#why else would we be in cairo

[hylianane]

I have an opinion about Holly Kujo and I’m a little scared cause I dont know the Jojo fandom enough to come in with what I think is a hot take.

I’ve noticed that, in fanworks, a lot of people portray Holly as tougher than she is in the show. And it makes sense, cause the idea of her being so weak-willed that she couldn’t handle a stand when even baby Shizuka could manifest one is kinda bs and a testament to Araki not being very confident with writing women at the time (thank GOD he got better though, so, so much better).

But. What always gets me is when her relationship with Jotaro is written to be a little more standard, still loving but with the child having a healthy fear of their mom’s anger- unlike what we see in Stardust, with him constantly being a brat, calling her “bitch” and her shrugging it off with an “Okay!”. also him getting himself thrown into jail while she still can’t bring herself to get mad, just upset. And the fanfics take a very fun play on them too, but I just worry that people who default to this dynamic for Jojo and Holly might not see how the canon characterization of their relationship is interesting in its own right.

Because even tho Holly being a doormat is a creative choice born from Araki pussying out of giving her a stand, it doesn’t change the fact that once he made that choice he gave it great importance. I think the fact that Holly’s idea of supporting her son is just accepting everything he does without any anger is central to their relationship. It’s how, despite having a mother who loves him unconditionally, Jotaro is still a very troubled teen and emotionally withdrawn. Though it’s easy to blame it on Sadao’s implied absence, or troubles in school, we don’t have a lot of textual evidence for that.

But kids who are raised without at least some semblance of discipline and structure typically stop seeing their parents as authorities, and most importantly, protectors. A more textually-backed explanation for why Jotaro is always acting tough and independent is because he doesn’t have any adults in his life who he would trust to help him. He loves his mom, he traveled the world to save her life, but while doing that he saw himself as her protector, not the other way around, not the way it typically should be.

Think about, for example, how the adult he mouths off to the least in his life is probably Avdol. And I think part of that is because Avdol walked into that police station, took one look at Jotaro, and instantly clocked everything I just said. Because while Holly and Joseph tried to to get him out with simple words (and for Holly, tears), Avdol was there to force him out. And at first Jotaro says, “If he tries to force me out, I’ll just stay here even longer”, but Avdol doesn’t give him a choice. And he doesn’t win by overpowering him (if he had, I dont think he’d have gotten the same positive result, I am not pro setting troubled teens on fucking fire) but he outsmarts Jotaro and doesn’t quit the fight until his goal is achieved. He stays in control of his emotions when talking to him, and proves himself to be someone strong and assertive. So later, on the trip to Cairo, Jotaro is more willing to rely on him than he is to rely on his own grandpa. (+, it’s a similar thing with Kakyoin, who he trusts almost more than anyone else, because he saw Kakyoin’s will and power first-hand when they met, and left with the lesson that Kak is someone he can rely on to protect of both himself and Jotaro. Someone with strong convictions, but most importantly, willing and capable of clashing with Jotaro if necessary.)

All this to fucking say. In a world in which Jotaro was raised to fear his parent’s reprimands (and I don’t mean fear to an unhealthy amount, an abusive amount), he would act very differently than he does in the show, and his relationships to other characters would probably look very different. Holly’s personality and parenting might seem like it was an afterthought to Araki, but I think he truly did take great care in making it consistent with her son’s character. She is a very loving mom, who is very loved in return, but what I think a lot of people perceive as a flaw in her writing is actually just a flaw in her character, with narrative weight and interesting consequences. And I’m not sure how many people are really aware of that.

[illdowhatiwantthanks]

The Mango (The Surprise, Part 13)

Emily Prentiss x fem!reader Warnings: explicit language, innuendo, implied sex, periods, mostly just fluff, reader taking care of Emily because our girl deserves it Word count: 1.9k

Summary: Emily comes back from a hard week in the field and you treat her in all the ways you can possibly think of. Because she's baby girl and she deserves to be taken care of.

Week 23: The Mango

In both your personal and professional life, you were a wildly independent person. Self-sufficient, dedicated, proud of the work you did and how hard you’d worked to get where you were. You were nobody’s doormat, nobody’s housekeeper, nobody’s mom.

If anyone else you knew, especially men, asked you to cook for them or do their laundry or take care of them in any way, you would have been personally affronted. You would have said, “You’re a fucking grown-up, do it yourself. I’m not your mom.” And you’d mean it.

So it embarrassed you a bit that, with Emily, you acted like a full-blown ‘50s-style housewife and you loved it. Not all the time, of course. But enough of the time that you couldn’t just brush it off. Dinner on the table when she got home? Your pleasure. Packing her lunch? A joy. Doing the laundry and making sure she always had a second go-bag packed and ready in case there was a quick turnaround on cases? You lived for that shit, especially when you hid little notes in the pockets that said things like:

I love you (so does little mango)!

We miss you! <3!

So proud of you for saving lives and kicking criminal ass! P.S. It’s hot. ;)

The bottom line? You were down bad for Emily. You had been from the moment she’d asked you out and all the years since. But after you’d gotten pregnant, your roles had switched a bit. Emily had always taken care of you well, but in the last few months she'd taken over significantly more of the household tasks since you were often tired and achy. You ordered takeout more often than you cooked (Emily had tried, but after her third time setting off the fire alarm you’d said, “You know what, babe, why don’t we just order out?”).

You missed taking care of Emily. God knows, she wouldn’t let anybody else do it. So when she’d called you from the jet to let you know she was on her way home after a grueling week in the field–made even more grueling by the fact that she was on her period–you set out to treat Emily right. To treat her in all the ways you used to treat her before you got pregnant, in all the ways that Emily deserved to be treated and so rarely let herself be.

You had groceries delivered to make her favorite meal, and when the little Find My dot that was Emily showed up at Quantico and started making its way back to DC, you ran her a bath–water scalding so it’d be nice and hot when she came in, fragrant with lavender Epsom salts. You lit candles, turned the bathroom lights low, even put her favorite hoodie and sweatpants and a fluffy towel in the dryer so they’d be toasty and warm when she got out of the bath.

You started on dinner, playing Emily’s favorite Salah Ragab record on the turntable. The food processor growled as it worked overtime to blend a homemade hummus, complete with your secret ingredient: a splash of aquafaba. You chopped parsley and mint for fattoush, made a marinade for the chicken flavored with all the spices Emily loved so much from her childhood years in Oman and Egypt, sumac and cardamom and coriander and all the others that you ordered online from a specialty Middle Eastern spice seller.

Your oven shawarma wasn’t as good as shawarma from a spit in Cairo, but it was about as close as you could get at home, and Emily loved it. And you made a damn good fattoush and hummus. You sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, whipped together a quick yogurt sauce.

You’d just put the chicken and veggies in the oven and were starting on the cream cheese filling for the stuffed dates when you heard the door open and shut.

“In the kitchen!” you called, hands sticky from slicing the dates.

Emily looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes, her blazer rumpled from a long day of travel. But her face lit up when she saw you.

“Do I smell… shawarma?!” she asked, wrapping her arms around your waist and kissing your neck, her hands resting protectively over your baby bump.

“Mmhm.” You grinned, feeling Emily’s body melt into yours, the tension in her muscles already dissipating.

“What’s the occasion?” She turned you around, so she could lean her arms on your shoulders, running her fingers through your hair.

You shrugged. “Can’t a girl just want to treat her wife?”

“She sure can.” Emily smiled and leaned in to press her lips softly to yours. You held your hands out at your sides so you wouldn’t be tempted to press them into Emily’s clothes or skin.

Emily pulled away, watching you lovingly as you sliced and mixed and stirred.

“Can I help with anything?” she asked, lowering herself into a chair and wincing slightly.

“In the kitchen!?” You scoffed. “Absolutely not. There’s a bath ready for you, so go relax for a bit.”

Her eyes brightened. “Aw, honey. That’s so sweet of you.” She grabbed your hips again, once again turning you away from the counter so she could press you against it in a hungry kiss.

You giggled and swatted at her with a dish towel. “Go before the water gets cold!”

“Care to join?” she asked suggestively, pulling lightly at the waistband of your shorts.

You smirked, gently grasping her fingers and moving them away. “I have to finish dessert.”

Emily walked toward the bathroom like a scolded puppy, looking back with big eyes. “I can think of something else I’d rather have for dessert,” she commented, eyebrows raised.

You waved her off, blushing furiously. “Get out of here, you dork! Go take your bath!”

“I thought we were treating me tonight!” Emily called from the bathroom.

“That’s an after-dinner treat, honey,” you yelled back. “I’ve got shit to do first.”

“Fine! But I’m gonna hold you to that!”

You shook your head, grinning, as you spooned cream cheese filling into the halved dates, pressing them into a mixture of crushed pistachios and rose petals. God, you loved your wife.

When the dates were plated, the bulgur in the fattoush soaked through, the pita warmed, and the chicken covered in foil and resting on the counter, you washed your hands and went to find Emily, grabbing her comfy clothes and towel from the dryer.

You heart surged when you found her still in the tub, eyes closed, face relaxed. This is what your girl deserved. You leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.

“You alright, honey?” you asked, trying to squat down next to the tub, but ending up on your knees thanks to the baby.

She hummed in affirmation, keeping her eyes closed. “Thank you so much for this, baby,” she mumbled quietly.

“Anytime, love.” You watched her for a few more minutes, then set the stack of warm clothes on the bathroom counter. “There’s a warm towel and some PJs here for you,” you said, struggling to get to your feet.

“You good?” Emily chuckled, watching you out of the corner of her eye.

“Yes.” When you finally managed to make it to your feet, you had beads of sweat on your forehead. It wasn’t even that your belly was that heavy yet, it was that it threw off your center of gravity and made moving from one position to another awkward. “Get dried off when you're ready,” you told her. “I’ll get dinner on the table.”

You were proud of the spread when you stood and surveyed it. Shawarma chicken straight from the oven, spiced and heavenly-smelling. Warm pita bread and a swirl of smooth, creamy hummus with just a bit of paprika and olive oil on top. A lovely, vibrant fattoush, sliced cucumbers, juicy tomatoes. A little plate of stuffed dates, popping with green and pink from the pistachios and rose petals.

Emily walked in, hair wet around her shoulders, blotching her sweatshirt. You pulled her chair out for her but, before she sat down, she wrapped her arms around you, pulling you in for a hug. She smelled like lavender and fresh laundry, and you breathed her in, holding her close.

You could tell by the way she lingered there, by the way she breathed easier with her body pressed against yours, that Emily would need a lot of touch tonight. Not just in a sexual way, though Emily’s sex drive was always through the roof on her period. You could tell that tonight, Emily would let you hold her, that she’d curl herself around you tightly, possessively, as if to cover the most that she possibly could of your surface area.

In other words, she needed comfort. And she didn't get it from anyone else, not really. It had taken her a long time to even ask for it from you, to seek it out. So when she did, you were always more than happy to oblige. More than happy to hold clingy, sweet, needy Emily for as long as she needed.

She whined a bit when you pulled away, and you kissed her cheek, playing with her fingers.

“You’ve got to eat something, love. Then I promise I will not let you go for the rest of the night.”

She sat obediently, squeezing your hand, and piled her plate with all the things you’d made, eyes rolling back in her head when she swiped a finger through the hummus and put it in her mouth.

“I don’t know how you do it,” she gushed. “I swear your hummus tastes just like my friend Zainab’s mom’s from when I lived in Oman.”

“It’s the specialty spices,” you shrugged, taking a bite of pita with shawarma and veggies.

“No, I think it’s the special person making it,” Emily cheesed, beaming at you.

You smiled and rolled your eyes playfully. “Oh, you’re getting it tonight.”

“I certainly hope so.”

When your plates were cleared and the leftovers tucked safely into the fridge, you led Emily to the bedroom, pulling back the covers for her, tucking her in.

“You know these are just gonna get untucked, right?” she asked, biting her lip.

“Shh,” you scolded. “Let me take care of you.”

You crawled into bed next to Emily, drawing her body into yours, holding her gently as you pressed your lips to hers. She melted into the kiss, already breathless.

You brushed her hair out of her face, placing your hand gently on her lower stomach. “How are your cramps?” you asked. “You want any medicine or anything?”

“The only medicine I need is you,” she said, guiding your hand lower.

You chuckled. “Alright, Romeo. Calm down.” You lowered your face to her neck, planting kisses all across her shoulder and collarbone. “I told you I’d take care of you, and I will.”

Emily held your face gently in her hands, looking deep into your eyes. “Why are you so good to me?” she whispered.

You pecked her on the lips. “Because I love you. And you deserve good things.”

And with that, you started your long, slow journey across the topography of Emily’s body, ready and willing to give her every good thing you possibly could.

[zwolfgames]

Hii! If it's not too much trouble to ask, can you make a Yandere DIO x Child Reader who escaped and is now with the Crusaders? (Reader would have a strong Stand) 🙃

(So idk wether this was meant as like biologically DIO's kid or not but I just went with unrelated because i dont know how many hoes DIO had back in Stardust Crusaders. Also, how does one think up a stand, lol.)

Requested: Annon

Warnings: Slightly OOC DIO, silly kidnapping, bizarre

(3rd person POV)

Life had been turned upside down for you lately. As a poor ten year old alone on the streets of Cairo, you had expected this year to be the same as last year.

Just surviving and having your Stand help steal food.

Thus is the life of a street rat. Kicked out by their abusive father...

But just a month ago, when you were once again getting your Stand to filch some fruit from a night market, you got spotted.

A tall, impending figure had stopped in the alleyway to look down at you.

His piercing golden eyes made you freeze once you were in his field of vision. Did the air just get colder or was that you?

"Tell me of your stand, Child."

The man had spoken, all those nights ago. Truthfully, you hadn't know what a Stand was back then. So he pointed to yours. All you really knew of it was that nobody else could see it... So why was he looking straight at it?

With such intrest too.

Before you could actually talk to the man, he had leaned down and poked something into your head, thats the last thing you could remember.

"So yea, thats all I remember..." You spoke to this strange band of people.

That disintrested looking fellow had been the one to rip whatever that weirdo so long ago put into your head... A 'Flesh Bud'. A means of controlling people, or so you've heard from that french guy and his green clad fellow as they were complaining about the time they had yours.

So they had been attacked by the blonde guy too?

Intresting.

"You have a hell of a Stand kid." The oldest guy pats your shoulder, he looks pretty buff for an old guy. Who are these people.

"My stand? Ah- you mean Arnold?" You made your stand appear. You faintly remember it just... appearing one day when you were being chased by street dogs... It kinda saved your hide. Named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, as you had heard that name on a tv in a store once. Very creative, obviously.

"Yes... Arnold. Does it perhaps do special things. Like superpowers?" The old man asks. Trying not to look back at how one of his friends is being patched up from all his cuts.

"Why should I tell you my secrets?" You cross your arms defiantly.

"Because we saved you, don't you want to defeat who-ever did this to you? Huh, kid?" The old man nudges you with his shoulder.

"Not really. Who are you guys anyways, you don't look like locals at all." You take a step away from the man.

"I'm Joseph Joestar, thats my grandson Jotaro and his friend Kakyoin... Thats Polnareff, and the one you almost blasted to bits is Avdol." Josephs eye twitches as he look back at his hurt friend.

"I didn't do anything." You retort quickly.

"You did, because of this flesh bud. A vampire named Dio was controlling you-" Joseph starts.

"I'm not controllable." You stick your tongue out.

"Oh yea, so then you almost killed Avdol by yourself?" Joseph replies with the same childish tone.

"That was my twin brother, you've got the wrong person." You smirk like the annoying brat you truly are.

The argument gets more heated as Joseph refuses to listen to the sass of a dirt covered child.

Meanchile, in a dark dark room in a castle far away- No, a mansion just a couple of streets away, a certain blonde seethes.

Another one lost. Those damned crusaders... Joestars.

They had taken away many of his subjects.... His pawns.. But this was by far the worst.

A child, a powerfull child. He had plans for you. Shattered, all in a single fight.

Dio clenches his fist and a piece of the parchment he's pretending to read rips.

He wasn't attached... Not at all. You were just strong. And.. Too similar to him. A scumbag of a dad, he had looked into your mind that night you two locked eyes. And he had seen... Things that reminded himself too much of himself. The only diffrence between you two was that you weren't just born evil. A bummer, really. He's always wanted to see a maniacal kid.

But... Oh dallit, who's he kidding, he did get attached. And really he doesn't understand why. You were a dirty, foolish child...

But you had potential...

Dio had always planned to be the lonesome ruler of his ideal world... But you were.. ideal enough. Yes.

You could like... stand next to him and chirp about whatever useless tought you had this time.

Something to quench the silence he's grown to hate after years of being confined to a coffin under the sea.

It's a miracle that you hadn't gotten on his nerves, really. He usually hated all kids. But well, maybe it's that mischievious glint in your eyes. Makes him think too much of his time back in his living ages.

So, ofcourse he sent two of his stand users out to retrieve you.

Wich is how he had leanred of your capture by the Joestars.

Oh he had wanted to gag, what if they made you into the same goody-two-shoes all Joestars pretended to be?

Disgusting. He's have to end your suffering in that case...

But for now, he could wait for his pawns to bring you back. Maybe you were ready for the no flesh bud treatment.

Probably not. But hey, who knows what other nonsense you'd come up with if he let you be that free.

If only his pawns would hurry up! He's bored!

"I'm not helping you, I've got things to do." You declare to Joseph for the sixth time now as they kept on asking you to help them get to Dio.

"We'll give you lots of food." Jotaro pipes in with that same bored tone, seemingly having figured you out after his grandfather had tried convincing you the whole time.

"I'm in. This way."

You hum and start walking. Joseph yaw falls open dramatically as Jotaro walks past him with a slightly proud aura.

The group of guys follow you around the sunny streets of Cairo as you walk to the mansion you just so faintly remember.

Actually... you don't really remember much of your mind controlled times. A faint face of the vampire that had enslaved you... a slight sensation of a hair ruffle. For the rest it's mostly gone.

But who knows, with what these guys have been telling you, this Dio figure is quite the bad guy. And you'd be getting food. So...

The first round roof of the mansion had appeared in your field of vision, you had attampted to call out before someone just jumped onto you from above.

Now this man you remembered just faintly. Cowboyish looks, an attitude and the most annoying smirk.

"Gotta ask you not to struggle kid. Dio's been whining about you for a week now." Hol Horse huffs as he picks you up at the scruff. Glaring at Jotaro's group of friends.

"Let me go or I'll blast you to bits." You declare simply. Crossing your arms childishly.

The cowboy's eye twitches and he takes it as a bluff.

Stupid idea, really.

You activate your stand, Arnold, and use it's ability that you have yet to name. The crystal like being grabs ahold of Hol Horse and sharp crystals grow out of his arm, piercing his skin.

This effectivly drops you as the man screams in pain behind you.

So that's what you had done wit Avdol then? Yikes. Since when did you even have this ability? Must be Dio's fault.

Tough, this seemed way too easy. You were proven right moments after as you were ambushed by a pretty woman... Who you actually didn't know.

She surpisingly just hoisted you over her shoulder mid run and ran away from the Crusaders as they yelled for the woman to stop. You could sense her stand... So this must be another one of Dio's henchmen.

Altough your stand was super duper cool and epic, you're an untrained kid who doesn't know what they're doing.

So you weren't that great at summoning your stand without concentrating fully. And all these jolts you got from this womans fast running weren't helping your concentration.

A puprle vine suddendly wrapped around the womans ankle and she fell to the floor, dropping you as you rolled along the sandy pavement, scratching your skin and further staining your clothes with more dirt.

Joseph had stopped the womans kidnapping attempt. Wich was cool but damm that fall hurt!

The rest of the crusaders came running to you and the unknown stand user. This time it was Polnareff who picked you up like you were damm nothing. To prevent you from getting snatched again.

"You didn't say you were some kind of prized possesion. What does Dio want with you?" Polnareff yells dramatically.

"As if I know! I barely remember him!" You huff back.

"Are you perhaps his offspring?" Kakyoin asks a lot more calmly.

"What? No, I know my dad, he's an asshole but we've got the same hair, so we're obviously related." You shake your head.

"Thats the stupidest explenation I've ever heard." Jotaro sighs while Joseph ties the woman to a pole so that she can't chase again.

"What can I say, never been to school." You shrug with a matter of factly face. Polnareff looks bewildered while the others have taken on a bit of a pitying look. Wich you really don't like.

Seriously, life could be worse.

 Polnareff had loosened his grip slighly as he must have felt safe or something. A stupid descicion really, as a faint barking was coming from down the alley before you.

You caught a glimpse of a funny looking dog with big ears barking up at the sky before you got lifted up really fast by sharp talons.

A hawk, a damm hawk got you.

How was this thing even carrying you? Sure ten year olds aren't big an you don't grow a lot on the street but this is just bizarre!

The hawk dropped you off in the fountain of Dio's courtyard.

Landing with a splash into the unkempt water. Good thing this wasn't deep becasue nobody had ever tought you how to swim...

The hawk squaqed hard before flying back up to protect the mansion you had been brought back to.

Now if you knew one thing about vampires it's that they can't come into the sun or they expolde or something.

So you made it your mission to stay here in the sun as long as possible... Wich.. isn't that long, it was almost sunset... Shit.

"Tought you could run off, child?" A sultry voice spoke from the dark halls surrounding the courtyard.

Two piercing yellow eyes looked straight at you. That same feeling of impending doom hit you again.

"Why don't you come to me. I promise not to harm you..." Dio whispers in a slightly sweet manner. Wich really made it even less convincing.

He'd probably snap your head right off for even attempting to talk to the Crusaders.

You didn't want to walk towards him. But the alluring feeling the man possesed made you take a shaking step.

Screaming in your head to stop wasn't working.

Slowly but surely you were walking out of the suns warm embarce and into the darkness of a vampire's lair.

You're gonna die, oh my god!

The vampire held his hand out so elegantly for you to take, sharp- well kept nails the only indicator of the underlying nature of this predator.

Your hand reached out for his, out of your control. Damm this creature's charm.

The moment your warm hand touched ice cold flesh you were dragged into the darkness and into a strong body.

You were held tightly against the man as he ran a hand trough your hair before you were out like a light. Seriously, what kind of powers does this asshole even have?

The next thing you knew, you woke up in a dark room. Feeling a bit.. cold?

You open your heavy eyes, looking for any sign of life in this room. Closed curtains... unlit candles. Now where in the fuck-knuckles were you now?

"Y/N, would you like to know something?" That same deep voice spoke from behind you. You turn around and face the vampire on his fancy couch, lazing around.

"Not really.." You mutter unsurely.

"Hah, still the same kind of annoyance as before. How I've missed you." Dio muses down at you as if looking at a little lapdog. Wich techically you had been.

"Fine, what's the thing I need to know?" You sigh.

"I've made you a vampire, just like me. Isn't that generous of me my little Y/N? Now we can talk forever." Dio smirks as if this was his best idea ever.

You deadpann and walk over to a curtain to go kill yourself full on vampire way.

"No, foolish child. Come back here." Dio tsks in annoyance and whatever control he has over you now pulls you back to stand behind his couch.

Wow, can't even sit in this place huh?

"Do you not understand why I share my gift of immortality with you?" Dio muses, smiling again. Tough that teeny tiny spark of softness doesn't go unnoticed to your trained eyes.

You just shake your head. Who knows, even age old vampires could be pedo's-

"You... are similar to me. I simply wish for you to have a better life then I had."

Dio speaks a bit less... confidently.

Now, that's something you had never expected from the blonde..  Ever.

Where's the uncaring cold villain you knew? The guy that killed his servants for failing?

Why was he looking at you as if his words were genuine?

And why was it affecting you like this?

"Y/N, when Jotaro Joestar and his group make their way to my estate, I want you to stay firmly beside me. Do you understand me?" Dio narrows his eyes as he stands up to tower over you. That sinister shadow casting over his face to get you to comply.

You just nods your head. Wich apparently isn't good enough for him as he squishes your cheeks between his hand.

"Use your words, child." Dio tsks.

"I'll stay at your side..." You speak up, not like you actually would... they were coming here to kill Dio... You didn't wnat to die aswell...

Dio sighs and ruffles your hair roughly before leaving the room to go do whatever the hell he does all day.

You hear a little lock click shut, once again trapping you somewhere, tough unlike last time, you have full control of your mind...

Dio didn't need a henchmen anymore, not of you.

He couldn't even understand it himself. Maybe deep down he missed a brother he could bully.

So just sit in that tower and don't complain and everything would be alright.

He wouldn't let those crusaders take you away from him again...

_____☆_____

Thank you for the request! Also available on Wattpad/Tumblr.

Dio was a bit OOC but I really don't know how to get this man to like a kid, i think he'd throw one out of a window if given the choice. Xd.

Have a nice night/ Day!

Words: 2502

[thezombieprostitute]

Hummingbird - Part 7

Summary: You didn't want to break into someone's party but you were desperate to see the art at the gallery before it was gone. You're so busy trying to make sure no one sees you that you miss the ever present gaze of Steve Rogers who is wondering why you crashed his party.

Word Count: ~2k

A/N: Reader is AFAB

A/N2: This takes place at the same time as Dream Come True Part 9

Warnings: Death of minor characters, Rough sex, Smut, Violence. Please let me know if I missed any.

Part 6 -- Part 8

Series Masterlist

The next few hours mostly involve Steve pacing around his office. You stayed in the same chair you promised you would. As much as you want to calm him down you know this isn’t the time. Steve had gotten notice that Curtis had pulled Teach out of Lloyd’s hotel room and she was safe. Everyone breathed easier after that, but Steve was still stressed. For good reason, of course. Bucky and Sam would regularly find reasons to leave his office because his pacing and stressing wasn’t helping them, either. But you stayed in place, as you promised. 

“Why didn’t you have Curtis take Lloyd out at the hotel,” you ask. “We know he’s there.”

“Pine’s hotel is a neutral zone,” Steve explains. “If one of our people killed anyone there, we’d open ourselves to attack from all of the families at once. Cairo Hotel, any hotel under Pine’s jurisdiction really, is where we have our most important meetings and negotiations.”

“Which is why Lloyd is staying there,” you intone. “So Pine isn’t obligated to tell anyone about any of his guests? Even when they’re clearly dangerous?”

“True neutrality,” Steve confirms. “Otherwise there would be no place for real negotiations, peace talks, reparations, whatever. It’s important for business.”

“So the only reason Curtis was allowed to go get her was because Pine owed Ari a favor?”

“Well, there’s that,” he nods. “But also Pine has standards. He never likes to involve civilians in our dealings. The fact that it was solely a rescue mission definitely helped get Curtis the ‘in’ he needed.”

Your next question is interrupted by Bucky running in, “he’s at Ran’s. Let’s go!”

Steve gave you a kiss and a “stay here” before running after him. You have no idea when Steve will be back but you’ll be right where he needs you to be. 

Bucky’s team is first to go in. They’re the stealth team, taking out guards and others that might raise the alarm. Bodecker’s police cruiser is close enough to hear any gunshots but far enough to not raise eyebrows at the quick police response. If all went well, none of Ransom’s neighbors would hear anything. 

Of course something went wrong.

A scream from within Ransom’s house pushed up their timetable to “act now”. The slow and steady plan was under the premise that Ransom was having a conversation, not that he was being tortured. Bucky’s team focused on making a path to the front door before doing perimeter security. Steve and his team charged up the path they created to the door. 

Steve was first through the door, acting as a shield for his people came naturally to him. Quick firing to take out a couple of Rumlow’s men, he pushed forward, certain that his team would clean up if he missed anyone. Intel said that Ransom hadn’t left his office since his meeting with Teach so that’s where Steve led his team. 

Knowing that the people torturing Ransom were sure to have heard the gunshots Steve signaled his team to stay in various doorways as he knelt down to open the office door. The shots went well over his head and opened the shooters to his return fire. If he missed any, his team had him covered. 

Carefully moving forward Steve was able to confirm no one else was in the office. He found Ransom and called for a medic. The telltale sound of a police siren confirmed that they were moving into the coverup part of their plan. Sam ran into the office, carrying some emergency medical supplies, and started taking care of Ransom. This allowed Steve to look around at the bodies. He recognized all of them but quickly realized Lloyd was not among them. 

“Where’s Hansen,” he calls out. “Anyone got eyes on Hansen?” There was a lot of quiet. Steve messaged the Garbage Men, “Hansen is missing.”

Steve slams open his office door, startling you. He kneels in front of you and touches you almost reverently, whispering, “you’re okay. Thank god you’re okay.”

“What happened, Steve?”

He doesn’t answer and just moves you so that he’s sitting in the chair with you on his lap, holding you close. You start kissing his neck, your signal to him that he’s safe, that you’re okay, that he can relax. It takes a few minutes but he does calm down. 

“Lloyd escaped. You’re not leaving my sight until we’re able to find him.”

“Of course, Steve,” you assure. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Ransom’s in the hospital,” he reports. “Sam says he should be okay. He’ll just have some scars afterwards.” 

“And probably some mental ones, too,” you comment.

Steve agrees, “after he’s stable we’ll get some more information from him. See about helping him. In the meantime, no one goes alone and everyone is armed.”

“I take it you’re not going to be sleeping any time soon?” Steve shakes his head in response. “Then let’s at least get you some food to help you think.” You start to get off of his lap but he pulls you close to him, hugging you in place. “Steve, we’re going to be okay,” you coo between kisses along his jugular. “I’ve been sitting in this chair all day and I need to move. And get something to eat.”

He relaxes a little and lets you get up, but you make sure to not let go of his hand. Even when you’re both in the kitchen and cooking up a little something you’re making sure to touch him. Letting him hug you from behind while you’re working. Letting him know you’re still there and you’re okay. You know it’s the only thing that’ll keep him from going out and maybe getting himself killed. He needs a cool head and you can help with that. 

You’re both startled to alertness by Bucky running into the room. “Hansen is dead. Everett got him!”

“What’s the update on his co-conspirators?”

“Scattered to the winds,” Bucky confirms. “The other families have even agreed not to protect them. If they’re found, they’re delivered to us.” 

You feel Steve legitimately relax for the first time since he picked you up from your apartment. He talks to Bucky for a bit about the finer details of the aftermath; getting Ransom’s cover story for what happened, following up on the hacker who helped Lloyd, getting all of the Family members back safely. 

By the time he and Bucky are done, Steve is beyond exhausted. All he wants right now is to curl up in bed with you and hold you. So when you ask him if you should grab your suitcase to head back home, he nearly growls at you, “you’re not going anywhere.” He takes you into his bedroom and throws you down on the mattress before crawling over to you, wrapping you in his arms, and pinning you to his chest. “Mine,” he grunts as he takes in the smell of your hair, the feel of your skin, the sound of your chuckles. 

“I’m definitely yours,” you assure. “We’ll see about me going home later.”

“You are home,” he asserts. “Can’t be without you. Sleep better, feel better, eat better.” He kisses you with each item he says, adding weight to his words. 

“Are you actually asking me to move in with you,” your voice barely a whisper from his kisses taking your breath away. “Or are you just in a mood?”

“Hummingbird, you’re moving in with me,” he insisted. “Either that or I’m moving in with you. I’m not going another night without you in my bed.” He starts removing your clothing, “I need you. Need you with me every day.” He’s stripped you down to your panties, his eyes darkening at your form. “Please,” he pleaded. “Please move in with me.”

“Yes, Sir,” you breathe. “I’ve just been waiting for you to actually ask.” 

“Let me apologize for taking so long to do so,” he says before he kisses down your front, his beard scratching your skin in just the right way, making you moan. 

He rips your panties off and wraps his lips around your clit, making you gasp and arch your back. His tongue moves from your clit to your dripping pussy before his strong arms grab your hips and he rolls so that you’re sitting firmly on his face. You grab Steve’s hair to help you ground yourself as you cry out from surprise and pleasure. 

Steve knows exactly how to play you to get you to cum so he does other things, wanting to prolong your pleasure, wanting you to drown him in your juices. And he will get what he wants. Every time you try to move your hips or drag yourself away, he grips your hips harder, not letting you even wiggle away from where he has you. 

“Oh, Steve, I’m so close,” you whimper. He smacks your ass hard and you’re quick to correct yourself, “Sir, I’m so close, Sir. Please, please let me cum!” He gives your ass an appreciative squeeze, his sign that you had permission, before he hits all the spots he knows you need him to. He’s rewarded with your shouts of pleasure and a rush of slick. He doesn’t stop. Even after you’ve recovered from your first orgasm. Even when you’re begging him to slow down. He keeps at it until you’re cumming again. 

You’re whimpering from exhaustion and over-stimulation, “please, Sir. Please, can’t stay sitting up.” He spins you both so you’re laying on your back and he finally lifts his lips from you, his beard drenched, his eyes full of hunger.

“Tired out already, Hummingbird,” he chides. “Definitely need to have you here every night. Build up your endurance.” He rolls you over onto your stomach and gives your ass hard smack, making you cry out with pleasure. “Keep you with me, claim this pussy every damn day,” he says with another spanking. 

“More, please, Sir,” you cry out. “Please smack my ass again, Sir!”

He happily obliges, “can’t take more of my tongue in your cunt but you never get enough of my hands on you, do you?”

“No, Sir. Always need more of your touch.”

“Good girl,” he says with another smack to your butt-cheek. 

“Thank you, Sir!”

“I’m gonna claim that pretty little mouth of yours now,” he growls as he pulls you to your knees on the floor, making sure you land on a pillow he’d placed down there. Your mouth salivates as he undoes his belt and zipper before pulling out his cock. You open your mouth for him and put your hands on his thighs so you can signal if you need him to stop or slow down. 

He shoves his length into your mouth with a groan. You’ve done this enough times that you don’t need as much of a warm up but he’s still careful to not overdo it on the first few thrusts. You eagerly take every inch you can, moaning around his girth as he picks up the pace. By the time he’s grabbing the back of your head and forcing you to take every inch, you’re a crying mess and loving every second of it. 

Steve gets rougher as he gets closer to his own release. He grunts, “looking so fucking beautiful like this. Gonna ruin your holes every day and you’re gonna thank me for it.” You moan at his words and he slows down just a little, “play with your clit, Hummingbird. I know you’re soaked from this.”

He was right, you could feel yourself leaking down your thighs. You quickly start playing with yourself and you’re already so close to cumming. 

“That’s it, cum for me,” Steve groans. “Need to hear you cum before I spill down your throat.” At his command your orgasm takes over and you moan and whine around his cock which pushes him over the edge. Your pleasure grows with the feeling of his seed down your throat and you make sure to lick up every drop. 

Steve pulls out of your mouth and helps you get into the bed. After some gentle kisses and some settling of nerves he goes into full aftercare mode. He makes sure to worship you as he cleans you up, massages and cuddles you. As you fall asleep in his arms he thinks about the ring he has hidden away in his closet.

Part 6 -- Part 8

Series Masterlist

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[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

A letter to John's cousin Leila, dated January 1979

Thank you to @javelinbk's post for bringin my attention to this letter :)

I'm sure I made some mistakes in transcribing this, so if someone can figure out the bits I'm unsure about I'd be happy to edit them in! (EDIT: thank you to @ohblahdo and @the-bluebird-you-need for much needed corrections!) I also tried to keep it as close to his actual writing as possible but sometimes I can't tell if he misspellt things or if it's just hard to read. I bolded what he underlined.

FULL TRANSCRIPTION:

Dear Leila,

it's snowing;– outside the window in Central Park – I can see the Plaza Hotel across the trees – it's beautiful. I'm exhausted (still) after Xmas/New Year – they even have a thing called Thanksgiving a few weeks before Xmas (by the way I'm a Pagan – a zen Pagan to be precise – but that's another story!)

It looks a[s] if we got our wires crossed on the 'newspaper story' – ie. Mimi (who else!) told me you were upset about something I said (supposed to have said) in the newspaper about myself – anyway enough of that – it's obviously nothing – so let's forget that which we can't remember anyway!

I don't know why you were surprised by what I wrote you about your 'Russian Affair' – i thought I'd make it clear to you that the words were from a TAROT CARD READER – ie: I told him your story/birthdate etc – the words came through him – I just wrote down his 'prediction' (whatever) re:your situation! See? – so don't shoot the bearer of news!!

Sean is a beautiful wise 3 yr old (born Oct 9! – in case you didn't know) – what a handfull [sic] one is – I don't know how you manage all yours – well done! The fact that they have all their limbs + faculties is an accomplishment in itself!

Sounds like a good idea about giving yourself some time to 'play'! – 8 days doesn't sound like you're turned Gypsy 'tho'! – by the way –

– You better give us a fair warning if you're seeing [?] about 'popping over' here – ie: make sure I'm here – eg. tomorrow we leave (Yoko + me) for ..... Cairo, Egypt (ring a bell?!) – via Geneva – on a business trip – for about a week – I wish we could dig up some of your fathers relatives – do you know anyone there? an Uncle/Aunt?

– I'll send you a postcard –

I'm 40 next year – I hope life begins – ie. I'd like a little less 'trouble' and more – what? I don't know – I sent Stan [Leila's brother, John's cousin] a Xmas card (up north) – I don't know what it is with him – is he resentfull [sic] of me because I'm not dumb or what?! I guess he was always jealous of you – anyway I still think it's pretty mean of him – I heard a lot from him when he was piss poor – I shouldn't be surprised after all the bastards I've met these last 40 yrs or so

– if your [sic] ever in NRH Wales – look [?] up Julian – he's in Ruthin School – poor sod –

I though of you a lot this Xmas – the cottage – the record player – 'good ship lollipop' – 'I found my love on TREASURE ISLAND' – the OWL(s)? the shadows on the ceiling as the cars went by at night – putting up the paper-chains – even Norman turns into Santa Klaus in my memory! (muttering in the chair by the fire)

enough of that too!

Lots of love, to all of you, I'm sure we'll see each other v. soon – somewhere or other – I'm almost scared to go to England, 'cos I know it would be the last time I saw Mimi – I'm a coward about goodbyes...

Have a good year Keep healthy John 8^) xxx

Love from Sean & Yoko xx

[scarabsinthestardust]

Right on Time // Ch. 10

CHAPTER WARNINGS: previous domestic violence situations; injuries from physical abuse; anxiety; fear; depression; language; verbal arguments; talks of murder & attempted murder; mentions of police/detective; jail/correctional facility; mentions of alcohol withdrawal; mentions of being put in restraints; toxic/manipulative behavior from an abuser

MASTERLIST

word count: 5100+

“You sure you wanna do this?”

Josh nodded, swallowing down any remaining anxiety that dwelled at the forefront of his mind. I squeezed his thigh as we prepared to get out of the car and make our appearance at my parents’ house. If I’m being honest, I think I was much more nervous about it than he was.

I was dumbfounded when he told me he wanted to go with me to dinner. He hadn’t even left the house once, and I personally didn’t feel like attending a hectic family gathering was a great way to start re-integrating himself. But he insisted. “I just want to start feeling normal again,” he said.

I’d previously given my mom a brief rundown of recent events so she wouldn’t be shocked when she saw Josh, his face and neck still bruised, his hand in a cast. However, I knew she wouldn’t tell everyone else Josh’s business, so I expected a lot of questions from other family members. I worried the bombardment from so many people, combined with the noise levels, would send him over the edge.

I kept a close eye on him, watching for any sign that he needed a break. My mom was gentle when she pulled him in for a hug, then all but ruined the moment when she said, “Pigs. They’ll eat everything but the teeth. If you ever needed to know what to do with a—”

“Jesus Christ, Ma.” I shook my head and steered Josh away before she could say anything else on the topic of illegal corpse disposal. I apologized to Josh, but he just smirked.

“I think she’s great.”

One of my uncles immediately asked if he’d been in a car accident. Josh responded with only a curt nod and made no attempt to share the truth, so that’s what we went with. I’m not sure how anyone believed the bruises on his neck were from a seatbelt.

Alex was running late. I was a little worried about Maddie’s reaction to Josh’s injuries, or that she’d excitedly make a running leap for him and hurt him. I kept an ear out for their arrival so I could soften those potential blows.

I didn’t even hear her come in. We were sitting at the table, chatting with my cousin Gio. When Maddie found Josh in the small crowd, she marched up to him like a girl on a mission, her sneakers lighting up with every step.

“Hey, punk,” he smiled at her.

She took in the sight of him, eyes wide, then said (quite loudly), “Did you fight a bear?!”

“Maddie,” I warned, flinching at the sudden rise in volume.

But Josh was holding his own just fine. He leaned forward, bringing his hand up to the side of his mouth like he was telling her some huge secret. “Actually, it was three bears. And I totally won.”

“No way!” And at Maddie’s behest, he proceeded to tell her the most ridiculous story he could come up with on the spot – the bears were armed with swords, and one of them had an eyepatch. I didn’t catch his explanation of why he had to fight them in the first place. Just as Maddie was hanging onto his every word, I was hooked on his smile, his laughter, and the unbridled happiness in his eyes, something that had become a rare occurrence these days.

I took a minute to check in with Alex, who offered a sympathetic smile when I approached her. “Mom told me a little bit.” She motioned toward Josh. “How’s he been holding up?”

“Some days are better than others,” I told her. “But he’s enjoying himself right now.”

“And what about you?”

“Me? I’m fine.”

“Don’t lie to me, Cairo.” She gave me a pointed look.

“I’m… I’m okay.” I sighed, not really knowing what to say, but the words did come. “I’m angry, upset, and if I’m being completely honest, scared to fucking death. I almost lost him, and some nights that’s all I can think about. But I try to remind myself that what matters is I didn’t. He’s still here, and I need to hold it together for him.”

“You don’t have to be the strong one all the time. This has been hard on you, too.”

“But he needs the support more that I do right now.”

She sighed. “Just don’t overdo it. You can’t take care of him if you’re not taking care of yourself.”

Did it look like I hadn’t been taking care of myself? I know I hadn’t been sleeping great, and I was undeniably stressed, but I didn’t think I was doing that badly. Even if I admitted that Alex was right, though, what could I even do? Things would get easier with time, but all the pain behind it would stick for a long time, like gum on hot concrete. I didn’t know if Josh would ever be one hundred percent okay again, but the only way that was even possible was for all of this shit with Finn to completely end. And I had a feeling it was far from over.

~

Josh finally decided he was ready to get out of his brother’s house and come to mine, where we also began the search for the house we’d eventually buy together. It was still an adjustment; we both knew there wasn’t any kind of overnight fix for what he went through, but he was coping. His anxiety was still at an all-time high, and the nightmares were relentless, but he’d gotten more comfortable in reaching out for help, even if all he needed was someone to help ground him. I didn’t mind it either when he was finding it impossible to sleep, and he’d wake me up, simply so he wasn’t alone.

Going back to work was hard. I missed my job while I was out, missed the people, but I hated leaving Josh alone for that long. I probably asked him a thousand times if I could drop him off at Jake’s or ask one of his brothers to come stay with him, but he refused. “I can’t let you baby me forever,” he said, explaining that this was just another step toward the normalcy that he craved. I did, however, text him every chance I got, just to ensure he was okay.

I returned home after a shift to find him curled up on the couch, scribbling in a notebook. I pretended I didn’t notice the deep exhale he let out when he saw me, an indicator that he’d been holding his breath as I unlocked and opened the door.

“Hey, you,” he greeted, a sweet smile on his face.

“Hey.” I dropped my bag on the floor, swearing I’d get up and take care of it later, and sat next to him on the couch. “Whatcha working on?”

“New song. Still in the early stages, though.” He let me take a peek at the page, mostly covered with doodles and a couple lines of lyrics he’d jotted down. He closed the notebook and tossed it on the coffee table, and I noticed what he was wearing. I eyed the navy-blue sweatshirt, the little ‘Nashville Fire Department’ logo on the left side of his chest, and I couldn’t help the small smile of my own that formed.

“You’re wearing my shirt.”

He grinned sheepishly. “S’ comfy. And it smells like you.” He leaned his head on my shoulder.

“It looks good on you.” I snaked an arm around his waist and gently scooted him closer to me. The sleeve rode up a bit, just enough to expose the cast on his wrist; before we left my parents’ house, Maddie decided the cast was seriously lacking character, hence her drawing of what I’m pretty sure was a dead grizzly bear.

“Cairo?”

“Hm?”

“Can I talk to you about something?” The tone of his voice made me immediately worried.

“What’s up?” I tried to keep my own inflection light. I didn’t want to make him nervous or feel like he couldn’t talk to me about it, whatever it was.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about… well, everything. There’s still so much that I don’t understand, ya know? And… I know a lot of it, I might never have the answers to, like… when I think about that poor kid, when I think about what he did to Stephen… I can’t help but wonder if he knew… if he knew he was gonna die, like I thought I was gonna.” His voice cracked and he sniffled, but he continued. “It coulda been me, and maybe… maybe it should’ve been me, but—”

“Josh, don’t—”

“I know. I’m sorry.” He toyed with the sleeve of his (my) sweatshirt. “The point is, maybe it doesn’t all have to be like that forever, surreal and uncertain. I could… I could at least get some answers, some closure. And I know how, but you’re gonna hate it.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I wanna go see him.”

The metaphorical record scratch into silence was almost audible in my head, and I stared at him, completely dumbfounded. “Please tell me you’re not talking about who I think you’re talking about.”

“If I could just talk to him, maybe—”

“Are you insane?” That was low. “Are you seriously talking about visiting the guy that almost fucking killed you?”

“It’s not like I’d really be alone with him, if that’s what you’re worried about. There are guards, and isn’t there a divider we’d have to talk through?”

“Not necessarily. It’s not prison, it’s a local jail, and I don’t have a lot of faith in the security there. There’s no guarantee you’d be safe. You’d be locking yourself in a cage with a tiger, and you’re the…”

“I’m the what? Say it.”

“Prey.” It sounded awful when I said it out loud, and I was already beating myself up over it. “I don’t know what you think you need from him, but—”

“Do you think I’m weak?” He was staring me directly in the eyes when he said it, jaw tensed.

“What? That’s not—”

“You think I can’t take care of myself, that I need you to coddle me all the time. I’m not a fucking child, Cairo. And I certainly don’t need your permission.”

“Josh, I’m not…” I closed my eyes and sighed. I was pissed off, but didn’t really have the energy to argue. “I’m… I’m gonna go take a shower.” He scoffed and shook his head as I stood and walked away.

As the hot water washed over me, I let my thoughts drift. I couldn’t understand why the hell he would even consider going anywhere near Finn. What did he think he could possibly achieve? I mean, the guy tried to murder him, made the decision to wrap his hands around Josh’s throat and strangle him. Did Josh think he’d get some kind of meaningful explanation or a heartfelt apology? And now, knowing what we know, that Finn was very likely singlehandedly responsible for the death of not one, but two people…

The idea of ‘closure’ in this case was so… naïve. Nothing would change; Finn would still be a violent piece of shit, and Josh would still be his victim. I know he hated to be thought of like that – it made him feel small.

Josh had been doing so well, taking small steps towards his recovery. When he would get bogged down by the memories and all those terrified feelings, he’d still manage to bounce back, grasping onto whatever he needed to pull himself up. But if he went there, put himself face-to-face with his abuser, I feared he’d slip again back into that dark place, and I wasn’t confident that I’d always be able to reel him back from it. I couldn’t imagine a world where any conversation with Finn would go well at this point, which led to the question of how it would affect Josh’s mental health. And that was all without adding in the possibility of Finn physically attacking him. How long would it take the guards to intervene?

Josh was so adamant, though. Stubborn as hell, but that was just one of the reasons I loved him. He let that familiar fire rise up as he bit back at me. Do you think I’m weak? Did I really make him feel that way? I only ever wanted to take care of him, be there when he needed me, and protect him from getting hurt again. I never meant it to seem like I thought he wasn’t capable of caring for himself. I groaned and pressed my forehead against the cool tile. Why am I so fucking tired?

I finished up and got dressed before heading back to the living room. Josh was still on the couch, writing in his notebook again.

“Josh,” I said quietly. “Do you wanna come to bed?”

“I’m not tired.” That was obviously a lie, and he was clearly still mad. He wouldn’t even look up at me.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to wake myself up. “I’m sorry. Can we just… talk about it tomorrow?”

He stopped writing for a second, then shook his head. I couldn’t really see but I knew he rolled his eyes, then went back to what he was working on.

I didn’t know what else to say, so I retreated to the bedroom without another word. I never liked to walk away from an argument like that, but I didn’t have it in me. I left the bedroom door open, though. I laid there for a while, waiting to see if he would give in and follow. He didn’t. My exhaustion eventually won out and I drifted off.

I didn’t sleep for long. When I woke up and Josh still wasn’t there, my heart sank a little. I got up and padded to the living room, where I found him asleep on the couch, neck craned at an uncomfortable angle. He was still wearing my sweatshirt. I picked up the green notebook that had fallen to the floor and placed it on the table before gently touching his shoulder to try to wake him up.

“Josh, baby, come to bed, please.”

He blinked sleepily and nodded, yawning when he sat up, but didn’t make a move yet to stand. He averted his gaze downward and had a look on his face that told me he wanted to say something. I beat him to it.

“I don’t think you’re weak,” I blurted out. I placed my hand on his cheek, and he looked up at me. “You’re one of the strongest, most resilient, and bullheaded people I know.” That coaxed a small smile out of him. “I’m sorry. You know I never meant to make you feel like that. I’m just… I’m so scared you’re gonna get hurt. But you’re right – I have to let you make whatever choices you feel like you need to.”

“I’ve been trying so hard, Cai, you know I have. But something still feels… off. I don’t know how to explain it. I know you don’t like it, but I don’t know what else to do.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “I… I don’t like it, but I’m not gonna stop you if you’re serious about it, if you feel like you really need this.”

“I do,” he whispered, as he brought his hands to my hips.

“Tell me when, and I’ll drive you.”

He had a hopeful look on his face as he peered up at me. “Really?”

“As much as I’d want to be there when you talk to him, realistically I know it’s not a good idea. It’d probably only piss him off, and I don’t trust myself to be around him. So driving you out there, being there for you afterwards, it’s the least I can do.”

He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and pulled me the rest of the way to him. I closed my eyes and let him hug me close for a minute or two.

“C’mon, let’s go get some sleep.”

~

I felt like absolute shit. I hadn’t slept, my head was pounding, and I was sick to my stomach from not having enough of an appetite to eat anything.

“Are you sure you’re okay to drive?” Josh asked me.

I assured him I was fine, and I’d feel much better once this was all over.

We sat in the parking lot of the detention center in silence for a while, as Josh built up the courage to go inside. I’d told him a million times to be careful and made him promise he would back out at the first sign of things going downhill. He stared at the building, his knee doing that nervous bounce. I’m not above admitting that I wished he would change his mind, hoped he’d realize this was a terrible idea and ask me to just take him home. But I didn’t truly expect it. He’d made up his mind, and he’d go through with it, no matter how difficult.

“I love you,” he said, barely above a whisper.

I squeezed his hand as he drew in a deep breath, preparing himself for what was sure to be a very uncomfortable interaction. “I love you, too. I’ll be right here when you’re done.”

~

JOSHUA

Josh hated the smell. It was like a combination of body odor, cleaning supplies, and shitty school cafeteria food. It seemed to permeate the entire building; he thought a gas leak would smell better.

He checked in with the front desk to get a visitor tag. The way the guard eyed him, taking in his injuries, a judgmental look on his face, made Josh want to curl into himself and disappear. He went through a security check (he’d left everything in the car, knowing he would be forced to empty his pockets), and the guard gave him an extensive set of rules for the visitation. He was led through a couple of locked doors into a larger room, scattered with round tables and chairs, all made of cheap, white plastic. He was instructed to sit and wait, while the guard went back the way they came and another left through the opposite door, presumably to go grab Finn.

It crossed Josh’s mind that he was making a mistake, but he’d already come this far. Through a set of double doors, he could hear yelling; he couldn’t tell if it was just loud conversation or an actual fight. There were a few other people in the room, visiting their loved ones, some having noisy conversations of their own. The collection of sounds was already putting Josh on edge, and he suddenly felt like everyone was staring at him, watching him. He tried to focus on anything other than the nearby voices, zoning in on a tiny shred of plastic that had been picked loose from the table, but it did nothing to relax the knot in his gut and the nauseating feeling that accompanied it.

He waited for a while, until he was strongly considering just leaving, turning tail and running back to a safer place. But his head shot up at the sound of those double doors opening, and every muscle in his body tensed when his eyes landed on the familiar figure.

Finn froze when he saw his visitor, genuinely shocked. He looked so pale in contrast with the dark blue clothing issued by the detention center, and he’d grown a bit of facial hair since Josh last saw him, giving him a rugged look. He was standing, staring at Josh from across the room, until a guard rudely scolded him for being in the way, and demanded he either ‘sit his ass down or go back to his cell.’ He only hesitated for a moment more before he made his way to Josh and took a seat.

The pair stared at each other for a beat, and Finn was the first to speak. “What are you doing here?” His voice was low, and he wouldn’t look Josh in the eyes. “Does your boyfriend know you’re here?” There was a tiny bit of snark in his tone that irked Josh.

“I’m not here to talk about him.”

“So that’s a no.”

Josh rolled his eyes. “Maybe this was a bad idea.” He made like he was going to get up and leave.

“Wait.” Finn reached out but wasn’t quite bold enough to try to touch the man in front of him. “I’m sorry. Don’t leave, please.”

That was all Josh wanted to do right now, run back to the safety of his boyfriend and home, but something in Finn’s eyes stopped him. It wasn’t just sadness – it was something else, something Josh wondered if Finn was even truly capable of – remorse. He took in Josh’s appearance, focusing on the marks on his neck. The memories from that night came rushing back, some less clear than others. He’d hoped it had all been just an extremely fucked up nightmare, but the proof was right in front of him. He almost killed the only person that he ever really loved, maybe the only person that loved him.

Josh caught a glimpse of Finn’s wrists, red and irritated, the remainders of bruises that were already mostly healed. Finn noticed him staring and moved his hands off the table and out of sight. “They had to put me in restraints when I started going through withdrawal,” he explained.

“I’m…” Josh’s first instinct was to apologize. For what? For Finn making choices that got him put here in the first place? For not caring enough to even try to stay sober? No, he was done apologizing for things that weren’t his fault. Finn made his bed, and now he needed to lie in it.

He thought when he saw Finn again, he’d have a million and one things to say. He’d rehearsed it in his head, planned it out and promised himself he would dive into it headfirst, but now that he was actually here, he couldn’t find the words. One question kept ringing through his head – why?

“I don’t have an answer for you,” Finn said, as if he could read his mind. “And I won’t make excuses for what I did to you.”

“And what about Stephen?” The words escaped before Josh had a chance to stop them. It was one of the things that had been gnawing at him from the inside out.

He expected Finn to play dumb, to pretend like he had no idea what he was talking about, but he didn’t. His breath hitched and he visibly recoiled. “Cop came and talked to you, huh?”

“He was 19. He was a kid. Why did you… why him?”

“Because he looked like you.” His answer was so sudden, his tone so hard and cold. It made Josh’s skin crawl. Then almost immediately, Finn’s features softened. “I do love you, Josh. I—”

“No. You don’t do this to people you love.” Josh was surprised at how his own voice sounded, firm and unwavering. “I gave you everything I had, Finn. And you used me. You used me as an outlet for all of your unresolved anger and trauma. It never should have been my responsibility to—”

“To fix me?” Finn bit out. “You knew I was fucked up from the get-go. I told you—”

“About the car crash in Sioux Falls? But you lied about that, too, didn’t you?”

That one surprised him. He hadn’t anticipated Josh knowing about that, much less bringing it up. He considered denying the allegations, but what good would that do? Josh knew about what happened in Salt Lake City, even if he only knew the bare minimum. He supposed there was no point in trying to salvage Josh’s opinion of him.

“I didn’t know, not right away. I thought… I thought she’d be okay.”

“But she wasn’t. Someone died, those kids lost their mom. And you left them there.”

“I’m not a good person, Josh. I know that. I’ve done… a lot of really bad things. I don’t… I don’t know how to not be that person.”

Josh didn’t reply. He didn’t know how to. If they’d been having this conversation years ago, he would have been the first to tell Finn, ‘No, you’re not a bad person, you just made mistakes. It’s okay to make mistakes, and they don’t define you.’ But things were so different now; everything had changed, and there was no going back.

“Do you think you could ever forgive me?”

Josh sat back in the chair and sighed. That was a big ask. Could he ever find it in him to forgive Finn, for any of it? “I don’t know. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but… what you did to me… it’s taken so much out of me, changed me. How I was before… I don’t know that I’ll ever get that back, not completely.”

Finn didn’t argue. Being sober, however forced it was, allowed him to realize that there wasn’t anything left to salvage. “You might not believe me when I say I love you… or maybe I don’t even know what that means. I never knew what it even felt like until I met you. And… and I know you loved me, too…”

“The man that I fell in love with, he’s been gone for a long time.” It sounded so heartless in Josh’s ears, and he felt a pang of guilt. “I tried so hard—”

“I know. I know. You… you didn’t deserve… you deserved better than me. I just didn’t know how to let go.”

Josh picked at his cuticles and averted his gaze. He wasn’t expecting this, but Finn had the capacity to be quite sweet when he was sober. Josh couldn’t help but think back to the beginning of their relationship, when things were still good. He was happy. But once they stumbled, they hit the ground hard, and there was no getting back up that hill. Josh had to ask himself if any part of him missed it, and maybe he did miss that part of Finn that wanted to love him, but that piece of him was gone. And Josh genuinely felt like that was alright.

Finn made a bold move, bringing his hands back up and reaching out to Josh’s. Hurt flashed across his face when Josh pulled away, avoiding his touch. “Don’t,” Josh warned.

“Are you afraid of me?” There was a hard edge to his voice, and it made Josh crave to put more distance between them. He was afraid, but he was also fucking sick of being scared all the time.

He steeled himself; he straightened his back and forced himself to look Finn in the eyes. “If you really want to do something good, if you really want to be a better person, then start by telling the truth. Call the detective and tell him what happened to Stephen. Tell him about the crash and whatever the hell else you might need to get off your chest. Give those families the closure they need to heal, and to move on.”

Finn leaned forward and slammed a fist on the table, earning curious looks from other visitors. It made Josh jump slightly, but otherwise, he didn’t falter. “They’ll lock me up for the rest of my fucking life!” he hissed.

“Maybe they should.”

Throughout their relationship, Finn had done what he could to smother the flame that burned so brightly within Josh. He beat him down until there wasn’t any real fight left in him. He’d gotten used to being able to manipulate Josh, to invoke pity from him, and to make him believe he wasn’t strong enough to ever walk away. So, he wasn’t prepared for Josh to have seemingly recovered some of that fight. The way Josh glared at him, his eyes full of fierce anger, made Finn realize that he couldn’t win this anymore. He retreated into himself and chewed on his bottom lip. “You aren’t ever coming back, are you?”

Josh sucked in a deep breath and pulled together every bit of courage he could find inside of him. “No, Finn. This is it. So, if there’s something you want to say to me, now’s the time.”

Finn just sat silently. What could he possibly say? ‘I’m sorry?’ No amount of apologies would ever change anything. He couldn’t take it all back. If he could do it all again… would he even do anything differently? He knew it was over, that Josh would leave, and it may be the last time he ever saw his face. And Finn knew, as much as he hated to admit it to himself, that it was all entirely his fault. But despite this, he couldn’t prevent the other feeling in his gut, snagging onto him like a fishhook – jealousy.

“Your boyfriend. Is he everything you’ve ever wanted?” Finn asked snidely. “Is he worth it?”

Josh scoffed at the other’s tone before standing and planting his hands on the table. “He’s more than I could have ever asked for. And he is outside, waiting to take me home.” He gave Finn one more chance, another moment to speak. When he didn’t, Josh straightened and moved to leave, unsure of what else to say.

“Josh? Will you promise me something?” Finn’s voice was low, his features soft again. “If… if he ever stops treating you right, starts treating you like… like I did… promise me you’ll leave.”

It seemed like such a strange thing for Finn to say. Was it so hard to believe that it came from a place of concern, instead of some kind of underhanded maliciousness?

He drew in a deep breath and met Finn’s eyes one last time.

“Goodbye, Finn.”

When Josh returned to the car and his boyfriend, who’d been anxiously waiting for him, he was unable to put together the words to explain what had just happened. He let out a puff of air, like a weight was being lifted off of his chest. Cairo placed a gentle hand on Josh’s arm. “Are you okay?”

“I think so.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

Josh shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Okay. Whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Cai.” He laced his fingers with Cairo’s and held onto him, an anchor to ground himself. “Let’s go home.”

///

TAGLIST Let me know if you want to be added

@hollyco @fleetingjake @musicislove3389 @hailthegodsong @josh-iamyour-mama @katuschka @lilbitx @gvfstuddedmajesty @joshylanefleet

[fanatic-writers]

Lunch "Dates"

Part Two Here!

A/n: Look at me actually following through with writing. I'm trying to fall back in love with it again but please be patient with me. I am thinking about making this a series or just maybe making it a general universe and having some random one-shots that all kinda connect. Anyway, I hope yall like it. I didn't really edit it all that much tbh... -G

Word Count: 2,032

Pairing: Steven Grant x reader

Warnings: None, just fluff for the most part

Summary: You work as a conservator at the museum Steven works at, regularly sneaking him in on your shared lunch breaks so he can see the artifacts he’s so fond of and occasionally get his help on things (even if you still have to call in a “professional”). But what happens when Steven gets fired and then goes missing? Who’s supposed to accompany you on your lunches? And why do you miss him so damn much?

Life in the conservation lab was never boring. Just as a project seemed to become mundane, you’d find something hidden under the dirt and grime of centuries past that peeked your interest. Either that or you’d finished your current project and it was time to embark on a new one. The collections for the museum had recently received a rather large donation of Egyptian papyrus and you were currently working on cleaning them. While dabbing the delicate plant-based paper with a sponge seemed boring to most you enjoyed the satisfaction of uncovering the secrets found beneath the grime. You’d cleaned off a decent section of the mostly intact papyrus when your watch buzzed, letting you know it was time for lunch. You smiled to yourself as you put things away, leaving the artifact out since you knew you’d be back in a moment anyway.

As you removed and disposed of your gloves you gave a small wave to your co-workers, letting them know you’d be back in a moment. You made your way down the stairs to the main level and stopped in one of the many gift shops the museum had to offer, waiting for a certain gift-shoppist to finish with a customer. When the father and daughter in front of you left you gave Steven a warm smile before leaning onto the counter. “So, you know how we got some new stuff in from Cairo? Well, I’ve been working on a papyrus, and it would be super helpful if I had a translator.”

Steven beamed at you, knowing your whole translator thing was just an excuse to get him down there. He had been teaching you hieroglyphs and you had a specialist at your call when you would need them. “Of course!” He smiled “Let me just clock out for lunch and I’ll be right out, yeah?” You nodded in response and within minutes Steven was following you back up to the lab.

“This whole collection is amazing. A lot of it is in pretty good shape although I will definitely still have to make a lot of repairs. The one I’m working on now is the most intact piece in the collection.” You mused as you buzzed yourself into the lab, signed Steven in, and then made your way to your workstation. “Here she is” you hummed as you gestured to the large section of a scroll in front of you. “Still have to piece some parts together but that’ll be easier when its clean and I can see what I’m working with.” You explained.

Steven carefully leaned down over the papyrus; eyes wide as he took everything in “This is amazing.” He gushed. “I mean the size of the piece-“

“I know!” You interrupted excitedly, “usually we only get fragments from private donors, but this is insane.” As you spoke Steven grabbed a nearby notebook, eager to try and figure out what the uncovered hieroglyphs said. It was a bit choppy since some pieces were missing but he was able to transcribe most of it into your notebook. “I had something else I wanted to show you.” You hummed, watching as he worked. Steven perked up a bit as you grabbed a small box from one of the other tables in the lab and brought it over to him. You opened the box to reveal a shiny golden scarab inside. Steven’s eyes went wide as he looked to the golden artifact, his hand hovering over the box “What is it?” He asked. “We don’t know, but considering the shape it’s in it almost looks like whoever had it went through good measures to keep in nice and hidden away. We found this small box inside a puzzle box inside a lock box.” You explained. “They think it’s some sort of jewelry thing but that really doesn’t make sense because-“ You were cut off by a buzz on your wrist letting you know you only had a few minutes left of lunch. “We should actually eat something huh?” You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly as you closed the box and put it back in its spot. You and Steven had your usual lunch of sandwiches on the steps of the museum, Steven brainstorming what the scarab could be between bites. The rest of the day went by, and it wasn’t long before you and Steven were saying your goodbyes on the street in front of the museum.

“See you Monday?” You asked as you pulled your keys from your bag, not having that much of a walk to get to your apartment. Steven nodded, giving you a small wave “Monday.” He confirmed “Laters gators.” He smiled at you as he began to move to his bus stop. You smiled to yourself as you walked the few blocks to your apartment in the other direction. --- Steven didn’t fully remember getting home that night. He remembered the butterflies in his stomach when you came to visit him, something he thought would’ve gone away by now. He remembered that he had a date the next day with Alex that he didn’t remember asking her out on. He’d liked the tour guide sure, but he liked you more. He shook the thought from his head, just happy that whatever the hell he had just experienced was a dream. Truth be told he was more focused on how Gus seemed to have two fins now rather than the fact that the same scarab you’d shown him had been a pretty big part of his dream. He never really had much time to think about that either, considering the date he was supposed to go on had been a complete and total failure. He almost tried to seek you out, to find some comfort in the madness of the day but he didn’t have your number or any other way to try and reach you. Instead, he settled on eating the chocolates he’d bought in his apartment and sharing the occasional sprinkle with Not Gus.

He was too distracted by the man from his dream not only being real but following him to work to even notice that you were waiting for him at the desk. Too focused on trying to get JP to actually do some semblance of security, to find safety somewhere to notice that you had taken the boxes Donna had practically dumped on him. Too distracted from, running away from the strange ma with the crocodile cane to notice that you had been waiting in the gift shop for him. “You alright?” Your voice made him nearly jump out of his skin, earning him a worried look from you. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine.” He gave you a reassuring smile, but it didn’t do much to quell your worries. “Just a long weekend.” He mumbled to himself. “I heard,” You sighed, and he looked up at you, curious “Alex isn’t exactly happy with you and she’s not being quiet about it.” You fill in the blanks for him before he can ask. “I tried to calm her down a bit, told her you get your days mixed up sometimes. I’m sorry Steven.” You shot him a small smile “I gotta go but I’ll see you at lunch yeah?”

Steven just nodded, watching as you left the gift shop. He sighed to himself and began to put things away and get the register sorted for customers. He just had to make it to lunch. Then maybe he’d have some semblance of normalcy, of safety in your company. He’d told you about his issues with sleeping in the past, with his dreams, explained how he’d lost days sometimes. You’d never judged him, instead doing everything you could to help him out. You knew there wasn’t much you could do but it did help to just know someone cared, that someone was listening. The day seemed to drag on until Steven saw you again for lunch.

“You wouldn’t happen to have seen a golden scarab lying around?” Your words made Steven freeze. He had in his maybe dream, maybe he shouldn’t tell you about it. What if you thought he stole it? Steven shook his head no and you sighed, figuring it would be the answer. “Jess probably just took it to cleaning and didn’t put it back. I told her she needs to actually fill out her sheets, so we know what she’d working on, but she never listens and now we’re missing an artifact.” You let out a small huff before shaking the negativity from your head. If Steven wasn’t so worried about what the hell happened to the scarab and what he had to do with it he’d think you were cute. Instead, his mind was racing with every possibility and what the hell was going on. He was zoned out for most of lunch, half listening to you talk about your weekend. You didn’t seem to notice and if you did you didn’t bring it up.

--- Steven was off all of Monday, it was easy to tell. You didn’t push him though, hearing enough about his weekend from Alex and knowing he was likely in a bad mood from missing the date. What you didn’t expect was to walk into work on Tuesday to a mess in the bathrooms and Steven and JP going over the security footage. “That’s not me mate” You heard Steven mumble under his breath, moments later he was called to HR. You heard he’d been walked out and that was that. There was no way for you to call him, to email him, hell you would’ve settled for knocking on the man’s door at this point. You knew there was no way in hell sweet little Steven would’ve been able to rip apart the bathroom the way it had been. It looked like the Hulk had gone through there, not Steven, Steven who wouldn’t hurt a fly let alone a whole bathroom. He’d left before your lunch, so you hadn’t known for sure till you saw Donna in the gift shop. The rest of the week dragged by with you hoping everyday that you’d see a familiar curly haired man in the gift shop, but he didn’t come back. Donna had made it pretty clear to you that if she had anything to say about it, he never would.

As the days passed on you realize just how much you had cared for Steven, just how much light he had brought to your workday. You missed your little lunch dates, your conversations about whatever was in the lab that day. You missed finding excuses to have him come up to the lab and show him what you’d been working on, not knowing many other people who had appreciated your work. You missed having a friend around. About a month had passed since Steven had been fired. You were walking up the stairs to work when you heard someone call out your name. You didn’t recognize the voice at first but as you looked around you spotted Steven at the bottom of the steps. You smiled wide and practically ran down them to meet him.

“Steven?” You smiled up at him, wrapping your arms around him “Where the hell have you been?” The man stayed silent although his arms found their way around you. “Long story love, very long story.” He chuckled a bit. You pulled back and took him in, your heart racing slightly as you debated on if you should ask him to tell you about it over dinner, but he beat you to the punch. “Why don’t I meet you here after your shift? You’re still off at five, right?” Steven asked and you answered with a nod. “Great. It’s a date.”

You bid him goodbye quickly making your way back inside in hopes that he wouldn’t see just how excited the prospect of a date with him made you. You could’ve sworn you heard Steven mutter a curse under his breath, but you figured you could ask about it later on your date. Your date with Steven. You practically skipped to the lab, eager for the day to end.

[wildwinterlunas]

Can we get some OW New Blood headcanons? Whether it be some type of angst, heartfelt, or lighthearted interactions between the group.

Ask and you shall receive!! It's been awhile since I've done some New Blood stuff so let's see what I can do. Let's start off with some head canons first.

The New Bloods are the biggest human help in getting Zarya to unlearn her prejudices against omnics, it's mostly by telling her their own experiences with the Crisis (and with Hana it's her experiences with the Gwishi). They also call her out if she does or says something in line with her prejudice.

Cassidy is giving them all stealth training cause holy shit he cannot be the only person on that team who knows how to stealth, Baptiste is close but Cassidy knows that Talon stealth training is not going to cut it.

On top of that Cassidy is also giving specific training to D.Va so if she has to fight outside of her Mech he knows he can handle herself.

All of them know about Pharah's crush on Angela, either being told by Pharah herself or from Cassidy complaining that Genji and Pharah are hopeless at romance (he's been dealing with this for a max of 14 years at this point, he's allowed to complain)

They are all in agreement that if they are on a mission in a Talon base, they need to steal as much equipment as possible, mainly focusing on medical supplies.

They all make strategies on how to best use their skills together. They also sometimes include other agents abilities as well.

Pharah is the least foul mouthed of the group, only really swearing outside of missions, the rest? Not so much. By far the people who swear most often are Cassidy and D.Va.

----------------------- Cassidy: So I hear you you and Angie where around each other a lot while she was in Cairo, anything happened? Pharah: We just... hang out, spent time together, nothing other then what we would usually do before. Cassidy: ....Fareeha it's been fourteen years, for the love of god please make a move that isn't just flirty banter. ----------------------- Zarya: I don't understand how you have so many fans. Why do people like to watch you play games that they can play themselves? D.Va: The same reason why people play the Olympics and other sports, cause they like to see other doing something they love! ----------------------- D.Va: Ok so what if I initiate Self Destruct and you shoot them when they get behind cover! That way no matter what we're still hitting them. Cassidy: I don't know, might be able to hit some of them but I doubt it would be worth riskin' the Mech. D.Va: Oh, OH! What about if Niran launches you into the air and you shoot them from above! Cassidy: Hey...That ain't half bad! ----------------------- Baptiste: You know, you should really get some rest, it's not good to overwork yourself. Pharah: Have you been talking with my mum? Cause if she did you should tell her to take her own advise. Baptiste: No, no, I noticed it myself. Though I do think it's funny that both Ana and Cole seem to have the same issue as you. Pharah: Well, it kinda runs if the family. ----------------------- Pharah: Hey Cole, did I tell you that Jean thought we were dating? Cassidy: Ew, what?! What made you think that?! Baptiste: You two just seemed to have a lot of history! I was curious! Pharah: Yeah, it was our history that made you curious, nothing else more personal. Baptiste: Fareeha, I swear to god- ----------------------- Pharah: You know, you and Brigitte remind me of Cole and Angela when they were younger. D.Va: Ugh, Cass said the same thing, but I know I'm way cooler then he is! Pharah: HA! He would have said the same but trust me, it's a compliment.

[writeraid]

Okay but imagine the documentaries about Harrow

I'm procrastinating finishing tonight's doodle- I know there's a few fics out there that have poked at this, usually in a fun, meta light, but I'm being dead serious here.

The news about Harrow and everything that happened in Egypt would almost certainly break eventually. And while I'm fully confident some of the stuff is probably just a normal Tuesday in the MCU, I feel like The literal worldwide cult would catch plenty of attention. I don't think anything like that has really appeared in the MCU at this point (correct me if I'm wrong.). Now, obviously, we can assume that some of the particular instances of real cults that have happened in our world have at least happened in this world to some extent (The MCU likes to play fast and loose with history, like how Pearl Harbor for sure happened in this world but then WWII took a whole other turn - that's a whole other tangent I could go on.) and we can rightfully assume True Crime is a thing in this world (I mean, we know fan spaces for Superheros exist within this world, it would only make sense if this kind of thing exists for other subjects and such.) so logically, there's going to be documentaries on those historical cults. ...what would those for Harrow's even look like? How much do we even know about Harrow's followers? What if they're in various governments around the world? That's..utterly terrifying to think about, actually.

We never even really get the name for it. Everyone always just calls it 'Harrows followers' and such. Something to do with Ammit, mayhaps? And even assuming there is a name decided on in universe, are the streaming services the same in the MCU? We know Star Wars exists (Thanks Peter Parker for unintentionally making an entire fandoms heads hurt!) does Disney+ exist? What about Netflix? Hulu? Are they called that or something else? Putting ALL OF THAT aside, it would have to be a docuseries. Maybe an episode about the very beginnings of it? A section devoted to educating people on what they'd need to know about Ancient Egypt to even understand what's happening? Discussions of the 'Mysterious Stranger(s)' who appeared during the Battle in Cairo and are (presumably) yet to be seen again? The sky over Egypt (and presumably most of the rest of the Western Hemisphere) turning back? The mystery surrounding Harrow's death? I don't know, this is just one of those things my brain has really latched onto as a concept and I don't know why but now you have to think about it too!

[eretzyisrael]

From the Washington Post:

When Israel launched its war against Hamas, Cairo was adamant: It would not accept Palestinian refugees. Yet more than 115,000 Gazans have crossed into Egypt since October, the Palestinian Authority’s embassy here estimates. Most remain in limbo, with no legal status and nowhere else to go. ..Once in Egypt, nonmedical evacuees have largely been left to fend for themselves. Tens of thousands have illegally overstayed their 45-day tourist visas, making them ineligible for public education, health care and other services. The U.N. agency responsible for Palestinian refugees doesn’t cover those in Egypt. And the United Nations’ broader refugee agency said it can’t help new arrivals because Cairo doesn’t recognize its mandate for Palestinians.

This means that Egypt does not recognize Palestinians as refugees because they are covered by UNRWA, and UNRWA is not allowed to have a presence Egypt. So the UNHCR has no ability to help them

This is one of those situations where Palestinians having their own refugee agency doesn't help them at all - in fact, it hurts them. Because UNRWA is only allowed to operate in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan and nowhere else. Refugees who are of Palestinian descent are treated differently and cannot get normal refugee services that every other refugee can.

In general, this works out well for them - as long as they stay in those five areas, they get much more than other refugees get. They get free food, free housing, free medical care, and the cost to maintain their permanent standard of living is far higher than for all other refugees worldwide. But once they leave, they have nothing, because very few of them are ever recognized as refugees.

Here we see Egypt refuses to give them refugee status, because UNRWA exists. UNHCR is not happy about it but this is a byproduct of treating Palestinians differently than other refugees. 

It's just another reason why UNRWA should be dismantled. And beyond that, this is another case where the world should be pressuring Egypt to accept the Gazans who desperately want to escape - but it doesn't. 

[loveroftoomanyfandoms]

Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, Chapter 2

Pairing: Platonic Steven Grant x Reader (for now)

Rating: T

Word count: ~2800

Story Summary: Steven meets a beautiful woman in the Egyptian exhibit at the British Museum...

...Too bad she's his new boss.

Tags/Warnings: Canon Divergent since Steven still works for the British Museum post-canon, No Jake Lockley, developing friendship

A/N: Here we are with chapter 2!

If you'd like to be added to the taglist for this (or any of my other writing), please let me know!

Title from the song of the same name by The Police.

“...Also, leave room for questions in between exhibits instead of just powering on through -- oh, who am I bloody kidding,” Steven said to himself as he went over his notes in the men’s room before his meetings with Dr. Y/L/N on Friday morning. “I can't do this. I can't. I never should have accepted this position. Is it too late to tell Dr. Y/L/N that I've changed my mind?”

“Hey, no, none of that,” Marc replied in his head. “You're gonna be great.”

Steven caught Marc’s reflection in the mirror. “You really think so?”

Marc nodded. “Your ideas are good. Besides, Dr. Y/L/N wouldn't have given you the job had she not believed you could do it.”

Steven took a deep breath. “Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Clearly she saw something in me, right?”

“Exactly. Now, go get ‘em.”

Steven squared his shoulders. “Okay, off I go.”

He exited the restroom and headed upstairs to the meeting room, knocking lightly on the door before entering.

He froze as he saw Dr. Y/L/N and the entire Curatorial team already seated. Oh, bollocks. Way to make a first impression. “Sorry, am I late?”

Dr. Y/L/N looked up at him and smiled. “Ah, Steven! No, you're not late at all. Have a seat, I'm glad you could join us.”

Steven sat in an empty seat across from her.

Dr. Y/L/N shuffled some papers in front of her. “Okay, let's get started. First, I'd like to thank you all for making me feel so welcome during my first week as museum director. I know I have some big shoes to fill, but I truly think we have a wonderful team here and I'm looking forward to working with all of you to make the museum's collection the best it possibly can be.

“Second, I'm assuming you all know Steven Grant, who is currently one of our gift shop employees but as of this coming Monday will be our Visitor Engagement Specialist.”

Steven gave a small wave as six pairs of eyes turned towards him. “Er, hello.”

“Steven’s first task as our new VES will be to update the guided tours,” Dr. Y/L/N explained, “so I asked him to sit in on today's meeting so he can include our new artifacts in his planning. Christina, why don't you go ahead and tell us about them.”

Christina, the head of the Curatorial department, cleared her throat. “Yes, well, the Cairo Museum has very generously loaned us the coffin of Akhenaten as well as a rather extensive collection of funerary masks from various ancient Egyptian kings and queens. Steven, I can email the list of who they were made for to you this afternoon.”

Steven nodded. “That sounds brilliant, thanks.”

“We'll have to pull a couple of display cases from the basement to house the masks, but we should be able to fit everything with the rest of the Ancient Egyptian artifacts on the 3rd floor without having to take anything out or move too much around, so that area should only be closed for a few days while we get the new display set up.”

“Excellent.” Dr. Y/L/N made a few notes. “Is there anything else that we would want to add or rearrange in any of the other areas while we're at it, to sort of refresh the rest of the collection?”

“Actually, a member just donated their private collection of first-edition classic British novels,” James, another member of the Curatorial staff, said. “There’s several Dickens, a couple of Austens, and even copies of Dracula and Wuthering Heights .”

Dr. Y/L/N’s eyebrows raised. “Have they been authenticated?”

James shook his head. “Not all of them. We're working on getting that done now.”

“Please let me know as soon as you do. I'd like to have those out on display as soon as possible as well. Anything else?”

Steven cleared his throat. “Er, actually, if I may…”

Dr. Y/L/N turned to him. “Yes, Steven?”

“If I remember correctly, a few years ago there was a lovely collection of Grecian pottery on display, but it was removed and I believe put in storage in order to make room for a statue of Zeus.”

“Oh, I think I know which collection you mean,” Christina replied. “The one that included a scene of Hercules fighting the Nemean lion?”

Steven nodded. “Yeah, that's the one. Do we still have that?”

Christina nodded as well. “Yeah, we still have them.”

“Perhaps we could put those back out?” Steven faltered when there was no immediate response. “Or not, I just thought…”

Christina shook her head. “No… no, you're right. We have the space for them, so there's no point in leaving them in storage.”

“Wonderful idea, Steven,” Dr. Y/L/N added. “Thank you. Any others?”

When no one else offered up any other ideas, she nodded. “Okay then, thank you everyone. I know sometimes things come to people after the fact or they don't feel comfortable sharing in a group setting, so if anyone has any other questions or ideas for sprucing up the displays my door is always open -- unless I'm in a meeting, of course, but in that case feel free to email me.”

As everyone began to stand and file out of the room, she looked over at Steven. “And speaking of meetings, instead of taking up the meeting room with just the two of us, how about you and I meet in my office instead, in say, 5 minutes or so? I need to stop off for some coffee first.”

Steven nodded, starting to get nervous again. Maybe I should brew myself a cup of tea while I'm at it. “Yes, ma’am.”

He headed downstairs to the staff kitchen, where Donna was sitting at a table eating a sandwich.

She glowered at him, but said nothing.

Steven caught Marc's reflection in the microwave. She doesn't look too pleased, Marc said with a smirk.

Steven bit back a smile as he filled the electric kettle with water then turned it on. Yeah, she's barely said two words to me ever since she had to apologize to me on Monday.

God, I wish I had been a fly on the wall for that meeting.

Steven grabbed a to-go cup and chose a tea bag before opening it and setting it in the cup. Me too, actually. It'd have been nice to see Donna get put in her place for once.

I just wish I'd have seen the look on her face when she found out that you were getting promoted to Visitor Engagement Specialist. I'm surprised she didn't quit in protest, especially since it meant she'd actually have to do inventory herself next week instead of pawning it off on you like she always did.

Steven shrugged slightly. I actually didn't really mind doing inventory. The stockroom was always quiet and it made the time pass by.

Once the kettle started boiling Steven poured the water for his tea into his cup and popped a lid on it. Alright, here I go.

He headed back upstairs to Dr. Y/L/N’s office and knocked on the open door. “Dr. Y/L/N?”

Dr. Y/L/N looked up from her computer screen and smiled. “Hi. Come on in.”

She stood and walked behind Steven as he entered, shutting the door behind him. “Have a seat.”

Steven sat in the same chair he had sat in on Monday when Dr. Y/L/N had offered him the VES position.

Dr. Y/L/N sat across from him and reached for a folder. “Alright, before we get started, I have the HR paperwork officially instating you into your new position ready for you to sign.”

She slid it over to him. “You can wait until Monday, of course, but I figured if you signed it today that'd be one less thing you'll have to worry about.”

“Oh, erm…” Steven opened the folder and quickly scanned the documents, still marveling at the massive (to him, anyway) raise that he would be receiving. “I can sign it today. That's not a problem.”

“Fantastic. Here you go then.” Dr. Y/L/N grabbed a pen and handed it to him. “By the way, I've scheduled a meeting with the rest of the Programming staff for first thing Monday morning to formally introduce you as the Visitor Engagement Specialist and to let them know that we'll be modifying the tours.”

Steven nodded and set his cup of tea down before signing the paperwork. “Oh, brilliant. Thanks.” 

“By the way, it was really a great idea to add that pottery collection back to the Ancient Greece display. Your clear knowledge and enthusiasm for history and your attention to details like that is why I know I made the right decision in offering you the Visitor Engagement Specialist position.”

Steven flushed at the praise. “I, er, I took a bit of a wander through each area while I was making notes for our meeting and since I always liked that collection I thought it might bring some fun and excitement to the tours to be able to kind of tell the story depicted on each piece.”

He bit his lip. “I hope I didn't step on any toes by suggesting that though. I know that I was mostly just there to observe.”

Dr. Y/L/N shook her head. “No, I want to see collaboration between departments, especially between Programming and Curatorial. We're all part of the same team and are working together towards the same goal, so don't ever be afraid to make a suggestion.”

She took a sip of her coffee. “Now, what else do you have in mind to improve the tours?”

“Well…” Steven pulled his notebook and a map of the museum out of his messenger bag. “First off, I think we're going about the tours themselves the wrong way.”

He pointed at the map. “Currently, we're starting on the ground floor and working our way up to the fifth, which means when visitors make their way back down after the tour is over they mostly tend to just leave rather than stopping by the gift shop or the bookstore.”

Dr. Y/L/N nodded. “So what do you think we should do?”

Steven moved his finger to the group entrance. “What I suggest is that we have tours meet on level 1 at the group entrance and head up to level 5 whilst whoever is leading the tour gives a general overview of the museum, then we work our way through the collection back down to level 0 and end our tour there with a gentle reminder to check out our gift shop and bookstore.”

Dr. Y/L/N hummed thoughtfully. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

Steven was encouraged by Dr. Y/L/N’s positive reception. “Also, I believe we're spending too much time on certain exhibits and not enough time on others. There needs to be a better balance so we're not rushing through the last few exhibits trying to squeeze everything in because we've spent 20 minutes lecturing on the Siege of Lachish.”

Dr. Y/L/N huffed out a laugh. “I agree. I noticed that as well.”

She made a few notes. “Anything else?”

“Just that I also think we should allow time for a few questions about the collection while we're in each area rather than wait until the end of the tour. Again, we frequently run out of time so there's usually not even a chance for visitors to ask questions anyway, or if there is time we've thrown so much information at them that they've likely forgotten what it is they wanted to ask.”

Dr. Y/L/N made another note. “Absolutely. These are all really great ideas, Steven. Think you can implement them into a sample tour for me?”

Steven nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I can have  something put together by Monday if you'd like. It won't include the new exhibits, of course, but it'll at least give you an idea of the direction I want to take the tours and give me a chance to retool them if necessary.”

“That would be wonderful.” Dr. Y/L/N reached for her coffee and took a sip. “By the way, how are things downstairs? Donna isn't still speaking disrespectfully to you, is she?”

Steven shook his head. “No, ma'am. Actually, she hasn't said much of anything at all to me since Monday.”

Dr. Y/L/N sighed. “Okay. I'll talk to her again.”

“No!” Steven cleared his throat. “Er, no. No, that's quite alright. I’d actually prefer it that way. Besides, it's not like I'll have to deal with her on a daily basis after today anyway, innit?”

Dr. Y/L/N took a sip of her coffee. “Regardless, I really am sorry that you’ve had to endure such treatment, especially for so long. No one should ever be spoken to with such blatant disrespect, especially by their supervisor.” 

Steven nodded. “I appreciate that.”

“If Donna does ever speak to you like that again, please let me know.”

“I will.” Steven bit his lip. “If there's nothing else, I er, I should probably get back to the gift shop. Technically I'm still a clerk until Sunday.”

Dr. Y/L/N looked chagrined. “Oh my goodness, you're absolutely right. I’m sorry, I probably shouldn't have asked you to do anything pertaining to your new position just yet since you haven't officially started.”

Oh, bollocks, Steven thought. She thinks I'm complaining. “It's nothing like that, ma'am, it's just that I'm sure you're busy and I don't want to bother you by hovering, that's all.”

“Oh.” Dr. Y/L/N shook her head with a smile. “No, you're not bothering me at all. Most of what I've been doing all week is reading over museum policies and procedures and meeting with the board of trustees and various benefactors, so it's actually been nice to get a little break from that and talk to someone who actually works here.”

Ask her how she likes being here so far, Marc said in Steven's head.

Steven cleared his throat. “How has your first week as Director been otherwise?”

“It's been good. A lot to jump into, of course, but you and the rest of the staff have been incredibly kind and welcoming.” Dr. Y/L/N paused. “I wasn't quite sure how the staff would react to me, especially with me not being British.”

Steven shrugged. “Well, it's like you said, we're a team, right? That includes our team leader, no matter where you're from. Your qualifications speak for themselves.”

Dr. Y/L/N shot him a small smile. “I really appreciate that, thank you.”

Her office phone rang. “Sorry, one second.”

Steven waited as she pressed a button on the phone. “Yes?”

“Dr. Y/L/N, the Chairman from the Board of Trustees is on hold for you,” Helen, Dr. Y/L/N’s executive assistant, said through the speaker.

“Okay, one minute. I'm wrapping up a meeting.” Dr. Y/L/N sighed and picked up the receiver before covering the mouthpiece with her hand. “I'm sorry, Steven, I have to take this. If you happen to think of anything else you want to add to the tours or if you have any other questions or concerns, please let me know.”

“I will.” Steven put his notebook and map of the museum back in his messenger bag and stood. 

He picked up his cup of tea. “Want me to close your door on my way out?”

Dr. Y/L/N shook her head. “No, you can leave it open. Thank you.”

Steven stood and started to walk towards the door.

“Oh, Steven?” Dr. Y/L/N called out. “One more thing.”

Steven stopped and turned back around. “Yes, ma'am?”

“If I don't see you again before you leave today… have a nice weekend.”

Steven smiled. “You too, ma'am. See you on Monday.”

I told you she'd like your ideas, Marc said as Steven headed out of Dr. Y/L/N’s office. 

I really think I'm going to enjoy working with her, Steven replied. She seems really open to collaboration. 

Yeah, she seems great. 

Steven arrived at the elevator and pressed the button to go down. Maybe we can come back on Sunday when I'm off and do a trial run of the tour so I can double-check the timing. I want to be as prepared as I possibly can be.

I'm sure you'll impress the hell out of her.  

Steven waited for the elevator to arrive, then stepped on and pressed the button for level 0 . He had to admit that he not only wanted to impress Dr. Y/L/N professionally, but he also wanted to impress her personally as well. I certainly hope so.

[missprincesse345]

He’s my rough rider

Summary: being ringside for hangman’s match against swerve during full gear and helping him even the odds. Headcanon au

Hangman adam page x wife reader ( former wwe wrestler)

Y/n’s face claim

Her outfit:

Let’s begin shall we!!!

• First of all let’s talk about when y/n and adam

• The two of met in mid 2019 at a party through Britt baker whose been friends y/n since college. At first Adam was hesitant because his fiancé had cheated months prior but all of his sudden hesitation went out the window when he saw.

• hangman recognized her from her time in wwe as Domino banks ( her wrestling style is a mix of Naomi,chyna and Rey mysterio my wrestling faves💕)

• “ Adam this my friend y/n” Britt smiles “ hi nice to meet you Britt told me a lot about you” y/n giggles holding her hand out, oh yeah everything was going to be just fine “ nice to meet you darlin” he said shaking her hand smirking a little as she blushed.

• After that night the texted,FaceTime,meeting up and just overall getting closer not making their relationship official until mid 2021 then married 2023.

• they both have a baby boy named Cairo

Hangman and Swerves feud

Lawd Jesus take the wheel cause man this feud was something else!!!

• 9/06/23 Aew dynamite is when it all happened y/n was back in her and adams house in Virginia taking it easy since her due date was very close, she smiled softly watching her husband on tv with a proud smile that was until swerve walked out.

She got worried cause from what everyone else has told her he was a real piece of work biting her lip watching Adam and swerve go back & forth, y/n let out a breath of relief as Adam left the ring only to gasp as swerve made crude remarks about her and their unborn child baiting hangman back into the ring only to get attacked by Brian cage.

•she immediately called the young bucks and thankful when Matt answered the phone “ He’s okay but livid y/n where so sorry we had no idea swerve was going say what he said” Matt told her on the phone feeling extremely bad which made her smile appreciating the kind words happy that adam had friends like them in his corner. “ thank you Matt I appreciate the kind words…can you guys make sure he gets home safely?” She said more worried about her husband than what she she’d had just seen.

• One private jet ride home courtesy of the young bucks and Tony khan Adam made it home safely around 1:00 in the morning once he walked into the house quietly and locked up behind himself, he was surprised to see y/n was awake before he could ask why she was up she hugged him tightly which made him realize that she must’ve seen his segment but smiled softly as she hugged him tightly “ thank you darlin” he whispered kissing her head holding her close letting her warmth comfort him.

• a week later admits what happened between the two men Y/n had given birth to their beautiful Carmel drop baby boy Cairo page who was a perfect mix of her and Adam despite the craziness hangman was extremely happy for this moment. Not just for their newborn child but also Y/n she was truly his rock before & during the pregnancy she was his light & protector not letting him doubt or harbor himself but now he has to lights of his life Her & his child.

A few months later

• Just when Y/n thought things were going to calm & subside between her husband & swerve she was wrong things just kept from bad to worse from confrontations to brawls it was getting out of hand. She even noticed how Adam would be more feral at times which concerned her but she couldn’t even blame him cause what swerve was doing was not okay at all,especially after Cheating and beating Adam at the wrestle dream ppv via interference to which she was present for backstage since giving birth.

• But on unfortunate night of Dynamite 10/25/23 in Hangman’s hometown swerve took things extremely too far Y/n was in her and hangman’s bedroom breast feeding Cairo when heard the front door downstairs open and voices that weren’t adams or the elite. As she slowly got out of bed holding the infant close to her chest she froze hearing swerve and prince nana how the hell did they find their house ? in that moment she was shuddering with disgust but quickly locked the door and hid in the closet with Cairo who whimpered feeling his mother’s distress “ shhh it’s okay it’s okay little one”. She said soothing the infant before looking at her phone as Brandi and the rest of the Aew roster sent her texts Warning her what she had already confirmed but what made her blood run cold is seeing it was being broadcasted on dynamite knowing good and well Adam was watching, quickly she called her good friend and former wwe coworker Aj styles who lived near by and came to her rescue scaring off swerve and nana.

• A few hours later and some speeding tickets Adam rushed to aj’s house where Y/n & Cairo were staying thankful for the wwe stars help “ Baby Girl…” He said hugging her tightly his heart breaking feeling her Trembling despite her being strong willed this moment really shook her “ we’re okay…we’re okay just hold me please” her voice cracks as he squeezes her tightly not letting go Vowing to make swerve pay for what he had done.

• a week later since the whole break in Y/n found Adam outside in the backyard on the patio drinking a beer staring off into space knowing he was replaying everything had transpired leading to this vile act. Careful sitting on his lap she cradles his bearded face in her hands looking deeply into his blue ocean eyes before squishing his cheeks getting a chuckle out of him, she leaned in kissing him deeply yet softly as if she silently was telling him they’re okay… she’s okay and their baby boy is okay to which he completely understood holding her close as they both watched the sunset knowing that he gained more than what swerve could have.

FULL GEAR TIME ⚙️ ⚙️🔥🔥

• It was the time everyone was waiting for and boy nobody was holding back Y/n was watching backstage in her cowgirl boujee attire on the edge of her seat watching her husband going apesh** on swerve months prior before the ppv she had been helping Adam both mentally and physically preparing him, for whatever swerve had up his sleeve and the rest of the roster was more than happy to help which he was thankful for.

• Throughout the match it was getting gut turning and stomach turning practically murder between hangman & swerve both men pulling out all the stops not giving up, which worried and made Y/n terrified of her husband’s safety especially after his concussion scare in the ring but she knew it was his fighting spirit that kept him going.

At one point towards the end match Y/n headed towards the tunnels after having Brandi keep an eye on Cairo so the infant wasn’t exposed to the bloody violence, giving the sound guy’s the 1…2…3 she ran out as her entrance music “Monster by Kanye west”blasted through the arena.

• every one went crazy despite loving the warm welcome she had made a b line for prince nana attacking him repeatedly as Adam catches his breath smiling big watching his badass wife, which gives him the perfect time attack swerve while he was distracted.

“Buckshot!!! Buckshot!!!” The commentary said as everyone was going crazy as hangman hit his finisher on swerve and went for the cover finally ending swerves reign of terror,Y/n screams happily proud of her tears of running down her cheeks as hangman hugged her tightly once getting out the ring all his nights of anger and frustration was finally over.

Hope you guys enjoyed!!!❤️❤️

Y/n’s entrance music

[theposhsworld]

Part 1 of 2, sympathy will get you swindled out of your self interests, but empathy— the art of putting yourself in others’ shoes — will get you everywhere. As Maya said Zeus seduced Hera by pretending to be injured and cheating on her left right and Center when they got married. Maya also pointed out something brilliant- that intelligence agents say they prey on emotional people who act out on their emotions. And also narcissists prey on empaths I think should be called Sympaths.

Even Sheera7 said if a narcissist preys on you, it’s your own fault if you are an empath, you are waving a giant Please Hurt Me flag.

When I was younger I was foolish and naive and would say about the charity work I was passionate about when I was broke and it attracted predators. Now if you are rich and everyone knows you are rich and especially if you are not low key, public charity work prevents people from hating you if it’s non political children’s hospital sort of stuff.

If you are a reigning beauty queen or competing in a pageant charity work is important because it makes you look less vain. You have to say “I am competing in Miss World AND I am also doing a charitable initiative for women’s mental wellness for economically disadvantaged women.”

If you start with your charitable work you will get used.

In the Middle East. we have a population of mostly idiots near oil which is why we are always used for wars. Let me explain: if you get emotional your front brain shuts down, you have an IQ of a Lizzard and are dumber than your dog or cat. In the Middle East more poetry is published than prose. The average Arab is moved by emotions and acts on them, plus are near oil so every intelligence agency on the planet is trying to manipulate Arabs out of self interest. Don’t fall for emotional bait - how many children have to die until Arab parents stop being emotional and pursue self interest before they pursue being good?

Most of this “being good” in my experience manipulated me to do bad things to be used as cannon fodder to bash someone else strong and then when I get hurt people who were egging me on ran away.

Look how much the West manipulated Arabs with democracy democracy … so when Arab idiots were on the streets protesting democracy Western help was no where to be found. Half a million Syrians were brutally murdered. Half of Syria’s population became refugees. I was foolish and emotional to believe in Dumbocracy because I was emotional about Assad being mean & corrupt. As bad as it was before the revolution in Syria it’s much worse after and Assad is still in power.

If Arabs were stoic they would have quietly amassed money and weapons for war over decades and had the coup at his weakest point. If you don’t have the resources to fund a stronger opponent it’s better to run away and fight another day.

So many Arab countries like Lebanon, Egypt and Yemen benefitted more from colonialism than self rule. Not everyone did. I heard it was worse in Algeria but so many Arab countries lack the organization and lack of corruption to be effective at self rule. Communists used emotional propaganda taking things were colonialism was bad like the Congo and promoting anti colonialist propaganda, appealing via sympathy to manipulate Arabs against self interest. Arabs fell for it and took Soviet help to remove the colonizers.

Lebanon was the Paris of the Middle East, Cairo was London and Aden was the new Hong Kong.. and now they are a shadow of their former glory because they didn’t fully assimilate the systems and culture including stoicism that enabled self rule. Instead they ran off like an emotional homemaker wife of a cheater husband into the streets with her kids. A stoic homemaker with a cheater husband would empty his bank account and get him to give her expensive gifts and say I don’t mind mistresses as long as you give both of us expensive gifts with a resale value.. then quietly sell things when he doesn’t notice, store things away and put money in an off shore account.. so when you file for divorce you don’t do so by throwing your children into poverty just because you were mad about cheating.

Then we have the bag fumbling cause of Palestine that is the number one barrier of Arabs and Muslims to leveling up. Arab women are manipulated by their sympathy to get angry, do something stupid out of anger, burn bridges and fumble all the years of hard work networking and leveling up. For black women, BLM is their Palestine.

Let’s talk about BLM, it yanks the chain, just like Palestine. When you are in your feelings you are like a dog on a chain. Meghan was so focused on historic unfairness she was manipulated into bashing other people’s competition at her expense and fumbled the bag. I was manipulated into bashing Israel & conservatives out of my kind heart in my youth and then naturally they defended themselves and attacked me. I got hurt and the people who egged me on to do that and fight for justice ran and laughed at me for fumbling my bag.

If you are a woman and you see people dying it’s none of your damned business. Find a strong man and let him deal with it. It could just be manipulation and you are too emotional to see.

Let children and small animals die and find men to deal with that is THE MOST IMPORTANT part of leveling up. I don’t care what religion says, it was written for strong men. As a woman you are not that. We are built to be easily emotional to be easily manipulated.

Not friends or family? The suffering of strangers is none of women’s business. Most of it is actually a trap to manipulate you out of your interest. Women are designed to be too compassionate to be manipulated to care for infants. You can only indulge in your compassion for the suffering in an environment where you have zero rights and all your moves are controlled by men, the patriarchy. With freedom comes responsibility.

Before women had chaperones so they didn’t have to worry about manipulated via compassion from their date. Before women were at home and men were the boss, and women except queens had no say. So women could feel compassion all they want. Gentlemen were reminded of the Trojan horse and not to take women’s compassion seriously and say no when it’s against self interest.

Now you are not men’s slaves anymore but their equal which means equal responsibility to protect yourself, which means suppression of your compassion instinct like a Queen if you want to level up. Queen Elizabeth had sympathy for her sister Margret but acted against her personal feelings in national interest not to normalize affairs as the head of the church and state on taxpayer money.

Delegate your sympathy to men and let them do their duty of protecting the weak. It’s not your duty to protect but to alert gentlemen that some people need to be protected and they can filter because they are not built to be easily manipulated via sympathy of who geniunely needs help they are capable of helping.

Don’t try to save someone drowning if you can’t swim. Let them die. At least it’s only one dead person. Save money over time and create an intiative to have a life guard at the beach.

If you can’t swim you have to let people drown. When you get life guard training save people by all means.

Propaganda is designed to up your emotions so you are no longer able to act in your self interest.

If something makes you emotional let’s say you see someone do something bad to a child.. do you know this child personally? Can you do something about it? If not tell it to men and let them deal with it.

In Canada there was the first indigenous head of Supreme Court justice who wanted SNC Lavalin company who bought ladies of the night for Qaddafi and did dirty things in Africa to face justice. In Canada they can be a member of parliament. Trudeau fired her and had someone else run against her the next election. A naïve colleague stood up for her openly because it was moral and right. So Trudeau fired her, had a campaign against her colleague and had someone else run against her in that riding who won.

The first women who spoke about #MeToo got ostracized. Notice how Oprah is wise, knew Epstein and Weinstein and what they did and didn’t say anything bad about them until everyone else came out and their names were tarnished. Selma Hayek waited until she married the man who owned Gucci who was more powerful than Weinstein, then went on the attack.

Selma Hayek was not manipulated into fighting Weinstein when she was weak - and this is what hampers the level up journey of women of colour.

Life is full of injustice. The darker the skin the more the injustice. Let’s be real. But you have to choose to focus on a downward spiral of injustice or ignore it and focus on an upward spiral of level up.

Networks are precious and take a long time to cultivate and build. Emotions are cheap and every homeless dusty has them.

Emotional self control is the difference between elevated people and dust. It’s not that elevated people lack feelings- they simple don’t act on emotions that don’t serve them.

Compassion is the number one way to fumble the bag. It’s the favourite dinner ploy of pick up artists who will make a compassionate plea to get inside your house where they will try to grab you by the kitty cat. They know you are tired after dinner so they walk you home and cry how they need to use the washroom please please let them in then they cry how it’s urgent … you let them in then it’s not urgent and they try to grab you by the kitty cat.

I hate how gentlemen use dinner to take advantage of ladies tiredness. A friends dinner date drank a bottle of champagne himself and asked her to drive him because he was too drunk to drive and she only had one glass and he lives far. She was too tired after work and the alcohol made her more tired to fight her compassionate instincts and say no. He made a sob story to convince her to go inside his home and kept pushing. This is one of those dinner dates first foolish ladies. Then of course he tried to grab her sexually.

Ladies don’t be known for compassion or you will attract people taking advantage of you. That is why Russian ladies prefer to be known as cold and heartless unless you have something to offer.

And back to empathy. It’s an amazing tool of hostage negotiators. Chris Voss would tell the feelings of Bank robbers and hostage negotiators so they want hand over the people or money. Tune in for Part 2, empathy

Credit Maria Al Massani

[garyalanhidalgo]

So Party, Love, & Laugh Defiantly!

Kamusta, fabulous reader and Pride activist aglitter! ✨🏳️‍🌈

This month passed by quickly while we explored the origins of Pride Month from righteous, raucous riot to out and proud parade. What began as the marginalized of the marginalized’s screams of “NO MORE!” at Stonewall turned the first protest marches nationwide in a still danger-filled era, then became rainbow-filled celebrations globally to stay visible. Today, the LGBTQ+ community enjoys the hard-won radical, life-saving power of visibility thanks to those brave rioters and marchers. To repay their sacrifice, our yearly Pride Month isn’t just about celebration but about showing up to stay visible. It may be a far cry from the first Stonewall riot and the first protest march. It’s still our duty as LGBTQ+ to be seen!

As for me, in the very early 2000s, every June wasn’t just the start of summer but Pride Month, but on a less epic neighborhood level (a must-read to understand the LA/Weho relationship) in West Hollywood, CA. Sure, Weho Pride brought out the crème de la crème of celebrity grand marshals and performers, organized by Christopher Street West. If their name doesn’t ring a bell, then do a refresh here. Having been to San Francisco and Seattle because of the Dotcom era, I knew Pride was celebrated nationwide, but now, out (and nearly 30!) me could never imagine Pride as a whole month, much less a whole planet-thing? WHOA!

So, 25 years later, in 2025, it begs the question: What is Pride now? Have the rainbows made us forget the dark clouds of rioting? Has going global meant it left our own backyard?

The answer’s as exquisitely complex as our community.

Partying as a Political Act: Love & Laughter is Resistance

If you feel guilty that you enjoy the party atmosphere of Pride, don’t worry. Not only is enjoying the party valid, it’s vital. Just as early-2000 me couldn’t imagine a Pride without borders, I would be no less happy the queer community is now a global one. I’m certain the Stonewall rioters and post-revolution marchers (still protesting injustice) never imagined the streets shut down for LGBTQ+ folk, celebrating openly with our chosen GLOBAL family, kissing your loved one in public without fear, more so, celebrating a same-sex wedding openly… Take it from Happy Holden, the owner of the town’s alleged gay bar, minority co-owner of the Hotel Cairo, and it turns out, so much more: Spoilers ahead! Turn back if you want to enter the hotel a virgin…yadda…yadda…

“Still, you must have been heartbroken watching the man you loved and wanted to marry, marry someone else.” “But I never fantasized about marrying Leo.” Happy’s voice trembled. “As committed as we were to each other, same-sex marriage wasn’t even an idea in our heads. Young gays like Berto may not remember a time when we had to fight just for the right to love.” “Or in Leo’s case, not allow his dream to suffer because of who he loved.” Hughie had respected Leo Cicero all the more.

But that is what they fought for, and too many times, bled for. Not necessarily a happily ever after, but a breather where you can feel safe and be happy for however long it lasts. For now, the people who still tell us we don’t deserve to love but deserve to die because we do, don’t get to be right. At least for now, we get to live like everyone, even if dark clouds are threatening. Those same people forget that after the rain comes the rainbow. So party, love, and laugh defiantly! 

Yes, “Love & Laughter” is my mantra now and forever, but I likewise loved partying, often too much (saving it for the upcoming Fantabulous! era). Right now, the dark clouds seem to be gathering again. Protests are getting louder and louder. I’m not ignoring that’s the reality, especially with more marginalized of the marginalized. We’re still included. That's why it’s more important than ever this June Pride to shine. To be part of an even greater rainbow. Because happiness is just as powerful in our struggle.

It’s the same tightrope that majority owner Hughie and new manager Fabian walk in The Hotel Cairo (out now, have you checked in yet?) as they finally find they’re on the same page. Both desire to turn the hotel into a sanctuary but face the political pressure and pious protests. Picture this:

“Thanks.” Fabian belched. “Guess I was really thirsty.” “Slow down,” he warned his erratically behaving companion. “You’ll be tipsy before the first act starts. Was there some trouble with the ad you posted? Is that why you’re acting so weird?” “Weird?” Fabian sounded disappointed that he’d reminded him of the real world. “I didn’t expect so many bands to turn down an audition because they’d have to play at a same-sex wedding. I should be grateful they didn’t make a big deal about it. In fact, they were very polite, explaining that they couldn’t do it because it disagreed with their Christian beliefs.” “You should be grateful?” Hughie raised his voice. “How can saying screw your kind be very polite? That was their Christian intention by turning us down.” “I didn’t want any trouble for the hotel.” Fabian’s voice broke. “Or you.” “I know. I’m sorry, I snapped.” “That still leaves us with plenty of talented wedding bands who want the job.” “You should be glad to be rid of the haters. You have enough on your mind, seeing as how you guzzled your champagne like you wanted to get drunk.”

That’s it. That’s the magic. A moment of connection, to stop and think, that doesn’t erase the trouble brewing around them. In a surprising reversal, it’s defeatist Hughie who schools defiant Fabian on the importance of not keeping quiet. In another switch-up, it’s Fabian who’s drinking a great deal, not so much because of others' “Christian” beliefs, but… Go find out for yourself in this standalone romantic comedy.

Stonewall Never Ended, It Just Got More Fabulous

Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities opens with the now famous, “It was the worst of times, it was the best of times.” Although set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, it perfectly captures 2025. Marriage equality happened a decade ago. Win! But the right is renewing its fight against same sex marriage. Boo! It’s a boo not a loss. Conservatives never really stopped fighting the same way that we never really just sit it out. The party is a necessity (the best of times), but never forget the protest part (the worst of times). There are also book bans targeting our stories, and laws targeting our trans siblings. Ensuring we use Pride to be a protest is as urgent as ever.

With rainbow flags as our battle standards, our parades are still marches. Of protest. NO MORE! In early 2000, LA Pride had an estimated half a million attendees. When we show up in epic numbers, we send a clear message to all: We are here. We will fight for our rights. We will not be erased! 

As simple as that. It’s the beauty of modern Pride, they didn’t have in the past. It’s a riotous party. That comes with much meaning. We can sing our Pride anthems to show our anger against injustice. We can dance to celebrate how far our chosen family has come. And we gather in great numbers worldwide, they can’t ignore our demand for justice for everyone still left behind. We should draw strength from being more than the first 200 Stonewall rioters or less than 1,000 marchers, the first gay Pride march in NYC. We party with a fabulous purpose.

And We Keep on Going & Talking!

Before the month ends, embrace the duality of today’s Pride! Get your glitter on. Dance until you can dance no more. Celebrate your far-from-perfect but always beautiful life. Then rest. And tomorrow, grab a sign, march, and shout because you don’t take anything for granted. In between, find some Love & Laughter, connect with other humans. That’s what keeps us going.

The Hotel Cairo is Relaunched & Ready for You! Check into a world where the fight for sanctuary is fueled by moments of pure Love & Laughter! Find it on Amazon!

Protest or Party? What does Pride mean to you in 2025? Do you feel the pull of one over the other, or do you find power in the blend? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Get the Inside Scoop: Sign Up for my Love & Laughter Newsletter for more history, exclusives, and sneak peeks!

Follow the Journey: Let's chat more on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky!

Come back next week: We go global as we learn about “Pride With No Borders.” How did our chosen family grow? It’s all about how our homespun queer stories of love, heartbreak, and loss connected…around the world.

Happy Pride, sweeties! Grrr…don’t stop fighting!

Love & Laughter,

Gary Alan Hidalgo

P.S. This is David Archuleta's first-ever Utah Pride performance. Apart from delivering such a powerful performance, he embodies the power of visibility we've

[saikokirakira]

All the Wrong Right Reasons (Jake Lockley x Bakunawa!Reader pt.3)

a/n: we are entering spicy territory. nothing explicit unless you want me to? but we got maybe one more for jake's intro series...

next up is a layla fic. can i get a wahoo?

Prev: IV. Jake pt.2 | Next: IV. Jake pt.4 | AU Masterlist

warnings: jake “the simp king” lockley origin story; khonshu is a little shit; one-way intense turned thirsty pining; show’s interpretation of DID; non-hispanic writer using one (1) spanish word (in my not-so defense, im filipino (i remembered we have a celebrity kristine hermosa with that name. imagine having 'beautiful' for a name and looking EXACTLY ETHEREAL) okay i'll stop rambling); non-canon Philippine mythology

Maybe Jake’s reaction was a little unprecedented.

He never had to front unless the system was in mortal danger or if Khonshu needed him for a mission.

All he’s known was being on a constant state of fight or flight with adrenaline in his veins.

So, what happens when the person he’s been incredibly attracted to threatens his life?

He wants to fight back for all the wrong right reasons.

Have you met my friend, Jake Lockley?

As much as Jake was thankful for the moon god intervening, the bird was having the time of his life not allowing him to summon the suit as well.

Let him go. Khonshu’s playing with you.

A dark masked figure materialized behind you. A dark shadowy void with glowing violet eyes.

Probably made new friends the last time you died, Jake thought.

Glaring at Jake with your glowing golden eyes, you let him go and stepped back.

“Khonshu, you lied,” you spat out. “You were supposed to let him go.”

“Marc only meant Steven and himself, hermosa,” Jake finally spoke once he got to catch his breath. “I had no plans of leaving. I’m the real Moon Knight.”

Your golden eyes found him again, and Jake found some sort of satisfaction of you looking down at him… even with disdain.

Or any attention finally directed at him… not at any of his alters.

“What do you want from me?”

Jake resisted the urge to smirk.

There were many, many things he wanted from you.

“I want to finish the job.”

Arthur Harrow, the shadow said.

Then it clicked. “You were in Cairo.” You weren’t asking. You said it as a fact.

You never knew what happened after Ammit was sealed in her Avatar’s body, but you knew for a fact that that psychotic maniac was still breathing somewhere.

Steven didn’t have the stomach to kill anymore, and Marc…

Either his mind would be changed by Steven or not kill Harrow at all to spite Khonshu.

“I suppose you were the one who ran off and went on a killing spree when Marc blacked out?”

Jake nodded; his eyes guarded.

“You were protecting them.”

He nodded again.

“Do they know you exist?”

“No.”

“If you stay with me or with Khonshu, they’ll find out soon enough.”

“That’s why I want to get to Harrow before that, hermosa.”

You raised your brow at the second time he called you that. “Charmer,” you smiled playfully.

Finally relaxing and letting your guard down around the new alter, your eyes glowed again.

“Give me one hour.”

…

You were starting to regret not taking the passenger seat.

Yet you also needed a breather from Jake.

You were trying to tell yourself it was because you missed Steven so much…

… but Jake was waking up something else inside you.

It scared you. Scared that you might give into him.

You couldn’t do that to Steven.

“Why would I ever need anybody else when he has no idea how troubled he truly is?”

You hated to admit it, but you sided with Harrow for a split-second while Khonshu gloated on keeping Marc as his Avatar.

“And you’re okay with that, langga?”

You hissed at the name, but you tried not to get too riled up.

“You don’t want those to be your last words, you piece of shit.”

It’ll all be over soon.

“Besides, it doesn’t matter what I think. Marc and Steven don’t know.”

Arthur’s face twisted in confusion.

“Meet my friend, Jake Lockley.”

You barely flinched when you felt the bullet whiz past you and straight into Harrow’s head after Jake said his final words to the cultist.

Harrow slumped forward and fell to the floor where he slowly bled out.

It was over.

You hoisted yourself through the limousine partition window and sat on the passenger seat, not wanting to spend the rest of the ride with a dead body.

Jake narrowed his eyes when your shoes touched the leather seat.

“Really? You’re complaining over my shoes when Harrow is bleeding on your floor mats?”

Jake ignored you and didn’t waste any time and began driving away from the hospital.

Despite being ignored, your eyes continued to watch him, studying what made him so different from the rest.

Jake seemed to be more comfortable with Khonshu’s idea of vengeance, and it made you wonder if he was created because of Khonshu or because of something else.

Either way, the rush of a thousand innocent lives being avenged felt good.

And you had Jake to thank for that.

Now, you really felt that Egypt was a closed chapter…

“I can hear you thinking loudly over there, hermosa.”

His gloved hand reached out and gave your thigh a comforting squeeze.

“Want me to take your mind off things?”

… well, somewhat closed.

[anonymousbunnie]

Just finished reading Never Say Die and I am going to have a word about it

Warning of not so friendly opinion and bad language. Will try my best to contain myself but no promise

Can’t believe it’s 2025 now and I am still here, beefing about a book that was published in 2017

Talk about the irony… literally just a few days ago, I was wrenching my heart out, thinking and writing a long-ass comment about how much my heart broke seeing Jack die in Scorpia Rising, how big of a lesson it was for young Alex, and how much I looked forward to the plot twist AH would plan for her return in Never Say Die. Tbh at first I was surprised that so many people remarked that the AR series should have ended at SR, where Jack would stay dead and Alex would learn his lesson in the hardest way, as a result of him playing with fire. But I always opposed to the idea. We are reading children books after all. Killing off the only person who was closet to being a family member was way too harsh and cruel for a kid that age. Alex might have been stubborn and reckless (he’s getting on my nerves at the start of SR for actually wanting to go to Cairo in the first place), but losing Jack as a consequence of his impulsive action? It was too much and somewhat unnecessary. I was ACTUALLY glad to hear that Jack would make her return in the next book, but I also delayed reading it due to another reason *cough the Wolf/Fox mix up cough*. After a while, what must be done must be done, I read it and seriously WHAT THE FUCK did I just read? Six-year gap Mr. Horowitz, SIX BLOODY YEARS since SR and what cluster fuck did you give me? Jack is alive, just because the villain needed a fucking nanny? What the hell? Why do I feel like my IQ is being insulted here? Seriously, the Grimaldi brothers could have just paid for a complete stranger to be the nanny and killed them off when things were done just like they did throughout the whole fucking book. Or they could’ve just idk, asked for Jane Vosper to do some extra work or coered the teacher to do the thing. He’s a teacher after all, his responsibility was to take care of the kids, what else could he do if he was held at gunpoint? There are tons of ways to bring Jack back, and AH seriously opted for the worst way possible. Honestly Jack deserved more than that. If she was to come back like this, I’d rather prefer her to stay dead for good. The whole Jack returning thing was just so bullshit I could barely feel anything at all during their reunion, which was supposed to be touching and tear-jerking, and probably one of the happiest moment in the AR series. It’s a pity that AH had completely ruined that moment for me. I read Never Say Die, hoping for an epic plot twist. And what I got in return, I just can’t name it anymore. I adore this series. It has its flaw but it also has its charm. But after this, I… I seriously don’t know if I can continue… I rarely drop anything mid way. Once I start reading or watching something, I tend to finish them to the very end. I heard that Russian Roulette is a very good spinoff book. Nightshade is like a new wind introducing new and interesting criminal organization to the series. And from where I’ve been looking at, Nightshade Revenge is not a great wrap-up for the Nightshade arc but it was decent and most importantly, it had Ben, my beloved Ben in there. You have no idea how much I long for the Ben and Alex duo in this series. Them crossing path for a millisecond is enough for me to feel happy the whole day. But now idk anymore, I feel like I’m betrayed. I feel bad, as if somehow all motivation to keep me reading is just drained out. I wish I could get out of this vicious circle because it starts affecting my real life too. Work is stressful enough. All I ask for is a little bit of chilling time, lying in my favorite spot, sipping my favorite drink and enjoying my favorite book in hands. How comes it feels so faraway now? No wonder my colleague keeps asking me whether I feel unwell because I look so troubled and down mood these days