#sometimes you send the idiots and children to the kid's table while grown-ups handle business

[chargetheintruder]

And catching up on what I said I’d do last weekend.

Fair warning: Political crap.  Because I’m stuck in a timeline, you know?  We live in a society and are stuck with a timeline.  =))

First off, yeah, it’s hypocritical as all fuck that EVERY right-winger ever is pissing and moaning and calling “hand-out” over President Biden’s recent act of Mass Student Loan Forgiveness (THANK YOU, Mr. President, by the way) when a) many of these same politicians also took out PPP Loans during the pandemic and never paid them back (which is what loan forgiveness and bankruptcy have in common, superficially, I guess), and also b) ALL of them kept it quiet TWICE when banks got government HAND OUTS, a.k.a. bail-outs over their own greed and ineptitude with regard to exotic investments in real estate.  No, seriously.

Trumpist fuck-nuts think it’s all good when a business, a corporation, a landlord, or a politician squeaks out of debt, as Trump did going bankrupt some six times, but God Forbid an ordinary college student or former student should get cut ANY breaks during a once-in-a-century pandemic that BECAME a disaster thanks to what again?  Incompetence coming from Trump you say?  So-called conservatives living in QAnon’s evidence-free la-la-electric fairyland on 8channel you say?  Or maybe both of those points and every point in between them.

In shorter terms: While I personally believed President Biden could have acted sooner and done more--he could have easily went for greatness just by doubling his numbers, $20K baseline, $40K with Pell Grants, and doubled the income limit too--the truth is, getting this contrarian President to actually do something himself is like pulling teeth?  Yeah, I’ll take a win when I see it, we can wait until later to see if Manchin and Sinema merit getting their kneecaps ventilated over how much of the rest of Biden’s agenda they forcibly ruined.

Secondly, and yeah, I said I would get to this, I’m just sorry it took me nearly a week to do so.

But the truth is that Trump needs to go on trial for the things he did, and the things he encouraged.  Donald Trump needs to go on trial for both incitement of insurrection on January 6th, and for his deliberate mishandling of both Presidential records and Classified materials.  America needs to get a spine on this and demonstrate that NO ONE is above Rule of Law.  It really is that simple.

But there is something that needs to be said: the outcome of all that will not satisfy anyone.  It won’t.  Trump will most likely plead “no contest” whenever possible and while that’s the equivalent of a guilty plea, his followers will not accept that as such.  Meaning any authorities willing to actually do their as-stated job and stop insurrections from the trial of Trump are going to have their hands full. The joke gets better.  Should Trump be found guilty or the equivalent, yes, he will go to prison, but in sentencing the judge will have to consider his age, as well as his protection needs as a Former President.  Meaning, yes, as a really old rich-bitch, Trump will NEVER actually go to anything more than a medium-security white-collar prison.  No General Population for Trump.  His potential flight risk and insurrection risk merit medium security but his person doesn’t merit more than that (he’s 70-something, in mediocre health and needs at least trivial Secret Service protection).  Trump’s prison experience will be more like Martha Stewart’s, only more permanent.  Chalk that up to White Privilege, I sure do.  And I say that as a white guy.

About the only major benefit from Trump’s going to prison we can get is that he won’t be dead and a martyr.  He won’t inspire anyone anymore--indeed, the whole point of the sentence will be that Trump will die of old age being kept very much Isolated and Quiet.  Maybe that is the best we can hope for, is a situation where sure, people will raise hell but they’ll have to do it as “their own people” versus being led by Trump directly.

Third thing?  I keep saying this again and again, but now it looks like it might just happen.  This being an effective No More Republicans Scenario.  In short, the trial hits, it sweeps up enough figures in both the House and Senate to chill the midterms, and in essence, the Democratic Party gets the spine they needed last year, and uses the 14th Amendment to finally kick the rest of the bastards out to the curb.  On the one hand, yes, this is more incentive for the Idiot 30 Percent of every state (the Idiot 28 Percent, actually, plus the One Percenters and kept hacks who support them).  More fuel to their fire, more cause for them to raise hell, such as it is, but consider how much Trump has been bashing the Police lately.  This is a bad move in terms of tactics because the right-wingers don’t know that if they fight the Militarized Police here in America again, directly, they will die.  They will simply be shot dead.  Don’t think the police don’t know how their own suffered in the January 6th insurrection.  The alt-right as such have LOST the Blue Lives bunch and don’t know it.  This isn’t gloating, this is simply looking at how police behave in the USA, looking at what they demand of people typically, and looking at how Trumpist red-caps typically act.  Those who still follow Trump still think they can raise hell--and are in for a severely rude awakening on that.

In the meantime, the sensible 70 percent of us, in every state, just need to get used to the idea that we ARE going to go into a one-party state, temporarily, probably for the remainder of President Biden’s stay in the White House.  It probably won’t be all that severe but it will LOOK concerning to people who don’t know how the 14th Amendment works.  It’ll be a while before we get a post-Republican conservative party, and until that happens, Democrats and Independents will be the only shows in town and on the ballots.  But yeah, it’ will mostly look worse than it is, actually.  And I’m saying this from Illinois, where the current Governor has literally forced an emergency State-Level coup-d-etat just to make damned sure his state survives COVID-19 without endless bickering from the “but we LIKED Rauner” camp in the State Legislature and elsewhere.  No really, if even the “moderate” anti-Trump “republicans” had any say during the pandemic years, Chicago would be DEAD.  That’s the state-level conservative bias in the main, “fuck Chicago” because that’s “where them libtards breed and lay some eggs.”  =))  So yeah, maybe Governor J.B Pritzkier (whose last name I always mess up) has a point in Assuming ALL Direct Control for the time being.

And maybe kicking the Bastard Party out at the federal level is also a good thing, temporarily, as well.

[kuriquinn]

The More Things Change...

Disclaimer & Masterpost

Summary: Asuma is probably laughing at them from the Great Beyond.

AN: So, as I promised, I will finish my NarutoWeek2017 fic prompts...even if they are unforgivably late haha. Hm, I should probably put them all in one place, huh?

The sun is just reaching its zenith on an lamentably cloudless day when Shikamaru steps foot in the dining area of the YakinikuQ and glances around in search of his friends. They aren’t there yet, which makes him groan and try to decide if he should bother getting a table now or just come back in a little while.

It’s a rare day off for him, and he doesn’t feel like wasting it inside more than he has to.

It turns out, there’s more that goes into being an advisor to the Hokage than he expected. Shizune is a relentless (and unnaturally organized) taskmaster, with a certain lack of patience born of working with a temperamental woman like Tsunade. Most of the work is tedious enough that he could do it in his sleep, but whenever Kakashi decides to do something unpredictable, every bit of planning gets thrown up in the air.

Considering Naruto is about a hundred times more unpredictable, Shikamaru suspects his future is going to be one long, unending game of shogi.

That in mind, he doesn’t feel like spending his diminishing free time waiting around for his late comrades.

Turning to leave, he pauses when he notices the back booth of the restaurant, and the occupants therein; Kurenai is sitting there, obviously trying to fight off laughter, while Gai sits in his wheelchair beside her, balancing baby Mirai on his lap. Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Shikamaru wanders over.

“Hey,” he says when they both notice his approach, and nods at Kurenai. “I haven’t seen you out in a while.”

“Mirai finally finished cutting that first tooth,” Kurenai tells him, pride and exhaustion plain in her features. “Today was the first day in a week she’s been pleasant enough to go out, and so I took a chance. Then we ran into Gai at the park and he insisted on treating us to lunch.”

“Motherhood is a most arduous trial – you need to keep your strength up,” Gai agrees. “You will be a most excellent example of fortitude to your daughter! Even now, I can already feel the great strength she possesses!”

He indicates the death-grip the baby has on one of his eyebrows.

“Also, it means I don’t have to cook,” Kurenai says in a lower voice. “Or worse – microwave.”

“You should have said something,” Shikamaru reminds her. “I can bring you food. My mother always cooks too much these days.”

It’s been difficult adjusting to his father’s death. He’s not sure what’s worse – the constant barrage of reminders that hit him at odd moments of the day, or the way his tough and snappy mother sometimes breaks down crying apropos of nothing.

Kurenai’s eyes soften in understanding.

“I may take you up on that,” she tells him gently. “Mirai will no doubt have more teeth coming in soon, and I won’t be able to take her anywhere for a while.”

Shikamaru nods stiffly at this.

“Shikamaru, you’re a man now – you should join us for a drink,” Gai suggests. Kurenai coughs, and he amends, “Well, me. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with drinking tea – in fact, we should all have some tea together and drink as comrades!”

“Thank you, but now,” he says. “I’m supposed to have lunch with Ino and Chōji. Assuming they show up. Everyone’s so busy lately, they might just cancel.”

“Ah, I know that feeling,” Gai says, gently catching Mirai’s grabby hands with his. His expression turns uncharacteristically sober. “I never even see Kakashi anymore unless I have an appointment. It makes engaging in youthful competition difficult.”

Shikamaru snorts, because of course Gai sees the only obstacle to his ridiculous contests as being Kakashi’s busy schedule – not his own damaged body.

“At least everyone is just busy,” Kurenai points out thoughtfully. “You know that once the reconstruction is over, things will be back to normal.”

“Will they?” Shikamaru challenges before he can think better of it.

 “As normal as they can be,” Kurenai amends quietly.

They are all silent for a tense spell, everyone thinking of their own losses. It is Gai who breaks that lull.

“I may not have lost a father as you did, or even a husband…but my students are the closest thing I will ever have to children,” the taijutsu master says. “Losing Neji was like losing a son. And I don’t know if he ever knew that.” He fixes Shikamaru in a firm gaze, for once free of his over-emotional tears. “Mark my words, young Shikamaru, you must savour the people in your life – and tell them how important they are to you – while you are youthful enough to do it.”

“Uh…sure…”

“And on that note – you should sit with us and drink! To the past and to the glorious, vigorous future we all have ahead of us!” Gai shouts.

“Hey! Shikamaru!”

He is saved by responding to find Chōji and Ino across the room, being led to their usual booth. Ino looks as coifed as usual, albeit a bit paler than he’s used to her seeing, and Chōji is at his skinniest.

“Excuse me,” he says to the other shinobi, earning a nose-crinkling smile of understanding from Kurenai. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your meal.”

“We shall! And afterwards, I will challenge my new erstwhile opponent to a feat of shouting!” Gai declares. “Go on, young Mirai, show off your commitment to youth!”

Mirai puts her fist in her mouth.

“Do you see? Kurenai, look at that resolve!”

Shikamaru rolls his eyes and leaves Kurenai to deal with Gai. He has a feeling that teething or not, she’s probably rethinking her need to leave the house again anytime soon…

“He never changes, does he?” Ino asks as he sits down, her eyes on the exuberant green-clad man. But there is no repudiation in her voice, and rather than a mocking smirk, she smiles fondly. She has come a long way from the judgmental kid she once was.

“Unlike us,” Shikamaru agrees.  “When was the last time we did this?”

“Well, it’s not like we haven’t been busy!”

“Don’t I know it,” Chōji groans.

The three of them collectively exhale in exhaustion.

“I’ve been working non-stop with my dad on reconstruction missions,” Chōji complains as soon as their rather lengthy order is given to the waitress. “The whole clan keeps being farmed out to other villages that were damaged by the Zetsu army. Every day, just because I can ford rivers and build bridges and fix dams – it’s never ending! This is the first real meal I’ve had in a month!”

“I think you’re exaggerating – you were at my place just last week,” Shikamaru interrupts.

“Well it feels like a month! I’m practically living on soldier pills!”

“Well at least those keep your health up,” Ino bemoans. “I should probably start taking those myself…”

“You sell flowers,” Chōji points out.

“Yeah, and it’s more tiring than you’d think!” Ino snaps. “Do you realise how many people come in for flowers every day? Everyone’s lost someone, so everyone wants to bring flowers or send them or make displays. And always with the messages of sympathy and condolences, and half of them are crying when they get me to fill those notes out and…ugh, it’s just depressing.”

Her shoulders sag. Shikamaru blinks, having not considered the emotional toll of her family business in the wake of the war.

“And it’s not like I can ask Mother to do anything,” she continues with a sigh.

“How is she?” Chōji asks softly.

“She has good days and bad days. I know it’s been a few months, but she’s still in shock,” she explains sadly. “Which means I have to handle all the clan business, because my uncles and cousins are morons. And on top of that I’m picking up Sakura’s slack because every week she’s off playing nursemaid to Sasuke.” Ino crosses her arms and glowers. “Grr, it’s playing dirty, is what it is! All because she has ultra high clearance – as if that would impress Sasuke! I could totally have that clearance if I wanted to. My dad ran the place!”

Shikamaru and Chōji face fault.

“You have seriously messed up priorities,” Shikamaru informs her.

“Excuse me?” Ino demands. She holds up a hand, and begins ticking off fingers. “Grieving villagers, helping my mother, my clan being idiots and Sasuke. I think I’m prioritizing things very well, thanks!”

“I guess she has a point,” Chōji sniggers. “When we were twelve, Sasuke would have been at the top of the list.”

“Oh, yeah, she’s totally grown,” Shikamaru snorts.

“Are either of you looking to spend quality time stuck in the body of a frog?” Ino asks sweetly. “Because I can make it happen.”

“If it means not eating soldier pills anymore, I’m in,” Choji decides, glancing around impatiently. “What’s taking so long? You’d think with so few people in here they could make it snappy!”

“I guess it’s one of the reasons this place is going out of business,” Shikamaru shrugs.

“What?” Ino demands. “Why?”

Chōji has gone pale and looks like he’s incapable of speech.

“According to the zoning records I read earlier, they’re opening another restaurant here instead. Something about a hamburger joint.”

“A what?!” Choji hisses, expression turning dangerous.

“Oh, yeah, there are some of those in the new part of town,” Ino remarks mildly. “Apparently they’re really popular out west – ahhh! Chōji, what the hell are you doing?!”

The scion of the Akimichi clan has jumped to his feet and actually flipped the table. The few guests in the restaurant cry out in alarm – Mirai, now once more in her mother’s lap, laughs and claps her hands in amusement.

Oh, yeah, she’s definitely Asuma’s…

“This – must – not – stand!” Chōji yells, breathing coming out in the usual huffs and puffs that preview his using an expansion jutsu. “Come on, Shikamaru! Ino! We need to have a chat with the managers! We cannot let the sacred sustenance that is barbecue be sullied by something as…as barbaric as hamburger! Think of the legacy we’re supposed to leave our future children!”

And he stomps toward the kitchen.

“Way to keep your mouth shut, moron,” Ino tells Shikamaru dryly.

He sighs.

“We should go stop him from demolishing the place…what a drag…”

つづく

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クリ

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