#one of these better have zero votes

[jvzebel-x]

🦋

[muntitled]

Better Than Drugs

Pairings: Namgyu x Fem!Reader | Brief!Thanos x Fem!Reader

Summary: Reconnecting with your shitty ex boyfriend in the games.

Warnings: Language, Substance Abuse, Toxic Relationship, Male Manipulation, Coercion, Smut (+18) mdni, High sex, Dub/con, Choking, Exchange of Bodily Fluids, Unprotected Sex, Unedited (we die like soldiers)

A/n: literally no one will read this but I need him and I wrote this for me!

Being treated like a lamb being led to the proverbial slaughter in a death game sucked ass but seeing your ex boyfriend there sucked even more, somehow. From your vantage point perched on your bed tucked away from all the central conflict, you notice them talking about you again.

Call it past bully traum but you knew when people were talking about you and although you couldn't make out what they were saying, a part of you just knew...

Another vote had ended and Namgyu was still staring at you, his head bowed, chewing his fingernails. He was watching you, while you were forced to watch as democracy crumbled around you.

Your brain made you think Namgyu was perhaps berating you in front of his new friend. Bad-mouthing you to absolutely no end, perhaps saying what a lousy, uptight girlfriend you had been in the outside world. How you kept him from his habit. How you tried to force him into rehab countless times.

And so you shrink into yourself, squeezing yourself further into your bed, hugging your knees.

How were you supposed to know the conversation went nothing like how you thought it was going?

"We need to get her on our team," Thanos had said when the voting concluded and they were watching you pick at your roll of tin-foiled kimbap.

"She's already on our team," Namgyu muttered, more quiet than usual as he watched you through the corner of his eye. He didn't feel like eating. He felt like doing drugs. And fucking, maybe, but eating? It never occurred to him.

Without you to remind him to eat, and to actually take care of his bodily health outside of his substance abuse, he really was a mess.

"Oh yeah," Thanos muttered dumbly before turning back to his own food, "Kay, well, I need to sleep with her."

Namgyu didn't even look up from his food, still leaning against the metal beds as he murmured a quiet, "Nope." Popping his lip, extenuating the 'p'

Thanos himself was rallied into silence as Namgyu casually clicked his tongue before adding, "I called dibs on that bro," he steals another glance. You're searching your chest for a piece of cucumber that's fallen out of the kimbap

This unfortunately, zeroes his gaze in on your ample chest, miraculously squeezed into that tracksuit jacket. Now Namgyu was thinking about your tits while Thanos' head whips to the side, his brow lifted.

Namgyu couldn't take his eyes off you since the games began. Watching you during voting time had stirred up all kinds of lost emotions. The easy and almost thoughtless way you had pressed the blue button before tucking your hands in your pockets, never sparing anyone a second glance. He had to adjust the bulge forming in his sweatpant. If it weren't for him you might have continued to go amongst the games as an anonymous spectre, with that cash prize as your only goal.

"I didn't know we were calling dibs!?" Thanos stomped his feet petulantly, "That's not fair, man. Not. Cool."

"That's the point of dibs," Namgyu said, pushing his hair behind his ears as he continued to stare you down. "Who knows how long we'll be here?" As he watched you, he tilted his head downwards, causing a thick shadow to fall over his eyes as he watched you. He leaned against the railings of the metal beds piled up to the ceiling, watching you tuck your hands deeper into the sleeves of your sweater. Really fucking cute.

"B-But Homies don't call dibs on girls!" Thanos whines.

"Yeah," Namgyu nods, "but, I'm gonna need more than magic pills and a homie to get me through the night," He made a ring with his index and thumb finger, pinching his one eye shut as he spied at you through it, "She can help,”

Thanos was quiet, eerily so. Good things never happened when Thanos was quiet,

"Let's go over to her right now then. Since she's stealing my homie-"

That immediately snapped Namgyu out of his lust-filled gaze, promoting his shoulders to straighten as he tried to stop Thanos from taking another step towards you.

"Senorita-" he said in a singsong voice and you rolled your eyes as you saw them approaching. Namgyu walked behind like the shadow he always tried to be, with his hands tucked in his pocket. Your bed is relatively low to the ground and your heart stammered when both their shadows fell over you.

"Don't have any change," your eyes whipped to your ex-boyfriend before narrowing, "Or drugs. Sorry." you mustered a painfully sarcastic smile as you attempted to turn in another direction, hoping they might take the hint.

Thanos' teeth stretched as Namgyu swallowed thickly, watching you in that distinctly predatory way of his as he propped his forearm against the railing of the bed. You hate how both of them make you feel and your eye scans in vain around the premises, hoping someone might save you from the duo.

"Lemme make this quick," Thanos said with his drug addicted hand gestures. "My bro wants you and whatever bro wants-" he taps Namgyu's chest behind you- "Bro gets."

Silence passed with you staring deep into Namgyu's dark, almost sinister black eyes. You admitted that you were still painfully attracted to him. Knowing that he knows your body. He's already seen what hid under your blue tracksuit, it was dizzyingly sobering.

He still seemed so devastatingly sleezy it bordered on attractive, like he didn't care about what anyone really thought of him. It still brought an uncomfortable amount of attraction that you didn't really know what to do with. "No thanks," you said, bending your head to take a bite of the kimbap.

"Cunt." you heard him mumble under his breath. That caused your head whip up to glare at him.

"I'm a cunt because I'd rather not fuck a drug addict?"

"No," Namgyu shrugged, "You're just a cunt."

Your nostrils flared as something diabolical ignited inside you. Up until this point, fear had been the only emotion you allowed yourself to feel. The fear of dying to keep you alive. But right now, you're being plagued with another emotion and it's setting you alight with interest.

Your dating preferences were never orthodox. You knew you could never truly be satisfied with any other timid nice guy, and that's what drew you to him. You hated admitting to it but Namgyu calling you a cunt did more than irritate you, it ignited you.

"I'm not here to make friends,” You marvel now, in the tense darkness, how confident you had been then.

“How about a boyfriend then?” Namgyu asked and Thanos whistled lowly as he mutters a ‘nice bro,’

“How about choking?” You shot back, “I tried the boyfriend thing and he stole all my savings to buy drugs.” Namgyu’s jaw ticked and you can see his fist fold and unfold. Thanos’ commentary continues. ‘Shit boyfriend-’ he says under his breath.

“Don't be a bitch so early in the morning…” Namgyu says finally before turning his head, somewhat distracted, “Or at least I think it's morning. Hyung do you think it's morning-”

Thanos raised his hands, “Morning is what we make it in here, bro.”

“Leave me alone of I'll fucking scream.” you cut through all their useless chatter, letting a tense silence settle between the three of you. Eventually, Thanos reluctantly pulls Namgyu away. Murmuring a quiet ‘just take a hint bro.'

Soon, you were left in your bed but not without one more backwards glance from Namgyu over his shoulder. He wasn't done with you and that thought sat heavily on your shoulders until the robotic voice from unseen speakers made the countdown to lights out.

The very last thing you remembered, before the overhead lights were snuffed out, was his black, almond eyes still watching you from his bed.

The blue 'O' velcroed to your breast burns a hole through your conscience as your eyes flutter open in the middle of the night, really needing to pee. The prize money acts as the only source of gold light illuminating the hall while everyone else remains soundly asleep.

Life in the games was so much more stomachable during the day, but when the lights went out, you were forced to sit with your thoughts. That piggy bank didn't have money inside it, it held bodies, and the ghosts practically filled this room.

Still, you can't help but whisper to yourself, “I really have to pee.” The only thing stopping you from going to the bathroom is the gaze you knew would somehow find you from three beds over. Your ex boyfriend watches you, even when the lights go out.

Paranoia be damned.

Cursing softly, you maneuvered yourself to the ground. Trying to make the least amount of noise possible as you moved through the row of beds.

If you were being followed you'd never know. Everything was too dark but a part of you sighed as you reached the small arched doorway completely unscathed.

Almost unscathed.

Your heart hammers in its cage when you feel his heavy arm settle over your shoulders. Your mouth falls open but Namgyu is already banging on the arched door with a closed fist. You flinch with every loud, metallic hit.

The little window opens to reveal a triangle-masked soldier. He stands there emotionless.

“My girlfriend's on her period- she's bleeding everywhere. We need the bathroom.”

There is silence from the Guard who is clearly unimpressed. Just before the little window is about to slide shut Namgyu kicks at the door, “Hey! I wanna fuck my girl- if you want, we could do it out here?!”

You try to wrench yourself out of his grip, toilet be damned but your heart absolutely sinks to find the pink soldier opening the metal door.

Namgyu only twirls, pumping his fist before pulling you in his arms, biting back a smile.

“Can't believe that worked,” Namgyu says, with a raised eyebrow and a happy little shrug as he drags you across the threshold. The trip to the women's bathroom is relatively short as you writhe and fight in his hands. There's virtually no reason for the pink guard to think any of this was consensual but they kept their stoicism on their face as you reached the girl's bathroom.

“We'll be quick,” Namgyu assures the guard with a tight sort of smile before pushing you into the bathroom, and closing the door after himself.

You trip on your way running into one of the stalls and he watches you, biting his nail.

“This is the girls bathroom, or are you too high to notice?” You hiss absolute venom as he bites his fingernail.

“Nah, I'm sober right now, which means I need something to take the load off.”

“Cool. Use your hand,” you sigh from within the stalls before dropping your pants to pee. It irked you that he was standing there, on the other side… waiting for you.

You make quick work of it all. Wiping, flushing, and making a beeline for the sinks. He lets you wash your hands but before you make it to the door his arms are wrapped around your waist.

“Uh Uh,” he tsks, “No ‘i miss you’ kiss, huh?” He drags you into his arms, kicking and screaming as he swipes your brains from across your panicked face.

“Only competent boyfriends get kisses,” Despite the fuss, the door doesn't open. Those guards have quite literally abandoned you in here to fend for yourself.

“I can make it up to you,” he said, “I miss you really bad, baby,” Namgyu's pushing your back against the sink, stained with that sickening, pastel colour as he lowers his nose into the crook of your neck. You writhe as he breathes you in deeply, before sighing. His erection pressed against your thigh.

“Someone else could walk in here,” you cry, feeling a dampness seep out of you, wetting your underwear. Your body was being traitorous because it was enjoying feeling anything other than fear. It yearned for it.

“Sto-” you attempt to catch your breath as he gropes at your breasts from over your tracksuit. “Stop touching me-” you say despite your legs getting weaker and weaker.

“You don't get to touch me anymore. You lost that privilege when you stopped being my boyfriend.” He was so much taller than you when he stretched his hand across your cheeks, forcing your neck back to make more space for his lips. A moan nearly spills out of you.

His hands are trembling and his tongue swipes out to lick the length of your neck. To your shock and horror, you melt in his grasp.

“You don't mean that-” he whispers against your skin. “No one's gonna fuck you like I do-”

“No one's going to steal my money like you do either-”

His hand flies down to your throat, choking as he says through clenched teeth, “I told you I had a problem-” he squeezes and for the briefest moment, you see stars. “I needed help and you abandoned me, you bitch-”

“I didn't abandon you-” His lips are on yours, silencing you in one messy kiss that him forcing his tongue into your mouth.

“You gonna be good for me, Huh?’ He says, hoarsely, your eyes glare up at him.

“Leave me alone-”

“You know I love it when you try to fight back,” his mouth breathes against your hair, “You trying to get me riled up babe, huh?”

His fingers find the lining of your own sweatpants and your heart stammers as he turns to push your front against the sink. Your hand grips at the cheap plaster and you avoid your own traitorous reflection in the mirror, lest you find not only fear in your eyes, but lust

“You know how bad I've needed this- fuck,” his voice cracks when fumbles his cock out, grinding against your ass with his eyes closed in ecstasy and his mouth hanging open. Your finger curls around the sink as the first moan slips out of you. It had his eyes flying open to look down at you in amusement and awe.

“I knew you weren't a completely stuck-up bitch,” he says, pulling you up by the base of the throat, “I knew you still wanted me.”

“I don't,” you squeak out as he pulls down your pants.

“No- but your body does,” he swipes your underwear to the side.

Your body spasms as he roughly sinks his digits into you once before pulling out.

“You miss me real bad,” he brings your fingers up in front of your face and your heart drops to find the arousal webbing his index and middle.

He continues to swipe your arousal from from your ass to your puffy clit and the need wracks through your entire body, building as you arched your ass backwards against him.

His mouth is by your ear, breathing heavily as he lines his cock up at your entrance, already leaking precum, “I know I gave you hell when we were out there-”

“Hell doesn't begin to cover- FUCK-” he rams his cock into you. Positively brimming with need as his hips stutter against you.

“Y-ou stole my fucking savings for drugs-” you get the sentence out quickly before moaning into the air, as your boyfriend fucks out all the frustration he's been carrying, all the need and the withdrawal.

“And I ate you out as an apology-” He reaches his hand around to clamp down on the base of your throat. Your mouth falls open when he cranes our neck back, his eyes boring into yours. “Don't you miss it baby, don't miss having me inside of you?”

“Y-Your eyes are diluted-” you begin to say, utterly incredulous. “You're high right now!”

His hips thrusts in shallow, quick strokes. “And your pussy's wet, guess we're both fucked.”

Your pussy tightens around him like a long lost friend, it knocks you out how deeply you've craved him. Needing reprieve from all the fear. “You're squeezing around my cock, you fucking slut-” that nearly has you seeing stars. Your body spasms.

“That it…” he whispers, “Don't think I haven't forgotten the way you abandoned me out there… But in here,” your eyes roll to the back of your head, “You dont so much as fucking breathe without my permission.”

Your eyes squeeze shut as his cock hits that particular pillow of nerves inside you, nearly flipping you off the edge.

“Spit on my hand,” he says, an edge to his voice that let you know he was far too close. You forgot how messy things got when you had sex with him. How much of a mess he made of you.

You do it without thinking about it and his eyes widen as he presses that same hand to your clit.

“F-Fuck!” Your eyes are squeezed shut as he reaches around to rub you to your orgasm. His movements only fumble when his hips start stuttering.

“N-Need you to cum for me-” he breathes out. “I’m jittery- baby. I need it- shit-” you slip into your orgasm right in front of him, milking his cock for all its worth. “F-Fuck this is so much better than drugs,” he murmers, eyes rolled back as a drunken smile ghosts over his face. He's in complete and utter euphoria.

Two rough knocks on the door signal the need for your return but Namgyu's cock is still spilling ropes of his cum inside you and you're doing nothing but taking it.

“I hate you,” you breathe out, because it's true. If it weren't for him you wouldn't be here.

His breath is warm against your neck as he says, “I love you too.

© to @muntitled on tumblr; do not repost

[friskyfreddie2024]

America: You Fucked Up

You could have chosen Hope. You chose Hate.

You could have chosen Empathy. You chose Enmity.

You could have chosen a New Beginning. You chose the Nazi.

We could have finally been rid of this cancer on American democracy. He could have been banished to obscurity, remembered only as the worst president in American history, and finally held responsible for his numerous crimes.

The ignorant, racist, misogynistic, white supremacist, pathologicial liar is now going back to the White House. He is a convicted felon, an admitted sexual predator, a total fraud, and a demented old man. He belongs in prison.

What did you do?

You ignored that the U.S. economy is the strongest in the world, that inflation is at its lowest level in four years, that unemployment is at its lowest level in three years. You believed the lies about how terrible the economy is. I knew better.

You forgot about his 30,000+ lies while he was in office. I remember.

You forgot about his complete mismanagement and ignorance over COVID, resulting in the deaths of over one million Americans. I remember.

You forgot about the saber rattling over military exercises in the pacific, when Kim Jong Un threatened us with nuclear missiles, causing us to fear whether we'd see another day. I remember.

You forgot about waking up every morning dreading to hear the latest abomination he tweeted. I remember.

You forgot about "very fine people on both sides." I remember.

You forgot about "only the best people" like Betsy DeVos, Rick Perry, Tom Price, Scott Pruitt, Steve Mnuchin, and many others who were given cabinet positions despite having zero qualifications for the job. I remember.

You forgot that 40 of his former cabinet members and dozens of former generals and officials refused to support him, saying he was "unfit to serve." I remember.

You forgot about January 6, "fight like hell". I remember.

You forgot that when he was told that his vice president was secured because the rioters wanted to kill him, he said, "So what?" I remember

You forgot about The Big Lie, "Release the Kraken" and 60+ failed attempts to overturn the election in the courts. I remember.

You forgot about "I just need you to find 11,780 votes." I remember.

You forgot about "They're eating the cats! They're eating the dogs!" I remember.

What now?

When a woman suffering an ectopic pregnancy dies because she doesn't have access to medical care, that's on you.

When they take away your neighbor, your co-worker, your friend, and deport them, that's on you.

When a woman is forced to suffer the agony of carrying her rapist's baby to term, that's on you.

When a transgender kid harms themselves because they can't get the medical care they need, that's on you.

When your middle-class taxes GO UP, while billionaires get even more tax breaks, that's on you.

When schoolchildren are killed by an assault rifle in a mass shooting, that's on you.

When children grow up ignorant because you banned books and dictated how history is taught, that's on you.

When Grandma can no longer afford a comfortable life because the Social Security she paid into all her working life, and provided income on which she now depends, has been cut, that's on you.

When violence against Jews, Asians, Hispanics rises again, that's on you.

When prices on the goods you buy skyrocket due to tariffs, that's on you.

When Ukraine, deprived of our support, is overrun by Russia, that's on you.

When the U.S. is the laughing stock of the world (as we were 2016-2020), that's on you.

What should you have done?

You should have exercised critical thinking skills, recognized the thousands of lies you were being told, recalled that his administration had four years to live up to his promises and failed at all of them. You should have realized that he is a profoundly stupid individual who doesn't give a shit about you or your family or anything except himself.

You had the last nine years to see that, and you still fell for his bullshit.

[avionvadion]

This Trey discourse is getting ridiculous.

Tell me you don’t understand the dream without telling you don’t understand the dream. Tell me you don’t like Trey or understand his character without telling me you don’t like Trey or understand his character. For starters, the reason most of the fandom disliked Trey early on- book one. He didn’t stand up to Riddle’s mother or stop Riddle from being a tyrant.

Argument one: he was a child. A ten year old child whose parents were being screamed at for five hours straight (something of which BOTH Idia and Leona are horrified by, and those two had some strict upbringings themselves) while listening to eight year old Riddle wailing and sobbing for his mother to stop. That shit is traumatizing. Have you ever been screamed at unjustly as a kid? It’s terrifying. It haunts you. That kind of memory latches on and never lets go. Not without help.

Argument two: Trey is 18. He is a big brother. Not a parent. He didn’t raise his little siblings either, as his parents have a seemingly good relationship with each other and their children. He hasn’t seen Riddle in years, and while excited to see Riddle at the entrance ceremony he was quickly rebuffed by the now cold and steely Riddle who grew up under his abusive mother’s rule. He and Cater then worked with Riddle to dethrone their horrible then-dorm leader, and Trey was then sacrificed to the position of vice dorm leader because the entire dorm took a vote. Still, he did his best as vice dorm leader- not wanting to lose his head or watch their dorm mates stumble accidentally onto the execution block.

Trey, at the start, wasn’t particularly close to Riddle because Riddle wouldn’t let him be, and as someone who was traumatized by what happened when he WAS A CHILD likely struggled to speak up against Riddle’s harsher rules, and that most likely muddled together with Trey’s wish for Riddle to be happy. Going against Riddle would lead to conflict, and Riddle is short tempered as is. Trey likely believed that standing up to Riddle would make things worse instead of better.

He learns quickly from Adeuce later in book one how wrong he was, but that’s beside the point. The best Trey could do in the position HE DID NOT WANT was to give advice to his dorm mates and attempt to be Riddle’s voice of reason, acting as the peacemaker and struggling to keep any situation from escalating.

Something of note here, that I find particularly fascinating, is that it’s been stated by several characters that Riddle’s reign, though tyrannical, was nowhere near as bad as the last dorm leader- who was chaos incarnate. That plays a part in why Trey and Cater both were so willing to go along with Riddle’s iron ruling, even though both knew he was going about being dorm leader the wrong way.

There was no controlling or manipulating of Riddle- despite what Leona and Idia, who have ZERO CONNECTION AND INTERACTION with Trey and Cater prior to this dream, believed. There was no stopping Riddle, either. The best they could do was appease him and keep him calm.

Now, onto his dream.

We learn that Trey and his family “laugh” about what happened with Mrs. Rosebitch. This isn’t an, “oh they weren’t affected by what happened” situation, it’s an, “oh they were so badly affected by what happened that they can’t even talk about it properly because it’s so fucked up that they just laugh instead”. That’s called a trauma response. That trauma is so deeply rooted in Trey because he’s never learned to process it, that it’s there in his dream instead of being omitted.

Trey is also dreaming of a world in which Riddle has no stressful responsibilities. They’re at school, but his mother can’t reach him there, and Chen’ya- a childhood friend of Trey’s who was THERE when the Clover family got screamed at by Mrs. Rosebitch- is dorm leader instead. Riddle is not held down by what happened, and is seemingly “freed” from his mother’s cruel hand. Heartslabyul has become a safe space.

One built by Trey and Chen’ya, something they had unknowingly tried to do as children for Riddle (as they were unaware of the abuse, but had been a shining light for sweet baby Riddle who lived in the suffocating darkness) but failed- and paid severely for it.

Now, onto Fandom problem number two: the Round Bois.

I’m seeing people call Trey a “feeder” and are behaving harshly towards him because of it. But that literally couldn’t be farther from what’s happening. For example, let us take a look at his conversation with Vil (I brought my freaking receipts; this boy is my FAV of Heartslabyul) during Vil’s lab coat vignette.

We know Trey likes to bake.

He bakes for the Heartslabyul parties, and often gives Adeuce pastries to bring to Ramshackle to share with Yuu. But we learn in his New Years vignette that he bakes as a form of stress relief, too, to work his thoughts out and/or distract himself. It is a comfort to him. A safe space. And he knows whatever makes he will likely bring a smile to someone’s face. He enjoys baking, and he enjoys seeing people enjoy his sweets.

If someone is stressed, he encourages them to eat sweets- or cake with lots fruits, though that’s specific in this vignette because he just made a strawberry cake and was trying to find someone to give it to because it was one cake too many, lol, and Vil happened to be stressed out from something Rook said.

Trey isn’t being a “feeder” here or in his dream. He saw someone stressed and went, “Hey, I have a solution, why not try it? One slice won’t hurt and it’ll make you feel better/put you in a better mood.”

Baking is Trey’s solution, and a reliable source of comfort. He likes seeing how happy people are from the things he bakes, and he knows eating sweets can make other people happy. That’s why he goes out of his way to find someone to give the extra cake he accidentally made to- because it’ll put that person in a good mood and the cake will have a “good home” to go to.

Trey’s dream was basically giving Riddle and their other dorm mates a life where they could be happy and enjoy themselves without fear. A safe space. He could bake to his heart’s content in this massive kitchen his dream Heartslabyul provided, and everyone around him are happy and overall stress-free.

The reason they’re all ROUND BOIS???

It’s not because Trey was a “feeder” and fed them to that point, it’s because the dream-versions of his friends lacked self control and there was no one to stop them from eating sweet after sweet after sweet. They just happily ate whatever it was Trey baked, because he baked a lot- not to “feed” them, but because baking is something he greatly enjoys doing.

[jwonnn]

God, you're so annoying - Yang Jungwon

"Just take it, will you?"

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Genre --> academic rivals, high school, childhood friends

Summary --> -Jungwon has been the perfect student, son, and class president since the start of middle school. His vice president, y/n, had always lost by one vote. Now that high school has started for the two of them, Jungwon begins to realise his determined vice president has fallen behind, losing her spark day by day. He doesn't even realise it, until he finds himself missing her ever-annoying presence. -

────୨ৎ────

Whenever y/n saw Yang Jungwon pass by in the hallways, she couldn't hide her frustration. It was in his perfect posture, smug face, and broad shoulders that did it. Not once did Jungwon seem intimidated by her. His position had remained the same for all the fourteen years she had known him, the only president her class had ever known.

And, her?

Always second to Jungwon.

She was nothing but Jungwon's vice president. When, Jungwon was sick, she was the replacement. When Jungwon had important taekwondo tournaments, she was the replacement.

And after over a decade of trying, she couldn't take it any longer.

The summer before high school began, y/n had a plan in mind. A "social experiment" - that’s what she told herself. Although she knew deep down it was just her pathetic self burning out. 

It would start off with coming to school late (which, she never had in all her years of school), then missing assignments (that she had to train herself not to reach for and complete), and then refusing to study. 

Bringing her to the horrid situation she was placed in now. Y/n sat in awe at the modest little numbers “89%” on the most recent math test. An A-. How sweet, she thought. 

Instead of crying over a careless mistake that had her one mark off from a hundred, whilst Jungwon stood unfazed, handing his perfect paper properly back to the teacher, she smiled.

She could feel the strain in her cheeks as she kept the smile up. Just one more week. After this semester, I’ll be better than ever. This is just a test. It’s a calculated experiment, I swear. 

She stood up calmly and walked towards the teacher’s desk. Preparing herself for whatever disappointed comment she would receive for her newest grade.

Jungwon stood behind her - waiting to hand back his paper as well. 

"Mr. Perfect probably got a hundred again" - she muttered to herself. 

 He stood confidently tall, paying zero attention to the fuming girl in-front of him. 

“Y/n this is the first time in a while! Even the class average was a 90. This is not the grades a vice president should be achieving. Have you not been sleeping well? I can see your eyebags…” 

“I have miss…” 

She knew Mrs Park was old, but she may have well screamed it in the morning announcements. The same broadcasting club that Jungwon had been the captain of. How irritating.

She winced in embarrassment, and walked back towards her seat. Just as she rolled out her chair, a gentle tug on her blazer sleeve stopped her. Turning around she faced, 

Yang Jungwon.

Looking down on me again - aren’t you?

“What happened?” His eyes narrowed in genuine curiosity.

“Nothing, I guess I just didn’t try” y/n snapped back at the boy.

“You? Not trying? That’s a first” he scoffed turning his head away, before leaving the class with his friends.

And, he didn’t say another word. 

Y/n clenched her fists like a child having a tantrum.

Why does he always have to have the last word? And, why is it so hot in here? Did Mrs Park lose the ac remote again?? 

“Y/n come on, you can blush over your boyfriend later.” Ella screamed from outside a window.

Taking off her jacket, y/n rushed out the door in a hurry. Speaking to herself like an idiot.

Hah. Yang jungwon? Never in a billion years would that guy be my boyfriend. He’s so proud and smart and-

Her thoughts were cut off by the overwhelming noise of the cafeteria. 

Why else?

Certainly not because of the awkward eye contact she had made with him, whilst he sat with his friends. 

The day had gone by quicker than expected in y/n's mind. When you spend all your time resisting the urge to raise your hand it tends to go by even faster.

Guess I don't need to go to table tennis club today. Great. I don't have to witness Jungown win every match for the whole hour either.

She took out her phone with a sigh. Only to see,

"Sweety, can you take the bus today? The car's broken again." : from Dad <3

Oh. It's starting to rain though. And its cold. Where the hell did I leave my blazer now??

Y/n ran back and forth between the hallways, in search of her jacket. Only when she noticed how dark the sky had gotten, she realised there would be nothing worth waiting for at the bus stop.

And, she was right.

She sat in despair.

No jacket? No car? No phone battery. What am I gonna do with my life. Hopless, she hung her head low.

"Nice to see you too." Jungwon cocked his head to the side. A knowing grin plastered on his face,

"Late again, are you y/n?"

"Shut up." Y/n turned away, scrunching up her face in annoyance.

He sat down calmly next to her, watching the raindrops slowly increase. "I would, but you'd be bored then. and your dumbass is just gonna keep whining like usual, and wait for your imaginary bus."

Y/n couldn't really collect her thoughts. She envied how carefree his life was. Naturally gifted. How nice would that be? Must be nice to have a jacket in this weather as well. I bet he he has his driver to come pick him up too. Spoiled.

She turned her head to look at him.

"Where's your chauffer?"

Jungwon laughed, shaking his head, he handed her his bus ticket.

"Oh." Y/n's ears flushed with embarassment.

Thought I knew him at least a little bit...

Even in the now downpour, an old lady emerged from beside the dimly lit bus stop, pushing a trolley of mangoes. For it was Spring.

Without even thinking, Y/n ran quickly towards the lady in the pouring rain.

"Auntie! Aunte!! Please wait."

The lady swiveled her head towards the young school girl, her eyes lighting up.

"One mango please!" Y/n took a quick glance at Jungwon, who had ironically taken "a quick glance" at her too, before changing her request. "Actually, two will do. Thank you!"

She waved the lady goodbye, letting her keep the change, before running back towards the bench. Only to see Jungwon finding the roof of the bus stop incredibly fascinating.

"Nice weather up there?"

She was met with no words. Instead, a blazer was sternly shoved in her face.

Jungwon cleared his throat. "Please take it."

"Why?"

"God, you're so annoying. Just take it, will you? I'm being serious."

Not until then, did Y/n decided to look down at her bright pink bra on full display, underneath her drenched (practically transparant) white blouse.

"Uh-", she reached for the blazer without any further questions.

They sat in silence for the next five minutes, giving Y/n just the right amount of time to reflect on the incident that had just occured.

Monotonously, she handed Jungwon a mango.

"Here. If u wanna eat it now, I have an extra spoon in my lunchbox,"

Jungwon had taken it, but couldn't utter the words "Thank you." To him, he felt it was unnecessary with Y/n to do so.

Y/n didn't expect one either. She sat back in her seat, took out her spoon and began eating the mango herself, comfortable in the warmth of his large blazer.

"I'm good. I'll save it for later."

Still digging into the fresh yellow flesh with her spoon she mumbled, "I actually hate mangoes."

"Who?" Jungwoon sneered

"What?"

"Asked." He stared at her shoes, trying to hold his laughter like a fool. Only Y/n could mess up Jungwon’s poised composure.

"Wow. Mr. Perfect has jokes now huh?" she mocked, rolling her eyes.

"But why eat it then?" he observed her childish behaviour.

"Can't avoid the things you don't like all the time. Can you? Plus, I just felt bad."

"Is that why you aren't avoiding me?" he asked innocently.

"You really are a pain in the ass, Yang Jungwon." she sighed.

"I missed you, you know?" he whispered, as though he were talking to himself.

Y/n stopped having a go at the mango - just to process his words.

"What was that?"

He coughed, flustered. "What I meant was, I missed having competition. Class is so boring without someone worth competing with. So, what happened?"

"I already told you. Nothing." she avoided Jungwon's persistant eyes. Hiding her reddening face.

"Then stop ignoring me, stupid. Come back." Jungwon took out his phone, calling a taxi driver he had trusted. "There, she's here now."

"Who?" Y/n raised her eyebrows, concerned.

"Your taxi driver. She's a woman. You'll be safe. I know her," Jungwon casually said.

"Good to have female connections. Right Jungwon?" She found it hard to ignore the bubbling jealously rising in her heart.

Get a hold of yourself Y/n. Why do you even care? He literally just called a taxi for you.

"She's my cousin, relax. You're cute when you're jealous." He laughed, pointing towards the small white Honda. “And she's here now. Say hi to her for me."

"I hate you." Unsure of what to say, Y/n grabbed her things before getting in the car.

"Love you too," Jungwon replied softly, gazing at her blazer, which he had forgotten to return folded neatly in his bag.

[devilish-cherry]

toji relationship headcanons ♡

ᨳ♡₊➳ toji x reader

ᨳ♡₊➳ crack, fluff

ᨳ♡₊➳ my other works

ᨳ♡₊➳ a/n: thank you to everyone who voted in the poll, big man with bigger issues won so here we are. he’s always been incredibly fun for me to write which probably says a lot about my mental state lmao hope you all enjoy! 💚

₊⊹. first of all, toji never remembers anniversaries. ever. you could tattoo the date on his forehead, and he'd still squint at you and say, "what day is it again? your birthday? didn't we just have one of those last year?"

₊⊹. he will absolutely use your expensive shampoo, your body wash, your moisturizer, and lie about it with a straight face. you're not even mad. you just find it hilarious that the man who's known as the sorcerer killer is now walking around smelling like cherry blossoms and ph-balanced aloe hydration.

₊⊹. he thinks watching two rats fight over a hotdog on the street is peak date material. "look at 'em. real passion. raw competition. that's what romance is missing these days."

₊⊹. despite his strength and killer instincts, this man will break down over ikea instructions. one time he just stabbed the manual and built the shelf completely wrong. now it's a "modern art piece" and you're not allowed to move it. he says it builds character.

₊⊹. toji gets weirdly smug when you wear his clothes, but hides it with deadpan lines like, "didn’t know i was dating a thief." then later mutters to himself, "looks better on you anyway." while pretending he didn't say that out loud.

₊⊹. you once got mad at him and tried to ignore him. toji, unequipped for emotional processing, sat next to you in total silence for fifteen minutes, then handed you a whole rotisserie chicken like it was a peace treaty. "didn't know what flowers you like."

₊⊹. toji doesn't do romantic clichés. if you hint at wanting roses, expect him to show up with a bonsai tree. "it lasts longer and requires discipline. like me. you're welcome."

₊⊹. he sleeps like he's in prison. shirtless, one arm behind his head, the other under the pillow where you know the knife is. you once asked him about it and he said, "habit." you just pulled the blanket higher and went back to sleep.

₊⊹. toji has the audacity to fall asleep mid-argument. you'll be ranting about how he scared the mailman again and look over and he's knocked out, arms crossed, snoring like a diesel truck. wakes up later like, "i heard everything. you were wrong, though."

₊⊹. he does not understand texting etiquette. he always texts like:

"U eat"

"Open door"

"Left meat on table don't let it go cold or ur weak"

"Wtf is an oat milk"

you'll send him something like "i miss you <3" and he'll reply four hours later with "K" then show up at your place with a bag of grilled offal and absolutely zero explanation.

₊⊹. he's absolutely terrible with tech. he calls hdmi "the skinny one" and usb "the fat one". you are IT support. you have accepted this.

₊⊹. toji has zero indoor voice. if you're on a video call and he walks by, expect background commentary like, "did you tell them their haircut looks like it lost a bet?" or "is that the person you said dresses like a sad potato chip?"

₊⊹. if you have a pet, he pretends to hate it. but you've walked in on him napping with it on his chest and making up a nickname like "lil guy". if you make eye contact during this moment, he'll threaten to move out.

₊⊹. dates with toji always accidentally turn into crime documentaries because he can't resist casually pointing out shady individuals with questionable pasts. "yeah, see that noodle shop owner? definitely running something from the back. wanna check?"

₊⊹. he thinks it's hilarious to randomly pick you up and carry you around like luggage without warning. when you squawk and flail indignantly, he just deadpans, "shh, cargo doesn't talk."

₊⊹. watching a crime drama with toji consists of him smugly narrating the killer's methods before they're revealed. he'll glance at you and say, "i'd never get caught doing it like this rookie."

₊⊹. toji has the emotional range of a brick wall, but he occasionally shows affection by silently handing you meat skewers from street stalls and just staring at you until you accept them. if you try to refuse, he'll shove it at your face like, "just eat the damn thing, jeez."

₊⊹. despite his aloofness, when you're sick, he becomes surprisingly doting in his own way. hovering awkwardly, thrusting medication at you, barking stiffly, "get better already. who else is gonna deal with my shit?"

₊⊹. he frequently forgets your friends' names, bluntly calling them things like "short one" or "loud one" or alarmingly once, "the one who smells weird" you still apologize profusely to your friends afterward.

₊⊹. occasionally, he'll randomly flex and glance at you, dead serious, "still got it, right?" he denies caring about your response, yet visibly preens whenever you jokingly swoon.

₊⊹. toji's jokes are basically just dark dad jokes. you trip over something, and he'll chuckle dryly, "careful. your insurance doesn't cover clumsiness."

₊⊹. he denies being sentimental, but once you caught him being suspiciously protective of a particularly ugly cactus, claiming, "this prickly bastard reminds me of myself. annoying and survives despite obvious neglect."

₊⊹. one time he brought his worm cursed spirit over because "he didn't want to leave it alone too long." you screamed when it popped out from behind his shoulder like a creepy pokémon. he got mad and told you you scared it and now it won't come out unless you apologize.

₊⊹. he's embarrassingly proud of his worm cursed spirit, once seriously suggesting you two should start a pet youtube channel. when you reminded him that most people can't see cursed spirits, he stared blankly for a minute before shrugging, "guess we'll just be the first channel where the animal's invisible. groundbreaking content."

₊⊹. toji lowkey believes you're too good for him, but instead of expressing this healthily, he just tries to spoil you in the weirdest ways: brings you odd souvenirs, refuses to let you carry groceries, and once threatened a vending machine because it ate your yen.

₊⊹. he has that annoying middle-aged man confidence where he acts like he can fix anything with tape, a kitchen knife, and raw conviction. you once caught him trying to patch your leaky sink with a sushi tray. "it's water resistant."

₊⊹. toji snores like a war crime. he claims it's "just breathing deeply" but your neighbors have called once to ask if someone was groaning in pain for six hours straight. he blinked at you and said, "tell 'em it's free asmr. they should be thanking me."

₊⊹. when he's half-asleep, toji's actually weirdly affectionate. you'll get sleepy forehead nudges, grunted "stay"s, and one time, the softest ever "you're… too good for me, y'know?" before he passed out with his face in your neck. you pretended not to hear it. but you did.

[delilahsturniolo]

⟡ ݁₊ welcome to the end of the world! (please leave your sanity at the door.)

𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 . . . four friends: nick, matt, chris, and you—find themselves stuck together at the end of the world, trying to survive a zombie apocalypse with nothing but their wits, a questionable supply of snacks, and zero emotional maturity. you’re just trying to stay alive without losing your mind—or falling for someone on the team.

𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 . . . mentions of blood, descriptions of a wound, romantic tension, slow burn.

CHAPTER TEN: NEW BLOOD, OLD WOUNDS

read more parts here!

you limp down the cracked sidewalk, leg aching, heart worse. the sky’s bleeding pink into a gray, tired dusk, and the group is quieter than ever. it’s like everyone’s waiting for someone else to break first. lana’s trailing behind chris and nick, arms crossed tight over her chest, eyes flicking to every shadow. she hasn’t said much since the diner, just quiet thanks and awkward silences. she doesn’t trust any of you yet, and, honestly? you don’t really trust her either.

you glance at matt. he’s walking ahead, again. not too far, but enough that it feels like a statement, a message. his jaw’s clenched. his knuckles white around his weapon. like if he just focuses hard enough, he can pretend he didn’t say something that shattered the air between you two like broken glass. and you wish you could stop replaying it…

“we kissed once. it doesn’t have to mean anything.”

it meant everything. even if he’s too afraid to admit it.

nick finally breaks the silence, walking backward like a tour guide in a war zone. “okay. i vote we find shelter and maybe have a full group therapy session, but like, in a chill, emotionally repressed way.”

“we’re not stopping yet,” matt says without looking back.“dude,” nick deadpans, “you’re limping. she’s bleeding. chris has been muttering to the cat for twenty minutes.”

“he has a name,” chris snaps, holding whiskers tighter. “and he’s helping me emotionally process our near-death experience.” lana finally speaks. “there’s a place up ahead. small house. boarded up, but i saw it on the way in. it looked empty.” matt hesitates. eyes narrow. “you’re just now mentioning that?” she shrugs. “you didn’t ask.”

nick raises a brow. “oh, cool. i love when strangers maybe lead us into traps. very fun for me personally.” but no one has a better option, so you go. the house is small. half-swallowed by vines, windows thick with grime. the door creaks open with a sound like a dying animal. but it’s quiet. still. no fresh blood, no smell of rot. for once… it feels safe.

nick checks the back, chris sets up a sleeping spot for whiskers, and lana sits in the farthest corner, hugging her knees like she wants to disappear into them. you collapse against a wall, pressing a cloth to your leg. it stings, bad. you’re trying to hide how much it hurts, but matt notices. of course he does. he crosses the room, dropping his pack next to you without saying a word. pulls out gauze. alcohol. tape. you blink at him. “i can do it myself.”

“you shouldn’t have to,” he mutters, not meeting your eyes. and before you can argue, he’s kneeling in front of you, carefully peeling back the cloth, your breath catches. because even now, even when you’re angry and hurting and full of everything you never said.

his hands are gentle.

he doesn’t look up, just focuses on the wound. “i didn’t mean to say what i said like that.” you don’t respond. he dabs the alcohol and you flinch. he curses under his breath. “sorry.”

“why’d you say it then?” you ask, voice quiet. he pauses. tape in hand. “because,” he finally says, “you make me forget that we’re not safe. that this could all be gone in a second. and i—i can’t lose you.” you swallow. “so your solution is to push me away?” he looks up at you now. eyes dark and tired and pleading. “i’m not good at this,” he says. “but i’m trying. i want you. even if it’s stupid. even if it’s risky. i just… don’t know how to be in love and be in survival mode at the same time.”

your heart stops. “in love?”

his eyes widen just slightly. like he didn’t mean to say it. like the words slipped out before he could stop them. but he doesn’t take them back. you don’t say anything, just stare at him like the floor’s disappeared under you. he finishes taping your leg, slower now. hands lingering. breath shallow.

then, suddenly—

a crash from outside.

everyone jumps. nick swears. chris grabs a pan. lana stands, wide-eyed. you freeze. matt stands, already moving toward the window. “stay here.”

“like hell i am,” you say, following him. and when you peer through the cracked slats, your blood runs cold. figures. three of them. not undead. alive. armed. heading straight for the house.

not zombies. people.

matt turns to you, low and panicked. “we’ve got company. and not the good kind.”

“you think they saw us?” as if on cue, a voice beamed from outside.

“we know you’re in there. come out with your weapons down. you’ve got ten seconds.” everyone’s frozen. you look at matt, matt looks at you back. and all of that tension, all the fear, the love, the mess of feelings…is right there between you again. he steps closer, matt grabs your hand and holds it. “if we make it out of this,” he says, “we’re not ignoring this anymore. okay?” you squeeze his hand. “okay.” the door rattles. you all lift your weapons. outside, the countdown begins.

“ten… nine… eight…”

© delilahsturniolo

[daenerys-apolog1st]

The Greens are back at it again with their delusional as fuck takes.

What exactly has Rhaenyra stolen from other women?

*Snap snap* Quickly.

She couldn't have stolen a throne from Rhaenys, by the time she's been named heir it's been like two fucking decades since the Great Council of 101, and it was actually Viserys and Jaehaerys and the lords/ladies that voted AGAINST her rule that took it away from her.

Not Rhaenyra.

She couldn't have stolen anything from Alicent. It's not Rhaenyra's fault that she was born a princess and Alicent was just a daughter of a second son from one of the great houses, that's just random chance on circumstance of birth. It's not Rhaenyra's fault that Alicent had to go after Viserys and then eventually married him, that's on Otto for forcing her and Viserys for choosing to marry her. It's not Rhaenyra's fault that Alicent is confined to suffer in silence and have zero happiness and no freedom because "that's just what women have to do," that's on their society and---as an adult---Alicent herself because she never even tried to make things better, not that's been shown or mentioned anyway.

All of that is on Otto, Viserys, society, and adult!Alicent making her own chains.

Not Rhaenyra.

She couldn't have stolen Daemon from Laena because in the books they were basically a throuple and in the show nothing happens, and Daemon and Rhaenyra literally don't even SEE each other, until she's already dead. And Daemon still pining after Rhaenyra while he's married isn't her fucking fault, she hasn't seen/talked to him in over ten fucking years, that's on Daemon.

Not Rhaenyra.

She couldn't have stolen Laena's daughter's "right to Driftmark" for her sons because it's Corlys who decided/decides on the succession, and Rhaenyra even GIVES HER DAUGHTERS MORE by betrothing them to her sons---making Baela the future Queen and Rhaena the future Lady of Driftmark anyway. Even if she didn't, though, the fact that Laena's daughters weren't named the heirs to Driftmark was on Corlys.

Not Rhaenyra.

She couldn't have taken Jaehaerys from Helaena, she had no idea Blood and Cheese was going on/had happened, and we even SEE Rhaenyra get angry about it on Helaena's behalf. B&C was Daemon's doing and so Daemon is responsible for Jaehaerys' death.

Not Rhaenyra.

Like...there's literally nothing she could've possibly "stolen" from other women, so I have no fucking clue what this person could possibly be referring to.

And as for Rhaenyra "not doing anything about her misogynistic incel husband," do you mean the same way that Alicent doesn't do anything about her misogynistic rapist son? The same way Alicent doesn't do anything about her incel kinslayer son (who eventually also is a rapist)? The same way Alicent literally does EVERYTHING SHE CAN to uphold misogyny and weaponize it against other women, including to abuse and humiliate them and even THREATEN a rape victim?

Like that?

And, call me crazy, but compared to a vast number of men in that show Daemon is not a misogynistic incel.

He showed care and understanding of Rhaenyra's fear of childbirth, he gave let Laena decide what she wanted to do when she was dying in childbirth and actually cared about her survival, (in a deleted scene) he cared for and comforted his daughters and he was never shown to only give af about having a son, he never said anything negative about Rhaenyra having a sexual relationship outside of her marriage and even showed interest and care for her in regards to it, he defended her against a man calling her a whore as well as others that threatened her/their family, he stayed faithful to her, and he is ACTIVELY FIGHTING and eventually DIES fighting for HER claim to the throne.

The bar is in hell, yeah, but Daemon is jumping over it---which is more than I can say for the men Alicent associates with, since we're judging them on that.

And Alicent was NOT supported by "everyone" be so fucking serious right now 💀 the only people who "supported" her were the Greens, and even then she never actually had any genuine support. She was only supported by her father and the other Greens because she was useful in their plans, they didn't give a fuck about her once they had what they wanted, which was Aegon on the throne.

They didn't give a fuck about her because TG is nothing but a bunch of misogynists and Alicent is a WOMAN, she ain't anymore "special" than every other woman and she's gonna be subjected to the same treatment as everyone else---which is why she's supposedly "licking Rhaenyra's boots."

She fought FOR sexism and misogyny and the oppression of women, but when she suddenly realized that she wasn't gonna be the exception to the rule because she's so "special," she got upset and wanted to backtrack because suddenly misogyny isn't so fun anymore. If you ask me, that sounds like a hypocrite and a moron.

Not to mention that, before this, Alicent wasn't even "licking Rhaenyra's boots"---she literally fought for her usurpation, spread rumors that could get her [Rhaenyra's] sons killed, injured her, abused her for 10+ years, humiliated her every chance she got, and betrayed her at every turn.

The "nicest" thing she did for her was say that she shouldn't be killed.

That's literally it.

Alicent offering Aegon and Aemond's heads on a silver platter to Rhaenyra was less about "uwu I wuve Rhaenyra so muwch" and more her covering her ass because she doesn't wanna be on Team Sexism anymore because they're not treating her special and trying to cop out of any consequences.

So yeah, literally every sentence of that take was wrong 🤷‍♀️

[avelera]

Was wondering if you had any theories about Viktor's childhood experiences and how exactly that shapes his politics?

I agree that Viktor is largely apolitical and pacifist, and I'm getting the sense that perhaps he believes politics/the council is incapable of solving the issues. After all, they haven't so far, and Viktor does respect Heimerdinger, so rather than Heimerdinger choosing to look away, Viktor perhaps believes it is impossible to solve the problems in the undercity through the council.

When I first watched season 1, I truly had no clue how they were going to be able to resolve the political conflict. The council kind of sucks, but so does Silco, and I don't think Ekko was powerful enough to fully take over.

I can picture Viktor also having no clue. He refuses to make weapons because he knows they'll be used against innocent people in the undercity (and I think he's also opposed to violence as a solution in general), but at this point he doesn't have an alternative solution. He refuses to side with the council, but he doesn't have an alternative. I doubt he even knows Silco is in charge or that he's someone they might negotiate with at this point (I think the council only learns about Silco when Caitlyn returns), so instead he chooses to stay out of it.

And with his cult, I'm getting the sense Viktor still had no clue how to end the conflict between Zaun and Piltover, so he doesn't try, but instead tries to create a safe place for people who, like him, want to escape the violence. It obviously doesn't work out the way he intends, but I do think that was the idea, and perhaps he hoped because of the remote location and his peaceful seperation from society, no one would really bother him. And when they do, he concludes mass hive mind is the only answer to the violence (because he still had no clue how to resolve any of these conflicts)

And all this gives me the idea that Viktor really is desperate to escape that violence, and makes me wonder what he lived through during his time in the undercity that inspires his actions, since we know so little apart from the time he met Singed.

This got a little long, sorry about that, but wondering what theories you had.

I think there's a core assumption to the question that I'd like to isolate out in the hopes it helps me explain how I see Viktor's views.

There's an assumption inherent here that in political times, everyone must be political. But let me point out, most people are not. All you need to do is look at voting turnout numbers to see most people are not political, especially not at the local level where direct action happens. When was the last time anyone reading this voted in their local, municipal election? Do you even know when the next one is?

Now let me add another aspect to this: Piltover is not a democracy. It is by definition an oligarchy, in which power is held in the hands of a small, elite group.

So, in such a world, why would anyone like Viktor think it's even possible for an individual to impact politics? Which is why I think Viktor always saw the only way of impacting the world for the better as being through where his own gifts lay: in science.

But I do think it's more complicated than that. And I want to take the chance to further explore the political landscape as Viktor would have seen it throughout Arcane and why that would be enough to make him take zero interest in politics and have zero hope for its efficacy at solving the problems he wants to solve for people, and that he wants to solve for people regardless of their political background or national identity, because Viktor is shown to be colorblind when it comes to those concepts.

As far as we can tell, the only people with political power in Piltover are the 7 Councilor. The major Houses have some influence, but that's it. Minor Houses, like House Talis, can't even trade upon their meager levels of influence in their own son's trial. Ximena, the presumed matriarch of House Talis in the absence of any extended family for Jaye being shown, has to trade on sentiment. That's how little political power is spread around.

One thing that Vander and Silco were almost certainly pushing for in their protest at the bridge was for "Zaun" to have a political voice at all. This effort was ruthlessly quashed. The undercity doesn't have a representative on the Council, they don't have any Houses, they are effectively voiceless except through riots and protests.

And, as they say, those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable.

Furthermore, organized crime tends to spring up and flourish in places that don't have a law of their own, or a law that common people can rely on. See the Italian mafia in the US, which in part sprang up from the fact these communities needed to be self-governing and self-protecting because the official law of the land wouldn't protect them. But then, of course, the criminal forces that stepped into that power vacuum may gain wide acceptance for keeping the peace and providing other social services, but then in order to hold onto power, they're going to prevent the actual authorities from stepping into their territory. Once they have a hold there, there's no elections either, there's no way to cast out a malfunctioning organized crime unit that's providing those social services.

This is more or less what I think happened with Silco. He stepped in and created a society in the undercity, one that he was able to run because Piltover turned its attention outward with the Hexgates, it no longer needed to rely on the labor of the underclasses in the undercity so they left them to their own devices.

But Silco's government was corrupt. I think that gets lost in a lot of Zaun vs. Piltover debates. Silco's Zaun was just as much an oligarchy as Piltover, they had their own Council with the chem-barons who are directly paralleled in the "Sucker" sequence in 2.02. There is no "Piltover is better" or "Zaun is better" they are both corrupt.

Where in the world would Viktor get the idea that the solution to the political problems between Zaun and Piltover would be solved by handing more political power to people like Silco? Why in the world would he reach the conclusion that two oligarchies would be the solution?

And even in such a world where maybe, self-governance would help some people in the undercity, why in the world would Viktor believe he would personally be able to make that happen?

In a society with no democracy, when the one attempt to gain a voice for the undercity was ruthlessly quashed most likely while Viktor was still a student in the Academy, where in the world where Viktor have developed a sense that he could have impact on politics or wouldn't simply die in the attempt if he joined a political movement, thus improving nothing? And if you can't buy into politics in any meaningful way, why pay attention to it?

Viktor has found his keys to the kingdom in science. He has one avenue to excellence, which is solving the material difficulties facing the undercity like cleaning up the air and making the labor there less backbreaking and difficult. He has a narrow focus. Indeed, one of his flaws is that it's kind of "his way or the highway" he doesn't appear to even seriously entertain other avenues besides science for improving lives in the undercity.

This is particularly interesting because he was an assistant to Heimerdinger, albeit in his role as Dean of the Academy I believe. Yet Viktor doesn't see Jayce's role as a Councilor as an avenue towards meaningful change, why?

I genuinely can only speculate there. Why doesn't Viktor ever try to advocate for the undercity when he has access to Heimerdinger? Or, as two scientists, do both just see it as the role of science to better lives down there, rather than political action? Heimerdinger does seem remarkably politically disinterested for someone who is the nominal head of the government. All the wheeling and dealing happens behind his back. Perhaps Viktor is just as oblivious, who knows? Maybe Viktor's lack of political interest is what made Heimerdinger like him enough to employ him as his assistant in the first place.

Now to further answer your question, I'd say Viktor isn't even trying to politically solve anything because it's unthinkable that he would be able to. That's why the undercity independence play I think makes him cautiously optimistic, if you see his face during the vote right before the rocket hits. He never really thought politics could solve this but maybe it can. Maybe the key is to just let the undercity go its own way. I'd argue Viktor seems a bit skeptical when he announces that Jayce brokered a peace with Silco, I don't think Viktor likes Silco, or likes the idea of handing the reins of power to him. But he does appear optimistic when the vote begins to go that way, in I would argue is one of the rare positive political moments for Viktor (the only other that I can think of is when he speaks favorably of Vander's vision for Zaun).

Then the rocket hits, which must be a gut punch of further disillusionment. It's not just Piltover that's preventing Zaun's independence, it's Zaun, it's the cycle of violence, it's the fact that the conflict has gone on for so long and is so ugly that a solution is no longer possible without more bloodshed.

This inevitable bloodshed includes Jinx and Cait's forces wiping out the remaining chem barons, thus in my opinion making the conflict a moot point, because there's no one on the other side to negotiate with anymore. There is no potential Zaun government anymore if there's no one to hand power to, there's no democracy to set up (not in Piltover either, so there's no example of one). Zaun dies with Silco and goes back to being the undercity, an impoverished community within Piltover. Its Shimmer economy dies, which was the only technology that gave it a prayer of competing with Piltover on the battlefield too.

Quick aside, I get that people are mad there isn't more Zaun vs. Piltover in S2, but that's already dead as a conflict in 2.03. Zaun gets decimated as a political player. It has no leadership, no weapons, nothing that allows it to act as an independent state anymore. Piltover won and it did so because Jinx's rocket gave them the motivation they needed to cut off the head of the snake, the snake Jayce was willing to negotiate with to give them their independence.

That's gone now. There is no Zaun. There's no one to give power to. There's no military, no forces, no money. It is not a state anymore. Sevika is trying to rally the various disaffected factions in 2.04 and even that is slow going because of the old internal hatreds. And even if everyone did rally, all Sevika is hoping for is to make enough of a cohesive Zaunite identity to be able to bring grievances to Piltover. She can't even organize that. Zaun doesn't have an identity anymore in 2.04, and not enough internal organization to begin to form anything resembles a town council let alone the government of a nation.

So in that backdrop, where in the world would Viktor have any notion that he can impact events with politics? Or any desire to when the most promising political hope Zaun had, which he had a hand in, was destroyed the second it arrived by a Zaunite who didn't want the deal? This is a difficult, intractable problem.

Of course Viktor would see the best way to "solve" this problem is to not engage with it at all. It's to sidestep it entirely. Go back down to the individual level, help those in need, give them a place away from conflict in which to flourish and live peaceful lives. He essentially starts a monastery during the political Dark Ages of the collapse of order in the undercity, a very natural human response.

Then, he decides the best way to solve this problem is just to stop it. Get everyone on the same side, even if it's into a hivemind. That's why he's willing to take poor shimmer addicts from Zaun like Huck and rich Councilors like Salo from Piltover.

I also think his view is informed by his parallels in the real world in that he's apolitical because he's a scientist, and to a scientist all these lines of caste and creed and nation are meaningless on a biological level, we are all people. That's how I think Viktor sees it. It's part of why I think too, somewhat speculatively, that Viktor only talks about being from the undercity as a place of origin for him, not as an identity, because I think he thinks all such identities are nonsense, they're missing the point of the general advance of humanity, something many scientists around the world feel. I'm more quick to ascribe an attitude I see amongst scientists, engineers, and astronauts to Viktor than I am to ascribe a political identity to him. I don't think he sees political identities are relevant.

For example, besides noting Jayce's privilege when they first meet, he never denounces Jayce as being from Piltover or sees it as a barrier to them working together. He never singles out details of Jayce's identity by birth as being relevant. Because such details are meaningless in science. He only even brings up Jayce's background, I think, the one time when they first meet to point out to Jayce that while he has lost the benefits of his patron and House Talis name, there's still a path forward for him, the one Viktor started with. He mentions it as a reason that Jayce doesn't need to commit suicide when he loses those things. But he doesn't blame Jayce for having them.

At no point, even when Jayce is othering the people of the undercity, does Viktor other him right back as being from Piltover. In my view, Viktor's response is actually, "Hey, a member of your in-group is also from the undercity, stop framing everyone from there as outgroup/other, you know better than this." And Jayce immediately acknowledges that Viktor is right. They are immediately back on the same page that political identity lines are meaningless when it comes to improving lives (aside, real world people who play identity politics do realize we're all aiming for a world where everyone can flourish regardless of their identity, right??).

However, he does admire those like Vander who imagined a peaceful end to the conflict by establishing a nation of Zaun, however it should be noted, I think Viktor saw Vander's effort as inspiring but tragically doomed to failure. Hence, the need for Glorious Evolution, when the most well-intention dreams have no hope of ever happening. Seeing people like Vander fail is part of the disillusionment that makes Viktor further decide to disregard and supersede all politics through his own scientifically endowed magical power.

So anyway I hope this very long, involved essay helps explain a bit better how I view Viktor's politics, specifically his lack of them.

Edit: I just realized you also asked about Viktor's childhood. I have less to say there because we know so little but I would add:

Viktor was othered by people in the undercity as well as people from Piltover. I think that would lend to his view that people are just people, there are no real lines of politics or point of origin that matter. People will isolate him for his disability in both. No one is better than anyone else. It's just that people in Piltover by and large have more resources than those in the undercity, but both will look down on someone like him and avoid him.

You also have the fact that Viktor emigrated to Piltover presumably while still fairly young, either a teen or a young man, one would guess, based on his intellectual ability. I don't think he inherently sees the two cities as being separate, more like just two different areas of town, one of which is disadvantaged. Like moving from a poor neighborhood in Brooklyn to Manhattan. If Brooklyn began to lobby to become its own city or state, separate from Manhattan, some would see that as a good thing from self-governance perspective, others might see it as nonsense, which is where I think Viktor would mostly fall, but more importantly, I don't think he has faith that Brooklyn and Manhattan becoming separate states would really solve anything that matters, when the issues are things like air filtration systems, which can be solved with science.

As for things like, did young Viktor face violence? I think if he did, it would just add to his sense that a lack of resources breeds violence and the undercity needs prosperity to flourish, prosperity brought by scientific innovation. Politics again isn't going to solve these problems.

And I would finally add, Viktor found success and a sense of belonging in Piltover. I don't think he's as down on the place as people make him out to be sometimes. Jayce is from Piltover. Heimerdinger is too, these are two people who accepted Viktor and arguably who have loved him. I think as a result, Viktor would just see Piltover and the undercity as two places of origin within one city, a city he belongs to and wants to help improve by focusing on those in need.

[heartfullofleeches]

1 horny brave chatter that donated 100 bucks to loser cat reader's stream to make them say "nya" Lol

Kitkatsbiggestfan Donated 100 Dollars: Today's my birthday! Could I pretty please get a birthday nya from my favorite kitty :D?

"Ha! Good one!- Want me to do that you're gonna have to add a few more zeros."

Losers- These pathetic chumps think they can throw their cash and you'll automatically become their "precious little kitten". While that's true to some extent you still have your boundaries. You'll throw on the maid dress and call them master, but you draw the line at meowing, or any other of that cutesy cat shit. It felt dehumanizing as a grown adult with your own free will, not to mention they'd never let you live it down.

You ease back in your chair, thinking it's the end of that saga in your life when it happens. That same donation sends in another donation ten times the first with the cheeky tagline -

"Will that do? ;P"

More donations pour in voting in favor. Soon enough there's enough racked you could probably retire handsomely if you spent your money right, or at least pay for a nice vacation already feeling the headache this all will cause. There's definitely no way they'd let you back out of this now. Your pride was long gone the day you started streaming. Better to go down by the weight of wealth than regret.

Wedging your hands beneath your thighs, you hide your mouth in the collar of your shirt - leaning as far away from your mic as humanly possible. You steel yourself mentally and take a deep breath, but all that comes out is a meek-

"nya....."

Your ears twitch in response to every ping. You close your eyes, thinking of what useless crap you'll buy with your chat's money to distract yourself from their messages. A new chair. Fancy tuna. Restraining orders for all these sick fucks-

"Clip that!"

"Thanks for the new ringtone! ^^"

"Would you make that sound in bed? Asking for a friend-"

Why the fuck did you turn on text to speech?!

"If I see any videos of this online I will piss on your grave!"

"The only threat you're giving us is a good time..."

[anonymousewrites]

A Not-So-Disastrous Romance (Book 2) Chapter Ten

Saiki Kusuo x Reader

Chapter Ten: Fortune-Telling Transfer

Summary: Saiki and (Y/N) meet a new transfer.

            “We’ve got another transfer student! And it’s a girl!”

            (Y/N) looked around as people began to whisper excitedly at the prospect of a new student.

            “I wonder what she’ll be like,” said (Y/N), smiling.

            “If we’re getting a new character, we should get rid of one of the old ones,” said Saiki, considering Toritsuka, Kuboyasu, and Saiko. “I vote Toritsuka.” (Y/N) nodded.

            “Please be seated,” said their teacher, entering the room. “I’m going to introduce our new transfer student.”

            All the boys waited expectantly, hopeful for another pretty girl.

            “Come in,” said their teacher.

            Pull it together, thought Saiki.

            “What’s up?” A girl with green hair, dramatic makeup, and barrettes stepped into the room.

            Gyaru, thought the entire room. The boys looked disappointed.

            Pretty, thought (Y/N). Not prettier than Saiki, but pretty.

            “I’m Mikoto Aiura,” said Mikoto, writing on the board. “Just call me Miko. My hobbies are fortune-telling and decorating nails.”

            “Fortune-telling? I’m into that, too,” said Yumehara, smiling.

            “Really?” Miko smiled widely. “Fortune-telling is awesome, right? What’s your name?”

            “I’m Chiyo Yumehara,” said Yumehara. “I can show you this fortune-teller who’s really good.”

            “Thanks, but you’ve got it wrong, Chiyopipi.” Miko reached into her bag and pulled out a glittery crystal ball. “I’m a fortune-teller myself.”

            “Wow,” said (Y/N), tilting their head. If she was telling the truth, that was the third psychic in the school.

            “What?”

            “Amazing!” exclaimed various people.

            In an instant, Miko became a topic of interest, and as soon as people had the chance, they crowded around her and her crystal ball to see if she was the real deal.

            “She’s really popular,” said Nendou. “Maybe I’ll have her read my fortune, too.”

            “Well, I have zero interest in this,” said Kaidou.

            “Your past actions say otherwise,” said Saiki.

            “She seems cool,” said (Y/N), interested.

            “Better to not get involved,” said Saiki. “The future is a…weird thing.”

            “I don’t care about that,” said (Y/N) cheerfully. “She just seems cool. Friendly, nice, we could use a few more people like that.”

            They’re going to make a new friend, thought Saiki. And he couldn’t stop it—not that he would. (Y/N) was allowed to do whatever they wanted in his book.

            “Chiyopipi, do you want me to check your future?” offered Miko.

            “Well…” Yumehara blushed. “What about my career?”

            “Oh, come on.” Miko laughed. “You want to know about boys, right?”

            “How did you…?” Yumehara eyes widened.

            “Go on, Chiyo, have fun,” said (Y/N) teasingly.

            “Okay,” said Yumehara nervously.

            “Let’s give this a shot!” said Miko, pulling out ink, an eraser, and a bucket of water.

            “A bucket and ink? And an eraser?” said Yumehara. “What are you going to-?”

            Miko poured some ink into the water and spun the bucket around wildly. Then, she rubbed off bits of the eraser and let them float in the water. Everyone deadpanned, and then Miko grinned and looked up.

            “Your compatibility is two percent,” said Miko.

            Yumehara’s jaw dropped open in shock and disappointment. “How could you tell that?”

            “You should give up your current crush,” said Miko, straightforward.

            “What? I don’t believe you for a second!” declared Yumehara.

            “Chiyopipi, you’ve had bad luck with boys, haven’t you?” said Miko. “Weren’t the guys you dated before trash? Broke guys or just general losers?”

            Yumehara began to sweat at the blatant truth. “I don’t believe you!” She cried and ran out of the room.

            “That was impressive,” remarked (Y/N). They whispered to Saiki, “Is she for real?” 

            “Yes,” said Saiki. “She’s no fraud. She’s a real psychic.” And that meant she could figure him out.

            “Cool,” said (Y/N).

            Saiki sighed.

            “Who’s next?” chirped Miko.

            “Do you have a minute? I have a request.” Toritsuka stepped into the classroom. He had heard about the pretty psychic girl from the ghosts around him (and he had focused on the “pretty” part). “I want to know my compatibility with you.” He held up a rose. “I’m Toritsuka from the next class.”

            “A compatibility of zero percent,” said Miko, staring him down with a deadpan look. “Who are you, anyway?”

            “Yes. My apologies.” Toritsuka deflated.

            “He should retire from the show,” said Saiki.

            “Excuse me! I have some thing to ask.” Mera stepped up to Miko.

            “What is it now?” said Miko.

            “Can you find my missing father?” asked Mera.

            “Heavy,” said Saiki.

            “Poor Mera,” said (Y/N).

            “What’s your name?” said Miko.

            “I’m Chisato Mera,” said Mera.

            “Okay, Chisapoyo,” said Miko. “I’ll find your dad.” She entwined her arms, closed her eyes, and focused. Then, she took a pencil, shaved the lead, patted it between her hands, and hit it against Toritsuka’s shirt. While he pouted, she examined the shape of the lead. “He’s in Puerto Rico. I’m off my game today. That’s all I got.”

            “That’s more than enough! I’ll check it out!” said Mera excitedly, waving and running out of the room.

            “Wow, that’s impressive!” said (Y/N). “And she helps people like you.”

            “I don’t—” Saiki sighed as (Y/N) raised a brow. He gave up.

            “What were those things you did? With the lead and the bucket?” asked a student.

            “Oh, that?” Miko shrugged. “I’m just winging it. I’m just doing things that seem like they would inspire me. All I really need is my crystal ball, but it’s hard to see through with all the accessories.”

            I have to be careful not to let her do a ritual with me, thought Saiki. And if she looks at (Y/N) at all, she may see we’re dating and expose it before we’re ready.

            “But I’m off my game today,” sighed Miko, slouching into her seat.

            “Are you sick?” asked a girl.

            “I’m pretty good at seeing people’s auras, but…”

            “Auras?” said a girl.

            “Yes, like their spiritual energy,” said Miko. “With a single glance, I can see someone’s fate or potential. But I can’t see them very well today.”

            Saiki’s jaw dropped open. (Y/N) glanced at him.

            “Kusuo?” said (Y/N).

            “She has that power?” he said. “I can’t let her look at me.”

            “Why did you transfer here, anyway?” asked a student.

            “You want to know?” Miko turned red.

            “Yes.”

            Miko laughed and twirled her hair round her finger. “I read my own fortune, and, apparently, they’re here.” She blushed happily.

            “Who?” asked another student.

            “Isn’t it obvious?” Miko grinned. “The people I’m meant to love!”

            Instantly, all the boy blushed excitedly, and the girls gasped in excitement.

            “Wow, you can find that out, too?!”

            “Amazing!”

            “Yeah, I was in great form that day.” Miko twirled her hair. “My fortune told me I was going to find people who were going to make me happier in life.”

            “Are they in our class?” said the girls.

            “Cool,” said (Y/N). They smiled. “She’s here for love.”

            “None of my business. I’m staying away,” said Saiki.

            “I don’t know much about them, but I know one has a sweet tooth and the other has pink hair and crazy abilities. Their initials are (Your Initials) and S.K,” said Miko.

            (Y/N) and Saiki froze. What?

            “Who could they be?”

            “I can figure it out through their auras,” said Miko proudly.

            “I have to do something,” said Saiki.

            “Not what I thought she’d say,” said (Y/N). “And I think she’s pretty, but she’s not my type.”

            “That’s your issue?”

            (Y/N) chuckled and shrugged.

            “I’m skipping school tomorrow,” said Saiki decisively.

            “So she can’t see your aura?” said (Y/N). Saiki nodded. “Good idea. Should I skip?”

            Saiki shrugged. “It’s your decision.”

            “We can’t avoid her forever, so I’ll go,” said (Y/N), smiling. “You shouldn’t worry so much. It’ll work itself out, I’m sure.”

            “You are way too optimistic.” It was endearing, though.

l

            Miko’s head hit the desk in exhaustion. She had tried all morning to find her soulmates, but she had found nothing so far. She had found an SK with the aura of a chihuahua and another with the aura of a rich old man, but neither were her type. And she had struggled to find people with (Your Initials). She sighed. This was growing pointless.

            “(L/N), where’s Saiki?” said Kuboyasu.

            “He wasn’t feeling well today,” said (Y/N), smiling. “Under the weather. I’m going to bring him his homework later.”

            Miko looked up. Oh yeah. Saiki Kusuo. The last SK name on my li— Her eyes widened. This aura! It’s so warm! A pink light was radiating from (Y/N), warm and comforting, drawing Miko in like the smell of fresh pastries. Sweetness radiated from them. Miko’s eyes lit up, and she grabbed her list of classmates. (L/N) (Y/N)! The initials! It has to be them!

            Instantly, she stood up to go over to them. A few blocks away, Saiki—using his clairvoyance—cursed the entire world and decided he had to go to school. If some girl was going to go and get convinced (Y/N) was her soulmate, Saiki was stepping in that. That was his partner.

            He teleported into the school hallway.

            “What happened?” exclaimed Miko, looking around herself.  “I can’t see auras again!”

            What? Saiki blinked.

            “But I haven’t confirmed anything yet! This sucks!” said Miko. “I can’t seem them at all!”

            Really? What’s with this timing? I was about to make my grand entrance, thought Saiki. His eyes widened. Wait. He teleported out and onto a nearby building.

            “What? It’s back,” said Miko, confused. “What the heck is going on?”

            So that’s what’s going on. Saiki smiled in satisfaction. I’ve figured it out. The solution is to do nothing. (Y/N) is right, it’s working itself out. She thinks she lost her ability to see auras, but that’s not really the case. My aura is too big. It has a radius of roughly two hundred meters, like my telepathy. My aura outshone everyone else’s, so she was unable to see them. So long as she can’t see me alone, from a distance, she can never— He teleported back into the school as Miko turned. Know it’s me.

            He stepped towards the classroom and looked in. (Y/N) sat at their desk, and Saiki smiled slightly. And she won’t try to flirt with (Y/N).

            “Kusuo,” said (Y/N), smiling. “I thought you were staying home today.”

            “I’m feeling better,” said Saiki. “Everything worked itself out.”

            “I told you,” said (Y/N). They paused. “So you don’t have another girl interested in you?” They grinned teasingly.

            Saiki sighed. “She saw your aura, so she thinks you’re her soulmate.”

            “Huh.” (Y/N) tilted their head. “I’m kind of flattered.” They laughed as Saiki scowled more than usual. “You get all the girls, so it’s my turn.”

            Saiki remained unamused until (Y/N) laughed. Then his gaze softened. Unfortunately, he knew Miko had a point—(Y/N) was sweet. It was unsurprising that she’d like them.

            “Don’t worry, Kusuo, I think she read her fortune wrong anyways,” said (Y/N). “People making her happier could mean anything—friendship, family, relationships.” They grinned. “I’m betting on friendship. Don’t worry, Kusuo, I’m not looking to date her.”

            Too bad for her. Saiki looked at (Y/N) fondly, lovingly. They’re mine.

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[best-thing]

Out of all the things in everything, which one... is best?

It's a question we sometimes ask and never need to know the answer to. And finding answers no one needs is precisely the role of the tumblr tournament poll!

Frequently Asked Questions

How does this work? Tumblr users can submit a thing via ask, and the thing will be tried against the other things one by one in random order. 1v1 polls will determine which of each pair is better.

Won't that make way too many polls? Oh yes. If we do ALL the polls of the round robin, there will be a number of total polls equal to the square of the number of things that tumblr users can think of, minus that number, all divided by two. That's pretty many. Or perhaps zero. It depends on if this blog gets traction or not. This blog got some traction.

Sooo do you have a solution to that problem? We'll probably discard things that lose all their polls, or enough of their polls, or something like that. They can go on a "not that good" list that will grow over time.

It sounds like you haven't really got a plan. That's not a question!

Why not do a regular single-elimination bracket? We like round robin tournaments better! They're a more reliable way to find out the true relative quality of things. Plus we can have rolling submissions this way.

What kinds of things can be submitted? Submissions should:

1) be a thing. It can be abstract or concrete, alive or not, all are accepted. Examples include "doughnuts", "the letter M", "orgasms", "the Engraved Hourglass Nebula", "being a wizard", "fresh wizard meat cooked over an open fire with a rosemary dry rub", and more!

2) be something that a typical tumblr user could plausibly be familiar with. So "cats" is fine but "the cat that is on the lap of tumblr user fake-example-person" is not. It also can't be "your mom" or similar because that referent changes depending on the answerer. If you're getting specific, make sure it's something the voter could look up. If it's fictional, please include a brief indication of its origin.

3) be good. Or at least not bad. We are trying to find the best thing, so submitting "transmisogyny" or "smallpox" or whatever isn't going to be accepted. We also won't accept anything that it would be fucked up to apply a value judgment to, like a demographic of people or something like that.

4) not be a fandom thing. There are so many other tournament blogs for those, and they bore me. No fictional characters, works of fiction, films, shows, franchises, songs, video games, musicians, writers, actors, etc. Less specific options like genre or medium are allowed. For example, "Sherlock Holmes" or "A Study In Scarlet" or "Arthur Conan Doyle" would be disallowed, but "detective fiction" is allowed. Something that's fictional but not from a specific source, like "wizards", is allowed. (Some of these are going to be difficult edge cases and they will just be judged by my gut.)

What do I need to send in my ask? You can just include the thing itself, but if you wish you may add explanation about what the thing is and/or propaganda in favor of it being the best. These will be included with the poll. Unless I forget, which I usually do. These will not be included in the poll because it creates a significant amount of fuss when adding polls to the queue.

What if the options are two very different levels of specificity on similar subjects? Vote with your heart. Is more specificity better or worse?

Why are you pitting two bad bitches against each other? It is our calling.

What determines whether you include a Wikipedia link on a poll? Our finely tuned reference-inclusion criteria consider such factors as an average person's familiarity with the thing, whether we feel like it (it makes the post take longer to write) and whether we remember to (remembering things is hard). We do try to post a link for both options if one is included for either, though this is not always possible.

You sound familiar. Are you some other gimmick blog? We have the distinguished honor of being the same person-posting-as-if-she's-an-organization as the prestigious @meme-conservation and the elegant and insightful @bad-time-analogies!

I'm mad (and not in a fun pretend way) about one of the options getting votes when I hate it and/or strongly prefer the other. In fact, I think that people liking this thing may be What's Wrong With Society. May I annoy you and/or others by ranting in the notes about it? No. This may get you blocked.

Can I submit my orientation, gender, or other essential element of my identity? No. That would be fucked up (see above). Do you want to find out that most people prefer frozen yogurt over your identity?

I'm upset with how you handled my submission in some way. That's not a question! Perhaps "running a gimmick blog and handling people's submissions in a way they don't like" is the real Best Thing.

I have a different question. Perhaps you should ask it instead of waiting for us to anticipate it!

[courtneyinreallife]

TDI Courtney: Gets unfairly eliminated with no sympathy from the other campers. Isn’t chosen to come back to the island to compete even though others were.

TDA Courtney: Watches Gwen spend more time with Duncan than Trent. Heard about Trent’s suspicions. Gwen won’t just say that she doesn’t like Duncan and still has feelings for Trent. Is judged for using her lawyers to get into the competition when she literally wasn’t able to fairly compete in the last competition. Is written as a monster for having Duncan sign a letter even though she has no reason to believe he is committed to a relationship with her. Gets voted off by one of the reasons she came back.

TDWT Courtney: Is now calmer and more accepting of Duncan. Suspicion switched over to Gwen, who continuously makes remarks about her crush on Duncan or how fans believe she’d make a better girlfriend for him. Just got back together with Duncan before he decides to leave. Finds peace with Gwen. Excited that she found Duncan again just to realize that he’s moved on even though they literally mutually decided they still wanted to date each other a few weeks ago. Finds out that she was always right about Gwen and Duncan. Is given almost zero sympathy for her situation. Has to deal with Duncan’s change in demeanor towards her.

TDAS Courtney: Finally moves on with her life. Shamed for not forgiving Gwen even though there were only friends for a few weeks and Gwen denies doing anything wrong. Decides to forgive her anyways and is almost immediately kicked back to the curb by Gwen for being a “hypocrite” even though her situation with Cameron is nothing similar to Gwen’s situation with Duncan. Still begs for Gwen’s forgiveness anyway.

Fandom: god she’s toxic

[redbuddi]

okay but fr americans.... vote. like obv it is not and should not be the only vehicle through which to enact change, but it is still a way to move the needle a little bit. im genuinely concerned how many ppl are writing off the idea of voting entirely, not only specifically because of this election, but also because just philosophically speaking its not good to completely forego a tool for change just because it isnt as powerful as it should be. and thats what it is: a tool, and one of many.

if kamala gets into office a lot of people will still be hurt, but if trump gets into office even more people will be hurt on top of that! "oh so youll vote for someone who causes hurt?" well what else am I supposed to do? vote for the brain worms guy? not voting isnt going to help anybody, itll just hurt more people than could have been. obviously its a bad system. obviously it should be better. and obviously it should not be the only vehicle one considers to make an impact. but it still matters. kamala might not be perfect but for gods sake dont forget about project 2025 and the people who will be caught up in that! me and my friends and my family will all be affected. queer people, people of color, disabled people, and every other possible kind of marginalized group will be caught up in that. the system is broken and needs to change and we should continue to fight to change it, but until we get to that day when everyone is treated fairly we cant just forfeit our ability to enact change, no matter how small and incremental. i cannot emphasize enough that you have everything to lose by choosing to not vote.

and for those who still dont agree, those who think there's something up with my encouraging people to vote, i get it. i get why youre angry and you have every right to be. but i need you to ask yourself this: "will choosing not to vote do any good?" because if it doesnt matter either way people might as well vote just in case. a 0.000001 chance of changing anything is still better than complete zero, after all. and with so many lives on the line, why would you want people to give up that chance?

[runawaymarbles]

I 100% think that your shitty post about "suck it up and be ready to vote blue no matter who instead of asking for anything" is exactly why Democrats are in the 30s in terms of favorability polls. I don't think we disagree on the basic premise that things have been going from bad to worse for decades and that the cost of living has skyrocketed relative to wages. Living today as an "average" person is just harder than it used to be. Why is it so hard to understand that people are desperate for change, so desperate that some of them voted for Trump? People. Just. Want. To. Live. And you come here and tell everyone that the strategy for the next decade is to suck it up and vote even harder for even less. That was the stratgey in 2016. It failed. In 2024, Biden won, but Biden won by a nothing in the light of a pandemic, an economic crisis, a horrible Trump presidency, the biggest civil rights movement since the 60s and, most importantly, because Biden himself presented himself as a reformer. "He's going to be the next FDR" was one of the slogans used. He opened to the left as well and won. People don't want normalcy. People really, really don't fetishize the status quo like you think they do. People just want to live. And the current present, nor the present before Trump, allowed for much of it. I'm not sure what makes you think that fighting for anything other than what you had before is a desirable objective for anyone. People want a better future to live in, most of the policies you tried to paint as unrealistic/delusional are perfectly achievable and many of them have been achieved already. It literally makes ZERO SENSE to come to people who are losing everything and tell tem to stop whining and suck it up and accept whatever rotten corpocrat comes their way. This is exactly how people came to vote for Trump in the first place, and how they lost hope with Democrats. What you push for is a proven failure of an electoral strategy (history can attest to that already), a recipe for even more disasters in the future (since the corrupt status quo was exactly the reason behind all the policies that have come to cripple the lives of people to the extent they looked at fascists as the hairbinger of change they so desperatly craved for) and, ultimately, it's soulless, morally rotten ("How dare you pretend your leaders to stop funding and defending a genocide? How dare you pretend your leaders to to domsrhing to help you afford education and health? How dare you ask for a better future?"). This isn't a drill. Change your ways or you'll never win again.

I love how you're talking to me like I'm the Democratic Party, or a democratic candidate.

That post isn't a campaign strategy. I'm sure the dems are going to campaign on all sorts of Cool Shit. I'm sure democratic candidates are going to promise you the fucking world.

That post is recommending you set your expectations and disappointment thresholds accordingly for when they're actually in office.

Also HILARIOUS that people were so "desperate to live" that they voted out the guy creating jobs and funding medical research and voted IN the guy who cut jobs and funding for medical research and may well bring on a food crisis. People weren't desperate to live, they were desperate to have someone to hit. And if you don't know anything the Biden administration accomplished you can do a google once in a while.