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aethon-recs · 2 years ago

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Tomarrymort Advanced Pack – 12 Longfic Recs

If you’ve made your way through the Tomarrymort Starter Pack and Intermediate Pack reads, here are 12 beautifully written, timeless fics that are Tomarrymort on hard mode for when you’re ready to dive into something that will really challenge your every reading muscle. This selection of fics features some of the most skilled writing I’ve come across in the entire fandom, and I love how these authors tackle incredibly complex subject matter and plotlines and characterization choices with such bold and unflinching perspectives.

Please mind all tags (including CCNTW, explained here) as you may find some themes within some of these fics difficult or challenging to read for a variety of reasons.

This is Part 3 of a 3-part series (see here for Part 1 and Part 2). I hope you get as much enjoyment from reading these additional 3.1 million words of incredible Tomarrymort longfic as I have!

Tomarrymort Advanced Reads

ǟʟʍǟɢɛֆȶ by eldritcher (M, 134k, complete)

Setting: Canon Divergence – Book 6 Premise: If Harry and Dumbledore team up with Voldemort to save the magical world from a catastrophic threat. Why I rec it: Eldritcher delivers one of the most epic love stories of a lifetime — with Harry and Voldemort surviving a trip to the moon and back, and Harry’s love for Voldemort transcending time and space after Voldemort makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the world and, against all odds, return to Harry. The prose is absolutely transcendent — amongst the best I’ve encountered not only in fanfic, but in all of fiction I’ve ever read. I can’t say enough about how much I love Elditcher’s writing style and how beautifully the story unfolds — there’s a very nice lyrical rhythm underlying all the sentence structure and word choice in the fic that flows like nothing else I’ve read before.

Anabiosis by @itsevanffs (E, 32k, WIP)

Setting: Canon Divergence Pre-Book 1 Premise: If Voldemort resurrects early and takes a teaching job at Harry’s primary school. Why I rec it: This is one of the best and most realistic and gutting depictions I’ve ever read of the quiet tragedy of Harry’s pre-Hogwarts years growing up experiencing severe neglect and an absence of love throughout his entire childhood. @itsevanffs did a magnificent job of capturing Harry’s limited POV and all the fluttering hope his still-trusting heart holds when he meets Mr Riddle, the first teacher who’s ever treated him with kindness. My heart ached so much for Harry throughout this fic, and the emotional arc in this story has continued to haunt me for a very long time afterwards.

Eight Days a Week by @vestiges-of-light (E, 802k, complete)

Setting: Canon Divergence – Book 7 Premise: If Voldemort captures Harry shortly after his sixth year, which leads to an unlikely truce and eventual partnership that ends up saving the magical world. Why I rec it: This fic combines a sprawling political epic with an incredibly extensive exploration of kink. The author asks a great question in the tags: "Why is only vanilla sex literary?" — and this fic does a fantastic job of proving that messy, filthy, raw sex scenes don’t have to be made sanitized or palatable for mainstream consumption in order to have just as much of a place in a plot-driven, serious longfic as vanilla sex does. Against the high-stakes backdrop of international political intrigue, there’s a very nice domesticity to Harry and Voldemort’s relationship, and how much they trust each other and can be stripped bare and vulnerable in front of each other is very poignant and touching to read about.

Embryo by @cannibalinc (NR, 28k, WIP)

Setting: Time Travel (1940s) Premise: If mysterious new transfer student Harry appears in Tom’s sixth year in a state of near complete amnesia. Why I rec it: One of the defining character traits of Tom Riddle is that he’s an absolute genius — the most talented academic mind to ever walk through the doors of Hogwarts — and this fic absolutely delivers on that aspect. Told from Tom’s POV, this fic is like reading a complex multidisciplinary text spanning philosophy and physics and mathematics and magical theory, all interconnected by the mystery of how Harry appeared and where he came from and why he is so utterly forgettable to everyone but Tom.

found by @honbug (E, 112k, WIP)

Setting: Non-Magical AU Premise: If Tom grows up in a world with no magic, but has had strange recurring dreams his whole life — dreams of a boy with green eyes and a scar, dreams of a dark graveyard and magical snakes and other mysterious things. Why I rec it: The character work done in this fic is absolutely breathtaking — one of the best character studies of Tom Riddle I’ve ever come across. This is a Tom who grew up without magic, but is no less cold and vicious and psychopathic and teetering on the edge of madness. The story arc follows Tom from his early childhood through his rise as a ruthless leader in an organized crime syndicate not unlike the Death Eaters — all the while that he’s haunted by dreams of Harry, his Harry, even as the dreams start to drive him to the brink of insanity.

how large the teeth by MaidenMotherCrone (E, 257k, complete)

Setting: Voldemort Wins AU Premise: If Harry grows up as an outcast in a world where Grindelwald and Voldemort have already won long before he is born, but he’s still the subject of a prophecy that designates him as their world’s savior. Why I rec it: The worldbuilding is so exquisite and complex in this fic — the author did a spectacular job at completely reimagining the wizarding world from the ground up if the Dark Lord were to win a long time ago and how their extremely inequitable society would subsequently be structured. Harry’s defiance throughout is lovely, and his growing entanglement with Voldemort adds to all the high-stakes and risky moves that he makes throughout the fic. The plotline is very action-packed — a lot of complex plot threads are interwoven throughout the story, with an undercurrent of revolution and discontent simmering under the surface until it explodes in a glorious finale.

In Willing Sacrifice by @hikarimeroperiddle (M, 1,197k, WIP)

Setting: Canon Divergence – Book 4 Premise: If Harry finds Voldemort in Riddle Manor the summer before his fourth year, and enters into an unlikely alliance with him before returning to school that year. Why I rec it: This fic covers so much ground — at 1.2 million words (so far!), it’s the most detailed rewrite of canon starting from book 4 that I’ve ever come across, weaving in plenty of magical theory and political intrigue as Voldemort takes Harry under his protection initially in a mentor capacity. The relationship between Harry and Voldemort unfolds in such a beautiful way in this fic — with Harry growing to fall in love with Voldemort, despite all of Voldemort’s murderous and violent qualities, without losing an ounce of his humanity or the inherent goodness inside of his heart along the way.

Lover's Spit by @blogalinda, @k3uuu (E, 88k, WIP)

Setting: Non-Magical AU Premise: If Harry and Tom grow up in a small town together in northern England, and Tom has harbored an obsession for Harry ever since primary school. Why I rec it: An absolutely stunning coming-of-age story set in modern times. This story is striking in so many different ways. It perfectly captures the voice of fringe internet communities in such an authentic way. It also poignantly captures the social isolation and erosion of privacy from living in a small town where gossip spreads like wildfire, and how the internet amplifies these dynamics. At the core of the story is a really sweet love story between Tom and Harry that I am literally obsessed with — every single one of their interactions is so tender and pure — and it’s such a startling contrast to how Tom’s internet persona is portrayed that makes the sweetness all the more heartfelt.

Mi Aedijekit by @kitastrophea (M, 282k, WIP)

Setting: Post-Canon Premise: If Harry is captured by Voldemort and placed under the Draught of Living Death, only to awaken in the far future where Voldemort has ruled over their world for over a thousand years. Why I rec it: A linguistic and sociological tour de force. When Harry wakes up from his magical coma over a thousand years into the future, the world has been entirely transformed, and the skill and effort that the author undertook in fleshing out a society where there’s been a thousand years of cultural change and evolution in language can’t be understated. One of the most unique and fun aspects of the story is learning the new vocabulary of the future alongside Harry for the first time. I love how the fic examines how even Voldemort gets bored with immortality after a millennia of ruling — and how, even with a thousand years separating them and memories of the earlier times scattered to the wind, Harry and Voldemort are still inextricably drawn together.

Of Kings, Of Pawns, and Of Men by @ambivalens999 (E, 129k, WIP)

Setting: Canon Divergence – Book 5 Premise: If Voldemort ends up in Harry’s body and Harry ends up in Tom Riddle’s body after a bad encounter with the dementors at the beginning of book 5, and they can’t figure out how to swap back. Why I rec it: This is such an interesting take on the bodyswap trope, which is given a very serious and plotty treatment here. For fear of the safety of his friends, Harry has to go along with returning to his 5th year at Hogwarts in Tom Riddle’s body and being sorted into Slytherin house, while Tom passes himself off as Harry Potter. There’s a mystery behind the depth of Tom’s knowledge and familiarity with Harry, as he knows more about Harry than even Voldemort should. Is it the scar horcrux? Is it Voldemort? Is it something else entirely? The inherent combativeness and magnetism between Harry and Tom keep the tension high as they push each other’s buttons and circle around each other like wolves trying to establish dominance.

Phobia by @katsitting (E, 48k, complete)

Setting: Post-Canon Premise: If Voldemort captures Harry and brutally tortures him to the point of breaking. Why I rec it: This fic does not sugarcoat Voldemort’s capacity for cruelty and sadism in any way, and I admire the author’s commitment to depicting the most horrific of scenarios. Having read countless fics with this setup, I’ll be honest, the depiction in this fic is probably the most likely outcome of any Voldemort-captures-Harry scenario. They do not fall in love. It is not a fun time for Harry. There is gore; there is brutal prisoner torture; there is extremely extensive non-con. I found it very raw and unvarnished — not an easy read, but a very memorable and evocative one. And yet, despite the themes of darkness explored in this fic, it ends on a note of hope.

The Foul (part 1) / The Great (part 2) by @meles-merrivale (M, 24k, complete)

Setting: Time Travel Premise: If Harry gets thrown back in time a thousand years into the past, and does whatever it takes to stay alive until he can meet up with Voldemort again. Why I rec it: This is a fantastic depiction of the slow descent into madness following a disastrous time travel accident and what a thousand years of immortality does to one’s sanity. It’s also a great exploration of the time travel paradox and whether anyone has the power to change the past, or if pivotal historical events are, by their very nature, predetermined. By the time Harry encounters Voldemort again, he is a shell of the person he used to be, but gradually, he finds more of his original humanity and spark for life the more his relationship with Voldemort progresses.

#Tomarrymort Advanced Reads #tomarrymort #tomarry #harrymort #aethon recs #tomarry recs #tomarrymort recs #harrymort recs #hp fic recs #longfic recs #ao3 recs #fanfic recs #tom riddle #voldemort #harry potter

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cluelessteam · 6 months ago

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Hello! I was the one who put in the Edmund request :)

Your writing is so beautiful and descriptive omg <3

If you could make it a series, I'd be vv grateful! And !Jealous Edmund>>>

Once again, loved your writing <3

Shadows and Starlight: {~The Clash of Swords~}

A/N: First I would really like to apologize for taking so long to get this out! I was moving and had honestly lost motivation for writing and just could not get anything out. I am also a junior in highschool so I have been busy with school. But, I am now on my Christmas break so I will be posting one chapter every single day to make up for the lost time. Since I have missed yesterday, I will be posting the second chapter of this story later today! I love you guys so much and I really appreciate your patience!❤️

Summary: Amid the chaos of war, a bitter rivalry between Edmund Pevensie and a formidable enemy leader begins to unravel into something deeper. As a fragile truce forms, both are torn between duty to their people and the undeniable connection growing between them. With political tensions rising, jealousies flaring, and the threat of battle looming, Edmund and the reader must navigate a delicate balance of loyalty, love, and sacrifice to secure peace—and each other

Characters: Edmund Pevensie

Pairing: Edmund Pevensie x Gn!Reader

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1674

Taglist: @snowtargaryen @hippiedippiekitty

Chapter 1 —

The battlefield stretched out before you like a storm on the horizon—chaotic, dangerous, and all-consuming. The metallic clash of swords, the dull thud of arrows striking shields, and the war cries of soldiers filled the air, creating a symphony of war that pulsed in your veins. But amidst the carnage, amidst the chaos and confusion, there was only one person you were focused on—Edmund Pevensie.

You saw him long before he saw you, cutting through the battlefield with swift precision, his sword moving as an extension of his arm. He was brutal and efficient, taking down every opponent who dared cross his path. The youngest king of Narnia had become your greatest rival, the one opponent you could never truly defeat, and today would be no different—or so you told yourself.

As you watched him, a bitter taste formed in your mouth. Edmund Pevensie—so full of confidence, so sure of himself—fought like he had nothing to lose. But you knew better. You had seen him falter before, had noticed the subtle cracks in his armor during your past encounters. Today, you would exploit them.

Your grip tightened on the hilt of your sword as you wove through the battlefield, dodging stray arrows and blocking attacks from nameless soldiers. Your eyes never left Edmund, and with each step, you felt the weight of your unresolved rivalry bearing down on you. It had been this way for years, an endless dance of blades and blood, but today, it felt different. There was something heavier in the air, something that made your heart pound with more than just adrenaline.

Finally, Edmund’s gaze locked with yours across the battlefield, and you saw the flash of recognition in his eyes. His jaw clenched, and his body tensed as he prepared himself for the inevitable clash. You could practically feel the electricity in the air between you, the tension coiling tighter with each passing second.

Without another thought, you charged toward him, your feet pounding against the muddy ground. Every other battle faded into the background as you closed the distance between you, your focus narrowing to the point where nothing else mattered but the fight that was about to take place.

Edmund met your charge head-on, his sword raised to intercept your strike. The clash of metal rang out like thunder as your blades collided, sending shockwaves through your arms. The force of the impact jarred your bones, but you gritted your teeth and pressed forward.

“Back again?” Edmund’s voice was cold, almost bored, as he parried your next strike with ease. “You never learn, do you?”

His words stung more than you cared to admit, but you refused to let him see the effect they had on you. Instead, you pushed harder, your sword meeting his with a furious intensity. “You’re one to talk, Pevensie,” you shot back, your breath coming in sharp bursts. “How many times do I have to beat you before you finally stay down?”

A grim smile tugged at the corners of Edmund’s lips, though there was no humor in it. “Beat me? That’s funny, considering the last time we met, you were the one on the ground.”

The reminder of your previous defeat ignited a fresh wave of anger within you. The memory of Edmund standing over you, his sword poised to end your life, was one you hadn’t been able to shake. But today, you vowed, things would be different.

You struck again, your sword whistling through the air with deadly intent. Edmund blocked the blow, his strength evenly matched against yours, and for a moment, the two of you were locked in a stalemate. The muscles in your arms strained as you pressed your blade against his, trying to force him back, but Edmund held his ground.

“You’re getting slower,” he remarked, his voice taunting. “Is this the best you’ve got?”

A growl of frustration escaped your lips as you pushed harder, finally managing to break the deadlock. You swung your sword in a wide arc, aiming for his side, but Edmund was too fast. He dodged the strike with practiced ease, and before you could react, he retaliated with a quick, calculated swipe that nearly knocked the sword from your hand.

Stumbling back, you cursed under your breath. Edmund’s fighting style had always been a mix of precision and brutality, and it was becoming clear that today would be no different. He was relentless, his strikes quick and unyielding, and though you were able to match him blow for blow, it was taking everything you had to keep up.

“You’re slipping,” Edmund said, his voice tinged with mockery as he lunged toward you again. “Getting tired?”

“Not yet,” you snarled, blocking his attack and countering with a sharp thrust of your own. Your sword grazed his arm, drawing a thin line of blood, and for the first time in the fight, you saw Edmund falter.

His eyes flickered with surprise as he looked down at the wound, and in that brief moment of distraction, you pressed your advantage. You swung your sword with renewed vigor, driving him back step by step. The tide of the fight had shifted, and for the first time in what felt like years, you could see a path to victory.

But then, just as quickly as it had appeared, your advantage was gone.

With a swift, almost casual motion, Edmund deflected your next strike and spun around, catching you off guard. His sword lashed out, sweeping your legs out from under you with a speed that left you breathless. Before you could even process what had happened, you were on the ground, the cold, wet mud soaking through your clothes.

You gasped for breath, your body aching from the fall. Pain radiated through your ribs, but before you could recover, Edmund was looming over you, his sword pointed directly at your throat.

For a moment, neither of you moved. You lay there, panting, staring up at him in disbelief. This was it. After all these years, after all the battles and near misses, it had finally come to an end. Edmund Pevensie had you at his mercy.

“Go on,” you spat, your voice rough and filled with defiance. “Finish it.”

Edmund’s face was expressionless as he stared down at you, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath. His sword didn’t waver, the cold steel pressing lightly against the delicate skin of your throat. But despite his position of power, despite the fact that he could end this with a single strike, something in his eyes told you he wouldn’t.

“I’m not going to kill you,” he said quietly, the words so unexpected that they seemed to hang in the air between you.

You blinked up at him, stunned into silence. This was a trick. It had to be. Edmund had never shown you mercy before, so why now? “What?” you breathed, your voice barely audible over the din of the battle.

“I said I’m not going to kill you,” Edmund repeated, his voice steady but lacking the usual coldness that colored his words. He sheathed his sword and extended a hand toward you. “Get up.”

You stared at his outstretched hand like it was a viper about to strike. Your mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening. This was Edmund Pevensie—your sworn enemy. The one person you had spent years fighting against, the one you had sworn to defeat at any cost. And now he was offering you his hand?

“What are you playing at?” you demanded, still lying in the mud, too stunned to move. “Is this some kind of game to you?”

Edmund’s gaze didn’t waver. “No game,” he said firmly. “This doesn’t have to end with one of us dead.”

His words hit you like a punch to the gut. This wasn’t the Edmund you knew. The Edmund you had fought time and time again would never say something like that. But as you searched his eyes, you realized that this Edmund, the one standing before you now, wasn’t the same boy you had fought all those years ago.

You hesitated, the weight of his offer hanging heavily in the air between you. Everything in you screamed to refuse, to push his hand away and continue the fight. But something in his eyes, something raw and unguarded, stopped you. It wasn’t just the offer of peace that he was extending—it was something deeper. Something unspoken.

Slowly, tentatively, you reached up and took his hand. His grip was strong as he pulled you to your feet, and for a brief moment, the world seemed to still. The battle continued to rage around you, but in that moment, it was as if the two of you were the only ones left.

You stood there, face to face, your hand still clasped in his. Your chest heaved with exertion, your body aching from the fight, but all you could focus on was the way Edmund’s gaze had softened, the way his eyes lingered on yours just a moment too long.

“What’s going on?” you asked quietly, your voice barely above a whisper. “Why are you doing this?”

Edmund’s jaw tightened, and for a brief moment, you saw a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. “Because I’m tired of this,” he admitted, his voice low but filled with a sincerity that caught you off guard. “This war, this fight... it doesn’t make sense anymore.”

You opened your mouth to respond, but before you could say anything, a voice called out from behind you, cutting through the tension.

“Edmund!”

The sound of Peter’s voice brought you both crashing back to reality. You turned to see him striding toward you, his face set in a grim expression. Behind him, Susan stood with her bow drawn, her sharp eyes flicking between you and Edmund with suspicion.

Edmund quickly released your hand, his expression hardening as Peter approached. But you couldn’t shake the feeling that something had just shifted between you—something that couldn’t be undone.

#fanfic #edmund pevensie x reader #narnia #narniafanfic #edmund pevensie #enemies to lovers #x enemy!reader #fanficseries #forbidden love #rivals to lovers #slow burn #shadows and starlight

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lemonhemlock · 1 year ago

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1 and 8

character everyone gets wrong

hmmm.... there's so much asoiaf meta at this point it's hard to say.... tyrion perhaps? he generally maintains this antagonistic view of his father and sister, but, in hindsight, it does seem to me that not everything tywin and cersei did was to designed specifically attack him or to work against him. tywin does send him to KL to be hand of the king in his stead and gives him actual power to reign cersei in and cersei does try to team up with him at the beginning of ACOK. but tyrion is so set on undermining her that he never really takes this offer of collaboration seriously and everything escalates quickly afterwards.

idk how to best express this but i feel like, even though the ableism was real, there was a point where they could have mended their relationship, but tyrion did play a crucial part in destroying this truce, it wasn't all a premeditated assault on him. but, while fans have smartened up to his POV trap and realised that he is truly on a downwards spiral and not necessarily a "good" person, this unblemished victimisation narrative remains

by now i sound like a broken record but i cannot truly investigate these leads until i begin the great re-read project (if only i wasn't preoccupied with other books rn !! )

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

i'm gonna start this with cersei bc this is the shorter rant, but people are so obsessed with this take that she doesn't really love her children, they're all just extensions of herself and that's what she cares about. it's so boring. it sounds like something parroted back from a psychiatry textbook. listen, cersei is her own brand of delusion, but she is also a person with feelings, not some ice-cold demon. people forget that in the quest of stripping her of her humanity, they also make her a less interesting and complex character. yes, she is an awful person with the capacity for love, otherwise what's the point? why do you think she became a POV character if it's all clowning around? also i think many people are way too eager to mistake paranoia and the effects of two recent traumatic deaths in the family with stupidity in her case

i'll have to move onto jaime rn bc his redemption discourse is also reaching tedious levels. first, in the ancient days, you had the dudebros who considered him a villain from the get-go and absolutely hated his guts, then these same dudebros discovered his POV in book 3 / season 3 and thus jaime gained a lot of fans who were suddenly on board the redemption train for him. then others got sick of this interpretation and countered with "jaime is not on a redemption arc !!! insert many exclamation marks!!!". this reaction was necessary at the time because debates were getting frightfully silly, but, nowadays it's like we've veered too far in the other extreme (from what i've seen anyway. i'm not an up-to-date scholar in jaimeological studies).

what i mean to say is that "redemption" has become such a dirty word in relation to jaime, when it's truly just a term. what does it matter what you really call it? redemption arc, identity arc, we're getting bogged down in definitions, snootily pointing the finger at each other and not really seeing the forest for the trees anymore. like he is objectively reconsidering, reinterpreting and trying to redefine both his relationship to the people around him and to abstract concepts like knighthood, justice and honour.

he doesn't exactly """regret""" pushing Bran out of a window, but he doesn't not regret it, you know what i mean? (another thread people are obsessed with: jaime will not get "redeemed" bc he doesn't regret pushing bran. i mean sort of? it's not that black or white, though: the situation was constructed in such a way as to be a fucked-up trolley problem with no true right answer. even sainted NED thinks this, i.e. to what lengths he or cat would have been willing to go to save their children. EVEN NED). yes, he also famously threatens to trebuchet edmure's baby, but he is also kind of pissed off in that moment, bullshitting and playing the tough guy in front of edmure. he lies a lot, to others and to himself. he is prone to violence, but he's not heartless. he is delulu but he is also re-evaluating his life. he's thinking about emulating his daddy but also cosplays as goldenhand the just. the man is really going through it.

if you ask me, it's vvvv likely jaime is the valonqar and his story will end with cersei in a bout of violence. but: as a manifestation of his unjust jealousy or as an act of kindness (to save her from a worse death)? i think both are possible. jaime is the pendulum swinging, he is a work in progress, he can get better, he can get worse. he is not a good person, he is pretty decent at heart and trying to do better. his 'identity' arc or whatever you want to call it might as well be a 'redemption' arc but with the quest unfulfilled. or partially unfulfilled. he might retcon himself into a true white knight, but still choose to go back to cersei, because he feels responsible for her or, you know, (incoming controversial opinion) because it's the right thing to do. yes, the incest is a bad coping mechanism, yes, you did many fucked up shit together and that was wrong, but, for better or worse, she is your sister and the person you shared your life with. you can't let her die alone. whatever she did, you also did, and you should carry the burden together. there is love there and you must honour that or else nothing means anything in this world. you go into the light together!!

#hi starlight 🌟#ask game #tyrion lannister #cersei lannister #jaime lannister

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libertariantaoist · 2 years ago

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News Roundup 11/30/2023 | The Libertarian Institute

Here is your daily roundup of today's news:

News Roundup 11/30/2023

by Kyle Anzalone

US News

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) vowed in a letter to his colleagues to bring a bill to the Senate floor as soon as December 4 to fund military aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. President Biden has requested the funding as part of a massive $105 billion spending package. AWC

US Threatens to Reimpose Sanctions on Venezuela if American Demands Not Met this Week. Miami Herald

Ukraine

Photo Emerges Showing First Abrams Tank in Ukraine. X

A US official has denied that the Biden administration is nudging Ukraine toward negotiations with Russia, saying it’s up to Kyiv when to seek peace talks. AWC

Secretary of State Blinken Says We Must and We Will Continue to Support Ukraine. France 24

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Says We Are Becoming De Facto NATO Army. Politico

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday urged alliance members to continue funding the proxy war in Ukraine amid growing signs that Western support for the conflict is waning. AWC

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov plans to attend a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) from November 30 to December 1. AWC

Internal polling in Ukraine shows that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could lose a presidential election if he faces off with Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, the Ukrainian commander-in-chief, The Economist reported on Tuesday. AWC

Korea

North Korea Begins Remilitarizing Border with South Korea. Miami HeraldThe Institute

Israel

Qatar announced Monday that Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the truce under the Hostage deal for another 48 hours. AWC

Since October 17, US troops based in Iraq and Syria have come under steady rocket and drone fire. At least 73 attacks have been carried out on US bases in the two countries, but they have stopped since the truce between Israel and Hamas to facilitate the hostage deal came into effect on Friday. AWC

The Israeli central bank believes the war in Gaza will cost over $50 billion and cut BDP by 3%.Business Insider

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political career is in peril due to his failure to prevent the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel, the Israeli leader has been meeting with members of his Likud party to ensure continued support. AWC

Biden Says Israeli War in Gaza Is Giving Hamas What They Want. X

Israel and Hamas exchanged prisoners for the fifth straight day on Tuesday as the extension of the initial four-day truce appears to be successful despite the two sides blaming the other for briefly violating the ceasefire earlier in the day. AWC

Senior White House Official Says US Support for Israel’s War in Gaza Remains Unwavering and Calls for Current Conflict to Be ‘The Last War’ Jewish Insider

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Tuesday dismissed growing calls to condition military aid to Israel, calling them “ridiculous,” as Israel has been killing civilians at a historic pace in Gaza. AWC

Secretary of State Blinken Will Travel to Israel on Thursday in Attempt to Extend Truce. Haaretz

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was the lone member of the House to vote against a resolution equating criticism of the modern state of Israel with antisemitism. AWC

Since October 7, Israeli security forces have taken a number of steps that condemned sick Palestinians to a slow death. In Gaza, the lone cancer treatment center has been made inoperable by Israeli military operations. In East Jerusalem, Gazan hospital patients were rounded up and deported to the West Bank. The Institute

Biden Told Netanyahu Israel Operations in South Gaza Should Be More Restrained. Axios

Intense negotiations are underway in Qatar aimed at extending the truce between Israel and Hamas that’s due to expire on Thursday. AWC

US Has Provided Israel with 70,000 Weapons Since 1950. Truthout

US Officials Say White House Has No Plans to Place Conditions on Weapons Sent to Israel. PoliticoAWC

Bezalel Smotrich, the extremist Israeli finance minister who’s been given sweeping powers over the West Bank, has said the occupied territory is home to “2 million Nazis,” referring to part of the Palestinian population. AWC

Syria

Rand Paul to force a vote on Syria troop withdrawal. Responsible StatecraftAWC

Yemen

US Navy Arrests Five Attempting to Pirate Ship in Red Sea. War Is BoringAWC

US Says Warship Downed Yemeni Drone in Red Sea. Politico

#kyle anzalone #libertarian institute #news roundup

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the-archivist-raven · 3 months ago

Photo

From Below the Cut

This group as a whole are Jowlbeaks, defined by flesh overlapping their beaks, small practically vestigial wings, what seems to be a thick tail that is mostly an cartilaginous extension of the hips, providing balance. They are among the largest carnivores on the continent, but not necessarily apex predators.

1. Lumber Vulture. This big beasty is a master of sniffing out carrion in the thick forests of Mirum. While they prefer to go after already dead meals, they are not above ambushing live prey in short bursts of speed. Very few around in modern times, only hanging on in the most remote parts of the continent. 2. Sailback. Big ole marsh dweller. Functions sort of like a big ass stork. Not much of a fighter and prefers to go after prey that is no where near its own weight class. Not a very good swimmer but pretty capable runner, flight over fight any day. But can be acclimated to people, though it will beg for food. 3. Blue Cap. A grassland hunter, the smallest of the three. And the most social! Although that only extends to a breeding pair who have a vague truce in each others presence. They are a walking garbage disposal and will go out of their way to eat almost anything. Although they vastly prefer eggs above everything else, it’s not uncommon seeing them run full sprint with an egg in their mouth.

Mirum used to have a wide diversity of large carnivorous birds(theropods 2.0), some of which specialized more into jaws than claws. But these three are the only ones of that persuasion who lived to see civilization rise. More info under the cut!

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minosbull · 28 days ago

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Herman Gill and Drop Site News Middle East Research Fellow Jawa Ahmad contributed to this report

On May 25, Palestinian negotiators from Hamas believed they were on the verge of a deal to end the Gaza genocide. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas was told, had approved a term sheet that reflected Hamas’s major demands, and indicated the Trump administration would work to have Israel accept them. But less than a week later, Witkoff came back with a dramatically altered version, crafted with Israel, that did not explicitly guarantee key provisions for ending Israel’s war or the withdrawal of its forces. This new agreement made between Israel and the U.S. was subsequently touted in the press as Trump’s plan to end the war on Gaza and the onus was now on Hamas to accept it.

Yesterday, Drop Site published the full version of the “term sheet” crafted by Israel and the U.S. Today, we are publishing the May 25 version agreed to by Hamas, revealing the details of what Israel is trying to strongarm Hamas into agreeing to on the global stage.

The terms provisionally agreed to by Hamas largely return to the previous ceasefire deal signed on January 17 and violated by Israel in early March—meaning a major withdrawal of Israeli forces, the delivery of hundreds of trucks a day of food, medicine, fuel and other aid. The agreement would also mandate that Hamas give up governing power in Gaza, an independent Palestinian committee would be created to take charge, and reconstruction would begin immediately.

Most significantly, the U.S. would guarantee that a ceasefire would be held, and the delivery of aid uninterrupted, until a long term resolution to the war was in place. "The United States and the mediators commit to ensuring the continuation of negotiations, maintaining a cessation of hostilities and the entry of aid, until a permanent ceasefire agreement is reached," Hamas’s term sheet says. In the Israeli version, that guarantee is completely gone, replaced by a U.S.-backed ceasefire only during the 60-day period of the proposed agreement.

Key Differences

Here are some of the key differences between what Hamas agreed to on May 25 and what the U.S. and Israel crafted over the past week:

1. Duration of Ceasefire

What Hamas Agreed to: Hamas initially proposed a 90-day ceasefire, then said it would accept a 70-day version, and later signaled willingness to accept a 60-day truce, with a clear path to extend the truce as long as negotiations continued.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: 60-day ceasefire with no automatic extension. Talks and the truce may only continue if both sides agree and are “negotiating in good faith.”

2. Presidential Guarantee

What Hamas Agreed to: Trump would personally guarantee the ceasefire and commit to enforcing it, along with ensuring “Israel’s return to the status quo as it was prior to March 2, 2025,” when Israel abandoned the original ceasefire deal.. It states that Trump “insists that negotiations during the ceasefire period will lead to a permanent resolution of the conflict.”

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: Trump is mentioned as announcing the agreement and that the president “guarantees Israel’s adherence to the ceasefire” for 60 days. There is no enforcement mechanism and no binding guarantee of Israeli military withdrawal.

In a section titled Presidential Support, the draft states: “The President is serious about the parties’ adherence to the ceasefire agreement and insists that the negotiations during the temporary ceasefire period, if successfully concluded with an agreement between the parties, would lead to a permanent resolution of the conflict.”

3. Terms on Exchange of Captives

What Hamas Agreed to: 10 living and 16 deceased Israeli captives released in two phases—5 living on day 1, and the remaining 5 living on day 90. While it was not in the text of the agreement, Hamas also sought two weeks to locate burial sites.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: 10 living and 18 deceased captives would be released in the first week—5 living and 9 deceased on day 1, and the rest on day 7. By the tenth day of the agreement, Hamas would provide information on the status of the remaining captives, living and dead.

4. Military Withdrawal

What Hamas Agreed to: Israeli withdrawal to the March 2 lines during the truce period, with President Trump guaranteeing Israel’s commitment to this. Full Israeli withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip to take place immediately after a permanent ceasefire is declared and before the final exchange of captives and bodies.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: Only limited “redeployments” inside Gaza after each captive release. No commitment to full withdrawal; no return to pre-March 2 positions.

5. Humanitarian Aid

What Hamas Agreed to: Immediate, unrestricted aid flow under the January 17 humanitarian protocol. This would mean food, fuel, medicine and construction equipment, according to Hamas officials.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: Aid would enter “immediately” and the UN and Red Crescent would be involved with distribution. No mention of fuel, construction materials, or a total lifting of the Gaza blockade. No clarity on the future role of the controversial U.S. and Israeli-backed “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.”

6. Surveillance and Military Activity

What Hamas Agreed to: Complete cessation of all Israeli military activities, including a total ban on aerial and reconnaissance operations, for 90 days with no exceptions. Palestinian resistance groups would also halt all armed operations.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: Only “offensive” Israeli military operations would stop. Israeli surveillance and aerial activity would pause for only 10–12 hours per day, with full surveillance continuing the rest of the time.

7. Role of U.S. Envoy

What Hamas Agreed to: Steve Witkoff would travel to Doha, publicly sign the agreement, and shake hands with Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya. Witkoff would also lead the negotiations with the assistance of U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler and Palestinian-American Trump supporter and unofficial envoy Bishara Bahbah.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: Witkoff will “preside” over negotiations. No mention of a signing ceremony or handshake.

8. Governance and Reconstruction

What Hamas Agreed to: Immediate handover of Gaza’s administration to an independent Palestinian technocratic committee, with full authority over governance and reconstruction, which would begin immediately.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: No mention of Gaza governance and reconstruction. The “day after” may be discussed in future talks, but is not guaranteed.

9. Continued Ceasefire Commitment

What Hamas Agreed to: The U.S., Qatar, and Egypt would guarantee continued ceasefire and aid flow as long as negotiations toward a permanent resolution were ongoing.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: No such guarantee. The initial ceasefire, it says, “may be extended under conditions and for a duration to be agreed upon by the parties so long as the parties are negotiating in good faith.”

10. Israeli Strategy and Intentions

What Hamas Agreed to: The U.S. would pressure Israel to end the war and support a lasting peace.

What the U.S. and Israel Crafted: Israel has already accepted the new version—openly stating it will resume war after the captives are freed. Netanyahu said this week: “We will continue fighting until Hamas is destroyed.”

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Negotiations and the Negotiators

Hamas and Israel both have surrogates acting on their behalf to appeal to Witkoff in the ongoing negotiations. On one side, Hamas officials—including Al Hayya, Basem Naim, and Osama Hamdan—are working closely with Bisharah Bahbah, a Palestinian-American and Trump supporter. Meanwhile, Ron Dermer, Israel’s minister of strategic affairs, works with Netanyahu as lead negotiator for Israeli interests in the talks. Both parties are beholden to Witkoff in their respective attempts to secure the U.S.’s “presidential guarantee” through Trump.

For weeks, Hamas had been engaged in direct talks with Bahbah. Born in Jerusalem, Bahbah holds a PhD from Harvard and has taught at the university and led several think tanks and policy institutes with a focus on Palestinian and broader Middle East issues. He was a lifelong Democrat until May 2024, when he declared his support for Trump in protest of the Biden administration’s facilitation of Israel’s war against Gaza. “Arab and Muslim Americans are sick and tired of Genocide Joe. He needs to be out of the White House. He is arming Israel to the teeth, killing and wounding almost 2% of Gaza’s population,” Bahbah tweeted at the time. “Trump promises an end to the war in Gaza.” Bahbah would go on to form Arab Americans for Trump and campaigned for his election, focusing on winning over voters in cities with large Arab populations.

Unlike most within Trump’s orbit, Bahbah has publicly criticized the president, perhaps most sharply after Trump announced on February 4 that he wanted to seize Gaza as a U.S. territory and convert it into a Middle East Riviera. “Gaza is for the Palestinians, it is no one else’s land,” Bahbah wrote on the social media platform X on April 8. “Neither the US nor Israel should treat it as a real estate property. Period.”

Bahbah was a well-known figure in Palestine and had served as a foreign policy advisor to Yasser Arafat, the longtime chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Bahbah was also known for his opposition to Hamas’s governance in Gaza and his advocacy for a “two-state solution.” In April, a longtime member of Hamas reached out to Bahbah with a message to pass on to Trump: the Islamic resistance movement was interested in making a direct deal for the release of U.S. citizen and Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, who was taken captive by Palestinian fighters on October 7, 2023. The next month, on May 12, as a result of Bahbah’s intervention, Alexander was escorted by the Red Cross out of Gaza.

Hamas would subsequently accuse the Trump administration of violating the agreement brokered by Bahbah and certified by Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Hamas said that Witkoff had personally promised that, two days after Alexander’s release, the U.S. would compel Israel to lift its deadly full-spectrum blockade, imposed on March 2, which prevented any food, medicine, or other essential supplies from entering Gaza. Hamas says it was told that Trump would also publicly call for an immediate ceasefire and for robust negotiations to begin for a permanent end to the war. “They didn't violate the deal,” Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told Drop Site. “They threw it in the trash.”

Despite this, Hamas remained in contact with Bahbah and viewed him as capable of understanding Hamas’s position and conveying it in an accurate way to Witkoff and other U.S. officials. As Trump set off for his tour of the Gulf nations of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, there were a flurry of stories indicating that Trump was growing tired of Israel’s war in Gaza and wanted to make a deal. On several occasions, Trump acknowledged the starvation spreading in Gaza.

Trump’s trip came and went, and there were no major announcements. Behind the scenes, Hamas continued its discussions with Bahbah and, through him, with Witkoff. In these talks, according to Hamas sources, the U.S. laid out for Hamas the general terms of an agreement that would be acceptable to Trump. Hamas drafted a document based on those discussions and handed it to Bahbah. According to sources from Hamas, the U.S. position was positive and Hamas officials say they were told the next step would be convincing Israel to move forward.

On May 26, Hamas announced that it had reached an “understanding” with the U.S. on terms for a temporary ceasefire that would eventually lead to an end to the war and the release of all Israeli captives held in Gaza. In a statement, Hamas described it as “a general framework that achieves a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, the flow of aid, and the appointment of a professional committee to manage the Gaza Strip's affairs immediately after the agreement is announced.”

What happened next caught Hamas off guard. It was no surprise that Israeli officials rushed to tell journalists in the Hebrew press that the deal was a Hamas propaganda operation: “The eagerness with which it was killed in Israel indicated a deep fear that Washington would accept it and even try to impose it,” as the Israeli publication YNet described the reaction in Tel Aviv. But then Witkoff publicly denounced Hamas, saying, “What I have seen from Hamas is disappointing and completely unacceptable.”

On Wednesday, as Trump spoke to a throng of reporters in the Oval Office, he summoned Witkoff from the back of the room and asked him to give an update on the Gaza negotiations. Witkoff made no mention of the agreement Hamas said it had reached with him three days earlier, but he told reporters, “I think we are on the precipice of sending out a new term sheet,” adding, “I have some very good feelings about getting to a long term resolution—a temporary ceasefire and a long-term, peaceful resolution of that conflict.”

According to accounts in the Israeli press, after Witkoff sent the original term sheet to Israel—the one Hamas believed would form the basis for an agreement to end the war—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right hand man, Ron Dermer, met with Witkoff and other U.S. officials to craft an alternative document. Before it was sent to Hamas for review, Israel told the U.S. it would publicly accept its terms.

Drop Site published that document in full on Thursday. Its terms are vague and leave open the clear possibility that Israel could relaunch its war against Gaza after a 60-day truce. Under the agreement, Hamas would be required to release half of the Israeli captives it holds in the first week, and there would be no guarantee that the deal would lead to a clear end to the war or the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces. It also does not provide any specifics over how much aid would be allowed into Gaza or where Israeli forces would “reposition�� during the initial ceasefire.

Hamas officials say they are continuing to deliberate over its terms, but say the deal “seeks to entrench the occupation and perpetuate policies of killing and starvation, even during what is supposed to be a period of temporary de-escalation.” Naim said it “fails to meet any of the just and legitimate demands of our people, among them an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.” He added, “Despite this, and in full awareness of the gravity of the ongoing genocide against our people, Hamas leadership is currently undertaking a thorough and responsible review of the new proposal.”

The Arabic version of the "term sheet" Hamas said it agreed to in negotiations with President Trump's envoys on May 25, 2025.

Here is the full English text of the agreement Hamas said it had accepted:

25 May 2025

Framework for a Permanent Ceasefire Agreement in the Gaza Strip

A 90-day ceasefire.

Ten Israeli hostages and (16) bodies will be released in exchange for an agreed-upon number of Palestinian prisoners, as follows: (5 live hostages on the first day of this agreement, 5 live hostages on the day 90, with the mechanisms and schedule for the handing over of the bodies to be agreed upon during the 90-day period.)

President Trump will guarantee Israel's commitment to the ceasefire during the agreed-upon 90-day period and Israel's return to the status quo as it was prior to March 2, 2025.

Aid will be delivered to Gaza immediately upon Hamas's acceptance of a ceasefire agreement, in accordance with the humanitarian protocol agreed upon on January 17, 2025.

Aid will not be restricted during the ceasefire period.

All Israeli military activities will cease immediately upon the announcement of this agreement. No Israeli aerial or reconnaissance activity will be permitted over Gaza during these 90 days.

Witkoff will travel to Doha to sign the agreement with Dr. Khalil [Al Hayya, Hamas’s lead negotiator], and they will meet and shake hands.

Steve Witkoff will lead the negotiations with the assistance of [U.S. hostage envoy Adam] Boehler and Bahbah.

President Trump will personally announce the ceasefire agreement and thank all those who contributed to its achievement, especially Hamas.

The President is serious about ensuring Israel's commitment to the ceasefire agreement and insists that negotiations during the ceasefire period will lead to a permanent resolution of the conflict.

During the 90-day ceasefire period, the following points will be discussed:

a. After reaching an agreement on the exchange of the remaining hostages and bodies, and before the handover procedures begin, a permanent ceasefire will be declared and Israeli forces will withdraw from the entire Gaza Strip.

b. An independent committee of technocrats will begin administering all affairs of the Gaza Strip, with full authority and responsibilities, immediately upon implementation of this agreement.

c. The reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will begin.

d. A long-term cessation of mutual (hostile) military operations between both parties will be established, guaranteed by the mediators (the United States, Egypt, and Qatar).

As long as military operations by both sides remain halted, the United States is committed to reaching an agreement and wants all parties to come to the negotiating table until a permanent resolution to the conflict and a peace agreement are reached.

After the 90-day truce, the United States and the mediators commit to ensuring the continuation of negotiations, maintaining a cessation of hostilities and the entry of aid, until a permanent ceasefire agreement is reached.

• Guarantors of the agreement (the United States, Egypt, Qatar)

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mysticreaperqueen · 28 days ago

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Latest News Upates

Explore the World of Latest News Updates Today livenewsof Livenewsof.com is an independent global news platform founded in 2019 by James Johnson in Boston. It offers comprehensive coverage across various categories, Live News Streaming, including politics,Live News Streaming, health, technology,Latest News Updates, business, and the economy. The website aims to provide timely and relevant news updates to a worldwide audience. Global Headlines China Establishes International Mediation Body in Hong Kong China has inaugurated a new international mediation organization in Hong Kong, aiming to enhance the city's global standing and rival institutions like the International Court of Justice. The body will handle a wide range of international disputes involving states, foreign nationals, and private entities. The initiative is expected to boost the local economy by generating jobs and supporting sectors such as hospitality and transport. Reuters Middle East: Gaza Conflict Escalates The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached a critical point. Israeli forces have forcibly evacuated Al-Awda Hospital, the last operational hospital in northern Gaza. Civilian casualties have surpassed 54,000, predominantly women and children, due to ongoing airstrikes. A proposed U.S.-brokered ceasefire, involving a 60-day truce and phased hostage-prisoner exchanges, faces resistance from Hamas over the lack of a permanent ceasefire commitment. Mali: Pro-Democracy Protests Intensify Massive protests have erupted in Mali against the military junta led by Assimi Goïta. Demonstrators are opposing the dissolution of political parties and the proposed extension of the presidential term to 2030, demanding a return to democratic governance. Politics & Diplomacy U.S. Accuses North Korea and Russia of Sanctions Violations The United States and ten allies have accused North Korea and Russia of flagrantly violating U.N. sanctions through military cooperation, raising concerns over regional security and the effectiveness of international sanctions. Royal Visit Amidst Trade Tensions King Charles III and Queen Camilla concluded a two-day visit to Canada, marking the King's first official visit since ascending the throne. The visit aimed to reinforce Canada's sovereignty amid escalating trade tensions with the United States. Sports Highlights NBA Conference Finals: Pacers vs. Knicks The Indiana Pacers lead the New York Knicks 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Knicks' star Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable for Game 5 due to a left knee contusion sustained in Game 4. French Open Progresses Top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek are set to play their third-round matches today at the French Open, as the tournament intensifies. Entertainment & Culture Cardi B Addresses Relationship Issues Cardi B has publicly expressed frustration over partner Stefon Diggs' behavior after a video surfaced showing him interacting closely with other women, leading to widespread media coverage. Gisele Bündchen Embraces New Chapter Supermodel Gisele Bündchen shared her gratitude for her new life with Joaquim Valente and their newborn son, following her split from Tom Brady, in a recent Vogue France interview. Regional News: South Asia Heavy Rains in Dhaka Dhaka experienced significant rainfall due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal, leading to waterlogged streets and disruptions in daily life. Storms Batter Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Severe storms in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have resulted in at least 8 deaths and 21 injuries. Authorities remain on high alert with bad weather expected to continue until May 31. WIRED Science & Technology SpaceX's Starship Test Faces Challenges SpaceX's ninth Starship test flight encountered issues when a fuel tank leak caused the rocket to lose control before completing its objectives, highlighting ongoing challenges in the program.

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yetisidelblog · 4 months ago

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Senator Bernie Sanders has launched another effort to stop American weapons sales to Israel.1

“With Trump and Netanyahu openly talking about forcibly displacing millions of Palestinians from Gaza – in other words, ethnic cleansing – it would be unconscionable to provide more of the bombs and weapons Israel has used to kill so many civilians and make life unlivable in Gaza,” Sen. Sanders said.2

Sen. Sanders’s attempt last year to stop a U.S. weapons transfer to Netanyahu had historic support in the Senate, despite its failure. We need to build on that momentum and urge a majority of Congress to say No to Trump and Netanyahu.

Sign the petition: Urge your lawmakers to support the Sanders resolutions to stop Trump’s sale of $8 billion in weapons to Netanyahu.

The World Health Organization and United Nations have expressed grave concerns about rising violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.3 And the Ceasefire in Gaza is on the verge of ending.4

Trump’s recent statements that he plans to displace all Palestinians from Gaza, develop the land, and take away the Palestinians’ right to return to their homes loom over the continued violence. And now Trump wants to circumvent Congress and send $8 billion more in weapons to Netanyahu.5,6

For there to be a true lasting peace for the Palestinian people, the United States must stop sending billions of dollars of weapons to Netanyahu’s military.

Sign the petition: Urge Congress to oppose the Trump-Netanyahu weapons sale.

Office of Senator Bernie Sanders, “NEWS: Sanders Files Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to Block Trump Arms Sales to Israel,” February 24, 2025.

Ibid.

Reuters, “WHO worries about West Bank violence, impact on healthcare,” February 25, 2025.

New York Times, “Gaza Truce Could End in Days, With No Extension Agreed. What Happens Next?” February 24, 2025.

New York Times, “Trump Administration Moves to Send $8 Billion in Arms to Israel, Bypassing Some Lawmakers,” February 8, 2025.

NBC News, “Trump says Palestinians wouldn't be allowed back into Gaza under his plan,” February 10, 2025.

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songruixue · 7 months ago

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Financial breakfast

On Monday (Beijing time on December 2), spot gold traded near 2648.86, "Trump excitement" in November boosted the dollar, blocked the gold rally, triggered after the election sell-off, gold this week focused on the US non-farm data, the impact of the Federal Reserve rate cut, US crude oil trading near $68.10 / barrel, Oil prices have been pressured by easing concerns about supply risks from the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, with focus on the OPEC+ meeting this week. Gold rose on Friday, buoyed by a falling dollar and ongoing geopolitical tensions, but still posted its biggest monthly decline since September last month, weighed down by a post-election sell-off triggered by Trump's victory. Spot gold climbed 0.5 percent to $2,652.71 an ounce, but fell more than 2 percent last week after falling sharply earlier in the day. U.S. gold futures settled up 0.6 percent at $2,681 an ounce. Gold fell 3 percent in November, its biggest monthly decline since September 2023, as "Trump euphoria" boosted the dollar earlier in the month, blocking gold's rally and triggering a post-election sell-off. The dollar index fell to its lowest level in more than two weeks, but was still up 2 percent in November as Trump's election victory on Nov. 5 fueled expectations of big fiscal spending, higher tariffs and tighter border controls. Gold is now under pressure as higher tariffs could spur inflation and cause the Federal Reserve to take a cautious approach to further rate cuts. Oil prices were lower on Friday, heading for a weekly loss of more than 3 percent, pressured by easing concerns about supply risks from the Israel-Hezbollah conflict and the prospect of increased supply in 2025, even if OPEC+ is expected to extend production cuts. Brent crude fell 0.46 per cent to $72.94 a barrel. U.S. crude oil futures fell 1.05 percent from their last close before the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday to close at $68. Trading activity was subdued due to a public holiday in the US. Last week, Brent fell 3.1 percent and U.S. crude dropped 4.8 percent. Lebanon's official news agency said on Friday that four Israeli tanks had entered Lebanese border villages. Although both sides have accused each other of violating the truce, the truce that took effect on Wednesday has lowered the risk premium on oil, sending oil prices lower. However, the conflict in the Middle East has not disrupted oil supplies, which are expected to be more abundant in 2025. The International Energy Agency believes the supply glut is on track to exceed 1 million barrels per day, equivalent to more than 1% of global production. "The latest developments suggest that next year is likely to be looser than today, with oil prices below the 2024 average," said Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM. OPEC+, made up of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Allies including Russia, postponed its next policy meeting from Dec. 1 to Dec. 5. OPEC+ is expected to decide on a further extension of production cuts at this meeting.

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carnosa3 · 2 years ago

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image id #1:

text that reads “But Netanyahu said Israel would resume its offensive against Hamas after the deal expires.

‘We are at war, and we will continue the war," he said. "We will continue until we achieve all our goals.’”

image id #2:

a tweet by Ministry of Foreign Affairs… @MofaQatar_EN from 11/21/23 that reads “The State of Oatar announces that a humanitarian pause has been agreed in Gaza #MOFAQatar”. Attached to the tweet is an image of a press release from November 22, 2023, titled “The State of Qatar announces that a humanitarian pause has been agreed to in Gaza”. The body text reads

“The State of Qatar announces the success of its joint mediation efforts undertaken with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), resulting in an agreement for a humanitarian pause. The starting time of the pause will be announced within the next 24 hours and last for four days, subject to extension.

The agreement includes the release of 50 civilian woman and children hostages currently held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of a number of Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons, the number of those released will be increased in later stages of implementing the sorcement.

The humanitarian pause will also allow the entry of a larger number of humanitanarian convoys and relief aid, including fuel designated for humanitarian needs.

The State of Qatar affirms its commitment to ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions, stop the bloodshed, and protect civilians. In this regard, the State of Qatar appreciates the efforts of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America in reaching this agreement.”

image id #3:

text that reads “The latest:

Israel says 50 women and children to be released by Hamas.

Hamas says 150 women and children to be released from Israeli jails.

Israeli PM vows to continue fighting Hamas after ceasefire expires.”

image id #4:

text that reads:

“Both sides have agreed to a four-day pause in fighting.

In exchange, Hamas has agreed to release 50 civilian women and children out of the 237 captives abducted since October 7.

As part of the deal, Israel has agreed to release 150 Palestinian women and children from its prisons.

Qatar has said that the deal would allow an increase in the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Israel said it was willing to extend the pause beyond the four-day period, adding a day for every 10 additional hostages released by Hamas.”

image id #5:

text that reads “Israel is not withdrawing its soldiers, tanks, armoured vehicles and other military infrastructure from Gaza, which it entered late in October in a ground of-fensive.”

image id #6:

a bold heading reads “What’s next?”. below is text that says “Israel's parliament has 24 hours to appeal against the truce agreement with its High Court. The first exchange of captives and prisoners is expected to take place after that period, on Thursday or Friday.”

image id #7:

a small black heading says in all caps “Israel-Gaza War”. below, larger orange text reads “Israel and Hamas agree to four-day truce”. The black subtitle says “The agreement, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States is the biggest breakthrough in 4 days of fighting in Gaza.” Below is a dark gray graphic titled “Terms of the deal”. On the left is a box titled “Hamas” with a subtitle reading “To release 50 women and children held in the Gaza Strip”. On the right is a box titled “Israel” with a subtitle reading “To release 150 women and children held in Israeli prisons”. Below are two columns. The first row reads “Starting Time”, with the corresponding text reading “Will be announced within the next 24 hours”. The second row, “Duration”, says “Will last for four days, subject to extension.” The third row, “Fighting”, says “Will be paused for an additional day for every further 10 captives freed from Gaza”. The fourth row, “Movement”, says “Israel will stop military vehicle movement and allow people to travel from north to south along Salah al-Din Road”. The fifth row, “Humanitarian Aid”, reads “More humanitarian convoys and relief aid, including fuel, will be let into Gaza during this time”. The final and sixth row “Not End to War”, says “Israeli PM Netanyahu says this is not an end to the war and that his military will press on after the pause”.

image id #8:

text that reads “Hours after the rockets and airstrikes stopped, tear gas veiled Jerusalem's Al Agsa Mosque and Israeli security forces stormed the holy compound, an echo of the police raids two weeks ago that preceded the deadliest fighting between Israelis and Palestinians in years.”

image id #9:

text that reads “In all, nine pauses in fighting came and went before the 2014 conflict ended, after 51 days, with more than 2,000 Palestinians and more than 70 Israelis killed.”

There will officially be a temporary ceasefire at 6:30, on Thursday November 23rd!

It will only last a for a short while, and no, just because there’s finally a ceasefire does not mean we stop talking about Palestine!

A TEMPORARY ceasefire was never the end goal for us. They are still aiming to empty out Gaza. They will continue their crimes afterwards.

Here’s more info on the ceasefire:

Source:

Source: Al Jazeera (won’t let me paste the link)

Palestinians are still under occupation. Palestinians are still being displaced from their homes. Palestinians are still going die and thousands of Palestinians will still remain in prison without trial. Practically all the hospitals in Gaza have been destroyed. All the Univesities in Gaza have been destroyed. All but 3 bakeries remain in all of Gaza (expecting to feed 2 million ppl). The Christian population of Gaza (who have lived there for centuries) are close to extinction . Surgeons are having to do surgeries on the ground with no anesthesia. Israel forces will remain in the area.

Our fight is not finished.

May 2021, after the ceasefire was announced:

2014 ceasefire:

(Source: new york times)

#op please edit the ids into the alt text! thank you!#my ids #palestine

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peasthedumb · 3 years ago

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I have a questionnnnnnnnnnnn or maybe more-, mostly for fic purposes-, tho some of them is just cuz I'm curious

Do you ship anyone with Mutemare? Are there any ships?

Is there a truce in this au or are the stars and bad guys still fighting?

When and how did Dream find out about the fact that his brother went mute? How did he react?

On the battlefield, how does Nightmare give commands?

How is Ink in this au?

Is Error friends with/does he live with Nootmare and the others or is he just in his void?

How is everyones relations with eachother? Is there someone who hates someone else?

Does Shattered exist here?

I thinkkkkk that was all-

I'll be back if I remeber any more questions I had lmao

Yay questions :D

1: I’m kinda trying to keep the main storyline of Mutemare with no ships so that people who don’t like ships can still enjoy it and so that people who support different ships can go wild, but me personally, and in my preferred version of the Mutemare story, I heavily ship killer and Mutemare- and I suppose there’s also a lil bit of horror x dust and cross x dream.

2: no truce, they’re still at war, and arguably more violent than normal (mute boi is in general a bit more violent than normal noot because A: lil man anger and B: he just making sure that people know he’s still dangerous even if he can’t talk)

3: dream notices nightmare can’t speak on the same day the incident happened which was back in his passive days. He only really fully noticed he was mute about a week after the incident though. He’d hoped that his voice would’ve come back as he recovered but nope, it didn’t. Of course Dream was sad for his brother, but he tried not to act like it’s the end of the world. I mean, nightmare could still do the stuff he enjoyed, and there were still other ways to communicate! He just tried his best to help his bro get over it. He was never that riled up about the incident though cause he never learned it was caused by the bullies. Nightmare had just said it was an accident. Ofc now in the future dream can kinda guess that it wasn’t an accident but he can’t really just go and ask so- yeah.

4: he’s probably had extensive sessions with his gang where he teaches them what certain hand signals mean, although he generally doesn’t give them many commands anyway. He mostly just has to point or nod towards the people he wants them to fight / focus on.

5: well for some reason I personally feel really salty towards ink so in this au he’s a proper little bastard, and I mean bastard as an insult here. Dream only stays on his team because he wants to protect the multiverse. Ink is basically just an ass with no sense of ‘hmm, this may upset someone, I shouldn’t say it’ (example: quite happily explaining to dream how the multiverse would benefit from Mutemares death. Blue had to basically tell him to shut the f up-)

6: Error doesn’t really live with Mutemare, and I would call them more of “coworkers” than “friends” (error is a coworker , the others are underlings to Mutemare )Error sticks to his void, but does still pop over to visit Mutemares castle like once a month mostly out of curiosity. He is mildly impressed that someone who can’t even speak is able to keep these psychos in line.

7: Dream and Inks friendship is kinda dodgy but other than that, everyone gets on fine with the people in their respective teams I guess. Dust does hate Killer but that’s more of a sibling hatred than genuine. And mute hates dream ofc-

8: shattered can exist here, but he doesn’t at their current time, and probably never will.

#mutemare #nightmare sans #undertale au #dreamtale #dream sans #can’t be bothered for the tags of all the other guys

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galaxy-lilies · 4 years ago

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In hindsight I never thought out the complete plot of the assassin quackity au but here are some ideas:

As a prince, Karl would always have a target on his back even if he was well loved in the kingdom

Deep down the king and queen knew this and assigned their best knight to protect their son. Sapnap was at first distant with Karl but with having to stick with the prince for so long feelings grew and they became quite close

Now cut to the present. There hadn’t been many assassination attempts that sapnap wasn’t able to stop but a certain goat man really wants the prince dead

So he gets his right hand man quackity to do the job. The hit is extensive: applying to be a new servant at the castle, blending in long enough to know the guard cycles before killing the prince.

Everything works out just fine for a while, quackity mainly working in the kitchen with niki as he scouts the rest of the castle. The guard cycles were easy to memorize but there was one thing standing in his way: the prince’s personal knight Sapnap

It’s been over a month at this point and quackity couldn’t find a way to get to the prince without sapnap noticing. So he decides to break in through the prince’s window in the middle of the knight and stab Karl right then and there

However as he was doing this plan, he glanced in the window and almost fell. Sapnap and Karl were cuddling with each other, Karl giggling as sapnap told him an inside joke.

It felt very domestic to the point quackity couldn’t muster up the courage to break their little moment together. He hid away in the shadows and returned to the servant’s quarters before anyone could notice him.

Additionally that was the first time quackity saw Sapnap’s face and to say the least he was very much flustered. But quackity shook his head. Sapnap was already with Karl he couldn’t break them apart

But then it got him thinking more. Why was he worried about Karl’s reaction to him liking sapnap, he doesn’t even know who he is-

And that’s when he was like “oh shit I like both of them”

Even if he never had direct contact just the admiring from afar got quackity all flustered

And after a month quackity finally ran into sapnap. He was taking over the stables while ranboo was away helping tubbo in the garden when sapnap came in. He wasn’t wearing his armor and he had casual clothes on.

1) quackity was appalled because why is the knight away from his prince 2) quackity knew this would be the optimal moment to rid of the knight or prince but it would be too suspicious 3) omg Sapnap’s hot-

Sapnap greets quackity and asks where ranboo was. Quackity explained he was taking over for the meantime and sapnap decides to talk with quackity for a while. He introduces his horse to quackity and the horse is somewhat sus of the assassin so she goes all angy on big q but sapnap is like “lmao idk why she’s angry, she usually gets like that if there’s a threat”

Quackity just laughed nervously

Either way horseback riding pog to an open field where they relax a little. Quackity learns that Karl was in a meeting and he let sapnap off the hook since it was going to be a long one. Big q and sapnap continue to talk before they get on the topic of sparring.

Sapnap proposes that they try sparring with each other and big q is all excited. Initially sapnap goes easy on him but then when he realized quackity was very good at fighting he went all out

By the end of the day sapnap managed to win by just one point and the two call a truce. They head back to the castle where Karl was waiting in the stable with ranboo. As ranboo helped quackity feed and clean Sapnap’s horse, sapnap greeted Karl with a kiss and asked how the meeting went

Ranboo could only glance between quackity silent pining and the couple being all lovey dovey rip

Idk what would happen after, maybe big q going all assassin mode and talking to karl in the middle of the night if sapnap had to do his nightly rounds. During the day sapnap and quackity would talk in the halls while quackity would only get some talk time with Karl if the prince stopped by the kitchen to chat with niki.

Either way Schlatt is getting impatient as quackity’s update letters were getting fewer by the days. He might have to send some back up soon...

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ratsoh-writes · 4 years ago

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So I’m screwing around and I suddenly remember that the hunger games simulator exists! Well guess who put all the boys in it ;). My money is on either sugar or honey. It’s always the shy ones.

Day 1

Alright so far the cornucopia is full of cowards. Not a single death and everyone is just running for thier lives. Although sans, papyrus and star did team up which was pretty cool.

FKN PEACHES KILLED OAK IN HIS SLEEP?!!? peaches how could you 😭😭

Also I love how willow, edge, mutt and papyrus band together to steal all of ranchers stuff

Looks like oak is the only casualty. Poor baby. Looks like his narcolepsy did him in

Day 2

WILLOW CRIES HIMSELF TO SLEEP. Looks like someone found his brother

Also mutt decided to go for the baddest mafia man and kills butch but leaves heavily injured. I’m not suprised mutt went for him tbh

Friggin peaches is on a massacre. He teamed up with mal to kill off papyrus this time.

Also sans and Jupiter are holding hands and sugar convinced snipe to cuddle with him lol. Sugar must’ve had his charm turned up to 100

Hold up, cash made a bomb and killed willow sansn and coffee. Holy heck. Dammit cash.

And rancher is playing mind games here. He’s trying to force slim to kill either noir or gaster. Of course slim doesn’t want to kill anyone, SO RANCHER KILLS HIM IN COLD BLOOD what is with these farm boys?!??

So that’s 7 deaths: G, butch, papyrus, willow, sans, coffee and slim :(

Day 3

Oh shoot guys, somebody gave peaches a bomb. Better run

Also snipe killed mal with a hatchet. Tbh I’m not suprised.

And wine set LORD on fire?!?? WINE NO THATS YOUR BEST FRIEND why wine whyyyy

Basil repeatedly stabbed pop to death and probably puked right after

And cash you dumb*ss. He fell in a hole. The ultimate prankster dies from a hole. This is not the swapfell bros day

Now basil is questioning his sanity gee I wonder why

Honey accidentally set off a bomb. If anyone was wondering, he failed chemistry

And uh, so bruiser and wine are patching each other up. I guess in the hunger games your enemy is your friend lol

Total deaths 7: mal, lord, pop, edge, mutt, cash and honey

Day 4

Oh look at that, Star stabbed red this time like the little psycho he is

Green over here just humming out some tunes as the world burns around him

Basil and peaches are calling a truce. It’s because they can see the murder in each other’s eyes

And then basil dies from the cold like a pussy.

Oop, looks like peaches carnage is over. Wine pushed him off a cliff. Now wine is the baddest boy

Total deaths 3: red, basil, peaches

Day 5

Noooooo. So sugar was picking a fight with Jupiter, and friggin ace swoops in and is all “THATS MY ENEMY B*TCH” and beheads sugar.

Boss singing himself to sleep 🥺

Wine is climbing trees while he plans everyone’s murders

Wine is going even higher. He’s heading for the sky baby. He’s going to steamroll his way into heaven.

Oh shoot, three way fight between star snipe and rust. Rust won.

And rythm took out bad dad gaster in the most bad*ss way. Death by gladiator sword

Total deaths 4: sugar, star, snipe, gaster

Day 6

Noir over worked himself and passed out again. This is like the third time noir calm down

Fkn wine takes out rancher and Jupiter at the same time. He literally got both farmtale brothers. Gotta catch them all

Shoot, we just lost another mafia boy. Lilac strangled boss.

And now the feast: bruiser lilac and ace vs green Pluto and wine. Unfortunately wines geek squad was unable to stand up the the mafia brothers and a feral lilac so they had to go.

Also charm must’ve pissed rythm off because he couldn’t convince him to not kill him lol

Ace be picking flowers after his massacre

And rythm drowns. Oops

That’s 8 deaths this time: rancher, Jupiter, boss, green, Pluto, wine, charm and rhythm

Day 7

Yup, ace nailed noir right in the stomach. I knew noir wouldn’t make it. His chronic pain is too much of a hindrance

Just noir dying this time

Day 8

BRUISER KILLED ACE??!? And friggin rust climbed up a tree and watched like a little creep

And lilac decided to be a genius and jump in a frozen lake. Play stupid games win stupid prizes

2 deaths: ace and lilac

Day 9

alright this is it the final showdown. Who will win?? We’ve got:

Rust: with incredible physical strength, size and wilderness survival on his side

Bruiser: a trained mafia fighter, extensive experience and knowledge in weapons, and his only strategy is to fight dirty

............... and despite all that bruiser takes the same path as his moron best friend and falls into a hole

Rust wins by default lol

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consumeconstantly · 5 years ago

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Small Buff Girl Sightings Ch 4.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ao3 ___________________________________________________________

Marinette is not surprised when she receives a text message from Lila two days after she speaks to Damian. She’s been expecting Lila to contact her.

After all, Damian refuses to listen to common sense and transfer, and since he hasn’t been brought into the fold with the rest of the class, he clearly must be against them. This causes the rest of their classmates agitation. Marinette is afraid that Damian might end up like the rest of the transfer students; pushed away and aggravated to the point of akumatization.

It doesn’t matter that Marinette brushes off Damian’s attempts at conversation. All it matters is that there is one (1) Very Attractive Boy that is not under Lila’s thumb and is associating with Lila’s supposed enemy. Surely, the Italian girl knows that the current situation holds all of the possibilities for a disaster.

Marinette isn’t sure how Lila has her phone number, but she supposes it doesn’t really matter. Since Marinette didn’t run for class president this year, Lila was elected because of everybody’s adoration for her. Being Class president is a good resume boost, so Lila accepted, and appointed Alya as her Vice Deputy (and of course, allowed the faux reporter to do all of the legwork for her.) So, it’s highly likely that Lila just looked up her number in the class registry.

7:45AM | Unknown number: it’s lila. i’ll meet you at the corner cafe near the louvre at 4 today. we need to talk

8:05AM | Marinette: okay

Unknown number: youre not going to ask why

Marinette: we both know why

11:02AM | Unknown number: be on time

On his part, Damian isn’t the kind of person who is heavy handed in conversation, which is good for Marinette. He makes snide comments when annoyed and asks questions about assignments that reference lessons he wasn’t there for, but is quiet otherwise. He doesn’t bother much with pleasantries and also doesn’t bother asking to hang out after school, which Marinette is very glad for. Hawkmoth is sending out akumas more frequently than he has in a while, and she has a lot of work to do with commissions-- mostly received through word of mouth-- and homework. She does want to get into a good college, after all, and it’s not exactly like she can put I am the superhero, Ladybug on her admissions essays. Or maybe she could, as some sort of joke?

Still, his obvious denial of Lila’s advances is all too apparent to the class, and even without Lila’s instigation, gossip spreads like a wildfire. In fact, it spreads despite Lila’s desire for it not to. The class doesn’t talk about it when Lila’s in earshot, but Lila knows what’s going on. Lila sees the pitying looks that are thrown her way, the whispers in her ear about the bully, Marinette, getting her claws into another, poor transfer student.

At first, Lila attempts to divert the class’s attention by pushing her relationship with Adrien. Lila gets even closer to Adrien, who, weirdly, smells like some sort of old cheese, especially when she gets close to his breast pocket.

“Oh, Adrien, I think it’s so sweet that you’re going to be taking me to dinner tonight!” Lila finds that Adrien’s forearms are surprisingly muscular. Not that there’s anything wrong wth that-- she likes her boytoys to be strong, but sort of stupid.

It’s a pity that Adrien isn’t stupid, just a pushover. The two of them have an agreement, just like she and Marinette do; Adrien will play along with Lila during class time so her empire remains as strong as ever, and Lila gives Adrien an out for model related things. She doesn’t know where Adrien continually disappears off to during photoshoots, but Gabriel trusts her for some weird reason she hasn’t figured out yet. Which means that Lila is the perfect, ever constant excuse. Occasionally she goes out with Adrien on a “date” to keep up appearances, but it’s hard to date someone who doesn’t follow her every whim. Lila also doesn’t know anything about gaming, or anime, or anything that Adrien has interest in. In return, Adrien dislikes fashion, manipulation, and lying. Really, they have no common ground.

When the American transfer showed up, Lila had been hoping that he would be dumb. He is wonderful eye candy-- more muscular than Adrien and definitely more filled out, that’s for sure. Lila knows that Gabriel has Adrien on some god-awful model diet, but that boy can metabolize like there’s no tomorrow. But it’s not Lila’s place to intervene. That’s family matters-- that’s show business.

Damian Grayson is not stupid, which is either a blessing or a curse, because that means theoretically this man is the whole package. He’s tall, dark, and has a sharp tongue. Exactly Lila’s type. But nothing that’s actually good ever comes her way, and the moment she meets him, she can tell that he dislikes her. Not for the first time, Lila regrets telling such bald-faced lies her first year. Prior to that year, her mother and she hopped countries nearly every year. Apparently, her mother decided that having Lila in the same school throughout high school would be beneficial. Maybe if Lila hadn’t made such a huge mistake in her first year at Francois Dupont, she would be friends with Marinette, who has more of a spine than the rest of the class combined.

Lila knows a losing battle when she sees one. Damian doesn’t like her, though she’s not sure why. She gets the feeling it’s not just because of her past lies. She’s good at telling what people feel about her, has been trained to since a young age. Since her mother is a diplomat, business dinners and charity galas have been her playground since childhood. Figuring out people’s relationships started as a game, at first. Then Lila learned she could turn her knowledge into a tool. As she bounced around from school to school she got more and more adept with manipulating the relationships that she saw. But she’s seen her mom lose before. She miscalculated, thought that she could change somebody who was too headstrong. It hadn’t been pretty-- and it was high stakes, too. That’s why her mom and dad are now divorced.

She recognizes the same bullheadedness in Damian that Marinette has, and Lila knows that with Damian and the class at odds like they currently are, things will go south. Unlike the other transfer students, Damian looks like he will not be easily cowed and will not transfer just because his classmates say mean things to him. They certainly won’t be able to hurt him physically. Which is why she needs to meet up with Marinette. Do damage control. Make sure that she is safe, and that nobody can hurt her. Nobody in this stupid class can hurt her, really. Except for maybe Marinette, but she is too kind to do so. And now, Damian. Which means Lila needs to get a lock on him, and Marinette is her way to do that.

That’s why Lila is here, now, at this cafe near the Louvre, far, far away from anybody who goes to Francois Dupont. None of her dogs will find her here, and she can work something out with Marinette.

Marinette slides into the seat across from her after ordering something, and Lila begrudgingly admits that the girl is pretty and fashionable. She has a fluid grace to her motions, as well, which is why Lila found it weird that she had been so klutzy when they first met. Puberty, maybe?

“So,” Lila starts. She doesn’t really know how to talk to Marinette. Marinette is not one of her dogs. Marinette is smart, and loved, and good at what she likes; she is, at the very least, Lila’s begrudging equal. “Damian Grayson.”

“Damian Grayson,” Marinette repeats, knowingly. She smiles and jokes, “It almost sounds like we’re meeting up to talk about who we have a crush on.”

There are times when Lila wishes that Marinette took her up on the first option of the truce she presented. She wouldn’t have minded a partner in crime, and Marinette is everything that Lila lacks. That’s why Lila offered it in the first place. She knew that Marinette wouldn’t take it-- she was far too morally inclined too-- but it was worth a try.

“I’ve tried talking to him,” Marinette says, “But he’s not the type to listen.”

“He’s smart.” Smarter than the rest of the class, Lila thinks, so of course he won’t ally himself with her. People who follow who are always disillusioned dreamers who don’t have enough common sense to use Google. “I don’t mind if he’s not on my side. He just can’t be against me.”

Lila doesn’t care much about her classmates at Francois Dupont, but she can’t give them up, either. She still has the rest of this school year and the next, and it’s easier having her classmates fawn over her and drop everything at the flick of her wrist. It makes being class president very easy. If Damian exposes her lies, the end of her lycee years will inevitably end in an unpleasant altercation with Gianna Rossi, her mother. And while her classmates are inarguably dense and too trusting, their attentions aren’t altogether unpleasant. They invite her to go to mundane places and she agrees to, when it’s not too much of an inconvenience.

Marinette nods, sagely, then sips her Cafe au Lait. “There’s nothing to worry about there. He doesn’t like dealing with classroom politics, so as long as you don’t mess with him, he’ll stay away.”

“Good.” But also-- Lila hesitates. She doesn’t think that Marinette will agree with this, but she’s a little bit desperate. As useless and unthinking their classmates are, Lila doesn’t want to lose them. They’re all that Lila has. And they’ll think it weird that Damian isn’t on her side. They might start messing with him, and by extension, Marinette. On Lila’s short list of who she has tried and failed to take down is Marinette. The girl is slow to anger and has seemingly unending patience, but she’s unquestionably talented and charismatic, which means Lila does not want to see her mad. She’s been accepting of the new classroom dynamic in which her classmates ignore and ocassionally insult her because the whole school knows the two of them have bad blood, but some days Lila catches Marinette looking at Alya, Nino, and Adrien with a distant fondness. If they totally turn on Marinette, it won’t end well.

Apparently, Marinette can see the hesitation on her face. Lila is surprised at how good the other girl is at reading people. She definitely should not have the same experiences that Lila does. She has too bright of a disposition to have experienced a life constantly embroiled in politics and poor personal relations. But somehow, Marinette is almost as good at reading people as Lila is.

“If you think the rest of the class is going to do something, I’m pretty sure that Damian will be fine with you shunning him. He doesn’t like liars, but as long as it gets him out of dealing with the rest of the class, he’ll be fine.” Marinette knows how little Damian cares for their classmates. She can ask him for permission after talking to Lila, and then act accordingly.

This is surprisingly easy. Though, most things with Marinette are. Even the first time that Lila confronted her, they only needed to speak a few words before everything was resolved neatly.

“I’ll let you know what I decide to tell them.” Lila figures that it’s easier for her to tell Marinette what she’s planning and not get an unexpected surprise at the last second where the girl opposes her.

“Sounds good.”

Marinette’s phone is on the table, and it buzzes itself to life. Lila sees her lockscreen: a picture of Marinette and her family. Lila thinks of her own lock screen. It is much less personable. A lock screen that is one of the many that are preinstalled.

Marinette picks the phone up, which comes off as uncharacteristically rude. Marinette doesn’t seem like the kind of person who is constantly attached to technology, and she does have better manners than most of her classmates. Lila doesn’t think she’s ever seen Marinette pick up her phone when talking to somebody, and Lila wonders if Mariette picks up the phone because she thinks so little of her.

But Marinette looks pale and worried. She says, “Sorry, but it looks like I have to cut this short. If there’s anything else, just text me, okay?”

Then, Marinette dashes out the door, wide-eyed.

Lila wonders if Marinette’s statement extends to things outside of their classroom situation. Maybe she can get Marinette’s opinion on Gabriel’s Spring line.

“What’s wrong, Renee?” Marinette is worried. Renee never calls without texting, first. Normally, he calls when it’s nighttime, right before he goes to bed. He’s calling in the middle of the day, and something feels wrong.

Renee is taking shuddering breaths on the phone, and Marinette feels her stomach drop. “M-ma-maman,” he wails.

“Did your maman do something?” She’s making her way to Renee’s grandparent’s residence. Marinette visited Renee once in the past week, and he was settling in fine. His grandparents really love him. They said that after their son died, they were rarely able to contact Renee because his mother always had him so busy.

“Maman, she, she hurt Nonna.” Everything that Renee says is punctuated by sniffles and held-back tears.

“Is Nonna bleeding? Can Nonno come to the phone?”

“N-no, I don’t know, Mari, I’m scared, Maman, she’s never been this angry before, Nonno made me lock the bathroom door, I can’t hear them anymore, she’s not going to hurt them, is she? She can’t hurt them, Mari, what am I supposed to do? I’m sorry, I’m sorry for being so bad, I’m sorry. Please--”

“Stay right where you are, okay Renee? Can you use your phone to call the police to Nonno’s house? I’m going to be right there. Nonno and Nonna are going to be okay.”

Renee lets out a shaky, “Yes,” and then Marinette hangs up the phone, darting into an alleyway to turn into Ladybug. She thinks that this might be the fastest that she’s made her way through Paris, and her heartbeat is so fast, Marinette feels like she’s about to vomit.

Ladybug swings to the suburbs where Renee currently resides, detransforms, and sprints into the house. The door is left wide open, which is a bad sign. It signals to Marinette that Celia was violent from the start, and that the elder Monsieur and Madam DeVries did not even have time to close the door.

She is unfortunately right; Madam Devries is on the floor with her arms over her head, body in a fetal position. Celia is barely restrained by Monsieur DeVries, who has deep scratches on his arms.

“You,” Celia snarls when she sees Marinette come through the door. “You bitch! Your stupid intervention made me lose my chance at a promotion. Now I’m on probation! I could be demoted, all because you thought that you could teach my child.”

Celia’s stiletto heels slam onto Monsieur DeVries’ bare foot, and he flinches from the pain. It gives Celia just enough slack for her to escape his arms and storm up to Marinette. “Everything I do is for Renee. I work so he can go to school, so that he has a roof over his head, and so he can go to all of those stupid lessons that his father wanted him to do. And what do you do? What gives you the right to take him away from me?”

She tries to claw Marinette, but misses. All Marinette has to do is sidestep, sweep Celia’s already shaking legs from underfoot, and then pull Celia’s arms sharply and backwards. Marinette’s shin is locked over the back of both of Celia’s knees, and Marinette contorts the woman backwards so Marinette can speak directly into Celia’s ears.

Marinette is glad that there are no cameras rolling here, though she has gathered so much evidence against Celia for charges of child abuse and corporate fraud that there is no way that Celia isn’t going to jail. Sine there’s no video evidence, if Celia wants to bring this instance up, she can just claim self defense.

“You starved Renee when he didn’t want to go to the lessons that you arranged. You beat him if he did anything wrong. You made him think that it was normal for kids to go weeks without seeing or hearing from their parents, prevented him from contacting other family members and from making friends, and humiliated him just because he wanted to hug you in public.” Marinette pulls Celia’s arms back even more sharply, so that her spine was over Marinette’s other knee. Celia let out a gasp and a muffled cry of pain. “You can’t pretend that you did all of that for Renee. You certainly can’t pass off the laundering of Silverstein and Company’s money as something necessary for you to take care of Renee.”

Marinette abruptly pushes Celia onto the floor, letting the leg that wasn’t restraining Celia’s knees onto the woman’s lower back. It’s a lot easier to restrain somebody who’s unconscious, but Marinette wants Celia awake to realize how quickly her life is going to go down the drain. So that Celia knows how much evidence she has stacked against her.

It takes Marinette longer than it usually does for her to restrain her victim with zip ties, but she gets it done well before they even start to hear the police sirens.

“If you think you can use your late husband’s name as an excuse for what you’ve done to Renee, you have another thing coming. I will see you in court this Thursday and not only will you be out of a promotion, you will be out of a job. I’d like to see you try to get a job in France when you have charges of child abuse, violence against a teen and family, fraud, and money laundering on your record.”

“But I love Renee! He is my and Jean’s child. The last connection that I have with Jean. How could I ever hurt him intentionally?”

This only makes Marinette feel more disgusted. How twisted Celia’s vision of love is. Is this how Gabriel feels towards Adrien? Does he also delude himself into believing that his constant isolation of Adrien is a form of love?

“Sometimes, intent doesn’t matter.” Marinette says softly. “The consequences of your actions make you accountable. If you truly love Renee, let him be happy. Let him be safe.” Maybe one day, Celia will learn to be better. To love better. Marinette isn’t sure if Celia should ever be let back into Renee’s life, but that isn’t a decision she can make. That’s something that Renee and Monsieur and Madam DeVries must decide. She hopes they wait on it.

Celia cries, and Marinette can feel the woman’s shudders underneath her fingers. Her face is to the ground now, but she’s lost all color and Marinette can almost believe that she is ashamed and doesn’t want to look at anyone. But as good as Marinette is at partial and half-truths, she’s never been good at lying. Not even to herself.

The police come, and Celia is escorted out in a solemn procession.

Madame and Monsieur DeVries do not thank Marinette, but the way they look at Renee with such concern and affection as they embrace him is all she wants, anyways.

The trial is a quiet affair. There is little to no media coverage because Monsieur and MadameDeVries want it that way.

Since Celia’s physical assault on her son, the case was expedited. Instead of testifying Thursday next week, both Renee’s grandparents and the Silverstein and Company insisted that the date be moved up, and somehow, they managed to get the case to be heard on Friday of the same week.

Renee attaches himself staunchly to Marinette and Damian at the trial. After they visited him at the DeVries house last week, Renee never stopped talking about the best big brother he could hope for. Now, after he has seen his mother launch herself at his Nonna and Nonno, he only has his grandparents and the two of them.

Monsieur and Madam DeVries take this in stride. They are thankful that they helped in getting Renee away from his mother and supportive of Renee forming an attachment to the two of them.

“Damian,” Renee asks when his Maman is on the stand, “Is Maman a bad person?”

Damian is not sure how to answer this. He is no expert on people and his experience with parents is limited and unusual. His mother is an ambitious assassin who raised him to be cold-hearted and brutish. There is little love lost between the two of them. Still, Damian can’t bring himself to think of his mother as a bad person. A villain, maybe, but she had her moments--as brief and few as they were-- of kindness. As far as Damian can tell, Talia really thinks she is doing right by the world. All she wants to do is make the world a better place, though how she goes about doing that is... less than savory.

He shoots a look at Marinette. She shrugs and says, “Just tell him what you’re thinking.”

“People aren’t bad.” The words feel shaky on his tongue. Talia and Bruce both have very different ideology that they’ve espoused to him, but neither feels right to say to Renee. It’s weird to say there are no bad people in the world, when he is a vigilante who fights villains on a daily basis. To say that people like the Joker are not bad, when he has so much blood on his hands. He looks at Marinette, and she’s giving him an encouraging smile. It makes him feel like he’s saying the right thing. “Misguided and twisted, yes. There are also people who are bad for you. Their decisions and actions can be bad, and they can be hurtful.”

Marinette smiles, and it makes Damian feel good. He’s never really expressed his feelings on the dichotomy of people being good or bad, but he thinks about it often enough. His siblings and father all have pretty varying views on the matter, so he can’t claim that he is right, but if Marinette agrees with him, he can’t be all that wrong.

If this view isn’t wrong, perhaps he’s needs to reevaluate his relationships with the people surrounding him, and his feelings towards himself. Dick has tried for a very long time to make Damian believe that he is not a bad person, but Damian has never really believed him. Dick says Damian was just misguided in his youth, following the instructions of someone who should have known better. That so long as Damian tries to be a better person and do better things, that he will be a good person.

Being a good person has never sounded right to Damian. He knows that his hands have taken lives and if he’s being honest, he’s not that unwilling to take more. Father believes killing people is a bad thing and refuses to do it. When Todd went off on his own and killed people, Father said it was unacceptable, and that it didn’t matter that the people he killsed were doing bad things. Thus, if Damian killed in the past, Dick’s logic simply doesn’t make sense. He cannot redeem himself from the lives he has taken; they cannot magically resurrect themselves.

But if people aren’t good or bad and only their actions are, then maybe Damian is a hero, as Dick has continually tried to convince him. He has faced consequences for his past actions, and though he’s not sure that the consequences will ever be enough, the decisions he makes now are better. As Robin, he goes out of his way to help people. As Damian, he ocassionally tries to mediate.

“Still, even if people aren’t good or bad,” Marinette whispers into Renee’s ear and squeezes his hand, “That doesn’t mean you have to be with them. If they’ve hurt you, it’s your right to avoid them, and you shouldn’t feel bad for doing that.”

Celia shivers on the stand and the few times that she brings herself to look at Renee, Marinette can see the beginnings of remorse on her face. Realization and remorse are the first steps to change. There is a future out there that will let Renee and Celia be together again, though Marinette personally doubts that it will ever happen.

After the trial, Renee is released to the custody of Monsieur and Madame DeVries, and Celiaa is sentenced to 14 years in jail, with a possibility of parole in 7 years. Many of the scandals th Silverstein company has under their belt was pushed onto Celia. Marinette can’t say she’s pleased with that, but it’s not as though she’s willing to fight for a shorter jail sentence for this woman.

The five of them go out to celebrate the result of the trial filled with quiet joy.

One week after the trial, three since Damian arrived in Paris, and Marinette and Damian are engaged in a wrestling match in Marinette’s living room.

“Come on Marinette, don’t be such a sore loser.”

Marinette finally manages to flip and pin Damian onto the ground. “I would not have lost if you didn’t knock the controller out of my hands with thirty seconds to go!”

“That was just poor strategy on your part. You could have knocked my controller away too, instead of chasing after yours.” It’s surprisingly difficult for Damian to get himself out from under Marinette, and it’s even harder for him to flip her back and cage her. “Besides, it’s not my fault that you have such sweaty hands. Should keep a better grip, Pigtails.”

Marinette sputters. “Don’t insult my hairstyle choices!”

“I wasn’t insulting them. It’s a--” nickname. But Damian doesn’t give people he’s not close to nicknames. When he doesn’t know someone’s name, or doesn’t care for them, he calls them by distinguishing features. But Damian knows Marinette’s name and thinks that she’s a decent person. The way Pigtails rolled off of Damian’s tongue feels more like an endearment than anything else. He thinks that her pigtails are pretty cute, after all. They fit her childish persona when she is relaxed.

Sabine comes up the steps from the boulangerie and smiles at the two of them.

“You two are getting along well,” she says so nonchalantly that Damian feels a flush growing. He lets his weight off of Marinette, and she bounds up, onto her mother’s arm.

“Maman, tell Damian that my pigtails are great. He’s insulting them!”

Sabine smiles lovingly at her daughter and shakes one of the pigtails with her hand. “Definitely the tails of one very cute pig.”

“Maman, you can’t call me a pig. I’m your daughter.”

“I said a very cute pig.” Sabine looks at Damian and winks, and his flush grows even more. “Now isn’t it about time for the two of you to go back to school?”

Marinette groans. “Don’t remind me. Madame Mendeleev is going to give a physics test today.”

She grabs another pastry and her bag before kissing her Maman and heading out to the streets with Damian.

“Bye Maman, we’ll see you after we go visit Renee!”

“Bye, Sabine.” Damian inclines his head as Marinette’s mother waved them goodbye from behind the bakery counter.

It’s nice being friends with Marinette. The days go by quickly, and there’s rarely a dull moment. Somehow, the two of them kept meeting each other after akuma attacks, and between all of their accidental run-ins and their scheduled visits with Renee, Damian finds that he’s more often in the presence of Marinette Dupain-Cheng than he is alone.

At first, Marinette is prickly, but after Lila spreads the lie that he doesn’t speak French well and feels anxious when in big groups, and oh, did she mention that he wants to leave and not be friends with any of them, the class doesn’t really bother with him much. She’s much more willing to be around him once that occurs.

Surprisingly, what Lila said isn’t even that much of a lie. He wants-- or at least wanted-- to leave Paris because he thought that Hawkmoth wasn’t that big of a deal. He certainly doesn’t want to befriend anyone who is imbecilic enough to believe Lila. His French is a little bit rusty, but it’s definitely passable.

Now that Lila is not constantly trying to hold Damian’s forearm, he relaxes a lot. Marinette is a calming, level-headed person who balances out Damian’s doom and gloom with cheer and optimism. She’s good at catching him up on the classwork, though not the best ad science, and is a responsible person that Damian trusts with most things.

Lately, he’s been thinking of trusting her a little more and fishing for information on Hawkmoth, Chat Noir, and Ladybug. For some reason, Damian thinks that she will be a very good source of information if he approaches it the right way.

He aces the physics test. It’s a good day.

They’re walking back to Tom & Sabine’s Boulangerie when they come across Nicolette, the girl Marinette saved from Fraser.

“Marinette! Damian! I’m so glad I ran into you two. I never got a chance to thank you guys for saving me.” Nicolette looks infinitely happier than when they had first met her. She’s so different than when Damian first met her. He’s never been good at reconciling people in extreme situations of stress with how they are normally, so Damian supposes this is just par for the course.

“Can I get you guys coffee? It’s really such a relief that Fraser’s finally off my back. He was hounding me for a long time.” Nicolette’s voice trails off towards the end. She’s ashamed.

“I’m free. I’d love to have coffee with you. Damian?”

Damian doesn’t have any real reason to refuse. Research on Hawkmoth is important, but he’s hit a dead end as of late, and stressing about the lack of information-- Damian curses magic, for the umpteenth time-- will do nothing. It doesn’t help that he can hear his older brothers in his head, telling him that he needs to get a life.

“How’s your new job going?” Marinette falls into conversation with the girl, and the two of them manage to drag him into the conversation as well. Having a rapport with someone he barely knows is unusual, but surprisingly pleasant. There’s no need to go into depth over things he doesn’t care for, and anything that a party doesn’t seem interested in or doesn’t like is glossed over immediately.

Perhaps his brothers are right, and Damian does need to get a few more friends his age.

“My boss says that if I keep performing the way I am, I’ll get a promotion before the end of the year! Can you believe that?”

“That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you. And your coworkers?”

“They’re pretty amazing. I’m so glad that I decided to work for Dior instead of Silverstein and Company. Silverstein was what really sent Fraser off, and they’re not even in fashion. They’re in real estate or something. Dior always reminds me how valued I am, and that’s something I really needed after dealing with Fraser for so long.” Nicolette looks around the cafe and lowers her voice. “There’s not a lot of information out about it in the media yet, but I’ve heard that Silverstein is going to be in pretty hot water soon; someone high up in their Paris branch really messed up. Apparently she was doing all sorts of illegal things under the table, and let a lot of those who were under her get away with the same thing.”

Marinette and Damian exchange looks. They know exactly who she’s talking about, but they come to the joint decision that they don’t need to talk about it. Because talking about how they know means talking about Renee. And even though Nicolette is friendly, there is no reason to expose another person’s life story. Especially not when they’re as vulnerable as Renee is. Marinette gently redirects the conversation back to fashion.

“Oh, I love Dior! Their ready to wear line was to die for this year.”

“Definitely, a lot of my friends like Gabriel better, but I simply adore the way that Dior emphasizes femininity. I don’t think that women need to emulate men in their fashion; we’re amazing the way we are, and should be appreciated.” Nicolette looks Marinette up and down. “Speaking of, I love your outfit. It doesn’t look like it’s something from a ready-made store.”

“I like to design my own clothes from time to time,” Marinette waves off the compliment. “Both Gabriel and Dior’s original missions are founded on principles that I greatly admire, though I have to admit that I’ve had some personal run-ins with Monsieur Agreste that have reflected poorly on his recent choices, and I am no longer the biggest fan of his work. It’s sad that he’s deviated so much from what he originally wanted to do-- give his wife and women the power to be treated as an equal.”

Marinette isn’t exactly sure how Gabriel treats Adrien in his entirety, but what little she does know is enough for her to despise the man. For the past year, Marinette has wanted to emancipate Adrien, and that desire has only gotten stronger in the past few months. In her gut, Marinette knows her initial suspicions are correct: Gabriel has to be Hawkmoth. More recently, even their moods seem to be interconnected. Gabriel has been hounding Adrien more than usual-- more photoshoots, late nights, less correspondence with his friends, more of a diet, and those are only things that Marinette has observed. And Hawkmoth has been coming after her and Chat Noir with a vengeance. He’s released an akuma every single day for the past month, and it’s taxing on her, though Marinette can’t say that his newest strategy is any weirder than the other ones he’s been trying out during the past half year. At least the akumas aren’t that strong, but it’s worrying because Chat Noir feels more obligated to come out to at least half of the akuma battles, and it’s clear that he’s too tired and too busy to do so.

“What about you, Damian? Do you have a favorite courtiere?” Marinette smiles sheepishly. They’re talking about fashion, and she’s not sure that he enjoys the subject all that much.

“I don’t know much about fashion, but all my brothers can talk about is this new designer that’s been working with Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale. They’re completely obsessed, but I can’t remember the name.” Damian thinks the designer’s name had an M in it, but he’s not sure.

“Oh, MDC! They’re so elusive, but their designs are stunning. I’d love to work with them, if I ever get a chance. It’s a pity that they’re so secretive.” Nicolette whips out her phone. “I have a whole file on all of the designs that they’ve released so far. They have a great eye for color, and their construction is flawless. I even have a few designs that they haven’t claimed, but I’m pretty sure they made it. All of them have a pretty distinctive--”

Nicolette narrows her eyes. “Wait.”

Marinette looks down at her cup, and then back up into Nicolette’s, calm and steady. “I love MDC too. Since I’m an aspiring designer, I reference everything she makes pretty often. I based my jacket off the one she made for Clara, with a little bit of Dior Spring 2017 for flair.”

“No. Way.” Nicolette’s eyes set themselves on the lapel of her blazer. “No, no, no, there’s no way.”

Damian raises an eyebrow, looks at Marinette and then Nicolette. Nicolette’s mouth hangs slightly ajar while Marinette holds her cup of coffee. He feels like he’s missing something here, but he’s not exactly sure what. MDC. Marinette. MDC. Marinette.

He pauses. What is Marinette’s last name again? He thinks he’s heard it at least once before-- must have, because they needed to state their full name for the court records-- but what?

Nicolette squeals and takes Marinette’s hands. Still, she knows when to keep things a secret; since Marinette hasn’t revealed her identity yet, there must be a reason why she wants to keep it a secret. Marinette saved her, so there’s no way that Nicolette is going to betray her trust. Plus, this might give Nicolette a huge break if she plays her cards right.

Apparently, Nicolette deems Damian either to be nobody important, or somebody who’s already in confidence with this secret that Marinette is keeping, so she lowers her voice just enough so that the three at the table can hear. “I cannot believe that I’ve met you. I can’t believe that you saved me! Do you know how kickass that is? Half of the designers who are working for us look like they’re fragile enough to blow away if one more needle stabs them. Oh my god. I can’t believe this. This is one of the best days of my life.”

For her part, Marinette looks confused, with an underlying current of either amusement and possibly anxiety. “They are pretty new to the industry. It’s rare to meet another fan!”

“Don’t play me like that. I got my job for a reason. I was one of the top scorers in business school and might have been hired for my background in technology, but the reason why I had an emphasis on fashion is because I am obsessed with couture. And when I get obsessed, it’s pretty easy for me to see when it’s one of my favorite designer’s styles.”

“Thanks for thinking that I copied them so well!” Marinette smiles, and Damian almost doesn’t catch the hint of tension in her shoulders. “I do have a lot of free time on my hands though. High school student and all.”

Marinette has learned to lie very well. After years of hiding life-altering secrets, she has to be. There’s a lot riding on her ability to keep silent. Paris, for example.

Unfortunately for her, the two people at the table aren’t fooled by her act. Damian pieces it together from context clues and a quick glance in his contact list, where Marinette is listed as “Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Nicolette, on the other hand, is very well versed in MDC’s past designs, and also has the conviction to follow through with her beliefs.

Marinette’s denial of her alter-ego is not outlandish. She’s a teenage girl, and perhaps not ready to face the media storm that would come after outing herself to the public. So Nicolette drops the issue, and Damian doesn’t comment. She hums, pulls out a business card and says, “Well, your construction on your blazer is much better than we see with interns usually. If you’re ever interested in coming to Dior, just shoot me a message. I’d be glad to give you a referral or help in any way. It’s the least I can do.”

“Wow, that’s amazing! I’m not sure, but I’m thinking of trying to intern this summer.” Marinette isn’t sure that she can, what with her duties as Ladybug that will inevitably pull her away from her internship and will not reflect well on her work ethic (she really needs to take down Hawkmoth before she gets into college, or at least before she gets into the working world), but it would be nice to intern for one of the biggest fashion companies. And honestly, after knowing how awfully Gabriel treats his own son, she’s not sure she wants to find out how he treats his interns.

“Please Marinette,” Nicolette says, eyes twinkling. “With your skills, I can land you more than an intern position. But it was nice catching up. We should do this again, sometime.”

“It was nice,” Damian says, and he finds that he means it. More than nice, actually. Damian knows more about Marinette now, and he’s sure that there’s even more for him to discover. She certainly keeps things interesting, that’s for sure.

“Definitely.”

“Eugh. Damian, would you please throw out that shirt of yours?” Marinette wrinkles her nose. “Mustard yellow is not your shade. How is it that the one colored shirt that you have in your wardrobe is also the ugliest thing you own?”

Since they now see each other on an almost daily basis and Marinette’s proclivity for fashion has been outed, she voices her distaste with Damian’s limited fashion sense more often than not. The boy knows how to work a good black t-shirt and jeans, but not much else. She asked him if he was trying to go for the emo look, yesterday, and when he said no, she demanded that he wear something with color the following day, So, Damian flipped through the clothes that he brought with him to France, and found that the only colored clothing he brought was a t-shirt he doesn’t even remember packing.

“I’m wearing something colorful,” he says. “You told me to.”

“If I knew that this was the only thing that you owned in color, I would have gladly let you remain in your emo phase.” Marinette sighs. “Now that I know this is your only option and that you are not an emo, I have no choice.”

In the time that has passed since the two of them met with Nicolette, Marinette has not acknowledged the elephant in the room. She has said nothing of her relation to MDC, but it’s not hard to figure it out. Damian spent the night after they met up with Nicolette looking at a collection of all the things that MDC has designed and found a very distinctive logo sewn into each. This logo is also found on all of the things that are up in Marinette’s room, but he hasn’t mentioned it. Thus, the two of them pretend that she is just an aspiring designer, rather than one who already has high-end clientele.

With a dramatic swoon and an intake of breath, Marinette says, “I suppose I must help you with your wardrobe. The reformation of one Damian Grayson has now been entrusted to me, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

The mention of Damian’s fake last name makes him bristle more than the jab at his clothing colors.

“My wardrobe is fine. I don’t see anybody else complaining.”

“Damian. You interact with maybe five people on a regular basis in Paris. Renee doesn’t think you can do a single bad thing in the world, and his Nonna and Nonno aren’t going to say anything about your fashion choices. The barista at the cafe is head over heels for you and clearly doesn’t think about anything but your pretty eyes and the muscles under your t-shirt. Maman and Papa just think that you’re a teenager who doesn’t have more than one outfit, and that you’re possibly emo.” Marinette pauses. “You do have more than one outfit, right?”

Damian scoffs. He may not know fashion, but he can certainly afford more than one outfit. Still, Marinette doesn’t know much about him in terms of family or finance. They’ve kept everything very surface level, though he’s sure that she has her own assumptions. He has his own about her, though he does have more information to work with. He can’t shake the feeling that he’s missing something big, though. The way they keep meeting up after akumas and the way she’s able to take people down so easily when Damian knows that she doesn’t actually go to the martial arts class down the street from Francois Dupont. But every time he tries to think about it for too long, something else draws his attention. His train of thought always slips away.

“Don’t you scoff at me young man. I am now obligated to help you, you poor, misguided soul. I am going to dress you to impress.” Her grin broadens. “I bet that I can get that barista to ask you on a date. What would you prefer; for her to leave her number on a cup, for her to silently drool over you, or for her to try to work up the nerve to ask you out directly?”

“I don’t want her to ask me out at all.” He leans back onto the armrest of the sofa and assesses her.

“Come on, Damian. You need to make more friends. Go out. Live a little!”

“This, coming from you,” Damian says amusedly. Marinette and his brothers would get along splendidly, if they ever met. Not that they will.

Marinette huffs. “I certainly have more friends than you, and I definitely interact with way more people than you do.”

“That’s what you get for working in customer service. And also for having some sort of moral obligation to save the world.”

At this, Marinette almost stutters. Her mind instantly goes to Ladybug. But Damian can’t know. All of the times that she’s seen him on scene after an akuma attack, they were all coincidences. They have to be.

“I don’t know why you feel the need to save everyone and their uncle from stalkers and continue to intervene in random street fights, but where I’m from, that certainly doesn’t happen very often.”

Oh. Oh, he is talking about her civilian form. He doesn’t know. It’s fine.

“Funny, because you always seem to step in to help whenever you see me.” Marinette frowns. “Say, where are you from, anyways? I know you’re from America, which explains why you have such horrible fashion sense, but where?” Marinette cracks a smile, thinking of Damian in American stereotypes.

“So what was it? A surfer? A cowboy? Oh my god, a skater boy,” she cackles. She can totally see it. The slightly rebellious slightly punk combo. There’s no way that Damian wasn’t a skater boy back in the states.

Damian looks insulted. “I was not a skater boy. If you must know, I’m from Gotham.”

Is that too much information? He regrets it almost as soon as the words are out of his mouth, but he has gotten too relaxed in her presence. That isn’t good. He can’t let things slip like that. He should have redirected her, let him think that he was from New York, or that he was a skater boy. If Marinette decides to look up Damian and Gotham, there are a good number of photos of him alongside his real last name. Then she’ll wonder why he lied to begin with. That will be bad. That can’t happen.

She considers him. “You’ve really got it rough, don’t you? Moving from one crime infested city to the next. Gotham’s worse, though. At least here, we’ve only got two overpowered villains and a bunch of victims. Over there… the likes of the Joker and Two-Face? They hurt people, and there’s no Miraculous Cure from Ladybug to fix the damage they’ve done. Honestly, I’m surprised that you don’t avoid danger at every turn.”

Gothamites do tend to avoid danger much more than their Parisian counterparts. Gothamites walk with purpose and are rarely out on the streets longer than they absolutely have to be; they’re a smart bunch, who don’t want to get involved if they don’t have to. Most people keep their cards close to their chest, and don’t let people know that they care.

Damian doesn’t think it’s bad, though he does have to admit that Paris is less dangerous. Frustrating, because he can’t do much when a situation arises, but it’s almost nice how normal he feels in Paris. That’s something he hasn’t gotten to experience much of, and while the first few days were weird, he’s settled into a sort of routine. He gets along with Marinette a hell of a lot better than any of his classmates back in Gotham, except for maybe Kent, but he and Kent rarely see each other during school hours.

Marinette breezes back to talking about fashion, almost as if she knows that she’s getting into territory that neither of them are quite ready to go into, and Damian gladly accepts it.

She claps her hands and says, “We’re going shopping. Let’s get you a wardrobe that makes your loved ones proud.”

It doesn’t escape Damian’s notice that she says loved ones instead of parents, and wonders if she knows more than he thinks she does. He wonders if she already knows that he’s Damian Wayne. Somehow, he doubts that she knows or cares that he is the son of an American billionaire with mommy issues. But it does feel good to have someone that doesn’t assume things about the state of his family. She’s been incredibly noninvasive and patient, backing off as soon as she thinks there’s a possible limit if he ever says more than he means to. Damian wonders if this courtesy is because she doesn’t want her own secrets to get out. It doesn’t matter, whatever the reason.

He’s glad for it.

They’re in her bedroom.

Damian lies on her chaise, tossing a stress ball that he finds on her desk. Marinette sits in her rolling chair, working on a commission.

“Ever thought of opening up a website?” Marinette’s room is nice. It has a feminine charm to it, but nothing overwhelming. Very different from Barbara’s chaotically organized room that has cold cases and theories lying around on every open surface and Cassandra’s weapon filled one.

Marinette hums. “I’ve thought about it. I don’t know if I want to. I don’t really have the technical expertise to make it happen.”

“You’ve got Nicolette. I wouldn’t be opposed to helping you with the technological aspect, either.”

At her desk, Marinette’s hands still. “The commissions I get just from word of mouth are pretty amazing. They’re also pretty time consuming.”

Damian can’t tell if he’s pushing too hard. If she’s uncomfortable with what he’s saying. Not for the first time since he’s been around Marinette, Damian wishes that he could read people better.

“But you want to be a fashion designer. You can only do so much with word of mouth.”

“I’ve got plenty of time,” Marinette counters. “I’ve got years before I can even think about making it big.”

This… annoys him for some reason. Marinette doesn’t have to wait for years before making a splash in the fashion industry. She already is. And she can make an even bigger one if she just makes a way for people to contact her reliably.

He sits up. “You are perfectly capable of achieving your dreams now.Why are you putting what you’re passionate about on hold? It makes little sense to limit yourself when there are celebrities around the world vying for a piece of yours. Even my brothers like your designs, and it’s difficult to catch their attention.”

Briefly, Damian wonders if his words would mean more to her if she knew he is a Wayne. That his brothers are Waynes-- the impossible to please, highly irritable Waynes. He shakes away the thought. Thanks to her everyday hero attitude, she’s gotten to meet a surprising amount of famous people or people on their way to fame, and she treats them no differently when she finds out.

What goes on inside the brain of Marinette is far beyond him. Every time he thinks he has her pegged, she does something that makes his assumptions wrong. It’s frustrating how little he knows about her when he is supposed to be one of the world’s greatest detectives. The one thing that doesn’t change, the only common thread that he can follow is that Marinette cares for people far better than most care for themselves.

It’s only been one month, but Marinette is passionate about everything she does, from helping out her parents at the bakery to all of the random acts of kindness she does around town. The good will she shows people on the streets, whether they’re down on their luck that day or are going through a rough patch is unconventional and awe-inspiring. Anyone she meets who’s in a really bad situation is immediately swept up into endless love and affection and she always continues to meet up with them when they need it. If she comes across a situation where she can help,Marinette always follows through. She drops everything for complete strangers that she meets.

So why can’t she take a stab at her own dreams?

“I don’t have time,” Marinette manages. Damian doesn’t think that he’s seen her breathe since they’ve started this conversation.

“Marinette. Look at me.”

She turns to him, eyes downcast and mind clearly elsewhere.

“Marinette.”

She looks at him. Damian is taken aback at the kind of blue her eyes are. Layers of different shades of blue with flecks that almost look silver surrounding her pupil. Even her eyes have freckles.

“You need to make the time.” And then, she looks so helpless, her eyes full of regret and confusion and anxiousness.

Damian wants to do something. With his hands, or feet, or something. He wants to move, he wants to hold her. He settles for running a hand through his hair, a highly unusual action. He likes his hair neat and doesn’t like tics. They make him feel weak. But if running his hand through his hair can stop him from reaching out to Marinette-- for what, Damian thinks, a hug?--then he’ll do it.

“I’m busy, Damian,” she says plaintively, like she’s begging him to believe her.

Why, though? Damian doesn’t understand. Why can’t she just make a website? God knows his brothers would be all over it. The only reason Tim hasn’t figured out her identity is because he respects the fact that MDC clearly does not want to go public. He’s been trying to hunt down an alternate way to get an MDC commission for months now and has only just stopped short of reaching out to Jagged himself. Damian doesn’t understand why he feels so frustrated at her lack of effort, either. He’s seen plenty of people around him in Gotham give up on their dreams in favor of more practical ways of life. People he knew that were talented and could make it, and he never, ever pushed them. Because it was their life. Their decisions. So why?

Why does it hurt so much when Marinette doesn’t follow her dreams?

“I see. Then if you’re so busy, maybe I should stop taking up your time.” The words taste like blood in his mouth. What is he doing? Being with Marinette makes him feel good. Like he’s worthy of being Bruce Wayne’s blood son and that he’s a good brother. Why should he give that up just because Marinette doesn’t want to grow up?

He drops through the trap door and closes it behind him. He goes back to the apartment his father bought him for his stay in Paris. It is empty, cold, and impersonal. For the first time since he’s met Marinette, Damian desperately wishes that the Justice League would give him permission to be Robin.

2:02 AM | Marinette: Damian?

Marinette: hey im sorry for

Marinette: honestly i don’t even know i

2:06 AM | Marinette: will you help me make a website?

2:10 AM | Damian: ok

Damian: i’ll come over tomorrow after school?

2:12 AM | Marinette: yeah

Marinette: that sounds good

3:30 AM | Marinette: im sorry i don’t really know what for but i’m sorry

Marinette: i felt really horrible

Marinette: im sorry

3:37 AM | Damian: you need to learn how to take care of yourself before you take care of others

Damian: please.

#miraculous ladybug #dcu #mlb x dc #maribat #daminette #damian wayne is robin #sbgs #original content #adrien agreste #lila rossi #marinette dupain cheng #damian wayne

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