#Seat Plan & Result

[bengiyo]

Marahuyo Project Eps 5 & 6 Stray Thoughts

Last time, Lorie decided to befriend King and Venice, and joined their club. When someone spray painted the mural of Ino’s ancestor, the other kids and dean blamed King, but Lorie stepped forward to claim she did it as well. The queer club was punished with community service to clean the beach, and the three bonded over their time together. We learned that Lorie’s queer awakening is complicated by her anger at her father’s infidelity (and men as a whole as a result). We learned about a young person who died on the beach, revealed to be a close friend of Venice’s and Archie named Christina. Archie refuses to use Christina’s name because he believes it was her queerness that got her killed, and it’s why he’s trying to protect Venice by demanding she withdraw from her expression of herself. We also learned that Ino’s dad likely left their family for a queer relationship, Ino is admittedly falling for King, and his mom told him directly to not be gay. Also, King’s mom cut his hair in his sleep and I am still pissed about it.

Episode 5: Hunyango

I do love the bits of history and mythology we get at the beginning of each episode. I liked how this one highlighted the journeys of many of the characters.

Few things more powerful than a bunch of out kids enjoying an early morning strut. Poor Lorena, though. She wasn’t ready for this divide between her and Lili.

Oh good. It was just Ino with a torch. I clearly play too much d20 fantasy.

The kids are right. Naming things is hard.

Growing up, my dad thought I might become a priest.

I respect this line that Venice is walking in the conversation with Archie to reach through his walls.

Oh wow. Archie is so stressed that he’s scratched up the whole back of his neck. That’s uncomfortable.

Aw, Venice. I’m enjoying the brainstorming session. It’s good to model what planning communication with people not predisposed to listen to you. I also love that they decided to build their plan around the local context of Marahuyo and then immediately transitioned to Lorie legitimately doing research about her home.

Lorie, your friend looks worried. Can you not look at her lips like you wanna kiss her right now?

Whoa, what’s going on with Lili? Are we going beyond the Q in the acronym?

Ino is also correct. You cannot frame a presentation around a local context without directly engaging with the locals who are the context.

🎶 Flashback! Who’s that?? 🎶

Oh, Ino, what have you been through that you thought to ask before hugging King?

I’m very curious about the statue they uncovered on the beach.

Hold on, did Venice add Christina’s name to hers as a way to honor her? I need to lay down for a bit.

Ah, so we’re definitely going into rare presentation with Lili. I am seated (once I get off the floor from the last bullet).

Oh no. Please stop showing me Archie’s neck. It’s a good visual to show how these internalized pressures and traumas express in physical ways, but oof.

Episode 6: Sirena

Super amped about these kids taking the research component seriously within their specific connections. Lorie got info that her dad has access to as the mayor. Venice got info from the church through Archie. King got equipment so they can conduct interviews. Now they’re all gathered and reviewing the information they have.

“Joining us as an ally.” Wow, so many points to this show for reminding people that sometimes an ally is someone who isn’t ready to or can’t come out. In any case, they are with us in the movement.

Poor Venice. She just doesn’t know things.

Hold on…I think I recognize the Lola Puri actress. I will look her up when we get to the credits.

Good job on this show for priming people with the earlier lesson about babaylans for this reveal here.

Boys, are we doing a gay pinkie touch during the critical history lesson?

Hey, this is really good. They have an oral history now connecting a prized tradition to the yearnings of a respected ancestor for another man who turned on him in a cruel way. Unfortunately, the villain of this story happens to be one of Ino’s ancestors. Sad, but unsurprising, that a homophobe gained prominence for outing and robbing a queer man.

I’m really touched by how all of the kids had such an emotional reaction to the story and how it reflected some of their own feelings. I deeply appreciate this show for letting me see others experience how queer history feels for me.

Goddamit, Marco, I was enjoying a complicated, difficult moment. Can you fuck off?

Thank you, Lili, for destroying this man. Make sure to hydrate.

Who is this man at the dinner table in Ino’s house? It’s probably not the dad, right?

And there it is again: Venice telling Archie that courage isn’t built around coming out. He still helped them where it counted.

I’m so sick of this priest.

I do love Juvy. She’s usually so correct and King actually listens to her.

“Who are you?” “Incorrect answer! I already know your name.”

On the real. I’m so proud of Ino. The first person you have to say it to is yourself.

Oh noooo. This is probably actually Ino’s dad. This scene is about to get even uglier.

Mmmm. I don’t like Lili giving up her shorts and then immediately going to a scene where she has to get rough with Marco.

Wow, this is horrible. What a way to end this episode.

I did recognize the Lola actress! That's Angie Castrence! I knew it was Gavreel’s homophobic aunt from Gameboys 2! This was a great 6th episode with very clear ideas and goals. This episode focused completely on coming out, who it’s for, and whether it’s necessary. I like that we had three characters all scared to come out, but it’s eating away at all of them. Archie is literally tearing his neck apart in anxiety. Ino is say gay and in love that it’s leaking out of him, to the point that he was forced to confront his own mom. Lili has been outed by Marco. I love that all of our out characters reassured our closeted characters that they didn’t need to come out. Can’t believe I’ve got two shows in contention for show of the year right now.

[vro0m]

Do you think if 2024 is just as bad/maybe slightly better we will still see Lewis on the grid? I know he wants that 8th title that is rightfully his, however, it has to be the most difficult thing mentally, physically and even on a spiritual level to have the hunger, fire and want to fight up front but the machine underneath you just doesn't do what it's meant to do and doesn't seem to align well with the driver in the seat which is so disheartening to see.

Hard question. Ultimately I don't know, because I don't know him and I'm not in his head, but there's a few things I imagine would have an influence on that decision.

SORRY IT GOT SLIGHTLY LONG (duh)

1- The contract

First of all let's not forget he's contracted until the end of 2025. We all know contracts can be broken but it does make it seems he's determined to not give up quite yet.

2- The car

Of course the car performance is the main thing. It's very unlikely, unless there's a legit engineering miracle happening, that the W15 will be able to challenge RedBull. But I don't think he's necessarily asking for that much. I think if the next car feels better to him in testing, and then he sees the development finally reliably go in the right direction, even if slowly, it'll give him enough hope and fire to sustain the effort for a bit longer.

3- The 2026 regs

If the car stays bad or doesn't get much better, the second main question imo is can he keep himself going until 2026 to see if the new regs change the situation. Can you imagine retiring at the end of 2025 just for the 2026 car being good again? It would be infuriating. 2026 is in quite a long time but I do feel like he wouldn't leave without checking it out if he can't get what he's still here for until then (and he almost certainly won't).

4- The mental side of things (amp up the speculation)

I feel like it's pretty clear he had a retirement plan and the Abu Dhabi 2021 finale has pushed that back. He also said he wasn't planning on still being there at 40. So on the one hand, he might be kinda done? Or more like he wishes he was done? I do personally feel like at times he seemed tired and disengaged (understandable). But it's not necessarily a bad thing to be able to put some distance between F1 (or anything really) and oneself imo, and not be starving and frustrated all the time because it's not going how you'd like. Take Alonso. Alonso wants to win extremely bad as well. I mean he hasn't won in 5'000 years but he's STILL trying at his old age (I'm half-joking). But ultimately his detached attitude in the face of lack of performance is what he owes his longevity to. He still wants it, but he doesn't let it get to him too much when he can't get it. It's not sustainable to be angry about something you have no control over 100% of the time. You will burn out. You need to let go.

On the other hand, can Lewis really detach? No one has been as fully dedicated, no one has sacrificed so much for so long, no one has put as much effort in it, no one has set such a high standard for himself than he did. His own teammates have been saying that. His own teammates have burnt out trying to keep up. AND he's being going at that pace for so long, been on the top for so long, I wonder if he even can let go enough to wait for better days without exhausting himself mentally in the meantime. He's not used to it. I'm not saying his career has been smooth sailing, he's had subpar or even bad cars before. But not for like. A decade. In a sense he's precisely in the position his teammates have been in. But instead of them VS Lewis, it's now Lewis VS the car, I guess? My point is in both cases, when you give it your 110% and don't see ANY result coming your way, you can't keep giving 110%.

Basically it's a fight between the fire in his gut and the dull reality of things. I don't know who wins because we haven't really been there before.

5- Time

The only similar situation was the last few years at McLaren but he was winning races even then. And his solution was move teams. I think it's unlikely he will do that again, most of all because he's running out of time. Back then he had the time to build up from the ground again, but it's not the case anymore.

So the last question is, if he does keep at it, until when? At some point he will have to retire. If he manages to win his 8th, then it's pretty clear-cut. If he doesn't, when does he stop trying? The longer he stays, the further from quitting while he's ahead he is. Maybe it's just my own feelings talking but I feel like it would be also very disappointing and annoying to leave in such a lackluster way after having accomplished so much. Although I guess that's often the tragic fate of champions. Anyway, there must be some kind of deadline in his head, maybe not a fully hard one, but at his age and with where he's at in life with the rest of his projects, I don't think he's blindly walking along anymore. We have no way of knowing what the deadline is though. Time will tell.

[vancouverkitchenrenovation]

Open Kitchen Design Ideas 2023

The latest trends and cutting-edge open kitchen design ideas for 2023.

Homeowners have been thinking carefully about outfitting their kitchens for the last decade. But in 2023, the possibilities are only getting more dynamic.

Open kitchen designs are a great way to create an inviting atmosphere for family and friends alike. Striving for a modern yet inviting vibe? Consider incorporating natural textures and materials, such as wood countertops or rustic-look cabinets.

For those looking to make their space open up without losing out on style and comfort, consider adding some glass panels to your kitchen design. Allowing a bright light between rooms makes it easy to stay engaged with family and guests while cooking dinner in the adjoining area.

Multipurpose islands are another avenue of creativity in open kitchen design. Thanks to its flexibility, this piece is tailor-made to suit any style palette while giving you an extra workspace perfect for any culinary endeavour!

Lean into stylish alternatives like Bluetooth-enabled appliances which allow you to be seamlessly connected while making use of fun features like music-playing capabilities or power outlets built right into your cabinetry surfaces. The result can be the ultimate combination of ambiance and convenience!

How to create an open kitchen design that will trend in 2023.

In the art of kitchen design, an open kitchen design was born from the dust and sawdust of previous generations. The design trend for 2023 is clear – stylish, efficient, and modern kitchens are what’s in.

But not just any kitchen will do. Just like an artist carefully paints his masterpiece, bringing a kitchen up to trend standards takes careful planning.

Let’s start with creative lighting because light can make or break your cozy new cooking space. Install unique fixtures that draw attention to certain spaces or seats in the kitchen that you want to feature more prominently. For a bright space, strategically place task lighting and additional accent lights highlighting colours and textures around the room.

Next-level seating will further amp up the atmosphere: choose extra seating that doesn’t take away from other spaces by opting for stools instead of full chairs or benches for versatile seating for more people but with less overall impact on floor space. Tie together your colour choices with vibrant barstool options.

Take a hint from nature when selecting tones and materials: natural wooden tables perfectly offset bold-coloured cabinets while keeping you feeling Zen in the kitchen’s environment rather than overcrowded with too much furniture.

If you’re looking for maximum visual impact without breaking the bank, consider creating an open backsplash – it allows the eye to move effortlessly between different areas, so even small kitchens feel larger – this unifies all room parts together without dominating a single area unnecessarily. Plus, selecting contrasting colours to add to create an exciting backdrop of colour that is genuinely captivating!

 Open Concept Layouts

Open kitchen layouts allow you to cook, clean up, and socialize without feeling cramped. Whether you have young children or want to spend time with your spouse, these spaces make it easier to keep everyone in the same room without constantly leaving the kitchen.

The absence of walls also allows you to rely more on natural lighting in your space. This is important to energy efficiency because it can help you reduce utility costs.

HGTV reports that an open-concept layout can reduce heating and cooling expenses because it allows air to flow from one area to another. This will help keep your home cooler during the warmer months and warm during the colder ones.

Another great benefit of these open kitchen design ideas is that they can make your home feel larger. This can be especially helpful if you have a smaller kitchen.

Creating a Seamless Flow Between Different Areas of Your Home

Seamless flow is one of the most important elements in a successful open floor plan. Without it, traffic can be difficult, and people may feel trapped or unsure of where to go.

For example, if you have a kitchen and a living room that share the same floor, it’s essential to ensure a smooth and seamless transition from one to the other. Creating a visual connection between these areas using colour, flooring, and other design choices will help to make the space feel cohesive.

Natural Lighting

Natural lighting is one of the most beneficial aspects of any open kitchen layout, and it has a wide range of benefits, from adding aesthetic appeal to lifting the mood of the entire room.

Getting more sunlight into your home can also positively impact your energy bills, as it doesn’t require electricity to light up. Additionally, sunlight has been shown to boost your body’s feel-good serotonin levels and can even reduce the risk of nearsightedness.

Another easy way to bring more natural light into your kitchen is by installing glass windows or doors, allowing the sun’s rays to bounce off them and illuminate the space from all angles.

It’s important to note that not all types of natural lighting are created equal, as some can cause your kitchen to become warmer than it needs to be. To avoid this, you should consider diffusers and other lighting fixtures designed to diffuse the light.

Creating a Warm & Cozy Feel

A kitchen is a place where family and friends gather, so it’s important that it’s comfortable and inviting. The key is bringing warmth into your space through the material, colour, lighting, and all-important decorative touches!

One way to create a warm and cozy feel in your kitchen is by using contrasting cabinet colours. This will help to add depth to your space and make it seem more spacious than it is.

Another great way to add a cozy feeling to your open-concept layout is by adding a few pieces of furniture. A simple sofa or two with a coffee table could be all you need to create a cozy living area in your kitchen.

For a cozy, natural look in your kitchen, try incorporating elements like plants and copper accents. These are all key trends for 2023 and will help to give your kitchen a more organic feel.

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Metro Vancouver’s Premier Kitchen and Bath Renovation Company

The kitchen is often the heart of the home, so it makes sense that it would play such an integral role in your house’s overall look and feel. It’s also a space that people spend a significant amount of time in, so it must look its absolute best. That’s why Vancouver Kitchen Renovation is proud to offer Kitchen Design and Renovations in Vancouver, BC. We believe that a well-designed kitchen can transform the way you live, and we’re committed to helping you create the perfect space for yourself and your family. Whether you’re interested in updating your existing kitchen or building a brand new one, we can help you achieve your dream kitchen. We’ll listen carefully to your ideas and preferences, and together we’ll figure out which options will work best for you. Once we’ve determined what you’d like to see in your new kitchen, we’ll put together a detailed proposal outlining everything we propose, including a breakdown of the estimated budget and timeline. If you decide to move forward with our proposal, we’ll begin working immediately to bring your vision to life.

We understand that to be successful is to stay ahead of the curve. That means staying current with the latest technology and design trends. We always want to improve our products or services without breaking the bank. That’s why we stay connected to the latest technologies of NKBA, National Kitchen and Bath Association. In addition, at Vancouver Kitchen renovation, our primary focus is providing sustainable kitchen design and renovation packages, and we believe in sustainable living. Sustainable living is a way of life in harmony with nature. It is a lifestyle which focuses on the preservation of our environment. Sustainable living is a philosophy emphasizing respect for the environment and concern for its well-being. This means we should take care of the planet and treat it as if it were our home. We should try to preserve what we have and protect it from destruction. If we do this, we will enjoy the benefits of the earth’s resources for many generations. Whether you’re planning a major remodel or adding finishing touches to your current kitchen, we’d love to discuss your project. Book your showroom consultation online.

Main Areas of Service in British Columbia:

Vancouver

North Vancouver

West Vancouver

Burnaby

Coquitlam

Squamish

Whistler

Frequently Asked Questions

What countertops go best with white kitchen cabinets?

If you choose a white kitchen, your countertop can be bold. Quartz countertops are now the norm in kitchen design. These are our top choices for quartz countertops to match white kitchens.

Concrete grey in different shades

Bold Granite-like Patterns

Veiny marble-like designs

Bright and striking colours like sunflower yellow or ocean blue

What’s the best way to renovate a kitchen?

Electrical and plumbing rough-ins

Drywalling

Painting

Kitchen cabinet installation

Flooring installation

Countertop installation

Backsplash installation

Appliances

Do I Need a Kitchen Remodel

A kitchen remodel is a significant investment, so it’s essential to carefully consider whether or not it’s suitable for your home. When remodeling your kitchen, there are many things to consider, such as the age and condition it is in, the needs of your family, and your budget.

A kitchen remodel is a great option to make your space more functional. If your family grows, a remodel may provide additional storage and counter area. A well-designed and designed kitchen can increase the value of your home.

On the other hand, a kitchen remodel is not always the best solution. If your kitchen is in good condition and you’re happy with its layout, there’s no need to spend the money on a complete renovation. Focus instead on small, affordable changes that will make the space feel more spacious.

How do you decide if a kitchen renovation is right for your needs? These are some questions you should ask yourself:

Is your current kitchen functional? Remodeling your kitchen can help you get the space you need.

Is your kitchen in dire need for repair? Perhaps it is time to upgrade your kitchen. A complete kitchen remodel will likely be necessary to fix these problems.

Do you want to add value to your home? You may be looking to sell or upgrade your kitchen. A well-designed, attractive kitchen can make your house more appealing to potential buyers. It will also increase its resale market value.

What is your budget for a kitchen remodel? A kitchen remodel can be expensive, so you must set a realistic budget before you begin. When estimating the cost for your project, you should consider the cost to purchase materials, labor, permits, etc.

If you answered “Yes” to any questions above, a kitchen remodel could be right for. Talk to a contractor to discuss your plans and get started. It is possible to create the kitchen you desire with careful planning.

Are you able to DIY a Kitchen Renovation?

It’s possible that you could do the kitchen renovation yourself if you aren’t too experienced. The answer is yes, but there are some things to remember.

First, a kitchen remodeling project can be very time-consuming. You should also have basic plumbing and carpentry skills before you begin. You will also need to determine what parts of the kitchen you wish to modify, including adding storage space, replacing outdated appliances, and improving lighting.

Now it’s time for you to begin shopping for kitchen materials. Decide on countertops, flooring, cabinets, and appliances.

Thinking about your kitchen layout before you start shopping is also a good idea. This will help determine how much space and what layout is best for your kitchen.

When it comes to cabinets, you have many options. You can choose from ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets or custom cabinets. RTA cabinets come with a range of colours and styles. They are often less expensive that custom cabinets.

Before undertaking a large-scale renovation, it’s essential to make sure you have taken all necessary steps to ensure safety and security. For example, you might want to check the local building codes for renovations.

You may feel tempted to tackle large-scale renovations on your own. However, professional help is highly recommended. It is possible to save both time as well as money by hiring qualified contractors. A professional can help you ensure that your project runs smoothly.

What is a timeless kitchen backsplash design?

Subway tile backsplashes are timeless. We recommend a full backsplash in your kitchen. That would mean running the countertop as your backsplash up to the bottom of your upper cabinets. This creates the illusion you have a larger kitchen.

Should I install a countertop or backsplash first?

When installing countertops and backsplash, make sure you install the countertop first. This will enable you to accurately measure the countertop and cut the backsplash so it fits perfectly. This countertop is essential for backsplash installation.

Statistics

Experts also recommend setting aside 20 percent of your budget for surprises, including unpleasant demolition discoveries. One is water damage, the electricity that is not up to code, or other budget-spiking gotchas. (hgtv.com)

Keep 10 to 25 percent of List 2, depending on the budget. (familyhandyman.com)

In large firms, the commission charged by the GC ranges from 15 to 25 percent of the total job cost. (thespruce.com)

In the Pacific region (Alaska, California, Washington, and Oregon), according to Remodeling Magazine, that same midrange central kitchen remodel jumps to $72,513, and a major upscale kitchen remodels jumps up $11,823 from the national average to $143,333. (hgtv.com)

It’s a fantastic thing about most home improvement projects: no matter the job. It often seems like the last 20% is the most difficult. (familyhandyman.com)

External Links

forbes.com

Amazing Kitchen Remodeling Ideas That Will Refresh your Home

familyhandyman.com

Do’s and Don’ts in a First DIY Subway Tile backsplash Installation by Family Handyman

Create an Open, Craftsman-Style Kitchen (DIY)

thespruce.com

Open Floor Plan: History, Pros and Cons

Find Professionals to Estimate Kitchen Remodeling Prices

homeguide.com

2022 Kitchen Remodel Cost Estimator

2022 Addition Costs

How To

How much will kitchen remodeling cost in 2022? These 12 Tips Will Help You Save Money

How much can you spend on a brand new kitchen? A kitchen renovation project can cost anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000 depending on the size of your space and the features you choose. Consider upgrading your home to increase its market value if you are planning on selling soon.

Here are our top 12 ways to cut costs without compromising quality.

Secondhand appliances

DIY projects

Repurpose old furniture

Make use of salvaged materials

Hiring a professional to complete the job

Donate your stuff

Sell online

Get creative with paint colors

Go green

Please keep it simple

Make it unique

Flexibility is key

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[astaroth1357]

Demon Brothers Getting Possessive at the Club

… I can explain. Or, well, no I can't. But this exists now anyway so enjoy?

Warnings: Possessive Behavior, Yandere-ish, Violence

Intro: The MC and their favorite demon were just trying to have a fun night out at The Fall. The lights were going, the music was blaring, and the two of them were by the bar but there was a problem. Their demon noticed a sketchy creep who'd been eyeing their human all night long… and that simply won't do. So when their human left to use the bathroom…

It was time to take care of the problem.

Lucifer

Though Lucifer was usually less than into the club scene, the MC wanted a change of pace from their usual dates and he did so want to make them happy… At first, he thought he'd just be dealing with the loud noise and crowded atmosphere but then he noticed something else…

A demon had been following them through most of the night, always keeping his distance but staring at the MC far too much for his liking…

This put Lucifer in a bit of an odd position. He didn't exactly want to leave the club because the MC didn't look tired yet, but he also didn't like seeing that cretin following them around…

Yet, of course, it also rubbed his pride the wrong way to go tell him to stop directly. Lucifer would never admit to feeling bothered by some pitiful lesser demon… Never.

But by the time the MC left him to use the restroom, he was at his wit's end. He could see the man had taken a seat at the other end of the bar just to watch them and he was growing irritated… So he had to devise a new strategy.

It's unusual for demons to walk around in their true forms. It's not that it's frowned upon or anything, it's just that it's normally something reserved for big events… or for displays of dominance and control.

So when Lucifer slipped into his demon form in the middle of The Fall, it turned quite a few heads. Truthfully, there was only one head in particular that he wanted his way, and once he got it, he stared the guy down…

It was a taste of the lowlife's own medicine, but so much worse coming from him… The feel of Lucifer's bloody-onyx eyes and chillingly cold smile from across the bar could have made even the strongest men run for the hills…

Needless to say, the demon didn't last very long under the eldest brother's gaze. In fact, he wilted almost immediately before slinking away as quickly as he could… 

A guy not even able to stomach the firstborn's stare? Truly a pathetic coward if Lucifer ever saw one.

He was totally back to normal by the time the MC returned and went back to dancing with them like nothing ever happened… Though his human couldn't help but notice the crowd kept their distance from them for the rest of the night... 

Eh, Hell is just weird sometimes isn't it?

Mammon

Look, Mammon had been trying to have some fun the whole night and for the most part he'd been succeeding except for one thing…

He could sense that asshole still hadn't left them alone. He'd just hover near him and his MC like a hellhound stalking prey… It was annoying. It was creepy…

And it was reeeaaallly getting on his nerves.

When the MC left for the restroom, he was leaning back against the bar scanning the room for their abhorrent admirer while using the tint of his sunglasses to hide his eyes.

It didn't take him long to see the gross fuck sitting alone at a table. Who knew what he was planning... following them home? Taking candid shots of MC? Either way, he wanted to sock him in the jaw…

But, of course, Mammon knew he had to play it just a little smoother than that to stay in the club.

Mammon sauntered over to the man's table and invited himself to sit, kicking his feet up to look casual but knocking his boots against the surface so roughly it made the guy jump... Pathetic.

"Oi, so I've seen ya lookin at my human… Real work of art, eh?" He flashed the guy a fanged grin and watched him sweat for a second before cutting off any answer.

"-'course they are. Don't need to tell me. But I gotta say, you're really ticking me off, bud… We're just tryin to enjoy ourselves but I keep seeing your ugly mug wherever we're at."

He pulled his legs back from the table and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a deck of playing cards.

"Tell ya what, I'm feelin oddly generous so let's play a game. You and me. If ya win, I'll let ya have a night with'em…" He fought the urge to punch the guy when he saw his eyes light up, "but if I win…"

Mammon put the deck on the table then leaned in real close, "I'll flay your skin off and gild ya skeleton in the 4th circle myself… Gold skulls are selling like hotcakes right now." He put every bit of malice he could into the threat, even barring his increasingly sharpening fangs.

The guy must of had a good head on him because he paled immediately before getting up and running from the table. If there's one thing everybody knows about Mammon, it's never play cards with him if he can make even a single Grimm… Chances are, you're gonna lose.

When the MC came back, Mammon flagged them down to their new table and pulled them onto his lap for a little chat before getting more drinks. They're his human. His.

Leviathan

Of course Levi noticed this creep the second that they walked in. He's Envy. He had been hyper-vigilant of all the attention the MC had been receiving since their first step inside. But this guy was… persistent.

He'd been tailing them all night, always finding spots with good vantage points, which of course was sketch as hell but...

Honestly? Levi just didn't like him looking at them. Not at all. In fact, he'd hazard to say he truly hated this complete stranger for how much real estate his eyes were taking up of his precious MC… What gave him the right??

By the time the MC had to use the restroom, he was sitting at the bar seriously contemplating whether or not to just carry them home… He didn't like night clubs anyway, but they seemed to be having fun and they always looked so cute while dancing…

No. He couldn't just take them home. But once they left, he had a much better idea.

It was easy for Levi to slip away from the bar. The asshole was leaned back against a nearby wall and pretty much pulled his phone out the second the MC was out of sight. From there, Levi only had to do what he did best, blend into the background, until he was right next to the guy...

He didn't say anything. He didn't give him any warning or threat. No, no he was far too ticked to be that charitable…

The only indication the man got of how royally he fucked up was the searing pain of Levi's fangs digging into his shoulder, the thirdborn's gloved hand muffling his screams until the venom took hold of his prey.

The last thing that man ever saw, propped up and paralyzed against the wall, was the MC coming back to their docile otaku, who now pulled them into his arms… still shooting the occasional smirk in his victim's direction.

And the last thing he ever heard was the same word his killer whispered to him after his throat became too tight to scream… "Mine."

Satan

This always seemed to happen whenever he took the MC places… They could be walking together in the park and he'd still see lesser demon eyes following them around...

Frankly, it did piss him off to a degree. He knew they never asked to be stared at like a piece of meat, but if he'd go on a rampage every time it happened then they'd never have a quiet date again. So he learned to put up with it… to an extent.

The demon that had been following them that night was really testing his notoriously short patience...

He had tried several tactics to shake the guy as they were dancing but he'd always come right back. He even got more handsy than normal to show, "Hey, this one is mine!" but that had gotten him equally dismal results… It was bordering the line of disrespect now.

He did his best to keep up a friendly face while the MC was with him, but they must have noticed he'd gotten tense. They told him to try and relax a bit before they left for the bathroom…

Oh, he was going to relax alright.

The second they were out of sight, Satan's smile broke into a glare he leveled right at the offending scumbag's table. Of course, seeing the MC had left put the guy's attention elsewhere, but that was his funeral.

Satan knew his time was limited, so he skipped the pleasantries and marched right over to him, slamming his foot down onto the edge of the table with such force it threatened to tip it over then grabbed him by the neck.

"Back. OFF."

It really didn't take much, his reputation preceded him. He felt the guy's pulse skyrocket between his fingers before he let him go.

It was hard not to get a little satisfaction when watching the worthless creep scramble away from him like his life depended on it (as it very much did). He almost considered giving chase just to amp up the fun, but the MC returned sooner than he expected…

A pair of arms around his waist and lips against his cheek were enough to evaporate his anger right then… but it didn't settle his sudden need to mark them in the slightest.

Ultimately, the real question was whether he could wait until they got home to show the world that they were his or if they needed to find somewhere… quieter. No promises, MC.

Asmodeus 

Asmo had dealt with his fair share of admirers, the stalking kind included. Fortunately, dealing with them had always been relatively easy for him (he is a ruler of Hell after all) but one targeting his beloved human…? That was far less acceptable in his eyes.

He caught sight of the beady eyes of the creep while he was dancing with the MC. At first, he thought the guy was looking at him (who wouldn't?) but then he followed his eyeline right to his lovely human companion…

Though he couldn't exactly blame him for staring, he and MC made a fantastic looking pair, he definitely couldn't sit idly by either. People like this are usually bad news and he refused to let any harm come to his MC…!

He was as tactful as ever, though. He liked The Fall and would rather not be banned from returning… He waited patiently for the MC to go to the bathroom before making his way over to the creep, his perfect smile still sitting on his face.

"Excuse me, cutie." He waited for the stalker's eyes to leave his phone and settle on Asmo's own. "Ah, there you are! Good. I had a question for you, I think… oh no, I must have forgotten it! Silly me."

Though he could see the demon was growing annoyed, Asmo stalled for just a few moments longer… just long enough for his bewitching charm to set into his victim's mind.

"Ah! Now I remember. Do you like dogs?" He smiled in satisfaction to see the creeper's head nod slowly. "Oh good! Because I know a very hungry dog right now… Cerberus is his name and I don't think he's had a meal today. Would you be a doll and go feed him for me? He lives in the cave behind the House of Lamentation. You can't miss him."

The demon's head nodded slowly yet again as he rose from his chair and walked out of the club quietly. Quick, painless, and with no messy cleanup!

Well… none that Cerberus wouldn't clean up for him anyway. Asmo returned to the bar with a newly giddy grin on his face... His MC wouldn't be seeing that man ever again~!

Beelzebub 

Beel is very patient. Beel is very kind. Beel is very forgiving. Beel is… really not about this right now...

Unlike his brothers, Beel's easygoing nature made him less quick to pick up on the lingering glances that the MC gets from others. Even when he does notice, he can usually let it slide if looking is all they do (he's the only one who can touch after all).

But even he couldn't miss how wolfishly that demon was staring at them… It made him uncomfortable and the guy just refused to leave them alone…

By the time the MC left Beel at the bar to use the restroom, he was on a level of irritated usually only reserved for when someone denied him food… It was like that jerk had taken a cheese grater to his patience and it was wearing thin…

As much as he knew he could deck him, he didn't want to get them kicked out… The MC was having such a good time, despite the creep's ogling, so he used a different approach…

Being so high up in Hell had its perks and one was that anywhere in town that offered food also had a secret menu… A Beelzebub Only menu (as a precaution so that he wouldn't wreck the place whenever he stopped by). Anything on his menu always had huge portions and The Fall was no exception.

The bartender didn't seem too surprised when he ordered a Drakon Leg, but he was very surprised when he asked to get the full bone too… Not with the meat on it. Just the bone.

Fun Fact: the bones of Drakons are supremely thick and strong enough to be used as clubs.

Even More Fun Fact: it takes an incredible amount of force to snap these bones…

...which Beel did without breaking a sweat… and maintaining eye contact with the creep The. Entire. Time. The sound of the bone snapping in two was almost as deafening as a gunshot and he didn't even flinch.

The demon went running out of the club with his tail between his legs and quickly got swapped out for the MC running back, worried about what made such a loud noise…

Of course, by that time Beel had the bone thrown away and was chowing down on the meat like nothing ever happened so they dropped the subject soon enough...

He may not be as open about when he claims someone as the rest of his family but that's because when push comes to shove, who in their right mind would want to challenge Beel anyway...?

Belphegor 

Nope. Nope. Nope nope nope, he's not having this. Not one bit.

Belphie lacks a lot of the good-natured patience of his twin... Chances are if there's something happening and he's not stopping it, it's just because putting up with it is the path of least resistance…

But there are always exceptions and those are usually reserved for the MC.

Strangers trying to get close or even imagining themselves being with MC really makes his blood boil… He knew them the most. He loved them the most. On just what grounds did some random moron think he could take his place?? Wishful thinking? Keep dreaming, buddy.

So, of course, he wasn't happy when he noticed some asshole staring at the MC like Beel does when he sees a havoc roast...

He kept his poker face up while he was with the MC, but he was devising a plan to take care of him the entire time… One he finally got the chance to enact once the MC went to the bathroom.

He's even better at going unnoticed than Levi, so sneaking his way over to the asshole was a piece of cake. He didn't notice until Belphie casually draped his arm around the guy's neck, hanging his clawed hand dangerously close to the scumbag's heart...

"Having a good time…?"

He could feel a shallow swallow against his arm as he began to slowly apply pressure to his trachea.

"I bet you were… and I was too until I saw you following us… Care to explain yourself?"

"I-I uh-Gah!" 

The guy's voice gets cut off by Belphie's arm getting even tighter, the sharp tips of his claws drumming directly over the man's thundering heart.

"Ugh, that's what you actually sound like? Never mind, it's not worth knowing…" His fingers stopped drumming and slowly began to dig into his skin...

"I'm only going to say this once… If I ever see you tailing my human again, you won't be needing this-" his claws drilled a little deeper into his chest, "-anymore. Am I clear?"

The demon's head nodded as much as his strangled throat would allow and Belphie finally retracted his claws, wiping the blood off on the guy's shirt before letting him go. He fell forward onto all fours before attempting to scramble away as fast as he could...

Belphie watched him go with disinterest on his face, but satisfaction in his heart. Yet another threat to his human dealt with… And they could go back to enjoying their evening together. Alone. Just where his human belonged...

[mashup-writing]

Sub!A!Mamamoo being endlessly teased by Dom!O!Reader

--------------------------------------------------

Requested? ☒

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Hwasa:

Hyejin acted over-confident when you gave her one task, raising her eyebrow at you as if she was daring you to do your worst. You swore to yourself you'd make her regret underestimating you, and you succeeded. You didn't bother tying her up and just promised her that if she lifts any part of herself off the bed she wouldn't be cumming for a month. Halfway through you having your fun and already you had rendered the alpha into a begging and panting mess. Hovering over Hyejin, you bit at her scent gland and pumped down on her length and she unconsciously bucked up into your hand.

You let go of her and put a hand on her stomach, you kiss her neck that's now full of marks and get off of your alpha. Chocolate orbs flutter open with unshed tears of frustration and overstimulation she grabs at your hand weakly although desperately Hyejin asks why you stopped.

You smile sweetly at her and tell her that you don't ever break your promises.

Moonbyul:

No cumming until 20 minutes pass. That was your command, to be honest you felt as if 20 minutes was being easy on your cocky little alpha. So you decided to amp your simulations up to "Make it even"

Byul's moans and desperate whines fill the room as you fuck and roll into her with a strap, she grabs onto anything that she can reach so as to give her some semblance of grounding to no avail. 10 minutes in and she begs and begs for your permission to let her cum, you deny her and tell her that cumming before the 20 minute mark will result in punishments.

15 minutes in and Byul arches her back, with one hand supporting her weight beneath her, she grabs onto your nape and digs her nails in. You wrap your hand around her neck and apply just enough pressure to stop blood flow for a split second, and it sends her over the edge. A broken scream leaves her mouth and she falls face first onto the bed as both her arms lose their strength, spasms wracking her body as her length shoots ropes of cum onto the sheets beneath, tears leave her eyes as the tip of her cock rubs onto the drenched sheets, she shuts her eyes as she attempts to catch her breath.

You smirk and wait till almost all of the spasms leave Byul's body. Almost. Once you see her body sag even lower, you lean down and firmly grab onto her cock from behind. The alpha's eyes shoot open as you pump her length at a high speed, breathless gasps leaving her lips as you buck into her as a declaration.

"I told you Byul-yi, 20 minutes at the very least. And now the real fun begins.."

Wheein:

Wheein was easily the most innocent looking one in the group. But behind closed doors? She was easily the most submisive masochist you could have ever met. You had given Wheein a hand job so many times within the past 30 minutes that a drag of your fingernail across the tip of her length made her moan and jerk her hips away from you, desperate to catch a break.

But you weren't going to let her get away that easily.

You grab her length and placed a slow lick from the base to the very tip. Watching Wheein squirm above you like how a predator would watch their prey. You alternate between pumping and licking her length until she thrashes in your grip with her breathing becoming extremely erratic once more.

"Please Y/N, please, please, I can't.... I can't.. No please.. I just-" not even for a second, does the thought of stopping cross your mind. You taunt her with a drunken haze in your eyes and a smile on your face, telling her that deep down, she wants as many orgasms as you can give her. She moans once again and feebly tries to push your head away.

"Then use your safe-word baby, there's no shame in it if you really can't cum anymore."

The loud moans that filled the room a second ago ceases for a moment, and you feel Wheein's hands run through your hair and rest on the top of your head. Your smile conveys evil as you lay a kiss on her throbbing cock.

"That's what I thought babygirl."

Solar:

She gives off a very "Macho Alpha" vibe out in public and you let her friends and every other person think that you were the submissive one in the relationship. It doesn't matter seeing as it's more fun this way, especiallt when you both know who really calls the shots. You let your eyes slowly wander down her body whenever your gazes meet and it makes her facade falter just enough that no one but you notices, it makes you impatient in waiting for the right time to do what it is you're going to do to her.

You throw your drink back and get up from your seat, the DJ chose to play a more slow and sultry beat and it suits your plans perfectly. Walking towards Solar, you grab her hand and pull her to the middle of the dance floor, where most of the people were. Hinding in plain sight is somewhat of a skill you have. Pulling her close to your body, you turn around and grind on her as you dance to the beat.

Solar pulls you close and buries her face in your neck as her eyes fall shut and her moans vibrate against your skin. Her hardening length straining against the cage you put her in before you left the house, she soon finds out it's only the beginning when your hand makes its way down and gives her a squeeze. She bucks into your hand as you lean up and place your mouth just by the lobe of her ear.

"What's the matter alpha? Don't you have a little...... Restraint.... In you?"

--------------------٩(◕‿◕｡)۶--------------------

[soldiermom1973]

N7 Month, Day 22 - Memory

A filler bit of stuff between Allie & Kaidan during the war.  It’s also on AO3.

. . . . . . .

Allie wasn't as tech savvy as Kaidan or Tali, but she never had a problem upgrading or updating her own gear. For some reason, though, her omnitool was being most uncooperative and was refusing to install a necessary upgrade.  The result was Allie letting loose a string of expletives that drew the attention of other people in the mess, including Kaidan.

“Sorry,” she grumbled and stood to go somewhere more private.

Shepard, wait,” Kaidan called after her.  “What's wrong?  Maybe I can help.”

“There's a new upgrade for my omnitool and for some reason, it just won't install,”  Allie complained.  “I mean, I'm not completely stupid when it comes to this stuff and I've tried researching the issue but none of the fixes is working.  I've deleted caches and temporary files and even uninstalled some stuff.  I'm at my wit's end here.”

Kaidan gestured for her to sit with him at the table.  She handed over her 'tool and watched him work.

“Honestly your biggest problem is, and don't take this the wrong way,” he gave her a side eye and she just raised her eyebrow, “you're still using a standard issue Bluewire tool.  They are notorious for fighting updates and upgrades. You're probably about out of memory, am I right?”

Allie just sighed and flopped back in her seat.

“Yeah, I thought so.  Seriously, why haven't you upgraded?  A Savant would do wonders for your shields and helping cool down and recharge your amp.”

“Because I don't really think about it until shit like this happens,” she mumbled.  “And when it wants to work, it does just fine for what I want it to do.”

“Like take crappy, grainy pics of the crew?” Kaidan teased, then he paused.  “And it probably doesn't help that you've got almost a gig of diagrams to build ships with those small model blocks, either.”

Allie cleared her throat and felt her face flush.  “I have those saved for a reason,” she defended herself.  “I plan to get them built.”

“When?  After you remember to buy a new 'tool?”  Allie wanted to nudge him under the table for teasing her, but she kept to herself.  He wasn't wrong – for someone who took great pride in keeping her and her crew's gear current and top of the line, her lack of attention to her omnitool was odd.  She couldn't explain it – it was honestly probably because she never used it.  Not like Kaidan and Tali did for their tech or James for his grenades and different ammo types.  Hell, even Javik used his all the time, though that was more for extranet searches to find things to poke fun at the 'primitives' he served with.

“Well, what if you find me one and send me some links or something?” she offered.  “Then I don't have to filter through a bunch of nonsense I don't understand and wind up with something that doesn't do me any good.”

“Sounds fair.”  Kaidan tapped a few more things on the screen, then handed it back.  “There you go, all set and ready for you to purchase.  When you get it, let me know and I'll help you set it up.”

“Deal,” Allie smiled, thankful he was willing to help her out and not give her any grief about it.

[cl-01-kestis]

My Little Rebel - Inquisitor!Cal Kestis x Female Rebel!Reader | Part 5

Summary: after a successful get away with the help of a surprising ally, Cal helps you get back to Yavin and finally confesses his feelings.

Warnings: Sexual tension tbh

So far, Cal’s escape plan was going surprisingly well, you managed to slip into many hiding spots and sneak around the hanger for a short while before even remotely getting close to the Tie Fighter.

The hanger was thankfully quiet, the occasional purge trooper stalked the area as well as a few stormtroopers, blasters clung tight to their white chest plates as they skulked about. It was risky trying to blend in in a room so white. You still wore your green uniform from the Rebel attack on Yavin and it amped up your appearance even more. You couldn’t take down a stormtrooper, take his armour and use it to blend in, that was too obvious. You just stuck to following Cal as best as you could without being seen.

You quickly and hastily walked up the stairs to the boarding dock, Cal’s hand was intertwined with yours as he dragged you along the platform and finally reached the Tie furthest away from you. Cal signaled for you to duck down and hide for a few moments as he prepared the Tie for flight and fumbled with the control panel on the side of the railing.

“Come on...” He mumbled to himself, eyebrows furrowed as he put all his concentration into hijacking the Tie quickly and carefully. Your head whipped back and forth from Cal to the stairs, biting your nails nervously as time passed, the tension increasing as one of the doors around the platform opened, revealing none other than the Purge Trooper you met a while back, Costra. Your first reaction would’ve been to panic, but you tilted your head to the side as he jumped when he saw you and Cal, walking towards you instead of shooting either of you with his blaster.

“Excuse me, Eleventh Brother-“ The Purge Trooper barely even finished his sentence as the tip of a scarlet lightsaber was pointed right at his neck.

“Wait! I can help you” Costra put his hands up after cautiously placing his double sided spear on the ground, his hands raising up to take off his black and red helmet. You stood up and smiled at Cal, looking around to make sure no one saw you as you nodded at Costra.

“Cal, it’s okay, I know him” You reassured the Inquisitor who’s yellow eyes were bright with warning and unease. Cal looked into your eyes, wincing as he saw you were telling the truth and hesitantly lowered his lightsaber from Costra’s neck.

You looked back to the Purge Trooper, smiling as you came face to face with a Mirialan with light yellow skin and blue eyes, black hair shaped into a buzz cut. Cal inspected Costra intensely, looking him up and down with narrow eyes until he let out a sigh and pointed to the doors.

“Make sure no one comes through those doors, if so, warn me” Cal ordered, earning a sharp ‘yes sir’ from Costra who held his helmet to his hip and picked his spear back up, walking back a bit to avoid suspicion and putting back on his helmet. You nodded to Costra, offering him a kind, grateful smile.

“Thank you” You whispered, seeing Costra nod in reply as he clung to his spear tightly, looking around and slacking his posture so he didn’t look as tense. You looked back at Cal, creeping forward to see how he was doing and realising he was fumbling with the buttons and getting frustrated. You chuckled, nudging him to the with your hip and positioning yourself in front of the panel.

“Allow me” You said, making Cal smirk and roll his eyes before turning around and looking at Costra to give you space to do your thing. It was moments like these where you thanked the Maker and your mother for your skills in engineering and mechanics. It barely took you a few seconds until the hatch of the Tie opened and the curling cables disconnected from underneath the ship.

“We gotta move” You whispered to Cal who nodded and ran up to the Tie, ushering him into the cramped ship and turning around to give Costra a final glance.

“I’ll never forget this day, Costra, thank you” You walked up to him and hugged him quickly, patting his back and afraid of what might happen if you left him here. Costra hugged you back, careful that the ends of his spear wouldn’t electrocute you. You hesitantly pulled away, patting Costras shoulder before running back to the Tie and getting inside. Costra walked up to the panel as soon as the Tie’s hatch shut over.

Inside the Tie, you and Cal were struggling to share a seat as he fired up the engine and his fingers pressed many different interesting-looking buttons. There were to many, it made your head hurt looking at all the switches. You fought the urge to fiddle with them though, it took a lot not to ask Cal all about the functions of the Tie. You’d never been in one after all, so this was a whole new experience for you.

Cal detached the ship from the docks and immediately flew out of the hanger, the loud roar of the ship echoing as you looked out the back of the ship, trying to find Costra. The Imperial base grew smaller and smaller, right up until you were exiting the atmosphere and it was nothing but a spec within the land of the planet it was located on. You recognised the planet, you could tell it was Endor because of the endless green coating the planets -or in fact moons - surface. You’d been to Endor once within your career as a Rebel, you were called in as backup for a ground battle between the Rebels, Ewoks, and Imperials.

You shifted in your seat.

“That’s my leg” Cal scoffed, moving his thigh and spreading it slightly, causing your hips to accidentally slide between his legs. You were mortified at the amount of personal space within the Tie, the air was stuffy and you were getting hot by being so close to Cal, sharing body heat which didn’t seem to help.

“You know, you could sit here, it would be more comfy and less cramped” Cal winked at you, tongue sliding over his bottom lip as his eyes darkened and triggered a harsh blush on your face. You looked away from Cal and outside the Tie windshield, both of you were surrounded by stars as the ship flew in any direction. Cal stopped steering as you flew in and out of light speed to get away from Endor and avoid being caught by any Imperial squadron.

You had to admit, his lap was comfortable, but he was a cocky son of a bitch. You knew him for such a short time but you felt like you already knew every little quirk about him, from the soft gestures to the winks and devious smirks that made your stomach flutter. Even down to the way his attitude changed as soon as his eyes landed on you, or when others were around; like inside the prison. There were a few days where he unintentionally hurt your feelings by acting so cold and blunt towards you in front of the purge troopers and sometimes another Inquisitor if they were passing by. But he’d make up for it with soft apologies and sweet words that were nothing but white noise to you.

“Is this okay?” You grumbled, adjusting yourself so your back was against Cal’s chest and you were positioned between his legs, your head level with his neck as he steered the Tie.

“Of course it is, are you comfortable?” Cal chuckled, leaning his head down and wrapping his free arm around your waist as his breath flushed against the skin on your revealed neck. You nodded shyly, consumed by the sudden silence within the cramped Tie and feeling Cal’s arms tighten around your waist.

Your breathing could be heard, heart pounding in your ears as you felt Cal’s face move down to the place between your shoulder and neck, his rough lips pressing a feather light kiss onto your skin which was rising with goosebumps. You held back a whimper at the feeling of his lips skimming against your neck, peppering soft kisses on at random areas around the side of your neck and shoulder. Cal rubbed circles in the sides of your hips, soothing you and trying to diffuse the tension somehow, but he was only making it worse. Your thighs clung together and you felt like you were burning, not specifying where, but you felt like you were about to combust with the gentle sensations Cal was giving you.

You closed your eyes and leaned your head back against Cal as he continued trailing his lips along your hot skin, smiling as you felt him shift around in your thoughts to see what you were thinking, to see if you were comfortable with what was going on. His lips curled against your skin, feeling the enjoyment you got from his soft touches and leaning up from your neck.

“You’re trembling, gorgeous” Cal’s voice was different than before, more deep and husky as he whispered close to your ear and sent a shiver down your spine. You didn’t realise it until now, but he was right. Your body was shaking with adrenaline as a result of Cal’s intimate actions and you felt embarrassed by it. You probably looked strange from his point of view, but you don’t to this stuff, you don’t spend time romancing with other people and you haven’t ever been with anyone before. So this was all new to you.

“I-I just don’t do this stuff” You mumbled, a hint of humiliation lacing its way into your quiet and shy voice that made Cal smile and nod.

“I understand, do you want me to stop?” Cal asked with a genuine tone to his voice, leaning his head back so it hit the neck rest of the pilot chair, offering you space which was the opposite of what you wanted to happen. You turned your head around to look at Cal, back still against his chest as he looked down at you with a comforting smile.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like it” You whispered, eyes connected to his golden ones that glistened with some form of mischief as he ran his tongue along his lips and his smile disappeared, replaced with a conflicted expression as his eyes clouded with shadow. His heart was racing, you could feel it on your back.

“(Y/N)... I- I’m afraid that I might not be able to... let you go if I continue” Cal said, his voice was shaky and he started to shiver behind you as he held you tightly and bit down on his lip to stop it from quivering. You immediately shifted in your seat, turning your torso around to face the Inquisitor who’s eyes were glassy with unexpected tears.

“I think you and I both know we can’t let each other go, after everything that’s happened” You cupped Cal’s scarred face, he flinched momentarily but soon relaxed and pressed his cheek into your palm, closing his eyes and feeling the force course throughout you both.

“I don’t want to let you out of my sight, not again” Cal mumbled, sounding like he was on the edge of bursting into tears as he leaned his head forward slightly, your foreheads touching and lips inches away as he sniffed and held in his emotions.

“Ever since the day I met you I’ve been so attached, I never knew what love was supposed to feel like... I was taken from my parents at a young age, the Inquisitors don’t know how to love, and I was raised to resist such emotions... but then you come along and make me feel something I can’t put my finger on” A tear rolled down Cal’s cheek as he confessed his emotions, gloved hand resting over your own on his cheek. You stared at Cal with wide eyes, stinging with hot tears as you tried processing what he just told you.

“It hurts to be away from you” Was the last thing Cal said before he let his emotions out and started sobbing uncontrollably. You acted as quickly as you could and wrapped your arms around Cal’s neck, bringing him in for a warm and tight embrace. He held your waist and buried his head in your chest as he continued to cry, his sobs full of pain and fear.

“Please don’t cry Cal, I love you- I don’t want to see you upset” Your voice wobbled as you yourself tried containing your sadness towards the fact that a man you truly cared and loved was breaking down in front of you.

It felt good to think that, it felt fantastic to say it. You loved Cal, it felt like a lifetime ago that you two met but it was barely a month ago.

The Inquisitor raised his head and his sobs paused briefly, large eyes staring up at you as he processed your words and smiled.

“You love me?” He asked, blinking the tears away as you nodded and chuckled.

“I love you, Cal, I really do” You confirmed, earning a beautiful smile from Cal who chuckled happily before his gloved hand raised to cup your cheek and bring you close.

You felt your heart stop as your lips met Cal’s in a soft and emotional kiss. His lips felt so soft against yours, so right.

It felt so relieving to finally kiss him after so long of denying your feelings towards him. The spark between you and Cal finally flourished and set off after so long of putting up with tension that was getting to a point when it was unbearable. You never thought you’d fall in love with someone as evil as an Inquisitor, but then again, the galaxy is full of surprises.

[twittytelly]

An Unexpected Gain

Chapter Four - Once Upon a Time

Colin Shea X Female Reader

Previously…

Series Masterlist

A/N: So this is the end of the main story, but not the end of the road. I am planning on writing a little epilogue, plus once I get it off my old laptop I'm going to edit my first first draft of chapter 3 and turn it into another side chapter. I just want to thank you all so much for your feedback on this story, it really means the world to me – I will definitely be writing more Colin stories alongside fic for some of Chris' other pre-Cap roles in the future. Also this chapter would probably not exist without @southerngracela​ read this to see why.

Warnings: Sexual references, swearing, bleeding in pregnancy, miscarriage scare.

Mood board by@imanuglywombat​

Colin didn't sleep that night, paralysed by the guilt that had flooded his veins. He was desperate to find a way to make things better, to make things right. He knew that things could not go back to how they were before, but he didn't mind. Deep down he had always wanted the traditional rituals, pumpkin carving, Easter egg hunts and Christmas tree decorating; but he figured that being raised by his father, who's only method of father-son bonding was to bring him along to a stakeout coupled with his selfish nature meant that fatherhood was not for him.

The blinding sun that invaded through the crack in the curtains informed Colin that morning had arrived. Forcing himself out of bed, he had a new resolve. Colin figured that he may have blown his chance with you, but he could never forgive himself for fucking up his chance with his kid. Besides, you deserved far better than he could ever give you.

-

Things had gotten better between yourself and Colin in the weeks following the showdown in the hallway. While that night was not mentioned again, Colin had gone above and beyond to show that he wanted to be as involved in your pregnancy as possible. The day after the confrontation, you had arrived home from work to find a big bouquet of your favourite flowers alongside a hamper full of crackers, hard boiled sweets, and all the ginger flavoured snacks and drinks available with a note saying:

If none of this works or you get a weird craving, let me know. I'm at your beck and call. C xx

But that was just the start of it. Colin seemed to have obtained every baby book in Boston, and then set up a shared iCalendar so he could be there for every appointment. There was also the extensive research he'd done into midwives, antenatal classes and even hypnobirthing. Not a day went by without Colin sharing a link to a baby product, stating that he would have to buy most things for himself to keep at his place anyway – as much as that stung you were pleased that he was prepared to step up for the sake of the baby.

You were trying your best to overcome your feelings for Colin, but his actions had caused the opposite to happen. How could you not be in love with your handsome neighbour who rubbed your back as you vomited and looked at you as if you were most amazing person on the planet; who would always get you whatever you were craving after a gig, even if it meant going out of his way; who you could talk to about anything and everything, from absolute nonsense to your deepest fears about motherhood?

-

Colin was tearing his apartment apart looking for the right cable for his amp. Band practice may have only been taking place on the roof, but he didn't want to make his bandmates wait around. While he was rooting around his desk, he knocked his mouse, causing his computer monitor to come to life and your face lit up the screen. Colin remembered snapping that moment months ago, when you found him alone on the rooftop after one of your dates had gone wrong. You had weasled Colin into playing one of your favourite songs and began dancing in the moonlight. Colin recalled how he had to capture the look of pure unadulterated joy on your face as you swayed in the glow of the city. Colin could still hear you giggling as you raced down the stairs to his apartment and he realised then that he was done for. He didn't fuck you that night: for the first time in Colin's life, he had made love.

Colin was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't hear the frantic banging on the door. He looked away from his computer and sighed.

“Hang on I'll be up in a s-”

“Colin I'm bleeding!”

-

Colin would never remember how he had gotten you both to the hospital, but he could never forget the tension that filled the air as you sat in the waiting room in the maternity ward. Colin was trying his best to stay calm for your sake, but his insides were still twisting and turning. His heart shattered as he felt you tremble in his arms. He did his best to soothe you by delicately running his hand along your back, your face buried in his shoulder. If Colin had his way he would pull you onto his lap, however he knew that now more than ever he had to respect your boundaries. Colin noticed his shoulder moisten as your trembles turned into sobs, he tightened his arms around you and placed a chaste kiss to your temple.

“Hey, hey you're gonna be okay” He said desperate to comfort you. “Whatever happens, I'm here.” You hands tightened on his plaid shirt as you looked up into his eyes. In that moment, Colin swore that he would do anything to take away the fear that was in your eyes and used his thumb to wipe away the tears on your puffy cheeks.

“I'm just so scared Colin.” You said in a voice barely above a whisper. Colin leant down to place another kiss on your forehead.

“I know sweetheart, me too.” Colin confessed. Colin opened his mouth to say something else, but before the words could come out your name was called out. Once again your destiny was calling you, except this time you were hoping with every fibre of your being that pregnancy would be the result. Colin rose from his seat and turned to you holding out his hand.

“I promise that we're in this together.”

-

Once you had heard your baby's heartbeat, it was explained that it was likely a sub-chorionic bleed and you were still likely to have an healthy pregnancy. As the nurse explained that you needed to take it easy for a few days, you couldn't help but zone into Colin's demeanour. As your twelve week scan was still a couple of weeks away this was Colin's first scan. When you saw the look on his face as he heard his child's heartbeat for the first time, you knew that no matter how abnormal this whole situation was; you could not be happier that you were doing this with Colin.

You felt that you should have been excited or at least relieved, but you were numb and exhausted. As you climbed into the passenger seat of Colin's van, you barely registered him speaking to you; luckily he didn't press you for an answer and he began to drive. Instinctively you placed your hand on your belly, where your warm hand brushed against the strip of skin that was exposed after your top had ridden up slightly.

You were still preoccupied when Colin made an unannounced stop and so you didn't notice that he had gotten out of the van until he was getting back in. He passed you a warm paper bag that smelled of fries. As the engine came back to life you noticed the excitement was rolling off Colin in waves and for the first time in what felt like decades a small smile crept across your face.

Soon enough you were outside your apartment block, where Colin escorted you inside with one arm slung protectively around your shoulders. Once you were inside and settled on the sofa, Colin retreated to the kitchen, but within seconds was back and handing you a plate of your exact order from one of your favourite burger places. Without saying a word, you inhaled your meal like a lioness devouring her prey. You noticed Colin sit beside you as closely as possible and you both ate in silence.

You couldn't help but think of the parallels between now and that night a few weeks ago; especially as Colin was there for you in the exact same way. It was as if he intuitively knew what you needed. You knew that the pair of you were committed to having this baby as friends, but you couldn't help but feel that he was acting more like a boyfriend. You knew that once the stupor had worn off you had to bring it all up again.

When you both had finished eating, Colin took the empty plates into the kitchen. As he returned you noticed that the excitement had evolved into nerves as he tried to calculate his next move. He stood to the side of the sofa and fidgeted about, until you stood up and made your way to him. Taking your hand in his, you looked up into his beautiful blue eyes.

“I don't think I can sleep if I'm here on my own, please can you stay until I drop off?”

“Of course I will sweetheart,” Colin answered. “You know I'd do anything for you.”

Once again he let you lead him into your bedroom, but Colin looked away as you kicked off your trainers and socks. Not bothering with your pyjamas, you shimmed out of your jeans and bra. As he heard rustle of your quilt Colin lay on the bed beside you, staying above the duvet.

“Sorry for being such a misery guts, I know I should be more excit-”

“Don't be silly Y/N.” Said Colin sympathetically. “God knows you've been through the ringer tonight, of course you're exhausted.”

You nodded gratefully. “I know this may sound a bit silly, but could you just – I don't know – tell me a story or something – I need to take my mind of tonight for a bit.” Colin gave you a thoughtful look, before kissing you on the forehead again.

“I know just the tale.” He said jokingly as you made yourself comfortable and closed your eyes.

“Once upon a time, just down the corridor lived a jester. The jester was handsome, smart and sexy as hell.”

You did your best to suppress the snort that broke free, of course Colin would use the opportunity to talk about himself.

“The jester was a gifted musician, who would often use his talents to enchant a wench back to his chambers: where he would demonstrate his other mind-blowing capabilities.”

“Colin if you're gonna use this as an excuse to brag about your sexual escapades then I'd rather be alone.” You said in faux annoyance.

“Of course not and if you stop interrupting me, you'll see this is an epic love story.”

Sighing, you indicated to Colin that he was free to continue.

“One day the most fair and beautiful maiden moved in opposite the jester. The jester tried with all of his might, but the maiden was immune to the jester's charms; for she dreamed of being swept off her feet by a handsome prince and the jester believed that true love was not his fate.”

You opened your eyes and looked at Colin as he was staring at the wall. Was he talking about you? A past conquest? Some made up fantasy woman? As Colin turned to look at you, you quickly closed your eyes and hoped he didn't catch you staring.

“The maiden found many suitors, but they did not appreciate the maiden's beauty and kind nature. One fateful night, the jester saved the maiden from the clutches of a troll disguised as a prince. The maiden thanked the jester by letting him spend a magical night in her chambers.”

Your heart started to pound against your ribcage. Yes, he was talking about you, but why? What was Colin trying to achieve?

“The next day the jester promised to help the maiden find her true love and would satisfy her needs in the mean time. However, as the jester spent more time with the maiden, he began to enjoy her companionship and as the weeks turned to months the jester realised that he had fallen in love with the her.”

Your breath hitched in your throat and your heart skipped a beat. Colin was in love. With you... But when? How? Why the fuck didn't he say anything?! You noticed that Colin's breathing had changed and as his fingertips tentatively brushed your across your face to move a stray hair, you opened your eyes to see the azure of his eyes looking right back at you with the boldness to take down a dragon. Before you had the chance to say anything, Colin continued to speak.

“The jester knew that he was not good enough for the maiden and believed that once she had found her prince charming he would have to do whatever it took in order for her to be happy.”

“Colin I-”

“Sh!” Colin interrupted, pressing his index finger to your lips. The story isn't over yet sweetheart.” You decided not to argue to see where Colin was trying to go. As Colin removed his finger, he took a deep breath.

“One day the jester decided to visit the maiden to find that she was most upset. The jester did his best to comfort the maiden, but he found something that did not belong to him... something that... I assumed that it wasn't mine.”

You sat up, your heartbeat accelerating. “Colin wh-”

“The week before, you brought home that James guy home.”

“He missed the last train home and I offered him the couch, but he tried to get into bed with me so I kicked him out. Anyway Colin I was six weeks along when I found out.” You explained as you tried to figure out if you were angry or hurt. “You were the only person I was sleeping with for a while. Colin we could have been together weeks ago, why didn't you say anything?”

“Because I'm not the guy girls want to end up with, I'm just the slutty neighbour. All everyone wants from me is a second round in the morning.”

“Yeah and you proved that when-” you started feeling more agitated.

“If I could take that back then I would!” Colin almost snapped, hurt filling his eyes. Colin went to look away, but you reached out and put your hand on his cheek, forcing him to keep eye contact. “Y/N don't forget that you hid from your feelings for as long as I did. You deserve to be swept off your feet and to ride off into happily ever after with your prince charming, and that's not me.”

“Listen here, Jester.” you said as your thumb stroked Colin's cheek. “I don't want that bullshit. I want Once Upon a Time with you; the guy who never fails to make me laugh, who filled his cupboards with the exact brand of ginger tea that I like, who always comes to my rescue when I need him most.”

Colin's eyes widened like a child on Christmas morning as you leaned in closer and dropped your voice to a whisper.

“Also don't tell the little one, but the sex is pretty mind-blowin-”

Before you had a chance to finish, you felt Colin's soft lips on yours. Bedsheets were shoved to one side as arms wrapped around each of your bodies, pulling you both as close to each other as possible. You deepened the kiss, allowing Colin's tongue entrance, where you both tried to disclose the feelings that words could not define. Eventually, the kiss came to an end, and you both parted for air. Resting your head on his shoulder, you watched as Colin hesitantly placed his hand on your belly. There was no bump yet, but you couldn't help the goosebumps that appeared as Colin stroked your stomach. Colin looked up, with the biggest grin you could ever imagine, excited for what the future had in store.

“I love you Y/N.” Beaming back at him, you replied simply with the only four words needed.

“I love you too.”

-

Taglist: @whiskey-cokenfanfic @mrs-captain-evans @ransomsweatersandcappuccinos @southerngracela @katiew1973 @supersoldiersruined-me @kelbabyblue @amiquette @feelmyroarrrr @patzammit @daydreamerinadazedworld @denisemarieangelina @jeremyrennermakesmesmile​ @bellaireland1981

[argentdandelion]

How to Redeem Bête Noire

The following article relies on the idea Betty’s SOUL color means she is always afraid. See the tag "SOUL of Fear: Always Afraid?" on the ArgentDandelion blog for more information.

The antagonist of GlitchTale's second season, Bête Noire ("Betty") is a unique being with a SOUL of Fear. As previous posts would suggest, her SOUL of Fear likely means her motivations and actions are fuelled by fear. This includes her desire to wipe out monsters, supposedly because they pose a threat to humanity. Yet, as previous posts have pointed out, Betty's belief monsters threaten humanity is deeply illogical. However, her fears about them is so deep-seated that, to remove her motivation for villainy, her very SOUL would probably have to be altered.

Both SOUL trait loss and drainage have happened multiple times in GlitchTale, showing it is possible. While these have all happened to humans, and Betty is not human, nonetheless her SOUL was created from a human one and still has human SOUL-like properties.

Approach 1: Trait Drainage

Many human characters have eye, hair, and text colors matching their SOULs. Both Jessica Grey and Frisk survive the drainage or loss of their SOUL traits, as shown either directly or by changes in hair or eye color. In Jessica’s case, she loses and regains her trait multiple times in the series, without seeming to affect her bodily health. Were Betty’s fear trait to be drained the same way, it might mean she would feel a reasonable amount of fear, and perhaps make her amenable to reason. (if perhaps only temporarily) It is unlikely she would naturally lose her fear trait, especially as the season progresses, thought it might be possible to alter her SOUL properties artificially.

If Chara’s emptied SOUL, as shown in the Season 1 episode Continue (above) can be filled with multiple SOUL traits, it is possible Betty’s SOUL can be similarly drained and filled with other traits. Yet, if completely draining her SOUL would kill her, or put her in a comatose-like state of extended dying (Sans’ SOUL was partially drained, which must have interfered with reviving him), then partial drainage could be more feasible. At a few points, Jessica Grey loses her Integrity trait, but apparently only partially: her eyes remain halfway blue. This might mean it is possible to experience only a partial trait loss.

If trait drainage is impossible, trait swapping could be better. Betty’s SOUL was created by using the Bête Noire spell on an inverted SOUL of Bravery: Agate’s SOUL. It might be possible to invert it once more. While supplementary material states that the chances of surviving an unnatural SOUL trait inversion are low, this was applied to humans: if it’s possible for Betty, there no telling whether it would be equally dangerous.

Approach 2: Bicolor SOUL

The GlitchTale character Rave Rutrow has purple-and-yellow eyes, hair, and text, showing he has two SOUL traits. This is not entirely without canon precedent: all the SOUL modes parallel the colors of the humans that fell in, possibly meaning they’re limited to real SOUL colors. In the Nintendo Switch version of Undertale, Mad Mew Mew's SOUL mode is Blue/Red, with the SOUL split down the middle, possibly meaning humans can have two SOUL traits.

While Betty is not human, the similarities between her SOUL and a human one might mean a bicolor SOUL is possible. However, Rave’s two-colored SOUL is natural, while changing Betty’s SOUL to a two-color SOUL would not be. Partial drainage of her SOUL, and then filling it with some other trait might result in a bicolor SOUL. While adding the Kindness trait might be the most intuitive solution, adding Bravery instead would surely be more likely to work, since the SOUL has already housed the Bravery trait before. (Unless that simply makes Betty bolder and less conflicted, which might make her even more dangerous.)

Applications & Complications

Betty is occasionally anxious early on in the series: she might be interested in SOUL modification, if only to test whether it would make her stronger (to better kill monsters) or prevent panic from leading to bad decisions (to better kill monsters). It's doubtful Betty would agree to SOUL alterations if she believed it would change her perspective or motivations, because, of course, her fears would seem reasonable to her. Yet, afterwards, she might be able to interact peacefully with monsters without feeling any fear, anxiety, or paranoia, and it would be harder to keep up a plan to exterminate them if she feels no fear for them.

The easiest time to do this would be before Betty kills Sans, or assuming Asriel wasn’t able to run away and explain Betty’s true nature. (It’s after this point Betty’s disguise as a sweet, more-or-less normal human girl becomes less useful.) If Asriel didn’t corroborate Gaster’s claim on the Pink SOUL of Fear, it might be just an interesting coincidence. Betty’s magical power comes from her SOUL trait; were she to lose her trait and her SOUL to turn grey, she would lose access to her magic. If Frisk knows Betty poses a threat or considers her an enemy, Betty would likely interpret any offer to drain or change her trait as a ploy to weaken her. (and perhaps then kill her) After all, Agate told her humans can’t be trusted.

What if Betty is Actually Agate?

The particulars of how to redeem Betty differ depending on whether Betty and her creator, Agate ("The Wizard of Bravery"), are separate beings, or Betty is just a different body with different abilities that Agate is using. As of “Hate”, Betty’s connections with Agate seem to intensify, and perhaps even show she and Agate count as the same person.

Still, Agate may have essentially frozen her paranoia and insecurity in place by changing her SOUL to a pink one. So, even if Betty is actually Agate, changing Agate’s SOUL color might allow her to stop being so afraid. According to supplementary material, Agate was externally brave but internally insecure. The idea she would never be stronger than her brother, Copper ("The Wizard of Determination"), due to things beyond her control, made her insecure. Later losing to her brother so humiliated her that she lost her trait, and she later returned with her SOUL inverted to a trait of Fear. (Her SOUL turned pink only in a last-ditch attempt to perpetuate her existence by creating an abomination)

For all her/Betty's counter-productive decisions, Agate is actually smart. Her humiliation, insecurity, and power-mad status just made her very mentally unstable. If her fearfulness and anxiety were not locked in place, she might be persuaded to find more constructive ways to deal with her fear and desire to protect humanity.

The author of this post, ArgentDandelion, also has a Ko-Fi and Patreon by the same names, and invites you to gaze upon them.

[albertfinch]

YIELDED TO BRING THE MANIFESTATION OF HIS GLORY

When we have an established place of intimacy with God we then have the great responsibility and privilege to join Jesus where He ever lives to intercede in the heavens, bringing the reality of Heaven to earth. (Hebrews 7:25)

THE HIGHEST PLACE

Ephesians 2:6 -  "And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."

We are seated in the heavenly realms with Christ, the highest place that exists! Jesus has welcomed us to the most privileged place to reign with Him as kings and priests. His sacrifice and Blood has made this possible for us. God whole-heartedly desires us to grab hold of this powerful revelation of our position in Him. It is time for our Christ identity to become a Kingdom-quickening reality.

HEAVENLY AUTHORITY IN OUR LIVES

It is just as Jesus said, "Abide in Me and let My words abide in you and you shall ask..." Our intimacy with God gives way to heavenly authority in our lives to pray as Jesus asked us to pray, "His Kingdom come and will be done on earth as it is in Heaven..."

God desires His Kingdom to expand through us. As we learn to live as habitations of God, filled with His Presence and glory, His authority will be released through our lives by discipling the lives of others in such a way that a glory atmosphere will be released displacing the works of darkness.

INTERCEDE FROM THE THIRD HEAVEN

God wants the breakthrough to happen inside of us, inside out.

God dwells inside of us. He wants to bring us out of a life of passionless, feckless living into an existence of being possessed by the fire of the Holy Spirit. With this, we are seated in the heavenly realms looking down upon the earth armed with the authority of Christ. We are not interceding and advancing His Kingdom from underneath the clouds, but above. God has us above all things and has come to dwell inside of us, with the motive of exploding inside out of us -- the intimacy and authority of Christ inside of us bringing us out of the confines and limitations of what we have experienced in the past.

Through being a vessel yielded to advancing His Kingdom, there will be an increased manifestation of the glory of Heaven upon our lives  The discipling of others results in their blind eyes being opened to the reality of their identity in Christ with revelation of His purpose for their lives.

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:  if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." - Revelation 3:20

We endeavor to lay aside every encumbrance and entanglement that has hindered us in the past and motivate us to move on to God's high CALLING.

"For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, the door will be opened."  Matthew 7:8 AMP

GOD OF THE BREAKTHROUGH

"Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon him while He is near." - Isaiah 55:6

The first step to getting out of the box is to fellowship with the God of the breakthrough. The Holy Spirit will charge you with fresh vision and boldness. Choose today to align yourself with God. Choose today to "turn aside into the flame" of God's presence and receive fresh encouragement, fresh vision, fresh energy, and fresh oil.

It's more important to operate at maximum efficiency in the Kingdom than ever before—that is getting up each day and asking Him to help you be aware of the Kingdom-current of activity going on around you—and jumping into Gods PURPOSE for your life.

Ask God for a revelation of your DESTINY in Christ. You carry the heart of a lion. You are made fearless in His image. You are created for an extraordinary life. Pray and soak in His plans for you. Open the door to your future.

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

http://afministry.ning.com/

📷

[sunsetinmyvein]

Mayhem

A/N - So, it was too late to incorporate any of this into I Know That I’ll Lose, but let it be known that Matty getting a puppy did not go unnoticed by my writing inspiration. Have this adorable thing. 

Matty adopts a puppy, Matty ends up back at the pet store more than he expected. Short, fluffy Matthew Healy x Reader sorta thing.

It had been three days since Matty brought a new puppy back to the studio. Three days of a black fluff ball romping about under their feet any time they tried to move from one room to another. George had tried to convince him that it wasn’t a great idea to get another dog considering how little time he spent at home. But he regretted missing out on the majority of Allen’s childhood and he was bound to London for the foreseeable future, so he figured now was as good a time as any to get a puppy. Things were going pretty well so far - Mayhem adjusted nicely to the new environment and he was a (mostly) welcome addition to the homely space of the studio. The only issue was that he didn’t seem to be eating much. Or… at all. On the first day it was easy enough to assume that he had already been fed at the pet store and wasn’t hungry, the second day could be put down to settling in nerves, but Matty was beginning to get concerned that he still didn’t seem to want his food. Perhaps it was the taste? He figured that all dog food probably tasted fairly similar from brand to brand, but maybe not if you were the target audience.

“I’m goin’ out, George.” He shouted over his shoulder as he grabbed his keys and slipped his wallet into his pocket.

“Where?” His friend’s voice called back down the hallway.

“Pet store to get Mayhem food. Make sure he doesn’t destroy anything.” He answered, about the pull the door shut behind him before he heard George continue.

“He’s not my dog, Matt.” He replied, the mild annoyance seeping into the tone of his voice.

“You own stuff in here too.” Matty half-sung back. “Bye!”

  The shop he had gotten Mayhem from was only a few minutes down the road. As he stepped up to the counter, he rehearsed one last time in his head what he had come in here for. He didn’t want to seem like a bad dog owner, like it was something that he was doing that was resulting in his pet not eating.  But he was quickly beaten to the punch as the cashier turned to face him. She gave him a curious look before the recognition flashed across her face. “You came in and bought the black cane corso the other day, yeah?” She asked with a friendly smile. He nodded in response. “What was it…” She frowned, clearly trying her best to remember. “Matthew?”

“Matty’s better.” He answered, finding himself returning the smile.

“And Mayhem, right?” She asked. He was mildly impressed that she remembered so many details from a fifteen-minute interaction.

He laughed lightly, “Yeah, that’s it.”

“How’s he going?” She asked with excitement.

He went to start going on about how cute and playful he was - as he had to anyone else who asked - before catching himself. “Well, that’s actually why I’m here.” He started, pulling his mind back to the reason that he had walked in. “He just doesn’t seem to want to eat the food that I had at home?” He asked hesitantly.

“Oh, that’s no problem. I’ll show you what we were feeding him here.” She said as she quickly stepped around the counter and started walking towards the dog food. “It’s a bit more expensive, but it’s better quality and more palatable to most dogs. That’s why we use it for the dogs here.” She explained to Matty as she led him through the store.

  “That’s fine.” He shrugged. “As long as he likes it, the cost isn’t an issue.”

“Wish there were more dog owners like you.” She huffed under her breath, earning a quiet laugh out of him in response. After a quick scan of the aisle, she picked up a fairly large white bag and handed it out to him. “He was eating this stuff when he was with us and seemed to enjoy it.”

“Thanks. Hopefully he still likes it.” He chuckled as he gratefully took the bag.

“I’ll put it through for you.” She added, nodding back in the direction of the counter. Matty followed behind closely as he clutched the dog food closer to him. He wasn’t entirely sure if it was just because he hadn’t had much in the way of human contact with anyone other than George for the last few weeks, but this felt… oddly nice. If he didn’t have a starving canine at home, he probably would’ve made an attempt to drag out the interaction. But, he did. So, he paid for the dog food, and continued on his way.

  * * *

  Thankfully for Matty, Mayhem took to the new food very well. He was eating regularly as soon as the old stuff was out of his bowl. And for a while, things were great with the pup - he took naps on the couch with his owner, he stayed in his crate at night without complaints, he only stole small amounts of food off of low lying, unattended plates - it was all going swimmingly. However, it was clear that there were still a few teething problems. Quite literally.

“Hey! Drop that!” Matty yelled as he chased Mayhem under the table.

“I told you-” George started from his seat on the couch as the dog squirmed his way through the chair legs and continued running through the house with an amp lead in his mouth.

“Shut it, George.” Matty shouted back, trying to right himself too quickly and smacking his head on the underside of the table. He stared daggers into the back of the drummer’s head while he regained his balance before running after his dog.

“You can’t keep letting him chew stuff every time we have to shut him out of the room.” He continued as the duo suddenly ended up in front of him when Mayhem tried to (unsuccessfully) fit himself under a couch.

“He’s fine.” He tried to reason through gritted teeth as he picked the puppy up. As soon as his paws were off the ground, he let go of the lead. But alas, there was no saving it, his needle-sharp puppy teeth had already done their damage.

“No, he’s not. That’s the second thing he’s wrecked today.” George argued as he picked up the cord and wound it up. “Just put him in his crate.” He suggested.

  Matty held Mayhem up to make sure that he hadn’t hurt himself by chewing on things he wasn’t meant to, sighing in relief when he seemed fine. “But he shouldn’t have to be holed up in the crate just because we don’t want him making noise in the room with us.” It didn’t seem fair to this poor dog to have to spend half of the day cooped up just because he had production work to do.  

“Well, you have to do something.”

“I know, I know.” He snapped back, pulling the dog closer to himself as he tried to think of other ideas. He was just bored, not being naughty on purpose.

“Because if he moves onto anything of mine, I’m not gonna be happy about it. Mayhem might be meeting Allen sooner than planned.” George said with a pointed look.

“I’ll just get him more things to keep him occupied.” Matty said, the idea quickly making more and more sense the more the gears turned in his brain. “I can go get him those puzzle feeder things, and those toys that you put peanut butter in, and chew toys. I’ll go get him a bunch of that shit.” He said as he put his puppy back on the ground, who instantly bounded off happily to go destroy something else.

“You better go soon because-”

“I know. I’m going right now.” He nodded as he grabbed his keys off the coffee table.

  He hadn’t really expected to be back in this pet store three times in eight days, but here he was. Again. Feeling like a terrible dog owner. Again. He walked up to the counter, seeing the girl that had served him the last two times stocking shelves with her back to him. Matty cleared his throat, trying to politely get her attention. “Erm, hi.” He smiled as she turned around.  

“Hey, Matty!” She grinned back. “Didn’t expect you back so soon. How can I help?”

Fuck. She still remembered his name and he didn’t even know hers after what was now three interactions. Was she just good with names or was there just not that many customers coming through here? He supposed probably not at the moment. His eyes quickly scanned over the name tag on her uniform, committing it to memory. Wait, shit, she asked me a question. “I need a chew toy, something to keep Mayhem occupied if I’m out or busy.” He finally answered.

“Ah, is he getting bored?” She asked with a curious look.

“He must be, because he chewed through one of my guitar leads.” Matty chuckled, trying to make light of a bad situation.

But the look of shock on her face blew any attempts of that right out of the water. “It wasn’t on, was it?” She asked with a clear sense of worry.

“Thankfully, no.” He answered with a shake of his head.

She let out a relieved breath. “Good to hear.” She nodded, stepping around the counter and starting to walk into the store. He supposed that was his invitation to follow. “Poor buddy could’ve done himself some serious damage.”

  The two of them stood in front of a wall of various pet toys and the sheer amount of variety was borderline overwhelming to Matty. He was rather glad that he had sought out help. She turned to him as she grabbed a couple of options off the hooks. “Was it expensive?” She asked.

“The cord wasn’t, the guitar is.” He huffed. “But the cord is easy to replace. I just don’t want him deciding to chew on my other equipment.” He added quickly. He didn’t want to come across as angry about what was realistically quite a small problem. It just needed fixing sooner rather than when George decided to wring his neck over it.

“You play other stuff?” She questioned.

“I play a lot of things.” He shrugged casually, not wanting to make a huge fuss about it. Matty enjoyed that these interactions were about his dog rather than the aspects of his life most other people chose to focus on. Not that he could blame them, his career took up the majority of his life, but the change was nice.

“A man of many talents.” She noted.

“And a master of none of them.” He laughed.

  She turned to him, handing him a selection of chew toys. “He’s probably starting to feel his adult teeth coming through and wanting some stuff to gnaw on. Something like a rope toy or soft plastic might be good, or even a rawhide treat.” She explained. “You could maybe get him bones as well.” He nodded as he intently listened to her advice. “Or if you were after things to keep him occupied, you can also get some puzzle toys. But those usually require treats to dispense for the dog to want to play with them”

“Yeah, can I grab some of them too?” He said eagerly. It took about ten minutes for her to show him all of the options available, Matty relishing in the chance to have some casual chit chat in between aisles. By the time she had shown him just about everything a puppy could use to kill time, he had a shopping basket full of options to entertain Mayhem. Surely this would be enough to keep George happy. “Thanks for this.” He said with an appreciative smile as she began scanning them through the register.

“It’s no problem. Always happy to help out if it means an animal is gonna be better off.” She beamed back at him. He was suddenly hit with the reminder that he enjoyed their interaction the last time he was here, and he was enjoying this one more. But the little voice in the back of his mind was quick to mention the puppy who was probably chewing through a soundboard at the moment.

“Hopefully I can get these to him before he works his teeth into something else.” He added sheepishly.

“Well, I’ll let you get out of here then.” She handed him the heavy bag of pet toys. “I’ll see you soon.” She said with an expression that Matty probably would’ve called humorous. Was that a joke? Clearly three visits in one week wasn’t usual. But he figured she probably wouldn’t have been as friendly to him if she minded that. And he couldn’t really say that he felt bad about it.

“Apparently, at the rate I’m goin’.” He laughed back over his shoulder as he walked back to his car. A nagging feeling sat at the back of his mind that he was probably going to be back here pretty soon.

  * * *

  The toys did the trick for keeping Mayhem away from any expensive equipment. And for keeping George off Matty’s back (for now). Between things to chew on and things to solve, that puppy barely had time for cuddles and naps. That didn’t stop him from trying to push his luck on occasion, though. Matty was sitting at his desk in the middle of an interview when he spied Mayhem about to wrap his teeth around one of his shoes. “Hold on a second, let me just shout at my dog.” He said offhandedly to the screen as he pushed himself back to get a better view of what he was trying to do. As soon as he called out to him, Mayhem bounded over like nothing had happened. “I’ve got you loads of toys, you don’t need to chew that.” As if completely understanding his owner the puppy picked up the rope toy that was sat at the base of the coffee table. Matty eyed the rope toy that Mayhem was chewing on, thinking back to the girl at the pet store. It had been a week since his last visit. Would it be weird if he went back again? It would definitely be weird if he went there and someone else was working. It would defeat the whole point. He tuned back into the interview, the thought of going back for social reasons playing on his mind as he carried on.

  After an hour the interview had wrapped up. It was just before three in the afternoon, the pet store would still be open. Matty quietly picked up his car keys, hoping to make a silent escape. But he had no such luck. “Where are you going?” George asked with a frown over the back of the lounge.

“Uh, out.” He shrugged, trying and failing to be nonchalant. His best friend just stared him down until he answered properly. “The pet store.” He eventually confessed.

George had a sneaking suspicion that he already knew the answer to the question he wanted to ask, but he couldn’t help himself, “What for this time?”

Matty paused for a moment, trying to think of a reason to go back. “A new bed.” He answered with a firm nod.

“That bed’s fine.” George gestured to the practically new bed sitting in the crate.

“He’ll need a bigger one soon.” He reasoned with himself more than anyone else, making his way to the door before he could talk himself out of it.

“Why’re you really going?” He heard George ask, the snigger underlying his question echoing down the hallway.

“I’ll be back soon. Bye!”

  Within fifteen minutes Matty found himself standing at the - now fairly familiar - counter of the pet store. Despite his bad luck getting out of the house, he was fortunately facing some good luck now. “Back again?” She asked, frowning at the man in front of her curiously.

“I, erm, need a new bed for Mayhem.” He knew it was a poor excuse for coming back in here, because with her memory she’d likely know that he bought one when he picked Mayhem up. But maybe it would be enough to get him by. “He’s taken to thinking that the couch is his.” She seemed fairly unphased by this, just nodding along.

“That’ll happen if you let him sleep on it.” She said, cracking a bit of a smile.

“You’re very knowledgeable about all this dog stuff.” Matty said casually as he tried to strike up more of a conversation.

“Well, I work at a pet store.” She reminded him.

“That’s not-” He stopped, taking in a breath as he tried to get himself back on track. “Do you have one of your own?”

“Yeah! I’ve got a golden retriever.” The vibe of the conversation instantly shifted into a territory Matty was much more comfortable with. She seemed a lot more excited to chat now that he’d brought up her own pets. He was happy to move things away from awkward ground and onto some stuff he could be a bit surer about.

That works. “I’ve heard that those are a really friendly breed.”

“Oh, Roscoe’s got an amazing temperament.” She nodded.

“Mayhem needs another dog friend like that.” He started with a sigh, “He’s so high energy that most dogs don’t want a bar of it.”

  She raised an eyebrow at the obvious hint he was dropping, but decided to step around it for the moment. “He doesn’t do well at dog parks?” She asked.

Matty shook his head, “I think it’s all too overwhelming. He gets overzealous and then other dogs snap at him when they don’t want to play that much.” Which, in Matty’s defence, was true. When he took Mayhem to a dog park two days ago, his dog spent most of his time chasing a tennis ball because the other dogs didn’t want to put up with a puppy. “Maybe he’d do better in a one on one environment.” He shrugged.

She couldn’t help the laugh that came out at his lack of subtlety. “Oh, really?” She asked, trying to recompose herself. Matty supposed that was probably his invitation to just cut to the chase.

“Would you be up for it? I could meet you at the dog park down the road sometime next week.” He suggested, trying his best to keep his cool. She thought about this for what felt like a solid minute but he was sure it was probably only a few seconds.

“Sure.” She nodded eventually. “Tuesday morning?”

“I’m sure I could fit that in.” He grinned back.

  There was a brief moment of silence where Matty just took in the moment of success until he took his cue to leave before he blew it. “Well, I’ll see you then.” He said as he went to step away from the counter.

“Wait,” She said, stopping him in his tracks as he turned back to her. Shit, what did he forget? “You came in here for a dog bed, didn’t you?”

Oh, no. “Uh, erm, yeah, I suppose I did.” He mumbled quietly as he scratched at the back of his neck. “I’ll go grab one.” He nodded, making his way to the back of the store. After quickly berating his own idiotic memory he grabbed a slightly larger bed than the one Mayhem already had and brought it back up to the counter. He was fairly sure he’d just undone any good work that he had worked towards. Handing the bed over he tried his best to at least be a functioning human being until he got back to his car.

“Hopefully this keeps him off the couch.” The cashier said as she handed it back to him, the humour of the situation pretty evident in her eyes. “And let me know what time on Tuesday.” She added as she passed him a piece of paper with her number on it. Thank fuck for that.

  * * *

  George had of course given Matty a hard time when he came home and revealed the details of how he nearly came home without what he had left the house for. However, Matty couldn’t really have cared any less, because it still ended up working out all right for him. Very few texts were exchanged other than the ones to arrange an exact time to meet up on Tuesday. He got there fifteen minutes early, sitting on a bench with his puppy in his lap as he tried to calm down his racing mind. He had decided to buy her a coffee on the way as a small gesture to say thanks. Once he had done so, he realised he had no idea if she even liked coffee and suddenly regretted the whole plan. But he had two coffees now, so he might as well offer it. Surely it would still be seen as a nice thought? He needed to calm down. Maybe he shouldn’t have had a coffee.

“It’ll be fine.” He told himself as he took in a deep breath. “Won’t it, buddy?” He asked as he nudged Mayhem. His dog looked back up at him with his large brown eyes, giving no indication that he was nervous. “Well of course it will be fine for you. At the end of the day you still have a small fortune of pet supplies to go home to.” Matty huffed as he ruffled Mayhem’s ears. His dog seemed very happy about this development.

  He heard her call his name before he saw her, turning to see a large golden retriever bounding his way. From his position on the bench, he and Mayhem came nose to nose as the new dog ran up to introduce himself. It hadn’t been intentional but it definitely worked very well for their first meeting to not overwhelm the poor puppy with height differences. When the two dogs seemed to have no hostility between them, Matty put Mayhem down on the ground. As soon as his paws touched the grass the two of them were off. He half kept an eye on his dog running amok as he turned to the girl sitting next to him.

“This is for you,” He said as he held out the second coffee. “as thanks.”

She let out an appreciative noise as she picked it up. “You didn’t have to get me this.”

“I wanted to.” He corrected.

“Well… thank you.” She nodded, flashing him a friendly smile. So far so good.

  After twenty minutes of playing, the two canines were finally starting to calm down a bit. “They’re getting on really well.” She noted, taking the last sip of her coffee.

“Yeah, it’s good to see.” He agreed with a nod. “Allen was so much easier to socialise, but he was a much calmer puppy than Mayhem is.” Matty said with a sigh.

She paused for a moment at that, considering what he had just said. “An old dog?” She asked.

“Uh, no, he’s not that old. He’s about five.” He answered.

“You have another dog?” She frowned.

He probably shouldn’t have mentioned that in hindsight. “Well, sort of, I co-own him with my mate Sam. He doesn’t live with me.” He tried his best to talk his way around it, but he knew exactly what was coming next. It was gonna come up sooner or later, he supposed.

“Why didn’t you just socialise Mayhem with the dog you already have?” She questioned.

“Because then I wouldn’t have had an excuse to ask you out for a coffee.” He answered honestly.  

She laughed loudly, but didn’t seem upset by this information. That was good. “You could’ve just asked me out for coffee as opposed to going to all this trouble.”

“Ah, but where’s the fun in that?”

[igottiny]

Got7 Reaction to finding your thirst blog. *18+*

You make the mistake of leaving your laptop open and logged in as you step into the next room to take an important phone calls. Curiosity over what this blog you run gets the best of him.

Mark - All he could think about was that you had left open the laptop that your normally slam closed when he walks in the room. It had interested him for months but regardless of how much he asked about it you never revealed even the smallest of hints. It was only suppose to be a peak. But he ended up scrolling with a scandalized expression until you returned. You freaked out immediately and slammed the laptop shut, but he knew now.

With a rush of adrenaline he states, “Sweetheart, you know full well I am physically capable of pretty much everything you have on that blog. And what I am not, I am more than willing to practice. Let’s give it a go. What say you?”

Jackson - A smirk forms on his face the moment he starts scrolling and sees that the blog you run is just you thirsting over him. If only your followers knew.

“You know baby, if you were feeling thirsty all you had to do was let me know. Why hide it? I don’t mind,” he said, still scrolling, once you returned from taking your call. He looked up at your frozen figure with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

JB - He knew he shouldn’t have looked but all guilt was washed away the moment he actually started scrolling. What’s this about you wanting to sit on his face? Is that why you always had a heated stare whenever he ate anything off a spoon or otherwise required use of his tongue? What a naughty significant other he had.

Once you returned from taking your call he made his way to the kitchen to sat a plan in motion. He had to test his theory. He made quite a show of eating a popsicle. Wore a shit eating grin afterwords when you gulped and cheeks tinged red.

“So it’s true huh baby? My tongue really does get you going.”

Jinyoung - He knew his shower scene in Psychometric ended up being a thirst trap for a lot of people but he didn’t realize it affected you quite like this. Especially after all this time and the shared showers you have taken since. He can work with it though. He opens up another tab and pulls up what he is looking for, adding it to the shopping cart. He leaves the page up for when you return.

When you sit down in front of your laptop you are horrified. “Just press the complete order button jagi.”

“But Jinyoung, this is a shower sex step,” you state breathlessly and wide eyed.

“I know love. I know.” You didn’t miss his very poignant look.

Youngjae - His impish side jumped out at this opportunity and he nearly choked at what he found. A blush colored his cheeks and all the post you had made and reblogged that clearly detailed how badly you wanted to be in control in the bedroom more frequently. Here you were, his cute little buttercup and all you evidently wanted was to tie him up and have your way with him. He quickly shuffled back to his seat but was unable to focus on his own work.

“Jae-yah? Are you ok? You don’t look so well,” you state concerned.

“I-I-I-I’m fine. Honest,” he stuttered, nearly choking on air. His blush deepened as he realized he was playing right into your fantasy. The rest of the day he avoided eye contact with you. You finally understood why when you caught him trying, and failing, to tie himself to the headboard with his favorite red tie.

BamBam - Oh so his partner had idea ideas. So this is what you really thought about his recent gym results. He will just have to amp up his reps and do a bit more work at home instead of in the actual gym.

“I’m going to have so much fun with this,” he said with a chuckle.

Smirks in a very knowing way the rest of the day which has you on edge. The next day when you walked into his work room after seeing his car still there when he should have left for the gym, and found him working out shirtless you nearly died on the spot. 



“Babe, why don’t you come over here and I can personally show you what I can do with my arms. You can tell your little blog about it later.”

Yugyeom - A quick scroll was all he needed to how the rest of the day and well into the night was going to go. He quickly muted his phone and messaging apps as he didn’t want the distractions. This was going to be all about you. By time you had returned to your seat he was bouncing in his and smiling widely.

“What are you so excited about,” you ask a little anxious from his behavior.

He replies with a drawn out “Nothing,” like child who is about to get caught doing something they aren’t supposed to be doing.

You stare at him with narrowed eyes, instantly suspicious. You try and play it off as typical plotting as he probably just got a message from one of the other 97-liners for some shenanigans, but you knew better than to let your guard down.

Five minutes later he wasn’t able to help himself. “So, the wall huh?”

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

June 24, 2021

Heather Cox Richardson

Shortly after noon today, President Biden announced to reporters, “We have a deal.” After weeks of negotiations, a bipartisan group of 5 Democratic and 5 Republican senators have agreed to a blueprint for an infrastructure bill with $973 billion in spending, $579 billion of it new. If 5 more Republicans sign on—and if all the Democrats vote yes—this bill can overcome any filibusters thrown in its path.

In this case, progressive Democrats are as much a sticking point as Republicans, for in order to get Republicans on board, the measure abandons a number of key Democratic priorities. So Democratic leaders have planned for the measure to move forward in tandem with a much larger package that includes Democratic priorities, including funding to combat climate change and to support the caregiver economy. It will likely also start to undo the cuts in the corporate tax rate Republicans pushed through in 2017. The bill is currently estimated to cost about $6 trillion, and it would pass through the budget reconciliation process, which cannot be filibustered and thus will require only a simple majority.

Both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Biden say they will not finish the infrastructure bill without the larger companion bill. Passing the infrastructure package gives Biden a major bipartisan win at the same time it lets Republicans take credit for infrastructure funding that most Americans like very much indeed. But if Republicans refuse to pass it, Democrats have the option of simply passing the larger measure without them.

This is a remarkably delicate balancing act that shows a lot of hard work. We’ll see how it plays out.

Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, Speaker Pelosi is starting to force a reckoning with the January 6 insurrection. Last month, the House of Representatives passed a bill to create an independent, bipartisan committee to investigate that crisis. The positive House vote included 35 Republicans, but in the Senate, Republicans killed the bill with the filibuster. Today, Pelosi announced she is establishing a select committee to investigate the insurrection. While the distribution of seats on the committee is not yet clear, it will have subpoena power and will publish its findings.

Unlike the independent committee Republicans shot down, this one is under no time constraint, leaving Republicans afraid the investigation will affect the 2022 election. In 2015, now–House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) told Fox News Channel personality Sean Hannity that Republicans had put together one of the investigations of the attack on the U.S. compound at Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, to hurt then–Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s political future. Now leaders are afraid the Democrats will do the same thing to them.

Pressure is mounting on those who supported former president Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Today, an appellate court in New York suspended Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani from practicing law, concluding that he had made “demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and the Trump campaign in connection with Trump’s failed effort at reelection in 2020.” Since he lied to spread the Big Lie that Trump had won the election, the court concluded that his “conduct immediately threatens the public interest.”

The court continued: "The seriousness of respondent's uncontroverted misconduct cannot be overstated…. This country is being torn apart by continued attacks on the legitimacy of the 2020 election and of our current president, Joseph R. Biden. The hallmark of our democracy is predicated on free and fair elections. False statements intended to foment a loss of confidence in our elections and resulting loss of confidence in government generally damage the proper functioning of a free society."

It is an astonishing fall for a man who was U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the top federal lawyer in Manhattan, before he was mayor of New York City.

Meanwhile, more information about the Trump administration continues to come to light. Earlier this week we learned that the White House response to coronavirus was determined by what officials thought would look good; today we learned that Trump was far closer to death with Covid-19 than the White House let on, surviving only thanks to rare experimental drugs. His science advisers hoped his brush with death would convince him to take the pandemic seriously, but it did not.

According to CNN, a forthcoming book by Wall Street Journal reporter Michael Bender says that last summer, Trump wanted law enforcement and military officials to go in and "beat the f--k out" of the civil rights protesters. “Just shoot them,” he is alleged to have said repeatedly. The book suggests that it was then–Attorney General William Barr and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mike Milley, who held him back.

Like the former president, his supporters are talking more and more violently as the country seems to be slipping out of their control.

Will Sommer, politics reporter at the Daily Beast who is currently writing a book on QAnon, yesterday flagged a clip from a contributor to the right-wing conspiracy network OAN. The contributor repeated the lie that “voter fraud” undermined the 2020 election, but then went further: “What are the consequences for traitors who meddled with our sacred democratic process and tried to steal power by taking away the voices of the American people?” he asked.

"In the past, America had a very good solution for dealing with such traitors,” he said. “Execution.”

"Exactly how many people were involved in these efforts to undermine the election?" he asked. "Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of thousands? How many people does it take to carry out a coup against the presidency?"

Historians rightly recognize this rhetoric as deadly dangerous, but we are not the only ones. On Twitter, California Democratic Representative Ted Lieu begged House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to stop this escalation while it is still possible: “You are in a position to reduce violence. Lives are potentially at stake. Please just say one simple, truthful sentence: the election was not stolen.”

Michigan Representative Peter Meijer was more specific: “Let me be clear,” he tweeted. “[M]ore people will die [because] of craven propaganda like this. People who believe [the] election was a “coup” + view [government] officials as traitors will seek what they view as ‘justice.’ When there are no arrests [because] this is all a lie they will take matters into their own hands.”

Indeed, Sommer tweeted: “I came across the clip because QAnon people… see it as proof that the mass executions are right around the corner. Lots of glee in the Q chat rooms, demands for how exactly their imagined executions will be carried out and complaints they had to wait too long.”

Yesterday, an official from the Department of Homeland Security told members of the House Committee on Homeland Security that the department is following online discussions among extremists who believe the conspiracy theory that former president Trump will be reinstated in August. They fear that expectation could trigger violence.

—-

Notes:

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/24/dhs-concerned-trump-reinstatement-496050

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/560103-biden-says-he-wont-sign-bipartisan-bill-without-reconciliation-bill

https://www.rollcall.com/2021/06/24/investors-press-firms-on-donations-as-political-spending-jumps/

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/pelosi-no-vote-on-infrastructure-deal-until-dem-priorities-passed-through-reconciliation

https://www.rawstory.com/amp/oan-election-conspiracy-2653522376

Will Sommer @willsommerI came across the clip because QAnon people are see it as proof that the mass executions are right around the corner. Lots of glee in the Q chat rooms, demands for how exactly their imagined executions will be carried out and complaints they had to wait too long.480 Retweets2,517 Likes

June 24th 2021

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pelosi-announces-a-select-committee-will-investigate-the-jan-6-attack-on-the-capitol-by-a-pro-trump-mob/2021/06/24/55497282-d4f5-11eb-ae54-515e2f63d37d_story.html

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/24/politics/read-giuliani-law-license-ruling/index.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/06/24/nightmare-scenario-book-excerpt/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/kevin-mccarthys-truthful-gaffe/2015/09/30/f12a9fac-67a8-11e5-8325-a42b5a459b1e_story.html

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/24/politics/bender-book-trump-milley-protests/index.html

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[spxctrixmru]

Sitting at Saren’s desk in their home, Nihlus had cleaned up their home in the Presidium for the eventual return of Saren. Last he heard of Saren was that he was undergoing rigorous psychological testing in the Medbay in the Citadel. Sparatus’ orders. It was for the best. He’s already had his crimes pardoned. Of course Saren wasn’t the suspect, but now all eyes were on the Reapers, Sovereign specifically. well, Sovereign was gone. Sparatus has agreed, as well as the rest of the council seats to reinstate Saren’s Spectre status if he passes all psychological tests, if he’s truly free of the indoctrination. Nihlus is anxious, to be honest. They’re just glad the council is doing all of this after turning in all the evidence. It’s been a couple weeks since Saren’s biotic amps were replaced.

Hoping for the best, his talons clank against the wooden desk, in some sort of rhythm that he’d heard countless times in the clubs littered about in the Presidium. A Spectre’s home such as Nihlus and Saren’s was a large home, penthouse-like. Surely they wouldn’t use their entire home, but, Nihlus and Saren have their own rooms, foolish contractors don’t know that they’ll be sleeping together. Though, it’s nice to… be here again. Their walls are soundproof. No one can hear Nihlus’ voice—but damnit he wants his voice to be heard. Silence. Nothing but his talons against the smooth wood. He.. heard everything from the omni-tool Saren had running in the Medbay, he was talking about Nihlus, how he just wanted to settle down after the test results come in.

How nice. Nihlus thinks to himself, they just want Nihlus and him to…settle down. At least for awhile. Shepherd’s probably going after the Reapers. according to Council’s most recently mission report, the Geth are still trying to get to the Reapers, worship them. Saren’s no longer indoctrinated, wonder how it’s going to go. The younger Spectre sighs, going into Saren’s lab, of course he had this. This is where he spent hours finding the cure for Krogan infertility. Maybe Saren could finish it, allow Krogan’s to be cured of such a horrid thing. Nihlus always hated thinking about the Krogan Rebellions and such. It was the past. This was the present. They could help so many people, but.. it’s time to rest, relax—finally settle down.

It takes a couple of minutes for Nihlus to exit the lab, still holding his omnitool as they sit on the couch, in which he’d recently just cleaned the dust off of, as well as everything else… they had already thrown out the old food waste that had gone bad, of course, Nihlus was tidying up their home, before staring down at the omnitool. Still listening to Saren speak during his tests. And then waiting eagerly for his results. It’s nice to hear that Saren’s taking this whole thing well, even if it’s going to be rough around the edges in the Citadel and Presidium for awhile, he’ll make sure Saren’s okay.

Deep Breaths. In. Out. In and out. You’ll be fine, Nihlus. Which reminds him—the younger Spectre has a health evaluation in the next couple of days. It lines up with Saren’s own, well, what should’ve been Saren’s is being done right now. Of course, he doesn’t mind going alone. He hears another Turian voice faintly in the background. It’s the doctor—giving Saren their diagnosis and what-not. Time to listen.

^”There’s no irregularities in that brain of yours, there’s no external signals coming from anywhere, either. To the best of my knowledge. You’re free to go. I’ll just send these reports to the Council, and you should be a free man, Saren.”^

Those words made Nihlus giddy and joyous. Saren’s going to have to stay there for another hour at most for everything to get cleared up. It isn’t long until he hears the announcement. Saren’s a free man. He’s a spectre again—The Reapers plans have been made public to anyone who wishes to plan against Sovereign. Which means Shepherd is most certainly going after them given the news and reports that are now spreading like wildfire.

But.. everything just feels so off and not even Nihlus knows as to why. It shouldn’t matter. This should matter, actually. Why is Nihlus so damn indecisive. Right. Right—Reapers are still about. But, how long much longer until they get to the 50,000 year mark? It’s gotta be only a couple years away given re-emergences of specifically Sovereign on Eden Prime. Of Course, Nihlus is still suffering some pain in his back thanks to the pistol wound. It still got him pretty good, good enough to be unconscious for at least two days afterward.

Such a day of emotions. He’s anxious, then happy out of his mind, and now back to anxious. Nihlus wasn’t one to bottle it up but, for once, he did. It’ll go away on its own, of course it would, right? He has more things to focus on, like getting his way to the Medbays. That’s exactly what He’d do, sporting a casual pair of shorts and a muscle shirt, bandages still on his back from that morning. With that? He sets out. there’s a bit of urgency, but that’s solely because he wants to see Saren again in person and not just on another side of an omni-tool. Surely it wouldn’t take too long, but with quick transport locked up at the moment, he’d resort to just jogging through the area. Some civilians wondered if the Spectre just is exercising again, but, given how he’s headed towards the Med-bays, it’s more important than that. Maybe they’ll get something to eat later with Saren, but, for now? He just wants to see them again.

Nihlus hadn’t forgotten to bring a change of clothes. In current moments, Saren’s armor and current clothing underneath were dirty and cracked. Broken. So he’d just grabbed what Saren usually wore before all of this happened. Fashion King he was. Nihlus can’t even complain either—he looks good in it. Silky, not so baggy, looking robes and pants. Talk about walking out of a fashion show of a closet. Maybe he should let Saren dictate his own fashion sense for awhile.

Nah. That would never work out. Not in another million years. Nihlus did like Saren’s fashion, it just, well, wouldn’t fit Nihlus, like, at all. There’s a yawn, a stomach growl. Saren’s most likely feeling the same. They’re both tired and starving, wanting to return to the peaceful, quiet life for at least a little while. Can’t blame them, either. One who goes through indoctrination and is fully cured of it? They’re going to be scarred for the rest of their lives.

The fear he heard in Saren’s voice hits Nihlus hard every time. He’ll never allow this to happen ever again. He’ll make sure they both get their happy ending. He doesn’t care what it’s going to take to get that Happy Ending. If he has to go around and destroy every damn Reaper in the entire Galaxy, he will. Though Shepherd’s most certainly also going after them. Can’t blame them, either. He’ll just let them go for it.

This is where their story splits. To think only a couple weeks ago, Nihlus was on the Normandy, looking over Shepherd to become a Spectre as well. A shaky breath escapes the younger Spectre’s mouth, his mandibles stretching out, also shaking. You can tell he’s anxious still, even through the Doctors telling Saren he’s free. He just wasn’t expecting the Council to make a big decision this quickly, and especially even faster to clear Saren’s name.

[mango-forest]

i see your name everyday

Marinette knows that she should love her soulmate mark. And she does! It’s just that she doesn’t want to show it off, or have anybody looking, or knowing. So that means if something doesn’t go to her mid calf, she has to wear leggings or high socks.

She tried wearing synthetic skin over her mark but there was just something. . . wrong about it. So she makes do. It’s not like she’s the only one with the problem. Lots of people have negative feelings about soulmates in general. Marinette just feels like her soulmate mark is something private.

When Marinette is seven, she tried looking up the name. Damian Wayne. All she finds are articles about Bruce Wayne. No Damian in sight.

Over the years she sees her classmates find their soulmates. Rose finds Juleka, and later Ali. Nathaniel is one of the few that don’t have any markings and he stays quiet until Marinette introduces him to Marc and the two boys, they later announce, decide to be queer platonic partners.

When she becomes Ladybug, there’s the problem of Chat Noir. Who is . . . fine. Or at least, he was until a few months in when he decides to say that they’re soulmates. He claims that the name Ladybug is on his forearm.

Marinette knows that’s not how it works.

But there are no other partners she can work with and despite what she thinks, she knows she can’t do the akuma battles alone. And Chat Noir seems to know it too. So when he amps up the flirting and unwanted attention and claims, Ladybug endures. She endures even when it’s revealed she can give out other miraculi.

Until one day she snaps. Chat has been arriving late more and more often and a civilian nearly gets killed when he decides that he can flirt whenever he wants to. Ladybug casts the cure and faces him on a rooftop. “Chat, you can’t keep doing this,” she says quietly.

“M’Lady—“ he starts casually.

“No, Chat!” she snaps. “You can’t keep doing this!”

“What I can’t flirt with my soulmate?” he taunts.

“No, you can’t,” Ladybug says forcefully. “Because I’m not your soulmate!”

“Yes, you are!” he insists. “I’ve told you; Ladybug is right across my wrist!”

Ladybug wants to scream. Because no matter how many times she explains, he never listens. He’s always the same every fight, always trying to play the victim, always being a liability. And she’s sick and tired about it! “A civilian almost died, Chat Noir!”

“So what?” he yells back. “The miraculous cure would have brought them back!”

“That's not the point!” she screams. A flicker of surprise crosses Chat Noir’s face. “What if that won't happen? What if they had died for good?”

He scoffs. “You're crazy if you think no one has died from akuma attacks before. And they've all been brought back! You're worrying for nothing!”

“I'm not worrying for nothing, Chat. But they wouldn't have died from the akuma, they would've died from you,” she forces out. “If you hadn’t flirted then I wouldn't have been distracted by keeping you safe. And then you could've gotten her out of the way instead of me doing a clumsy pull with my yoyo.”

“Ladybug, c’mon. Think about what your doing, you're yelling at your soulmate, for God's sake,” Chat tries to say.

“Urgh! I just--you don't get it, Chat Noir. I'm leaving. Goodbye.” She leaves before he can get a word in otherwise.

When she detransforms in her room, Marinette looks at Tikki helplessly. "What am I gonna do, Tikki? I can't get rid of him."

"Why can't you?" Tikki asks.

"Because he's my partner. Because if he's not here then I don't have any backup! The people in my class don't really deserve it, the people who do have such busy schedules, Luka is planning on going on tour in a week or two, and Kagami's leaving for a trip a few days from now," Marinette cries.

She collapses on her bed and throws an arm over her face. Tikki rests gently in her stomach. "Us kwamis are thinking about replacing the black cat. The only problem is that you're the one that needs to collect it."

Marinette freezes. "That means. . . that means I'll know who Chat Noir is."

"It's the only way," Tikki says gently. "The black cat hasn't been acting the way he should be. Just collect it in his sleep."

Marinette tries not to think about a morning when she'll wake up and not have the earrings on.

When she goes the next night, Tikki whispers his name in her ears. Ladybug doesn't want to think about how stupid she was a few years ago. She thinks how glad she is she got rid of her celebrity crush.

When she opens the wind and drops down, neon green eyes watch her silently. She tries to express her regret on her face as she lifts the model's hand. Plagg only nods once before she slips the ring off and he disappears. She places Adrien's hand down and tries not to think about how negatively he can react. Ladybug closes the window and sets off, with Adrien never even stirring.

Marinette wears it as a necklace. A way to make sure she doesn't lose it. Lila asks, sickly sweet, "Aw, Adrien, what happened to your ring?"

"I must have lost it," Adrien replies with a blank smile. Lila hums and hugs his arm closer.

Marinette only places a hand over her chest, above where the ring rests under her shirt.

Marinette guesses because of all that happened, she sort of forgot about her soulmate mark. Until one day she wakes up and it's burning. She stifles a scream and grabs her laptop. Sure her mark has throbbed before, or gone numb. But now it feels like it's on fire.

All the search results say that she should be calling the hospital for her soulmate and Marinette feels a spike of dread. She doesn't know where her soulmate is. In an act of desperation, she does something she hasn't done since she was seven. She types Damian Wayne into the search bar and presses Enter.

This time, there are search results. Much more than last time. She scans the recent articles, but none of them say anything about why her mark is burning like it's drenched in lava. Marinette distantly wonders if she'll be able to use her leg in the future at all.

All of the articles say the same thing. Damian, from what they say, is a cold, emotionless boy, who many speculate is markless. Marinette knows that's not true. And she hopes, through the pain, that he's okay.

She loses track of time and when she looks at the lower hand clock, she swears. She gets dressed in a hurry, shoving on a T-shirt, skirt, and nearly tripping on the stairs as she pulls up her knee high socks. Thankfully the burning sensation has lowered to a throbbing level of pain but Marinette still yells in her head as she runs towards the school.

The noirnette is right next to the classroom door when the bell rings and she bursts into the classroom. Marinette takes deep breaths as she smiles at the teacher. "Hello," she greets.

Ms. Bustier levels a look at her. "That's the third time this week, Marinette." The class snickers.

"I know," Marinette admits, starting to walk to the back of the classroom. "I'll just, uh, take my seat."

When she's situated, Ms. Bustier gives a satisfied nod and says to the class, "Well. I'm happy to announce that we are going to take a field trip to Gotham as a foreign language program."

Of course, when she leaves, Lila says, "Oh, I'm so happy we'll be able to go there! My soulmate lives there, did you all know?"

The girls gush over Lila. Marinette doesn't pay any attention, sketching some new designs on spare paper. It's only when a name gets mentioned that her head shoots up. "Yeah, Damian will love to see me! He probably won't meet any of you though, he doesn't like being public, you know because of paparazzi. He is a Wayne after all." All the girls squeal and the guys look with smiles.

Damian Wayne? Marinette spends the rest of the class with a sense of sick satisfaction. No matter how much Lila lies, she'll never have Damian Wayne as a soulmate. At least that's one thing Lila won't ever get.

The initial anticipation and excitement for the trip leaves Marinette as she sits on the steps of the hotel. Tikki presses against her in the purse and Marinette runs a hand through her loose hair. She hears steps walking towards her and keeps staring at the ground in front of her shoes, not wanting to socialise. "Hey," the person says, "what are you doing out here?"

Marinette shrugs and glances at him. And she freezes. Because the face staring at her is a face she's seen in many articles. "My class left me behind," she says faintly. "We're supposed to be touring Wayne Enterprises."

"Well, I can take you there," Damian Wayne offers. Marinette observes past the haze in her mind that he holds himself stiffly, favoring his right side.

"Sure," she says, maybe a bit too quickly. She stands up and offers a hand. "My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Marinette can see him freeze. He shakes her hand with a smile on his face. "Damian Wayne. And you're my soulmate."

She laughs and since she's wearing a pink dress with leggings, she lets go of his hand and pulls up the dark fabric to reveal his name, running down the side of her calf. "I know," she says, and she pulls the leggings down.

"Maybe we can skip going to WE and grab a coffee, Marinette?" her soulmate proposes, offering his arm.

Marinette grins at him and loops their arms together. "I'd love that, Damian."

[msclaritea]

A very important history lesson and why we have to fight back this time.

A lot of people saw the White Tears Death March at Michigan's capitol & said: "If black people did that..."

"Some mentioned Reagan's gun control law after '67 Panthers protest But there are many historical examples of white people freaking out when blacks protested.

(A thread) 

After the Not-So-Civil War, this happened ALL THE TIME.

Remember, the states that got their asses kicked were not automatically allowed back into the Union. Southern white supremacists were so scared when blacks exercised their new right to vote that they started a race war. 

In 1866, La. reconvened its Constitutional Convention because Democrats were trying to stop blacks from voting. (This was before conservative Southern "states rights" advocates switched became Republican. We'll get to that)

Of course, black people marched (but not like that). 

When the black people showed up, a group of white supremacists (Y'all call them "Confederates now — same thing) was waiting on them and opened fire.

To be fair, the black ppl weren't actually protesting, per se when the racists opened fire. They were doing something much worse: 

They were dancing and playing music.

Y'all, those racist bastards opened fire on a MARCHING BAND.

Then this happened:

Partly because of the New Orleans Massacre, Congress passed the First Reconstruction Act. Black Louisianans were guaranteed the right to vote but the act did something else that would make the racists even madder.

It took away the right to vote for any ex-Confederate. 

If you think this was bad, Georgia was even worse.

Ga. holds the distinction of being the only state that was so racist that we had to kick the ENTIRE STATE out of America.

Seriously, that happened. And it was partly because of the Camilla Massacre. 

First, you gotta remember that blacks damn near outnumbered whites in Georgia. So, after they got the right to vote, 33 black ppl were elected to the state legislature.

Wypipo wasn't having that shit.

So the white legislators called their homeboys up (Y'all call them the KKK) 

The KKK ran the DULY ELECTED "Original 33" out of office.

Then the Ga. Supreme Court ruled that black people were technically citizens, but the Ga. laws were only meant for white people, so... Black ppl, y'all need to go somewhere with that "equality" shit.*

*I'm paraphrasing

A week after they ousted the Original 33, one of the (did I mentioned DULY ELECTED) legislators organized 200-300 blacks & marched from Albany to Camilla to hold a rally in the town square

When they got to Mitchell County, whites waiting in storefronts and on roofs, opened fire 

The Camilla Massacre got Georgia kicked BACK OUT of the Union and the state had to be readmitted for a second time in 1870 after it seated SOME of the Original 33.

Why not all?

Well, 1/4 of the Original 33 were murdered or attacked. 

On October 25, 1870, 2,000 black people gathered at a rally in Eutaw, Ala. right before the Nov. election. The crowd wanted to prove they weren't of white racists.

Why would they be scared?

Well, in March, 30 masked white men had lynched James Martin, a black Republican. 

It happened again in July, but they didn't just kill Gillford Coleman, they cut his body up into pieces. The racists were afraid Eutaw Co. blacks would help elect a Republican Gov. liked they helped Grant win the county by 2000 votes the 1868 election, 

Klansman rode into town and opened fire on adults and children and promised to do it again if Black people voted.

The tactic worked.

Instead of Republicans winning, the county by 2000 votes, the Democrat Governor won by 43 votes. 

That was lame compared to the Battle of Liberty Place.

Remember when this whole "Confederate Statue" thing first started a couple of years ago? It was partly about a monument to the Battle of Liberty Place, when a whole white supremacist army overthrew the Louisiana gvt. 



In 18 months a white supremacist ARMY called the "white league" (racists are notoriously bad for coming up with nicknames) killed hundreds of Black voters in Colfax, New Orleans, Coushatta & Opelousas

This is what led to the passage of the 2nd Ku Klux Klan Act 

(Side note: The Colfax Massacre also resulted in a Supreme Court Case, which was the first time the Supreme Court said the Second Amendment guaranteed individual citizens the right to own guns)

A lot of Black folks weren't having this shit. So they formed their own armies. 

In SC, the KKK and other Dollar Tree brand racist groups were killing Blacks in the lead up to the 1876 election. In Ellenton, over 100 black voters were murdered.

But it wasn't just about politics. White people HATED when blacks told them what to do. 

You gotta remember, most southern whites were Confederates, so during Reconstruction military occupation, a lot of the soldiers were black.

On July 4, 1876, in Hamburg, the town next to Ellenton, SC, a group of black national guardsmen were drilling while black people watched 

A group of these Dollar Tree white soldiers called the "Red Shirts" came through trying to flex and the Black Guardsmen told them to wait to pass until they finished.

Yall know those former whip crackers weren't having that. 

A white judge told the Red Shirts that they could take the black NATIONAL GUARDSMEN's guns, they found the black militia and began opening fire.

94 white men were indicted.

0 were convicted

The leader of the Hamburg Massacre?

He went on to serve 24 years in the US Senate 

Again, it wasn't just about stopping black people from voting.

In 1887, 10,000 black workers went on strike and started forming a union on La sugar plantations.

So the plantation owners hired the KKK to come in and kill the organizers. Then, it became any black person. 

No one knows how many were killed but the official number is "enough"

Louisiana sugar plantations wouldn't organize again for another 50 years. 

On July 3, 1919, a group of black Buffalo Soldiers went to Bisbee, Ari. Now, this may have been before cookouts were invented, because the soldiers had planned to march in the parade the next day. 

Bisbee's white sheriff told the black soldiers that they couldn't walk around with their guns. When the police officers tried to disarm the Buffalo Soldiers, the refused. So they deputized all the white men in town to disarm the negroes 

The soldiers were like: "Fuck y'all lil' parade, then," and were preparing to leave when one of the deputies was like: "You can't talk to a white man like that."

He opened fire.

The other deputies did, too. 

An investigation would later reveal that it was planned.

The Sherriff and others "had planned deliberately to aggravate the negro troopers so that they would furnish an excuse for police and deputy sheriffs to shoot them down."

No word on the cookout. 

Later that same year, black cotton sharecroppers met at a church in Elaine, Ark. They were trying to organize to get better prices but white farmers showed up. After an exchange of gunfire, a white man ended up dead.

The rumor spread that there was a black coup in Elaine 

Whites from all across the South came to Elaine to literally hunt Black ppl. No one still knows how many were killed. Estimates range up to 250. You know how they finally ended it?

Federal troops arrived...

And arrested all the black people who were left alive. 

In 1945, 19 black Air Force fighter pilots were arrested for trying to integrate an all-white officers club at an Indiana Airbase. 17 more showed up. They were arrested. 25 more showed up the next night, and were arrested.

Segregation was technically against military rule 

So the Air Force gathered all 101 black airmen in a room & offered a deal: All they had to do is sign a paper saying they agree to the segregation or,

Face arrest for violating a direct order, which was technically punishable by death.

All 101 refused.

They were all arrested 

Historically, the white "patriots" who love the flag and the troops treated black soldiers like they all took a knee before an NFL game.

In August 1947, Chicago residents grew angry when they realized the gov't was giving homes to Black veterans in the white Fernwood Park area 

The day after the families moved in, on August13, the whites attacked

For 3 days, as many as 5,000 white rioters pulled Black people out of cars and beat them. They threw rocks at the homes and smashed windows. Then they started setting fires.

The police did nothing. 

In 1949, black Chicago union stewards assembled went to a meeting. There were white people at the meeting, too. The meeting was even in the home of a white couple, but a rumor had already been circulating that black people were planning to buy a house in the white neighborhood. 

By the end of the meeting, hundreds of whites were outside.

This one lasted 5 days.

An estimated 10,000 white rioters took part in the Englewood riot.

Police did nothing to stop it. 

Remember when MLK wrote about "white moderates" in the Letter from a Birmingham Jail?" Well, those protests were partially successful.

On May 11, 1963 black protesters were celebrating. The city had decided to desegregate water fountains, lunch counters, retail stores... 

On May 11, 1963, the KKK was also planning a march in Bham because...you know.

Just before 11 am, a uniformed Bham police officer got out of his car and put a package on the porch of a small house.

It was dynamite.

It exploded. 

A few minutes later, another bigger bomb at the AG Gaston motel.

Everyone knows about the 16th St. church bombing in Birmingham, but few people know that there were more than FIFTY bombings in "Bombingham" during the Civil rights era 

One section of town was bombed so often it's still called "Dynamite Hill."

Of course, the KKK marched anyway.

Oh, and that bombed house belonged to A.D. King, Martin Luther King's brother.

King had left town a few hours earlier...

After checking out of the AG Gaston Hotel 

(Fun fact: Angela Davis and Condoleeza Rice grew up around the corner from each other in Dynamite Hill)

On February 5, 1968, black students from SC State tried to integrate a bowling alley. They were kicked out, but this time, the police were waiting to beat protesters. 

But students kept showing up. So the governor called the state troopers and the National Guard.

On Feb. 8, while attempting to put out a bonfire, the Troopers opened fire on 200 protesters, shooting dozens of black students and protesters. 

1 high school student was killed and 2 SCSU students. Police said they thought the students were shooting,

They weren't

One person was arrested, convicted and served time, Cleveland Sellers...

A student.

You might know his son @Bakari_Sellers 

In March, 1970, in Lamar SC, a mob of angry white people attacked black protesters. Well... these protesters were kinda young and they were protesting in a weird way:

They were going to school.

A judge had ordered the school district to integrate

There are so many more examples

Check out "Ax Handle Saturday" in Jacksonville, Fla.

Read about when Fannie Lou Hamer and the Mississippi Freedom Democrats showed up at the '64 convention

The Freedom Riders

Bloody Sunday in Selma

Art Bacon in Talladega 

So when white people show up to protests angry and outspoken, and nothing happens, you don't have to wonder what would happen if black people did that,

Just remember what happened when black people just SHOWED UP

Not if...

WHEN."