BlueEyesBlondeDragon (v): Wait. This seems familiar.

Capu4Life (v): well yeah, it's a pretty common insult, 20-to-life.

I'mYourDaddy (v): How so?... Oh wait. I think I know what you're talking about. Yeah.

BlueEyesBlondeDragon (v): Remember Duelist Kingdom. And the media was constantly attacking KaibaCorp after Kaiba went supposedly comatose. And later on there were signs of an attempted hostile takeover because someone was buying up stocks while the prices were down from the scandal.

I'mYourDaddy (v): I remember that. Someone asked to buy my KC stocks at a premium, 50% more than it's worth in fact. I held onto it cause you told me to lol. Turned out the buyer was connected with I2.

BlueEyesBlondeDragon (v): And you made bank, right? I'm one of the best investors in the world after all. Anyway, doesn't this seem very similar? In any case, it's time to add more KC stock to my portfolio. I gotta protect my nest egg, even if it's just a little.

Capu4Life (v): i'm surprised you talk to BEBD outside of duel monsters, @/I'mYourDaddy. how do you deal with his general smarminess?

I'mYourDaddy (v): Ah well. What can I say? I'm good at getting along with people from all walks of life, even the crooked ones. :^)

BlueEyesBlondeDragon (v): Shut up. You both suck.

CardGamesSon (v): lol

I'mYourDaddy (v): lol

Capu4Life (v): lol

[cloggedarteri]

❥girldad! ignis who nobody expects to have a child but one day is made to bring his baby along with him to the citadel due to a temporary shutdown of the kindergarten. It was not a particular secret, having a child and all but it's not something he'd go out of his way to sing to masses. i imagine ignis being a rather private person, someone who keeps his cards close to his chest. but i don't doubt there's a dimension of shame attached to the idea of him having a child, especially so young. what does it say about his willpower and priorities if people know that he has a 5-year-old waiting for him to get back home?

❥girldad! ignis who, being that this is the first time he's brought his girl to his workspace, is lokey nervous that something is going to go wrong. the day was already proving to be difficult too. he'd already wasted time rushing to the kindergarten to then find out it was closing. then his usual babysitter had canceled on him. then it was the white paint he'd stepped in on the crosswalk a block away from the citadel. then it was the damned money-stealing vending machine. literally what else could go wrong?

❥girldad! ignis who's seen rushing into the citadel with a little chocobo backpack dangling on his right arm and a little girl curled in his left. he seems ignorant to the stares he's getting as he tries to maintain a steady hold of the weight in his arms as he reaches for his wallet but it's clear that he's struggling. "give me one second, darling" he says as he places her down next to him. now no longer in the protective arms of her father, the little darling becomes acutely aware of the stares that follow her. and the weight of these eyes isn't menacing (at least they don't try to be) but the longer they hold on to her form the tighter her grip is on ignis' pant leg.

❥girldad! ignis who, after getting through security and customs and whatnot, is intercepted by regis and clarus as he makes his way to his office floor. "good mornings" are shared between them but what quickly diverts their attention is the little girl that seems to have a vice grip of ignis' wrinkled pant leg. 

❥grandpa! regis who shamelessly squeals in delight after seeing the little darling. his knees are creaking in protest as he leans down to the girls level but he'd be damned if he didn't give his little girl a sweet kiss and tender hug. "why hello my darling. i wasn't expecting you here today". and once she's gotten his attention she knows nothing is off limits. this girl knows she's the apple of this man's eye so she's going to milk regis for everything he's worth. oh, she's sleepy? okay tell whoever you need to to push my meetings back b/c my baby and i are going to go take a nap. and then after that, we'll be having our lunch date/tea party. ya know what, cancel the meetings cause we're gonna go shopping. nothing is off limits ...omg grandpa! regis don't give a damn about his responsibility when his grandbaby is in the same building as he is i kno it.

❥grunkle! clarus who isn't any better than regis. he claims to have a little bit more restraint but just barely. all he needs to crack is the twinkle of those pretty little brown eyes of hers and he's folding so so fast. i know he the kind of dude to "secretly" give her a 5 dollar bill so that she can get some goodies of her own...they're both pathetic

❥grunkle! clarus who compensates for regis' limited flexibility. neither are young but clarus can still move with relative ease. so, when the little darling says she wants to play, wants to run around the garden and explore the life that lies within it, it's clarus who'll run alongside her. it's clarus who'll roughhouse and toss her over his shoulder when she's trying to get into something she shouldn't. its clarus who'll kneel to her level and wipe the tears and snot that come from a nasty fall. he loves this little girl. he and regis both do.

❥girldad! ignis who cannot imagine what life he'd lead if not for the village he'd found within these citadel walls. as he watches his little girl get whisked away in the arms of clarus and his majesty, he cannot help but be a bit envious of their freedom. freedoms he cannot indulge in with the responsibilities that rest on his shoulders. there are people counting on his ability to work. so thats what he'll do. work. 

❥girldad! ignis who will never voice the growing seed of resentment for his duties for the time they steal from him and his child. 

❥girldad! ignis who's unaware of the eyes that follow his fleeting figure down the hallway. his steps slow as he nears the corner and the little darling can't help but hope. maybe this time he'll he'll turn around. maybe today will be our day...but as he rounds the corner out of her view, the thought perishes... and clarus doesn't make mention of the dampening of his shirt.

[tfsr1rlfem]

Just me: (prologue)

Summary: in a time of war and isolation you stumble upon one person. Problem? You’ve hated him since middle school. Will you put aside your hatred to survive or will something else blossom amongst the wreckage.

A/n:: here is the prologue i really hope you guys like it, i will try to make the next one better/longer sorry if this is terrible, also a warning for a little violence

It was a strange feeling really,being completely alone.

She thought she knew solitude prior to the shutdown. She was wrong.

In the dinghy little house that had managed to be missed out by the ceads hoards, (Y/N) has holed herself up with around as much food that would last her the next couple of days. The family that lived there before had an immense stock of canned goods, so she would be eating well tonight.

Didn’t mean she wasn’t extremely paranoid however, curtains closed and a large dresser pressed up against the front door and what she believed to be the only possible point of entry in the building. Well that’s what she thought.

It has been exactly two months and four days since shed last seen someone.she missed it, he people, her family, her mundane high school routine that she was so used to.

Blinking away the tears at the old memories coming back to her she straightened her backup, it was aching and th-..

Wait.

There was a breeze on the back of her neck, just a light one barely shifting the small baby hairs on the back of her neck. But it was there.

Turning her fully body around she searched for the source of the wind, eyes landing on a slightly ajar window at the top of the landing.

Ears strained and breath hitched she listened for any sort of noise that would alert her of someone else in the house, but found none.

Keeping her wits about her but with a slightly more relaxed form she started her ascend up the staircase.

The steps made were calculated and barely there, the idea of what could be luring at any corner of the house made her sick to her stomach and she reached the top of the stairs painfully slowly pulling the handle and shutting the window closed with surprisingly little noise. With her small victory secured, she turned on her heel to find something else to secure the window with.

That’s when she saw it.

Huge and slimy and hunched over at the top of the other stairs on the landing. It was a sort of grey-ish colour and absolutely reeked.

She smell was so overpowering that she congratulated herself in not throwing up then and there.

But there were more pressing issues than her strong stomach right now.

There was no mistaking that its pale white eyes were staring at her, but it remained unmoving.

Then suddenly it lurched. Limbs clawing out trying to grab her as she dashed under, practically falling down the stairs to evade its claws. The creature made the most wretched and pained sound at this and chased after her.

Now what the fuck was she meant to do?

Looking around frantically for anything that could aid her, her eyes landed on a broom in the kitchen. Darting for it her arms lifted it above her like it was a mighty weapon, and she swung for the thing that was rapidly gaining speed on her, and striking it straight in the neck. It groaned again and she gagged at the smell it gave off. Eventually pulling herself together enough to ram the broom into the ceads eye she started for her backpack.

Luck was however not on her side os she came to the front door bag in hand, and her gaze landed towards the large wardrobe pushed up against the door.

‘Shit shit shit, this cannot be happening right now’

Huffing she passed on the wardrobe willing to all gods out there to let it budge.

No such luck. Desperate pants filled the hallway as the cead finally rounded the corner and locked eyes. With her struggling form.

Almost laughing it languidly dragged its feet across the carpeted floor, knowing se wouldn’t get out.

But however it seemed Jesus Chris has mercy on some as the wardrobe budged just as its claw grazed her skin, falling completely on top f the creature and freeing the door.

She lets out a breath of relief and wastes no time in sprinting out of the house heaving all the while.

She runs through the neighbourhood, where there’s one there’s many, and only rests when she’s a good while away from the house.

Her sobs are loud as she walks along the pavement but she dosent care. The pain in her arm numbing any judgment made and he pain clouding her head.

Only does she realise how stupid she’s being when she heard something, no someone move, and it. Takes them less than a second to round the corner and smash into her.

On instinct she gets up to run but notices something, this isn’t some big monster in fact this wasn’t a cead at all. In fact it was-

‘’No fucking way, (Y/N)’’ she lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding in. Of course she bumped into him. In the middle of a zombie fucking apocalypse .

Steve fucking Harrington.

A/N: let me know if i should doo a tag list and if you would like to be added hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feedback welcome and appreciated. Thanks my loves.

[beardedmrbean]

The choices facing Kenya's President William Ruto are now far from easy.

Elected in 2022 pledging to cut corruption, shore up the country's faltering economy and help the poor, the embattled Mr Ruto now faces an unprecedented rebellion against his finance bill - legislation he says he is an essential part of his plan to build the nation.

It might be easier to know which way to turn if the opposition Mr Ruto faced was confined within parliament.

An astute political player, deputy president for almost a decade before being elected to the top spot, Mr Ruto has years of experience wrangling politics to get things done.

Now though, the forces massed against him are something truly beyond his control.

Live: At least five shot dead in Kenya at protests against tax hikes - reports

Kenya's tax proposals that have triggered protests

Why Kenya's president wants people to love the taxman

A mass movement which grew organically out of discontent expressed on social media has grown into a powerful rebellion which has filled the streets of cities and towns across the country.

In the capital, the Nairobi governor's office, city hall and the country's parliament have this afternoon all been set ablaze.

The protesters had started the day threatening a "total shutdown".

And at the end of a day of chaos and panic across the country, often set against the sound of teargas and at times live fire from police, there is no doubt their fury has been heard.

For Mr Ruto, the choice now seems to be about whether to yield to the demonstrators and abandon his budget, or to dig in and push it through, risking further turmoil and bloodshed on the streets.

He has argued the raft of new taxes are essential to control Kenya's debt - a huge sum of more than $80bn (£63bn), which costs the country more than half of its annual tax revenues to service.

Kenya secured a restructuring of its international debt commitments earlier this year – something which immediately pushed a surge in the value of its currency, the shilling.

Increasingly seen as one of Africa’s leading statesmen, recently returned from a state visit to the White House, Mr Ruto understands the importance to his nation’s economy of avoiding a default on its debt payments.

For those in his government the calculation was that controlling the state finances by increasing the tax burden was preferable to cutting public services.

The finance bill, which was due to become law on Monday, originally brought in dozens of new or increased taxes on everything from car ownership and financial transactions to sanitary pads.

Several of the most contentious taxes have already been dropped following consultation with the public.

But the controversy over the budget follows other revenue-raising measures introduced by Mr Ruto, including increased taxes for healthcare and low-cost housing.

And for those on the street, there's a third solution available to the government beyond cutting services or raising taxes.

Many blame the country’s financial woes on corruption, with taxpayers wary of paying more amidst a lack of trust over the transparency of the state.

For Mr Ruto it is perhaps the shadows of this past that make his current position so difficult.

He rose from the deputy presidency to the presidency in the 2022 elections, and with a focus on green energy and tech he has certainly got new ideas about where he wants to take Kenya.

But for many on the streets, Mr Ruto’s record as a senior figure in government over a period marred by corruption means it’s hard to trust him with their taxes.

Tuesday’s events in Nairobi leave Mr Ruto seemingly pinned now into a tight corner.

Facing condemnation for what many Kenyans see as a heavy-handed response to protests in the street, he must choose now whether to hold firm to his budget or to find a different route to securing financial security for Kenya.

In the meantime, those who came out to have their voices heard in Nairobi and across the country show no sign of giving up.

When Mr Ruto addressed the nation in his inauguration speech, he spoke directly to the country’s politically-active youth.

“My political journey,” he told them, “Similarly began as a young campaign volunteer, fresh out of university.

“Your experience and lessons learnt should form the basis for your leadership journey.”

Now it is a confrontation with a youth-led movement that poses what many consider to the be biggest challenge to authority in Kenya since the country’s independence in 1963.

The next days for Mr Ruto will be crucial, as he faces tough choices for his government and the country.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

illus: Steve Brodner

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

Sept 21, 2023

The fight over how we conceive of our federal government was on full display today.

The Biden administration announced the creation of the American Climate Corps. This will be a group of more than 20,000 young Americans who will learn to work in clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience while also earning good wages and addressing climate change. 

This ACC looks a great deal like the Civilian Conservation Corps established by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Democrats in 1933, during the New Deal. The CCC was designed to provide jobs for unemployed young men (prompting critics to ask, “Where’s the She, She, She?”) while they worked to build fire towers, bridges, and foot trails, plant trees to stop soil erosion, stock fish, dig ditches, build dams, and so on. 

While the CCC was segregated, the ACC will prioritize hiring within communities traditionally left behind, as well as addressing the needs of those communities that have borne the brunt of climate change. If the administration’s rules for it become finalized, the corps will also create a streamlined pathway into federal service for those who participated in the program. 

In January, a poll showed that a climate corps is popular. Data for Progress found that voters supported such a corps by a margin of 39 points. Voters under 45 supported it by a margin of 51 points. 

While the Biden administration is establishing a modern version of a popular New Deal program, extremists in the Republican Party are shutting down the government to try to stop it from precisely this sort of action. They want to roll the government back to the days before the New Deal, ending government regulation, provision of a basic social safety net, investment in infrastructure, and protection of civil rights.

Extremists in the House Republican conference are refusing to acknowledge the deal worked out for the budget last spring by President Biden and Republican speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Instead, in order to pass even a continuing resolution that would buy time for Congress to pass an actual budget, they are insisting on cuts of up to 8% on discretionary spending that Senate Democrats, as well as Biden himself, are certain to oppose.

The White House has noted that the cuts the Republicans demand would mean 800 fewer Customs and Border Protection agents and officers (which, in turn, would mean more drugs entering the United States); more than 2 million women and children waitlisted for the WIC food assistance program; more than 4,000 fewer rail inspection days; up to 40,000 fewer teachers, aides, and key education staff, affecting 26 million students; and so on. 

House speaker McCarthy cannot corral the extremists to agree to anything unless they get such cuts, which even other Republicans recognize are nonstarters (those cuts are so unpopular that Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News reported today that Republicans are somewhat bizarrely considering changing their messaging about their refusal to fund the government from concerns about spending to concerns about border security). 

Meanwhile, the extremists are threatening to throw McCarthy out of the speakership. There are rumors that Republican moderates are considering working with Democrats to save McCarthy’s job, but Democrats are not keen on helping him when he has just agreed to open a baseless impeachment inquiry into the president in order to appease the extremists. 

“If you’d asked about two months ago I would have said absolutely,” Representative Dean Phillips (D-MN) told Manu Raju, Lauren Fox, and Melanie Zanona of CNN. “But I think sadly his behavior is unprincipled, it’s unhelpful to the country,” he said.

As a shutdown appears more and more likely, even Republicans acknowledge that the problem is on their side of the House. Until the 1980s, funding gaps did not lead to government shutdowns. Government agencies continued to work, with the understanding that Congress would eventually work out funding disputes. But in 1980 a fight over funding the 1,600-employee Federal Trade Commission led President Jimmy Carter to ask Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti if the agency could continue to operate when its funding ran out. Civiletti surprised participants by saying no. 

Four years ago, Civiletti told Ian Shapira of the Washington Post that his decision was about a specific and limited issue, and that he never imagined that politicians would use shutdowns for long periods of time as a political weapon. And yet, shutdowns have become more frequent and longer since the 1990s, usually as Republicans demand that Congress adopt policies they cannot pass through regular procedures (like the 34-day shutdown in 2019 over funding for the border wall former president Trump wanted).

Many observers note that “governing by crisis,” as President Barack Obama put it, is terribly damaging and that Civiletti’s decision should be revisited. Next month’s possible shutdown has the potential to be particularly problematic because there is no obvious solution. After all, it’s hardly a surprise that this budget deadline was coming up and that the extremists were angry over the deal McCarthy cut with Biden back in May, and yet McCarthy has been unable in all those months to bring his conference to an agreement. 

Republicans appear resigned that voters will blame them for the crisis, which, honestly, seems fair. “We always get the blame,” Representative Mike Simpson (R-ID), a senior appropriator, told Katherine Tully-McManus and Adam Cancryn of Politico. “Name one time that we’ve shut the government down and we haven’t got the blame.” 

Meanwhile, the House extremists continue to push their vision for the nation by undermining the institutions of the government. The House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH), today held what normally would have been a routine oversight hearing focused on policy, law enforcement, and so on. Instead of that business, though, Jordan and the hard-right Republicans on the committee worked to construct a false reality in right-wing media by attacking Attorney General Merrick Garland over his role in the investigation of President Biden’s son Hunter, begun five years ago under Trump. 

Glenn Thrush of the New York Times noted drily that “[m]any of the claims and insinuations they leveled against Mr. Garland—that he is part of a coordinated Democratic effort to shield the Bidens and persecute Mr. Trump—were not supported by fact. And much of the specific evidence presented, particularly the testimony of an investigator who questioned key decisions in the Hunter Biden investigation, was given without context or acknowledgment of contradictory information.”

Instead, Jordan and his extremist colleagues shouted at Garland and over his answers, producing sound bites for right-wing media. Those included the statement from Representative Victoria Spartz (R-IN) that the rioters at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, were actually “good Americans” who brought “strollers and the kids.” Even as both Biden and Garland have prioritized restoring faith in the Justice Department after Trump’s use of it for his own ends, the extremist Republicans are working to undermine that faith by constructing the false image that the Department of Justice is persecuting Trump and his allies.  Their position was not unchallenged on the committee, even within their own party. Representative Ken Buck (R-CO) defended Garland from their attacks, while Democrats on the committee went after the Republicans themselves. Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) accused Jordan of making the Judiciary Committee into a “criminal defense firm for the former president.” 

Garland, who is usually soft-spoken, pushed back too. “Our job is not to take orders from the president, from Congress, or from anyone else, about who or what to criminally investigate,” he told the committee. “I am not the president’s lawyer. I will add I am not Congress’s prosecutor. The Justice Department works for the American people.”

“We will not be intimidated,” he added. “We will do our jobs free from outside influence. And we will not back down from defending our democracy.”

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[lakewinnipeg]

Sorry I’m having a hard time understanding ur post but just wanted to ask to clarify, you’re not a transmisogynist right?

I most certainly am not, I understand why you'd ask tho cuz I was being kind of deadpan about it, BC my current living situation is that, for financial reasons, I haven't moved out of my parents' house yet. So my tradcath radfem mother is constantly bombarding me with targeted transphobic remarks. A couple years ago she was forcing me to watch many ftm detransitioner youtube videos to try and make me less trans (I am tme). I rarely post abt that here cuz it sucks and would make people who know me on here distressed with no benefit, but BC I live with someone who is like this every day I am involuntarily subscribed to like real time updates abt what is going on with fucking Blaire White and Kalvin Garrah and their ilk, & for this reason I can't afford to have super intense visceral emotional reactions to these people. Because if I did, the experience of living in my house would put me into mental shutdown every single day.

Re the "radfems used to" remark, that's the most standout notable thing to me abt the current radical feminist culture, cuz if you were on this site before 2018 (like I was) & you followed "discourse" blogs, you'd have a cultural familiarity with the previously prominent kind of radfem, who were extreme transmisogynists, but who were also broadly hostile to "men" as a category. These people were pathologically swagless and extremely online. But now a ton of these people have converted to Christianity and become tradwives(?), and notably have figured out how to not come off as pathologically swagless, which is a pretty extreme change in flavour from what "radical feminist" entailed previously. This turnabout is mainly because it was the most practical way to become a consequential enough group to harm trans women as much as possible. It's just like a zany flip to make but I guess lesbian separatism as a position js pretty unfeasible for building serious political power.

Also goo morning