#Title VI

[eretzyisrael]

by Dion J. Pierre

Ackerman brought the issue before the Rutgers Student Bar Association (SBA), a student government body of which Ackerman was a member. However, he was accused of racism and subjected on Oct. 26 to what the lawsuit describes as a three-hour “struggle session” in which his SBA law school colleagues pelted him with insults.

“During this meeting, several students whom Mr. Ackerman had never interacted with before testified against him,” said the complaint, filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey in Essex County. “For example, law student JM, targeted, discriminated, bullied, harassed, and retaliated against Mr. Ackerman. She falsely accused Mr. Ackerman of threatening to dox her and other students — without any evidence. JM moved to impeach Ackerman from the SBA, and to intimidate Mr. Ackerman and other Jewish students.”

“The Rutgers SBA and JM were seeking to chill the speech of Ackerman — as a Jewish person,” the complaint continues. “The content and tone of the SBA hearing were designed or allowed to air antisemitic bias with the intent of discriminating, threatening, harassing, and bullying Jewish law students, including Mr. Ackerman.”

The complaint summarizes in detail Ackerman’s attempts to file formal complaints about the video and the treatment he received, focusing on the conduct of Katherine Perez, an assistant dean in the law school whom the suit names as a defendant. It charges that Perez never watched the video about which Ackerman complained and, in retaliation, charged him with defamation and disorderly conduct. Later, Perez told Ackerman that a complaint he had filed lacked merit and would not be investigated.

Ackerman’s attorneys said in a press release that he will on Thursday attend a final disciplinary hearing that will determine whether he is expelled from school.

“In sum, Rutgers plans to hold this ‘kangaroo court’ in which they refuse to permit Ackerman to be represented by counsel (who cannot speak or otherwise advocate on Mr. Ackerman’s behalf), and have failed to advise him of the witnesses who will testify against him, and which ostensibly will be presided over by the very person who initiated and brought the charges, against him,” the suit says.

The Algemeiner has reached out to Rutgers to confirm the details concerning the hearing on Thursday.

Ackerman additionally alleges the ordeal he experienced has caused medical complications, and he is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

“It is time to speak out,” Ackerman said on Tuesday during a press conference. “Just five days after the largest attack and attempt at genocide against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, one of my peers shared a video that was highly offensive and in my opinion antisemitic … What has resulted since is nothing more than an attempt by Rutgers and other students to silence my right to speak out against antisemitism. I will not be silent in the face of hatred towards Jews.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Leigh Ann O’Neill and William E. Trachman

Published: Feb 4, 2024

Seventy years after the Supreme Court struck down racial segregation in education, it’s somehow making a comeback.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education. For the past 70 years, race discrimination in public schools has been illegal and unconstitutional. In some cases, even the National Guard has been called out to enforce the law.

But in Evanston, Ill., it’s still a pre-Brown world. As reported elsewhere last year, Evanston Township High School offered racially segregated classes such as AP calculus for Hispanic students only, and English classes for only black students. It did that purportedly in the name of shrinking the achievement gap between Caucasian and non-Caucasian students. Yes, it’s hard to believe, but the doctrine of separate-but-equal still lives on, even today.

What was the school district’s defense to such obviously illegal division of students by race? Just that no one is forced to take such classes, so they are optional, and therefore not discriminatory. But that logic doesn’t fly.

First, it’s obvious that Evanston is engaged in brazen racial segregation. If Hispanic students take the math class designed specifically for Hispanic students, that means that non-Hispanic students will generally take math classes without any Hispanic students. The same is true for English classes that are only for black students. So much for diversity and inclusion!

Second, the rationale behind the classes sounds a lot like the arguments made by segregationists of days past, who contended that Jim Crow was actually good for black Americans. As Evanston’s superintendent, Marcus Campbell, stated: The classes give non-white students “a different, more familiar setting to kids who feel really anxious about being in an AP class.” You could be forgiven for mistaking this statement for something that segregationist Arkansas governor Orval Faubus might have said to defend racial separation.

Evanston isn’t just violating the Constitution. In 1964, Congress also passed a statute that deprives schools of federal funds if they discriminate based on race. That statute — called Title VI — gives the Department of Education and its Office for Civil Rights the authority to investigate public schools engaged in race discrimination and to force them to come into compliance with the law, under the threat of losing all federal funding.

Let there be no doubt: The text of Title VI doesn’t distinguish between “mandatory” and “optional” school programs. There is no exception to the bar on race discrimination for schools that merely encourage and facilitate racial segregation. And that’s obviously true. No one thinks that public schools could host “optional” racially segregated proms, homecoming events, back-to-school nights, or sports teams. The classroom is no different.

The Biden administration recently reminded us that a host of school programs can violate Title VI if the school fails to allow all students to participate equally. In guidance published after the Supreme Court struck down Harvard’s affirmative-action program, the Department of Education wrote:

A decision to restrict membership or participation in activities and spaces based on race . . . would raise significant concerns and trigger strict scrutiny under Title VI. In determining whether an opportunity to participate is open to all students, OCR may consider, for example, whether advertisements or other communications would lead a reasonable student, or a parent or guardian, to understand that all students are welcome to participate.

Yet Evanston remains undeterred, apparently. While the district has dropped the word “restricted” from the class descriptions in question, it nevertheless continues to encourage students to segregate themselves. An English II class is now described as one that “will emphasize examples that some individuals in the Black community identify as shared experiences.”

But if you thought that means that Caucasian students are welcome now, you’d be wrong. In an August 2023 interview, Superintendent Campbell explained that “if push came to shove,” and “there’s nothing else that works and that kid is white,” then the district would reluctantly let a Caucasian student enroll in a math class for another racial group. But how do you imagine that lands on the ears of a “reasonable student” who is wondering whether he or she is genuinely welcome to participate?

It’s time for systemic change. The Office for Civil Rights should be launching an investigation into Evanston. But unfortunately, it seems that politics have persuaded the powers that be to look the other way, even when it comes to Evanston’s previous blatant violations of Title VI.

Yet now is the time to course-correct. Anything other than a full investigation into Evanston is a complete abdication of the Department of Education’s legal responsibility to stomp out federal funding going to support racial discrimination. With classrooms once again being literally racially segregated, it’s never been more clear that the Department of Education isn’t doing enough to crack down on race discrimination in K–12 schools.

As Chief Justice Roberts wrote in his opinion striking down affirmative action once and for all, “eliminating race discrimination means eliminating all of it.” And in Evanston, Ill., they have 70 years of progress to start catching up to.

Leigh Ann O’Neill is the managing director of Legal Advocacy at FAIR, the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism. William E. Trachman is a former deputy assistant secretary in the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. He is the general counsel of Mountain States Legal Foundation.

[ Via: https://archive.md/Rm4rV ]

==

Apparently, the lesson that "segregation is bad" didn't sink in the first time.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. -- George Santayana

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

Inside Higher Ed reported in January that the Education Department pushed off “updating the regulations for Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect students from harassment and discrimination because of shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics until December 2023.”

“The department has previously said it would issue a new rule in December 2022 as part of an effort to combat antisemitism.”

Instead, the department opted to publish a fact sheet.

The fact sheet “outlines how students who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist or of another religious group are protected under federal law. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects students from race, color and national origin discrimination,” Politico reported.

The expected — and delayed — rule change would have enshrined the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-semitism in Department of Education policy. In so doing, Jews discriminated against because of their shared ancestry or ethnicity would have legal standing to redress their grievances.

Kenneth Marcus, chairman of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and former head of the OCR, told The College Fix via email that rather than giving new powers or responsibilities to the Department of Education, codifying the Trump-era Executive Order will merely preserve the status quo.

“The new regulation would keep all of this in place, despite continuing efforts from many left-wing critics to remove them,” Marcus said.

“Some people misunderstand what is meant by codifying the Trump order. It doesn’t mean that the federal government would investigate any form of conduct that meets the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. Rather, it means reinforcing both the Trump rule on anti-Semitism and also the Trump protections for free speech.”

It comes “at a time of record-high anti-Semitism levels,” said Marcus, who is especially concerned after the announcement that FBI data “enormously understates the extent of anti-Semitic incidents.”

Recently, a series of antisemitic incidents have affected students across the country from UC Berkeley to Brooklyn College and more.

[mental-mona]

So this story is still playing out...

Excerpt:

A claim has been filed with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Human Rights against the University of California, Berkeley Law School, over its recent bylaw excluding Zionist speakers.

The claim was submitted by Gabriel Groisman, a Florida-based attorney and partner at LSN Law, P.A., and Arsen Ostrovsky, an Israel-based attorney and CEO of The International Legal Forum. It argues that the bylaw represents “profound and deep-seated antisemitic discrimination” against Jewish students, faculty and staff at UC Berkeley Law School.”

According to Ostrovsky, “This is the first such civil rights claim filed against UC Berkeley Law School that focuses on underscoring that because Zionism is an inherent part of Jewish identity, excluding Zionist students therefore is not a matter of free speech, but one of fundamental antisemitic discrimination, which is prohibited under federal law.”

The claim has been filed pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (1964), which prohibits recipients of federal funding from discriminating on the basis of “race, color, and national origin.”

It requests the Office of Civil Rights to “open an investigation against UC Berkeley Law, to direct it to immediately invalidate the bylaw in question, and to adopt a number of additional remedies,” according to a statement by the attorneys.

[lttllovely]

MOONLIGHT ON THE RIVER | Ethan Landry x Freeman!Reader

Word Count: 2.6k

Summary: You are Amber Freeman’s sibling and a fellow survivor of the 2022 Woodsboro Massacre. Coming to New York, you isolated yourself from everyone, only talking to your close friends. You were shunned and made out to be a serial killer by most in New York, them thinking that you were cut from the same cloth as your sister. But not Ethan. Never Ethan.

Genre: Fluff with some angst. Ethan has a heart, surprisingly. A cold one, at the end of Scream VI, but yeah.

Notes: It's referenced once that the reader is wearing a dress with their Angel costume, but no other gendered terms/clothing are referenced in this. Might write a sequel(s) to this if I feel like it/if demand is high enough. So, if you want this to be continued, let me know. You can even throw me some other ideas/requests for this series/other one-shots and I might write them :)

COMING TO THIS PARTY HAD BEEN A BAD IDEA. The booze was flowing. The apartment was stuffed with so many people that no matter where you turned you were met with a face or pressed against someone else. The rooms were rank with the scents of alcohol and sweat. Everything just screamed “Uncomfortable,” and “Get out,” yet you glumly remained.

Really, you wouldn’t have even gone if it wasn’t for your friends worrying about you. They saw how you only talked to them, never went out to parties, and had generally cocooned yourself from the rest of society. They knew it was because of what happened back in Woodsboro. You had lost so much. Your friends, your sister, everything. But, they wanted you to be happy. To get out there. So, when they begged you to come to this party with them, you said yes.

And at first, the party was fine. Fun, even. You had mostly stuck with Tara, who had progressively gotten very, very drunk. You weren’t one for drinking, however, staying stone-cold sober. You were too paranoid about everything and everyone to let yourself lose focus for a second. And besides, your friends needed someone to bring them back home and nurse them to health.

Hanging with Tara was fun. Freeing, really. You two talked about whatever was on your mind, chatting about the silliest things. You guys complained about sleazeball professors that set deadlines way too early and avidly discussed new A24 releases (including a pointed comment from you about how much Tara looked like one of the leads in A24’s X, which she shook her head at). You made fun of Tara for her obvious crush on Chad; she poked fun at your relationship with Ethan. You told her that there was nothing going on between you two, but she held a knowing smirk that you couldn’t rub off of her face no matter how hard you tried.

But, drinking nothing but water wasn’t great for your bladder. So, you had to leave her to use the restroom. After hearing a brief comment about how she’d “see you soon,” you left. When you returned, however, Tara was gone. It was strange. Tara wouldn’t just leave you like that. Then again, she was shitfaced and might be talking with a literal wall right now.

And she indeed was talking to a wall- well, more like a pole. She was talking to some six-foot mass of curls in a plain white tee—no costume in sight, sadly. His back was turned to you, so you couldn't tell who it was, but Tara seemed to be enjoying the conversation, so you left them be. Besides, you weren’t good at talking with new people. You never were. Plus, you didn’t want to scare off Tara’s new friend.

So, you went to refill your water bottle in the kitchen. Upon doing so, you were eyed by some drunk girls who started giggling. While you couldn’t hear everything they said, the words “murderer,” and “Ghostface,” were enough to shake you. Your head pounded. Everything awful about the party that you had been able to ignore with Tara nearby suddenly was in your face, impossible to avoid. It was all suffocating. You scuttled out of the kitchen, weaving your way through party-goers with several apologies leaving your lips. The girls’ awful, loud cackles followed you, even outside of the party.

This led you to where you are now, sitting on a bench, alone on the balcony. Your feet tap incessantly as you run through a breathing exercise, trying to center yourself. You are nothing like Amber. They don’t know any better. You are fine. Everything is fine. You can breathe.

Suddenly, you hear the door behind you close shut. You sharply turn your head to see Ethan and let out a sigh of relief.

“Hi,” He says. He motions to the bench. “Is it okay if I join you?”

You nod, scooting over. “Yeah, that’s fine,” You reply, your gaze already growing soft and fond. You pat the spot, flashing him a small smile. He returns it with a smile of his own, sitting down next to you.

“What are you doing out here?” You ask, your surprise at seeing him being pretty apparent.

He shrugs, taking a deep breath in. “I needed some air. You?”

You nod. “Yeah, same,”

You two fall into silence. Only the muffled sounds of blaring music and drunken shouts accompany you. But, the silence is comfortable. Neither of you mind it.

Then, Ethan speaks up. “Uh- so, how’s the party been… for you?”

He’s a little awkward with starting the conversation, his eyes not quite meeting yours until after he speaks. You giggle lightly, your eyes crinkling up in a way that makes Ethan’s heart skip a beat. He’s happy to see you with a smile on your face again. He’s even happier to know that it is because of him.

“Well, it’s been… fine,” You reply. He nods, staying quiet. He seems like he wants to hear more, so you continue. “I mean, I got to hang with Tara for most of it. And, it was really nice spending time with her, just us two. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to be one-on-one with her. Everything feels like a group activity nowadays- which I’m definitely not against. I love it actually. But, it was nice.”

Ethan nods, a smile on his face. “That’s good! That’s really good,”

You shake your head, chuckling. “Yeah, it is.” You agree, “What about you? Has the party scene been treating you well?”

Ethan hesitates, tilting his head. “Uh- it hasn’t been bad,”

Your smile drops. “Oh,” You say, full of concern.

Ethan shakes his head. “Hey, nothing that bad happened. It’s just- Chad tried to get me to flirt with a girl,”

You nod. “Ohhhh, okay. Well, how’d it go?” You ask. While you’d normally cheer him on or hype him up, considering that there isn’t a great ending to this story, you are a lot more restrained with your response than normal.

“Well, she wasn’t interested. She just kind of- shook her head and laughed,”

You still, grimacing. “Shit, I’m sorry,” You apologize.

Ethan shakes his head again. “It’s okay. I don’t think she meant to be mean. Besides, I don’t think anyone’s going to find me very attractive in this,” He says, motioning to his cardboard armor.

You balk at the comment. “Hey! I think your suit is very cool,” You retort, fully meaning it. His suit is cool. It seems handmade yet is super creative and made well. It’s a labor of love.

“You mean it?” Ethan asks softly. He seems surprised, which only hurts you more. What kind of pricks were shitting on his passion projects? This was cool stuff! God, people suck sometimes (a lot of the time, actually, but you were trying to be more positive).

You nod excitedly. “Yeah, I mean, this is cool as hell! You made it yourself, right?” You ask. He nods, confirming your thoughts. “Well, how long did you spend on it?”

“I- uh, I stayed up last night making it,”

You nod, beaming at him. “That’s cool! And honestly, it’s well made too.”

Ethan was practically glowing from your compliments, his smile growing wider.

“Look, if anyone is shitting on your costume, they’re just jealous.” You admit. You turn towards the door where you get a hazy view inside the party. You pat Ethan on the shoulder, getting him to turn the same way. “I mean, look at everyone at this party.” You say, pointing at everyone. “No one put effort into their costumes, not even me. Most people just wore whatever they could find in their closet and are trying to get laid, while you, sir, are an artist.” You say the last line with a chuckle, but with meaning too.

Ethan giggles. “An artist? Now you’re just inflating my ego,” He quips back.

You shrug. “Would that be so bad?” You joke, laughing more. “But I’m being serious. What you’re wearing is cool. No one’s going to care about Jessica’s vampire costume ten years down the line, hell, not even ten days from now. Or mine. But yours is cool. It’ll be something sick to show your kids,”

“Hey, I think your costume is cool!” He refutes. You balk in return, laughing.

“Eth, now you’re just trying to inflate my ego.” You retort. “This is an Angel costume. This dress is from my closet and I had to get the halo and wings from Anika. I didn’t exactly come up with anything groundbreaking here,”

“Well, I think you look beautiful,”

The words leave you speechless. You turn to Ethan, searching his face for any traces of malice, humor, or anything disingenuous. But, there aren’t any. He looks at you with wonder and a gentle fondness that makes your heart ache. His gaze is incredibly gentle, like he thinks that if he looks at you too hard you’ll shatter, yet he can’t tear his gaze from you.

Yours doesn’t leave his either, taking his features in. You haven’t gotten much one-on-one time with Ethan before, always being split apart by a Meeks-Martin or a Carpenter. So, you never get to look at him this close. But, god, he’s beautiful. You’ve always been aware of that, but more so now than ever.

The scenery around you two isn’t anything special, consisting of a few very real (dying) plants strewn around and a few rows of string lights overhead. But, the string lights give Ethan this incandescent glow. Even though you’re the one wearing an Angel costume, he looks like the real deal. A halo forms around his head, and god, okay, maybe Tara has a point. A really good point, actually.

Then, a stray frat guy slams against the door, his alcohol spilling against the door and him with it. Yikes. You both grimace, feeling sorry for him. With bated breath, you two are silent as the guy rushes off. Only after he leaves do you both start awkwardly chuckling.

“And that is why I don’t drink,” You comment, causing Ethan to hiccup with laughter. “Have you drunk at all?”

Ethan hums, shaking his hand back and forth. “Some. Not a lot though. I don’t have a great tolerance.”

You nod, humming. “Fair.”

“How come you don’t drink?” Ethan asks before another hiccup. “Not judging. That’s fine that you don’t. I’m just curious,” He tenses up, fearful that he said the wrong thing.

You chuckle. “You’re fine. I didn’t think you were.” You confirm. He sighs in relief, leaving you awkwardly chuckling. He’s cute. “I mean- I used to. Back in Woodsboro. Not a lot, but I did. But, after… uhm,” You draw out the last word, giving him a pointed look.

“Ohhh,” He murmurs, nodding. Knowing that he understands what you mean, you continue.

“Yeah, that’s why. I’m just… anxious about it happening again. I know that it probably won’t happen all the way out in New York and it’s probably just my own anxiety messing with me at this point, but I just…” You pause for a moment. “I don’t know, I just never want to feel as powerless as I did that night. If it ever happened again, I want to be present. Defend myself and my friends, y’know,” You look to Ethan and he understands, nodding. But, there’s also this strange haze in his eyes. It’s only there for a moment, passing almost as quickly as you see it, but you swiftly forget it. It’s probably the alcohol affecting him.

“No, that- that makes sense,” He responds, swallowing thickly. His gaze leaves yours for a moment, flicking toward the vast jungles of New York. Then it returns to you. “Is that uhm, night, also why you’re out here?”

You pause, sucking a breath in. It makes sense that he saw through your fake excuse for coming out here. Hell, he probably saw you leave the party suddenly and followed you (because he cares, a distant voice in your head says). So, you nod. “Yeah,” You glumly admit. “I- uh, right before I came out here, when I wasn’t with Tara anymore, these girls were… saying things about me.”

Ethan hums, looking at you with wide doe eyes. “I couldn’t hear much of what they said, but words like “Ghostface,” and “murderer,” weren’t exactly markers of anything positive,” You continue. You chuckle darkly, but Ethan can tell that you’re still hurt by those words. They’re fresh wounds.

“I’m sorry,” He apologizes.

You shake your head. “Don’t apologize. It’s not like it’s your fault,” You joke dryly, but you’re a lot less lively than earlier. You’re more dead, stewing in your anxiety again. You play with your hands, rubbing circles into them repetitively.

“Look, those girls don’t know what they’re talking about.” He pipes up. His conviction is so strong that you tear your gaze from your hands, returning it to him. “They’re just going off of Reddit theories. They don’t know you,” He leans in slightly, his voice falling to a near whisper yet remaining powerful. “They don’t deserve to,”

You’re taken off-guard by the possessiveness in his voice, by how sure of himself he is now. This isn’t how Ethan normally is. But, his words are sweet, and assure you that you aren’t anything like Amber. For once, the stupid voices in your head trying to convince you that maybe those Reddit theorists have a point quiet. It’s just you and Ethan, and everything is peaceful. You can breathe, finally.

You smile at him. It’s a genuine, soft smile, speaking volumes for how grateful you are for him. Not just for him being here tonight, but for everything. For being so sweet. So kind.

Then, the moment is suddenly interrupted by Anika storming onto the balcony. Shoving the door open, she grimaces at intruding on the romantic scene but continues. “Sorry to break you guys up, but Tara’s in trouble,”

While at first annoyed by the intrusion, you perk to attention at the mention of Tara. “What? Shit, what happened to Tara?” You ask, worried. You know Anika wouldn’t get you guys if it wasn’t something serious.

“It’s Frankie,” Anika explains, your heart dropping. Shit, you shouldn’t have left her alone at this party. If you had known she was talking to Frankie, there was no way you would have left her alone with him. That guy was a serial creep and freak. You quickly thank Anika before exiting the balcony, pushing through the drunken crowd. Ethan tails you, with Anika following behind.

“He’s taking her up the stairs!” Anika yells. Once you three reach the stairs, that’s when you get a front-row view of the night going from 0 to 100 in terms of batshit craziness. One second, Chad is talking to a handsy Frankie dragging Tara up the stairs, the next, Chad is fighting him, then Sam is tasing Frankie in the balls.

You gape at the sight, seeing Frankie finally get the beating he deserves. Looking at Ethan, you awkwardly chuckle while he grimaces, almost feeling bad for the guy. Almost. Grabbing Ethan by the hand, you drag him away from the scene of the crime. And, if he’s struck silent for damn near the rest of the night because of you holding his hand and not the preceding events, that is only for him to know.

[hawkinslibrary]

Stranger_Things time to hit rewind. we're taking a look back on our time in Hawkins #strangerthingsday

upsidedownpictures have you seen Will Byers?

[biblio-smia]

halloween horrors [ethan landry x reader]

pairing: ethan landry x gender neutral reader

summary: celebrating halloween with ethan <3

masterlist | requests are open!

Ethan wasn't much of a partier.

You found this out when you'd met him, ironically, at a party. It had been late August then, the first party of the semester to celebrate the end of the first week.

You remember being reluctant to go. Now you were grateful you bit your tongue and went — going to that party was the catalyst in your relationship with Ethan.

You learned, very early on, that Ethan being at that party was a once-in-a-blue-moon spectacle, one that Chad was fully at fault for. Ethan had been shy even with a shot of alcohol in him, but was even worse without. This fact didn't bother you too much; less nights out meant more nights in, where you and Ethan could savor each other's presence in private.

This, however, led to a little hiccup when considering how you would celebrate Halloween.

It was your first big holiday as a couple and you were already going crazy with potential game plans. A party was a no-go, no matter how your friends begged. They tried to hold the idea of a matching couple costume over your heads, but you turned them down. Ethan even tried to offer a 30-minute-max appearance, but you assured him he didn't have to. You wanted this night for yourselves.

Ethan was an angel in letting you plan, offering you ideas here and there. You'd ask him for feedback from time to time, but he was no real help; he nodded at any idea you had with a grin.

"Okay, okay. How about a night in, with a movie marathon, and snacks—"

"Matching pajamas?" Ethan offered. "You know, instead of a couple costume—"

You laughed at the suggestion. Not in a mean way, but in a you're-absolutely-adorable way, making sure to express this sentiment with a kiss to Ethan's cheek.

"Matching pajamas it is."

"I think you just planned my perfect night," Ethan mumbles against your skin, soft touches sweet like candy.

Ethan probably would have called any night spent with you a perfect night, even if it included a party. But you didn't fight the compliment, letting Ethan press kisses of gratitude against your lips for the time being.

「 … 」

Halloween was here. Your heart beat rapidly throughout your morning class, fingers tapping as you waited impatiently for noon to come. Elation propelled you through setting up your apartment for Ethan's arrival at 6 (though Ethan was always early, especially when it was a date).

Snacks were set up in Halloween-themed bowls and plates, decorations strung up in every corner.

You went all out. Ethan arrived with a bright smile, bringing more food although you’d told him not to worry. Though you couldn’t help your smile as you saw the themed food that fit right in.

Ethan greeted you with a kiss first and foremost, before even setting his things down. The kiss he gave you was his way inside your apartment, rocking you back without you realizing. Ethan shut the door behind him and made his way to your living room to set everything down.

“Woah,” he breathed out, taking his first good look around. He’d helped you put a few things here and there up, but you’d worked hard since he’d last seen your place. Ethan grinned at your effort. “Everything looks amazing. This better stay up until at least December.”

You laughed at that, helping Ethan set up the food alongside all the other snacks and treats you’d decorated.

“Next time I’m helping,” Ethan said sternly, admiring all the work you put into some ghost-shaped cookies.

“Not with any of the food,” you teased.

Ethan rolled his eyes. “Okay, it was not my fault you don’t label your measuring spoons.”

“Baby, it has labels engraved on them.”

“Well, I couldn’t read them.”

You laughed and shook your head.

“Hey, no more making fun of me or I won’t show you what I got,” Ethan threatened, motioning towards the bags.

“Okay, fine,” you grinned, watching Ethan squint his eyes at you. “I’m not laughing! Show me.”

“I think I need to be bribed.”

“Oh, my god,” you sighed in fake annoyance before leaning in to kiss Ethan. He separated with a satisfied smile you tried not to mirror.

“I guess I can show you now,” Ethan grinned, pulling out his things excitedly.

“Okay, first I got these ghost napkins,” Ethan paused which each item, making sure to show them off properly. “And then I got our pajamas…”

You smiled giddily as Ethan pulled them out, already ecstatic to cuddle up and eat while watching horror movies.

“And I saw this and thought it’d be perfect,” Ethan began suspensefully, reaching into the biggest bag and pulling out a cartoon throw blanket.

“Oh my god, that is perfect.”

“Well, I didn’t want you getting cold.”

You laughed and got up to get changed, leaving Ethan to set up the food he’d brought. You came back to a slightly disheveled Ethan.

“I think I bought too much.”

You laughed. “Well, everyone else went out to that party tonight, and you know how Chad gets when he’s drunk. We’ll just give them our leftovers.”

Ethan laughed before picking up his set of pajamas to get dressed.

You waited patiently but Ethan was out in no time, smiling at the sight of your matching outfits.

“You’re a genius for this,” Ethan insisted as he sat down next to you, waiting to see what options you two had for tonight.

“I know,” you smiled proudly, watching as Ethan pulled out his phone to take a picture of you. Well, pictures.

“Ethan!” You laughed when he wouldn’t stop clicking the shutter button.

“Wait, wait, one more,” Ethan insisted, turning his head to kiss your cheek as you laughed.

“You’re crooked,” you laughed, straightening Ethan’s phone.

Ethan didn’t stop pressing kisses against your cheek or clicking the camera button, capturing dozens of photos of you laughing.

Finally, you gave in to Ethan’s lips and met him in a kiss, leaving Ethan with the best photo of the night (which would quickly become his lock screen).

That satisfied Ethan, a stupid grin on his face (and yours) as the two of you turned your attention back to the TV, quickly settling on Halloween to watch first, duh.

After a few slashers and a lot of snacks, Ethan was tucked into the corner of the couch, propped up on a pillow with an arm around you laying against his chest.

“Top 10 final girls,” Ethan declared as the credits of Ready or Not began to play.

“Top 5,” you corrected, picking up the remote to search for your next movie. “Ooh, how about The Conjuring?”

Ethan stiffened under you and you were momentarily worried you’d tired his arm out until you glanced at his face - pale and rigid.

You tried not to smile as you continued scrolling over titles. “The Exorcist? Paranormal Activity? The Grudge?”

“Could we just stick to slashers?” Ethan asked weakly and you couldn’t help but laugh. You could feel his heart beating quicker in his chest. You turned a little to face him with a smile.

“There’s no way you’re willing to sit through hours of slashers but you can’t watch ghost movies.”

“Hey, I’m not afraid of what I can see,” Ethan defended.

“I’ll cover your eyes at the scary parts.”

“No, you won’t. You’ll probably scare me more than the movie.”

You laughed again, running a hand through Ethan’s hair. “Okay, okay. How about Paranormal Activity? Nothing happens for like, the first hour.”

Ethan reluctantly agreed, but only as long as you cuddled him. It was a pretty fair trade-off.

The two of you sat up, Ethan nervously snacking as the movie tensed.

You really resisted from scaring him.

Instead you held his hand and let him hide his face in your shoulder once it got scary towards the end.

“See? Not that bad, right?” You asked gently as the credits started to roll.

“Horrible,” Ethan disagreed, keeping his head on you shoulder even though the movie ended.

“I think you just pretended for the cuddles.”

“Maybe,” Ethan mused. “Okay, it wasn’t that bad,” he admitted.

You grinned at your accomplishment, playfully pushing Ethan’s head off and back towards the couch.

“You made me move from my very comfortable position,” you complained as you settled on top of Ethan, back in his arms.

“Well, it was my turn.”

You leaned down for a kiss, smiling as you received it.

Your hand came up to Ethan’s chest, just above his heart. “Was it really that scary?”

“No, that’s just because of you,” Ethan said smoothly.

You snorted. “Cornball.”

“You like it.”

“I guess.”

Ethan kissed you again, wrapping his strong arms around you.

“You should sleep over tonight,” you whispered against Ethan’s lips.

“You don’t mind?”

“I wouldn’t have suggested it if I did.”

Ethan smiled. “Okay.”

He had class tomorrow, but he didn’t care. Being with you was worth it.

“We should clean up,” Ethan mumbled softly. “Drop by my room and get clothes. And give Chad that food. He should be back by now.”

“You want me in bed that bad?”

“Well, I need your cuddles or I’m going to get nightmares and it’ll be your fault.”

“Yeah, yeah,” you rolled your eyes, carefully getting off Ethan and letting him get up after you. Even as the night dwindled down, the two of you smiled so much your cheeks hurt. Between the shared kisses, warm hugs and the smell of pumpkin in the air, this Halloween was the most perfect one you’d experienced — until next year, probably.

[godofsmallthings]

well.

[ratsalad]

[toddbl4ck]

richard siken / mitski / duncan laurence / marina abramović and ulay / leonard cohen / fall out boy

[furtiveseal]

HOLY SHIT, THAT RAVEN FIGHT???? THAT'S WHERE THE "HOW FAR CAN YOU FLY ON BORROWED WINGS" COMES FROM???? THIS IS THE COOLEST FIGHT EVER

[shipsnthenight]

Happy Eras Tour Day fellas… tortured poets are on the clock.

[cordycepsbian]

we ran in circles around this idea for an au last night and came out with these designs

elaborating on what's going on here under the cut

so . we were inspired by other people's concepts of werewolf bugs to think "what if kabbu was a werebug" and

since we already draw him with an eye missing from the first beast encounter, the train of thought led to "what if he was a were-centipede", like if he caught some scolopendrid lycanthropy virus from that bite. The Horrors ensue

And Then that lead to "we've got werebug kabbu and leif is leif. maybe vi should be some kind of monster too"

we feel like vi just has Phoenix Energy so her whole thing is that she's a sort of phoenix but when she dies she melts into honey instead of burning up. unlike her teammates she was hatched like that and has lived with it her whole life-and-death-cycle

we're gonna cut this here to keep it short but our brain is So Full now. So Many Thoughts that refuse to be worded

[maryannmccarra-fitzpatrick]

[appalachianapologies]

Remittent Distress

Chapter One

Fic Summary: After years of being on the run and keeping his head down, Mac finally receives the opportunity to end this screwed up game of hide-and-seek for good. With the help of two unlikely friends, some unconventional skill sets, and plenty of all-nighters, Mac attempts to track down his father before James gets to him first. It's been six months since an ordinary mission turned to hell, leaving its permanent marks on Jack Dalton—both physically and emotionally. But when information about a wild kid he came across four months ago gets dropped into his lap, he has to push it all down in order to find not just the kid, but the truth behind him as well.

(The big ol' fic in Smoking Room Universe)