#basically vowing that no matter what insanity occurs

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

Not entirely sure I’m actually alive as I type this seeing as I haven’t gotten more than five hours of sleep a night for the last week and a half but we persevere. And frankly what kind of fanfic author would I be if I didn’t post in spite of sleep deprivation and also death. NEITHER RAIN NOR SLEET NOR SNOW...

Anyway, happy day-before-the-finale! I hope you’re all as ready for our funerals as I am! I’m not ready. help.

Title: Fractals from the Lightning Bolt

Rating: T for vague sexual references and I wanted to be on the safe side

Pairing: Buck/Eddie

Chapters: 20/54

Chapter Summary: Yet another post-Buckley parents spec fic because I was just in a Mood apparently.

[readyourimgaines]

The One Time Reid Didn’t Know What Anything Meant

“My cousin sent me a game for my birthday.” Elle held up a black and white, rectangular box. “I thought it might be a fun cool down.”

“What’s the game?” Hotch looked up from his case file. 

“Cards Against Humanity,” Reid read, leaning forward to see the writing better. “A horrible game for horrible people.”

“It’s a fun play, Hotch,” Morgan vowed.

“It really is,” JJ grinned, a rare glint in her blue eyes. “Should be interesting with Spence playing.” 

“How do you play?” Reid’s brow furrowed. “Can I read the instructions?” 

“Have you ever played Apples to Apples?” Morgan asked while Elle opened the boc and got the instruction pamphlet for Reid. 

“Never heard of it.” Reid opened the pamphlet, his eyes flying over the words at a seemingly impossible speed. “Seems easy enough.” He handed the glassy paper back to Elle. 

Elle and JJ already set to shuffling the cards. Hotch closed his file and moved to sit with the others. Placing a hand on Morgan’s forearm, Reid turned to the back of the jet where Gideon sat, wrapped up in his own mind.

“Gideon?”

“Hm.” The eldest member of the BAU looked to the youngest. 

“Are you playing?”

“That’s alright,” Gideon gently dismissed. “I’ll stick to chess.”

Reid frowned but nodded and turned back to the table where Elle was now dealing the cards.

“I felt, so Hotch starts.” Elle read through her cards as everyone did the same.

“Wait.” Reid’s frown was deeper now. “What’s a flesh-”

“Woah. Woah. Show me. Pretty Boy,” Morgan interrupted his boyfriend. He read the card Reid held out to him. “You really don’t know what this is?” 

“Should I? It has light in. It’s not- I didn’t read anything about this at MIT.” Reid combed the back of his mind for the information but came up blank. 

Elle, JJ, and even Hotch shared a look. Reid saw it but didn’t understand what it meant. Morgan sighed but leaned over and whispered the meaning in the younger profiler’s ear, whose frown deepened with every word. 

“Why does-”

“You don’t wanna know.” Morgan shook his head. 

Hotch wondered, very briefly, if he should put a stop to the game for the youngest’s sake. Reid was 24… He’d seen worse in the field. The kid would be fine…

“Okay.” Hotch drew a black prompt card and read, “Here is the church, here is the steeple. Open the doors and there is…”

*****

“Should we really be letting Morgan judge?” Elle asked when it was the man in question’s turn to read a black card, his hand already on the pile. 

“Why not?” Reid held out another card- the one he just drew- for Morgan to see. 

“Are you saying I’d cheat?” Morgan scoffed and whispered the meaning of the new card in Reid’s ear. “Might be fun.

Reid looked at Morgan like he was insane and quickly shook his head, turning back to his cards. The interaction drew a small smile across Hotch’s face.

JJ giggled at Reid basically sitting in Morgan’s lap so the latter could see the younger’s cards. Reid wasn’t huge on PDA- unlike Morgan who’d get away with as much of it as possible if Reid was more comfortable with it. This was as close as the two had gotten in a while. 

“Hotch, tie break,” Morgan prompted. 

Aaron considered for a few seconds. “We’ll let you judge first the next time we play.”

Morgan’s only reply was a petty huff- good naturedly. 

A look of realization suddenly crossed Reid’s face.

“What is it?” Hotch didn’t know whether to be concerned or entertained. 

“Thanks to my Eidetic memory, these words will be seared to the inside of my brain until I die.” Reid’s confusion grew as his teammates laughed around him, even Gideon was chuckling in the back. 

“You’ll be okay, Reid,” Elle promised.

*****

By the time the group had ten minutes left until the landing, Hotch was the only one playing who wasn’t whispering. Elle and JJ had taken to giggling over how cute the two dating profilers were. Some of the cards had Reid scoffing and giggling until Morgan whispered something that made him blush if he hadn’t been blushing already. Hotch wondered if Reid was lightheaded at any point from all the blood going to his face. 

“You really knew so few of these cards, Reid?” Elle didn’t try to hide her smile. 

“I didn’t have a normal college experience,” Reid pointed out. “I didn’t have a lot of friends to play this sort of game with.” He laid down his white answer card. “And I don’t read a lot of modern books…”

“Wait, wait. Have you seen the movie Accepted?” Morgan asked quickly.

“I love that movie!” JJ gushed. 

“I don’t know what they’re talking about, either, Reid,” Hotch reassured. 

Reid adjusted how he was sitting and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear to hide the slight flutter of his index and middle fingers against each other. 

“Elle, you're judge,” Morgan reminded.   

You really know so few of these cards, Reid? Elle’s voice played over in his head and it took every ounce of will in his body to stop his leg from bouncing a mile a minute. 

The others ignored- or rather pretended not to see- the nervous tics of their team’s youngest member and redirected the attention of the game from him.

*****

That night, Spencer and Derek laid in bed, the younger wrapped safely in the darker’s arms. Spencer knew Derek was awake and Derek knew Spencer’s thoughts were keeping him up. 

Derek snuggled closer to Spencer, pressing a kiss to his shoulder, then where his shoulder met his neck, and lastly where his neck met his chin. The latter two placements made the doctor squirm slightly and the SSA smirk. 

“What’s that brain of yours thinking, Pretty Boy?”

“Was I annoying today?” Spencer rolled over in Derek’s arms so they were facing each other, their noses almost touching. 

“What makes you think you were annoying?” It was Derek’s turn to frown. 

“Just, I-I always… I kept-”

“Take your time,” Derek chuckled. 

“I kept asking what every other card meant. Everyone else knew what they meant.” Spencer’s fingers started fidgeting with the hem of his tank top.

“You’re allowed to know stuff, ya know? Just because everyone says you’re a computer doesn’t mean you are. I mean, look at how many times a day we ask you for facts or statistics.” 

“But that stuff matters. It’s saved people.” 

“And you really think playing that game didn’t matter?” Derek kissed Spencer’s forehead. “Playing the game was fun. De-stressing and having fun is just as important as the job. At the very least, it was an excuse to sit really close to you in front of the team without you being jumpy.” 

Spencer blushed and Derek chortled. “Didn’t occur to you before now, did it?” Derek knew it hadn’t, but he had to tease his boyfriend. “You are too damn cute for your own good when you blush.” 

Spencer nuzzled his nose against Derek’s neck, hiding his face and making the darker skinned man chuckle again. 

“Feeling better, Pretty Boy?” Derek gently ran his hand through Spencer’s hair, twirling a strand around the tip of his index finger. The touches to Spencer’s hair were soft- breathes- because of how sensitive  the doctor’s scalp was. 

“Much. Thank you.” His voice was muffled. 

“Think you can sleep now?”

The answer to Derek’s question came in the form of a tickling nod and Spencer snuggling closer.

**********

Special thanks to: @stxrryspencer​ @chaoticgremlinwholikescheese​ @prettyboy-reid​ and @reidecorating​

[stealthy-like-a-ninja]

A Silent Vow

Where Steve reflects on what has happened and what’s to come.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Henderson!reader

Steve laid back down beside you and let out a sigh. Although he was ridiculously tired, he just couldn’t fall asleep.

The lamp on your bedside table flickered a few times beside him, indicating its need for a new light bulb sooner rather than later, while Sting’s soothing voice played quietly from the record player that sat on top of your dresser. He lost count of how many times he’d gotten up to restart your vinyl copy of Synchronicity by that point but didn’t really care as he mindlessly tapped along to the rhythm and stared at the ceiling.

He was pretty sure that he was the only one awake in the house, seeing how late it was. Ms. Henderson had gone to bed fairly early that night while you and he were cuddled up on the couch watching Grease with Dustin. It was your turn to pick the movie so neither he or Dustin really had a choice in the matter, but your little brother still made sure to express his annoyance in not being able to watch A New Hope again as he flopped into the lazy-boy recliner and grumpily stuffed his mouth full of popcorn.

Once the movie concluded, Steve was reluctant about not waking you from the peaceful slumber you had dozed off into so that the two of you could go up to bed. Dustin, on the other hand, was less considerate and wasted no time in throwing a pillow at your head so that you’d get up.

“We’re helping the Byers’ and El move tomorrow, and I don’t want to listen to you complain about how sore you are because you slept on the couch all night,” your little brother grumbled as he climbed out of the chair. Steve was about to scold him for being a dickhead, but didn’t get the chance to before Dustin muttered a quick goodnight to the two of you and made his way upstairs to his bedroom because she was tired; even though you all knew he was really just calling his girlfriend, Suzie.

You and Steve, however, followed suit and made the trek up to your bedroom as well, deciding to call it a night with just how exhausted the two of you were.

It didn’t take long for you to fall asleep with how drainingly busy you had been. It was your last year at Hawkins High School along with Nancy, and you had been up to your ears in homework and extracurriculars. However, even with all the time you spent studying and doing other things, you never let Steve or any of your friends fall under the radar. You helped him create a new resume that he was to use to apply to jobs with Robin the following day, drove Dustin and the rest of the party to and from school almost every day, and insisted that you’d help with whatever the Byers’ would need as they prepped for their departure from Hawkins in the upcoming weeks.

Although you tried to hide it, Steve (and everyone else) was able to see right through your facade of not being too upset over the Byers’ and Eleven moving away. Jonathan was one of your oldest friends, Will and Eleven were two more little siblings you never had; as were the rest of the party, and Joyce was very much a motherly figure to you and always had been. It was only natural that you’d see them off despite how tired and worn out you truly were.

As the next song started playing from the record player, you unconsciously snuggled closer to your boyfriend, and he couldn’t help but grin warmly. You looked so peaceful. However, Steve couldn’t help but think about how that was a completely different story leading up to the events that occurred three months earlier. Soon leading him to let his thoughts begin swarming.

To say that you and Steve had been through a lot would be an understatement. In fact, the two of you had basically been dragged through hell and back, but still managed to function as if nothing had happened. Well, almost. A lot occurred since the two of you started dating around Christmastime the year prior, not to mention everything that happened before that too.

Soon enough, Steve was overcome with the fresh memories of his entire relationship with you.

The two of you always knew each other, Hawkins was incredibly small after all, but you were never really close. However, that all changed in the fall of 1983 when Will and your friend Barb were sucked into the Upside Down, and the first Demogorgon wreaked havoc on your beloved town... The stupid thing almost got you too, but Steve came out of nowhere with that nail-filled bat of his during that fight.

After that, things were quiet, and life resumed as regularly as it possibly could. Steve started seeing you a lot more, thanks to the budding friendship you formed with Nancy after losing Barb, Dustin’s friendship with her younger brother Mike and fighting the monster from the Upside Down together. You, her, and Jonathan grew insanely close after everything, which naturally led to Steve being around much more often as well since he and Nancy were still dating.

After what Nancy said to Steve at the party, he was crushed, but you were there. You went out of your way to try to cheer him up because you refused to pick sides when it came to him and Nancy. He appreciated it more than he could explain, and couldn’t help but notice a warm fuzzy feeling that formed whenever he was around you after that.

He never acted on those feelings, though. Instead, he tried to bury them deep down in hopes they would never surface; but, things changed once Dustin unknowingly brought home a cat-eating, future Demogorgon called Dart.

Steve soon got a firsthand look at just how badass you were when the two of you fought off the demodogs in the old junkyard after you demanded that the Dustin stayed on the bus with Max and Lucas. You naturally had each other’s backs during the whole thing and him fighting with his bat, and you with your trusty crowbar sure put a dent in those bastards from the Upside Down.

Billy showing up at the Wheeler’s house after the junkyard was probably one of Steve’s least favourite memories that you were involved in. It wasn’t because of how he got royally beat up, even though that sucked, but because of how helpless he knew, he made you feel. The sounds of you sobbing and screaming at Billy to stop as Dustin, Mike, and Lucas held you back was on a sickening loop in his mind for days after that, but he really couldn’t think about it at the time seeing he was only barely conscious.

The rest of that night happened in a blur. Steve woke up in the back of Billy’s car while Max was driving, and you nowhere to be found. He soon figured out that Dustin and Mike somehow locked you in the trunk because they knew you’d try to put a stop to their plan, and although they could all hear you yelling and thrashing in the back, none of the kids answered when Steve asked where you were.

“She’s fine, we’re almost there anyway,” Dustin assured while Steve just shook his head, that was until it dawned on him that Max was driving the car and he started freaking out.

He remembered how livid you were as soon as the car came to a stop, and kids opened the trunk again. But, even that anger was short-lived when you looked over to see him awake and basically falling out of the car. You were by his side in an instant, helping him stay upright, and joining him in telling the kids that they were not going down into those tunnels. Brave of both of you to assume any of them would actually listen.

Down in the tunnels, Steve led the group, and you went to follow at the end of it. However, Dustin said he’d go last; and despite your protesting, your baby brother was firm and did not take no for an answer.

“As the man of the family, it’s up to me to make sure you’re safe,” he argued.

“But Dusty-.”

“No buts, Y/N. Follow along.”

Steve watched as you smiled before reaching over to take of Dustin’s hat so you could ruffle his curls, even though you knew he hated when you did that.

“My hero.”

“Whatever,” he grumbled as he snatched his hat back before following behind you and Max.

Once the group was further into the caves and the six of you were a bit more spaced out from one another, Steve was still able to notice your distressed reaction to Dustin yelling from somewhere further behind. The commotion instantly caught his attention, and when he quickly whipped back around, he was able to see, from was what was visible, of your face go pale before you took off in the direction of your brother while he and the rest of the kids followed. When you all reached Dustin, and he started coughing and claiming he was ok, you immediately thumped him in the head and gave him shit for scaring you like that, something Steve couldn’t help but smile at before continuing on again.

As soon as the hub was on fire and everyone was running back to the entrance, you were so focused on getting the kids out first and making sure that they were ok. When a tentacle type thing wrapped itself around Mike’s ankle, you ripped Steve’s bat from his hands and used it to free the youngest Wheeler, and almost started swinging again at Dart once it showed up; but Steve held you back as Dustin took control of the situation. You instinctively gripped onto his hand as you watched your brother interact with the demodog out of fear, which Steve would tease you about after the fact, although the gesture secretly made him a little flustered.

Your little group passed Dart and started bolting back towards where you entered the tunnels originally, you were all aware of how fast you’d have to move based off the screeching of more demodogs approaching. Once everyone reached the rope used to get down there, you helped Max, Lucas, and Mike get out as soon as you could. Just as you were about to help Dustin up, Steve’s arms wrapped around you and started lifting you up so you could climb out.

“You’re next,” he muttered as a surprised yelp left your mouth, but you were quick in recovering as you grabbed ahold of the rope and climbed the rest of the way.

As soon as you were above ground again, you immediately went back to the hole and looked down to help the other two, but much to your dismay, they were frozen as a massive pack of demodogs came rushing at them.

“No!” You yelled as the other kids called for Dustin to come on before watching in horror as Steve stepped in front of your brother to keep him protected from the oncoming heard, but then, the demodogs started running past them without attacking. Steve pulled Dustin close just in case one did attack, but you all knew they wouldn’t because they were too focused on something else. Eleven was closing the gate.

Steve and Dustin were quick in getting out of the tunnels after that, and you wasted no time in pulling Dustin into a bone-crushing hug and repeating the same thing over and over again.

“Thank god you’re ok.”

As soon as Dustin assured that he was indeed ok, you let him go and stepped back so his friends could take over.

Steve lingered nearby, watching the exchange happen between you and Dustin with a small smile as he patiently waited for the next step. But before he knew it, a pair of arms wrapped around his middle, and he was met by you crashing into his chest in a tight embrace.

“I’m so glad you’re ok too,” you stated, shaking your head as Steve instinctively put his arms around your waist, pulling you closer. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if something happened.”

“Hey, it’s alright,” he soothed as he started rubbing small circles on your back, his heart clenching when a choked sob left your mouth. “You’re ok, no one got hurt. We’re safe.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” you replied as you started pulling away. Steve could tell you were embarrassed about breaking down like that as you reached away to wipe away the tears spilling from your eyes, and that made him feel even worse. “God, I’m such a mess.”

“No, you aren’t, Y/N. You are one hell of a badass, though.”

A small gasp left your mouth as Steve gently placed his hand under your chin so that you’d be facing him. He didn’t say anything else as he used his thumb to wipe away a few of your stray tears before eventually meeting your gaze, and feeling himself soften. An unfamiliar feeling started swarming in his stomach as you two stood there, staring at each other. Although he had yet to admit it, you caused him to feel massive amounts of butterflies whenever you were around, and that little predicament was no exception.

Slowly, his gaze moved to your lips before fluttering back to lock eye contact with you and letting out a sigh.

“I might regret this,” he started. “But fuck it.”

His grip on your waist tightened as he started leaning down towards you, and you gulped. There was no denying that you had feelings for Steve by that point, but was he really about to kiss you? Your brain screamed at you to move away. He was your brother's best friend and mentor, not to mention one of your best friends exes, but still, as you watched his eyes flutter shut again while he moved to brush his lips against yours slightly, there was no way you were going to stop him.

However, something else did.

The headlights from the car parked only a few feet away grew extremely bright, causing you and Steve to move away from one another just so you could shield your eyes from the beam. You both stepped closer to the kids, confused as to what was going on as the brightness increased, but then it all clicked once the headlights shut off on their own. Eleven closed the gate.

After that, life went on to somewhat resume normally, well, as normally as it could in Hawkins.

Will ended up being ok for the time being after El took care of the Mind Flayer, and before anyone knew it, a month had passed.

During that month, Barb’s funeral happened, which was tough, but you all powered through it. Eleven officially became Jane ‘El’ Hopper, and you continued life as a high school junior. Fall soon turned into winter, and although it was hard to just forget about everything that happened, everyone tried their best to do just that. And to top it all off, you and Steve had barely spoken.

It was awkward as hell. You’d see each other in the hallways at school, and just avoid each other. Neither of you was sure how to even initiate a conversation after the almost kiss you shared, and it was obviously eating away at the both of you.

Jonathan, Nancy, and Dustin were the ones to pick up on how weird you and Steve had gotten to be around each other, not that it was tough for them to tell either. Dustin approached Steve about it (even though he wasn’t too keen on the fact that the girl his friend was fawning over was his sister at first) and told him to man the hell up (even though he didn’t), while subtly trying to get you to hang out with them; to which you consistently declined. You felt really bad about it all and continued avoiding Steve until Jonathan and Nancy called you out on it.

The first thing you did was apologize to Nancy for being a shitty friend, but much to your surprise, she just chuckled. She explained that it was ok if you liked Steve, but what wasn’t ok was how mopy you were because you hadn’t talked to him. Jonathan backed up her on her statements and explained how they were pretty sure Steve felt the same way, but still, neither of you spoke to the other.

When it came time for the snowball, Steve dropped Dustin off at Hawkins Middle School and was completely not expecting to see you all dressed up and helping out Nancy at the punch bowl. Sure he knew you were going to be there. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been needed to drive Dustin, but still, just the sight of you allowed the familiar feeling of a weight being placed on his chest form, and he just simply could not look away. As he watched you, he couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips as you smiled at whoever came up to get some punch, or how you stuck your tongue out at Dustin once he entered the gym. He became entranced. So focused on you, that he actually jumped when you moved your head to the side and ended up locking eye contact with him through the window.

He froze instantly, as did you, but once Nancy noticed what you were gawking at, she smiled a little and nudged you to snap you back to reality. Steve watched as Nancy said something to you before you nodded in response and started walking towards him, almost as if you were on a mission. He remained parked in his spot as you pushed through doors and right up to his car.

“Uh, hi.” Was all he was able to blurt out as he got a better view of how good you looked in your dress.  

“Hey,” you replied back and crouched down so you could be eye to eye with him. “We need to talk.”

Slowly, he nodded, not having it in him to avoid the situation any longer. “Yeah, hop in.”

You did as he said and climbed into the passenger seat, not saying anything else as he pulled away from the door and into a parking space on the other side of the building.

Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time started blaring from the gym as you and Steve got out of his car and moved to sit on the hood. Neither of you spoke up, but the silence was deafening, and you knew you’d lose your mind if you didn’t speak up sooner or later.

“So…”

“We almost kissed,” Steve finished, and glanced over at you. Your cheeks instantly flushed red, and you were extremely thankful it was a bit chilly out because it helped mask your blush a bit better.

“We did,” you replied, unsure of what to say next.

“I’m not sorry about it,” he blurted out and caused your gaze to snap to him.

“What?”

“I said, I’m not sorry about it,” he repeated, as you shook your head.

“Steve-.”

“I like you, Henderson. A lot. I’m not going to apologize for wanting to kiss you, regardless of how shitty that makes me seem for doing such a thing to Nancy…”

He trailed off on the last part of his sentence and slowly dropped his gaze to the ground. You blinked twice, wanting to make sure you processed the fact that he actually said those things before speaking up again.

“Is that why you were avoiding me?”

“Yeah,” he answered with a nod. “And I wasn’t too sure how Dustin would feel about the whole thing at first.”

“What do you mean, at first?” You questioned while furrowing your eyebrows.

“Pretty sure he’s been spending the last couple of weeks trying to set us up,” Steve laughed and looked back to you. “But I was still too nervous to actually talk to you.”

“Well, you had no need to be.”

“What?”

“Cause I feel the same, Harrington,” you explained and could’ve sworn you saw his eyes light up. “I was chicken too. I didn’t want to hurt Dusty or Nancy, but in actuality, they were the ones pushing me to not be such a coward and just speak to you.”

“Oh, wow,” he replied with wide eyes and let out a breath. “So, what now?”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind if you actually kissed me this time.”

He smiled at that before facing you again and shaking his head. “Don’t need to tell me twice.”

You didn’t have time to react before Steve was leaning in and crashing his lips against yours. Although you always expected to like the feeling of kissing him, you didn’t think you’d miss the sensation so quickly when he moved away. The two of you stared at one another before immediately reaching out and pulling the other closer than you already were. His arms wrapped around your waist, and your hands tangled into his hair as your mouths collided once again.

The two of you made out for a minute or so before the song in the gym changed and was replaced with the familiar riff of Every Breath You Take, causing you to moan slightly before slightly breaking away from the kiss.

“I love this song,” you mumbled against his lips with a smirk.

He let out a laugh before kissing you again and slowly leaning you back onto the hood of his car. “Sure sets the mood, alright.”

Before things could get any steamier, a deep voice called out and caused the two of you to instantly move away from one another.

“Is that you over there, Harrington?”

Of all people that could have noticed the two of you, it just had to be Hopper. Turned out, he was only a few feet away talking to Joyce, who was giggling as she realized what had just happened. “Oh, leave them, be, would you?”

Hop just shook once he saw you slowly stood up beside Steve and tried not to laugh. Steve could tell the sheriff wanted to say something but didn’t as he looked to Joyce and started walking in the other direction.

“Just stay out of trouble, you two.”

“And have a good night!” Joyce chimed in before following after Hopper.

Once they were out of sight, you and Steve glanced at each other and burst out laughing. After a few minutes of trying to catch your breath from laughing so hard, the two of you agreed to go get some food at the diner before having to come back and pick Dustin up.

And that was how it all began. As Steve looked down at your still sleeping figure, he smiled as he thought about just how hard and how fast he fell for you. It’d been a year since then, and he didn’t even have words to describe how happy he was just with you, even on top of what happened during the summer months.

It was supposed to be an uneventful summer. Steve started working at Scoops Ahoy, and you were working at a clothing shop on the upper level of Starcourt. Seeing as there wasn’t anything ever really going on in Hawkins anymore, and Dustin was away at camp, you and Steve tried to make the most of it, and spent what free time the two had together; even planning to save up and take a little weekend trip together before you started school again up to Chicago or Detroit, you guys hadn’t decided yet. However, that never happened.

Instead, your summer was filled with Russians, the return of the Mind Flayer, lots of death, and just overall a ton of traumatic experiences. You were kidnapped, and had to witness Steve get beat up, again; although he did win one fight, which you did give him credit for. The two of you, along with Robin, were injected with a truth serum that just created a mess of things when your boyfriend told your captors your brother's full name and resulted in you almost taking matters into your own hands by murdering him yourself.

Along with all that, many people you knew actually did die. Whether it had been because of the Mind Flayer and his army made up of people you knew (like Billy and Heather), the fall of Starcourt itself, having to fight off the Mind Flayer and face the possibility of losing any of the people you cared for most, or how everyone had to accept the loss of Hopper after he closed the gate to the Upside Down once again to prevent anything like that to happen again. It was sure one bitch of a summer, but still, somehow, you and Steve managed to survive.

It truly amazed Steve what the two of you had been through together when he thought about it. It’s been a shit show of a ride, but the two of you, Nancy, Jonathan, Robin, Erica, and the party, all ended up being ok, which is all either of you could have really asked for.

The sound of the record coming to an end once again brought Steve back to reality from his thoughts, and he let out a sigh. He glanced over at the alarm clock to see that it was almost three in the morning and let out a groan. With a roll of his eyes at himself for staying up so late, he sat up so he could reach over to turn off the lamp and call it a night, but froze when you started whimpering and moving around beside him.

You were having a nightmare. Steve had them too. He knew first hand how terrifying they were, filled with images and memories of all the things he’s had to face, and he absolutely hated the thought of you going through that.  

Your whimpers turned into pleas. You were begging for your boyfriend, Dustin, and the others to be left alone so that they could be safe, but with the way, your movements got more aggressive, and your breathing came more sporadic; Steve knew he couldn’t let you suffer through that.

“Y/N,” he whispered and started shaking your shoulders gently, not wanting to scare you even more. You began thrashing by that point, and his heart broke. “Y/N, I need you to wake up. Please babe, just open your eyes for me.”

After a brief moment, you gasped loudly and finally woke from your dream. Steve watched as you took a few deep breaths to calm yourself and blinked as your eyes adjusted to the light-filled room. Once your heart rate steadied, you finally looked to him and sent him a small smile.

“Hey,” he said softly and reached out to hold onto your hand.

“Hey,” you replied with one more deep breath and squeezed his hand. “Did I wake you up?”

“No, I couldn’t sleep as it was,” he explained before moving to brush some hair away from your face. “Nightmare?”

You nodded tiredly, tears welling up in your eyes. “The Mind Flayer almost got you in that one.”

“Hey, it’s alright,” Steve soothed as he shifted his position so that he could lay back down beside you and pull you into his chest. “I’m right here. Not going anywhere, ok?”

You nodded again.

“But what if something happens again, Steve? What if it’s worse next time?”

Your voice was barely a whisper as it was drowned out by a few sobs, killing him just a little bit more inside as he thought about what you said.

“You can’t think like that,” he told you firmly before placing a kiss to the top of your head. “We’re going to be just fine with whatever life throws at us. You know this.”

“I do,” you replied softly. “As long as we’re together.”

“Exactly. Now try to go back to sleep, you need rest.”

“Aye aye captain,” you chuckled before cuddling up even closer to him. He just smiled in response and reached over to turn the lamp off. Once he was done, he returned to his spot next to you and wrapped his arms protectively around your waist again.

It didn’t take long for you to fall asleep again, Steve even stayed up a little while longer just to make sure you didn’t have another nightmare. As soon as he was sure you were resting peacefully, he let himself drift off into sleep, but not without mumbling a quick ‘I love you’ while making a silent promise to himself to keep you safe from what life could possibly throw next at the two of you. 

[spierfics]

Hdjdkd your fics make me so happy oh my gosbhdhe, but i had a silly fic idea. Basically, a spiderman/love, simon au? Doesn't matter which boy is spiderboy? Thank you again, for sharing your writing with us!! Your writing is so sweet!!

Over the Clouds - Spierfeld Fic

If Bram had known taking AP Chemistry would involve getting bitten by a radioactive spider; one which gave him super strength, insane reflexes, a sixth sense and the ability to shoot webs; Bram would have simply taken Physics.

But Bram had gotten used to the craziness by this point. It had been almost two years since the incident occurred, and more than a year since Spider-Man became a public figure.

The first few months were the toughest, especially since he had nobody to talk to. He had been afraid to speak to Garrett after he’d nearly rendered him unconscious with a pass on the field. The soccer ball had hit Garrett so badly that the school needed to call an ambulance.

Bram quit the team that day.

But Garrett wasn’t someone who quit on his friends, showing up at Bram’s home every day to make sure he was alright. Eventually, Bram told him the truth. It wasn’t like he could hide it forever, especially from someone who was as involved in his life as Garrett was.

“This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” Garrett said in complete awe when he’d first seen what Bram could do.

“Well, I’m still crap at everything,” Bram shrugged. “Not really a hero,”

“You’re not a hero,” Garrett replied. “You’re a fucking superhero,”

“Oh my god, did you read the latest article on Spidey?” Abby squealed, scrolling through her phone frantically.

Simon barely registered what she was saying, having been momentarily distracted. Bram Greenfeld had just entered the cafeteria.

Sure, Simon had been obsessed with the masked vigilante earlier in the year; but he’d given up on the idea of ever meeting him, let alone imagine a romantic scenario with the two of them together.

Simon wanted to focus on someone more real, and the way that adorable boy smiled at him sometimes made Simon forget that anyone else other than Bram existed. His crush on Bram had started a few months back when he and Bram were selected to help show new students around.

There was something about him, an aura, that he had a secret too. A part of himself that he couldn’t share with everyone, but he wanted to. It was something Simon couldn’t shake off, and since that day, Bram Greenfeld had been on his mind.

“Si! That woman he saved from the condo fire the other day, said she heard him up close and he sounded like her son. She said he sounded like a kid, not a man!” Abby nearly yelled, pulling Simon out of his thoughts.

“What’s your point?” Simon said, finally tearing his attention away from the table across from them.

“That he could be our age!” Abby rationalized. “He’s not necessarily a man, he could just be a regular kid like us,”

“What kind of kid would give up his everyday life to go around saving people?” Leah imposed, “You don’t think people around him would figure that out? Like his family? Or his friends?”

“Not if he was good at keeping secrets,” Abby replied back. “Come on, Nick. Back me up,”

“Hiding such a massive part of your identity from everyone you know,” Nick thought carefully. “Nah, that’s impossible,“

Simon tried his best not to roll his eyes.

It was way past midnight when Bram finally arrived home, way past the curfew he’d set for himself on school nights. It had been a quiet day, for the most part, there was one mugging and three cats in trees that were successfully taken care of.

Then there was the robbery, on a local grocery shop near an intersection. Bram had run into some trouble there, but Bram left that guy unconscious and tied up outside the store for the cops to find. So all in all, it ended pretty well.

Bram mentally checked his agenda, recalling that he’d managed to finish his Math homework during lunch, which he ate on a non-operational crane. His acrophobia was quite a battle in those early days of training, but he’d gotten control over his fear now. The sights he’d gotten to see were some of the most beautiful in his life.

Thinking of beautiful things, Bram’s mind casually drifted to one person; Simon Spier. Bram had only spoken to him a few times, through their common friend, but never on an individual basis. Bram wished he had the courage.

He scoffed out loud. Bram swung from building to building on a daily basis. He had run into burning apartments and physically fought men with guns. But nothing scared him more than having a conversation with his crush.

‘This is why there aren’t any teenage heroes,’ Bram thought to himself, flinching as he took off his suit.

Something was wrong.

It’s been a week since Bram had come to school, and although Simon had not-so-casually brought it up in a conversation with his friends, he hadn’t gotten any answers. He built up the courage, or stupidity, to go ask Garrett who always was by Bram’s side.

“Um, hey, Garrett?”

Garrett looked up from his phone, momentarily confused since they’d hardly ever spoken to each other, but then offered Simon a huge smile.

“Spier! How are you?”

Simon hesitated before sitting down opposite Garrett, he was certain that he wasn’t on a last-name basis with Garrett, who often called his team-mates by their last name. 

Regardless, he seemed like he was in a good mood, and Simon realized that Garrett probably didn’t care about why Simon was asking about Bram.

“I was just wondering…” Simon said in a small voice. “I haven’t seen Bram for a bit. Is he okay?”

Garrett eyed Simon suspiciously as if he were trying to analyze his intentions.

Simon cursed himself, knowing that asking would be a mistake, Garrett was going to find out and he’d tell Bram and then the entire school would…

“Bram pulled something on the pitch a few days ago, and it still hasn’t healed up,” Garrett finally offered. “But I’ll let him know you said ‘hi’,”

“Oh no! No, I was just worried because we’re partnered up in this Chemistry project together and I just hadn’t seen him…” Simon trailed off as he got up.

The thing was, both boys were lying to the other. And both of them knew it. Nick had told all of them that Bram had quit the team a while back. And Garrett knew Bram had vowed to never take another Chemistry class again in his life.

Garrett went to visit Bram that afternoon, sitting at his desk as Bram rested in bed. It was tough seeing his friend like this, knowing that he could do nothing to help him other than cheer him up.

A few days back, ‘Spider-Man’ had interrupted a grocery store robbery, and he must have been distracted because he came back home with a gunshot wound in his arm.

Apparently, he’d been feigning illness a little too well, and his mother let him take a few days off of school. Garrett was tasked with bringing Bram his assignments and a bunch of medical supplies.

“It’s looking better,” Garrett said, eyeing the wound.

“Scrapes and cuts heal up fast, but I guess this one was a little deeper,” Bram replied.

“That bullet nearly took your freaking arm off, and you didn’t even realize until you got home,”

“It was the adrenaline,” Bram explained.

“Aren’t your spider-senses supposed to defend you from that sort of stuff,”

“It did,” Bram defended himself. “That bullet was meant for my chest, I moved out of the way,”

“Fine,” Garrett surrendered. “Spier asked about you today,”

Bram immediately sat up in bed, staring at Garrett and urging him to elaborate.

“I don’t know! He was worried that you haven’t shown up all week, and then he wrote it off to some B.S excuse about being science partners or something,”

Bram couldn’t contain his smile, “I guess I’ll be back at school tomorrow,”

“Ok, Romeo. But remember, you can’t let distractions get the best of you,”

“I’ll try,”

He had a feeling this was going to be a good day, considering that Bram was finally back after his mysterious disappearance, and even offered him a smile as he sat down next to Garrett after lunch.

Their entire History class had a field trip together that day, and Simon was particularly excited since he and Bram were the only ones who knew each other in that class.

The bus ride wasn’t filled with too much entertainment, but somehow he’d found the courage to offer his seat to Bram, who kindly accepted. Bram was so easy to talk to, once they got past the initial shyness, the conversation flowed easily.

By the time they got to the museum, Simon felt like they were inseparable.

“Hey Bram, I think we’re going to head to the café in about twenty minutes…” Simon began but could see that Bram’s expression had suddenly changed.

“Did you feel that?” Bram asked looking around at nothing in particular.

“No,” Simon replied.

“Si, you need to get out of this building. Take as many people as you can with you, okay!” Bram said in a frantic tone.

Simon was momentarily frozen, not knowing whether he should focus on the random change in Bram’s demeanour, the weight of his words or the nickname that Bram had so effortlessly used.

Simon could barely catch his breath, racing out of the building and holding on to Bram’s hand. He didn’t know how Bram was running that fast, but before he knew it they were out of the building.

“It looks like Mr. Sykes got the class out,” Bram commented, counting the number of their classmates.

“What was that,” Simon asked, his voice shaking.

“I don’t know,” Bram answered, keeping his gaze on the upper floors of the museum. “You should join everyone,”

“What about you?” Simon asked, wondering why Bram seemed so preoccupied at a time like this.

“I’ll join you in a second. I’m going to look for some staff members and talk to them,”

“Why? Did you see something,”

“Yeah, I think I did,”

Bram found an abandoned corner of the building, which housed industrial-sized garbage containers. A perfect cover, and within moments Bram was suited up.

He walked back a few steps before slinging a web to the top of the building. He was sure there would be an entrance up there.

Surely enough, there was and as Bram carefully stepped into the building, he could hear voices. There were four men, definitely armed and Bram planned the entire fight out.

Within seconds, he climbed up on the ceiling, taking advantage of the one who was a lookout and knocking him out cold.

One seemed to be focused on a large piece of artillery, something that could have caused the explosion, while the other two seemed to be looking at blueprints. Bram decided to go after the two, knocking their heads together in one go.

The last one turned around in a panicked state and fired his handgun at Bram. He managed to dodge them without much effort and managed to swing the gun right out of his hands. Another web pulled the final criminal towards him, and Bram used the leverage to kick him down into unconsciousness.

Tying up the criminals was always the most difficult part, as Bram always worried one would wake up and move around, but the four of them were wrapped around a pillar within ten minutes.

Bram shook his head, why couldn’t he have one day off.

Next, Bram checked the main floors for anyone who wasn’t in the building and then exited the museum.  He took a moment to address everyone in the crowd, ensuring them that they were all safe, and he’d taken care of those who were involved in the crime.

“Please let the authorities know that they’ll find the four men in the northwest section of the enclave in the upper level. They’ve been disarmed and the artillery is military-grade. If anyone’s in serious need of medical attention, I can get them to a hospital right now,”

“We’re missing people!” Mr. Sykes called out to him, and Bram panicked before remembering he was a student too.

“How many people?” Bram asked, trying to deepen his voice.

“Two of my students. Bram Greenfeld and Simon Spier,”

“Simon?”

“Yes, and Abraham Greenfeld. According to some of my kids, Simon went to look for his friend,”

“And you let him?!” Bram yelled but caught himself in time before he went too far. “Sorry, I’ll go look for the two of them, just please keep everyone else safe,”

Mr. Sykes nodded, slightly backing away in fear.

Simon knew that sneaking into the building wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but he couldn’t imagine leaving Bram in that type of danger. Currently, he was stuck in an elevator, which had stopped working halfway through.

The lights were flickering on and off, and Simon was sure he’d heard gunshots. It was only a matter of time before someone found him, and it could mean either rescue or something worse.

It felt like forever before he heard another sound, and Simon wasn’t sure if he was imagining those sounds. Someone was calling his name, and he was ninety percent sure any criminals wouldn’t be on a first-name basis with him.

“Simon! Are you here?”

For some reason, Simon thought he recognized that voice, so he shouted back: “Bram! I’m in here!”

The elevator doors began creaking, and Simon knew there was no earthly way Bram could open those with his bare hands. And he was correct because it wasn’t Bram.

“Spider-Man?”

“Hey, are you alright?”

Simon felt like that the masked vigilante sounded eerily similar to Bram, but blamed it on the frantic situation he was in.

“Y-Yeah. I’m okay,” Simon stuttered. “Are you alright?”

Spider-Man seemed to be confused, and paused before saying, “Nobody’s ever asked me that before,”

Simon couldn’t see it, but he was sure that the guy beneath the mask was smiling at him.

“I’m gonna step into the elevator okay? And then I’m going to help you out. This elevator is stuck between two floors, so there’s a bit of a drop, but you’re gonna be safe, understand?”

“Got it,”

“Okay. I’m stepping in now,”

Spider-Man took a step inside and Simon could feel the structure shake beneath him; the hero beside him could clearly feel it too. Spider-Man carefully opened the hatch above them and seemed to be measuring the space mentally.

Then he offered his hand to Simon, who took it slowly.

“Just hold on as tight as you can, okay. And don’t look down,”

Simon wrapped one arm around his shoulder and the other around his neck, holding on as tight as possible. In a flash, Spidey shot a web up and Simon could feel himself being yanked upwards. He closed his eyes shut, but the sound of the crash was unmistakable. That could have been him.

When he felt his feet on solid ground, Simon finally opened up his eyes. He was clearly high up, higher than he’d ever been before. Looking down at the crowd below, he realized he was on the roof of the building.

“You’re okay,” Spider-Man offered him some comfort.

“Did you find Bram?”

The masked hero waited a moment before responding. “Bram?”

“He’s my…” Simon paused. “He’s my friend, the one I went back in looking for,”

“I wouldn’t advise doing that in the future,” the disguised hero replied sternly. “There was nobody else in the building, but I’ll keep an eye out for him,”

“Okay. Thanks for saving me and everything,” Simon said to him casually, “let me know if there’s any way I can pay you back.”

Simon was certain he had just made Spider-Man laugh, and he could definitely put that down on his bucket list.

After dropping off Simon with the crowd, Bram changed back into his regular clothes within a matter of minutes and raced back around the building.

“Bram!” Simon said, as soon as he saw him, running up and wrapping his arms around him in a hug. “Are you hurt?”

“No. I’m fine. I went looking for you,”

“So did I,” Simon replied. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Bram nodded. “Are you?”

“Yeah, got into a little bit of trouble, but I got out of it just fine. Met Spider-Man,” Simon shrugged, sporting a shy smile.

“Oh?” Bram returned his smile.

“He’s not all that he’s hyped up to be,” Simon replied jokingly.

Arriving home, his mother greeted with a tight hug, refusing to let him go for a number of minutes. 

‘If only she knew’ Bram thought to himself. 

As the day turned into night, Bram went over the day’s events in his mind. He had an urge to swing on by to Simon’s house, in full costume, knowing that it was probably the dumbest thing he could ever do. Maybe this was why crushes and heroism didn’t mix well together, but Bram had to remember he was a teenager, and priorities were always muddled.

He paced around back and forth in his room, putting the mask on and off wondering who would impress Simon more. He knew the obvious answer was Spidey, but Bram had a feeling that he and Simon had gotten off considerably well throughout the day. Simon had actually gone looking for him, and that had to mean something.

He almost missed the knock on his door, and barely had time to shove the mask under his bed.

“Honey?” Bram’s mom opened the door an inch. “There’s someone here to see you?”

“Garrett?”

“Nope,” Bram’s mom replied mysteriously.

Bram walked down the stairs and was pleasantly surprised to see Simon in his foyer.

“Si?” Bram said, walking up to him, face riddled with confusion. 

“Hey, Bram. I-I wanted to see how you were doing, after today,” Simon shuffled in place.

“We can step outside,” Bram offered, wondering if Simon wanted to talk alone.

They sat together on their front porch, and Simon tried to keep his breathing under control. He had no idea how he’d built up the courage to do this, but he knew he had to.

If his experience today had taught him anything, it was that nothing was promised, not even the next moment. Today could have ended very differently for him, for Bram, and for everyone there. And he knew that someone wouldn’t always be there to save them.

He needed to let Bram know the truth.

“I like you,” Simon blurted out as soon as they sat down.

“What?”

“I know that sounds fucking weird to hear, and I don’t even know if you like guys, or let alone like me…but I could have died today and I realized that I couldn’t let a day go by without letting you know that…”

“Si?” Bram interrupted.

“Yeah?”

“In case you haven’t noticed, I like you too. A lot,” Bram replied.

“Oh?”

“And if it’s okay with you, I’d really like to kiss you,”

“That’s more than okay,”

Bram carefully leaned in to close the distance, closing his eyes in time. He felt the gentlest movement against his mouth and Bram felt his heart skip a beat. Simon was kissing him back.

Bram wanted to stay in this moment for as long as he could, but he knew that this one act was going to change everything. This was going to be another person who he’d either be keeping a secret from, or to whom he’d be confessing a heavy truth. This was someone who’s safety could be used against him. Someone with whom he would fall in love.

But Bram pushed away those intrusive thoughts, giving his all to the kiss. At that moment, he decided, nothing else was going to matter. No bad guys, no overbearing stress, not his secret identity; nobody existed outside of the bubble of himself and the boy in his arms.

There would come a time where he’d have to trust Simon with everything, and Bram had an inkling it would turn out fine. After all, Simon owed him one.

[sparda3g]

Attack on Titan Chapter 115 Review

This series keeps on giving. Whether it’s insane action, crazy drama, or emotional backstory, it has plenty to offer. It also contains a great mystery to many elements of its lore. This chapter wasn’t action packed and yet, I was very thrilled by its content. It’s going to be for a while before we see the inevitable end, but the build-up, the suspense, and the twist are enough to keep the audience excited and anticipated. Bottom line, this chapter was outstanding.

Before the chapter takes off to the wonderful journey, we have a short scene with Hange, Floch, and others, where they are very near to the location of the explosion that sent the fans blazing. It’s there to let the fans know that we are in for a rude awakening, one that would spark controversy. We will get to that fairly soon. Fans, myself included, have been aching to know whether Levi and/or Zeke have died or not. We first go over with Zeke and to answer that question, yes, he is dying. He did take on the lightning spear, so Levi wasn’t kidding. With that said it begins a very emotional “sendoff” for Zeke that truly got me sympathetic.

Let me start by saying the presentation is astonishing throughout the scene. Not only the artwork is clean and solid, but the visual and paneling are stellar with deep meaningful display. I grasp the heartfelt and sincerity of Zeke slowly passing out with his last vision of unachieved dream. Even the horses that slowly collapse got me emotional. Zeke’s fading words are depressing to read. Not only he’s dying, but he sounds deeply regrettable. It’s really the moment of farewell.

The flashback ensue and for many, it means his time is here; it’s the end of Zeke. I definitely bought it. That said the flashback does answer many questions, including ones we didn’t know we wanted. It picks up from the last time where Zeke and Tom discussed about eradicating Eldians. I thought the flashback last time was splendid and touching, but this last piece nailed it.

It was this moment where Tom gave him words that would set Zeke’s goal permanently. One info he didn’t share with Marley is about the War Renunciation Vow that can be broken. He confirmed it that the Founding Titan is present there and can work into their plan. Zeke cannot obtain the Founding Titan, but he can support the Founder and convince the holder to their plan. It’s the matter of trust that Tom counted on Zeke to make it happen. If so, then their dream can come true. Sadly, it would be their final moment.

As fans know already, Zeke is the Beast Titan currently, which means Tom must have been consumed. I thought this part is pretty sad. Tom was set to be eaten by Zeke to pass down the Titan. Although he won’t be around to watch Zeke, he will be in the afterlife to support and watch him to make their dream come true. Zeke agreed to carry on, addressing him as someone he wanted to say proudly: dad. That hit me hard. I really love this backstory between the two. I won’t say Zeke is forgiven, but I can really understand and emotionally connect.

Yelena has stated before that she has seen Zeke or Beast Titan as her God, so the following scene is not really new. The only noteworthy of it is how much she has been influenced by him, easily manipulated in a sense. Actually, this would be beneficial to the later scene. The point is she has been converted drastically. I don’t know if Zeke feels guilty or not, but it doesn’t matter much for he has an army to back him up.

One of the answers that I didn’t expect to get but quite welcoming is how Zeke learned about his biological parents through the report on Eren. Reiner and Bertolt reported the details on Eren and how they confirmed he’s undoubtedly the holder of the Founding Titan. He also learned about Grisha and where he was last seen. That’s how Zeke learned about everything, which is simple enough; however, my interest came from his reaction to it.

It was agonizing for him to learn so much about his family’s whereabouts after his departure. He also realized his mother was changed into a Titan and Eren confronted it. We all know how it ended; killed by his half-brother. It pained him to know his douchebag father was alive and made a new family. Could you imagine the pain that spawned from your own father carry on to another? Care or not, that’s heartbreaking. What’s also heartbreaking is he believe Eren shared the same fate as him. No wonder he told him back in the last arc that Grisha isn’t worth believing. That’s strikingly touching.

The last piece of the flashback is the most interesting one of them all. It’s when Eren and Zeke have a conversation back at Marley before the festival. It is very interesting in many ways. To begin with, the true plan is revealed and it’s actually from Zeke himself, hence the first part of the flashback. In other words, euthanize Eldians. This is very strange, but more on that later. Eren had a decision to make and what persuaded him to confront with Zeke was the moment from his father’s memory.

It’s finally explained on what Eren has seen during the ceremony where he holds Historia’s hand. If you recall, he went through many visions of the event where Grisha killed the Royal Family to obtain the Founding Titan. He finally witnessed it and from that moment, he gained a new thought about his next action. He revealed the tragic event to Zeke, essentially caught on the notion of Grisha’s awful act. It has some disturbing images to display with eerie words such as killing those children like a bug. To top it, he even went far as saying as killing them was a necessary for his existence. Translation: killing the Royal Family save everything. That’s messed up.

He did note that Grisha’s action was still a mistake as well as his own existence. It’s like we gone back to Uprising Arc Eren before his rebounding development. Because of the memory, he agreed to Zeke’s plan. This is really strange. Isn’t Eren all about accepting life or being blessed to live? Shouldn’t that be Zeke’s character, hence being the foil character to Eren? Is he serious about it or is it a lie? It is possible to be a lie since lately, it’s suggested that he is the same as always when looking upon life. If so, that is sad that Zeke is only bought in, but what choice does he have? Eren holds the Founding Titan.

The closing scene is pretty sincere. They couldn’t hand shake in agreement, so catching the ball would do. It’s a great symbolic of passing down the torch from what he shared with Tom. Whether Eren is truly hiding his actual intention or not, Zeke felt like he has bonded with a brother he never thought he wanted. Basically, it’s a bond he has grown fond of to cherish. Seriously, it would suck if Eren is lying, which has a strong chance. Zeke has grown greatly to me as a character. Now, he’s going to die; unable to fulfill that wish. It’s really sad.

Then a mysterious girl appears in a vision.

I didn’t understand what was going on. I thought the girl was someone he has long forgotten or cherished or something. It wouldn’t matter much, seeing Zeke has died or very near. His dead expression did sadden me. Then a random Titan appears, from the ground I assume. It opens its guts for some reason and place Zeke’s body inside. That was a strange moment. I really didn’t know what to make of it. It was just strange, but it won’t be the end.

The fall of Survey Corps continue with an interesting insight of the mental game. The opposing force, The Jeagerists, are taking over with more soldiers surrendering or even change side. Yelena is now feeling like the big boss with her overly confidence attitude. All she was missing was to say, “Excellent.” To think, I actually trusted her. Pixis keeps his head up despite the situation, but more importantly, disappointed with some of the soldiers who changed side. Some changed side because they believe in Eren; some changed side because they are enslaved by the poison they drank, Zeke’s spinal fluid to be exact. Shame.

The interesting part is despite Pixis being a hostage, he still outclass Yelena in their mind game. Pixis is mentally strong while taking shot at Yelena, who is mentally weak from insults. On the surface, she supposed to be dominant, but Pixis keeps bringing her down by showing her contradictions and misguided belief. He put her in her place when they talked about saving the world, when in reality, it’s only saving an island. Pixis is still the man; show her the reality.

That said the visual shows her looking pretty rough around the edges after logics were thrown at her. It’s clear Isayama deciphering her as a mental case; one in which needs a reality check. She’s perhaps mentally scarred by following the self-created cult with Zeke or Beast Titan as her God. I don’t know if Pixis will help her change her view or not, but as long as she stands by her belief, she is guaranteed to witness her early tragic fate.

The next scene is…very interesting…in a controversial way. I’ll be completely honest with you. I was spoiled earlier because it was a hot topic around the time. I am of course referring to Levi’s status. Before I share my own two cent, let’s go over the scenario. Hange and others arrive to the scene with a random Titan on the ground and Levi. Now, it’s time for the verdict on Levi’s status. Hange approaches to him and confirms it to everyone: he’s dead. Popularity poll? What’s that?!

The display of Levi’s body is gruesome to say the least. He has shards on his face, a really bad scar, and he lost some of his fingers; fingers to use the blade to hook on or trigger. Hange confirmed his status, but Floch insist to check his pulse. A strange phenomenon occurs from where that random Titan is at, but I’m going to skip that scene for now. Because of that occurrence, Hange takes the chance to take Levi and dive in to the river to make their only escape. That’s the last of them for this chapter. Levi is dead as the spoiler suggested.

I don’t think so.

The setting seems more favor to a lie or maybe even misunderstood. Hange looked at him and that could have been reasonable enough to buy in. What got me thinking twice is Floch. He wants to check the pulse to see if he is dead or not. One guy wanted to shoot Levi in the head, but it’s only Hange that told them he’s dead. Was it to prevent kill confirmed? Also, Hange was pissed when Floch suggested to check, as if to say, “Shit, once he knows, he’s done for.” Lastly, why would Hange take Levi with her if he’s already dead? You can argue that she wants the body for proper burial, but that doesn’t seem likely.

In my opinion, this is a good way to handicap Levi for this scenario. It’s no wonder it was shown how godly he is or was when he took on Zeke. This way, the Survey Corps would have a tougher time to take on Eren and his faction. Not to mention, he’s not only out cold, but he lost his fingers; essential in combat. You could argue that he will die in the next chapter, but the chance is about a half. He’s an Ackerman and he was caught indirectly, which is vastly different from Zeke, who ate the explosion directly and critically.

It’s uncertain at this time, but I do believe Levi will live. Now, how can he recover? I can see Hange and Levi going to Historia’s location and get his treatment somehow. Will that be enough? Probably not, but time will tell. If anything, I love the setup because it had everyone on their edge of the seat. Sure, some may stop reading because of their favorite character has died, if that’s the case. It’s suspenseful and the next chapter could make it or break it.

Now we return to the scene with that random Titan and it’s very interesting. Everyone caught the wind, literally, and they see the man they have been searching for: Zeke. Basically, he is resurrected. I really like the symbolism of his awakening; from heavy rain for his tragic end to the ray of light for his renewal beginning. It’s as if he truly is the God that Yelena has visualized. Hell, he’s naked as well, so it couldn’t be a coincidence on the symbol. It’s very interesting because of how it happened.

According to him, he met up with a little girl, who was in the vision earlier. She saved him by reconstructing his body in the sand. Could this girl be the original Ymir; the one from the legend? What’s enticing is the scenery Zeke was in; the one he called “Paths.” It’s the same vision as what Ymir saw after consuming Marcel. To be honest, I thought she was literally in the sandy place with a beautiful sky, but I thought wrong. It’s a special world that only two (so far) have seen. To them, it’s a bliss. Zeke is moving forward to the plan and without any distraction, he will meet with Eren in no time. Very intriguing…

This begs a lot of new questions that managed to remain under the established lore. Zeke has seen “Paths” like Ymir, but what exactly triggered it? Is it simply just wake up after their “sleep?” Why is it only those two so far? There could be more but on record, it’s them. Is there a change within Zeke, like has he changed his approach or everything remain the same? For that matter, why that little girl saved him? The way how it was illustrated highly suggest that Zeke is truly the key to everything. Amazing, because that’s what Isayama once mentioned about his character. He’s sticking to his word; I like that. So many new questions, but this arc has become very interesting. But why stop there when you can have a great exciting cliffhanger.

We’re back to where Gabi is held prisoner. She is still perplexed about her status and “devils.” I don’t blame her for feeling confused, especially since she wasn’t able to complete her development when Eren interrupted. Speaking of Eren, there he is, being the tyrant he is, but he does offer her a cooperation in order to save Falco. That’s surprisingly nice of him, though the mention of Sasha’s killer does irk me. Does he hold a grudge against her? She is frozen by his presence; he definitely reached boss status. Sucks to be her and the guards are just watching her suffering.

Hey, wait a minute. Is that Pieck in the background? That guard looks like her. That or Isayama is out of female character’s design. Out of nowhere, that said guard straight-up stabs the other guard right in the throat. Holy shit, it is her! Pieck! Damn, what a badass entry. No wonder she has tons of fans; in and out of story. Now this is a conflict that I thought I would never see; Pieck versus Eren. This is going to be damn exciting. Poor guard though. He’s just dying there from the stab to the neck; no one there to save him. Shit happens I suppose.

All in all, this was an outstanding chapter with plenty of unlocked secrets and new ones. It’s told in a very emotional story that could have been a wonderfully tragic sendoff, but there’s another plan in mind that has its own exciting road ahead. The best part is how it was presented. Whether you like the artwork or not, even if it was drawn really well, the visual presentation is fantastic, deciphering the characters’ behavior and emotional turmoil. Also, how it was paneled felt very meaningful. The ending left me excited, though Levi’s situation is alarming. I believe he will pull it off, but we’ll see. Whether you dropped the series or not, the road ahead shows a sign of great promises.

[mothphobos]

finally decided to put together a main hc post for the boys

sung

a cyclops! his eye is iridescent, so it’s a different color depending on the angle, but it looks blue from most angles

pointy ears

otherwise visually indistinguishable from a human 

his species starts as a fourth dimensional being without physical form but as they get older they can decide to take physical form if they want 

the decision to take physical form is permanent, they can’t shift back or shift into something else 

some Shit happened to make it so that he needs to be in the vicinity of the prismatic core to stay alive 

i think i’m leaning towards him having embedded it in his chest but i haven’t fully decided 

mostly bc the image of him just keeping it in a fuckin pocket when not in armor is hilarious 

in terms of neat powers and whatnot 

his species can travel short distances in time, but he can’t anymore bc of the same Shit from before (with the exception of outside forces like time crystals) 

can sense other life forms within the nearby area

can get sick but works through it quickly and most stuff can’t actually kill him

recovers insanely fast from injuries, and only serious wounds leave scars

a good dude! really fuckin old and has seen some shit but still an optimist and has a lot of faith in the good in the universe 

to be frank, adhd like a motherfucker 

more clued in to earth culture than it looks like, he just forgets/ignores a lot of it if it's not vital (i.e. won’t endanger anyone)

meouch

just a straight up dude with a lion head and tail 

real tough nails that tend to grow a bit pointy but no actual claws by cat standards 

really fast at recovering, both from wounds and illnesses 

is an only child and was raised by his mom

of the rest of his family, only knew his maternal grandmother

side note: his grandma is cool as fuck. absolutely cooler than him 

got into smuggling funk in his late teens/early twenties 

funk in that context is definitely smth more substantial than the music, and is produced by the music under certain conditions with the right instruments

funk is harmless to most species, but, yknow. 

worked his way up to being a commander in a space funk smuggling guild of sorts 

phobos’ planet was the meeting place with a client and there was an issue with containment upon production, and that’s p much how that happened

has to be careful when space traveling bc occasionally he will be recognized and at that point there’s a fifty fifty chance of things going badly

the best pilot of the bunch! also just generally good with vehicles, picks up how to operate things pretty quickly

not really a mechanic, but is good at finding quick fixes on ships until they can get to someone with more professional skill

still an asshole, but a decent dude where it matters 

gets himself into shit occasionally but is decent about patching things back up 

Loves Ladies 

the most clued in about earth culture, but only because it has a lot of similarities to his home planet and he spends the most time out doing stuff

phobos

MOTH MAN 

a luna moth, basically 

species stuff

bipedal with one pair of arms and a pair of functional wings

weird mouth setup! they’ve got proboscises which are what they use the most, but they’ve also got a pair of actual jaws more suited to solid food that are just hidden by Fluff most of the time

pitch based language made up of hums and buzzing noises 

technically diurnal, but their planet has much lower light than earth’s and similar planets 

his mother was the elected ruler of his people, his father was a botanist, and he also had an older brother 

he got the title of lord through relation and working to earn it

was working on a satellite above the planet with a couple astronauts when the funkpocalypse occured

in rushing to get back to the planet, his suit/equipment got caught on something and kept him there long enough that he only got back for the aftermath, so he wasn’t affected by the funk at all 

wings were damaged badly enough in the fallout that he can no longer fly 

was trying to go after meouch when sung found them 

he’d successfully found meouch but his injuries from debris and such were slowing him down immensely 

he’s still working through the tail end of mourning, but has forgiven meouch and has gotten to be good friends with him 

started learning sign language a few weeks after joining up with the rest of the band

just as much of a dweeb as sung, he just has a better filter and doesn’t immediately voice most of his dumbass thoughts 

an all around pleasant dude!

has a definite mischievous asshole streak though 

low tolerance for bullshit 

the quietest, even disregarding the vow of silence 

i wish i had a better way to describe it but enjoys a very tumblr brand of nonsensical and/or vaguely ominous humor 

the least knowledgeable about earth culture but manages to squeak by in a lot of situations through sheer luck and politeness

havve

was human before becoming a cyborg

most of his internal workings have been replaced, but aside from that, everything above his waist (torso, arms, head) is more or less intact

still has a functional digestive system! doesn’t need to use it to stay alive though

in terms of energy, does have a battery but it’s an outrageously long-lived one, he can go about a week without needing to charge

his charging ports are in the soles of his feet and charge through contact with a docking panel sung made him 

he’s also got a plug in one that he can hook up an extension cable to should he need to, though 

after sung (by a lot), he’s the oldest 

prefers to wear his armor most of the time, but can remove it if he chooses 

from the future but fucky time travel landed the crew he was previously a part of in the mesozoic era where they turned on him, nearly killed him, and promptly left him for dead

has a loyalty towards sung from being saved by him but that’s about it

or, it at least started as just loyalty, nothing more, but has grown to sort of actually value sung + meouch + phobos’ company

still doesn’t dwell on it much, though 

not one for feelings, at all 

does have them, but they’ve been fucked with enough that they’re not exactly all there anymore 

has a general disdain for most life forms, but has a soft spot for animals 

will not intentionally harm children or animals most of the time

Likes Knives but isn’t allowed around them on planets

has a very ominous sense of humor that actually meshes p well with phobos’

is actually decently clued in about earth culture, just could not give less of a fuck

[insecure-hbo-recaps]

hella shook

Previously: Issa wanted to get a roster going. Molly for some reason didn't know what it was about Sterling K Brown. Dro's marriage was open. Lawrence was used as a prop for a racist threesome. He lied about it. Issa and Daniel made amends.

Issa's in traffic in her fairly new model car I might add. She is on her phone at every red light and doesn't notice that she's on E. She's wearing a black and white cookie coat, look at this:

Ees! Jesus. She stops at exactly 9:45 cents because she's poor. She finally makes it to her destination, serving up a "special delivery, sir" for Daniel. They awkwardly joke about how silly she's being and he opens the door with a smug smile. They're very attuned and cute and happy and whatnot.

Hey! They got honeycomb towers in LA too, apparently. Unless this is a scene where Molly is skyping with Quintin in Chicago, which the immediate shot of an L lets me know it is. See?

God I fucking love my city. That's the green line by the way. (If you're not familiar with Chicago, this is what I mean by "honeycomb towers":)

They're downtown near State and Kinzie, where I once went out with a professor from Boston who I thought looked like Mark Zuckerberg. (Public House is the bar there.) We watched the world series where the red sox won that year and it had been such a fun date, I was really disappointed when I never heard from him again. Oh well - in hindsight whatever I wore is probably not something I would wear now.

Molly is actually in Chicago this time, and Quintin is helping her keep the associates straight. He's wearing a tan vest and Malcolm X glasses and is it this show or somewhere else where they make jokes about a preacher body? Because good grief if I don't think of an old timey Civil Rights Movement era preacher every time I see him, lol. Molly points out there's a lot of black people at this office, and Quintin says he doesn't understand how she could work in the LA office; it reminds him of why he went to Howard.

Quintin asks whether Molly has said anything about her pay inequality but Molly hasn't. He asks why she isn't considering leaving, because their firm is not the only fish in the sea. Obviously this has never occurred to Molly. It's like she gets blinders on about certain things she thinks are acceptable or that she should want or be doing, and is incapable of considering any options outside of that. Apparently Molly is stuck in a sunken cost fallacy, which means you end up sticking out a situation that has long since expired just because you've already invested so much time into it already. Quintin encouages her to consider her options. Oh, there's the "pastor's body" joke. He really does look like a pastor.

Back in LA, Issa is getting dressed while Daniel is still in bed watching Due North. He asks whether she has plans the next night, but Issa demurs, unsure of his intentions. Daniel's body is insane.

Elsewhere, Lawrence is on a run with his coworkers, the blonde and Arpana. He won't be at work the next day because he has jury duty. Another coworker shows up and we get the exposition that they are training for a marathon. I know people hang out with their coworkers like this but I am antisocial and weird so I never do and never have, which sucks. This is how most people make friends as adults.

Molly is back home now. At her apartment, she and Issa are preparing floral arrangements for Molly's parents' vow renewal. Issa can't make it because she has a "work retreat." Daniel texts, and off the look on Issa's face, Molly inquires about it. Issa tries to play it off, but Molly knows this is not nothing. "Daniel and I have history, but we always bounce back." Molly is skeptical that either of them can do this without catching feelings, but Issa insists none of that is on her agenda right now: she has Daniel, "Neighbor Bae," and a Latino man she is going out with that night.

Meanwhile, at jury duty, Lawrence gets a text from Derek inviting him to his birthday party. Lawrence hesitates, assuming Issa will be there, but agrees to go. Bored, he scrolls through his facebook and happens across a photo from the night of the Kiss and Grind party; apparently Kelli's pic accidentallycaught Issa smiling and chatting with Daniel in the background.

Now that is a stroke of bad luck. Lawrence is so distracted by this news he barely hears them call him for briefing.

Back at the We Got Y'all offices, the supervisor is expositing that they have a director position open. Naturally the overeager white dude thinks this is his time to shine. They are going to be having a retreat Saturday morning and wants everyone to partner up. Issa looks over at Frieda who awkwardly looks away. Issa decides to brush it off, but when she whispers a joke and Frieda continues to look uncomfortable, the smile slides off Issa's face.

She follows Frieda to the breakroom, asking to talk. Frieda tensely explains that she isn't comfortable with what's happening at the school, but Issa still doesn't see a problem. This was around the time I started to think Issa was in the wrong the first time I saw this season... not because Issa is siding with bigotry but because she doesn't know better than to talk frankly about racism with whites in the workplace. That fact that Issa was so clueless as to be straightforward with a Clueless White Person on the thing that they fear most - an issue concerning race where they may be even indirectly accused of being a GASP racist - just sort of underlined for me that she was compounding a wrong instead of fixing it. "It must be nice to have the privilege to choose to be upset over this," Issa says, and the fact that she doesn't back down lets Frieda get the moral high ground.

Inglewood. Molly is at her parents' place unloading flowers for the renewal. Dro is her childhood next door neighbor and he is there to a.) celebrate Molly's parent's marriage and b.) smooth things over about basically asking her to take part in his open marriage. He asks if she never thought of him like that; "I mean yeah maybe for a minute when you had your colored contacts on," Molly says. Light skints aren't still in style anymore are they? Exoticals for men is always kind of a weird area, I think.

Molly says she's thought about it, but the marriage thing "is just not how" she sees her life. Dro is cool with that and they agree to stay friends, ribbing each other like only childhood friends can do.

Jury Duty. There's black woman who answers a question about "bias against police" by standing up to reveal her Black Lives Matter t-shirt that I'm unclear whether or not she meant it or just wanted to get out of jury duty. "Not buying it," the judge says, but the juror is dismissed. Lawrence is scrolling through Daniel's gram while all this happens.

Back at Molly's, her mom is saying something about the dollar store champagne flutes she bought, and what is with moms and dollar stores? My momma loves her some dollar store home goods. They lightly push Molly, as you do your children, about when she's getting married. Mom wants to know what's the hold up but Dad knows Molly isn't going to settle. Apparently Molly has a brother, or two brothers, or a gay brother, I'm unclear. I think one of them is famous for something or other though.

Date night. Issa shows up at a low lit ambient bar looking for Mexican bae. "Come through, Tinder," she says when she spots him. She's wearing a tight blue dress and a TWA. Mexican bae seems like he's in his late 30s. Issa's inner monologue horndogs about horchata. Bruh, rumchata is delicious. I haven't managed to buy it myself yet because that shit costs like 20$ but it tastes just like Christmas. And like, really good bread pudding. I should try to buy it at least for the holidays. Anyway, Issa is fantasizing about boning him right on the bar.

We know he's a good guy because he says isn't a martini guy and they joke about comics. I can't with how comic book lore has taken over American entertainment. I liked the Tobey Maguire Spider Mans but now there's like 18 in-universe comic book shows on TV and like four comic book movies at any given time... I honestly thought the comic book thing would have faded a long time ago by now and we'd be back to some other mythical fan lore like angels and ghosts again. (Zombie lore is still popular, and I think vampire lore is still hanging ten, so we need to go to demons or the undead or something.) They eventually move to another table, signifying that the date has lasted a few hours. The waiter brings by the check and Issa does the fake purse grab. You know, I used to adamantly refuse to do that (and the one time I was *asked* to split was by a nerdy black dude I met in a hipster dive who approached me by asking if I was latina - I must emphasize that I do not look latina whatsoever), like even pretend like I was going to pay. Now, I just offer to split. I usually never have to still, which is good, but also, I'm not poor anymore either so. My thing now is taking care to note that the waitress puts the check on the guy's side instead of in the middle - that's when I know the universe wants me to feel good about myself.

Anyway, they have had a good night and Issa is clearly thinking about asking him back to her place. But, we know he's a Good Guy because he says he can't, "but this is an excuse for us to do this again!"

Saturday morning work retreat. There's a generic snack bar set up. Issa is texting with Daniel, after canceling on him because of her date the previous night. Anyway the work team does a boring team building exercise so that the Clueless White People can make Clueless White People assumptions about the kind of trouble kids might be having at home. Issa and Frieda take a few passive aggressive jabs at each other and when it's time to pair up Frieda quickly finds someone else, leaving Issa stuck with Sujata Day. I don't know if she's supposed to be Indian in this one.

Vow Renewal. Apparently Molly decided to invite Sterling K Brown who is wearing a crazy colorful suit like only a person whose body has been altered to look good in Hollywood could do:

Molly's wig actually does look good, don't mind the screenshot. Dro and his parents show up (his dad is latino, his mom is ambiguous brown). Dro hangs around as his parents walk off and Sterling K Brown possessively wraps an arm around Molly, who introduces them. Just so you know that this is going on:

Do y'all take notice of stuff like this or no? Men, even men who are supposedly friends with each other, I find pull rank like this in front of women all the time. I was seeing a guy and one night we were hanging out with his roommate. They went outside to smoke and I tagged along. My dude and I were sharing his cigarette (I don't smoke but I find this sort of thing cute) and the other guy offered me his. My dude didn't think anything of it, but it's little shit like that that always feels like to me men are playing ego games with each other and/or always prepared to slide in the DMs of someone else's girl. (I also tend to think everyone is hitting on me, so that bias tends to reinterpret things.) But, it's the subtlety. And I think if more people paid attention they'd notice things like this more often. At any rate, Sterling K Brown is clearly glad to be there with Molly and possibly senses that Dro is a threat. They all play polite and it's only mildly awkward.

At a bar across town, Lawrence is having drinks with Derek and grilling him for information about Issa and Daniel. Ha. That's way more straightforward than he usually is when he talks to Chad. Derek says that after Tasha, he and Tiffany had to stop discussing them because they always took sides. Lawrence is preoccupied and insecure about Issa seeing Daniel now... maybe she had been seeing him the entire time? Derek says Issa is too dorky to be sneaky. "That's exactly why you wouldn't expect it," Lawrence says. He clearly is reiminaging their entire relationship and second guessing what he thought it was.

"Honestly... this ain't all on Issa," Derek says. "You spent two years unemployed, not doing shit, letting your woman take care of you. Kinda left the door open." Lawrence does that thing of rotating his jaw and accepts this silently. He tries to say it doesn't justify cheating, but Derek says he understands why she would be attracted to someone who could make things happen.

Vow renewal. Molly's brother or whatever asks "is that you?" and HA! Haven't heard that in ages. "So it's a pity date?" he asks. Molly lists off his positive qualities and how she wants to give it a shot. Her brother says just because she dates a good guy that doesn't translate into a relationship. Her brother (no, her brother's best friend) apparently is married to a stripper that trapped him. He tells Molly if she isn't feeling him she shouldn't date him. And because Molly has no understanding of what she wants out of a relationship or from men generally, this is the point where she no longer understands if she should be on a date with Sterling K Brown. He doesn't deserve this.

Bathroom. Issa calls her brother to check whether or not she might be in the wrong with the situation with Frieda. Check out this gloriously dressed fashion forward ass nigga:

Issa's brother doesn't tell her what she wants to hear so she hangs up in his face. To make herself feel better, she responds to a random sext from Neighbor Bae, sending back a nude before she gets busted by Mrs. Frizzle. Issa, at least go into the stall.

Molly is partially hosting this party, so she goes to greet a couple of great aunts. As nosy older black women, they immediately start inquiring about the delicious slice of man she chose to parade around this family event. Which... if you're not sure if you want to date a guy, don't fucking bring him to a parent-centered family event maybe. The aunts start talking about how amazing it is that Molly's parent's marriage lasted 35 years "after what he put my sister through." This is news to Molly.

Issa is texting at a red light when she misses it turn green. A "Potential Bae" sends her a dick pic and she rear ends the car in front of her. This is where I stopped being on Issa's team. No woman, no self possessed black woman, has any business being so distracted by dick she would open herself up to litigation, the loss of transportation, and unspecified auto repair. Like, I can no longer abide this level of thirst. This was when Issa went too far. Also, I spared you a screenshot of the dick pic.

Back that the renewal, Molly is grilling her brother about the state of her parents' marriage. It turns out that Dad cheated on Mom and "they worked through it." Molly seems almost more offended that her mom put up with it than her dad cheated at all. And this is the part where Yvonne Orji had to do an emotional scene. And it was so bad it threatened to diminish my enjoyment of the rest of the series so what you need to know is: 1. the acting here is really really bad, so bad I don't know how they didn't insist on more takes and/or cut away often enough so that you didn't notice how bad it was and b. Molly can't deal with the reality that there is no such thing as a fairy tale relationship. Not all relationships have cheating but a fuckton of them do, so everyone needs to just chill. Also, remind me at a later date to tell you about how I recently found out a guy I had been seeing was married and his wife had their first kid earlier this year. It was fucking horrid. (This is not an endorsement from the "All Men Cheat" school of logic as I, personally, have never been cheated on in a relationship.)

Sterling K Brown tries to console Molly but she stomps away, leaving Dro to chase after her. Bitch move. Molly's being an asshole all around. Bitch, how are you whining about relationships when you left your fucking date at a party at your parents' house to leave with another dude? Molly is way out of line here, and her behavior deserves no sympathy at all.

Issa calls Daniel to let him know she can't make it tonight because she got into a car accident. He offers to pick her up. She tries to beg off but he insists, and his caring and eagerness to help is good to see. One of the worst things about being an introverted holier than thou asshole is that whenever I need help, it always hits me really hard that I really have no one to call.

Meanwhile, this is Lawrence's Saturday night:

GOD those are the worst, lol. He sits there ruminating for awhile and finally defriends. "I don't wanna see this shit," Lawrence thinks.

Dro is driving Molly home. So... she just gone leave her car (and her date) in the interests of her thirst or what? Because I'm not buying that she's so distraught she just needed to get home despite the common decency of leaving on no notice like that. You wanted to provoke Dro's dick and we all know it. No smoothing over on this ridiculous behavior, Molly. She continues being all "distraught," and while I have to offer points for the damsel and distress routine in principle, I believe in polite society more, so be thirsty on your own time, not when it inconveniences or hurts someone else. Molly laments how she spends all her time trying to find someone like her dad only to find out their marriage is bullshit. I suppose if I had grown up in a married two parent household it would come as news to me, too, that parents can be just as ain't shit as anyone else. Still. I find this childish. Dro lends a sympathetic ear and Molly eats it up.

Daniel shows up to pick up Issa and gives her a hug in reassurance since she's just been in a car accident. Instead of abiding this silently where even if she doesn't want it she can use it to her advantage at a later date, Issa decides to be clear that Daniel knows they are not dating only each other and are both seeing other people. Issa isn't sure if she was as up front about that as she should have been the last time they slept together. Daniel reacts disappointedly in a way that telegraphs he did not know that was what they were doing. On the other hand, I feel like men pull this shit a lot and maybe it was good for him to know he isn't the only fish in her pond. Idk. On this issue I have erred toward casual probably more often than I should have, to regretful effects, so for me the jury is out on that.

Dro walks Molly to her door and her building is so lovely. Oh, it turns out Dro drove Molly's car home. That kinda makes it even more shitty that she left Sterling K Brown? When Dro goes to leave, because we must be overtly aware of the stupid and ridiculous choices they make, she pulls him back and kisses him. Then we cut to them boning a second later. Excellent sex scene. Extremely poor choice.

[hurricanefrankie]

The King in the North

Daenerys waited with baited breath, as the iron doors swung open to reveal one of her Dothraki warriors leading their small group of guests and her advisers inside. She watches with a keen interest as Tyrion ushers the two strange men forward.

 Neither looked very kingly, both slightly disheveled in appearance and dressed in black and faded brown. The older one had a scruffy beard with a receding hairline and a weathered yet kind face. Whilst the younger man had dark curly hair that he’d tried to tame by pulling back into a knot and his face was tragically beautiful, with scars sliced into his otherwise flawless pale skin.

 Daenerys does her best to remain stoic and unaffected by their arrival, trying to train her lilac eyes on the older man rather than his much younger, handsome companion.

 Tyrion bows when he reaches his queen, a triumphant smile on his face, pleased to finally have two such powerful entities in one room without any bloodshed between them.

 Missandei walks with the self-proclaimed king in the north and his comrade until they reach the bottom of the steps beneath Dany and her throne. She then tentatively ascends them to take her place at the side of the room.

 “Your grace,” Tryion turns to signal to their two guests, “allow me to introduce you to my dear old friend, King in the north, Jon Snow.”

 To her amazement, Tyrion pats the younger man on the arm rather than his much older comrade. Dany’s cold expression falters momentarily at her mistake before quickly recovering.

 “And this is his Hand, Ser Davos Seaworth.”

 In the corner of Jon’s eye, he sees Ser Davos’ chest puff out slightly at being introduced so formally.

 “It’s an honor to meet you, your grace,” Ser Davos nods politely, his northern accent strong and gruff yet oddly charming and sincere. Dany noted he had the same gentle and honorable air about him as the former lord commander of her Queen’s guard, Ser Barristan Selmy.

 Missandei addresses Jon Snow and Ser Davos. “Nobel lords, you are in the presence of Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, the Unburnt, Queen of Dragon’s Bay, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons.”

 While her handmaiden introduces her, Daenerys can’t help but survey the much younger than anticipated, King of the North, Jon Snow. He couldn’t be much older than she and from what Tyrion and Melisandra had told her, he had achieved just as much within a short space of time as her.

 The natural light streaming in through the cracks in the stone reflects off his breastplate armor, revealing the two stark wolf sigils marked on the front.

“Thank you for the invitation, your grace.” He tautly nods his head; he too had a strong accent, yet his wasn’t as gruff as Ser Davos and much easier to understand. His dark grey, almost black eyes lock with her piercing violet ones, they stare down the other, neither prepared to look away first until Tyrion purposefully coughs to break the mounting tension between the two monarchs.

 “Thank you for traveling so far, my lord.” Dany says, deliberately putting emphasis on his lesser title to make sure he knew his place. “I hope the seas weren’t too rough.”

 “The winds were kind, Your Grace.” Jon coolly retorts.

 There’s a long, drawn out silence, so thick with tension, even Ser Barristan would have had a tough time slicing through it with his blade. “So I assume, my lord, you’re here to bend the knee.”

 Jon shakes his head. “I am not.” He had heard stories about Daenerys Targaryen, that she was beautiful and stunning but the stories did not do the woman who sat before him justice.

 She sighs, hardly surprised by his decision. “Well, that is unfortunate. You’ve traveled all this way to break faith with House Targaryen?”

 He scoffs, “Break faith? Your father burned my grandfather alive. He burned my uncle alive. He would have burned the Seven Kingdoms-”

 “My father was an evil man.” Her honesty takes both Jon and Davos by surprise. “On behalf of House Targaryen, I ask your forgiveness for the crimes he committed against your family. And I ask you not to judge a daughter for the sins of her father.”

 Jon hangs his head momentarily, the words he spoke to Sansa back at Winterfell replaying in his mind. I will not punish a son for his father’s sins.

 “I am the last Targaryen, Jon Snow. Honor the pledge your ancestor made to mine. Bend the knee and I will name you Warden of the North.” It was a compromise she and Tyrion had agreed on, it meant Jon remained in charge of the north but was stripped of his royal title meaning he was no threat to Dany and her claim.

 He contemplates her proposal for a few minutes. He looks to Davos, whom merely shrugs, as if to say, it’s your choice. “You’re right.” If he agreed, he’d gain the support of her and her army for the war to come, but he’d also lose the support of the north. He may not wish to punish the son or daughter for the sins of their father, but the noble lords loyal to house Stark had made their opinions on the matter very clear and none of them could forgive the Targareyn’s for what they did to Rickard and Brandon Stark.

 He stares back up at the striking queen, her beauty was unmatched by any person he’d ever seen before, to the point where it was almost hard to avert his gaze. “You’re not guilty of your father’s crimes. And I’m not beholden to my ancestor’s vows.” Though he may appear calm and collected on the outside, on the inside his heart beating twice its normal rate and his palms sweating. She was their last resort, without her dragonglass, they were doomed.

 Daenerys has to purse her lips tightly together to stop them from curling up into an impressed smirk, she admired his boldness and that he wasn’t afraid to stand up for what he believed in. “If you never planned on bending the knee, what exactly was the point in your visit?”

 “My grace,” Davos steps forwards, his head bowed out of respect for a little longer than necessary, “pardon me for speaking out of turn,” he slowly stands up straight. “I understand your wish to retake the iron throne, but I’m afraid all the battles you’ll face to oppose the current queen will all be for nothing if what’s north of the wall breaches its defenses and comes south.”

 “What’s north of the wall? Wildlings?” Tyrion frowns; remembering the cryptic explanation the red priestess had given which basically meant that Jon would explain.

 The younger man shook his head causing a few loose strands of unruly curly hair to spring free from his tie. “The free folk, or what’s left of them are now south of the wall. I brokered a peace treaty with them when they saw the real enemy at Hardhome.”

 Dany scowls, she knew very little about the citizens who once lived north of the wall excluding the small pieces of information Tyrion had told her, he begrudgingly knew very little himself. “The real enemy?”

 “The white walkers.” He coldly responds.

 “Weren’t the white walkers merely a ploy used by mothers to scare their children into behaving?”

 “Believe me, my lord, the Night King and his army are very real.”

 “The Night King?” Daenerys sniggers, “The north does like to bestow inappropriate titles to just about anybody, doesn’t it?” she kinks her eyebrow, daring him to challenge her. “What makes these white walkers so…” she pauses, trying to find the right word, “terrifying that the King in the North seeks my help?”

 Jon does his best to hold his tongue and not berate the privileged and naïve queen who sat before him. “The army is made up of the undead, my grace. They intend to march south, destroying anyone and everything that crosses their path. They will not stop until the whole of the seven kingdoms is left in ashes. It won’t matter who sits on the iron throne when dead men come hunting for us in the night.”

 Dany wanted to laugh in response to his insane ramblings but the look in his eye, one of horror and experience, refrained her from doing so. Though she didn’t believe what he was saying, she did trust that he believed it himself. “And why should I believe you?”

 “Why would I lie?” Jon snaps back, allowing his slowly growing resentment and anger towards her get the better of him.

 “My Queen,” Tyrion interjects, defusing the situation, “I know Jon Snow and I honestly think he is telling the truth. I do not think we should dismiss his claim because we do not know any better.”

 She grits her teeth, being undermined in front of her council members was bad enough but to be so blatantly challenged in front of someone who could challenge her claim to the iron throne made her blood boil.

 If what Jon Snow and Ser Davos said was true and there was an army of the undead marching south, if she didn’t help try and stop them, she would have no kingdom left to rule over.

 “What would you suppose we do?” Dany asks, her grip on her throne tightening in frustration.

 “Westeros is divided and a divided realm won’t survive long against the Night King.” Ser Davos answers instead of a glowering Jon. “If we band together, we may have a shot at defeating them. Every northern house sworn to the Stark family is readying for war, the men, the women and the children.”

 Dany’s eyes widen at the prospect of children being subjected to such traumatic sights that occur during wars and their many battles.

 “There are very few things that can kill a white walker,” Davos continues, “Valyrian steel, fire and… dragonglass.”

 Dany eyes Tyrion, half-expecting him to jump in and make a witty comment but he remains quiet, his brow furrowed indicating he was in deep thought. “So, not only do you want my armies, you also want my dragons and my dragonglass?” Since arriving at Dragonstone, she had made sure to find out as much about her ancestry home from the maesters’ and the books she requested, as she could. She knew Dragonstone was built upon a mountain of dragonglass.

 Ser Davos opens his mouth to spew what she could only assume to be some elaborate apology and admission but before he has a chance, Jon speaks first.

 “Yes.” He answers bluntly, his expression mirroring her equally stony one.

 “And what will I receive in return for helping you?” she stares down at Jon, their eyes boring into one and others.

 “My support in your quest for the Iron Throne, once the long night is over and the white walkers are defeated.” He didn’t sound too thrilled about giving her his backing.

 “And how will it look if I allow the King in the North to refuse my command for him to bend the knee? Every lord and lady in Westeros will try and do the same.”

 Jon scowls, the scar above his eye darkening somewhat, “I made a promise to my men.”

 “Your grace,” Ser Davos pipes up again, “Jon has given his life for the North, he took a dagger to the heart for his people-”

 “The north crowned me their king.” Jon quickly cuts across his companion; he was not in the mood to relive the night he died.

 Dany glances over at Tyrion who looked equally confused by the older man’s comments.

 “I never wanted it. I never asked for it.” Jon shakes his head, “But I accepted it because the north is my home. It’s a part of me and I will never stop fighting for it. No matter the odds.”

 Daenerys slowly rises from her throne, surprising both men with her short yet commanding stature. “I was born at Dragonstone. Not that I can remember it. We fled before Robert’s assassins could find us.” She gradually begins to descend the steps, her sights set solely on the king in the north. “Robert was your father’s best friend, no? I wonder if your father knew his best friend sent assassins to murder a baby girl in her crib.” She walks around him, surveying every aspect of the man Tyrion respected so highly, like a wolf circling its prey.

 She sighs, “Not that it matters now, of course. I spent my life in foreign lands. So many men have tried to kill me; I don’t remember all their names.” She muses as if she were discussing something as trivial as the weather. She moves back around to stand before him, her chin tilted up to face him, he was at least a whole head taller than her.

 “I have been sold like a broodmare. I’ve been chained and betrayed, raped and defiled. Do you know what kept me standing, through all those years in exile?” she pauses for dramatic effect, “Faith. Not in any god, not in myths and legends. In myself. In Daenerys Targaryen. The world hadn’t seen a dragon in centuries, until my children were born. The Dothraki hadn’t crossed the sea, any sea. They did for me. I was born to rule the Seven Kingdoms. And I will.”

 Jon holds her intense gaze for a few moments more, her beauty and intelligence almost bewitching him.

 “The north is an integral part of the Seven Kingdoms, is it not?” she tilts her head slightly to one side, feigning innocence. “The north is loyal to house Stark, as are the Vale and the Riverlands. I have the combined forces the Reach and Dorne, and the iron fleet, legions of Unsullied, a Dothraki hoard and three dragons, and,” she glances over her shoulder to look at her Hand.

 “By the end of the week, we should have Casterly Rock.” Tyrion finishes for her, their conquests and future ones were all marked up on the map in the chamber with the painted table.

 “Cersei Lannister,” She practically spits the woman’s name, “will not care for your war in the north. She only cares for herself and the throne she illegitimately sits upon. If I don’t reclaim the crown, she’ll burn King’s Landing, and any other realm that defies her without a second thought.” Dany adds, imploring Jon Snow to understand.

 He clenches his jaw, “So you’d rather fight for the throne rather than the people?”

 “I’d like to do both.” She retorts back with an icy edge.

 “The game of thrones is bollocks!” he barks, regrettably making Missandei jump with fright, Daenareys on the other hand barely acknowledges his fit of rage, as though she had seen much worse, which she probably had. “We are all in grave danger, the army of the undead is coming and we’re not ready for them.”

 “Jon,” Tyrion slowly descends the steps to stand between the two rivaling monarchs, “if we turn our backs on the capital and head north to fight these… white walkers, Cersei will be ready. She’ll overthrow every last state and capital, and fight us from the south while we try to stronghold the north.”

 “If she knew the dangers that lay ahead, maybe she could be reasoned with?” Ser Davos suggests hopefully.

 “Cersei blew up the Great Sept with masses of Wildfire buried beneath the city,” Tyrion informs him, “killing everyone in it including her daughter-in-law and the heirs to High Garden, along with anyone within range. The mass slaughter also had a profound effect on her last remaining son, King Tommen.” At the thought of his nephew, Tyrion hangs his head. “The young King threw himself out of his bedroom window. Her children were the only thing that kept Cersei relatively human, and now they’re all dead, so is her humanity.”

 The room goes very quiet. Dany and Jon continue their stare down until the doors open once again, she reluctantly glances away to look and see who had entered.

 Lord Varys shuffles towards them, almost silently. He skirts around Ser Davos and Jon without so much as a look in their direction to privately address his queen. Daenareys steps back away from the King in the North to make sure he couldn’t overhear whatever Varys was about to tell her.

 The bald man leans down, his back to their guests and whispers the news about Euron’s fleet. “He ambushed the Greyjoys’, he killed Obara and Nymeria, and has taken Ellaria, her daughter Tyene and Yara Greyjoy prisoner. It’s rumored he is taking them as a gift for Cersei.”

 Dany gulps, her unaffected, stoic expression slowly fading away to be replaced with one of true morning, though her eyes flashed with rage.

 Varys backs away with a bow before walking soundlessly towards the chamber containing the map. Tyrion watches him leave, an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

 “I’m sorry, I must end this meeting now,” The silver haired queen clasps her trembling hands together, “you’ve had a long journey, as a show of good will, I offer you a room to stay for the night. Missandei will show you the way.” Her handmaiden quickly walks down the steps to stand by her queen.

 Jon stares at her skeptically, not sure if it were some form of trick or not. “Am I your prisoner?”

 “No.” She retorts briskly and then heads in the same direction as her master of whispers, Tyrion offers the two men an apologetic nod before following her, hot on her heels. “Not yet.” Dany calls out over her shoulder before disappearing through a door.

[hopestallion]

heyoo((: idk if I can still request scenarios but i'll just try(: May I request a scenario where Jungkook has a girlfriend but they are both really really shy and insecure to make a first move so the other members must help them!?(: i

Hey! You’re never too late, to put in a request. It’s rather quite right now haha >D

Let’s get to the request *cracks knuckles*

“A little help”

Fluff, Jeongguk x Reader (interference by BTS)

It went a little different, but i hope you still like it ;) this is my first writing request.... oh oh oh

“They’re so awkward, even Tae feels awkward and he never feels that way ever....” said person tried to object with a “Hey”. But Seokjin was quick to silence any form of disarray, before it could occur. “So you mean to say, we should get involved? I’m not sure, how that might help them, Jimin” the eldest crossed his arms in front of his chest. He didn’t like to interfere with people’s personal business. Even if they were basically brothers, without shared blood. “Well i can see where Jimin is coming from... It’s bound to swing into frustration for both... We could give them a nudge...” voice of reason and like the leader of their group of friends, Namjoon knew what to say. It convinced Seokjin to actually listen to their plans and maybe pitch in. A nudge was alright. As long as it wasn’t more than just a nudge. 

Yoongi was pretty sure that the situation couldn’t be called a nudge, this was a shove. A big fucking shove, in which they were happy if the two wouldn’t end up toppling over a cliff. Maybe the second eldest was a little dramatic in his head. No one needed to know. But for now he was watching the two young ones with a cup of iced americano. His headphones were pressing against the back of his neck, the thick of it resting against his earlobes. Not even his music could catch his interest at that moment. Should tell anyone watching enough about the interest of his in this situation. At the moment Jeongguk was sitting next to his girlfriend. He was talking to her about something. At least another body could fit in between the space of theirs. It was like they were friends, not lovers who would want to spend time with one another. If not for the stealing glances to the other’s lips or his eyes trailing her body a few times, whenever she moved. Of course always, whenever the other wasn’t looking. Yoongi let out a deep sigh.

Taehyung knew they had to do something, the moment he burst into Jeongguk’s bathroom. Granted he should have knocked and he would have been spared the image of Jeongguk’s naked body. But the matter was of urgency and had to be talked about. The younger one screaming at the top of his lungs, for his hyung to fucking leave. Had the latter scrambling out of the bathroom at top speed. Sure he would tease Jeongguk once the other was back out of the bathroom. But the matter had to be discussed and Taehyung couldn’t be distracted. Not at all. Well aside from maybe Jeongguk’s brother Hoseok showing up with his puppy Mickey. Suffice to say he was distracted enough for Jeongguk to change into clothes and dry his hair. Finding his hyung stomach down in the living-room. He was playing with Mickey, who seemed to love the attention. Wanting to creep past his hyung and out the door, he couldn’t be fast enough for Taehyung’s hand to snatch his ankle back. Laying flat on his stomach himself now. Only his quick reflexes having prevented him from smacking his face open on the hardwood floor. “I heard you never went further than occasionally holding your girlfriend’s hand!”

Hoseok could count on his fingers the times he’d brought around a girl. And on the same hand was enough space for their sister’s boyfriend. They weren’t much of the dating generation. Preferred a solid relationship over several months and hopefully years. His last girlfriend had been a commitment of almost two and a half years. While their eldest sister was engaged to her long-term boyfriend. For Jeongguk to finally have his first girlfriend was a big deal. Especially since he’d been in love with her ever since first grade. Now he knew his brother well enough to know, that he wouldn’t be the forward type when it came to girls. He was big on challenges and needed to be the best. But he also was shy and sensitive and a little picky. All good if you asked Hoseok, However to hear that his brother was dating a girl for almost two months now and had done nothing than hold her hand twice. It kind of felt like he’d sucked a the big brother dating talk. And he’d had to find out from Taehyung of all people. “Wait i thought you’d kissed....” he asked lounging on the sofa, watching Taehyung and Jeongguk roll around the floor in fake fight. “We did!” Jeongguk defended himself, trying to kick Taehyung off of him. The other was like a koala. “It was a peck on the cheek and she gave it to him!” he added on. Hoseok had had no idea how sever the problem was.

Jimin prided himself in a lot of things. Like he knew he could pull off the rings and the leather, without seeming like a thug. He could make almost anything fashionable, including his nicely shaped butt in skinny jeans. He had experience with girls and boys. Gender was just a concept of society, much like Namjoon and Yoongi had explained to him. And he was helpful to those in need. Yet much like his hyungs he had no idea what to do. Sure Taehyung liked to get involved in a lot of things, but getting involved in Jeongguk’s business was a bit much. Especially regarding him and his girlfriend. And still TaeTae found a way of pestering Jimin into helping him. He was good with words, maybe the reason why he was aspiring to become an actor later on. Or why he shined so much on stage. Making it inconvenient for his hyungs to ever say no to him or even try to refuse. The only one who’d ever had luck in that department had been Yoongi and only after three attempts of shaking off Taehyung.

“You sure this is gonna help?”. “Well if that doesn’t help, then i don’t know what. Jealousy always works in movies....” Namjoon replied and shrugged his shoulders. The entirety of the gang was hiding behind a corner, watching one of Namjoon’s distant friends approach you. They had talked to him and with some bribing he’d done it. Which involved Namjoon giving him his notes on Shakespeare. It didn’t matter, Namjoon had aced that class two years ago and the other could have them. If it could help Jeongguk Namjoon would have given him the notes of the current year as well. The guy was all kinds of KDrama material. He looked good, a little on the thug side thanks to Jimin’s quick styling hands. And with the stern warning from Seokjin to not do too much he’d approached you in the hallway. He was form a different school, so Jeongguk wouldn’t suspect his hyungs doings. You were trying to get away from the guy, telling him twice you had a boyfriend and weren’t interested. He did as Seokjin had told him and pushed you against the locker. A hand next to your head, the other across the locker and over your head. Trapped, your eyes began to water. It did confuse the guy a little, however he had not much time to think. Yanked back and to the ground he was startled and looking up at an angry Jeongguk. 

What no one expected now was for the maknae to angrily lunge for the poor hired student. To prevent anything from happening, the hyungs wanted to jump in and interrupt. But you’d put a hand on Jeongguk’s shoulder and pulled him a little towards you. His anger was gone in favor of taking care of you. Seeing his chance the poor guy scrambled away, vowing to never help that insane group of friends ever again. Shakespeare be damned. They sighed in defeat. Thinking their plan had backfired and ready to apologize later to the both of you. But Yoongi stopped them from moving any further and giving away their position. Right in front of them Jeongguk looked around and then leaned down to kiss you on your lips. Your arms wrapping around his neck, the both of you kissed for several seconds. Before you let go of each other and you rested your forehead against his chest. The tears were gone and dried, a small smile forming on your lips. It was perfect to make a silent retreat and never talk about this situation ever again. But Taehyung wouldn’t be Taehyung if he wouldn’t burst out from their hiding spot and scare the crap out of everyone. Shrieks and yells later, he pointed at the two with a big grin. “It worked!” he said proudly.

Jeongguk’s brows furrowed, until everything clicked. With a speed that was almost impossible, he was running after Taehyung. Barely managing to scramble to a run himself. He was now being chased by the maknae, while the others came out of hiding to apologize to his startled girlfriend. “It’s okay....” you let them know and smiled shyly at them. While they were Jeongguk’s friends and like family to him. It still took some time for you to be comfortable around them. “Jeongguk.... and I.... we have been kissing...” you were looking at Hoseok now. Your boyfriend had told you from the suspicions his friends and brother had about your relationship. “It’s just....we’re both not really comfortable with PDA and.... we thought it’d be okay... not to?” a little helpless you didn’t know how to convey, that you did love their friend and brother very much. But that it was more of a private thing. Where you were comfortable when it was just the two of you. “That’s completely normal and fine.... Everyone handles things differently... I guess we were just a little too worried about our Jeonggukkie...” Namjoon smiled at you, deep dimples showing. Seokjin pulled right along, telling you that he didn’t believe in their plan anyway. While Jimin just shrugged his shoulders. After all it was Taehyung who had the idea and who was now being chased around school by a furious Jeongguk. “As long as both of you are comfortable with your relationship that’s all that matters” Yoongi added, pulled his headphones over his ears and immersed himself back into his music. The conversation was over for him now anyway. Hoseok putting an arm around your shoulders and telling you funny baby stories about your boyfriend. Who was still busy finding and killing Taehyung (not really killing but maybe throw him a few times)

[insecure-hbo-the-recaps]

hella shook

Previously: Issa wanted to get a roster going. Molly for some reason didn’t know what it was about Sterling K Brown. Dro’s marriage was open. Lawrence was used as a prop for a racist threesome. He lied about it. Issa and Daniel made amends.

Issa’s in traffic in her fairly new model car I might add. She is on her phone at every red light and doesn’t notice that she’s on E. She’s wearing a black and white cookie coat, look at this:

Ees! Jesus. She stops at exactly 9:45 cents because she’s poor. She finally makes it to her destination, serving up a “special delivery, sir” for Daniel. They awkwardly joke about how silly she’s being and he opens the door with a smug smile. They’re very attuned and cute and happy and whatnot.

Hey! They got honeycomb towers in LA too, apparently. Unless this is a scene where Molly is skyping with Quintin in Chicago, which the immediate shot of an L lets me know it is. See?

God I fucking love my city. That’s the green line by the way. (If you’re not familiar with Chicago, this is what I mean by “honeycomb towers”:)

They’re downtown near State and Kinzie, where I once went out with a professor from Boston who I thought looked like Mark Zuckerberg. (Public House is the bar there.) We watched the world series where the red sox won that year and it had been such a fun date, I was really disappointed when I never heard from him again. Oh well - in hindsight whatever I wore is probably not something I would wear now.

Molly is actually in Chicago this time, and Quintin is helping her keep the associates straight. He’s wearing a tan vest and Malcolm X glasses and is it this show or somewhere else where they make jokes about a preacher body? Because good grief if I don’t think of an old timey Civil Rights Movement era preacher every time I see him, lol. Molly points out there’s a lot of black people at this office, and Quintin says he doesn’t understand how she could work in the LA office; it reminds him of why he went to Howard.

Quintin asks whether Molly has said anything about her pay inequality but Molly hasn’t. He asks why she isn’t considering leaving, because their firm is not the only fish in the sea. Obviously this has never occurred to Molly. It’s like she gets blinders on about certain things she thinks are acceptable or that she should want or be doing, and is incapable of considering any options outside of that. Apparently Molly is stuck in a sunken cost fallacy, which means you end up sticking out a situation that has long since expired just because you’ve already invested so much time into it already. Quintin encouages her to consider her options. Oh, there’s the “pastor’s body” joke. He really does look like a pastor.

Back in LA, Issa is getting dressed while Daniel is still in bed watching Due North. He asks whether she has plans the next night, but Issa demurs, unsure of his intentions. Daniel’s body is insane.

Elsewhere, Lawrence is on a run with his coworkers, the blonde and Arpana. He won’t be at work the next day because he has jury duty. Another coworker shows up and we get the exposition that they are training for a marathon. I know people hang out with their coworkers like this but I am antisocial and weird so I never do and never have, which sucks. This is how most people make friends as adults.

Molly is back home now. At her apartment, she and Issa are preparing floral arrangements for Molly’s parents’ vow renewal. Issa can’t make it because she has a “work retreat.” Daniel texts, and off the look on Issa’s face, Molly inquires about it. Issa tries to play it off, but Molly knows this is not nothing. “Daniel and I have history, but we always bounce back.” Molly is skeptical that either of them can do this without catching feelings, but Issa insists none of that is on her agenda right now: she has Daniel, “Neighbor Bae,” and a Latino man she is going out with that night.

Meanwhile, at jury duty, Lawrence gets a text from Derek inviting him to his birthday party. Lawrence hesitates, assuming Issa will be there, but agrees to go. Bored, he scrolls through his facebook and happens across a photo from the night of the Kiss and Grind party; apparently Kelli’s pic accidentallycaught Issa smiling and chatting with Daniel in the background.

Now that is a stroke of bad luck. Lawrence is so distracted by this news he barely hears them call him for briefing.

Back at the We Got Y'all offices, the supervisor is expositing that they have a director position open. Naturally the overeager white dude thinks this is his time to shine. They are going to be having a retreat Saturday morning and wants everyone to partner up. Issa looks over at Frieda who awkwardly looks away. Issa decides to brush it off, but when she whispers a joke and Frieda continues to look uncomfortable, the smile slides off Issa’s face.

She follows Frieda to the breakroom, asking to talk. Frieda tensely explains that she isn’t comfortable with what’s happening at the school, but Issa still doesn’t see a problem. This was around the time I started to think Issa was in the wrong the first time I saw this season… not because Issa is siding with bigotry but because she doesn’t know better than to talk frankly about racism with whites in the workplace. That fact that Issa was so clueless as to be straightforward with a Clueless White Person on the thing that they fear most - an issue concerning race where they may be even indirectly accused of being a GASP racist - just sort of underlined for me that she was compounding a wrong instead of fixing it. “It must be nice to have the privilege to choose to be upset over this,” Issa says, and the fact that she doesn’t back down lets Frieda get the moral high ground.

Inglewood. Molly is at her parents’ place unloading flowers for the renewal. Dro is her childhood next door neighbor and he is there to a.) celebrate Molly’s parent’s marriage and b.) smooth things over about basically asking her to take part in his open marriage. He asks if she never thought of him like that; “I mean yeah maybe for a minute when you had your colored contacts on,” Molly says. Light skints aren’t still in style anymore are they? Exoticals for men is always kind of a weird area, I think.

Molly says she’s thought about it, but the marriage thing “is just not how” she sees her life. Dro is cool with that and they agree to stay friends, ribbing each other like only childhood friends can do.

Jury Duty. There’s black woman who answers a question about “bias against police” by standing up to reveal her Black Lives Matter t-shirt that I’m unclear whether or not she meant it or just wanted to get out of jury duty. “Not buying it,” the judge says, but the juror is dismissed. Lawrence is scrolling through Daniel’s gram while all this happens.

Back at Molly’s, her mom is saying something about the dollar store champagne flutes she bought, and what is with moms and dollar stores? My momma loves her some dollar store home goods. They lightly push Molly, as you do your children, about when she’s getting married. Mom wants to know what’s the hold up but Dad knows Molly isn’t going to settle. Apparently Molly has a brother, or two brothers, or a gay brother, I’m unclear. I think one of them is famous for something or other though.

Date night. Issa shows up at a low lit ambient bar looking for Mexican bae. “Come through, Tinder,” she says when she spots him. She’s wearing a tight blue dress and a TWA. Mexican bae seems like he’s in his late 30s. Issa’s inner monologue horndogs about horchata. Bruh, rumchata is delicious. I haven’t managed to buy it myself yet because that shit costs like 20$ but it tastes just like Christmas. And like, really good bread pudding. I should try to buy it at least for the holidays. Anyway, Issa is fantasizing about boning him right on the bar.

We know he’s a good guy because he says isn’t a martini guy and they joke about comics. I can’t with how comic book lore has taken over American entertainment. I liked the Tobey Maguire Spider Mans but now there’s like 18 in-universe comic book shows on TV and like four comic book movies at any given time… I honestly thought the comic book thing would have faded a long time ago by now and we’d be back to some other mythical fan lore like angels and ghosts again. (Zombie lore is still popular, and I think vampire lore is still hanging ten, so we need to go to demons or the undead or something.) They eventually move to another table, signifying that the date has lasted a few hours. The waiter brings by the check and Issa does the fake purse grab. You know, I used to adamantly refuse to do that (and the one time I was *asked* to split was by a nerdy black dude I met in a hipster dive who approached me by asking if I was latina - I must emphasize that I do not look latina whatsoever), like even pretend like I was going to pay. Now, I just offer to split. I usually never have to still, which is good, but also, I’m not poor anymore either so. My thing now is taking care to note that the waitress puts the check on the guy’s side instead of in the middle - that’s when I know the universe wants me to feel good about myself.

Anyway, they have had a good night and Issa is clearly thinking about asking him back to her place. But, we know he’s a Good Guy because he says he can’t, “but this is an excuse for us to do this again!”

Saturday morning work retreat. There’s a generic snack bar set up. Issa is texting with Daniel, after canceling on him because of her date the previous night. Anyway the work team does a boring team building exercise so that the Clueless White People can make Clueless White People assumptions about the kind of trouble kids might be having at home. Issa and Frieda take a few passive aggressive jabs at each other and when it’s time to pair up Frieda quickly finds someone else, leaving Issa stuck with Sujata Day. I don’t know if she’s supposed to be Indian in this one.

Vow Renewal. Apparently Molly decided to invite Sterling K Brown who is wearing a crazy colorful suit like only a person whose body has been altered to look good in Hollywood could do:

Molly’s wig actually does look good, don’t mind the screenshot. Dro and his parents show up (his dad is latino, his mom is ambiguous brown). Dro hangs around as his parents walk off and Sterling K Brown possessively wraps an arm around Molly, who introduces them. Just so you know that this is going on:

Do y'all take notice of stuff like this or no? Men, even men who are supposedly friends with each other, I find pull rank like this in front of women all the time. I was seeing a guy and one night we were hanging out with his roommate. They went outside to smoke and I tagged along. My dude and I were sharing his cigarette (I don’t smoke but I find this sort of thing cute) and the other guy offered me his. My dude didn’t think anything of it, but it’s little shit like that that always feels like to me men are playing ego games with each other and/or always prepared to slide in the DMs of someone else’s girl. (I also tend to think everyone is hitting on me, so that bias tends to reinterpret things.) But, it’s the subtlety. And I think if more people paid attention they’d notice things like this more often. At any rate, Sterling K Brown is clearly glad to be there with Molly and possibly senses that Dro is a threat. They all play polite and it’s only mildly awkward.

At a bar across town, Lawrence is having drinks with Derek and grilling him for information about Issa and Daniel. Ha. That’s way more straightforward than he usually is when he talks to Chad. Derek says that after Tasha, he and Tiffany had to stop discussing them because they always took sides. Lawrence is preoccupied and insecure about Issa seeing Daniel now… maybe she had been seeing him the entire time? Derek says Issa is too dorky to be sneaky. “That’s exactly why you wouldn’t expect it,” Lawrence says. He clearly is reiminaging their entire relationship and second guessing what he thought it was.

“Honestly… this ain’t all on Issa,” Derek says. “You spent two years unemployed, not doing shit, letting your woman take care of you. Kinda left the door open.” Lawrence does that thing of rotating his jaw and accepts this silently. He tries to say it doesn’t justify cheating, but Derek says he understands why she would be attracted to someone who could make things happen.

Vow renewal. Molly’s brother or whatever asks “is that you?” and HA! Haven’t heard that in ages. “So it’s a pity date?” he asks. Molly lists off his positive qualities and how she wants to give it a shot. Her brother says just because she dates a good guy that doesn’t translate into a relationship. Her brother (no, her brother’s best friend) apparently is married to a stripper that trapped him. He tells Molly if she isn’t feeling him she shouldn’t date him. And because Molly has no understanding of what she wants out of a relationship or from men generally, this is the point where she no longer understands if she should be on a date with Sterling K Brown. He doesn’t deserve this.

Bathroom. Issa calls her brother to check whether or not she might be in the wrong with the situation with Frieda. Check out this gloriously dressed fashion forward ass nigga:

Issa’s brother doesn’t tell her what she wants to hear so she hangs up in his face. To make herself feel better, she responds to a random sext from Neighbor Bae, sending back a nude before she gets busted by Mrs. Frizzle. Issa, at least go into the stall.

Molly is partially hosting this party, so she goes to greet a couple of great aunts. As nosy older black women, they immediately start inquiring about the delicious slice of man she chose to parade around this family event. Which… if you’re not sure if you want to date a guy, don’t fucking bring him to a parent-centered family event maybe. The aunts start talking about how amazing it is that Molly’s parent’s marriage lasted 35 years “after what he put my sister through.” This is news to Molly.

Issa is texting at a red light when she misses it turn green. A “Potential Bae” sends her a dick pic and she rear ends the car in front of her. This is where I stopped being on Issa’s team. No woman, no self possessed black woman, has any business being so distracted by dick she would open herself up to litigation, the loss of transportation, and unspecified auto repair. Like, I can no longer abide this level of thirst. This was when Issa went too far. Also, I spared you a screenshot of the dick pic.

Back that the renewal, Molly is grilling her brother about the state of her parents’ marriage. It turns out that Dad cheated on Mom and “they worked through it.” Molly seems almost more offended that her mom put up with it than her dad cheated at all. And this is the part where Yvonne Orji had to do an emotional scene. And it was so bad it threatened to diminish my enjoyment of the rest of the series so what you need to know is: 1. the acting here is really really bad, so bad I don’t know how they didn’t insist on more takes and/or cut away often enough so that you didn’t notice how bad it was and b. Molly can’t deal with the reality that there is no such thing as a fairy tale relationship. Not all relationships have cheating but a fuckton of them do, so everyone needs to just chill. Also, remind me at a later date to tell you about how I recently found out a guy I had been seeing was married and his wife had their first kid earlier this year. It was fucking horrid. (This is not an endorsement from the “All Men Cheat” school of logic as I, personally, have never been cheated on in a relationship.)

Sterling K Brown tries to console Molly but she stomps away, leaving Dro to chase after her. Bitch move. Molly’s being an asshole all around. Bitch, how are you whining about relationships when you left your fucking date at a party at your parents’ house to leave with another dude? Molly is way out of line here, and her behavior deserves no sympathy at all.

Issa calls Daniel to let him know she can’t make it tonight because she got into a car accident. He offers to pick her up. She tries to beg off but he insists, and his caring and eagerness to help is good to see. One of the worst things about being an introverted holier than thou asshole is that whenever I need help, it always hits me really hard that I really have no one to call.

Meanwhile, this is Lawrence’s Saturday night:

GOD those are the worst, lol. He sits there ruminating for awhile and finally defriends. “I don’t wanna see this shit,” Lawrence thinks.

Dro is driving Molly home. So… she just gone leave her car (and her date) in the interests of her thirst or what? Because I’m not buying that she’s so distraught she just needed to get home despite the common decency of leaving on no notice like that. You wanted to provoke Dro’s dick and we all know it. No smoothing over on this ridiculous behavior, Molly. She continues being all “distraught,” and while I have to offer points for the damsel and distress routine in principle, I believe in polite society more, so be thirsty on your own time, not when it inconveniences or hurts someone else. Molly laments how she spends all her time trying to find someone like her dad only to find out their marriage is bullshit. I suppose if I had grown up in a married two parent household it would come as news to me, too, that parents can be just as ain’t shit as anyone else. Still. I find this childish. Dro lends a sympathetic ear and Molly eats it up.

Daniel shows up to pick up Issa and gives her a hug in reassurance since she’s just been in a car accident. Instead of abiding this silently where even if she doesn’t want it she can use it to her advantage at a later date, Issa decides to be clear that Daniel knows they are not dating only each other and are both seeing other people. Issa isn’t sure if she was as up front about that as she should have been the last time they slept together. Daniel reacts disappointedly in a way that telegraphs he did not know that was what they were doing. On the other hand, I feel like men pull this shit a lot and maybe it was good for him to know he isn’t the only fish in her pond. Idk. On this issue I have erred toward casual probably more often than I should have, to regretful effects, so for me the jury is out on that.

Dro walks Molly to her door and her building is so lovely. Oh, it turns out Dro drove Molly’s car home. That kinda makes it even more shitty that she left Sterling K Brown? When Dro goes to leave, because we must be overtly aware of the stupid and ridiculous choices they make, she pulls him back and kisses him. Then we cut to them boning a second later. Excellent sex scene. Extremely poor choice.

[mayarosa47]

Is Dating During Separation Adultery In Utah?

Legal separation can mean different things in different states, so it should come as no surprise that the laws regarding dating after legal separation are also somewhat inconsistent. Dating might be adultery before a divorce is final but it might not be. The significance of committing adultery also varies from state to state. Some states consider a couple legally separated when they have signed a separation or marital settlement agreement and relocated to separate homes. A separation agreement is a binding contract, but the contract is between the spouses and doesn’t involve the court until they’re divorced and it becomes part of a decree. Until that time, they’re still married. In other states, legal separation is a process similar to divorce. One spouse must file a petition with the court and a judge decides issues of property, support and custody, much as he would in a divorce. At the end of the litigation, the court issues a decree of legal separation. Some states, call this a divorce from bed and board. However, spouses are still legally married when they separate by this method.

Dating is not adultery in itself. Adultery requires that sexual contact exists between a married individual and someone other than his spouse. If a married but separated man takes a woman out for dinner, but drops her off at the end of the evening and goes his own way, it’s generally not adultery. Sexual contact probably did not occur. If he dates that woman repeatedly and they begin spending time together in each other’s homes, this can open the door for his spouse to claim the affair is adulterous because sexual contact might be taking place. Adultery During Separation In some states, adultery is a crime, although it is rarely prosecuted. In states that still recognize fault-based divorces, adultery has more of an impact. If a man begins dating during a legal separation in one of these states, and if his wife can prove that the relationship is sexual in nature, she can usually file for divorce on grounds of adultery. This can affect issues of property distribution and alimony. However, some states make a legal distinction between dating during separation and dating while living together as man and wife. In Utah, unless one spouse is clinically insane, couples can only file for divorce after a one-year separation period. If a spouse commits adultery prior to the beginning of the separation, it affects issues of alimony. If the adultery occurs after the date of separation, it does not.

Under the terms of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, adultery is a criminal offense. However, the timing of the adultery may be considered. Adultery in the military is punishable when it is construed as morally wrong. Therefore, if the adultery occurred after separation and not before, it may be excusable during a military inquiry. It would depend on the opinion of the officers conducting the inquiry. In states where legal separation involves a court proceeding similar to and as complicated as divorce, or when spouses have signed a separation agreement and want to begin dating, it might make sense for them to simply divorce instead, so they can move on with their lives. Dating during a marital separation may or may not classify as cheating, depending on the promises made and expectations held by both spouses. Having an affair during a temporary, let’s-take-a-breather separation looks very different than a romantic involvement after a final, legal separation. In either case, however, dating while technically married can have detrimental legal effects in some states. Expectations and Promises When the word cheating is used in a marriage, it generally implies that one spouse has broken promises of fidelity. For some people, they never end, and the “till death do us part” vow makes any dating forbidden ever, even after separation or divorce. Others see marriage as a legal institution that is terminated together with all commitments and responsibilities upon divorce. Still others consider some types of separations enough to cancel marital commitments.

Whether separation annuls marriage vows in a moral sense may depend on the type of separation. Marital separation means that a couple is living apart, but the range of separations is great. Some couples decide to live apart for a few months while working on their issues. Sometimes spouses separate when one moves out and files for divorce. Other married couples go to court and obtain a legal separation, with a court decree resolving all custody, support and property issues, the equivalent of a divorce in all but name. Evaluating Your Separation Commitments To decide whether your actions constitute cheating, morally speaking, you’ll have to review the terms of your separation. If you and your spouse agreed not to see anyone during the separation, dating is cheating. If nothing was said about the subject, but you and your spouse are actively working on your marriage during the separation, a promise not to get intimate with a third party can be implied. A break is not a break-up, according to psychologist Mark White, and dating around violates the spirit of your arrangement. Legal Consequences Years ago, having an affair while still in a marriage constituted adultery and provided grounds for divorce. All states now provide for no-fault divorce, allowing divorce, and in some, like California, adultery cannot be considered in property division or support awards either. However, this doesn’t always mean that adultery has no effect on your divorce. The majority of states also permit fault-based divorce on grounds including adultery. If your spouse wins a divorce based on your adultery, it may affect the division of marital property as well as alimony rights. As you can see, the definition of cheating has many definitions and variations based upon circumstances and basic understandings (implicitly or explicitly) between couples. One cannot make claims as to what is right and not right, but safe to say there should be an understanding between the individuals involved. Married couples split up. Many will then go on to start new, happy, fulfilling relationships. It is not uncommon for separated couples to move on by moving in with their new respective partners. Sometimes couples will decide to live separately before seeking a divorce so that they can use that period of separation as the basis for their divorce. Once you have been living apart for more than two years, this can be used as grounds for your divorce as long as you are both in agreement. If you wanted to proceed with a divorce sooner, then one of the two ‘fault based’ grounds would need to be relied upon. If your partner does not agree to proceeding on the basis of two years separation – and you do not want to use the fault based grounds – you would need to wait until you had been separated for five years before you could start divorce proceedings. It does not matter if you have agreed with your spouse to see other people, if you do it on holiday abroad, if they have done it first, or even if you have moved in with your new partner. It is still adultery. Your husband or wife can use your adultery as the basis of a divorce petition as it is one of the five facts that can be used to prove that a marriage has broken down beyond repair. With the party that files for the divorce also usually the one that pays the court’s fee of £550, it’s not surprising that, when a married couple separates because one party committed adultery, it’s the spouse that committed the offence that looks to apply for the divorce in order to shoulder this cost. Unfortunately, this inevitably causes problems. Unfortunately, when any of the three fault based grounds (adultery, unreasonable behavior or desertion) are cited as the reason for a marriage irretrievably having broken down, the petitioner (the individuals that formally requests the divorce) must state that they find it intolerable to remain married to the respondent (the party not filing for divorce). Because of this, it is not possible for someone to file for a divorce whilst relying on their own adultery. By doing this, the petitioner would essentially be claiming that they could no longer reasonably be expected to remain married to the respondent as a result of their own actions –

something which the courts will not accept. When couples find themselves in this situation, they’re usually left with two options: the ‘victim’ of the adultery can file for the divorce or the adulterer can file on the grounds of their spouse’s unreasonable behavior. The former is problematic because the ‘victim’ of the adultery feels that they should not pay the court’s fees. The latter can cause problems when the ‘victim’ feels they should not be blamed for the breakdown of the marriage or because they simply have not behaved unreasonably. Under such circumstances, the logical solution is actually pretty simple: the party that committed the adultery can pay their spouse the fees in question before they file for the divorce. Whilst this would mean that the couple could obtain a divorce on the grounds of adultery, that the appropriate party would be blamed for the breakdown of the marriage and that the person that committed the adultery would foot the bill for the court’s fees, there is still one hurdle that’d need to be cleared: a lack of trust. Once it becomes necessary for the parties to exchange money before the process has even begun it is, in our experience at least, normal for a lack of trust to cause delays. If the parties are still on relatively good terms, this can usually be overcome with little more than simple reassurance. When the relationship has become more fraught, though, the thought of simply handing over several hundred pounds is met with trepidation and a standoff usually ensues. One possible solution here is that the petitioner files for the divorce under the proviso that, following them having received correspondence from the court (and therefore proof that the request was filed and the fee paid), the respondent repays them. In this instance, the petitioner can seek added security by requesting that the courts order the respondent to return these fees to them by ticking the relevant box in section 11 of their Divorce Petition meaning that they can then pursue repayment through the small claims court if necessary. This arrangement should also suit the respondent as they will not be pursued by the court in any way unless the petitioner authorizes the necessary proceedings. Dating might be termed as adultery before the divorce is confirmed – or it may not be. The significance of both concepts is very crucial. It is not new to see couples moving on with their lives after separation. Fault-based divorces work on the concept of adultery as well. The spouse needs to provide strong evidence for sexual relations of their significant other with someone else. In most states, only clinical sanity is a barrier for legal separation and the time allotted for divorce exceeds a year. Despite that, before this time period, any sexual relations with someone other than your spouse are regarded as adultery. They might seriously affect the provision of property and financial divisions. However, the leniency dates from the time separation began. In most areas, adultery is more of a criminal offense. Timing and recurrence rates, however, are of major importance during such cases. The law’s opinion on this issue makes a big difference and you can, by no means, challenge the law. Signing a separation and beginning to date makes sense both legally and personally. This might confirm the need for divorce. This will also increase the ease of moving on and continuing a new life. Choosing to divorce is rarely an easy decision to make, but escaping a bad situation can feel like a breath of fresh air. For many men and women, divorce provides a rare opportunity for a new beginning. The way adultery will impact your divorce depends on your state’s laws, which is why it’s wise to hire family lawyers to guide you through this process. For instance, in no-fault divorce states like Utah it is no longer necessary to prove that your spouse committed adultery or abandonment to file for divorce. And while some states do still use adultery as a partial basis for alimony, this is also becoming less common. However, in some states, proof of adultery could have an impact on your divorce settlement. If you and your spouse have separated but not divorced, you may be in a legal gray area when it comes to adultery. Again, consult a family law firm to understand the risks, if any, to dating while divorcing. Unfortunately, some divorces can take years. During this time, you may feel like you’re ready to re-enter the dating world. The best course of action is talking to your divorce lawyer. Each divorce is different, and your state may have specific laws regarding separation prior to divorce.

Why people may date during their divorce

People date during a divorce for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is that it’s a welcome distraction during a stressful time. Gaining positive energy and contemplating future relationships is one of the many reasons people get divorced in the first place. Others may seek out dates for a sense of empowerment that they may not have had during the course of their marriage. Between 40% to 50% of married people will get a divorce, and it’s not a surprise that some people will inevitably date during the divorce process. When you want to discuss your rights when you’re going through a divorce, contact divorce lawyers in your state to give you the advice you need during this trying time. Dating during divorce can have legal consequences both for the divorcing spouse and their new partner. Dating while separated can hold up and complicate the divorce proceedings, can effect custody and visitation decisions, and rarely but possibly, depending on the state, may be grounds for a lawsuit.

Effects on the Divorce

Dating while going through a divorce can have a number of negative effects on the divorce proceedings, both in court and emotionally. Additionally, while every state is now a no-fault divorce state, marital misconduct can still be considered in some situations. Marital misconduct can encompass a wide variety of actions, including adultery and cruelty. During the proceedings, the fact that a dating spouse is already separated will be noted, but that does not necessarily mean the circumstances of the new relationship will not be considered. For example, the judge might disapprove of the dating spouse’s behavior and develop a bias against them. While such a bias is ostensibly unacceptable in the some system, judges are human and biases are natural and even probable in some instances. In addition, in some states the new relationship may be considered in the division of property or alimony determinations, so the dating spouse may not get as much as they want out of the divorce depending on the new partner’s financial circumstances. This is especially true if the dating spouse begins cohabitating with their new partner during the divorce process. Some states have laws stating that a spouse cohabitating with a partner of the opposite sex is presumed to have a decreased need for spousal support. Dating before a divorce is final is one of the typical issues that cause heightened conflict during a divorce. The other spouse, if they are not dating, may develop the idea that the dating spouse was committing adultery even if that idea hadn’t surfaced before. Or, the other spouse may simply suffer anger and hurt as a result of the limited amount of time it apparently took the dating spouse to recover and move on. Either way, the other spouse may become confrontational, may become unwilling to compromise and obstinate during the proceedings, or, at best, may become cold and distrustful of the dating spouse. These feelings can cause property division to be more difficult, as well as other aspects of the divorce.

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Is Dating During Separation Adultery In Utah?

Legal separation can mean different things in different states, so it should come as no surprise that the laws regarding dating after legal separation are also somewhat inconsistent. Dating might be adultery before a divorce is final but it might not be. The significance of committing adultery also varies from state to state. Some states consider a couple legally separated when they have signed a separation or marital settlement agreement and relocated to separate homes. A separation agreement is a binding contract, but the contract is between the spouses and doesn’t involve the court until they’re divorced and it becomes part of a decree. Until that time, they’re still married. In other states, legal separation is a process similar to divorce. One spouse must file a petition with the court and a judge decides issues of property, support and custody, much as he would in a divorce. At the end of the litigation, the court issues a decree of legal separation. Some states, call this a divorce from bed and board. However, spouses are still legally married when they separate by this method.

Dating is not adultery in itself. Adultery requires that sexual contact exists between a married individual and someone other than his spouse. If a married but separated man takes a woman out for dinner, but drops her off at the end of the evening and goes his own way, it’s generally not adultery. Sexual contact probably did not occur. If he dates that woman repeatedly and they begin spending time together in each other’s homes, this can open the door for his spouse to claim the affair is adulterous because sexual contact might be taking place. Adultery During Separation In some states, adultery is a crime, although it is rarely prosecuted. In states that still recognize fault-based divorces, adultery has more of an impact. If a man begins dating during a legal separation in one of these states, and if his wife can prove that the relationship is sexual in nature, she can usually file for divorce on grounds of adultery. This can affect issues of property distribution and alimony. However, some states make a legal distinction between dating during separation and dating while living together as man and wife. In Utah, unless one spouse is clinically insane, couples can only file for divorce after a one-year separation period. If a spouse commits adultery prior to the beginning of the separation, it affects issues of alimony. If the adultery occurs after the date of separation, it does not.

Under the terms of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, adultery is a criminal offense. However, the timing of the adultery may be considered. Adultery in the military is punishable when it is construed as morally wrong. Therefore, if the adultery occurred after separation and not before, it may be excusable during a military inquiry. It would depend on the opinion of the officers conducting the inquiry. In states where legal separation involves a court proceeding similar to and as complicated as divorce, or when spouses have signed a separation agreement and want to begin dating, it might make sense for them to simply divorce instead, so they can move on with their lives. Dating during a marital separation may or may not classify as cheating, depending on the promises made and expectations held by both spouses. Having an affair during a temporary, let’s-take-a-breather separation looks very different than a romantic involvement after a final, legal separation. In either case, however, dating while technically married can have detrimental legal effects in some states. Expectations and Promises When the word cheating is used in a marriage, it generally implies that one spouse has broken promises of fidelity. For some people, they never end, and the “till death do us part” vow makes any dating forbidden ever, even after separation or divorce. Others see marriage as a legal institution that is terminated together with all commitments and responsibilities upon divorce. Still others consider some types of separations enough to cancel marital commitments.

Whether separation annuls marriage vows in a moral sense may depend on the type of separation. Marital separation means that a couple is living apart, but the range of separations is great. Some couples decide to live apart for a few months while working on their issues. Sometimes spouses separate when one moves out and files for divorce. Other married couples go to court and obtain a legal separation, with a court decree resolving all custody, support and property issues, the equivalent of a divorce in all but name. Evaluating Your Separation Commitments To decide whether your actions constitute cheating, morally speaking, you’ll have to review the terms of your separation. If you and your spouse agreed not to see anyone during the separation, dating is cheating. If nothing was said about the subject, but you and your spouse are actively working on your marriage during the separation, a promise not to get intimate with a third party can be implied. A break is not a break-up, according to psychologist Mark White, and dating around violates the spirit of your arrangement. Legal Consequences Years ago, having an affair while still in a marriage constituted adultery and provided grounds for divorce. All states now provide for no-fault divorce, allowing divorce, and in some, like California, adultery cannot be considered in property division or support awards either. However, this doesn’t always mean that adultery has no effect on your divorce. The majority of states also permit fault-based divorce on grounds including adultery. If your spouse wins a divorce based on your adultery, it may affect the division of marital property as well as alimony rights. As you can see, the definition of cheating has many definitions and variations based upon circumstances and basic understandings (implicitly or explicitly) between couples. One cannot make claims as to what is right and not right, but safe to say there should be an understanding between the individuals involved. Married couples split up. Many will then go on to start new, happy, fulfilling relationships. It is not uncommon for separated couples to move on by moving in with their new respective partners. Sometimes couples will decide to live separately before seeking a divorce so that they can use that period of separation as the basis for their divorce. Once you have been living apart for more than two years, this can be used as grounds for your divorce as long as you are both in agreement. If you wanted to proceed with a divorce sooner, then one of the two ‘fault based’ grounds would need to be relied upon. If your partner does not agree to proceeding on the basis of two years separation – and you do not want to use the fault based grounds – you would need to wait until you had been separated for five years before you could start divorce proceedings. It does not matter if you have agreed with your spouse to see other people, if you do it on holiday abroad, if they have done it first, or even if you have moved in with your new partner. It is still adultery. Your husband or wife can use your adultery as the basis of a divorce petition as it is one of the five facts that can be used to prove that a marriage has broken down beyond repair. With the party that files for the divorce also usually the one that pays the court’s fee of £550, it’s not surprising that, when a married couple separates because one party committed adultery, it’s the spouse that committed the offence that looks to apply for the divorce in order to shoulder this cost. Unfortunately, this inevitably causes problems. Unfortunately, when any of the three fault based grounds (adultery, unreasonable behavior or desertion) are cited as the reason for a marriage irretrievably having broken down, the petitioner (the individuals that formally requests the divorce) must state that they find it intolerable to remain married to the respondent (the party not filing for divorce). Because of this, it is not possible for someone to file for a divorce whilst relying on their own adultery. By doing this, the petitioner would essentially be claiming that they could no longer reasonably be expected to remain married to the respondent as a result of their own actions –

something which the courts will not accept. When couples find themselves in this situation, they’re usually left with two options: the ‘victim’ of the adultery can file for the divorce or the adulterer can file on the grounds of their spouse’s unreasonable behavior. The former is problematic because the ‘victim’ of the adultery feels that they should not pay the court’s fees. The latter can cause problems when the ‘victim’ feels they should not be blamed for the breakdown of the marriage or because they simply have not behaved unreasonably. Under such circumstances, the logical solution is actually pretty simple: the party that committed the adultery can pay their spouse the fees in question before they file for the divorce. Whilst this would mean that the couple could obtain a divorce on the grounds of adultery, that the appropriate party would be blamed for the breakdown of the marriage and that the person that committed the adultery would foot the bill for the court’s fees, there is still one hurdle that’d need to be cleared: a lack of trust. Once it becomes necessary for the parties to exchange money before the process has even begun it is, in our experience at least, normal for a lack of trust to cause delays. If the parties are still on relatively good terms, this can usually be overcome with little more than simple reassurance. When the relationship has become more fraught, though, the thought of simply handing over several hundred pounds is met with trepidation and a standoff usually ensues. One possible solution here is that the petitioner files for the divorce under the proviso that, following them having received correspondence from the court (and therefore proof that the request was filed and the fee paid), the respondent repays them. In this instance, the petitioner can seek added security by requesting that the courts order the respondent to return these fees to them by ticking the relevant box in section 11 of their Divorce Petition meaning that they can then pursue repayment through the small claims court if necessary. This arrangement should also suit the respondent as they will not be pursued by the court in any way unless the petitioner authorizes the necessary proceedings. Dating might be termed as adultery before the divorce is confirmed – or it may not be. The significance of both concepts is very crucial. It is not new to see couples moving on with their lives after separation. Fault-based divorces work on the concept of adultery as well. The spouse needs to provide strong evidence for sexual relations of their significant other with someone else. In most states, only clinical sanity is a barrier for legal separation and the time allotted for divorce exceeds a year. Despite that, before this time period, any sexual relations with someone other than your spouse are regarded as adultery. They might seriously affect the provision of property and financial divisions. However, the leniency dates from the time separation began. In most areas, adultery is more of a criminal offense. Timing and recurrence rates, however, are of major importance during such cases. The law’s opinion on this issue makes a big difference and you can, by no means, challenge the law. Signing a separation and beginning to date makes sense both legally and personally. This might confirm the need for divorce. This will also increase the ease of moving on and continuing a new life. Choosing to divorce is rarely an easy decision to make, but escaping a bad situation can feel like a breath of fresh air. For many men and women, divorce provides a rare opportunity for a new beginning. The way adultery will impact your divorce depends on your state’s laws, which is why it’s wise to hire family lawyers to guide you through this process. For instance, in no-fault divorce states like Utah it is no longer necessary to prove that your spouse committed adultery or abandonment to file for divorce. And while some states do still use adultery as a partial basis for alimony, this is also becoming less common. However, in some states, proof of adultery could have an impact on your divorce settlement. If you and your spouse have separated but not divorced, you may be in a legal gray area when it comes to adultery. Again, consult a family law firm to understand the risks, if any, to dating while divorcing. Unfortunately, some divorces can take years. During this time, you may feel like you’re ready to re-enter the dating world. The best course of action is talking to your divorce lawyer. Each divorce is different, and your state may have specific laws regarding separation prior to divorce.

Why people may date during their divorce

People date during a divorce for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is that it’s a welcome distraction during a stressful time. Gaining positive energy and contemplating future relationships is one of the many reasons people get divorced in the first place. Others may seek out dates for a sense of empowerment that they may not have had during the course of their marriage. Between 40% to 50% of married people will get a divorce, and it’s not a surprise that some people will inevitably date during the divorce process. When you want to discuss your rights when you’re going through a divorce, contact divorce lawyers in your state to give you the advice you need during this trying time. Dating during divorce can have legal consequences both for the divorcing spouse and their new partner. Dating while separated can hold up and complicate the divorce proceedings, can effect custody and visitation decisions, and rarely but possibly, depending on the state, may be grounds for a lawsuit.

Effects on the Divorce

Dating while going through a divorce can have a number of negative effects on the divorce proceedings, both in court and emotionally. Additionally, while every state is now a no-fault divorce state, marital misconduct can still be considered in some situations. Marital misconduct can encompass a wide variety of actions, including adultery and cruelty. During the proceedings, the fact that a dating spouse is already separated will be noted, but that does not necessarily mean the circumstances of the new relationship will not be considered. For example, the judge might disapprove of the dating spouse’s behavior and develop a bias against them. While such a bias is ostensibly unacceptable in the some system, judges are human and biases are natural and even probable in some instances. In addition, in some states the new relationship may be considered in the division of property or alimony determinations, so the dating spouse may not get as much as they want out of the divorce depending on the new partner’s financial circumstances. This is especially true if the dating spouse begins cohabitating with their new partner during the divorce process. Some states have laws stating that a spouse cohabitating with a partner of the opposite sex is presumed to have a decreased need for spousal support. Dating before a divorce is final is one of the typical issues that cause heightened conflict during a divorce. The other spouse, if they are not dating, may develop the idea that the dating spouse was committing adultery even if that idea hadn’t surfaced before. Or, the other spouse may simply suffer anger and hurt as a result of the limited amount of time it apparently took the dating spouse to recover and move on. Either way, the other spouse may become confrontational, may become unwilling to compromise and obstinate during the proceedings, or, at best, may become cold and distrustful of the dating spouse. These feelings can cause property division to be more difficult, as well as other aspects of the divorce.

Free Consultation with Divorce Lawyer in Utah

If you have a question about divorce law or if you need to start or defend against a divorce case in Utah call Ascent Law at (801) 676-5506. We will fight for you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

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from Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/is-dating-during-separation-adultery-in-utah/

from Criminal Defense Lawyer West Jordan Utah https://criminaldefenselawyerwestjordanutah.wordpress.com/2020/03/14/is-dating-during-separation-adultery-in-utah/

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Is Dating During Separation Adultery In Utah?

Legal separation can mean different things in different states, so it should come as no surprise that the laws regarding dating after legal separation are also somewhat inconsistent. Dating might be adultery before a divorce is final but it might not be. The significance of committing adultery also varies from state to state. Some states consider a couple legally separated when they have signed a separation or marital settlement agreement and relocated to separate homes. A separation agreement is a binding contract, but the contract is between the spouses and doesn’t involve the court until they’re divorced and it becomes part of a decree. Until that time, they’re still married. In other states, legal separation is a process similar to divorce. One spouse must file a petition with the court and a judge decides issues of property, support and custody, much as he would in a divorce. At the end of the litigation, the court issues a decree of legal separation. Some states, call this a divorce from bed and board. However, spouses are still legally married when they separate by this method.

Dating is not adultery in itself. Adultery requires that sexual contact exists between a married individual and someone other than his spouse. If a married but separated man takes a woman out for dinner, but drops her off at the end of the evening and goes his own way, it’s generally not adultery. Sexual contact probably did not occur. If he dates that woman repeatedly and they begin spending time together in each other’s homes, this can open the door for his spouse to claim the affair is adulterous because sexual contact might be taking place. Adultery During Separation In some states, adultery is a crime, although it is rarely prosecuted. In states that still recognize fault-based divorces, adultery has more of an impact. If a man begins dating during a legal separation in one of these states, and if his wife can prove that the relationship is sexual in nature, she can usually file for divorce on grounds of adultery. This can affect issues of property distribution and alimony. However, some states make a legal distinction between dating during separation and dating while living together as man and wife. In Utah, unless one spouse is clinically insane, couples can only file for divorce after a one-year separation period. If a spouse commits adultery prior to the beginning of the separation, it affects issues of alimony. If the adultery occurs after the date of separation, it does not.

Under the terms of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, adultery is a criminal offense. However, the timing of the adultery may be considered. Adultery in the military is punishable when it is construed as morally wrong. Therefore, if the adultery occurred after separation and not before, it may be excusable during a military inquiry. It would depend on the opinion of the officers conducting the inquiry. In states where legal separation involves a court proceeding similar to and as complicated as divorce, or when spouses have signed a separation agreement and want to begin dating, it might make sense for them to simply divorce instead, so they can move on with their lives. Dating during a marital separation may or may not classify as cheating, depending on the promises made and expectations held by both spouses. Having an affair during a temporary, let’s-take-a-breather separation looks very different than a romantic involvement after a final, legal separation. In either case, however, dating while technically married can have detrimental legal effects in some states. Expectations and Promises When the word cheating is used in a marriage, it generally implies that one spouse has broken promises of fidelity. For some people, they never end, and the “till death do us part” vow makes any dating forbidden ever, even after separation or divorce. Others see marriage as a legal institution that is terminated together with all commitments and responsibilities upon divorce. Still others consider some types of separations enough to cancel marital commitments.

Whether separation annuls marriage vows in a moral sense may depend on the type of separation. Marital separation means that a couple is living apart, but the range of separations is great. Some couples decide to live apart for a few months while working on their issues. Sometimes spouses separate when one moves out and files for divorce. Other married couples go to court and obtain a legal separation, with a court decree resolving all custody, support and property issues, the equivalent of a divorce in all but name. Evaluating Your Separation Commitments To decide whether your actions constitute cheating, morally speaking, you’ll have to review the terms of your separation. If you and your spouse agreed not to see anyone during the separation, dating is cheating. If nothing was said about the subject, but you and your spouse are actively working on your marriage during the separation, a promise not to get intimate with a third party can be implied. A break is not a break-up, according to psychologist Mark White, and dating around violates the spirit of your arrangement. Legal Consequences Years ago, having an affair while still in a marriage constituted adultery and provided grounds for divorce. All states now provide for no-fault divorce, allowing divorce, and in some, like California, adultery cannot be considered in property division or support awards either. However, this doesn’t always mean that adultery has no effect on your divorce. The majority of states also permit fault-based divorce on grounds including adultery. If your spouse wins a divorce based on your adultery, it may affect the division of marital property as well as alimony rights. As you can see, the definition of cheating has many definitions and variations based upon circumstances and basic understandings (implicitly or explicitly) between couples. One cannot make claims as to what is right and not right, but safe to say there should be an understanding between the individuals involved. Married couples split up. Many will then go on to start new, happy, fulfilling relationships. It is not uncommon for separated couples to move on by moving in with their new respective partners. Sometimes couples will decide to live separately before seeking a divorce so that they can use that period of separation as the basis for their divorce. Once you have been living apart for more than two years, this can be used as grounds for your divorce as long as you are both in agreement. If you wanted to proceed with a divorce sooner, then one of the two ‘fault based’ grounds would need to be relied upon. If your partner does not agree to proceeding on the basis of two years separation – and you do not want to use the fault based grounds – you would need to wait until you had been separated for five years before you could start divorce proceedings. It does not matter if you have agreed with your spouse to see other people, if you do it on holiday abroad, if they have done it first, or even if you have moved in with your new partner. It is still adultery. Your husband or wife can use your adultery as the basis of a divorce petition as it is one of the five facts that can be used to prove that a marriage has broken down beyond repair. With the party that files for the divorce also usually the one that pays the court’s fee of £550, it’s not surprising that, when a married couple separates because one party committed adultery, it’s the spouse that committed the offence that looks to apply for the divorce in order to shoulder this cost. Unfortunately, this inevitably causes problems. Unfortunately, when any of the three fault based grounds (adultery, unreasonable behavior or desertion) are cited as the reason for a marriage irretrievably having broken down, the petitioner (the individuals that formally requests the divorce) must state that they find it intolerable to remain married to the respondent (the party not filing for divorce). Because of this, it is not possible for someone to file for a divorce whilst relying on their own adultery. By doing this, the petitioner would essentially be claiming that they could no longer reasonably be expected to remain married to the respondent as a result of their own actions –

something which the courts will not accept. When couples find themselves in this situation, they’re usually left with two options: the ‘victim’ of the adultery can file for the divorce or the adulterer can file on the grounds of their spouse’s unreasonable behavior. The former is problematic because the ‘victim’ of the adultery feels that they should not pay the court’s fees. The latter can cause problems when the ‘victim’ feels they should not be blamed for the breakdown of the marriage or because they simply have not behaved unreasonably. Under such circumstances, the logical solution is actually pretty simple: the party that committed the adultery can pay their spouse the fees in question before they file for the divorce. Whilst this would mean that the couple could obtain a divorce on the grounds of adultery, that the appropriate party would be blamed for the breakdown of the marriage and that the person that committed the adultery would foot the bill for the court’s fees, there is still one hurdle that’d need to be cleared: a lack of trust. Once it becomes necessary for the parties to exchange money before the process has even begun it is, in our experience at least, normal for a lack of trust to cause delays. If the parties are still on relatively good terms, this can usually be overcome with little more than simple reassurance. When the relationship has become more fraught, though, the thought of simply handing over several hundred pounds is met with trepidation and a standoff usually ensues. One possible solution here is that the petitioner files for the divorce under the proviso that, following them having received correspondence from the court (and therefore proof that the request was filed and the fee paid), the respondent repays them. In this instance, the petitioner can seek added security by requesting that the courts order the respondent to return these fees to them by ticking the relevant box in section 11 of their Divorce Petition meaning that they can then pursue repayment through the small claims court if necessary. This arrangement should also suit the respondent as they will not be pursued by the court in any way unless the petitioner authorizes the necessary proceedings. Dating might be termed as adultery before the divorce is confirmed – or it may not be. The significance of both concepts is very crucial. It is not new to see couples moving on with their lives after separation. Fault-based divorces work on the concept of adultery as well. The spouse needs to provide strong evidence for sexual relations of their significant other with someone else. In most states, only clinical sanity is a barrier for legal separation and the time allotted for divorce exceeds a year. Despite that, before this time period, any sexual relations with someone other than your spouse are regarded as adultery. They might seriously affect the provision of property and financial divisions. However, the leniency dates from the time separation began. In most areas, adultery is more of a criminal offense. Timing and recurrence rates, however, are of major importance during such cases. The law’s opinion on this issue makes a big difference and you can, by no means, challenge the law. Signing a separation and beginning to date makes sense both legally and personally. This might confirm the need for divorce. This will also increase the ease of moving on and continuing a new life. Choosing to divorce is rarely an easy decision to make, but escaping a bad situation can feel like a breath of fresh air. For many men and women, divorce provides a rare opportunity for a new beginning. The way adultery will impact your divorce depends on your state’s laws, which is why it’s wise to hire family lawyers to guide you through this process. For instance, in no-fault divorce states like Utah it is no longer necessary to prove that your spouse committed adultery or abandonment to file for divorce. And while some states do still use adultery as a partial basis for alimony, this is also becoming less common. However, in some states, proof of adultery could have an impact on your divorce settlement. If you and your spouse have separated but not divorced, you may be in a legal gray area when it comes to adultery. Again, consult a family law firm to understand the risks, if any, to dating while divorcing. Unfortunately, some divorces can take years. During this time, you may feel like you’re ready to re-enter the dating world. The best course of action is talking to your divorce lawyer. Each divorce is different, and your state may have specific laws regarding separation prior to divorce.

Why people may date during their divorce

People date during a divorce for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is that it’s a welcome distraction during a stressful time. Gaining positive energy and contemplating future relationships is one of the many reasons people get divorced in the first place. Others may seek out dates for a sense of empowerment that they may not have had during the course of their marriage. Between 40% to 50% of married people will get a divorce, and it’s not a surprise that some people will inevitably date during the divorce process. When you want to discuss your rights when you’re going through a divorce, contact divorce lawyers in your state to give you the advice you need during this trying time. Dating during divorce can have legal consequences both for the divorcing spouse and their new partner. Dating while separated can hold up and complicate the divorce proceedings, can effect custody and visitation decisions, and rarely but possibly, depending on the state, may be grounds for a lawsuit.

Effects on the Divorce

Dating while going through a divorce can have a number of negative effects on the divorce proceedings, both in court and emotionally. Additionally, while every state is now a no-fault divorce state, marital misconduct can still be considered in some situations. Marital misconduct can encompass a wide variety of actions, including adultery and cruelty. During the proceedings, the fact that a dating spouse is already separated will be noted, but that does not necessarily mean the circumstances of the new relationship will not be considered. For example, the judge might disapprove of the dating spouse’s behavior and develop a bias against them. While such a bias is ostensibly unacceptable in the some system, judges are human and biases are natural and even probable in some instances. In addition, in some states the new relationship may be considered in the division of property or alimony determinations, so the dating spouse may not get as much as they want out of the divorce depending on the new partner’s financial circumstances. This is especially true if the dating spouse begins cohabitating with their new partner during the divorce process. Some states have laws stating that a spouse cohabitating with a partner of the opposite sex is presumed to have a decreased need for spousal support. Dating before a divorce is final is one of the typical issues that cause heightened conflict during a divorce. The other spouse, if they are not dating, may develop the idea that the dating spouse was committing adultery even if that idea hadn’t surfaced before. Or, the other spouse may simply suffer anger and hurt as a result of the limited amount of time it apparently took the dating spouse to recover and move on. Either way, the other spouse may become confrontational, may become unwilling to compromise and obstinate during the proceedings, or, at best, may become cold and distrustful of the dating spouse. These feelings can cause property division to be more difficult, as well as other aspects of the divorce.

Free Consultation with Divorce Lawyer in Utah

If you have a question about divorce law or if you need to start or defend against a divorce case in Utah call Ascent Law at (801) 676-5506. We will fight for you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

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from Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/is-dating-during-separation-adultery-in-utah/ from Divorce Lawyer Nelson Farms Utah https://divorcelawyernelsonfarmsutah.tumblr.com/post/612529955084091392

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Is Dating During Separation Adultery In Utah?

Legal separation can mean different things in different states, so it should come as no surprise that the laws regarding dating after legal separation are also somewhat inconsistent. Dating might be adultery before a divorce is final but it might not be. The significance of committing adultery also varies from state to state. Some states consider a couple legally separated when they have signed a separation or marital settlement agreement and relocated to separate homes. A separation agreement is a binding contract, but the contract is between the spouses and doesn’t involve the court until they’re divorced and it becomes part of a decree. Until that time, they’re still married. In other states, legal separation is a process similar to divorce. One spouse must file a petition with the court and a judge decides issues of property, support and custody, much as he would in a divorce. At the end of the litigation, the court issues a decree of legal separation. Some states, call this a divorce from bed and board. However, spouses are still legally married when they separate by this method.

Dating is not adultery in itself. Adultery requires that sexual contact exists between a married individual and someone other than his spouse. If a married but separated man takes a woman out for dinner, but drops her off at the end of the evening and goes his own way, it’s generally not adultery. Sexual contact probably did not occur. If he dates that woman repeatedly and they begin spending time together in each other’s homes, this can open the door for his spouse to claim the affair is adulterous because sexual contact might be taking place. Adultery During Separation In some states, adultery is a crime, although it is rarely prosecuted. In states that still recognize fault-based divorces, adultery has more of an impact. If a man begins dating during a legal separation in one of these states, and if his wife can prove that the relationship is sexual in nature, she can usually file for divorce on grounds of adultery. This can affect issues of property distribution and alimony. However, some states make a legal distinction between dating during separation and dating while living together as man and wife. In Utah, unless one spouse is clinically insane, couples can only file for divorce after a one-year separation period. If a spouse commits adultery prior to the beginning of the separation, it affects issues of alimony. If the adultery occurs after the date of separation, it does not.

Under the terms of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, adultery is a criminal offense. However, the timing of the adultery may be considered. Adultery in the military is punishable when it is construed as morally wrong. Therefore, if the adultery occurred after separation and not before, it may be excusable during a military inquiry. It would depend on the opinion of the officers conducting the inquiry. In states where legal separation involves a court proceeding similar to and as complicated as divorce, or when spouses have signed a separation agreement and want to begin dating, it might make sense for them to simply divorce instead, so they can move on with their lives. Dating during a marital separation may or may not classify as cheating, depending on the promises made and expectations held by both spouses. Having an affair during a temporary, let’s-take-a-breather separation looks very different than a romantic involvement after a final, legal separation. In either case, however, dating while technically married can have detrimental legal effects in some states. Expectations and Promises When the word cheating is used in a marriage, it generally implies that one spouse has broken promises of fidelity. For some people, they never end, and the “till death do us part” vow makes any dating forbidden ever, even after separation or divorce. Others see marriage as a legal institution that is terminated together with all commitments and responsibilities upon divorce. Still others consider some types of separations enough to cancel marital commitments.

Whether separation annuls marriage vows in a moral sense may depend on the type of separation. Marital separation means that a couple is living apart, but the range of separations is great. Some couples decide to live apart for a few months while working on their issues. Sometimes spouses separate when one moves out and files for divorce. Other married couples go to court and obtain a legal separation, with a court decree resolving all custody, support and property issues, the equivalent of a divorce in all but name. Evaluating Your Separation Commitments To decide whether your actions constitute cheating, morally speaking, you’ll have to review the terms of your separation. If you and your spouse agreed not to see anyone during the separation, dating is cheating. If nothing was said about the subject, but you and your spouse are actively working on your marriage during the separation, a promise not to get intimate with a third party can be implied. A break is not a break-up, according to psychologist Mark White, and dating around violates the spirit of your arrangement. Legal Consequences Years ago, having an affair while still in a marriage constituted adultery and provided grounds for divorce. All states now provide for no-fault divorce, allowing divorce, and in some, like California, adultery cannot be considered in property division or support awards either. However, this doesn’t always mean that adultery has no effect on your divorce. The majority of states also permit fault-based divorce on grounds including adultery. If your spouse wins a divorce based on your adultery, it may affect the division of marital property as well as alimony rights. As you can see, the definition of cheating has many definitions and variations based upon circumstances and basic understandings (implicitly or explicitly) between couples. One cannot make claims as to what is right and not right, but safe to say there should be an understanding between the individuals involved. Married couples split up. Many will then go on to start new, happy, fulfilling relationships. It is not uncommon for separated couples to move on by moving in with their new respective partners. Sometimes couples will decide to live separately before seeking a divorce so that they can use that period of separation as the basis for their divorce. Once you have been living apart for more than two years, this can be used as grounds for your divorce as long as you are both in agreement. If you wanted to proceed with a divorce sooner, then one of the two ‘fault based’ grounds would need to be relied upon. If your partner does not agree to proceeding on the basis of two years separation – and you do not want to use the fault based grounds – you would need to wait until you had been separated for five years before you could start divorce proceedings. It does not matter if you have agreed with your spouse to see other people, if you do it on holiday abroad, if they have done it first, or even if you have moved in with your new partner. It is still adultery. Your husband or wife can use your adultery as the basis of a divorce petition as it is one of the five facts that can be used to prove that a marriage has broken down beyond repair. With the party that files for the divorce also usually the one that pays the court’s fee of £550, it’s not surprising that, when a married couple separates because one party committed adultery, it’s the spouse that committed the offence that looks to apply for the divorce in order to shoulder this cost. Unfortunately, this inevitably causes problems. Unfortunately, when any of the three fault based grounds (adultery, unreasonable behavior or desertion) are cited as the reason for a marriage irretrievably having broken down, the petitioner (the individuals that formally requests the divorce) must state that they find it intolerable to remain married to the respondent (the party not filing for divorce). Because of this, it is not possible for someone to file for a divorce whilst relying on their own adultery. By doing this, the petitioner would essentially be claiming that they could no longer reasonably be expected to remain married to the respondent as a result of their own actions –

something which the courts will not accept. When couples find themselves in this situation, they’re usually left with two options: the ‘victim’ of the adultery can file for the divorce or the adulterer can file on the grounds of their spouse’s unreasonable behavior. The former is problematic because the ‘victim’ of the adultery feels that they should not pay the court’s fees. The latter can cause problems when the ‘victim’ feels they should not be blamed for the breakdown of the marriage or because they simply have not behaved unreasonably. Under such circumstances, the logical solution is actually pretty simple: the party that committed the adultery can pay their spouse the fees in question before they file for the divorce. Whilst this would mean that the couple could obtain a divorce on the grounds of adultery, that the appropriate party would be blamed for the breakdown of the marriage and that the person that committed the adultery would foot the bill for the court’s fees, there is still one hurdle that’d need to be cleared: a lack of trust. Once it becomes necessary for the parties to exchange money before the process has even begun it is, in our experience at least, normal for a lack of trust to cause delays. If the parties are still on relatively good terms, this can usually be overcome with little more than simple reassurance. When the relationship has become more fraught, though, the thought of simply handing over several hundred pounds is met with trepidation and a standoff usually ensues. One possible solution here is that the petitioner files for the divorce under the proviso that, following them having received correspondence from the court (and therefore proof that the request was filed and the fee paid), the respondent repays them. In this instance, the petitioner can seek added security by requesting that the courts order the respondent to return these fees to them by ticking the relevant box in section 11 of their Divorce Petition meaning that they can then pursue repayment through the small claims court if necessary. This arrangement should also suit the respondent as they will not be pursued by the court in any way unless the petitioner authorizes the necessary proceedings. Dating might be termed as adultery before the divorce is confirmed – or it may not be. The significance of both concepts is very crucial. It is not new to see couples moving on with their lives after separation. Fault-based divorces work on the concept of adultery as well. The spouse needs to provide strong evidence for sexual relations of their significant other with someone else. In most states, only clinical sanity is a barrier for legal separation and the time allotted for divorce exceeds a year. Despite that, before this time period, any sexual relations with someone other than your spouse are regarded as adultery. They might seriously affect the provision of property and financial divisions. However, the leniency dates from the time separation began. In most areas, adultery is more of a criminal offense. Timing and recurrence rates, however, are of major importance during such cases. The law’s opinion on this issue makes a big difference and you can, by no means, challenge the law. Signing a separation and beginning to date makes sense both legally and personally. This might confirm the need for divorce. This will also increase the ease of moving on and continuing a new life. Choosing to divorce is rarely an easy decision to make, but escaping a bad situation can feel like a breath of fresh air. For many men and women, divorce provides a rare opportunity for a new beginning. The way adultery will impact your divorce depends on your state’s laws, which is why it’s wise to hire family lawyers to guide you through this process. For instance, in no-fault divorce states like Utah it is no longer necessary to prove that your spouse committed adultery or abandonment to file for divorce. And while some states do still use adultery as a partial basis for alimony, this is also becoming less common. However, in some states, proof of adultery could have an impact on your divorce settlement. If you and your spouse have separated but not divorced, you may be in a legal gray area when it comes to adultery. Again, consult a family law firm to understand the risks, if any, to dating while divorcing. Unfortunately, some divorces can take years. During this time, you may feel like you’re ready to re-enter the dating world. The best course of action is talking to your divorce lawyer. Each divorce is different, and your state may have specific laws regarding separation prior to divorce.

Why people may date during their divorce

People date during a divorce for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is that it’s a welcome distraction during a stressful time. Gaining positive energy and contemplating future relationships is one of the many reasons people get divorced in the first place. Others may seek out dates for a sense of empowerment that they may not have had during the course of their marriage. Between 40% to 50% of married people will get a divorce, and it’s not a surprise that some people will inevitably date during the divorce process. When you want to discuss your rights when you’re going through a divorce, contact divorce lawyers in your state to give you the advice you need during this trying time. Dating during divorce can have legal consequences both for the divorcing spouse and their new partner. Dating while separated can hold up and complicate the divorce proceedings, can effect custody and visitation decisions, and rarely but possibly, depending on the state, may be grounds for a lawsuit.

Effects on the Divorce

Dating while going through a divorce can have a number of negative effects on the divorce proceedings, both in court and emotionally. Additionally, while every state is now a no-fault divorce state, marital misconduct can still be considered in some situations. Marital misconduct can encompass a wide variety of actions, including adultery and cruelty. During the proceedings, the fact that a dating spouse is already separated will be noted, but that does not necessarily mean the circumstances of the new relationship will not be considered. For example, the judge might disapprove of the dating spouse’s behavior and develop a bias against them. While such a bias is ostensibly unacceptable in the some system, judges are human and biases are natural and even probable in some instances. In addition, in some states the new relationship may be considered in the division of property or alimony determinations, so the dating spouse may not get as much as they want out of the divorce depending on the new partner’s financial circumstances. This is especially true if the dating spouse begins cohabitating with their new partner during the divorce process. Some states have laws stating that a spouse cohabitating with a partner of the opposite sex is presumed to have a decreased need for spousal support. Dating before a divorce is final is one of the typical issues that cause heightened conflict during a divorce. The other spouse, if they are not dating, may develop the idea that the dating spouse was committing adultery even if that idea hadn’t surfaced before. Or, the other spouse may simply suffer anger and hurt as a result of the limited amount of time it apparently took the dating spouse to recover and move on. Either way, the other spouse may become confrontational, may become unwilling to compromise and obstinate during the proceedings, or, at best, may become cold and distrustful of the dating spouse. These feelings can cause property division to be more difficult, as well as other aspects of the divorce.

Free Consultation with Divorce Lawyer in Utah

If you have a question about divorce law or if you need to start or defend against a divorce case in Utah call Ascent Law at (801) 676-5506. We will fight for you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

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Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/is-dating-during-separation-adultery-in-utah/

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Is Dating During Separation Adultery In Utah?

Legal separation can mean different things in different states, so it should come as no surprise that the laws regarding dating after legal separation are also somewhat inconsistent. Dating might be adultery before a divorce is final but it might not be. The significance of committing adultery also varies from state to state. Some states consider a couple legally separated when they have signed a separation or marital settlement agreement and relocated to separate homes. A separation agreement is a binding contract, but the contract is between the spouses and doesn’t involve the court until they’re divorced and it becomes part of a decree. Until that time, they’re still married. In other states, legal separation is a process similar to divorce. One spouse must file a petition with the court and a judge decides issues of property, support and custody, much as he would in a divorce. At the end of the litigation, the court issues a decree of legal separation. Some states, call this a divorce from bed and board. However, spouses are still legally married when they separate by this method.

Dating is not adultery in itself. Adultery requires that sexual contact exists between a married individual and someone other than his spouse. If a married but separated man takes a woman out for dinner, but drops her off at the end of the evening and goes his own way, it’s generally not adultery. Sexual contact probably did not occur. If he dates that woman repeatedly and they begin spending time together in each other’s homes, this can open the door for his spouse to claim the affair is adulterous because sexual contact might be taking place. Adultery During Separation In some states, adultery is a crime, although it is rarely prosecuted. In states that still recognize fault-based divorces, adultery has more of an impact. If a man begins dating during a legal separation in one of these states, and if his wife can prove that the relationship is sexual in nature, she can usually file for divorce on grounds of adultery. This can affect issues of property distribution and alimony. However, some states make a legal distinction between dating during separation and dating while living together as man and wife. In Utah, unless one spouse is clinically insane, couples can only file for divorce after a one-year separation period. If a spouse commits adultery prior to the beginning of the separation, it affects issues of alimony. If the adultery occurs after the date of separation, it does not.

Under the terms of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, adultery is a criminal offense. However, the timing of the adultery may be considered. Adultery in the military is punishable when it is construed as morally wrong. Therefore, if the adultery occurred after separation and not before, it may be excusable during a military inquiry. It would depend on the opinion of the officers conducting the inquiry. In states where legal separation involves a court proceeding similar to and as complicated as divorce, or when spouses have signed a separation agreement and want to begin dating, it might make sense for them to simply divorce instead, so they can move on with their lives. Dating during a marital separation may or may not classify as cheating, depending on the promises made and expectations held by both spouses. Having an affair during a temporary, let’s-take-a-breather separation looks very different than a romantic involvement after a final, legal separation. In either case, however, dating while technically married can have detrimental legal effects in some states. Expectations and Promises When the word cheating is used in a marriage, it generally implies that one spouse has broken promises of fidelity. For some people, they never end, and the “till death do us part” vow makes any dating forbidden ever, even after separation or divorce. Others see marriage as a legal institution that is terminated together with all commitments and responsibilities upon divorce. Still others consider some types of separations enough to cancel marital commitments.

Whether separation annuls marriage vows in a moral sense may depend on the type of separation. Marital separation means that a couple is living apart, but the range of separations is great. Some couples decide to live apart for a few months while working on their issues. Sometimes spouses separate when one moves out and files for divorce. Other married couples go to court and obtain a legal separation, with a court decree resolving all custody, support and property issues, the equivalent of a divorce in all but name. Evaluating Your Separation Commitments To decide whether your actions constitute cheating, morally speaking, you’ll have to review the terms of your separation. If you and your spouse agreed not to see anyone during the separation, dating is cheating. If nothing was said about the subject, but you and your spouse are actively working on your marriage during the separation, a promise not to get intimate with a third party can be implied. A break is not a break-up, according to psychologist Mark White, and dating around violates the spirit of your arrangement. Legal Consequences Years ago, having an affair while still in a marriage constituted adultery and provided grounds for divorce. All states now provide for no-fault divorce, allowing divorce, and in some, like California, adultery cannot be considered in property division or support awards either. However, this doesn’t always mean that adultery has no effect on your divorce. The majority of states also permit fault-based divorce on grounds including adultery. If your spouse wins a divorce based on your adultery, it may affect the division of marital property as well as alimony rights. As you can see, the definition of cheating has many definitions and variations based upon circumstances and basic understandings (implicitly or explicitly) between couples. One cannot make claims as to what is right and not right, but safe to say there should be an understanding between the individuals involved. Married couples split up. Many will then go on to start new, happy, fulfilling relationships. It is not uncommon for separated couples to move on by moving in with their new respective partners. Sometimes couples will decide to live separately before seeking a divorce so that they can use that period of separation as the basis for their divorce. Once you have been living apart for more than two years, this can be used as grounds for your divorce as long as you are both in agreement. If you wanted to proceed with a divorce sooner, then one of the two ‘fault based’ grounds would need to be relied upon. If your partner does not agree to proceeding on the basis of two years separation – and you do not want to use the fault based grounds – you would need to wait until you had been separated for five years before you could start divorce proceedings. It does not matter if you have agreed with your spouse to see other people, if you do it on holiday abroad, if they have done it first, or even if you have moved in with your new partner. It is still adultery. Your husband or wife can use your adultery as the basis of a divorce petition as it is one of the five facts that can be used to prove that a marriage has broken down beyond repair. With the party that files for the divorce also usually the one that pays the court’s fee of £550, it’s not surprising that, when a married couple separates because one party committed adultery, it’s the spouse that committed the offence that looks to apply for the divorce in order to shoulder this cost. Unfortunately, this inevitably causes problems. Unfortunately, when any of the three fault based grounds (adultery, unreasonable behavior or desertion) are cited as the reason for a marriage irretrievably having broken down, the petitioner (the individuals that formally requests the divorce) must state that they find it intolerable to remain married to the respondent (the party not filing for divorce). Because of this, it is not possible for someone to file for a divorce whilst relying on their own adultery. By doing this, the petitioner would essentially be claiming that they could no longer reasonably be expected to remain married to the respondent as a result of their own actions –

something which the courts will not accept. When couples find themselves in this situation, they’re usually left with two options: the ‘victim’ of the adultery can file for the divorce or the adulterer can file on the grounds of their spouse’s unreasonable behavior. The former is problematic because the ‘victim’ of the adultery feels that they should not pay the court’s fees. The latter can cause problems when the ‘victim’ feels they should not be blamed for the breakdown of the marriage or because they simply have not behaved unreasonably. Under such circumstances, the logical solution is actually pretty simple: the party that committed the adultery can pay their spouse the fees in question before they file for the divorce. Whilst this would mean that the couple could obtain a divorce on the grounds of adultery, that the appropriate party would be blamed for the breakdown of the marriage and that the person that committed the adultery would foot the bill for the court’s fees, there is still one hurdle that’d need to be cleared: a lack of trust. Once it becomes necessary for the parties to exchange money before the process has even begun it is, in our experience at least, normal for a lack of trust to cause delays. If the parties are still on relatively good terms, this can usually be overcome with little more than simple reassurance. When the relationship has become more fraught, though, the thought of simply handing over several hundred pounds is met with trepidation and a standoff usually ensues. One possible solution here is that the petitioner files for the divorce under the proviso that, following them having received correspondence from the court (and therefore proof that the request was filed and the fee paid), the respondent repays them. In this instance, the petitioner can seek added security by requesting that the courts order the respondent to return these fees to them by ticking the relevant box in section 11 of their Divorce Petition meaning that they can then pursue repayment through the small claims court if necessary. This arrangement should also suit the respondent as they will not be pursued by the court in any way unless the petitioner authorizes the necessary proceedings. Dating might be termed as adultery before the divorce is confirmed – or it may not be. The significance of both concepts is very crucial. It is not new to see couples moving on with their lives after separation. Fault-based divorces work on the concept of adultery as well. The spouse needs to provide strong evidence for sexual relations of their significant other with someone else. In most states, only clinical sanity is a barrier for legal separation and the time allotted for divorce exceeds a year. Despite that, before this time period, any sexual relations with someone other than your spouse are regarded as adultery. They might seriously affect the provision of property and financial divisions. However, the leniency dates from the time separation began. In most areas, adultery is more of a criminal offense. Timing and recurrence rates, however, are of major importance during such cases. The law’s opinion on this issue makes a big difference and you can, by no means, challenge the law. Signing a separation and beginning to date makes sense both legally and personally. This might confirm the need for divorce. This will also increase the ease of moving on and continuing a new life. Choosing to divorce is rarely an easy decision to make, but escaping a bad situation can feel like a breath of fresh air. For many men and women, divorce provides a rare opportunity for a new beginning. The way adultery will impact your divorce depends on your state’s laws, which is why it’s wise to hire family lawyers to guide you through this process. For instance, in no-fault divorce states like Utah it is no longer necessary to prove that your spouse committed adultery or abandonment to file for divorce. And while some states do still use adultery as a partial basis for alimony, this is also becoming less common. However, in some states, proof of adultery could have an impact on your divorce settlement. If you and your spouse have separated but not divorced, you may be in a legal gray area when it comes to adultery. Again, consult a family law firm to understand the risks, if any, to dating while divorcing. Unfortunately, some divorces can take years. During this time, you may feel like you’re ready to re-enter the dating world. The best course of action is talking to your divorce lawyer. Each divorce is different, and your state may have specific laws regarding separation prior to divorce.

Why people may date during their divorce

People date during a divorce for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is that it’s a welcome distraction during a stressful time. Gaining positive energy and contemplating future relationships is one of the many reasons people get divorced in the first place. Others may seek out dates for a sense of empowerment that they may not have had during the course of their marriage. Between 40% to 50% of married people will get a divorce, and it’s not a surprise that some people will inevitably date during the divorce process. When you want to discuss your rights when you’re going through a divorce, contact divorce lawyers in your state to give you the advice you need during this trying time. Dating during divorce can have legal consequences both for the divorcing spouse and their new partner. Dating while separated can hold up and complicate the divorce proceedings, can effect custody and visitation decisions, and rarely but possibly, depending on the state, may be grounds for a lawsuit.

Effects on the Divorce

Dating while going through a divorce can have a number of negative effects on the divorce proceedings, both in court and emotionally. Additionally, while every state is now a no-fault divorce state, marital misconduct can still be considered in some situations. Marital misconduct can encompass a wide variety of actions, including adultery and cruelty. During the proceedings, the fact that a dating spouse is already separated will be noted, but that does not necessarily mean the circumstances of the new relationship will not be considered. For example, the judge might disapprove of the dating spouse’s behavior and develop a bias against them. While such a bias is ostensibly unacceptable in the some system, judges are human and biases are natural and even probable in some instances. In addition, in some states the new relationship may be considered in the division of property or alimony determinations, so the dating spouse may not get as much as they want out of the divorce depending on the new partner’s financial circumstances. This is especially true if the dating spouse begins cohabitating with their new partner during the divorce process. Some states have laws stating that a spouse cohabitating with a partner of the opposite sex is presumed to have a decreased need for spousal support. Dating before a divorce is final is one of the typical issues that cause heightened conflict during a divorce. The other spouse, if they are not dating, may develop the idea that the dating spouse was committing adultery even if that idea hadn’t surfaced before. Or, the other spouse may simply suffer anger and hurt as a result of the limited amount of time it apparently took the dating spouse to recover and move on. Either way, the other spouse may become confrontational, may become unwilling to compromise and obstinate during the proceedings, or, at best, may become cold and distrustful of the dating spouse. These feelings can cause property division to be more difficult, as well as other aspects of the divorce.

Free Consultation with Divorce Lawyer in Utah

If you have a question about divorce law or if you need to start or defend against a divorce case in Utah call Ascent Law at (801) 676-5506. We will fight for you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

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Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/is-dating-during-separation-adultery-in-utah/

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Is Dating During Separation Adultery In Utah?

Legal separation can mean different things in different states, so it should come as no surprise that the laws regarding dating after legal separation are also somewhat inconsistent. Dating might be adultery before a divorce is final but it might not be. The significance of committing adultery also varies from state to state. Some states consider a couple legally separated when they have signed a separation or marital settlement agreement and relocated to separate homes. A separation agreement is a binding contract, but the contract is between the spouses and doesn’t involve the court until they’re divorced and it becomes part of a decree. Until that time, they’re still married. In other states, legal separation is a process similar to divorce. One spouse must file a petition with the court and a judge decides issues of property, support and custody, much as he would in a divorce. At the end of the litigation, the court issues a decree of legal separation. Some states, call this a divorce from bed and board. However, spouses are still legally married when they separate by this method.

Dating is not adultery in itself. Adultery requires that sexual contact exists between a married individual and someone other than his spouse. If a married but separated man takes a woman out for dinner, but drops her off at the end of the evening and goes his own way, it’s generally not adultery. Sexual contact probably did not occur. If he dates that woman repeatedly and they begin spending time together in each other’s homes, this can open the door for his spouse to claim the affair is adulterous because sexual contact might be taking place. Adultery During Separation In some states, adultery is a crime, although it is rarely prosecuted. In states that still recognize fault-based divorces, adultery has more of an impact. If a man begins dating during a legal separation in one of these states, and if his wife can prove that the relationship is sexual in nature, she can usually file for divorce on grounds of adultery. This can affect issues of property distribution and alimony. However, some states make a legal distinction between dating during separation and dating while living together as man and wife. In Utah, unless one spouse is clinically insane, couples can only file for divorce after a one-year separation period. If a spouse commits adultery prior to the beginning of the separation, it affects issues of alimony. If the adultery occurs after the date of separation, it does not.

Under the terms of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, adultery is a criminal offense. However, the timing of the adultery may be considered. Adultery in the military is punishable when it is construed as morally wrong. Therefore, if the adultery occurred after separation and not before, it may be excusable during a military inquiry. It would depend on the opinion of the officers conducting the inquiry. In states where legal separation involves a court proceeding similar to and as complicated as divorce, or when spouses have signed a separation agreement and want to begin dating, it might make sense for them to simply divorce instead, so they can move on with their lives. Dating during a marital separation may or may not classify as cheating, depending on the promises made and expectations held by both spouses. Having an affair during a temporary, let’s-take-a-breather separation looks very different than a romantic involvement after a final, legal separation. In either case, however, dating while technically married can have detrimental legal effects in some states. Expectations and Promises When the word cheating is used in a marriage, it generally implies that one spouse has broken promises of fidelity. For some people, they never end, and the “till death do us part” vow makes any dating forbidden ever, even after separation or divorce. Others see marriage as a legal institution that is terminated together with all commitments and responsibilities upon divorce. Still others consider some types of separations enough to cancel marital commitments.

Whether separation annuls marriage vows in a moral sense may depend on the type of separation. Marital separation means that a couple is living apart, but the range of separations is great. Some couples decide to live apart for a few months while working on their issues. Sometimes spouses separate when one moves out and files for divorce. Other married couples go to court and obtain a legal separation, with a court decree resolving all custody, support and property issues, the equivalent of a divorce in all but name. Evaluating Your Separation Commitments To decide whether your actions constitute cheating, morally speaking, you’ll have to review the terms of your separation. If you and your spouse agreed not to see anyone during the separation, dating is cheating. If nothing was said about the subject, but you and your spouse are actively working on your marriage during the separation, a promise not to get intimate with a third party can be implied. A break is not a break-up, according to psychologist Mark White, and dating around violates the spirit of your arrangement. Legal Consequences Years ago, having an affair while still in a marriage constituted adultery and provided grounds for divorce. All states now provide for no-fault divorce, allowing divorce, and in some, like California, adultery cannot be considered in property division or support awards either. However, this doesn’t always mean that adultery has no effect on your divorce. The majority of states also permit fault-based divorce on grounds including adultery. If your spouse wins a divorce based on your adultery, it may affect the division of marital property as well as alimony rights. As you can see, the definition of cheating has many definitions and variations based upon circumstances and basic understandings (implicitly or explicitly) between couples. One cannot make claims as to what is right and not right, but safe to say there should be an understanding between the individuals involved. Married couples split up. Many will then go on to start new, happy, fulfilling relationships. It is not uncommon for separated couples to move on by moving in with their new respective partners. Sometimes couples will decide to live separately before seeking a divorce so that they can use that period of separation as the basis for their divorce. Once you have been living apart for more than two years, this can be used as grounds for your divorce as long as you are both in agreement. If you wanted to proceed with a divorce sooner, then one of the two ‘fault based’ grounds would need to be relied upon. If your partner does not agree to proceeding on the basis of two years separation – and you do not want to use the fault based grounds – you would need to wait until you had been separated for five years before you could start divorce proceedings. It does not matter if you have agreed with your spouse to see other people, if you do it on holiday abroad, if they have done it first, or even if you have moved in with your new partner. It is still adultery. Your husband or wife can use your adultery as the basis of a divorce petition as it is one of the five facts that can be used to prove that a marriage has broken down beyond repair. With the party that files for the divorce also usually the one that pays the court’s fee of £550, it’s not surprising that, when a married couple separates because one party committed adultery, it’s the spouse that committed the offence that looks to apply for the divorce in order to shoulder this cost. Unfortunately, this inevitably causes problems. Unfortunately, when any of the three fault based grounds (adultery, unreasonable behavior or desertion) are cited as the reason for a marriage irretrievably having broken down, the petitioner (the individuals that formally requests the divorce) must state that they find it intolerable to remain married to the respondent (the party not filing for divorce). Because of this, it is not possible for someone to file for a divorce whilst relying on their own adultery. By doing this, the petitioner would essentially be claiming that they could no longer reasonably be expected to remain married to the respondent as a result of their own actions –

something which the courts will not accept. When couples find themselves in this situation, they’re usually left with two options: the ‘victim’ of the adultery can file for the divorce or the adulterer can file on the grounds of their spouse’s unreasonable behavior. The former is problematic because the ‘victim’ of the adultery feels that they should not pay the court’s fees. The latter can cause problems when the ‘victim’ feels they should not be blamed for the breakdown of the marriage or because they simply have not behaved unreasonably. Under such circumstances, the logical solution is actually pretty simple: the party that committed the adultery can pay their spouse the fees in question before they file for the divorce. Whilst this would mean that the couple could obtain a divorce on the grounds of adultery, that the appropriate party would be blamed for the breakdown of the marriage and that the person that committed the adultery would foot the bill for the court’s fees, there is still one hurdle that’d need to be cleared: a lack of trust. Once it becomes necessary for the parties to exchange money before the process has even begun it is, in our experience at least, normal for a lack of trust to cause delays. If the parties are still on relatively good terms, this can usually be overcome with little more than simple reassurance. When the relationship has become more fraught, though, the thought of simply handing over several hundred pounds is met with trepidation and a standoff usually ensues. One possible solution here is that the petitioner files for the divorce under the proviso that, following them having received correspondence from the court (and therefore proof that the request was filed and the fee paid), the respondent repays them. In this instance, the petitioner can seek added security by requesting that the courts order the respondent to return these fees to them by ticking the relevant box in section 11 of their Divorce Petition meaning that they can then pursue repayment through the small claims court if necessary. This arrangement should also suit the respondent as they will not be pursued by the court in any way unless the petitioner authorizes the necessary proceedings. Dating might be termed as adultery before the divorce is confirmed – or it may not be. The significance of both concepts is very crucial. It is not new to see couples moving on with their lives after separation. Fault-based divorces work on the concept of adultery as well. The spouse needs to provide strong evidence for sexual relations of their significant other with someone else. In most states, only clinical sanity is a barrier for legal separation and the time allotted for divorce exceeds a year. Despite that, before this time period, any sexual relations with someone other than your spouse are regarded as adultery. They might seriously affect the provision of property and financial divisions. However, the leniency dates from the time separation began. In most areas, adultery is more of a criminal offense. Timing and recurrence rates, however, are of major importance during such cases. The law’s opinion on this issue makes a big difference and you can, by no means, challenge the law. Signing a separation and beginning to date makes sense both legally and personally. This might confirm the need for divorce. This will also increase the ease of moving on and continuing a new life. Choosing to divorce is rarely an easy decision to make, but escaping a bad situation can feel like a breath of fresh air. For many men and women, divorce provides a rare opportunity for a new beginning. The way adultery will impact your divorce depends on your state’s laws, which is why it’s wise to hire family lawyers to guide you through this process. For instance, in no-fault divorce states like Utah it is no longer necessary to prove that your spouse committed adultery or abandonment to file for divorce. And while some states do still use adultery as a partial basis for alimony, this is also becoming less common. However, in some states, proof of adultery could have an impact on your divorce settlement. If you and your spouse have separated but not divorced, you may be in a legal gray area when it comes to adultery. Again, consult a family law firm to understand the risks, if any, to dating while divorcing. Unfortunately, some divorces can take years. During this time, you may feel like you’re ready to re-enter the dating world. The best course of action is talking to your divorce lawyer. Each divorce is different, and your state may have specific laws regarding separation prior to divorce.

Why people may date during their divorce

People date during a divorce for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is that it’s a welcome distraction during a stressful time. Gaining positive energy and contemplating future relationships is one of the many reasons people get divorced in the first place. Others may seek out dates for a sense of empowerment that they may not have had during the course of their marriage. Between 40% to 50% of married people will get a divorce, and it’s not a surprise that some people will inevitably date during the divorce process. When you want to discuss your rights when you’re going through a divorce, contact divorce lawyers in your state to give you the advice you need during this trying time. Dating during divorce can have legal consequences both for the divorcing spouse and their new partner. Dating while separated can hold up and complicate the divorce proceedings, can effect custody and visitation decisions, and rarely but possibly, depending on the state, may be grounds for a lawsuit.

Effects on the Divorce

Dating while going through a divorce can have a number of negative effects on the divorce proceedings, both in court and emotionally. Additionally, while every state is now a no-fault divorce state, marital misconduct can still be considered in some situations. Marital misconduct can encompass a wide variety of actions, including adultery and cruelty. During the proceedings, the fact that a dating spouse is already separated will be noted, but that does not necessarily mean the circumstances of the new relationship will not be considered. For example, the judge might disapprove of the dating spouse’s behavior and develop a bias against them. While such a bias is ostensibly unacceptable in the some system, judges are human and biases are natural and even probable in some instances. In addition, in some states the new relationship may be considered in the division of property or alimony determinations, so the dating spouse may not get as much as they want out of the divorce depending on the new partner’s financial circumstances. This is especially true if the dating spouse begins cohabitating with their new partner during the divorce process. Some states have laws stating that a spouse cohabitating with a partner of the opposite sex is presumed to have a decreased need for spousal support. Dating before a divorce is final is one of the typical issues that cause heightened conflict during a divorce. The other spouse, if they are not dating, may develop the idea that the dating spouse was committing adultery even if that idea hadn’t surfaced before. Or, the other spouse may simply suffer anger and hurt as a result of the limited amount of time it apparently took the dating spouse to recover and move on. Either way, the other spouse may become confrontational, may become unwilling to compromise and obstinate during the proceedings, or, at best, may become cold and distrustful of the dating spouse. These feelings can cause property division to be more difficult, as well as other aspects of the divorce.

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If you have a question about divorce law or if you need to start or defend against a divorce case in Utah call Ascent Law at (801) 676-5506. We will fight for you.

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Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/is-dating-during-separation-adultery-in-utah/