#and again indicative of someone who knows nothing about politics

[qqueenofhades]

I should ask more specifically if you have any thoughts on Marianne Williamson's bid for the presidency and her campaign. She's a bit of a kook, but her PLATFORM seems really solid and definitely might appeal to the "vote republican for the economy!" moderates.

To be honest, I haven't looked up her platform or any of her policies, and I don't care if they appeal to the mushy middle who always wants an excuse not to vote for Democrats because they're "too socially liberal." Considering that whatever candidate the GOP runs, be it Trump or DeSantis or another of their terrible people, will be an unrepentant, unreconstructed, full-out fascist who can't be allowed to win at any cost, any person selfish enough to deliberately increase the odds of that candidate winning, as prominent third-party candidates always, ALWAYS hurt the Democrats, is not a serious figure or someone who should remotely be given any attention or artifical media prominence.

[cutielando]

i’m not clingy | c.l.

synopsis: in which Charles dreams of you cheating on him and is not okay with that

a/n: i accidentally deleted the request for this fic, so i’m making up for it 😭😭

my masterlist

Charles was very confident when it came down to your relationship.

He was a confident person overall, and he was very confident about the strength of your relationship. He truly believed he had found the one for him when he met you.

He knew he had nothing to worry about, that you were 100% devoted to him and your relationship.

But something at the back of his head said just the opposite.

She’s too good for you.

She’s going to leave you.

You’re way out of her league.

She deserves someone better than you.

The thoughts just wouldn’t leave his mind, especially when you would be out to a club with your friends.

Just like tonight.

You had been clubbing with some of your closest friends until the early hours of the morning, celebrating all of you finally being in Monaco at the same time.

During the night, you and Charles danced the time away, wrapped up in each other’s arms and completely blissfully ignoring anyone else who tried to talk to you guys except for your little crowd.

But when you announced that you had to go to the bathroom and had to separate from him, something in the pit of his stomach told him he shouldn’t have left you go alone.

You were very attractive, Charles was very aware, and he knew men would always do anything to get your attention.

And when he said anything, he meant anything.

And that night was no different.

After a couple of minutes had passed and you still hadn’t returned, he got worried and went looking for you, trying not to let himself show the distress he was feeling.

That’s how he found you speaking with an unknown man, your forced smile clearly an indicator for him that you really didn’t want to be stuck in the conversation.

The stranger didn’t seem to notice the uncomfortable look on your face, or simply chose to ignore it. Either way, none of it sat right with Charles, who didn’t want to let you spend a second more talking with that man.

“Are we all good here?” Charles immediately stepped in, wrapping an arm around your waist as he felt you instantly relax at his presence and touch.

The man glared at him when he butted in, his fake smile hiding the rage bubbling under the surface.

“We were having a conversation” the man pointed out, his chin pointing towards you.

He hadn’t even noticed the hold Charles had on your waist, instead settling on glaring at him until he would back off.

Which Charles had no intention of doing.

“I don’t see what kind of conversation you would be having with my girlfriend. I suggest you leave before I have you escorted out, and don’t ever talk to my girlfriend again” Charles demanded, glaring at the man with superiority in his stance.

You were watching the exchange like a tennis ball, thankful that Charles appeared when he did and interrupted the uncomfortable conversation the man had pulled you in.

You bit your lip and expectantly waited for the stranger to finally get the courage to leave, which he eventually did after a staring contest with your boyfriend.

“Thank God, I didn’t know how to get away from him without being a total bitch” you said and pouted, making Charles internally smile.

You were too sweet for your own good sometimes, always polite to people even when they didn’t deserve it. It was one of the things he loved most about you.

“I’ll always save you from creepy men trying to talk you up” he joked, making you laugh and lean into his body.

You quickly kissed him on the lips before taking his hand and dragging him away, back to your friends and the beloved dance floor, eager to forget the situation you had just escaped from.

All while Charles’ chest was tight at the thought and sight of you with another man that was not him.

It hurt more than he cared to admit.

♡♡♡♡♡

It was very late into the night, and Charles was twisting and turning in your shared bed. You were sleeping deeply next to him, his shuffling not even remotely bothering your sleep.

Charles' face was scrunched up as if in pain, his mind plagued by the worst nightmare he could have ever imagined having.

You, his dear and most precious girlfriend, kissing and hugging the man from the bar, the both of you laughing in his face. Charles could only stand there, his body paralyzed as he watched you living in happiness with someone else, someone who wasn't him.

He thrashed and turned the entire night, up until the early hours of the morning, when you rose from your deep sleep and felt the bed and sheets under you constantly shuffling.

"Charles?" you asked confusedly, turning your head to see Charles with a scrunched up face, his forehead sweaty and creased with worry lines.

He continued to twist around, his breathing heavy. You sat up and gently shook his shoulder, trying to gently coax him out of his clearly troubled sleep.

"Charles, amour, wake up" you said as you shook his shoulder slightly harder, jumping back once Charles opened his eyes and aggressively got up, panting and frantically looking around the room for you.

The moments his gaze fell upon you, he body-slammed you into the mattress, wrapping his arms as tightly as he could around your waist.

“Oh, thank God you’re still here” he mumbled, his voice muffled by the hem of your T-shirt.

Your eyebrows furrowed, keeping a tight grip around his shoulders in comfort.

“What happened, Charles?” you silently asked, not wanting to spook him even more than he already was.

He sighed, shaking his head into your neck and burying his face even further into your skin, like he was trying to get inside of your skin and stay there forever.

Neither of you spoke for a couple of minutes, the only sound in the room was Leo's breathing next to your bed and Charles' shuddering breath against your skin. The sun was getting ready to rise, the world was ready to wake up and start the day, but you two weren't.

“I dreamed that you cheated on me” Charles mumbled, his voice muffled into your neck.

“What was that, honey?” you asked, your fingers scratching the back of his head.

He sighed, slowly pulling his face away from your neck to rest it on your chest, still not meeting your eye.

“I had a dream that you cheated on me with that guy from the club” he explained, his voice still quiet but more understandable now.

Your shoulders relaxed a little, your frown softening and being replaced with a gentle look.

You gently played with the hair at the back of his head, your lips pressing light kisses against the top of his head.

"Mon amour, you know I would never do that to you with another man, no matter who he is" you explained, which made Charles quickly nod against your chest.

He shifted and got back up, making you sit up with him as well. He leaned against the headboard, his eyes closed and his cheeks still damp from his tears.

"I know. I'm just scared that you will leave me for someone better, someone who has a normal job and isn't gone halfway around the world almost every week" he said, his voice wavering.

This had always been a topic between the two of you. Charles was always worried about the time he spent traveling and being away from you because of his job. It sparked a lot of long conversations between the two of you, which mainly consisted in you trying to reassure him that it didn't bother you and you understood it was his job and dream.

You were nothing short of supportive, attending every single race that you could, but the doubt was still there in Charles' mind.

The doubt that told him that you deserved someone who was there for you every single day, not halfway around the world risking his life every single week.

"Charles, please look at me" you said and cupped his cheek, turning his head to the side until he was looking straight into your eyes. "I know you think I deserve someone else and that you feel like a failure because of your lifestyle. But baby, I love our life the way it is. You are following your dreams every single time you go away to race, you do what you love and then you come back to me in one piece. Knowing you are doing what you love makes up for the distance and the weeks spent away from you. Nobody will ever measure up to you, mon amour. You are the only one for me and that is never going to change. I love you and only you"

Charles bit his lip, a fresh set of tears brimming his eyes. He had never had someone understand him on the level that you do.

The love between the two of you knew no bounds, and he was now more convinced than ever than you were both made for each other.

"I love you too" he said before crashing his lips on yours, his hands wrapping around your waist and squeezing you tightly.

And with that, even though you had a long road ahead of you, you would tackle everything together.

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[dyns33]

Obvious

Most of the time I see him as the cool silly big bro, but I love Deadpool, so here's a long Deadpool x female reader.

Normally nothing destined Y/N to meet Wade Wilson.

A normal life, without enemies, without superpowers, without contracts on her head. She didn't fight, respected the law (at least for the most serious and important things) and she considered herself to be a good person.

The first time she had passed Saint Agnes Orphanage, she hadn't really paid it much attention. The second time, she found it a little strange that an orphanage was in this part of the city, which was not really made for children.

Then one evening, when she had had a bad day, she realized that it was a bar and she decided to go in for a drink.

Since she thought an orphanage was strange in that place, she might have thought it was odd for a bar to have such a name. She could also have been scared when she saw the other customers, who all turned towards her, indicating that she might not be welcome.

But Y/N was tired, and she just wanted a drink before going home, so she smiled politely as she sat down at the counter.

The waiter frowned, but he agreed to serve her with a shrug, muttering that as long as she was an adult, it wasn't his problem.

A tall, bald, tattooed guy then approached her, putting a hand on her arm without worrying about her private space, asking her if she wanted to follow him home.

"… No thanks."

“Come on, don’t be a slut.”

"Please."

“Come with me, you stupid bitch.”

"Now, that's really not very nice. The lady said no, a gentleman should know it's time to leave. But no Hector, not only are you insisting, but you're being rude."

"Fuck you, Wade, don't get involved in this !"

The waiter continued to mumble about cleaning, while this Wade guy smashed Hector's head against the counter. A tooth even flew close to Y/N’s face.

That might have been enough to scare her completely. In addition to the surge of violence that was happening right next to her, there was the red suit, the katanas and other guns, which could make you want to flee as quickly as possible.

But when he finished kicking Hector's ass, Wade turned to her, and despite the mask, it was obvious that he was smiling, extending a hand towards her.

"Miss, my apologies for that boor. He knows nothing of good manners."

"… Thank you."

"You're very welcome, lovely angel ! Wade Wilson, Deadpool, Merc with a mouth, at your service ! Oh, he spilled your drink… Bad Hector ! Or was it me ? Maybe it was me. Weasel, the same for the little lady, on my note !”

“You already owe me a fortune.”

“I will kill whoever you want for free !”

“I thought you didn’t kill anymore.”

"Ah yes… I'll suck you for free !"

“Here you go, two drinks, just shup up Wade.”

In the end, Wade was a bit special, but not evil. He stayed with her, partly because he loved having someone to talk to, but also to make sure no one else was going to bother her again.

And he talked a lot. Everything he said didn't always make sense, he even seemed to be talking to himself sometimes, but he was funny. It seemed to please him that Y/N laughed at his jokes. Behind the counter, Weasel was still muttering that she was doing something silly.

Among the long tirade he delivered that evening, she understood that Wade had not had an easy life. That he had done some things that could make him a criminal, but he had been trying to improve for some time.

"Colossus already wanted me to become an X-men but it wasn't for me. Wait, there are X-men in this universe ? I do not know anymore. Anyway, there's Spidey and Devy. No, he's right, this nickname isn't great, Devil. Like Daredevil. They want us to be Team Red, but only if I stop unliving people. It's not fair because they're friends with Frank, and Frank keeps unliving people, but he lost his wife and his kids, so I guess he has more sympathy points than me."

"I don't understand everything, but I guess Spidey is Spiderman ?"

"Yes ! He's super cool ! And his ass ! People confuse us sometimes, it annoys me, but it's a bit of a compliment. He's my role model."

Like a true superhero, Deadpool insisted on taking her home. He was terribly honest, saying that he could leave her a few blocks away, but that was useless, because as a former mercenary, he was very good at stalking people and he could find her address without difficulty, even if he only had her name.

"Which I wouldn't do ! Normally. I might want to see you again, and ask Weasel to find your number, but I know myself, I'll put it in my phone, and I'll hesitate for weeks, then I'll send a lousy message, you'll be scared, you'll block me, I'll be ashamed and I'll shoot myself in the head because I'm a moron."

“I can give you my number.”

"And I… Huh ? Huh ?! For real ?!" exclaimed Wade, jumping like a child on Christmas Day.

Wade called her right away, specifying that it was not to verify that she was giving him a false number but a little. Despite the mask, his face showed surprise when he saw that she hadn't lied.

"I should put a bullet in my head to make sure I'm not dreaming."

“You wouldn’t wake up.”

“Baby girl, we only just met, there are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

When Deadpool talked about shooting himself, he meant it literally. It often happened that he died, either because of an enemy, an accident, or by his own hand. But he always came back. A gift like a curse.

They became friends. It was obvious, and quite sad, that Wade didn't have many friends.

Most people around him couldn't stand him or were afraid of him. It was true that he could be quite unpredictable, especially when he got lost in his discussions with the boxes, or an imaginary audience. But he was never mean.

Weasel was more of a collaborator, Al was forced to accommodate him, and the other heroes, unable to get rid of him, tried to make him a nice guy.

And he was really nice. Crazy but adorable, funny and wanting to do well.

Very quickly, Y/N started to have a crush, and even more. Even after seeing him without a mask. He never took it off completely to eat, repeating that he didn't want her to lose her appetite or feel like throwing up.

But after landing in a trash can after a fight, and forgetting that he had invited her to watch Princess Bride, Y/N had seen him. Yes, his scars were a bit impressive, but they weren't that bad.

With an embarrassed smile, he waved his hand while remaining frozen near the entrance.

"… I can move if you want to run away. I won't follow you. I may look like Frankenstein's monster, but I only pursue young girls who ask me to. Or who deserve it. Because criminals have no gender, I don't discriminate."

“I brought popcorn.” was her only reaction.

"... Oh. Sweet ? Salty ? Caramel ? Al must have beer somewhere, hidden with the cocaine."

After that, he was a little less afraid to show his face, even though it was obvious he wasn't comfortable. It wasn't easy to reassure him, repeating that she didn't care about his appearance.

Y/N didn’t remember how they ended up having this conversation. The only thing she knew was that she was pressed against him, laughing, when she had innocently said it would be fun if they went out together.

This made Wade laugh, but a very serious laugh, leaving no chance and hitting where it hurt.

"You and me ? Ah ! No chance."

"Why ?"

"It's obvious."

A simple little sentence could sometimes do a lot of damage. Too busy making fun of the characters on the screen, Wade didn't see Y/N's look of sadness, just as he didn't feel her body stiffen.

Still, she should have expected this response. Of course it was obvious that they had nothing to do together. Deadpool was a super hero (in training), he was tall, muscular, funny, rich.

She had seen photos of his deceased ex, Vanessa. She had observed him flirting with beautiful women and men before. It was already fortunate that she was only friends with him.

So Y/N swallowed her pride, accepting the obvious, and not talking about the subject again.

But it was hard, because the more time passed, the stronger the feelings became.

It was even harder when Wade entered his depressive phases. He kept putting himself down, insulting himself and accepting insults from the boxes in his head. It took a lot of patience and perseverance to get him to put down his gun.

"Anyway, I'll come back later. Bad luck for the world. People would be happier if I wasn't here anymore. Maybe they'll miss me a little, for a few minutes."

“I would miss you, Wade.”

"Yeah… You say that because you're adorable, baby girl. But you'd be better off without me too. I'm a real drag."

“You saved me the first time we met.”

"And since then you think you owe me a debt. You know, every time we're in the street, the others look at me and they're afraid. If I wasn't there, you could be with them. You could have lots of friends.”

"I don't want lots of friends, Wade." Y/N sighed, taking him into her arms. “I’m glad we’re friends.”

“Oh, sweetie pie, me too !”

It was rarer for them to find themselves in the opposite situation. Not because Deadpool wasn't capable of empathy, but because she didn't like talking about her problems, preferring to keep everything to herself and cry out of sight.

Unfortunately, she had made the decision to become friends with a former mercenary who loved to jump from roof to roof, only to come visit without warning by tapping on the window.

Y/N had no time to hide her tears, holding back a sob as her eyes met those of Wade, who had stopped mid-movement, fist raised against his window.

He didn't hesitate before entering, terribly serious.

"Who ? Who did this ?"

“Wade…”

"Who made my baby girl cry ? I want a name. Spidey and Dev will understand. Yellow wants decapitation, White wants emasculation. Tell me who."

"It's really not necessary. It's not important."

“It’s important if you cry.” Deadpool growled as he looked around the apartment for clues.

Once he had an idea in his head, it was almost impossible to divert his attention. If it wasn't so important, it was possible with food or talking about Spiderman's butt. But this time he considered it very important.

Tired, Y/N thought that all she had to do was say that it was just a ridiculous heartbreak for him to calm down. He had no reason to kill someone just because they didn't love her back.

This actually seemed to calm him down a bit, as he patted his cheeks with his hands in a dramatic gesture.

"What ?! Someone doesn't love you ?! Someone doesn't like my sweet little angel ? Are they crazy or stupid. You deserve the best !"

"Actually… He's the one who's too good for me."

"Bullshit ! The important thing is love ! If a woman can marry a space duck, then everyone can be together, as long as it's legal and consensual !"

"… What ? No, wait, it doesn't matter. Wade, please forget it."

"A name. Let me prove to you that this fool doesn't deserve you, and not the other way around !"

"No."

"A name !"

"You ! It's you !"

For the first time since they met, Wade was silent for more than a minute, staring at her like he wasn't sure she was real. He often had hallucinations, so this happened to him.

Then he muttered incomprehensible things, probably speaking with his boxes to check that he had heard what she had just said.

"… Me ? As in, me ?"

“I know what you’re going to say.” Y/N sighed, wanting to disappear. "You've already said it, it's obvious that we're not meant to be together. You're charismatic, and strong, and funny, with powers. You save people, you have an extraordinary life, while I… I am me."

"… Baby girl. Do you have a fever ? Did you lose a bet ? Because… You saw me without a mask. You know I'm crazy and dangerous. There are several bounties on my head, I've unlived more people than the population of New York, and my favorite movie is Zoolander 2. When I said it was obvious… I meant that you were too good for me."

There had been a misunderstanding, each being convinced that the other could never want the other, because they were too different. But even though he was special, with skin problems and an inability to concentrate for more than ten minutes, Wade was much better than a space duck.

However, while she was sure of what she wanted, he hadn't clearly said what he expected next.

"I mean, if you just want to be friends, I'll understand."

"You can't tease me like that and then break my heart. Don't play with me, woman !"

“Wade…” Y/N sneered, as he gesticulated like a degenerate, declaiming his great love for her and her smile, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Taking advantage of his inattention, she approached him, until he froze when he felt her hands on his mask.

With a look, she asked him if she could take it off, and as he didn't move to stop her, she took it off first up to his nose, before hesitating.

Y/N didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, but she also didn’t want him to think that she didn’t want to see him if she didn’t go further. So she took out the whole mask, she observed Wade, smiling before kissing him.

"… Don't take what comes next as a bad thing." he whispered as their lips parted.

"What ?"

"I'm going to have a heart attack…"

As always, Y/N thought he was joking at first, until he collapsed in front of her, looking delighted even though his heart had stopped beating. Fortunately she was used to seeing him die, even if it was still a little traumatic.

It took almost an hour for him to wake up. Y/N had time to take a shower and make herself some tea, sitting on the couch to wait.

"Shit !" he shouted as he opened his eyes, looking around the apartment before looking at her. “Did we kiss ?”

“Yes and you died.”

"It's weird. Normally you go to heaven after you die, not before. But I probably don't have enough superhero points for heaven yet, so the other option is that I became totally crazy."

“Wade…”

"I know, White and Yellow would have told me. They're already saying that all the time, but they would have insisted, especially for me to escape from the asylum. It's no fun fighting with fake people and hippos. Was I dead long ?"

“No, a little over half an hour.”

"And you stayed with me, it's so cute. Nurse Y/N. No, Doctor Y/N, and I'll be Nurse Wilson. Oh, Doctor Y/N, I made a mistake in the dosage of a patient, I'm a bad nurse, punish me."

"… Let's see Nurse Wilson, we're in the middle of an intervention, calm down."

"Uh oh ! You're playing along !" Wade exclaimed, pouting from the ground. "I didn't expect that ! Wait, I need a blonde wig, and a white dress. You'll see, I look super sexy in a dress. Wait, we do this now or it's quick and we should have a date first ?'

“I wouldn’t say no to a date.”

"I see the genre, like in novellas. Doctor Y/N takes me to the restaurant to talk about my future promotion, but in fact, you are going to admit to me that I am pregnant with you, before I even enter your bed !"

“As long as you’re in my bed before the hundredth episode.”

“UH !”

The small, high-pitched cry of pleasure preceded a second cardiac arrest, Deadpool's mind imagining Y/N and him in a bed, with a stetoscope.

When she asked him if he was going to have a heart attack every time, he told her that he would probably die for good the day he saw her naked, or that they made love for the first time.

But Wade was a gentleman, he ate lots of vegetables, exercised, and begged Daredevil to teach him meditation techniques.

So he had the courtesy of having the next heart attack only after they were finished, and in the toilet. And every time after that they were together, Wade would go out of his way to just get a nosebleed.

Especially on Weasel's counter, telling him everything they had done or almost everything, which annoyed the poor waiter a lot, even if he knew that it would happened from the start, the moment he saw Deadpool with Y/N.

[brynn-lear]

I LOVEEEE DOG GALLIGAR I NEED MORE

please read the rules and regulations next time anon cuz I'll ignore asks that don't follow format. Anyways I'm a big gallagher simp so I can't ignore a humble request. here's a quick sketch of farmer!reader and (yandere utc) dog!gallagher + extra brainrots cooked up 1 AM cuz I just finished a school output

Domestic Fluff/Crack:

You rarely buy chocolate after taking Gallagher in. Not because you're worried that the canine might randomly eat some and get a "lethal" dose— but because he simply looks disgruntled whenever you take a bite. He went on quite a long tangent about how it doesn't taste that great and you would much rather not hear it a second time.

In your first week together, you might've gone overboard and bought every dog care product you could think off. Gallagher heartily laughed when he saw you bought one of every shampoo— and then his heart dropped when you pulled out a pet razor next in the shopping bag. Needless to say, his silence saved his skin. Or well, in this case, fur.

You often pondered over the ethics of having a half-human in your home. It's not that you treat him poorly or bar him from opportunities elsewhere, but you remind him from time to time that he can leave the farm if he wants to. In which, he would either a) put a hand on your shoulder and earnestly decline or b) joke about how he's going to bite you if you ask again.

Speaking of jokes, he never tells you about his past— which was a decision you respected. However, it's become an inside joke for the two of you to make up his backstory and how you met. When your traveler friend Boothill once came to visit, you both told him that Gallagher was actually an ex-police dog who decided he's tired of snitching where the drugs were when "it's always hidden in cushions anyways". When the local innkeeper Siobhan asked where did he come from, he said he was once a bartender— and you made a convincing follow-up that it was the reason behind his distaste for SoulGlad. He even shocked everyone when he had the skills to back that lie up. You swear that every time, the story and people's reactions become more and more priceless.

Yandere:

But not everyone is elusive of his true nature.

That's why he hates whenever your neighbor "Sunday" visits.

Gallagher doesn't want it to happen, but that man seems to always discern the facade he's putting on. He doesn't like it at all. He always had to hold back a sharp stare and a growl whenever he's around. But that man. That hawk...

Why does he always cling to you like a pest?

He knows- he knows you're friends with him and that Robin girl since childhood- but shouldn't those numerous interactions suffice? Why does HE keep stealing your time together? That Sunday is a hybrid himself— he should know that someone has already marked this household territory.

Still, that bird perches on your porch, greeting you with a smile that you'll reciprocate. But the cunning glimpses he sends Gallagher indicates that they equally find the other person bothersome.

"What're you doing here?" Gallagher scoffed. "Don't you have a Family to go back to?"

Sunday smiled politely, though with how his hands are always hidden from the dog's view, he can only guess that it's clenched in a tight fist.

"And you don't?"

"(Y/n) is my Family."

"Before they were yours, they were mine."

That caught Gallagher's attention.

... Isn't that technically the truth? Even without papers, isn't the bond you, Robin, and that fiend share essentially a strong familial bond? He had only heard snippets in town and from yourself, but you three had known each other almost since birth.

So... What does that make him?

A pet?

A hound?

A friend?

A partner?

Or a mere passing memory?

Despite these thoughts, he steeled his resolve and shook his head, subconsciously holding his neck. There's no collar. Nothing that physically binds him to you. And, for reasons he didn't quite placed at the time, he hated the sensation of freedom.

He hated being free.

He hated being detached from you.

"With what to prove, huh?" Gallagher snarled. "Leave. They're asleep. Don't bother them today— or ever again."

He volunteered to patrol for the next nights to hide his insomnia. Gallagher did not understand where most these emotions stemmed from. Why would he wish to be shackled when he just got himself out or a cage? You were kind enough to supply him with basic necessities and allow him to do whatever he wants after work is done— so why this emptiness?

But when he came back home at dawn after unlocking the door with the spare key you gave him— he got his answer.

He felt his feet drag him to your door. Before he could even process what was happening, Gallagher was seated at a nearby chair, tenderly caressing your face.

This was the answer he was looking for. The raison d'etre. All resolved under three words:

"You... I want you."

And for a while, that was enough.

[thewiglesswonder]

You know the TFA Decepticons aren’t an oppressed minority right? DJW even said their Rise Up rhetoric was a jab at how conservatives preach about Protecting Freedoms, and in the Allspark Almanac it’s explained they wanted to colonize other planets and the Autobots objected to that. The Decepticons were exiled for being military fascists.

I'd really, really love to know where I've ever said that on this blog, but since you seem very convinced that I did, let's look at the lore again. I don't feel like trawling the internet for this specific tweet/whatever form this DJW evidence has, so if you have that, I'd love to see it.

This timeline from the Allspark Almanac II pretty clearly states that the entire crux of Cybertronian society as a whole has rested on colonization, very early on in their species' history. Their "Golden Age" 8 billion stellar cycles ago is characterized by expansion that led to the colonization (!!!) of their solar system, further colonization only prevented by isolationism.

The earliest indications of the factional split that mark their history exist within the ruling class Guardians and the Malignus, defined as a "military caste". This implies that Golden Age Cybertron existed as a caste system. Which I would take a guess as not being particularly great.

And when we get to the first (again, quoted from the text here,) "military coup", it's executed by the political ancestors of the Autobots. Not a peep about the Malignus while that was going on.

This faction eventually becomes the Protectobots, and the most notable thing about them is that their leader attempted a Great Purge of "undesirable elements" from their society. I'd be hard pressed to think I'm wrong in thinking that's kinda fucked up. We're not given explicit reasons for this 17 million year war, but wars don't happen without someone to oppose someone else, and we get this in the form of the Destrons.

As for the point about colonization: my point is not that the Decepticon's motivations are not what we see in canon. Not at all. My point is that the Autobots have the same fucking motivation.

The Age of Expansion literally begins when the Autobots take power! It only ends when they butt heads with the Quintessons! Colonization, militarism, and facism, as you put it, are not traits that are unique to Decepticons.

And, according to this timeline and historical reasoning given, there is no mention of either faction's position on further expansion. The formation of the Decepticons is rooted in the divide between labor and military aligned Cybertronians. Both sections are equally responsible for the imperialistic efforts of their Empire/Commonwealth/whatever you want to call it, and make no mistake, this does continue into the present day! From both factions!

Assuming you're referring to my hefty lean towards the Cons in terms of character/exploration interest in the gist of your message, my goal here is not to elevate them to the same Good Guy Status the Autobots have by virtue of being the protagonists. I am fully and completely aware that they are a group of insane zealots that have rallied under a guy who was described by his own VA as an "elegant bully". Rather, I think what you're picking up on is my focus on the fact that the Autobots in Animated have more than their fair share of insidious shit going on.

They retain what is essentially a military dictatorship, with the position of Magnus being only theoretically beholden to the will of the Council and Guilds, as seen when Sentinel was able to fire Fortress Maximus with no approval from the Council and got nothing more than a disapproving sentence from Alpha Trion. We have no word on how their schooling institutions work, but all of it seems heavily centered on their version of the military they've concocted in the absence of warbuilds. And, just in case we forgot about Sentinel's proposed budget...

And that's not even getting into how fucked up Autobot culture is! They're unspeakably xenophobic, throw around propagandistic phrases like they're nothing ("Cogs in the Great Autobot Machine", anyone?), have an incredibly questionable justice system if Wasp is anything to go by, and this only seems to be getting worse at the end of Season 3, if Sentinel's curfews and public service announcements are anything to go by.

I'm not trying to make the Decepticons look better. I'm trying to make the Autobots look worse.

[cosmicpuzzle]

7th Ruler and Meeting Spouse

So on request from one of my follower, I decided to make this post. It is not necessary that the house placement of 7th ruler must always indicate the environment or how you meet them.

Sometimes, the house location of Venus or Jupiter can work. Sometimes even the sign placement of Venus or Jupiter can indicate where you meet spouse. So you need to apply this with judgment.

7th Ruler in 1st : In traditional societies, a classic arranged marriage where bride and groom meet in presence of family. Sometimes you may know the person from childhood, like they are your relative or stayed in same house as you did. In western world, this can mean your spouse sees you somewhere and then approaches you for marriage.

7th Ruler in 2nd: This can mean again a marriage arranged by your family. Even in western societies, this can mean your family has selected one particular person already, may be they are your family friend from childhood or your family does business with their parents and they take over etc..may meet them at work too or when you go to bank or shopping.

7th Ruler in 3rd : This can mean marriage through matrimony or newspaper classifieds in traditional societies. In western world, can men through dating apps, all kinds of social media. You may meet them as team mates at office. You travel to a seminar or lecture and meet them there. You may meet at school, college, places of learning or your friends/siblings introduce you to them. They may be friends of friends.

7th Ruler in 4th: This can mean an arranged marriage by family in traditional societies. You may marry a relative too or someone known to your family circle. They may be distantly connected to your family. you may marry someone from your childhood, so someone you went to school with and later you propose them. Similar to 2nd house at times. You may also meet at office.

7th Ruler in 5th: This can mean you meet your spouse at a very young age like 7 to 10 years as 5th house is children. So you may meet them in school, playgrounds or they were your neighbors when you were a kid. Can meet at social parties, places of fun , drama theatres, magic shows, exhibition, political events, theme parks for children, children birthday parties etc.

7th Ruler in 6th: This can mean you meet them at work, you may meet at supermarket, gym, when you visit a doctor, or places where animals are cared for like PETA, medical shops, relief camps, donation places, NGO's etc.

7th Ruler in 7th: This can mean a formal arranged marriage. You may meet at foreign places or at weddings, social events or through your business partners.

7th Ruler in 8th : Nothing specific, you may meet them during emergencies or they come into your life suddenly out of nowhere like friends turning into lovers which you didn't plan for or marrying your friend's spouse after they get divorce..may be when you go to a funeral, you may meet at night clubs, forbidden places or they may be introduced when you get some therapy like they are your psychiatrist friend or your astrologer's friend. An astrologer may even give hints about your spouse. someone who may have had marriage already. You may also meet at places related to money like insurances, taxes, bank loans etc.

7th Ruler in 9th: You may meet them at college, university, when you pursue bachelors or masters. You may meet at religious places like temple or church or when you go to a pilgrimage. Sometimes this can also mean a marriage based on law like court marriage, you may meet at a trial, you may meet when you go abroad or you meet a foreigner online.

7th Ruler in 10th : You may meet them at work, in context of your job, or your boss introduces you to them, I have seen some cases where the person was personal assistant to boss and then they got married later, you may meet through business conferences or at Government offices, may be you need to renew some Govt. document etc.

7th Ruler in 11th: You may meet them over internet, dating apps, matrimony websites, business meetings or through professional colleagues. They may be your friend initially and becomes lover later. You both may have common friends. If you do business, then in context of advertisements, promotion campaigns etc, They may even be a celebrity.

7th Ruler in 12th: You may meet in foreign lands, when you go abroad, in hospitals, airports. I have seen one case, the guy was a travel agent and booked tickets for his client and went to airport to send off his client and met his wife there as she was client's sister. Meeting could be destined or fated in some way.

Book your Spouse Reading now. DM here.

[velvet4510]

Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but I really think Gimli’s love for Galadriel and his anger at anyone who doesn’t also think she’s “the fairest in the world” is NOT entirely about physical beauty. It’s much deeper than that.

His feelings for her are not instantaneous, when he lays eyes on her face and hair; what lights the spark is her words. She is polite to him. She opens her mind and heart to him, a dwarf, and shows him respect. And when he humbly asks for a little reminder of her, she gives him triple of what he requested.

That’s what he loves. She’s not at all like any of the Elves he’s previously known and heard about. She sees him and appreciates him for what he is, and he does the same for her. It is her soul that he deems the most beautiful in the world, not just her face and hair. He respects and values her as a person. This is why he is upset when Éomer insults her. He knows she is nothing like what Éomer accuses her of being.

And when Gimli only lets the matter with Éomer go upon learning that Éomer thinks Arwen is the fairest instead, I also think it’s deeper than just superficial, at least on Gimli’s part. (Éomer does show hints of sexism, however benign, but Gimli is utterly chivalrous). Gimli recognizes that Arwen is Galadriel’s granddaughter and the love of Aragorn’s life, both of which are major indicators that she also has good character, as well as outer beauty. If Arwen is related to someone as wonderful as Galadriel, and chosen by someone as dear as Aragorn, then she must be a good candidate in her own right and Éomer must be given a pass, in Gimli’s eyes.

Again, maybe this is too deep. Maybe Tolkien did just intend Gimli and Éomer’s debate as “who’s hotter” and nothing more, but I don’t believe that. Sexism in Tolkien’s work is a different conversation entirely… but I just feel like Tolkien is too rich and thoughtful a writer to be implying that Gimli worships Galadriel only because she’s pretty. I also doubt Galadriel herself would give three hairs to someone who only values her for her physical appearance. That’s what Fëanor was like, not Gimli.

[sweetwolfcupcake]

Wildflower: 03

The Secret Garden

Category: Short Series

John Wick x Reader

Warning: Public violence, public shootout, stampede-like situation

Note: John is relatively younger in this fic( late thirties to early forties)

The gif is not mine. Credits to the original creator (Sorry, I don't remember where I downloaded it from)

Unedited

Wildflower 02

She enjoyed Alex’s company and so, it was a pub one evening, a bakery one weekend, and a cafe the other weekday. Having a reliable company in the vast city was a blessing indeed. They explored the city on days he could get time off his hectic job, went on random cycling trips to the central park and always had something to talk about.

It was on one such outing when they were engaged in a heated discussion regarding the accuracy of ‘historical facts’ when someone interrupted them. 

“Norton.”

It was a familiar voice that made her turn round. Over the bench where they sat, loomed a tall figure, dressed in all black.

 “Wick?”

The silence that followed was not long, but felt dense.

John Wick’s eyes found hers and he blinked. There was something more than a stoic gaze this time.

“You working, Wick?” Alex asked.

Did they know each other?

“Yeah.”

That was all he gave. He was, indeed, a man of few words.

“Hello, John.” She greeted him, earning his gaze again.

“Hello, (Y/N).” It was his usual voice– low, deep, calm.

But there was something about the way her name rolled off his tongue. It felt different. (Y/N) gulped and mentally shook her head. No, she was overthinking again. She smiled at him, in return, she received a softened eyes.

“You on vacation Norton?”

His gaze turned to her friend– there was almost something unreal about the flicker– maybe it was the way the light fell into her eyes, but they seemed to turn almost mechanical when they turned to Alex– no trace of softness, just…well something.

“Showing around my friend.” Alex replied, but there was a heaviness in his voice. No trace of the light, amused, cool tone she knew.

John nodded curtly “I see…”

“We will get going then.” Alex smiled politely, her bag already in his hold, a silent indication that they needed to leave.

For some reason, despite the doubts and the confusion, she did not question him.

—---

John’s hands remained inside his coat pockets— tightly fisted, knuckles paling as he watched them walk away. It should not matter. He told himself. 

Why did it disturb him?

John Wick considered himself a simple man. At least in terms of his needs, his priorities– his business.

So why was this one simple civilian, so intriguing to him? Who had nothing to do with him, or his business. 

John looked away. Admitting that Winston was right. He was fascinated— fascinated by how oblivious she was, fascinated by her perception of the world around her, fascinated by her simple, (comparatively) unproblematic– normal life. Normalcy– something John could not even wish for– but he craved it. He craved it so bad that it ached. Although now, it was a dull, suppressed throb– his childhood was marred with this…ache, this yearning to be another person on the street– mundane, normal, ordinary.

She was so ordinary, simple yet so complex– with layers of emotions and thoughts that her eyes would always give away. It had, for the first time, John’s heart thumping– like he was in the middle of emotions, not above it– and yet, he did not hate the feeling. 

That was perhaps the reason why he had followed her from two days ago– Alex Norton was good, but not good enough to detect John until he did not want to be detected. He was John Wick after all.

They were friends, he could tell and yet, her speaking so freely, laughing with another man had set an unexpected burn in his chest. Even at thus age, this was a question he felt tumultuous about?

He was just observing. 

Just observing.

Then why did it matter if her smile– that seemed like the sun rising on a field of wildflowers— was directed at someone else? Why did it matter that her laughter, that sped up his heart slightly, was directed at some other man?

John could have the answers if he tried, delved deep enough. 

He simply did not want to have the answers.

Turning away, sat himself down on the bench they had been sitting on. Her spot was still warm, and John, though reluctant, admitted to himself that it felt good– closer to something he could never have.

—----

It was supposed to be a simple deed. Shoot and walk away without anyone noticing. But the drug dealer had a good hand with guns and fists. John could feel a bruise blooming on the side of his face as he chased the man. A head that had the prize of two million dollars on it. 

It was not an exclusive contract and he had already fought off one assassin in the pursuit of putting one prized bullet into that dealer’s head. From the corner of his eye, he could see another figure moving past the unsuspecting, ignorant crowd. At least they appeared ‘unsuspecting’. John knew that more or less, people had just grown used to, grown indifferent. 

He moved past people, shoving some out of his way as he—

BANG! BANG!

John cursed, glancing at the man running parallel to him. And like a typical newcomer, he had to have no silencer. That was when the chaos burst out, people scrambled to get away, screaming, crying, running around. John growled in frustration as he chased his target faster.

Enough of this game.

With one bullet from John, the dealer was down. His eyes found the new assassin— cold and steely—  at least the boy had some sense to get scurry away. 

Mingling with the crowd, he walked the panickem— ready to exit. When he saw her.

Her eyes were wide and confused, looking around in panic as people shoved and bumped past her. She almost fell when someone screamed that there was a shooting going on. John did not know when he stopped, just to watch her. He simply observed, and each little expression transfixed him somehow.

John gulped, watching her eyes widen in fear before she ran off too, not even noticing that the bag she carried had dropped on the floor.

Before he knew it, John was moving towards the bag. Picking it up, he dusted it before zipping it open. His eyes wandered through the contents. Maybe he could find a way to return—

His eyes narrowed at the sight of the familiar black card. Blinking, John fished it out of the bag, bringing it to the light.

“Winston…” He whispered to himself.

****

[notfreetoday]

MPW Ep 4 Subtitle Correction

Masterlist: EP 1 || EP 2 || EP 3

We have another change in director this episode, to Yasumura Emi, though the script is still being written by Funabiki Shinju (the director for Ep 3). This week's twitter space didn't have much info, so I won't be including it.

M: いや～瀬ケ崎さん強かったわ～ M: あの物腰で*マウンティングされて M: いっそ快感を覚えてしまった M: No but, Segasaki-san('s presence) was really strong M: The way he *asserted (his relationship with Yoh) like that M: (rather than being upset), I felt even more delighted! *This is a (rather unfortunate) loan word from English - "mount" or "mounting" 😅, in this case, pretty much means to "one-up" someone else, or to brag about something to another. If you do not wish to have a weird mental image in your head, please skip the next paragraph. This word appears to have morphed from the observation that monkeys, when trying to move up a rank in the chain of command, tend to jump on the back of another to assert their dominance (not scientist just translator also low-quality source don't keel me plz). - In other words, if I watch the Jp RAW MPW a full 8 hours before everyone else and spazz about it knowing full well no one else understands what was said then I'd totally be moun--- AHEM (sorry 😂)

What I mean to say is, in this episode, Segasaki all but screams "MINE" in the most thinly veiled, polite manner possible, so let's see how he does that. If you read nothing at all, the last scene with them cuddling has an important correction you should skip to. Same translation disclaimer applies, Ep 4, let's go~!

(I see a lot of people saying some of their thoughts/suspicions were confirmed in the tags of the previous posts, so feel free to chip in with what you think! MPW deserves more discussion!)

Sorry I am incapable of summarizing, the post is crazy long and I've hit the 30 image max. As such, not every scene will be screen capped and I won't be transcribing the original subs anymore...

Y: あ、いや、友達の漫画を手伝いに行ってきます (-masu form) Y: Ah, no. I am going to help a friend with their manga.

Yoh shifts up a speech level here, (he started the episode out speaking casually) using the -masu form to make an announcement -he's trying to emphasize his determination to go because he’s nervous about saying it.

S: はあ？ どういうつもりで S: Huh? For what intention?

The "haa?" here has a more "excuse me?" feel, and the next line is interrogative - so all in all it has the same energy as: "Excuse me? What is going through your head?"

S: つぅか友達って誰だよ Y: よく通話してる…あの S: やっぱりあの女か S: Actually, when you say "friend", who do you mean? Y: The one who… I speak to a lot on the phone… S: So, it’s that woman after all huh?

S: だめ Y: え？なんで？(plain form) S: 俺が家にいんだから家にいろ (word contraction)* Y: でも約束したし (plain form) S: あの女には行けなくなったって言え* S: No. Y: Huh? Why? S: I'm staying at home so you stay at home* Y: But, I already made a promise S: Tell that woman that you can’t go any more** *This line, together with the starred line below, is extremely direct, (said in the same style as his not-proposal actually) and is clearly an order. **This line is literally "to that woman, say 'I am no longer able to make it'" (Though the speaker may not actually mean to use those exact words)

Segasaki has dropped a speech level here not so much by using "rude" forms but by being extremely blunt and direct. What he's saying implies he's being possessive of Yoh, but the way he says it also stresses his power in their relationship. But again, note that Yoh's replies are all in plain form - he hasn't shifted up a level in response, as he usually does when addressed so directly. In fact, the way he words his protest carries some indignation - using "し(shi)" at the end like this indicates that this "promise" is but one of the reasons he has for going - which is why Segasaki cuts him off. Yoh might sulk and pout about being ordered, he's still comfortably seated in his usual informal speech level, which means at this point he's still feeling secure about where he stands and definitely isn't intimidated.

S: お前さ*、何で自分がこの家にいるかわかってんの？ S: You*… do you even know why you’re in this house? *Here Segasaki uses the sentence-end particle "さ(sa)" after the word "you", which in this case has the same feel as "now look here". He also ends off his question with "の(no)", which can have many meanings, but here functions again as an assertive particle, implying that this is a rhetorical question, because he thinks Yoh should know the answer. Unfortunately, Yoh has the wrong answer 😅 (which Segasaki will realize and attempt to address in Ep 5)

Y: この人のやばさ*を一瞬でも忘れていた俺がバカだった Y: I was an idiot - to forget, even for a second, how insane* this person is *やばさ (yabasa) - this word comes from "yabai" and is a slang word that has evolved much like the words "crazy/insane" and "shit" have evolved in English - it can be used both positively and negatively to describe someone who's extreme, for eg "that guy is yabai (so cool!!)" vs "that guy is yabai (stay away)". Here, Yoh's referring to Segasaki as yabai for even thinking up this so called "slave contract" - which is what he assumes Segasaki is referring to.

Y: ごめん、いろいろあって Y: あ、いや、まあ、なんていうか、家にいろって言われ Y: あ、いや、なんでもない。とにかく本当にごめん Y: 今度なんかでお返しするから Y: Sorry, a lot happened Y: Ah, no, well, how do I say this... I was told "stay at home" Y: Ah, no, it's nothing. Anyway, I'm really sorry Y: I'll make it up to you next time, okay?

S: よくできました S: Well done. This is the same phrase we talked about in Ep 3, the stamp of approval. Again, Segasaki is emphasizing his role in relation to Yoh here.

Y: あの満足そうな後ろ姿 Y: 本当腹立つわ Y: That silhouette of his, so full of satisfaction as he leaves, Y: Really makes me irritated!* *Yoh ends off with the particle "わ (wa)", which mostly just emphasizes his emotion, but is a softer assertive particle than the ones Segasaki uses.

S: 夕飯、作ってくれてもいいんだぞ Y: はい Y: 俺はいつでも稼働する家事ロボットじゃねぇんだよ S: Dinner - it's fine for you to make it for me, you know Y: Yes Y: I'm not some housework robot that you can just activate at any time you know! The original subs made it sound like Segasaki was asking Yoh if he could make dinner, but that's not the case - he's literally telling Yoh to make it, and on top of that, he says it like he's doing Yoh a favour (by allowing him to make dinner) 🤣🤣 This time though, whether it's just cause Yoh's been caught by surprise or not, he answers properly with "Yes (Hai)".

Y: いっそロボットになってこの感情を無にしたい Y: (If it was going to be like this), I rather just become a robot, and turn these feelings into nothingness.

The focus of this line is mostly on Yoh preferring to become a robot in order to mute his feelings, but the sentence structure suggests that there is something to be inferred preceding this sentence, hence the bracketed bit. (It becomes clearer later on, especially in light of his monologue)

"Dayo-chan" is a pretty familiar nickname, something you'd expect a child to be called rather than an adult, unless it is a nickname between childhood friends. It implies a closeness/intimacy between the speaker/listener, hence the the look of horror on Yoh’s face (because he knows that is going to kick Segasaki into high gear) and the surprised disbelief (that someone would dare make a grab for Yoh) on Segasaki’s face. Kills me everytime 🤣

S: もしかして例の女か S: 家まで押し掛けるとはいい度胸してんな S: Don't tell me it's that woman from earlier? S: She's got some nerve, turning up at the house like this

Y: それはだめ　それだけは絶対だめ Y: No, not that, anything but that!

S: うれしいな　葉がいつもあなたの話をするので S: 一度お会いしてみたいと思っていたんです S: はじめまして、瀬ケ崎瑞貴といいます S: 葉がいつも　お世話になってます S: What a delight, Yoh speaks of you often so S: I've always thought it would be nice to be able to meet you. S: I'm Segasaki Mizuki, pleased to make your acquaintance. S: Thank you for always taking care of Yoh.

This is like, textbook formalities🤣 Practically every statement is a "standard" greeting and is very polite (hence the weirdly stiff english translation) except Segasaki says it in a way that makes it clear he speaks for Yoh, that Yoh is part of his in-group. (Legit, might as well plant a flag in the soil that says "Yoh is mine".) He sounds exactly like how parents sound when they meet their child's teachers, or how a spouse/older family member might sound when meeting their loved ones' co-workers. This is how it comes across: What a delight, Yoh speaks of you often so I've always thought it would be nice to be able to meet you - Sounds distinctly familial. Implies Segasaki is close enough to Yoh that Yoh shares his thoughts with him often. Also shows that Yoh tells Segasaki about Man-san, rather than the other way round. I'm Segasaki Mizuki, pleased to make your acquaintance. - standard, formal greeting Thank you for always taking care of Yoh. - standard greeting, literally "Yoh is always in your care" - You usually say this (for yourself) when you thank your teacher/senior/boss/important client. So, when you say this for someone else, you are claiming this person as your family, or someone in your in-group (a close friend, or at work, a junior).

S: すみません　今朝　葉が体調をくずしてしまって S: 家でゆっくり休んだ方がいいんじゃないかって S: 僕が言い聞かせたん*です S: ご迷惑をおかけしてしまってしまって すみませんでした S: I apologize, this morning, Yoh wasn't feeling well so S: I convinced* him (not to go) saying, S: "wouldn't it be better to stay at home and rest properly?" S: I sincerely apologize for the trouble this has caused you. * 言い聞かせる (translated as convinced here) this word is usually used when someone of higher standing tells/explains something to a person of a lower standing, and carries the nuance that they've managed to get the latter to accept/agree with what they say. It can also be translated as "told/persuaded/instructed/warned/admonished", and used in sentences like "I warned the kids not to run" or "The teacher told the students lying was wrong" - so that might give you a better idea of what Segasaki is implying here. I've used "convinced" here rather than "instruct" because Segasaki is, in general, speaking very tactfully to Man-san - but his meaning is still clear to anyone paying attention - Segasaki has a big enough role in Yoh's life that he not only can apologize on behalf of Yoh for not being able to fulfill the promise to Man-san, he also has a big enough say that Yoh will listen to his decisions.

M: いや、あんたがダヨの体調不良を詫びるんか M: むっちゃ身内面*するやん M: Wait, you are apologizing for Yoh being unwell (and unable to come help)? M: Isn't that a super intimate* (gesture)? *身内面する is literally "to show one's inner-circle face/side", ie the side of you that you show to your inner-circle/in-group ie your family. Hence this line reads more like "Wait, you're apologizing for Yoh?? Who are you, his family??"

Because of the emphasis on group identity in Japan, it's very common to apologize/take responsibility for the actions of another group-member, even if you had nothing to do with it. So here, Man-san has picked up on what Segasaki has been implying since the beginning - that Yoh is part of his in-group, and a very close one at that.

S: お茶目な方なんですね S: You've got such a sweet and funny personality, don't you? The word Segasaki uses here describes a person who tends to be naturally sweet and lovable, maybe a little silly but without any ulterior motive. It's a compliment in most situations - which is why Man-san gets all embarrassed - but can sometimes come across as slightly patronizing, like how calling someone "naive" can. Note that Segasaki is still being very polite here and effectively holding Man-san at arm's length, despite the seemingly friendly/open dialogue.

S: だから　そう言っていただけると　うれしいです S: So, to hear such nice words from you, makes me really glad.

S: ところで　可奈美さんはどこで　葉と　お知り合いに？ S: By the way, how did Kanami-san come to be friends with Yoh?

The whole dialogue where Segasaki responds to Man-san's fangirling basically sounds like how an idol would speak to their fans - it's very polite and uses deferential/humble verb forms to further indicate gratitude for the support, because Segasaki is answering Man-san in the context of his work. When he asks about Yoh, he switches back down to a normal speech level, but also uses her first name - Kanami-san, which whilst very charming, is totally NOT normal (with the sparkle effect and the wine, I can't help but get host club vibes from this lmao) because you only do that with people you are close to. Man-san is obviously flustered by this, and Yoh is understandably unhappy about the sudden familiarity Segasaki displays with Man-san (I personally think he's still trying to be disarmingly charming whilst he evaluates just how big a threat Man-san is🤣🤣)

S: ずいぶん飲んでると思ったら S: I thought he'd been drinking quite a bit

Again, this implies that Segasaki knows Yoh well enough to know his alcohol tolerance.

S: 寝るなら部屋いきな* S: If you're going to sleep, then go to the room alright? *いきな (ikina) - the "na" here is different from the sentence-final particle "na" we saw in Ep 3. This is short for "nasai", as in, "ikinasai", which is a polite but sharp way to say "please go (somewhere)". This sort of wording is most commonly used by parents towards young children when giving instructions like "please sit properly" or "please eat your food quietly". It's used between teachers/students, seniors/juniors etc, and sometimes amongst friends too. You absolutely should not use it with someone above you in the social hierarchy. The short version used here though, softens the tone a lot, and adds a very tender, homely feel to the sentence. Segasaki is literally coaxing Yoh to bed as a parent would a very young, sleepy but reluctant child.

M: 本当に恋人なんだなって感じです M: ようやく現実味が M: "(You two) are really a couple!" - that's the kind of feeling I get M: It's like it finally feels real

The way Segasaki literally puffs up with pride and hugs Yoh closer... (ಥ◡ಥ)

M: ダヨちゃんって彼氏の前だと　こんな甘えた*になるんですね M: なんかちょっと意外かも S: いやお酒様様ですね S: ふだんはそっけないですよ M: So Dayo-chan actually becomes so cute and affectionate* in front of his boyfriend M: I kind of didn't expect that, I think S: No, it's really all thanks to the sake S: Normally he's pretty indifferent *甘えた (amaeta) is the kansai dialect version of 甘える (amaeru), referring to the concept of amae.

Amae is a rather complex thing to explain in English and really deserves its own post. For simplicity's sake, what Man-san means here is that she's surprised that Yoh is actually able to express his desire to be treated affectionately and indulged in - something that requires a lot of trust in Segasaki and a willingness to be vulnerable in front of him.

M: おぉ、確かに。ダヨちゃん素直*じゃないからな M: あまのじゃく**っていうか　まあそういうとこあると　困っちゃいますよね M: Ohh, that's true. Cause Dayo-chan isn't able to be honest* with his feelings M: "Contrary"** is not really (the word to use) but... he does have a bit of that in him so.... (dealing with that) can be a bit of a handful don't you think? The way Man-san phrases her last line implies that she also has to deal with this side of Yoh, and by ending off with the particle "~ne", she is seeking Segasaki's agreement that they are both sort of in the same boat when it comes to that (she doesn't do this consciously though, which is why she freaks and apologizes later) *素直 (sunao - translated as honest here) is another term you'll often see when talking about feelings/relationships, and is also somewhat of a complex topic with many different possible translations, depending on context. It is closely related to amae, because in order to express your desire to be indulged or to receive affection, you first need to be able to admit to yourself that you want that.

**あまのじゃく (amanojaku - translated as contrary here) - this is a small demon from Japanese folklore, who was of an extremely contrary nature and would often mimic both humans and gods. It had the ability to see into one's heart and would then do the exact opposite of what one desired. Thus, this term is now used to describe people who intentionally go against the wishes of others, who are stubborn/unable to admit when they are wrong, or who twist themselves into a pickle/cannot be truthful about how they feel. It's not used in a complimentary way, which is why Man-san says Yoh's not quite like that, but there are some parts of him that do sort of fit the description.

S: やだな*　葉の素直になれないその不器用さが　余計にかわいいんじゃないですか S: ね？ S: That's not nice*... Yoh's inability to be truthful about his feelings - it's precisely that awkwardness that makes him even more adorable, isn't it? S: Wouldn't you say so? *Segasaki's first line "やだな (yada na - literally "this is unpleasant/I don't like that")" is not directed at Man-san, it's a form of soliloquy (which is common in Japanese), aka he's talking to himself here. We know this because it's informal and ends with the emphatic particle "~na". He then switches back to polite speech for the rest of his sentence, which is directed at Man-san. So, "that's not nice" is actually him remarking on the unpleasantness he feels after hearing Man-san describe Yoh as contrary, just as you might walk past a pile of rubbish on the street and remark, "well that's unsightly". Of course, the fact that he's actually saying this at a volume that Man-san can definitely hear and the way he sort of drawls it out, makes it clear that he definitely meant for her to know his disapproval behind the politeness of his following sentence (See what I mean by "thinly veiled politeness"?). On top of this, ending it off with a "ne?" (the same ending particle she used to seek his agreement) as he looks up right at her makes it clear - this whole sentence is a (mild) rebuke.

M: 分かったような口を利いてすんませんっした S: どうされました？ M: では私そろそろおいとまします M: I'm incredibly sorry! I spoke as if I knew everything (when in fact I knew nothing) S: What's the matter? M: Then, it is about time for me to take my leave. In response, Man-san ratches up the formal speech in both these sentences, though (as befitting her character) she pronounces it in a rather comical way (she sounds and acts like a samurai would in the movies 🤣). Also, don't mistake Segasaki's "what's the matter" as true confusion - his indirect rebuke was met with a direct (albeit over the top) apology - so here he is helping Man-san to save face, or recover the face she lost (by sounding presumptuous and by apologizing), by not calling attention to the actual apology. It is enough that she has recognized his superiority over her when it comes to understanding Yoh. This is also why later, when Man-san voluntarily offers up the information that she has a husband (and thus is not a threat to Segasaki's claim over Yoh), that Segasaki gives sort of an embarrassed but happy smile as he says "I'm sorry". That's not just "I'm sorry I can't send you to the station" (which is basic manners) but also has a little "I'm sorry for the unnecessary posturing over Yoh".

S: なんださっきから　やだ　ばっか言って S: お前はイヤイヤ期*か S: What's gotten into you? All you've been saying since just now is "no" S: Are you in your "no phase"*? *イヤイヤ期 - yes, the term he uses here specifically refers to the "no phase" of toddlers in their terrible twos. This isn't condescending though - Yoh's repeated "やだ (yada - "no" or "I don't want it")" is distinctly childlike, but this behaviour is precisely a form of amae that we talked about earlier. Yoh is asking to be indulged here, and Segasaki is responding both in word and in physical comfort.

Y: もうやだ S: だから何が Y: 俺　万さんのことすきなのに S: は？てめぇ* Y: あんたなんか嫌いだ Y: へらへらしてんじゃねぇよ Y: 何　ちゃっかり横に座ってんだよ Y: 名前で呼ぶ必要はねぇだろう Y: ふざけんな Y: 俺のこと好きなくせに Y: I don't want (this) anymore! S: So again I ask, (don't want) what? Y: I... even whilst... liking Man-san S: Ha? You little...* Y: I hate the likes of you Y: Don't freaking sit there laughing so carelessly Y: What were you doing taking the chance to sit next to her like that Y: There was no damn need to call her by her first name, right? Y: The hell are you doing! Y: When the person you like is me. When You talks about liking Man-san, he ends off with "なのに (nanoni)" which is used to show contrast the preceeding/following topic and to express frustration - except he hasn't mentioned the preceeding topic, so it isn't immediately clear what he means until he starts complaining about Segasaki's behaviour. That's why Segasaki is caught by surprise and follows up with an angry "haa?" and an emphatic *てめぇ(temee) - A very very rude way to say "you" which he first used in Ep 2 when Yoh said he was going to leave. It's not until later in Yoh's monologue, that we learn that he's upset that he feels jealousy/bad feelings towards Man-san because he's supposed to like Man-san (as a friend).

S: お前　お前それやだったんか S: お前の方が*　そう思ってたんかよ S: あ　もう最っ高 S: You... so that was what you didn't want? S: So, (all this time) it was actually you instead, who's been thinking like that? S: Oh, this is the. best.

S: よしよし S: 取られちゃって　やだったな S: There, there S: You didn't want me to be stolen away, did you?

Monologue time: Y: こんなふうに感じること自体が嫌だったんだ 万さん相手に　友達なのに 女々しすぎるって 幼稚だろう　ダメだろうって　分かってるのに 気付いたら頭ん中　ぐちゃぐちゃで どうしようもなくなってた あんたのせいだ こんなふうに 囁いたり 微笑んだり 優しく触れたりするから いつもあんな偉そうに ああだ　こうだ命令してくるくせに 突然まるで恋人*みたいに 勘違いするだろこんなの もしかして 好きって こんなみっともない気持ちのことなのか Y: The fact that I was feeling this way was specifically what I didn't like. (Feeling this way) towards Man-san, even though she's my friend... It was too petty (of me). Even though I knew, that it was childish, that I shouldn't (feel that way), Before I knew it, everything in my head was all messed up. And then I couldn't do anything about it. It's all your fault, Because you do things like this, Whispering softly to me, Smiling at me, And touching me so gently. Always so arrogantly ordering me around, Saying do this do that, and yet, You suddenly (start treating me) like a lover* Of course, I'd get the wrong idea with all of that! Could it be that, "Liking someone", Really is a feeling as unseemly and disgraceful as this? *恋人 (koibito - lover) - Lover in English can sometimes imply a more sexual than romantic relationship, but in Japanese "koibito" usually refers to "boyfriend/girlfriend" and may not imply a sexual component at all.

S: お前から抱きつくとかできんだな S: ずっと酔ってりゃいいのに S: So you actually can initiate hugs and stuff huh? S: If only you could stay drunk forever...

And we're done!! Ep 4 marks the turning point where Yoh begins the journey towards accepting and acknowledging his feelings - the concept of "sunao". It also clearly shows the preferred way these two reinforce their relationship - through "amae". Remember how in Ep 3, Yoh talked about how he felt that an "unspoken understanding" of each other's feelings was important in a relationship? Well, this is it - Yoh saying "no" and "don't want", or leaving the room to be by himself - these are all examples of amae. He doesn't want to ask for affection directly, because he can't. So he does it through amae instead, and as we can see, Segasaki really enjoys indulging in Yoh's unspoken requests for affection and gains fulfillment from that.

[ironboyxs]

Night of the Broken Dragons pt.2

honestly I wasn't expecting to write a second part to this story but it was so well received and someone commented that they would like a sequel, so here it is! p.s. I don't know how to write smut properly

REQUESTS ARE OPEN

Fandom: House of the Dragon

Warnings: Targcest and smut

part1 here

A few days after the night he spent with his uncle in King's Landing, Y/N was back in Dragonstone. He didn't know how to react to the last few days. All he could think about was Aemond and how he could see him again, but he knew that a visit to King's Landing was out of the question.

"Why are you so distracted, brother?" - Jace asked. The family was gathered for dinner

"Just thinking about…"

"About?" - Lucerys asked.

"Nothing, I was just distracted." - The boy said clearly lying, something he was never very good at.

Daemon and Rhaenyra looked at each other, they knew each of their children very well and knew that something was wrong with the boy. He wasn't usually so absent-minded, or miss his appointments as he had been in the last few days. Dinner continued despite the awkwardness, Y/N's siblings chatted while Daemon and Rhaenyra talked about politics, until the doors opened. It was one of the knights who protected the castle, he seemed embarrassed to enter so suddenly into something that should supposedly be familiar. -

"Forgive me, princess' - He said to Rhaenyra "But a raven came for young Prince Y/N and in it a note said it was urgent." - Y/N was surprised, who could be sending him urgent messages at this time of night?

"Let me see" Daemon said.

"Father, it's for me." Y/N had already lost his fear of calling Daemon father, at least in Dragonstone.

"Okay." Daemon rolled his eyes, "Give it to the boy."

The knight approached the prince and handed him the letter.

"Thank you," Y/N thanked him.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll read it in privacy." – He said, leaving the dinner table, leaving the whole family curious.

It was a letter from Aemond, obviously it would be a letter from Aemond, why hadn't he thought of that?

In a secluded corner of the castle, the young prince opened the letter that read:

“Nephew, I need to see you urgently. Please meet me in the Meadows near God’s Eye Lake. Nyke jāhor ao. (I need you).

The letter was short but to the point. Aemond needed him, and Y/N could no longer stand the distance since the last time they were together, when they had shared such great intimacy. The boy headed for the dragon pit.

“Get Aelithys ready. I’m going out.” He said, entering and speaking to the dragon masters. “But, my prince, it’s already late.” One of them said to the boy. “I know, but I need to resolve an urgent matter. I count on your discretion and not go running to tell my father or mother.” The prince looked at the masters seriously.

A few minutes later, the light pink and white dragon was ready to fly. Rhaenyra always said that Aelithys was the perfect dragon for Y/N, both with a delicate yet majestic appearance.

"Aelithys, soves!" – The prince commanded and the dragon flew. The prince's long blond hair, which at this point reached almost to his waist, was not tied up, so he could feel the wind shaking his locks, which made his escape even more exciting.

After a flight of about 20 minutes, he arrived at the place where Aemond had indicated in the letter. Even in the darkness, it was difficult not to notice Vhagar behind the mountain, the dragon was too huge to go unnoticed.

Y/N landed his dragon near Vhagar, knowing that the two could get along well, and went to look for Aemond. He did not have to walk far, because at the top of the nearest hill his uncle was sitting, watching the stars.

"Vēzos, vestās nykē?" (Uncle, did you send for me?)

Aemond was not startled by the boy's sudden presence. He simply stood up and as soon as he could he put his hands on Y/N and pulled him towards him, giving him a kiss. Y/N was surprised but could not deny that he had wanted this for a long time.

"Nyke ūndegon lēda ao, ñuha jorrāelagon." (I have missed you so much, my beloved)

Y/N blushed at Aemond's words.

"I missed you too." - He said, caressing the taller man's cheek. "But what was the urgency? Why did I need to come so quickly?"

Aemond's gaze became saddened, Y/N then realized that his uncle had been crying, something he never thought would happen after they were children.

"Aemond, what happened? - Y/N said with affection and love in his voice.

"Come with me first." - He pulled the younger man by the hand and led him to a small stone house that was on top of the hill.

"What place is this?" - Y/N asked suspiciously.

"I paid the owners of the house to make it comfortable and tidy, and I gave them an inn and enough money so that they wouldn't tell anyone about my stay here."

"You got a house just to find me?" - The younger man smiled.

"I would get a castle if I could" - Aemond looked intensely into his nephew's eyes. "Come in."

They entered a small stone house with rustic walls and a heavy wooden door. Inside, the warmth of the central fireplace enveloped them, with crackling flames illuminating the simple but cozy space. Fur rugs covered the stone floor, and a sturdy wooden table occupied the center, flanked by rough benches. On the wooden shelves, clay utensils and baskets of dried herbs completed the scene. In the corner, a bed covered with woolen blankets and furs promised rest, while the soft light of the candles and the low ceiling with exposed beams made the environment cozy and safe.

"It is a cozy place." - Y/N said to his uncle.

"I am glad you liked it, now please sit down." - Aemond pointed to the soft bed.

Y/N sat up and was eager to hear what his uncle had to tell him. What could be so serious and urgent to make him sad and call for him so urgently?

"My parents have found me a wife." – Aemond got straight to the point.

Upon hearing his beloved's painful confession, Y/N's face contorted in a mixture of sadness and despair. He knew that this moment would probably come one day, for one of them. Y/N's mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. Y/N felt his chest tighten, and he struggled to catch his breath. His heart, already broken by the impossibility of being together, now suffered an even deeper pain. He lowered his head, trying to hide the pain, and his hands tremble slightly, his mind clouded with the anguish of a future apart and the regret for a love that cannot blossom.

"But I don't want you to worry about that" - Aemond said seeing his nephew's despair and quickly placing his hands over his.

"I knew that one day this would happen Aemond, with me, or with you." - Maegor takes a deep breath - "We could never be together anyway "- The boy's gaze was of pure sadness.

"I refuse to marry any noble girl I've never seen in my life, I refuse to not be with someone other than you. And that's why I called you here." - Aemond gently takes Y/N's chin and makes him look at him "I have a plan."

"A plan?" - Y/N asks curiously.

"Your father has allies in Dorne, right? There we can be whoever we want. If we offer the ruler there the protection of our dragons, they will accept us with open arms."

"And risk a war against the Targaryens? Aemond, are you crazy? Run away?" - Y/N really wanted to believe that they could have a future together, but he didn't know if that was the right way.

"I won't be without you." - Aemond said in a decisive and possessive way. "I won't accept anyone by my side other than you."

Y/N was flattered by his uncle's words, he knew that the passion between them was intense and that it would burn with them as long as they were alive. They just might need a better plan.

"Let me talk to my parents before we try to run away somewhere?" - He said in a calm tone.

"Do you think your parents would accept us?" - Aemond asked skeptically.

"You'd be surprised at what they do for their children's happiness. Your mother can be… Persuaded. And your father, well, sorry to say but, he would do whatever his favorite daughter asked."

"I've gotten used to my father not being present in my life. I can't get used to missing you."

"So, let me talk to my parents and if nothing works, we'll run away, okay? Whether to Dorne or anywhere. I don't want to be away from you either, Aemond." – Y/N said with all the sincerity in his heart.

Aemond slowly approached, his gaze fixed on the other's face, a mixture of desire and passion in his eyes. He raised his hand and gently placed it on the back of his beloved's neck, feeling the warmth of his skin. His lips, initially half-open, approached the other's softly, until their lips finally touched, hesitantly, almost like a silent question. The moment the contact was made, something was awakened, and the kiss, which began timidly, soon intensified.

Their bodies instinctively moved closer, as if they were trying to merge into one. The hand on the back of his neck now squeezed more firmly, bringing him closer, while the other glided over his beloved's chest, feeling the accelerated rhythm of his breathing.

Their lips intertwined with more urgency, and the kiss became deeper, exploring and discovering, as if time had stopped. Their breathing mingled, while their mouths found a rhythmic and passionate dance, their bodies in perfect synchrony, locked in the moment. Aemond lays his nephew on the bed, kissing his neck, not caring if it would leave marks or not. He wants them to know that Y/N Targaryen already has an owner.

"Nyke jaelāt ao." (I want you) – He says with a growl in his nephew's ear.

"Nyke issa aōhon vēzos, jāhor nykē hae aōhon." (I am yours uncle, take me as yours).

Hearing these words come out of Y/N's mouth, Aemond lets out a growl and begins to undress the boy. Slowly taking off piece by piece of the complicated and beautiful clothing he was wearing. When Y/N was finally naked, Aemond looks at him like a dragon looks at its prey, wanting to devour him.

You are the most beautiful human being in all the seven kingdoms and beyond. – Aemond says, caressing the younger man's cheek. Y/N blushes at the compliment and seeks his uncle's mouth, wanting to taste more of the sweet nectar of his kiss. As they kiss, he helps Aemond remove his clothes, now both of them naked, once again in an intimacy that is only theirs, and that they only wanted to have with each other.

"There is some oil in the drawer next to the bed" - Aemond said to his nephew.

Maegor laughs, realizing that his uncle was expecting that to happen.

"Were you already preparing for this?"

"I wasn't going to find you and just give you a kiss" - He says, taking the oil and smearing it on his fingers. - "Relax, it's me, remember that I will always take care of you."

Aemond thrust himself inside Y/N, feeling the boy's warm insides tighten around him.

"Gods, you're still going to be my downfall" - He said, kissing his nephew's neck.

Y/N's breathing was labored, he had only done that once before, and with Aemond himself, but even so, his uncle was very big and his body needed time to adjust.

"May I move?" - Aemond asked gently.

Y/N nodded confirming that he could and Aemond began to move slowly, seeking more pleasure for his nephew than for himself.

"Is that okay?" - He said, still with his face buried in the younger's neck.

"You can go faster" - Y/N said breathlessly.

"Your request is my command, my prince" - Aemond chuckled.

The older man began to move faster, hitting a specific spot that he knew made Y/N roll his eyes. Y/N felt like he was in heaven, he never thought sex could be so good. He grabbed his uncle's hair and pulled him closer for a kiss.

"I won't last long" - Aemond said with a panting breath.

"Inside" - Y/N said.

That was all the older Targaryen needed to hear, he increased his pace which made the younger one roll his eyes in pleasure. The two screamed each other's names as they had their orgasms synchronized.

Aemond collapsed on top of Y/N, tired after sex.

"Nyke jorrāelagon ao." (I love you) - Aemond said.

Y/N's heart warmed when he heard his uncle's confession,

"Nyke jorrāelagon ao tolī" (I love you too).

"We'll work this out, we won't be separated" - Aemond told his nephew.

"No, we won't." - Y/N said kissing the scar on his uncle's eye. Zaldrīzoti jēdari lēda sīr.

Dragons belong together.

[a-very-tired-jew]

The server closes, but the antisemitism it gave is forever

By the time this gets posted from my queue the Dropout Discord server will have officially closed/froze (May 26th, 2024). However, the looming freeze hasn't dissuaded any of the users in a particular channel from posting their wild conspiracies and outright falsities. Take this one that happened on May 24th.

Fig. 1. User states that Jews should be safe around the world and Zionism was invented by anti-semites (their word) to get the Jews out of Europe. Let's break down this picture. It's the same thing we have heard from goys time and time again about this entire issue. Jews should be safe around the world and we should make the world safer for them so they don't need Israel. Here's the problem...we've tried that multiple times. In fact, there was a whole ideology opposite of Zionism called Bundism that pushed for that very thing. Guess what happened? Bundists were exiled, tortured, imprisoned, cleansed, and killed. That's not to say don't make the world a safer place for us. We'd like it to be. But historically speaking, this sort of action hasn't been consistent. Now, the second part of their post: "Zionism was originally invented by anti-semites who wanted Jews out of Europe". Imagine being so confidently wrong in something. Not only does a quick fact check tell you you're wrong, but demonstrably so. The "Father of Zionism" is Theodor Herzl who helped formalize an ideology that was already present in Judaism. His actions were inspired by the Dreyfus Affair. If you don't know what this is, a Jewish officer of the French army was falsely accused of being a spy and imprisoned. The actual culprit was identified and the French army suppressed the evidence and acquitted him, he was not Jewish. Throughout this time there was rampant antisemitism in French society, which had previously been viewed as a liberal bastion of acceptance. If this place that intellectuals viewed as tolerant of differing views, creeds, religions, and so on could become virulently antisemitic, then were Jews actually accepted? That is the underlying thought that led to the formalization and creation of political Zionism as we know it (albeit in a very brief and generalized summary). Hell, this person probably doesn't even know what Labor Zionism is and it would probably break their brain. The most progressive societies in the world can say they're safe for Jews to exist in, but they will turn at the drop of a hat.

So when someone like this says that Zionism was made by anti-semites (and they're using the hyphenated incorrect term which is indicative of other issues) I can't help but think that they know next to nothing about the conflict outside of what they've consumed these past months. The likelihood is that this particular person has only engaged with antisemitic content because that misinformation they're spreading is something that only exists in those circles. It's antisemitic conspiracy wrapped in anti-Zionism. It's reminiscent of things the Soviets would say about Israel while actively killing the Jews in their country. They then followed it with this.

Fig. 2. Same user generalizes a whataboutism regarding safety for everyone, then specifically asks why no one prioritizes the Palestinians in these conversations. In this photo they ask why do we assume that the world is going to hate Jews forever? Because it has. Antisemitism is one of the oldest forms of hatred towards another group. Jewish history is marred with repeated incidents of cleansing, torture, imprisonment, exile, and killing. In no century has there ever been a time when Jews just existed peacefully with our own autonomy. And yet someone like this, who has shown their whole ass with their ignorance of what Zionism is and its origin, asks "why aren't we talking about the Palestinians in these conversations?" Because there is not a specific word that describes hatred of Palestinians like there is for Jews. Nor do they have thousands of years of history regarding that hatred. It's a false equivalency and a pitiful whataboutism to try and make conversations about antisemitism into something they're not. However, considering this user writes "anti-semite/semitism", I would not be surprised if they are of the "Palestinians are Semites" mindset (which myself and others have gone over in other posts, and even the server itself addressed months prior). We can talk about Palestinians and the dangers they face. We can talk about the rights and country they should have. We can talk about how other countries in the region keep them in camps and don't let them become full citizens. We can talk about all the issues surrounding them as a people. But not when we're talking about antisemitism, because it's not about them. The fact that this user is trying to make it that way and was not confronted in any capacity about their outright misinformation and manipulation says everything about the Dropout Discord Palestine channel that you need to know.

[ivymarquis]

Elevator Music

Pairing| None; Gen!fic Rating| T Content/Warnings| The author is not experienced with trauma responses but assumes someone buried alive would have adverse feelings about being stuck in an elevator. Also the author realized halfway through that an elevator is lift but too lazy to change anything, so you're American coded against your will. Sorry about it.

You think nothing of it when stepping onto the elevator, Ghost close on your heels. The pair of you are heading towards the same meeting on another floor.

A wicked storm rages outside, wind whipping trees and debris as rain pelts against the glass windows. 

The base usually holds up well in storms. You don’t worry about it. 

There’s no one else in the elevator as it shuts. Your phone is kept in hand despite knowing you never get service here. In just a moment you’ll be at your destination, and the effort of putting it up just to immediately pull it back out is more than you want to do.

You give a polite nod to the SAS sniper as he walks past you and settles himself with his back tucked against the wall. He returns the gesture and that’s about it for your small talk.

You’re not friends, and even acquaintances would be pushing it. But you cross paths enough to have that adjacent familiarity. He knows your face and you know his…well, his mask. You’re not entirely sure you’d recognize him on the streets- you have no idea what he actually looks like underneath all that black, but he is built like a brick shithouse so maybe you’d recognize him based on his build alone. 

If it was someone else you might ask the performative question of double checking the two of you are heading to the same floor. Idle chit chat to pass the time on the way to the meeting.

 Ghost isn’t the chit chat type and you know it. The number 5 glows when you press the button, the gears whirling overhead. 

You’re on the second floor. The screen indicates 2-3-4-

And just shy of the screen switching over to 5 the gears screech to a halt, the lights cutting out in the elevator. You’re plunged into darkness, a startled “what the fuck?” escaping you before the emergency light kicks on. 

It’s dimly lit and spooky. Ghost’s skull faced balaclava doesn’t do anything to lighten the mood.

You’re not in love with the idea of being stuck in the elevator, a distant ringing outside the compartment indicating that there’s people (you) trapped inside. 

You know it won’t do anything but you press the now dim 5 button a few times. The mechanical click of the button depressing is the only thing that greets you. 

“Well shit. You don’t have service, do you?” you figure the answer is no, but maybe today will be your lucky day. 

Ghost is silent just a hair too long and the silence is enough to set you slightly on edge. He’s not registering that you’ve spoken to him. 

“Ghost?”

It’s fucking creepy the way his head snaps to your direction. But at least now he’s acknowledging your existence. 

“Do you have service?”

The amount of time it takes him to blink scares the shit out of you. 

He doesn’t normally kick up your flight or fight response like this. But then again he’s not usually fucking dissociating right in front of you. He’s stiff as a board, not moving, barely blinking and staring you down in silence. 

Maybe you shouldn’t have tried so hard to get his attention. Maybe it would have been better to shut the hell up and follow his leadg. 

“Ghost,” it takes everything in you to keep your voice even keel. 

You’ve heard the stories. Not of him specifically but soldiers in general. They call them episodes. 

The term is almost cute. Much less cute that an episode involves you being trapped in a verifiable shoebox with a soldier who could snap you like a twig if he wants to. 

That’s usually a problem for nurses and other medical staff. Working in tech you aren’t usually given a front row seat to a soldier looking ready to crawl up the walls.

He blinks again and you let out a sigh as the tension in his shoulders drops slowly.

He still hasn’t answered you. 

“I, uh, don’t really do elevators,” you babble. It’s a lie. Your concern about elevators is the normal amount- you prefer to remain untrapped, but being trapped doesn’t instill panic in you because osteonsibly you realize that at a certain point they will 

But like- people overcome anxieties when faced with someone else’s anxiety. That’s a thing, right? That’s totally a thing. 

Otherwise you’re about to sign your own death warrant by tipping him over the edge.

“It’s one thing when they open but this is like, not that and I’m trying really hard to not freak out,” you continue on. 

“So I like, need, you to tell me that they’re gonna fix the elevator and we’re gonna be out of here soon. Otherwise I’m going to climb the wall.” You’re rambling, nerves getting the better of you which serves to better sell that you’re panicked about being trapped in the elevator. 

It’s not the elevator. It’s that Ghost has started acting fucking weird in the elevator. 

He blinks (you think at least), the silence continuing to be deafening before your ears are graced with the sound of that low purr of his voice. 

“They’re going to fix the lift, and we’ll be out of here soon.”

He looks- and maybe this is just your imagination running away with you- somewhat more settled and not as spooky looking. 

“Again, please.” Maybe stop pushing your god damn luck?

He takes a breath and you feel better. Some tension in his shoulders drops. “They’re going to fix the lift, and we’ll be out of here soon.”

“They’re going to fix the elevator and we’ll be out of here soon.” Just in case maybe he needs to hear it again from someone else rather than just hearing himself say it. 

But you really well and truly learn your lesson and shut the fuck up. You’ve done your job-that’s-not-really-your-job (accomplished your self appointed mission would be better perhaps?), and now to just not upset the very precarious balance that you have struck by calming down the spooked Lieutenant. 

The only sound in the elevator is your breathing and Ghost’s- frankly as long as he stays on rhythm you’ve got no desire to follow up on that or do anything in the slightest that might cause that rhythm to change.

Ghost is important enough that people are going to notice his absence from the meeting which has assuredly started already, and the few people there who know you are going to know something drastic has to have happened for you to not be present either.

After a few minutes of can-hear-a-pin-drop silence, you can hear him muttering “They’re going to fix the lift,” to himself.

You don’t really know what to do. You assume it might be better to distract him but he’s calm now and not staring through you rather than at you. You don’t work in psych. You don’t know how people’s brains work. You don’t know what the best way to handle this situation is, and you sure as shit don’t want to accidentally upend the balance you’ve struck with him.

It is after another few minutes of silence as you weigh the merits of acknowledging his existence to treat him like a fellow human being vs trying to not set him off when very obviously being stuck in here did something to him mentally when the machine rumbles.

There’s one part of you who has watched enough horror movies that you’ve got a vague concern for the elevator plunging you both to your gruesome death some four-ish floors down, but that’s just the byproduct of an overactive imagination being stressed beyond belief.

The elevator shudders and makes a god awful noise, and then the lights turn back on and you can hear it continuing up the floors.

5 lights up on the screen and as the doors open there is none other than Captain Price waiting with crossed arms, flanked on either side by the Sergeants Garrick and MacTavish (who for all the world are looking like they’ve been continually shoo’d away but persistently want to be in on the excitement). As soon as the doors open all three men take a glance at you, as if assessing you, before focusing on the lieutenant. 

“Alright then, you two?” Price inquires, gaze flicking back to you at the same time Ghost’s does.

Ghost nods. You give a “Just peachy, Captain,”, because no one has ever told you what to say once released from the cold grips of an elevator into the direction supervision of a Task Force Captain.

The rest of the 141 are clearly anxious to get Ghost out of there without making any moves to do so themselves.

It takes him a second but not in the I-am-under-duress kind of way but more the “I am being polite and letting you have the space to get off the elevator first kind of way. You hesitate for a split second and he is still as a statue and you decide that this is the last straw and you’re not getting into a pissing contest of after you, no really, I insist, with a simple nod to the lieutenant.

The other three men move out of your way so you have the space to slip by. You merely decide to keep things pushing- out of the frying pan and into the fire so to speak, going from being stuck in the elevator to being moments away from being stuck in this meeting for the foreseeable future once the task force joins in the room.

And maybe, after everything is said and done, you can call Lieutenant ‘Ghost’ an acquaintance.

[maoam]

I noticed a lot of SNS who dislike ss and tolerate nh (sometimes even ship it too) mistake Naruto social and polite nature as romantic feelings for Hinata. They compare it to the way Sasuke acts with Sakura and tell themselves "Well Naruto acts nicer so he probably loves her".

Oh definitely. If you don't dislike Hinata NH is definitely easier to stomach than SS. SS is so much more aggressive in the negativity. NH isn't good for Naruto either, but it's not as in your face as SS.

When they met at the training ground, it was purely accidental. Naruto didn't go out of his way to look for her. After all that Hyuga drama, Naruto beating Neji up for her and saying he kinda likes people like her, he just kinda forgets about her lol. He doesn't even bother to look for her and chat about whatever went down. He beat up whoever was mean to someone he saw as needing for help, and that was enough for him.

When they meet again, he's like "oh hey it's Hinata" while she faints again when seeing him... this dynamic is very unbalanced. Her whole being revolves around Naruto, to the point she passes out at the mere sight of him, while to Naruto she's barely an afterthought.

Some NH called this an underrated NH moment and I let out a laugh. This? Most mundane average friendly interaction between two teammates. There's nothing here indicating any kind of attraction from Naruto. But NH are NH... Anyway these two moments, her fainting and her saying she won't let Naruto down are the only two moments in part 2 before her dramatic confession. Yet there are people genuinely believing Naruto had romantic feelings for her during Pain arc.

Again, to Naruto it's enough to know Hinata didn't die, he doesn't need to go look for her, he's very occupied with Sasuke. It also shows Kishimoto doesn't really care about their relationship.

And then this moment that I mentioned earlier. In all of these moment it's so very obvious Naruto has nothing against Hinata unlike Sasuke who is genuinely frustrated and annoyed by Sakura's tactless, dishonest and self centered behaviour. But it's also very obvious Naruto also isn't attracted to Hinata. Naruto wants to see the good in everyone, and Hinata isn't as aggressive about her selfish intentions. So their interactions are more normal than Sasuke and Sakura's.

(Ignore the disrespect towards Neji) It's in character for Naruto to be thankful to someone who tries to support him. NH pretend this is solely about Hinata when Naruto mentions other people as well, but regardless people have pointed out Naruto looks like he's being held at gunpoint. I think Kishi was struggling when drawing this moment. However, Naruto forgets about her again... she's just not interesting enough for him.

Pretty much this.

[midnightmah07]

Boundaries.

As I talk more to people on this platform I feel a bit of a necessity to state some boundaries just to be safe

- please NEVER refer to me as the b word or anything offensive like that, I can handle aggressive humor with people I get closer with but I don't like when people call me these things even if it's playful.

- if you can avoid curse words please do so!! I personally don't like them because of my religion, so if you can avoid speaking curse words near me I'd appreciate it! This is not a hard rule as I won't mind if you curse a few times, but if you have a really dirty mouth please try to tone it down when talking to me.

- please use tone indicators when making jokes that you believe may be mistaken for something rude, especially if we're not that close.

- I don't mind hearing ramblings, I love seeing how excited people talk about their passions, but please ask if I'm comfortable with you doing so beforehand and be careful with how often you do that.

- please do not flood my inbox. I don't mind people coming to my inbox frequently but if what you're sending me can be talked either in DMs, comments or reblogs, do not send me billions of asks. It makes me uncomfortable and honestly makes my blog a huge mess. If I come to my inbox and see like 10 asks from the same person I will not answer.

- on that note, I may add that you guys do not info dump about your OCs 24/7. I do like hearing about other people's OCs, but a lot of the times that's literally the only thing they're talking about. I'm not a dumpster, I'm a human being with my own interests. If you're just coming to my inbox to dump your OC's lore, and it starts feeling like a monologue and not a dialogue, I'm just not gonna answer until you start talking to me normally again. I'm sorry to sound a bit harsh, but it's tiering when people only talk to me to dump about their OCs.

- don't look down and badmouth my religion in any way, shape or form. Being a Christian is the most important part of me and it defines who I am as a person, so please be careful with what you say. Also, my views, beliefs and convictions are and will always be dictated by my religion, I will not attack you for believing something different from me but respect is a two way street, if you attack me for saying stuff accurate to my religion and faith, you're getting blocked.

- don't talk about political issues with me unless you're willing to be respectful. I've seen a lot of friendships being torn because of how different their political views were and I'd hate that to happen to me and my moots. In fact, if you can avoid this talk, please do so. If you must know my stance politically, I mostly align with conservative values.

- unless you were rude to me or attacked me, if you see I have you blocked/soft blocked, it's probably not personal. This is the internet so I will block/unfollow people who post stuff that make me uncomfortable/I don't think what they're saying is correct. Doesn't mean I don't think they're a good person, just means I don't want to interact with them. I have NOTHING against them if the day ever comes that I block/unfollow someone on Tumblr "at random"

- don't talk about anything nsfw/explicit with me. I might not be a minor but this type of talk still makes me very uncomfortable. If you send me something in my inbox that's nsfw/explicit I will delete it and pretend to not see it, however if you do it because you want to make me uncomfortable or if you do it more than once I will block you.

With that all said, feel free to talk to me whenever you want, just be mindful of these boundaries :))

[lazyalani]

| Diluc Ragnvindr × [GN!Reader]

| With Me

| hurt/comfort, angst to fluff, open ending, hopeful ending, short, reader was taken in by diluc, they were both hurt :')

| Summary: When the death of his father tears both of them apart, he leaves to escape the pain, leaving her to grieve alone. So what becomes of them when he comes back?

| Genshin Impact Masterlist

| Main Masterlist

you're the ground my feet won't leave

You sat on the roof of your home, knees up to your chest and hands supporting your face, leaning on your knees.

Mondstadt really is beautiful, and at nights like this, you find yourself being more entranced by the city. The wind is slightly cold on your skin, running through your hair. It was refreshing.

The quietness, the peacefulness, the wind, the sky, the night. It allowed you to clear your head. To breath, and then think calmly.

Five months.

It has been five months since your red haired childhood sweetheart had returned.

You had been on a mission with Kaeya when you heard the news of his return. The captain had offered to take more duties with you or rest, whichever you needed. You appreciated his concern, really. But the thing is,

You didn't even know what to feel.

You didn't even know what you expected yourself to be feel. Sometimes, you did think about what could possibly be your reaction when he comes back. Would you be sad? Angry? Relieved? Would you lash out and accuse him? Would you hug him and cry? You told yourself you'd just know when it comes.

But even now, you don't.

When you heard he'd returned, you hadn't felt anything but surprise.

So you politely declined your captain's offers and continued the mission despite his subtle concern.

And now, here you are.

You just came back from the mission and quickly came to your roof for a sense of peace, hoping you'd find an emotion to feel of his return.

You had tried to ignore it, really. The cavalry captain advised if you didn't know what to feel then you could just stoo wondering and continue what you've been doing for the past years. You really tried. But it just didn't sit right with you. Your mind wouldn't let you be.

But who knew you'd find the answer when you look at him face to face?

There was a thud on your roof, lightly shaking it, indicating someone had arrived.

so if you're lonely,

You didn't need to look back to know who it was. You could recognize his presence anywhere.

"Master Diluc, what are you doing here in this time of the night?" You spoke after a few seconds of silence, still looking infront.

You felt footsteps until he sat on your side, mimicing your position. Just like when you were kids.

You stoned your heart even more, keeping the kind smile on your face. You could not let your emotions get in the way of your life again.

Not that you even know what you're feeling anyway.

"We need to talk, don't we?" He sighs and stares infront too.

You tried not to flinch. He does everything just like how he used too.

You hummed, still keeping that smile. "Alright."

That silence was back again.

".... I'm sorry."

This time, you were the one who stayed silent, still staring at the stars, your feet unconciously dangling themselves on the roof and swinging back and forth in anxiousness.

You were afraid of this conversation.

Not because you aren't over it yet, but because you didn't know what to say to him. Should you just smile and tell him it's fine? Should you let those pent up feelings burst all at once? Yell? Blame? Walk away? But you knew doing any of those would do nothing but create new issues.

So you sighed and let everything flow calmly. "I was hurt." You didn't think you needed to say it because you knew he knew, but you wanted to rub it a little more. "I was hurt and confused. I was hurt because you left without notice, without a warning, without saying anything, without a trace. I was confused because you left me without saying even just something. Not an explanation, not even a goodbye. I was hurt because did you think I wasn't trustworthy enough to talk you? Wasn't I enough to be a shoulder to cry on? Did you think I'd just burden you even more?" The pain was there, but there was no malice. Because you knew you couldn't blame him even if you wanted to. No, he was more precious to you than that.

darling, you're glowing

He shifted closer again. Just a little bit closer, he thought. "That's not it, [Name]."

"Then what is it, Diluc?"

"I know, this sounds the typical excuse, but it's the only way to explain it, and it's the only reason I have. It wasn't about you not being enough, it's not about you not being trustworthy, not you being a good friend, because you were every opposite of those. You were— still are, more to me than that." He closed his eyes, he was starting to get emotional again. But he can't let himself be weak anymore. He still needed to give you an explanation. He still needed to get you— whatever you had before, back.

You stayed quiet and let all his words process into your head, letting your mind sink in all the answers you oh so wanted and needed for years.

"It was about me. It was about what I felt about everything but you. Everything was just too much for me, [Name]. We were just kids and I, I couldn't believe, I never even imagined something like that would happen. That we would ever end up in that kind of situation. No one was ready. And everything exploded all at once, I couldn't handle it, and I couldn't do anything but blame it on him. I couldn't do anything but run away and try to make myself feel better, all by myself because I didn't want to feel the same betrayal again." The memory relived in his mind again, but he pushed it away. Because he still needed to tell you everything. Because he couldn't let everything fade away because of his cowardice and emotions.

"You were all I had, Diluc. You were literally everything to me. I didn't know if I should blame myself for being too dependent on you or blame you for leaving. But you took me in when I was nothing but a pest in this world and my heart had no choice but to cling to you to have a reason to live. And when you left I— I just— I d-don't know—" Your voice cracked again and again and before you knew it, you were shaking and crying.

And then before you knew it, you were in his arms, feeling the same comfort, the same security, the same lips on your forehead, and the same feelings.

if you're lonely,

Oh god, you were weak against him. Almost pathetic, really.

"It was my fault. It was my fault. You— never blame yourself for my own fault. I was just hurting so much that I forgot that you needed me. And when I realized it was a jerk move to leave you alone for long I was scared you might've already hated me. I needed to steel my heart in case you had already decided to blame and hate me. I was a coward. To scared to be hurt again so I chose to stay away."

You shook your head. "I understand. I understand you needed the time away, why else am I not screaming at you for leaving me right now?" You let out a small chuckle in between your sobs. "You needed time to breathe and me being your responsibility won't make it better. I needed to learn how not to rely on you all the time. Maybe— maybe this was our lesson."

He hummed.

You both bathed in calm and peaceful silence for a while, giving each other time to process and breathe, him still rubbing your back comfortingly— as if saying 'i'm here now'.

"I understand if you don't want to get associated with me again. I did hurt you still, no matter what my reason is. It's perfectly reasonable for you to not want me in your life anymore." You were about to say something when he had gestured for you to stop and kept on talking. "All I ask for you is to listen to me this one last time." You nodded.

"Please, if you can't stand me anymore, atleast let me love you, even from just these stupid glances and watching you smile."

Ah, you felt your eyes water again.

"I can't ask of you to bring back what we once had. But all I ask from you is to let me make it up to you and show you that you do mean something to me. I know this is out of character for me, but I don't want to make mistakes again."

You wanted to roll your eyes at the world. Archons, why are you so weak when it comes to this man?

You took his hand and let out a watery smile. "It's been years, Diluc. I can't say I love you as much as I did before, nor as much as you do to me, but I know I still some spark left."

He finally let out a smile. And it almost made you melt.

"So show me, Master Diluc."

come be lonely with me

a/n: oh my god it's been so long since I posted. I'm a bit rusty so please forgive me :')

[agaypanic]

Oh my god you’re doing TEOTFW I love it . I have a request for James and it’s literally as simple as I the reader and James getting stuck in a lift together. James thinks it’s the perfect chance to kill someone but the reader starts to get too optimistic as a coping mechanism for being trapped and he doesn’t know what to do about it

A Psychopath and a Chatterbox (James X Reader)

Masterlist

Request Something!

Summary: After a long night in the library, you catch a lift back down to the first floor until it stops suddenly. The boy stuck with you is thinking about how this is the perfect chance to kill you, until you start to chatter away.

A/N: reader wants to be a vet and likes cats. obvious warning for talks of murder, and also some mentions of killing animals. im american so idk shit about european school systems. Reader and james are in uni (i think that’s the european version of college), so lets pretend that the events of teotfw didn’t happen so james still has his murderous tendencies

***

With finals quickly approaching, you’ve spent the last week studying in the campus library. You’ve probably spent more time in the library now than you had all semester.

You had been deep in a textbook when an alarm on your phone went off, signaling that the library was closing in five minutes. You jolted in surprise from both the sound and how late it was; you couldn’t believe so much time had passed. Quickly, you gathered your things and ran to the lift, hoping you’d make it before the outside doors locked.

When the lift doors closed after you entered, you let out a breath of relief. The last thing you needed was to be stuck in the place you had already spent the past four hours in.

The doors opened, confusing you for a moment. You weren’t on the ground floor yet; you had only moved down one floor. But then you saw a boy about your age walk in. The doors shut, and you started descending again.

“Hi.” The brunette’s voice was a bit tired. He kept facing forward, but glanced to the side at you, so he must’ve just wanted to be polite.

“Hey.” You responded. While staring forward like him, you caught something in your peripheral. “Your bag’s open.”

He knitted his eyebrows in confusion. “Huh?” Then he swung his backpack around, seeing that you were right and the main pocket was open. “Oh, thanks.” Then he zipped it up, slinging it back over his shoulder.

It was silent after that, aside from the occasional sniffle. When you looked up at the level indicator, you saw that you were passing through the third floor. 

But then the lift paused. You and the mystery boy jolted at the sudden stop, looking around in confusion. You must’ve been stuck between floors.

Your nameless companion pressed the ground floor button a few times, but the lift didn’t start up again. He pressed the emergency button and tried using the emergency phone beside the panel of buttons. Nothing.

You looked at your watch and sighed. “The lifts must stop when the library closes.” 

“Or maybe the lift’s just fucked.”

“Maybe.”

Ten minutes later, it still wasn’t budging. You and the boy, who you learned was named James, sat on the floor facing each other. You patted your thighs rhythmically, trying to relieve the boredom and anxiousness you were feeling.

James, on the other hand, was messing around with his backpack. You couldn’t really see what he was doing, which he was glad about. Because just out of your view, he was playing around with the hunting knife his father had gotten him one year. He didn’t want you to be alarmed by the sight.

He figured it would make killing you a bit less enjoyable. If you freaked out and started to struggle. 

But it’s not like you could get away, not when you were trapped in a lift together late at night in an empty building. That’s what made it so perfect. There were no cameras in the lift, so there’d be no visual evidence of the crime. And when he looked up, James could see a large vent in the middle of the ceiling, which he could probably climb out through if he undid the screws and then open the doors of the floor that you were stuck slightly under. 

After years of fantasizing, planning, and preparation, it was as if God himself were handing James this opportunity.

“So, what’re you studying?”

Your voice had brought James out of his deep thoughts, and only then did he notice he had an iron grip on the knife handle. He quickly set the knife down in his lap so you wouldn’t see it, still keeping his hand on it while he awaited the perfect moment to strike. “What?”

“What’re you studying?” You asked again, smiling softly but awkwardly at him. You figured you might as well try to get to know this stranger, as it was unforeseeable how long you’d be stuck together in this little box. 

“Oh.” He wasn’t expecting you to speak to him. James was preparing himself for a very wordless interaction, apart from your possible screams. “Um, criminology.” Considering his hobbies and ambitions, he figured that would be a good major for him. He saw it as a bit of a preventative measure because he could learn from the mistakes of others.

“Interesting.” You respond, sitting up a little straighter. “How’s that going?”

James was a bit put off by your wanting to make conversation. “Fine.” He carefully twirled the big knife in his hand. “What do you study?” He figured it was only polite to return the favor. Might as well ask you a bit about yourself before he kills you.

Your face lit up, and you quickly started talking about your major and the classes you were taking. James was only half listening, too busy thinking. He wasn’t used to people being this energetic, especially so late at night. He made sure to nod and hum at the appropriate times, but other than that, he just stared at you.

‘Maybe I should turn her around.’ James thought to himself. ‘Looking at her face might make it more difficult.’ He recognized that you had a nice face but quickly pushed those thoughts aside. ‘Focus.’

“I think I’d like working with small animals most; they’re just so precious.” James’ interest was piqued as you finished your rambles with a smile.

“Small animals?” He repeated, and you nodded. James liked small animals too, although it was for an entirely different reason. “Do you have a favorite?”

He didn’t know why he was asking additional questions, but after seeing your eyes brighten at the question, he didn’t regret it.

“Cats, definitely.” You answer, and James couldn’t help but lean forward a bit with curiosity. “A lot of people think they’re mean, but I think they just need the right person.”

Of all the animals James had encountered, he supposed he liked cats the most. They were a bit affectionate with him when they didn’t know what was about to happen. And when they realized the danger they were in, they put up more of a fight, which he appreciated a bit.

“Cats are nice.”

“Especially kittens. They’re just so adorable.”

‘And put up less of a fight.’ James thought.

“Aren’t all cats born with blue eyes?” He asked instead. You nodded, diving into an explanation about how kittens don’t start producing melanin until they’re six weeks old.

‘I should just do it now.’ James gripped the knife tightly. ‘She’s talking too much.’

Yet he kept listening and asking questions. Your talkativeness infuriated and interested James, and he had no clue what to do about it.

Suddenly, the lift slowly descended, and you both jolted in surprise. James quickly stuffed the hunting knife in his backpack and stood up. For some reason, he couldn’t help but reach his hand out to help you stand up. You didn’t even make a comment about how weird and fucked up his hand was, instead just thanking him.

When the doors opened, a custodian was surprised to see you two in the lift. “What’re you two doing here? It’s after hours.”

“Lift got stuck,” James answered, and the two of you exited the lift and then the library. “I can walk you home. If you’d like.”

He didn’t know why he offered, but let it go when you accepted. Maybe the extreme darkness would give him another opportunity.

But James never took it. Instead, he walked you to your dorm, making idle conversation with you the whole way. You did most of the talking, which you liked. 

“Maybe I’ll see you around.” You said as he walked you to the door of the building.

“Yeah,” James said. “Maybe.”

“Be safe, James.” You waved to him before going inside, leaving the boy outside frustrated and confused about his night with you. But one thing was for sure, he hoped to see you again.