#as you should. its hillarious

[taxi-boi]

i see alot of "tango joins empires smp" aus where he joins tumble town as a bandit or another cowboy or ""rancher"" but you are ALL wrong. you all missing out okay.

tango's ALREADY been to space. hes a spaceman. hes already got the minecraft skin

tangotek crashlands into empires. the buzz lightyear to jimmys woody.

im right and i better see all of you making it happen hold on i need to draw this

do you see it? do you see my vision?

bonus family photo

#i litterally know nothing about empires all i know is that joel thinks jimmys a toy and all you fuckers agree #as you should. its hillarious #empires smp #empires season 2 #empires jimmy #jimmy solidarity #tangotek #rancher duo #team rancher #ofc tangos also a toy. theres no point to this if hes not. #bonus points if tango actually knows hes a toy. and its like. an inversion of the original toystory movie yknow #ofc tango also not thinking hes a toy is acceptable #im not gonna persecute you for using my idea slightly different than i imagined #there DOES have to be a minimum of one among us joke per fic though/j #'tango i think theres. i think theres a toy among us' #this is fucking stupid goodnight #myart

[bleuberrygliscor]

i know its 90% venting at the bleakness of american politics but like...

it really fucking blows to know that most people are probably not gonna vote this year. i cant wait for the fallout of that.

#rem rambles #last time trump was elected i was spit on and called a nigger to my face at work. #lets see what happens this time. surely not worse than that. #like fuck joe biden. i will personally beat him to death with a rock. i hated him last time. i hate him now. #but the swiftness that people are like 'no actually i'll take my chances with the republicans who have been flying nazi flags and actively #putting forth legislation to eradicate trans people and flirting with the klan and pushing for genital checks on kids' is...staggering. #like i see the strategy you think youre doing. as if democrats dont get off on losing constantly.... #its not moral strength to sit down and let the worse motherfucker win just to say ''haha see! you need me! you should be nicer to me.'' #if that was the case the democrats would have picked it up with hillary losing. but they didnt. obviously. #get local. start supporting local politicians that are more leftist than what we got. but by god to not expose people in red states #to even worse shit. do not encourage those bitches to visit my goddamn city AGAIN. #like what do you even think will happen outside of negative outcomes for people who arent you? like some republican will tell israel to sto #again i know its venting. so let me vent too. because holy shit is it wildly tone deaf to use the minorities that the republicans are #targeting as a fucking bargaining chip with people who dont care about us anyway. #as if saying ''im willing to sacrifice native americans to show democrats that i mean business'' will even work. #these people are so far gone that televised genocide will not move them. but you think digging your heels in will. absurd. childish behavio

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

aita for deceiving a psychiatrist with lies to get diagnosed with a psychological disorder so i could get attendance accommodations at school where it was really nazi strict and evil forced attendance and they would fail me for not going to class EVEN THO I DID EVERYTHING TO THE TOPS?????? Sick fucks tbh. May those “educators” burn in torment💖 i wasn’t allowed to have my anxiety/agoraphobia/aversion/truancy/YOUTHFUN absences excused bc of the fasc policies in place as a standard in our christofascist bluemaga joe biden hillary fucked bernie in the ass dry clinton fake woke coopting bullshit society. so because of their nazi policy i had to find a way to get accommodation bc clearly i couldnt be in class every day in a row and needed leniency, not academo nazi policy, i was like. Fuck it let me get my papers for that accommodations letter approval. Bc like i had already been going to the counselors for stress and general social bullshit So since i wasn’t allowed to use that for accommodation i hd to make sooo many months long appointments w this far af psych and i didnt have a car and what an added stress. They were like “we dont got a car to pick you up like a normal fucking doctors place. Take the bus!” Ok die first. Next fucking help me!!! I did the meds they really sucked bc i guess i didnt need it and it was all side effects, no benefits, and i was like FUCKING DIAGNOSE ME!!! after reading the DSM5 and “practicing whats wrong w me” so that they are like . Hm yeah that sounds bad. Then IN THE END IT WAS A FUCKING PERSONALITY INVENTORY THEY USED TO ASSESS MY ILLNESS. IT WAS A BAR GRAPH. It was bullshit service in the goddamn american healthcare system and then bullshit actual healthcare bc it was fucking fake. Dumb psych couldnt even tell i wasn a liar???? DUMBASS BITCH LOSER FAGGOT CUNT SCUM. I remember how they made me wait AND CHARGED ME WHEN I MISSED AN APP BC IT WAS SO FCKN FAR AND ANOTHER BC I TOOK A NAP. CHARGING UR POOR MENTALLY ILL CUSTOMERS??? They can explode forreal💖and so can the dumb school policy bitches who couldnt just let me get my A had to be like ohhh cant accomodate u even tho u hve a 98 u are gonna fail :/ DIE ON FIRE SCREAMING YOU SCUM BITCH!!!! <-me to that professor nazi. May she be tortured. ANNMYWAY im sorry to everyone who’s gone thru academic ableism and abuse by this bullshit system!!!!! my school ended up being transphobic and zionist so i transfered anyway bc i dont want that bullshit on my titles. I’m glad i got my classes accomodated tho! I only wonder if im legally beholden to that diagnosis or if we can just be like fuck that doctor. Hm. Like i lied 😂 ffbsjfbsjfbjsnfjekfnsjs FREE ATTENDANCEE THOOOOOOOOOO it should be like that always for everyone. Kill every nazi teacher forreal. And kill teachers who dont give free B’s. Fuck your grade curve bitch. Fuck your admin. FUCK IT ALL!!!!! And i know its possible bc ive had actually good teachers. Hmmm the nazis WISH they could hide!!!

#aita #am i the asshole #slur cw

[asocial-skye]

no offense to codywan shippers (ya'll are cool and create great fan stuff) seriously, codywan art and fanworks are some of the most detailed, and well thought out pieces i've seen.

but why do you guys ship codywan? they've exchanged like maybe, two sentences per episode they make an appearance in and its mostly about military affairs. they have a relationship you'd expect between like, somewhat affable coworkers. there's more evidence for rex and hunter than there is for cody and obi wan.

you know, i saw a bunch of codywan shippers and codywan fanart and fics when i first entered sw fandom and you know, i read some and thought "this is sweet. this is a cool dynamic. i could get behind this ship."

i'd like you all to keep in mind that i've never seen TCW at that point.

and then i watch TCW and i'm like, you don't even talk to each other. obi wan is in love with hillary clinton for some reason? cody is one of those rare characters where he has zero lines, but you can tell that he has a separate life outside of whatever bullshit he's put on screen for.

i see it as a "what could have been" ship; a ship that should have been explored a bit, even if the power dynamics are really fucked up, rather than yet another woman being fridged for a man. but like, what made you guys codywan stans?

i'm curious, so hit me with your reasons. i'm not dragging codywan-some of my favorite ships are characters that have exchanged a LOOK, not even dialogue. you guys have more basis than me.

#star wars #starwars #codywan #obi wan #obi wan kenobi #commander cody #cody x obi wan #212th battalion #tcw #the clone wars #why ship codywan? #satine kryze #duchess satine #i see the appeal #but there's no canon basis #sw #sw prequels #prequel trilogy

[qqueenofhades]

While I generally agree with your writings, I find myself confused by the term "Online Leftist". As a 75-year-old who has had a Social Democratic bent (and because of that has seen more of his votes lose than he ever wished in these United States), I have voted in every county-through-federal level election in my life since age 21. I also use social media sparingly, but I feel I certainly could be considered to be a leftist who is online, but I don't share the viewpoint of those you call "Online Leftist". Please clarify the meaning of that phrase in your writings.

I have to add that I've voted third party only once. I voted for John Anderson in 1980 and instantly regretted that action when Ronald Reagan won. (At that time, Jimmy Carter wasn't perceived as the great humanitarian and climate visionary he truly was, and the economy and the hostage crisis ruled the election arguments.) It was a lesson that was hard-earned. Thus in 2016, even though I supported Bernie Sanders's ideas and philosophy, I voted for Hillary because 1) she had unimpeachable (no pun intended) qualifications, and 2) not to vote for her would ensure that a really nasty and incompetent clown would be leading our country.

Thank you for all of your Tumblr postings. I find myself reblogging them hoping to reach the idealistic voter who tends to want to vote "purist" rather than "pragmatist."

The term "Online Leftists," as myself and others use it, refers to the specific group of often-young, often-white, often-western terminally online social media users, usually on Twitter, who post frothing manifestos about how corrupt the world is (specifically, how corrupt and fascist the Democratic Party of America is) and how the only way to fix it is to have some mythical leftist Revolution that will destroy late-stage capitalism and the current world order and somehow have no bad effects whatever and then a magical "progressive" utopia will spring into existence and everything will be fixed. Even the ones who don't go that far are heavily influenced by the ideology that the establishment/country is corrupt beyond repair, voting (especially voting for Democrats) is morally evil and indefensible, that there is no difference between the political parties of America, and that America/the West is the cause of all evil in the world. It has become especially visible with the Russia/Ukraine and Israel/Hamas wars, when they enthusiastically or at least tacitly support Russia and Hamas simply because those states/groups are "anti-western."

It also has to do with the whopping western leftist levels of virulent antisemitism and eagerness to call Israel a "white western colonialist settler state," as discussed in previous posts. Even while they decry Israel's genocide of Gaza, they will twist themselves into knots to excuse Russia's genocide of Ukraine or any legitimacy to a Jewish state or need for Israel to defend its own civilians, because you see, those genocides are committed by people they like in support of something something, Advancing the Great Revolution Cause. This is partly influenced by the belief that modern far-right fascist Russia is somehow a standard-bearer for old-school USSR socialism (which itself was horrifying enough) and should be defended and cheerled as a principled enemy of the West. This is the same group of people who unironically spend all their time posting fulminations that Biden is a genocidal fascist and America is a dictatorship, because they know that literally nothing will happen to them and they will face no real-world consequences, because none of those things are actually true. But as long as they can claim it for the rhetorical martyrdom, that does not matter.

By political beliefs and presence on Tumblr, I too am definable as a leftist who is online, but the Online Leftists (used together and with capital letters) are a distinct group whose ideology is marked by righteous nihilism, rejection of voting, support for a mythical "Revolution" in place of ever trying to work within the flawed political system, support for violent genocidal states or groups as long as they are "anti-western" or "anti-Israeli" (witness how they flocked to quiveringly defend the Houthis) while simultaneously yelling at everyone else for supporting genocide, making no attempt to incorporate actual politics, history, or reality into their all-consuming ideology, and shaming everyone else who doesn't agree with them. As you say, they are focused on some "pure" level of political engagement, which is of course impossible and therefore means the only thing they do is spend their time on Twitter rampantly spreading misinformation as long as it fits their beliefs. Pragmatism, harm reduction, nuance, or making a flawed choice that puts any kind of "moral burden" on them does not exist to them and is a dirty word, because it might conflict with bringing about La Revolution. So yeah.

#stinkahny #ask #politics for ts

[jyndor]

oh my god this rolling stone by spencer ackerman article about kissinger's death is brutal

some highlights, though you should read it in its entirety, include:

comparison to timothy mcveigh, the oklahoma city bomber

the American elite and media's treatment of him:

on hillary clinton calling him a friend and the obama administration relying on him for counsel:

vietnam being a stepping stone to power for kissinger:

cambodia:

blaming the south vietnamese for the failure in vietnam in the most paternalistic way imaginable, and then biden doing something similar wrt afghanistan:

on kissinger not viewing the cold war through an ideologically anticommunist (read: fascist) lens but rather through the lens of protecting american interests no matter what:

dang it I can't upload any more, gonna reblog and do more because it's too good

#henry kissinger #richard nixon #us politics #geopolitics #neoliberalism #war crimes #history

[arainmorn-art]

My new buddy @wr1ghtw0rth introduced me to Ace Attorney Musical - and oh my, it is great!

The Act 1 cleverly trimmed all the fluff from first 3 cases of AA1 and made (w)right accents in the story. Especially introducing von Karma. Oh my, he is terrifying.

It was a bit boring for me as I don't find 1-1 and 1-2 interesting, but it was amusing to listen to. But the Act 2! Focused on Edgey's case! Oh gee it's soooooooooooo good!

At first I was not a fan of Phoenix's voice, I needed some time to get used to its quite high timbre which reminded me of a teenage goatling, but in Act 2 this feeling disappeared. In Act 2 I've seen this voice actor was a right fit. He has this young stubborn yet gentle energy that Phoenix excudes.

• But guys. My dudes and dudettes. GIRLS!

Listen to the dramatic magnificence of a velvet voice of Edgeworth and his performance!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! It's magestic! It's sophisticated! It's snooty yet dignified. It's so emotional and charismatic. It's so full of feelings and passion, of sorrow and inner commotion. It's so... so hnn~ ♥

"Wright! Why can't you undestand

I'm not a monster?

I'm just a man!"

As Edgeworth's simp I approve.

And my gosh Larry is hillarious here!

This musical is criminally underrated. I think we should make it more popular, kittens.

#yes there is narumitsu #a (w)right amount of narumitsu in all the (w)right places #Arain reviews #ace attorney #phoenix wright #miles edgeworth #narumitsu #wrightworth #gyakuten saiban #ace attorney trilogy #ace attorney fanart #ace attorney miles edgeworth #ace attorney phoenix wright #ace attorney music #ace attorney musical #musical #Youtube #maya fey #mia fey #manfred von karma #redd white #dick gumshoe #maggey byrde #larry butz

[misspickman]

hi moss feel free to ignore this but i would love to hear about some kon moments in canon that you really love and appreciate !

oh you absolutely will hear about them. in no particular order but starting with my two fav nerd moments from superboy #66 and young justice #8

hes great in all of return of superman but this bit is stuck in my brain.. geoffs 'kon was selfish and had to be taught how to care about others' my ass

first meeting with match from superboy #36!! its so important to me how despite everything kon refuses to see match as anything less than a person and family

this bit in superboy #69 where kon visits hawaii again and runs into hillary made me so sad there are many issues with this solo but it hits

ok ive read some very stupid takes on this moment but kon catching cissies arrow in yj #15 was a wonderful moment for their friendship, especially because he offers it back if she wants to actually take the shot + theyre also great in the next issue hes so worried about her,, theyre besties,, listen,,

not going deeper into why this bit from eradicator #3 is so good bc theres already a great post about it but yeah,, you know

NOW its time for my 'cass and kon got along well and we should acknowledge that more' agenda ok no not in a romantic sense but in a very 'two lonely teens who are too focused on the mission that has been their entire life to have a healthy private life' way. they should hang out again i think. also these issues are just very sweet and fun

first from superboy #85 bc this whole thing ruled

and from batgirl #41 where they experience some baby comphet4comphet and decide to just stay friends

some bits from superboy #88 where hes taking care of baby guardian bc its cute and funny

also not a specific moment but kon and ma's relationship is very dear to me, there are many things i didnt enjoy re what dc did with kon in 2000s but having him live with the kents and get comfortable in smallville enough to call it home was a good one 10/10

#there are many more but im trying to be normal #and not just go through more comics and put every kon moment here #it would be a lot #but thank u tb<3 much love #tumblr hates me for wanting to put over 30 pics in one post so i have to stop #ask #kon el #sorry for being like this and putting all issue numbers i just know how annoying it is when i see a panel and have no idea where its from

[halogenwarrior]

I feel like the large amount of capital-r Rationalist Worm fans has really negatively influenced some people’s interpretations of Taylor and her motivations. I sometimes see people treating her as this sort of platonic idea of utilitarianism or whatever moral philosophy you think she subscribes to, whose strengths and flaws are entirely the strengths and flaws of that philosophy in its ideal form. And having read the “rational fic writing advice of Eliezer “famous Harry Potter fic writer and comparer of Taylor to Hillary Clinton” Yudkowsky I can see where this idea comes from, because this is exactly how he says characters should ideally be written. He says he dislikes “gray and gray morality” where everyone is shown to have their flaws and hypocrisy, instead he likes conflicts where both sides are truly good rather than gray and the conflict is that they are completely true to different philosophies of what good is. To some extent, he has a point in this; there are works that use the existence of hypocrisy and self-serving as a “cheat” out of and easy answer to a conflict that really is supposed to be a clash between two pure “good” philosophical ideas (Pokemon Black and White my beloathed...). But in the end, characters who are just platonic ideas of philosophies are for philosophical essays and tracts; literature is for portraying humans in all of their psychological complexity, sometimes self-serving motives, and ways that, due to their individual humanity, they aren’t just walking philosophical mouthpieces and don’t match up completely with an ideology.

That being said, Taylor is actually quite human (and a human teenager at that, with all the expected immaturity) in this way and from author comments it seems that this is completely intentional. She doesn’t simply state her belief that Benevolent Warlordism is Better than the Corrupt Current Authority throughout the story and spend the whole time as the embodiment of that ideal. Instead, she starts out wanting to be a hero, and then she has a complete failure of her typically paranoid mindset with regards to Coil (taking him at face value of wanting to improve the city even though every politician says that and look how that usually turns out) because it’s what she WANTS to believe, so she can keep her new friends after feeling isolated while morally sanctioning her actions, and then does a surprise Pikachu face when it turns out Coil actually does bad things and her support is helping him do bad things, then spends the next few arcs running around trying to fix the one bad thing she feels particularly guilty of. It’s only after already setting herself up as a warlord to fix said guilt, solely caring about Dinah with the people she saves being incidental, that she justifies herself as the lesser of two evils compared to the corrupt status quo, a lot of the corruption of which she didn’t even KNOW ABOUT before already going ahead and deciding she was going to be a criminal. I’m saying this with genuine love for her character and acknowledgement that she isn’t a horrible monster and does some pretty admirable stuff, especially given her age and situation, and she certainly was always cynical, paranoid and judgmental with a determination for justice even if she didn’t know all the details of what was wrong with her world at the beginning, but it’s ridiculous and detracts from understanding of her character as a character and not a rationalist talking point to see her as some pure philosophical ideal from start to finish who is never making up her ideology as she goes along.

#worm #parahumans #wildbow #Taylor hebert #rationalism

[dungeonmastersconsortium]

I'm not even joking when I say Trump won over Hillary because she didn't win by enough votes. In the aftermath of the 2016 election the US electorate should have learned about the voting thresholds created by the Electoral College and the fact that the presidential election can be won without a majority of votes due to the geographic distribution of those votes. Everyone who decided to stay home in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Iowa, Florida and upstate NY definitely helped Trump win. Don't vote if you don't want to but that person's argument wasn't wrong, just lacking in context. (I live in a VERY blue area I'm not voting for President its unnecessary.)

My guy, I know how the electoral college works a further reason why even if I DID vote for either trump or biden, it wouldn't matter anyway

If more people can vote for a candidate than the other and the only reason that candidate does not win is because their majority voters were located geographically in the wrong areas, the system is fundamentally broken and I find voting FOR someone who is doing genocide unconscionable.

[phasewashere]

rdr2 character hcs but they are all over the place

the reason hosea and dutch even met was because they were some town on the road to chicago and dutch kept stealing hoseas takes in the town so he went over there to steal all his shit and then. yknow the rest of the story. they hated eachother for a bit tho

dutch was the wildest fucking child to me. lil protestant shepherd boy in a farming community?? no he was horse racing, gambling on horse racing, drinking, smoking etc etc. also he would rather read in like a tree or smth rather than do his chores. also mother and son with bipolar 1 doesn't make the greatest concotion so theres just a lot to unpack there

also dutch's dad got him a dog as not only a working companion but someone to keep him company while he was away at war. guess what. he never came back

also dutch's dad was related to the dutch royal like. line or whatever and with all the economic shit going on he went over to the states to try and get with bankers and instead fell in love with a former english peasant. good for him

when dutch ran away (after his mom hit him with a lantern. my brain feels this is important) he made it to pittsburgh where he met the o'driscoll brothers who were the children of irish immigrants who ran with a ragtag gang of other street children and immigrants. also uncle was there

if it wasn't for dutch uncle would've been mugged, run over by a carriage, and shanked. and the way dutch kept getting him out of it was that uncle was his. well. "uncle" and he was just his concerned "nephew" uncle thought this was hillarious and refused to tell dutch his name because "uncle" was funnier to him

bessie is intersex AND transfemme fuck you. also her husband was abusive and she killed him and eventually ran into the van der linde gang when they were both on the run and then she fell in love with hosea and got to find true love :3 bc she deserves it

susan and the guy she mentions she was married too got married really young because they were sososoososo in love but then he died in a factory accident and she was widowed. she went on to travel out west and become a working woman and eventually a madam. because if fucking nothing that woman can MANAGE. eventually she meets dutch and they fool around and he tries to convince her to come with them. and while most of his points are bullshit she decides that some of them make sense and goes "fuck it"

yknow the rabbit matthews guy mentioned like. once? yeah thats hoseas dad and he came out of canada and a french canadian immigrant (where hosea gets the bit) with his brother (who goes on to get married and have a son). he is called rabbit matthews because of the rate at which this man fucks. it is wild. legend says he fathered 100 children in total. there is only six others beside hosea.

the matthews (hosea and his mother) live in the norhtern most points of the appalachias (new england area. makes it easier for him to get to nyc)

also hosea and his mother are jewish. so hes like. a french canadian jewish man.

hosea is wanted in new york for murder because when he finally got onto the stage his producer had beef with him. and then hosea pushed him down a flight of stairs and killed him. whoopsies

annabel was a working woman that started running with the o'driscolls and was kinda like colm's brothers lover?? sorta. and then when dutch came along again when he started working with them again they got together

colm and dutch were fucking btw. its just as bad as it sounds. so annabel and dutch were basically like. "wow ur bf sucks""yeah""we should get together btw"

young dutch van der linde hated church with a PASSION

also dutch and colm's brother got in the most fucked up fist fight over annabel and when dutch was about to get his fucking skull cracked arthur stepped in. got his ass beat. and THEN dutch got his act together. and unloaded a round into colm's brother. uncommon dutch w

thats,,, all i got that i can think of

#phase weeps #rdr2 headcanons #anyways im sorry these are all over the place but this. this is my truth man

[vaicomcas]

I think a story where Jack brings back att the angels and most demons, and Empty let's them go cause they want to sleep, but takes Castiel's memories because they are still angry at Jack and Cas would be amazing.

Like Cas has memories somewhere before pulling Dean out of hell but everyone else around him remembers all that happened.

I wrote a really long ost about this fic idea byt tumblr ate it, so I am going to try again, I am sorry if I miss any details this time around.

There is an old post, about Naomi and Cas, I don't I will be able to find, but one person in the tags said, (paraphrasing) 'It would be intresting and kind of hillarious if only Castiel was mindwiped after his rebellions or disobidience and others rememberd.'

Cas loosing his memories after his lastest visit of the Empty would be as you said very messy.

Imagin, Jack goes to empty, after getting Chuck's powers, and Cas is not happy with the situtation but he also know they don't have much time, the Shadow is angry about everything. So Castiel helps Jack make a deal with the Shadow, to get most of the angels and hamdfull of Demons, who would actually help rather than messing them up evern more (Like Crowely, Rowena, Meg, etc), they deal with the rest and seasl the void so that the shadow is never disturbed again.

But before the leave, The Shadow takes Castiel's memories, or something happens, but Castiel does forget everything that happened.

So, as he comes back the last thing he remembers is planning a seige to hell, to pull out Dean.

And everything is a mess, right?

Hell is cahos, Deamons don't know who to obey, Rowena and Crowely are at eachothers throats.

Heaven is worse, Angels are hostile towards Jack, he is Lucifer's nephilim, raised by the Winchesters, he took Godhood from their father. They don't know if they want should trust him. Even Cas himself.

It doesn't long for everyone to realise something is very wrong with Cas, either. Like Cas then thought Balthzar is dead, and now when Cas doesn't remember, Batlh who is still angry doesn't know how to tell his brother, who is so happy to see him, he was the one to kill Balth. Similar interactions goes for Anna, for Samandrieal, for Racheal, and others.

Like all the angels are angry at Cas, but blowing up gets only confussion from him. And like he doesn't want to belive what they are telling him, because its too much and its disarterous for him.

Jack comes to realise, he doesnt know shit about Castiel or the angels or heaven and hell. He has no idea what to do and how to help

Like Cas is the one being who could have conneted all the frayed edges of Heaven and Hell, but he can't do that.

Its immposible to write this concept in way that would do justice to everyone, but it has a lot that can be explored

Wow, that really is a spectacular mess, isn't it? (in a good way) It is super interesting, but I can't even get started on how one would try to resolve it to satisfaction.

So then I started to blow it up even more:

In Hell, not only Rowena and Crowley would have unresolved issues, but Meg and Crowley too. And Crowley surely had issues with all the remaining demons, who first of all chose Lucifer over him, then also became loyal to his abusive mother while they were never truly loyal to him. I have no choice but to conclude that he would become an outcast of Hell in this situation (unlike almost everybody except one, I don't buy "redemption" of Rowena for suddenly become a loving mother after Crowley died).

Now onto Cas. I really hope that when Cas was in the Empty making the deal with Shadow he didn't let Naomi out, or the archangels. Because that would make Heaven as fucked up as before.

But do the angels who get out remember all of that past oppression? Do they, now free of Chuck's (the show's) narrative and Naomi's mind control, begin to think for themselves? Do they put the blame in the right places, and not just make Castiel the scapegoat of their enormous misfortune like the show made them do?

Assuming (probably too optimistically, but I can't bear the alternative) that this is the case, Castiel would still be under so much distress, as you described, hearing all the horrors, not wanting to believe, not remembering any of it, yet couldn't not believe.

Then I really don't want him to recover his memory; because it would just be so devastating, especially, also, if he remembered Jack, and realized that his son had learned about all of his "crimes", and understandably became disturbed, if not traumatized by that knowledge.

Whew, knives in the heart at every turn in this story, isn't it?

So then I can only come to one conclusion. Castiel, heartbroken, not knowing who he was anymore, banishes himself from heaven, meeting Crowley who was on the run as an outcast from Hell. Castiel may initially distrust a demon, but he thought himself in no position to judge anyone anymore; while Crowley remembered his fondness for his old friend, and welcomed the clean-slate they were given. Castiel and Crowley found the only source of solace in each other in this new world that was no longer theirs.

What happened to Jack through all this? I have no idea LOL.

Thanks for elaborating on this idea! You blew something up and I followed the ejecta in one direction, but there are a lot more ways to go.

#castiel #crowley spn #fan fic idea #impossible one

[p00sy-d3stro7er]

I love how accidentally fruity (bcs i'm pretty sure it wasnt on purpose) Black Sails' Israel Hands turned out.

Like, his whole arc about Blackbeard, how he is at the same time extremely bitter about him and still somehow sentimental totally looks like an unrequited crush. He is furious at Ed for how he treated him but at the same time he still cant bring himself to hate him entirely. Becouse He remembers their good times, how dear Blackbeard was to him and perhaps this makes him even more bitter.

I'm also convinced that Israel had prepared a whole Independent woman, "i dont need you" ,"you're the Man but i got the power" type of speech when he found out that he will have to meet Blackbeard & was unpleased about the news about his death, becouse all his effort was wasted. And this is canon. Argue with the wall.

AND HIM WITH SILVER. Its fucking hillarious how he tries to sabotage Johns relationship with Flint whenever he has a chance with absolutely no reason exluding: "How dare they be in actual love when i was pining for my captain for 472828282 years and the only thing i got was a kick in my ass! 😠😠 I am not happy so neither should they! 🤬🤬" (I know Silver and Flint are everything but happy but you get my point)

And he is serving cunt honestly. With his whole girl bestie, "dump him" attitude to Silver, while being an old fuck with the greasiest most crusty dusty hair imaginable, and overall looking like this:

And when he doesnt sabotage gay relationships, he takes out his anger on John, constantly beating the shit out of him (which is totally deserved btw).

Oh and of course i have to mention his silly little moves with his silly little hammer. He is such an icon honestly.

#black sails #james flint #israel hands #john silver #captain flint #character study #kind of #i love izzy sm and i hate how underrated he is #like literally i have never seen a single post about him #also i dont want to be that person since im *not a fan* of ofmd #but the jokes about him being an old bitter prick sabotaging gay relationships #and at the same time pining for a certain Edward in every universe are writing themselves #also disclaimer before some of you come to me!! i dont think blackbeard liked him back #anyway. stan Izzy yall!!

[justinsentertainmentcorner]

Miles Klee at Rolling Stone:

YOU CAN’T PLEASE all the people all of the time — even if you’re as popular as Taylor Swift. Having attained a somehow higher level of mega-celebrity with her record-breaking Eras Tour and a closely followed romance with Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs (who are headed back to the Super Bowl as the defending NFL champs), the singer now faces the perplexing wrath of MAGA conspiracy theorists who have decided the league and the relationship are rigged to help Joe Biden’s chances in the 2024 presidential election. The premise is as disconnected from reality as it sounds, but it’s all the stranger given that this courtship between a pop icon and football star — both white, Christian, good-looking, wholesome public figures — should fit the all-American conservative ideal. And Swift herself long retained her mass appeal with a mostly apolitical presence on the world stage, only voicing liberal positions and endorsing a select few Democrats from 2018 onward. But it was, in part, this late entry into civic discourse that allowed right-wingers to sell themselves a narrative of Swift as a propaganda puppet, after years in which some ardently worshiped her as a blonde, blue-eyed avatar for white supremacy. Here’s the complete timeline of how the far right fell in, and out of, love with Taylor Swift.    

Pre-2016: Country Roots

Swift came up in the Nashville scene, from the age of 14, as a country singer-songwriter inspired by the likes of Dolly Parton and Shania Twain. Her debut single, “Tim McGraw,” alluded to her love of another country legend — and her early hits climbed the genre’s charts along with heartland tunes full of cowboy twang and pickup trucks. Whatever the identities of individual performers, this music has always been conservative-coded, and its biggest names have rarely shied away from an aggressive style of red-meat patriotism. Swift, of course, was a teenager singing about innocent young love: She only happened to suit the fantasy of a small-town girl next door that informs so much Americana. (And she certainly didn’t have Parental Advisory stickers on her CDs.) It was when she started to drift from these roots on Red (2012), and fully embraced electronic pop with 1989 (2014), that fans could begin to think of her as totally distinct from the traditionalist milieu of her early career. The latter’s “Welcome to New York” signaled a new, cosmopolitan life far from the backroads of country radio. In fact, a civilian Donald Trump was blasting the album’s second single, “Blank Space,” while driving around with wife Melania and son Barron, as seen in a 2014 video Melania shared on her Facebook page [...]

The ascendant alt-right, shitposters by nature, saw a chance to disingenuously claim Swift for their own, as both a secret Trump supporter and neo-Nazi. (It didn’t seem to matter that she had previously expressed her happiness at Barack Obama taking the White House in 2008, her first election.) The attempt to rebrand her had older, murky origins, including 4chan in-jokes and a Pinterest user who in 2013 went viral for images falsely attributing Hitler quotes to Swift, but picked up steam as Trump did. Andrew Anglin, founder of the white supremacist website the Daily Stormer, declared her an “aryan goddess,” while Milo Yiannopoulos, in a column for Breitbart, explained why she was an “alt-right pop icon,” noting her whiteness, blondeness, unrevealing clothes, lack of piercings, and occasional mini-scandals over music videos accused of racist undertones. It probably didn’t help that Swift endorsed neither Hillary Clinton nor Trump, leaving room for misinformation about how she secretly voted for the GOP candidate. Following Trump’s victory, some Democrats vented their frustration at Swift’s silence during the campaign, believing she could have moved the needle for Clinton. [...]

In the following months, the #MeToo movement shed light on how often sexual misconduct is dismissed or covered up to the perpetrator’s benefit, and Swift became one of the founding signatories of Time’s Up, an advocacy group for survivors, and donated to its legal defense fund.  None of this was likely to endear Swift to conservatives who had already begun to argue that #MeToo had “gone too far,” yet she continued to press the issue, gracing the cover of Time’s Person of the Year issue along with fellow “silence breakers.” And the next year, she finally waded into electoral politics, sharing on Instagram that she would be backing Democratic congressional candidates in Tennessee for the 2018 midterms. [...]

2019-2020: The Activist

By 2019, Swift’s politics were no mystery. She was openly in favor of gun-control reform, took a pro-choice stance against government attempts to crack down on abortion, gave a surprise performance at New York’s Stonewall Inn for that year’s Pride celebration, and urged the senate to pass anti-discrimination laws. Any far-right fan clinging to the notion that she harbored extremist views would’ve been in clinical denial. For the most part, conservative commentators got in the habit of attacking her as they would any other liberal entertainer with a massive platform. Ben Shapiro, for one, complained of her “abrupt and obviously pandering shift into a political wokescold.”    At last, Swift also formally denounced any admiration from the racist far right in a cover story interview with Rolling Stone. “There’s literally nothing worse than white supremacy,” she said. “It’s repulsive. There should be no place for it.” She explained that she feared a 2016 endorsement of Hillary Clinton could have backfired, since Clinton’s celebrity support was “used against her in a lot of ways.” As for conservatives who had once assumed she was on their side, she quipped, “I don’t think they do anymore.” [...]

2021-2024: Taylor Derangement Syndrome

The “aryan goddess” interpretation of Swift had been more or less put to bed by the time Biden assumed office. But the reorganizing MAGA right had little reason to single her out among the legions of professional entertainers who express their distaste for Trump here and there. She didn’t endorse candidates in the 2022 midterms, either, though she did communicate her dismay at the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Conservatives who bothered to take a swipe at her tended toward lazy outrage bait: calling her boring, overrated, or a lonely cat lady (mind you, she was in a long-term relationship with actor Joe Alwyn that was heavily covered by the tabloids). In 2021, Swift embarked on the formidable project of rerecording her first six studio albums after the rights to that catalog were sold to a company run by controversial music mogul Scooter Braun, and released the hit record Midnights in 2022.

It was in 2023 that American conservatism launched into an enduring freakout about Swift, her cultural dominance, and her potential influence on voters. Anyone dimly aware of the Eras Tour — an unprecedented run of sold-out stadium shows — could see she had reached another pinnacle of success, and amassed a near-cultish audience of millions who hung on her every utterance. We got plenty of think pieces on whether this was a good or bad phenomenon, with varied musings on how Swift had created her own monoculture. The sheer saturation of Taylor content was enough to irk those less disposed to her vibe — and there were gripes about that, too.

[...] The release of The Tortured Poets Departmentlast Friday, April 19, inevitably (and unfortunately) brought a new round of grousing. Sean Feucht,  the far-right “MAGA Pastor,” raised the alarm on social media, saying “half the songs” on the album “contain explicit lyrics (E), make fun of Christians, and straight up blaspheme God.” And lest you think he’s “just being religious & overreacting,” Feucht shared several apparently offending lyrics that certainly dabble in classic religious imagery, but in the most basic, writerly way imaginable. Among the most harrowing lines, to Feucht: “I would’ve died for your sins, instead I just died inside” (from “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”); “What If I roll the stone away / They’re gonna crucify me anyway” (“Guilty as Sin”); and “God save the most judgmental creeps / Who say they want what’s best for me / Sanctimoniously performing soliloquies I’ll never see,” from “But Daddy I Love Him,” which definitely seems more critical of Swift’s own fans than an entire religion.  And, of course, Shapiro got back in on the action as well with a YouTube video dubbed, “Taylor Swift’s New Album Is GARBAGE” and nuanced opinions like, “Can we stop pretending she’s high art?” and, “She’s so tortured that she’s worth billions of dollars for singing songs that are most appropriately sung by 16 and 17 year old girls.” 

Rolling Stone has an in-depth report on the timeline of Taylor Swift's career that led to the eventual right-wing sour grapes-fueled culture war against her, especially in the last few years or so.

#Taylor Swift #The Tortured Poets Department #Donald Trump #4chan #Milo Yiannopoulos #MeToo #Ben Shapiro #Sean Feucht

[juniperwoodwell]

Reunion pt.1

Phillip Altman X F! reader

Word count: 6k

Warning(s): Cursing, Smoking, Kissing, implications of masterbation, Phillip- because...well it's Phillip.

Prompt: "Why me? "Why not you" (Will be in bold)

Prompt Exchange

A/N: This fic is part of the Prompt Exchange I am doing with @kylowritten, Go check out her fic as well! Oh, and this is part one, don't worry there will be a second chapter.

"Aw, come on, Y/n, it's a high school reunion! You should come to visit! You don't actually have to go, but you could come over to my mom's place for dinner and meet my kids!" Wendy tried her best to persuade me, but I wasn't so sure; high school wasn't my best life. It had its moments, but I only really had Wendy and Judd. I sighed. "I don't know, Wen.." "Judd and Phillip will be there." "At the reunion?" "No, dork. At dinner. Judd is visiting the same weekend, and Phillip has been dying to see you again." I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Oh Yeah?" "Of course, Y/n. He absolutely adored you when we were younger. Don't you remember me telling you that he'd used to ask when you'd come over?" "Ooh. Yeah, but he was such a little punk" I heard Wendy's laugh crackle over the phone. "Yes. You're right but still. We all miss you." "Wendy, you saw me last month." I tried to reason, but I knew Wendy wouldn't let me live it down if I didn't go, so we chatted awhile longer about everything and anything then I booked my tickets for home.

I swiftly knocked on the door and took hold of my duffle bag; I heard a loud, deep voice yell from inside the house, "I'll get it!" It sounded familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

My heart seemed to stop when the door opened, and the owner of that voice appeared in front of Me; my eyes were wide with surprise, and my jaw fell slightly. "P-Phillip?" I asked, His smile was big, and his eyes shone excitedly. "Y/n! No way! It's been forever" He yanked me into a hug, and his figure towered over me as I hugged him back.

"I know. I'm sorry, I know I promised to keep in touch but with my job and all that...I got busy," I apologized as we pulled away from the hug; he shook his head. "No, I understand, Y/n; you have a life of your own." He smiled at me again; when did he get so handsome?

As we walked into the house, Phillip excitedly pulled me into the house, and we went to the living room. "Look who the cat dragged in!" Wendy and Hillary. Their mother. They were sitting on the couch; Phillip took my bag from me, telling me he'd put it in the spare room. "Oh- Phillip, I was going to get a hotel." I didn't want to burden their mother, but she stood up first and pulled me into a hug "Y/n, Honey. You're like a daughter to me; I couldn't live with myself if I let you stay in a hotel. The guest room is all yours." I signed softly into the hug and nodded, pulling away. I thanked her. Wendy was next to hug me; her hugs were always tighter than everyone else's. "You came; I'm so glad! Wanna meet the kiddos?" She asked excitedly,

This whole family was always energetic. It was a good change from my usual dull and stressful lifestyle. I arrived a day earlier to spend as much time with my friends as possible. It'd been about five years since I'd seen them, excluding Wendy. She always found a way to visit me—no idea where she gets the time.

Phillip returned downstairs; his footsteps were loud as he practically ran down the steps. "Hey, so. How have you been, Y/n?" He plopped down onto one of the armchairs; Hillary rolled her eyes with a smile as she guided me to where she had sat on the couch. "Let me get you something to drink," I thanked her as she walked into the kitchen. I looked at Phillip. "I've been...busy, But good." He nodded; that smile never left his face.

Hillary returned with a glass of grape juice; I looked surprised and thanked her. She still remembered my favorite drink. "So, Since it's been so long, Y/n. Do you have a boyfriend? Maybe a Fiance?" Hillary asked, a mischievous smile on her lips. I smiled and played with the rings on my fingers. I looked over at Philip, who seemed tense, then at Wendy. "Uh. No, I haven't dated anyone since Anthony Kennet from high school," I laughed, Wendy joining me. "Oh, he was horrible for you! I don't know how you managed to snag the hottest guy in school." I rolled my eyes at her comment. "Okay. First off, Wendy, I didn't Snag him. He actually liked me, he was nice, but he wasn't-" "The best in bed." I swatted her arm. "No. Well. No, that's not the point here. He wasn't a good communicator. It never would've worked" I heard Phillip scoff, but I didn't turn to look at him. "Well, if it did, you'd probably be living in Tampa with five kids" My eyes widened at Wendy's words. "He's got five kids!?" She nodded. "Geez... Dodged that bullet" "You don't want kids?" I looked over at Phillip and tilted my head. "What? No. I mean, yes, I want kids, just not five of them. I'd probably be alright with three." Phillip nodded, the ghost of a smirk on his lips. "So, where's Judd? I thought you said he'd be here?" "Oh, he's gonna be late. He'll hopefully be here before dinner."

We had some friendly, casual conversation before Wendy had to help her daughter, and Hillary went to the kitchen to make dinner. Leaving me alone with Phillip. "So. How have you been, Phillip? Last time I saw you was at your high school graduation." I watched him scrunch up his nose and scratch the back of his neck. "I-I've been good. I've been working with Paul at the store; I got a place all to myself now." "You still getting high and chasing after girls?" He rolled his eyes. "No." "Phillip. I know you. I'd be disappointed if you weren't still your old self" "What? A screw-up?" I looked at him, shocked. "Phillip Altman. You are no screw-up, you made mistakes, and that's okay. What did I always use to tell you?" "Mistakes make are lessons; learn from them," he sulked out. "Yeah," I smiled at him. "You wanna go outside?" "Sure."

We went out to the back patio and sat across from each other at the table. Philip pulled out this pack of cigarettes and shook it to get my attention. "Oh, no, thank you." "You stopped?" "Well...Kinda" I lifted my sleeve and showed him my nicotine patch. "I had a bit of a scare last year...The doctors said I had lung cancer, but it was just a machine failure. So I've been trying to stop. I do still kinda want kids, y'know... without defects." I laughed dryly, and he nodded understandingly as he lit a cigarette. I watched him quietly as he blew the smoke from his lips. I leaned back against the chair and looked up at the sky; it was around five o'clock the sun was beginning to set. "How long are you staying for?" "Hmm? Oh, um, until Monday. My flight home is Tuesday morning" "Why'd you decide to come in today? The reunion isn't until Saturday, and it's Thursday." "Your sister insisted I come and stay awhile, and I need a vacation..."

I rolled my neck and met his eyes; he smiled that sweet, crooked smile. "What?"

"Nothing..." He shook his head and looked away, taking another drag. "No, it's definitely something, Altman." I sat up in my chair and put my elbows on the table. He groaned, knowing I wouldn't let it go. "You...You just haven't really changed." I faked offensive "What's that supposed to mean?" "I don't know, I just...I missed you. And our talks, you and Wendy, were my favorite people growing up. I really miss it when you'd come over after school and play video games downstairs with me or when you'd teach me how to draw. I miss you, Y/n."

As I stared at him, guilt rose in my chest.

 I must have been zoned out long enough for Phillip to notice. He got up and crouched beside my chair; his hand grasped mine, making me return to reality. I looked at him, then his hand on mine.

I bit my lip and looked down.

I left my hometown to pursue my dream, but when I failed, I was too ashamed to come home, so I went into reception, and that's where I've been for the past few years. I didn't realize how much this affected my friends and family until now.

"You zoned out. Did I say something wrong?" I looked back at him and smiled. "No, Philly...I just got hit by a startling realization." I chuckled then lifted my free hand to his face and brushed a stray strand of hair behind his ear; he smiled back at me, but from the look in his eyes, I could tell there was a hint of concern. He leaned into the warmth of my hand and gave the one he was holding a gentle squeeze. "I really meant it, though. I miss you" "Yeah, I miss you too." He squeezed my hand again and then stood up; when did he put out his cigarette? "I think mom's almost done dinner. We should go in" He tilted his head towards the door, and I followed him inside.

A knock on the front door interrupted my conversation with Wendy as we waited for dinner. It was Judd. "Hey! Look, who decided to join us," I said as he walked into the kitchen. "Y/n? Goodness, you've grown up." I laughed and hugged him. "I look the same, Judd. You, on the other hand," I teased, causing him to roll his eyes.

A few more welcomes were given out, and Hillary had put everything on the dinner table; I sat across from Phillip, and Wendy sat to my right. "So... How's the job going, Phillip?" Judd asked, and Phillip shrugged. "It's good, Exhausting but good. I mean, Paul can be a pain in the ass occasionally, but we're not butting heads as much anymore." "That's better than good, Phillip. You seem to be maturing," I say, making Wendy laugh. "Maturing? Phillip? Oh Gosh, I hope so; it's about time." He groaned; I looked over at him; His shoulders seemed to slump as he ate. Gently I tapped his leg with my foot, and he looked up at me.

"I think it's great that he's finally able to stand on his own and show that he can care for himself. I haven't been around for a while, but I have seen a tremendous change." As I spoke, I kept my eyes on his with a smile.

That seemed to bring back his confidence and goofiness; even though Phillip's siblings could be tough on him, they loved him and were proud, but sometimes he needed someone else to believe in him.

The rest of the dinner went by with a calmer air and laughter.

Hillary decided to go to bed right after. Phillip and I volunteered to wash the dishes so Judd could relax from his flight and Wendy could put the babes to sleep.

"But you're right; I guess I didn't realize how much I depended on their opinions of me. Especially Wendy's. It just crushed me a bit when she said that." He paused and passed me a plate to dry. "I'm the family screw-up trying to redeem himself, but it's hard when I feel like no one actually believes I can do it. I know it's kinda like the boy who cried wolf story but still..." His voice began to break, and he stopped moving; his hands rested in the soapy water.

I felt something bump against my hip. Did I zone out again?

"What're you thinking about?" I looked over at Philip, who was washing the dishes beside me; he must have bumped me. I held a plate in my hand while drying it. I bit my lip. "About you," I admitted; he looked at me with his brows raised in surprise, then went back to washing more dishes. "Me? Why?" He asked, "I was thinking about what Wendy said at dinner. It seemed to kinda...deflate you." He chuckled and shook his head. "You read me like an open book. You know that, Y/n?" "Mm..Do I? It must be because of how long I've known you, I guess" "So. What about it?" "I don't know; it's just...I feel like you don't believe in yourself as much as you should, and your siblings' opinions of you are more important than yours." He had just about dropped a plate into the sink when I finished speaking. "Fuck. Is it that obvious?" I shook my head. "You're psychic, I swear..." "You used to say that all the time when you were a kid." I laughed out

"You are not a screw-up. Do you hear me? There is absolutely nothing wrong with making mistakes. You don't see how amazing you truly are, but I can. And I wouldn't call that a screw-up." His eyebrows were furrowed when I spoke. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down to my level, his head nuzzled into my neck, and his arm wrapped around me in a tight, almost bone-crushing hug. "If anyone screwed up, it'd be me," I mumbled to myself, but it caused him to pull back and look into my eyes; he didn't say anything, but his expression said enough. "I should have never left." Our arms were still around each other. "Why do you say that? Don't you have everything you wanted? You have your dream job and live in the big city like you always wanted." I sighed, pulling him into another hug. My head rested against his chest. I stood there for a moment, thinking about his question. I hadn't told anyone yet. Not even Wendy knows. I looked up at him and met his gaze. "No...I blew the job on my first week, and I live in an apartment with three roommates. I work as a receptionist at a hotel across the street." His expression didn't really change from the one earlier, but he pulled me in tighter "Why did you never come home...?" I laid my head back against his chest, and he placed his chin atop my head. "You should understand better than anyone." I muttered, "Everyone was so excited for me, and I made the promise to my parent's that I'd come home successful and make them proud." My words made his hold on me incredibly tighter. "Oh- Phillip. You're gonna squeeze the life out of me." I wheezed out, and he chuckled, letting go of me, but he locked his fingers together as they were around my waist, Only letting me go so far. "What're you trying to do" I laughed, looking at him. He shrugged. "Thought maybe if I hugged you tight enough, all that pain and guilt and feelings of failure would be transferred to me." he smiled softly as I continued to laugh. "Oh Philly, If that were possible, I'd never let you take on all my pain" That look is back, His furrowed brows and slightly pouty lip. I removed my arms from around his neck, placing my hands on his face. "I'm okay. Okay?" I nodded as I spoke, then turned out of his hold; he was quiet the rest of the time we did the dishes. I told him I'd put them away and that he should go to bed. But instead, he went outside.

 It broke my heart to see him like this; this wasn't the usual Phillip Altman I knew. No, this was someone entirely different, someone I didn't know...maybe I would have if I'd never left.

I pulled his hand from the water and turned him to face me; he wouldn't look into my eyes, so I placed my hands on his face to make him,

 When I finished putting everything away, I joined him. "So. Little Altman, do you remember any of my impromptu astronomy classes?" I asked quietly as I sat beside him; he sat in one of the outdoor dining chairs, a cigarette between his lips. "Hmm? Maybe? " He took a drag from it, then put it out. "I remember Orion, big and little dipper. The open cluster called p- something" "Pleiades" "Yeah, that. I think I remember where the other eight planets are." I smiled at him, "I bet you don't remember the names of the stars that make up ursa minor" "Is that a challenge? Y/n. The little dipper is my favorite constellation." "I know. So yes, it is a challenge."

Philip stood up and walked back into the house to turn off the backlight. When he came back out, he had two blankets; he laid one down on the grass and then called me over. He sat down after me and wrapped the second one around our shoulders. We sat with barely an inch between us.

"Okay. So. Let's start with the trapezoid part first. The biggest star is Kochab, below that is Pherkad, and right of that is Eta Ursae Minoris. Above that one is Zeta Ursae Minoris. Now for the tail, we have in order starting with Zeta, it goes to Epsilon Ursae minoris, Yildun, and ending with my favorite, Polaris. The North Star. " Each time he'd say a different name, he'd point to the exact one, Not missing a single beat.

But I wasn't really paying attention, I suppose; I observed him. He's so much more grown-up...It's almost like he's a different person now. A heavy sigh left my lips, catching his attention. "Did I get something wrong?" He asked as he looked down at me, our eyes meeting briefly before I inhaled sharply, then looked up at the star-covered sky. "No, you did amazingly. You've always been good with astronomy." "It's only because I liked my Tutor. She was always more interesting than Mr. Elks." My eyes met his again, they were playful, but something sad lingered behind them. "I guess I was pretty great; Mr. Elks was a bore. He never made it fun and always made us do written projects instead of fun physical science." I groaned out, rolling my eyes. "We made a...Uh, what do you call those things? You put them above baby cribs." "A mobile?" "Yea, a mobile, That's all we got to do, and it's still hanging in the classroom." I laughed. "I should sneak you into the reunion so you can go snatch it and put it in your bedroom" "Oh, you should! That's a great idea. Plus, you are allowed a plus one." He wiggled his eyebrows; I was about to say yes, let's do that. But then, something painful struck my mind.

-What would people think if they saw that I brought Phillip as my plus one? Would they assume we were together or something? We're almost seven years apart. Gosh, would people see me differently if they thought I was dating my best friend's baby brother? What if-

"Y/n/n?" His voice pulled me out of my overthinking, and quickly, I stood up. The cold air erupted goose bumps along my skin. He looked up at me, surprised.

"S-sorry. I totally would, but. It just might not be a good idea. Um, I think I should go to bed. I'll see you in the morning-" Philip's larger hand grabbed mine quickly, causing me to fall into his lap. My face flushed a soft red as I looked into his eyes. What is happening? This is the annoying little punk who would always try and start a fight with me or make me look at his baseball cards with him. Why do I feel like a teenage girl with her first crush?

"I know you...You're probably thinking that if you took me to the reunion, everyone from your class would think you're dating me. Or that they'll think you're some creep that's into guys almost a decade younger than you. But would that be so bad?" I gasped at his question; he held onto me by the waist, his eyes bore into mine, a look of something new in his eyes. Something that I knew from other men but not him.

He leaned in and slotted his lips against my own. They were warm; he tasted like honey and cigarettes; my mind felt fuzzy as I returned his kiss. But the moment ended as soon as it started, I pulled away. It felt like a bucket of ice-cold water was dropped onto me. "S-sorry...Phillip. I-" He shook his head. "No...I get it. Just had to kiss you at least once in my life." I looked at him, startled. Like a deer in headlights, "What? Is it that surprising to find out I like you? I kind of hinted at it earlier." I shook my head, still sitting on his lap. "No...Um, I just assumed it was like a sister kinda like?" I admitted, and it was his turn to shake his head. He chuckled. "Yeah, No. Y/n. I've had a massive crush on you since I was in like middle school. I mean, I always knew nothing would ever happen between us, but I figured maybe one day I'd kiss you."  I fell silent for a few moments; he allowed me some air to process this new information. He stared up at the sky before he spoke. "How about this, Since I know you'll probably be overthinking it for a while. I'll mark this off on my bucket list, and you can forget it even happened." He looked back down at me. I nodded in response. "Yeah. That...might be a good idea." soon after, we decided to go back inside and go to bed.

But I don't think either of us slept that night. How could I forget about it? It was such a wonderful, albeit short, Kiss. I could still feel the warmth of his lips long after I got up the next morning.

"Good morning, everyone. You're all up early." I said as I walked through the kitchen; there was a small assortment of breakfast foods spread across the countertops. "Where's Phillip?" Wendy asked, "How should I know? He's probably still asleep." I responded as I grabbed a bowl of cereal, "Could you go wake him up? He'll be less cranky if you do it." I sighed, yea...now I know why. "Sure. He needs to get up anyways." I feigned annoyance, but in truth, my body was screaming at me to just avoid him. Damn it, Phillip, why'd you have to kiss me and make things difficult.

Reluctantly I walked up the stairs, I stood in front of his door, but as I was reaching up to knock on the door, I heard this soft, muffled sound that sounded very close to a moan. I blinked a few times at the door, my hand still raised. I listened and heard it again. This time it sounded like my name. No... He's not. Is he? I stifled a groan before I pounded my fist onto his door, "Hey! Get up. Your family wants you downstairs to eat breakfast." There was silence behind the door; good. He needs to be startled. Punk. Then I heard some shuffling. The door opened to find a half-naked Philip Altman. His torso was toned and bare. His breath was heavy as he spoke, "Okay. I'll be down in a minute." I crossed my arms over my chest, and I could tell he was struggling to avoid looking at my chest. But then again, so was I. I cleared my throat and turned away. The door closed loudly; I heard a thump against it, then a low, groaned-out curse as I walked down the stairs.

"Why exactly are they having the reunion at the school?" I asked once I returned to the kitchen and sat down across from Wendy at the dining table. "Oh, Apparently, they got the idea to recreate our senior prom. So the school is allowing us to use the gym for the event." I scoffed. "Why senior prom? That was the worst thing to ever happen in school." "For you, maybe. But others actually enjoyed it." "Yeah, well, the others didn't find their boyfriend getting head from the cheer captain." "Woah, okay. Language, got kids here, Y/n," Judd calmly scolded, "Sorry. But still. Senior Prom was the worst night of my life, and honestly, I don't want to relive it."

"Then don't go; stay here with me and babysit." I hear Phillip say as he sat down in the seat beside me. "No, Phillip. She has to go, she already agreed, and I won't let her back out." I rolled my eyes; I felt Phillip bump his knee against mine, and I bumped him back; this was something we often did when I'd come over for breakfast before school; it makes sense now why he'd always sit beside me. "Do I have to wear a dress then?" Wendy shrugged as she ate, "It's optional, but they did mention that they'd prefer if you wore formal clothing. I know Teddy Fredrickson is taking Lindsey as his date, like during prom, they said they're going to wear the same things they did that night." I grumbled as I ate my cereal; Phillip glanced at me, and he tapped my foot with his. I looked over at him, and he seemed confused. "Lindsey is the one I found Anthony with. She was dating Teddy in high school." "Oh, It turns out that he knew they were hooking up, but he didn't care; they got married two years ago and have a kid." I raised my brows in surprise at Wendy's comment. "Huh. Who did Anthony marry then?" "No clue; she didn't go to our school, But she is coming as his plus one." I nodded and finished off my bowl, lifting it up to drink the milk. I wiped my mouth and stood up from my seat. "You wanna go shopping, Wendy?" I asked as I put my bowl in the sink. "Oh, yes, please." "Oh, why don't I drive you two around? That way, Judd can get a break from us, and Mom can enjoy some much-needed time with the grands." Phillip offered, I was about to recline, but Wendy beat me to the punch and accepted his invitation. "Well, we can't take your Porsche." I said as I started ascending the stairs, "No, but we could take your old Camaro." I gasped at Wendy's suggestion, "I doubt that thing even runs anymore! Dad probably keeps it in the garage." "Uh, no, actually. He lets me drive it when mine is in the shop. She purrs beautifully." Phillip corrected, I rolled my eyes and nodded. "Alright, go get her then." I hear a triumphant cheer downstairs.

Ah...My old 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, it's very, very old. My grandfather bought it when he first moved here from the city with my grandmother and ten-year-old dad. That car was given to my dad when he turned sixteen then my father did the same with me. We never treated it like it was a special display piece. I'm not even sure how much of it is still its original self. It's been in a lot of accidents, and my grandfather was a mechanic, so he would always put it back together each time. My father followed in his footsteps. I wonder how Phillip got ahold of it.

"Wendy, how much longer is he going to take?" I asked her as we stood outside on the porch; she shrugged and held her little girl. Hillary came out and took the child in her arms just as Phillip was pulling up to the curb. "You girls coming or what?" I flipped him off, making him burst into a fit of giggles; walking over, I leaned in to peer my head into the open window to look at him. "You're a little Punk; you know that?" I smirked playfully; he smiled and leaned over the passenger seat, his face close to mine; I could feel his breath against my lips, he glanced down, and I followed his eyes as he began winding the window back up. "You little!-" I backed up away from the car; I could see him snickering. I huffed and pulled the door open, "Brat." I muttered as he pushed the passenger seat down. "You know it, Y/n. Always and forever" I didn't miss the long stare he gave my ass when I climbed in and sat down. I swatted his arm. "Ow, what was that for." "This morning," I said as calmly as possible. I looked into the rearview to see his face flush deep red, "Y-Y/n, I can explain-" He mumbled out but was cut off by Wendy, "Explain what? And why is your face red? Are you drunk already?" I laughed quietly. "I found him hiding a pack of cigs this morning when I went to wake him up." Wendy nodded as she got into her seat in front. "That's not unusual, but why is his face red." "I guess he's just not used to my teasing anymore." I shrugged.

Phillip drove us around town to every little store we wanted to see, but now it was just him and I in the car; Wendy wanted to go into a children's store, but I wasn't very interested in it at the moment.

I leaned in between the front seats and rested my elbows on the center console. "You should probably start explaining." He looked over at me with wide eyes. "Not so cocky today now, are we?" "Well, there's a difference between last night and this morning, Y/n." I hummed and looked out the windshield. "How so?" He cleared his throat and pulled out a cigarette. "For instance, I planned on kissing you. I didn't plan on you hearing me rubbing one out the thought of you," he spoke as he lit it. Damn, how could he be so blunt? "If you get caught, own it," he muttered, and I smiled at him. "Is that a common occurrence then?" he shook his head. "It's usually not you I think about, but that kiss has me all fucked up," he admitted as he blew the smoke out of the open window. "Maybe it's best we both try and forget it happened so we don't have another accidental occurrence," I suggested, but he didn't seem to like the idea. "Fuck no. I've waited for that moment since eighth grade. It'll be fine. This morning was a one-time thing. I promise." "Good." I sat back in my seat and watched him from his side mirror.   Wendy came out not too long after, scolding Phillip for smoking in the car. "where to now, ladies?" he asked.

I should never have said anything. Because now I'm trying on dresses.

"Meh, Purple isn't really your color." I hear Philip say as I take a slow spin. He decided to join us with the excuse of needing some air conditioning. "Yeah, he's right. Try the blue one on. I'm gonna go look for a pair of shoes, so Phillip, let me know what you think." Phillip gave her a thumbs up as I turned to go back into the changing room, the long floor-to-ceiling curtain returning to its closed position when I pulled it closed.

"They were right, the purple isn't my color, but I doubt raspberry blue is going to be any better," I whispered to myself as I slipped out of the dress; as I was fixing the spaghetti strap on my shoulder, the curtain opened, I turned to the entrance and was about to speak, but Phillip slipped a finger to his lips, a smirk hiding behind it. His eyes selfishly took their time scanning my body. The dress was a blue, belle Swiss dot, twist front tie, backless wrap, cami. It was very pretty, but I didn't feel it suited me well, and his eyes only caused my insecurity to grow. I was never a fan of dresses or showing too much skin, so having someone stare at me was nerve-wracking. "Holy-" Philip breathed out, his hand falling to his side; he took a step closer, almost close enough for us to touch. "What..? does it look dumb?" I ask as the strap slides down my shoulder; he's quick to fix it. His fingers seemed to burn against my skin. He breathed out a quiet laugh. "No. Damn...You just look so pretty. It took my breath away," I rolled my eyes and shoved his shoulder gently. "No, I mean it. Come on, spin. Let me see you." He requested, taking a step back. No one had really ever spoken to me like that...That honestly. Anthony was my only long-term boyfriend, and he was only a sweet talker when he wanted something. Phillip was sincere, and it made me happy; I did as he asked. "So?" "You look hot. Like, really Hot. You'll Make Anthony Kennett wish he treated you right." I laughed and turned around to the three-piece mirror that stood almost as tall as me. I played with the skirt of the dress, and again the strap fell; I went to fix it, but Philip did it first, his front pressed to my back, leaning down slightly to place a kiss on my bare shoulder as he fixed the strap, he pulled back and adjusted them both, then his eyes met mine in the mirror. Darkness filled them, something I think I could get lost in if I wasn't careful. Looking away, I cleared my throat. "So, you think I should get it?" he nodded. "Definitely." I smiled at him, and he left the changing room.

"Did you find one?" "yeah, I'm getting the blue one." "Oh yeah? What made you pick that one?" "Revenge." Wendy looked at me, surprised, but I just smiled at her.

We spent the rest of the day just enjoying our time and taking a nice drive around; we didn't get home until four-thirty. Just before dinner. "How was your shopping, girls? Did you find anything nice?" Hillary asked as we sat down at the table. I told her I'd show her my dress after dinner, and Wendy told her about everything she had bought. After dinner, it was the same routine as the night before.

"About earlier, I meant everything I said. It's a one-time thing, and you looked beautiful in that dress. Not saying you aren't beautiful now...because you are," I looked over at him when he paused, his eyes gazing into mine. "You're always beautiful." My breathing hitched, and I dropped the plate I was drying; it fell to the floor between us and shattered. "Oh, Shit!" I cursed, jumping back, Phillip laughed as he crouched down to pick up the pieces, but I swatted him on the head; he looked up at me and cocked his head to the side. "Don't pick them up with your bare hands, Idiot. Let me get a broom." I walked over to the pantry to grab the broom and helped him clean up the glass. As we finished the dishes, I turned and leaned my back against the counter, drying off the last glass before setting it on the counter; I watched Phillip put away stuff on the higher shelves that I couldn't reach. "Hey, Thank you." "Hmm? For what?" he asked "Your kind words. I'm not used to it." "Yeah, I got that when you dropped the plate," he teased, turning around to face me.

He stood only a foot away from me. "I can't take it," he admitted with a sigh. "Can't take what?" "You." He took a step in, his hands resting on the counter on either side of me, caging me in. I swallowed the lump in my throat and asked, "Why me?" He smirked at me, "Why not you? You have me wrapped around your little finger; you've been playing with me all day. I expected the whole crush thing to go away after the kiss. I know it's only been one day, but I crave more...More of you." I gasped at his words; his breath fanned over my face. He smelled like smoke and strawberry dish soap. It was intoxicating. "Phillip-" "I don't care." He leaned in closer, his nose nuzzling against my cheek as he inhaled, "You need to stop worrying about what others will think. It's not like it'd be Illegal if we hooked up, Y/n."

His hands lifted from the countertop and found their places on my hips; I leaned into his touch. It was warm and inviting, but that little bug in my mind wouldn't keep quiet. He's right, It's only seven years, and we're both adults. It's not illegal. But he is my best friend's little brother; I grew up with him. It's wrong, No matter how much I want it.

 I put my hands on his chest and pushed gently, but he didn't budge; he just pulled his face away to look into my eyes. "Y/n.." he breathed out my name, his gaze was heavy on mine, and I shut my eyes. I was conflicted, and I knew he could see it. I felt his breath against my ear before he spoke softly, "No one has to know." His hands squeezed my hips to emphasize his point; my breath hitched when I felt him kiss that spot behind my ear.

He pulled back, and his warmth was gone. "Open your eyes; look at me" I shook my head; he lifted a hand to my face, gently rubbing his thumb under my eye; he leaned in a kissed me. It was sweet but electrifying; my eyes shot open he pulled back only slightly. "I'm not some little kid anymore. I'm a man now" I smiled at his words, and he gave one back, his hand sliding back down to my hip. "Oh, there you are, finally leaving your shell, huh?" he asked, and I rolled my eyes playfully. "You're right. You're not a kid; You're different now."

"Damn right, I am." My hands were still on his chest; I looked down at them and then slid them around his neck, pulling him into another kiss. It was heated and passionate he pushed his body against mine, deepening the kiss; his tongue grazed my bottom lip, asking for entrance. I didn't stand a chance once his tongue slid against mine; I moaned softly into the kiss. I felt his grip tighten on my hips, then slide up my sides. Finding their way under my shirt, pulling and kneading on any skin they could find. It felt wonderful, he knew what he was doing, and it gave me some comfort as I threaded my fingers through the dark locks of hair at the bottom of his neck; I gently pulled on them, causing him to groan; his hands slipped from under my shirt and back to hips. Carefully, he lifted me up and sat me on the counter; his body stood between my thighs. The kiss never faltered, only growing more passionate with every peck and graze, every nip or clash of teeth. Gently he bit my lower lip, pulling on it before letting go and kissing me once more. I sighed against his lips; my breath was heavy and labored.  "Y/n dear! Are you going to show me the dress you bought?" Hillary yelled from the living room; Phillip and I pulled away quickly, startled by his mother. "Shit-" He whispered as he helped me down off the counter. We could hear her footsteps approaching. I fixed my shirt and hair quickly before grabbing a hand towel, pretending I was drying my hands. "Yeah! Just a minute!" I turned to Phillip, who had begun to walk outside. "Where are you going?" I asked him quietly, "I'll be out here when you're done. kay?" I smiled, and he returned it; nodding, I turned around to go into the living room. "Let me just go and put it on real quick," I said to Hillary, "Alright! I'm excited to see it."

#writing #writers on tumblr #fanfic #reader insert #phillip altman x reader #adcu #phillip altman #adcu x reader #ADCU #this is where i leave you #Prompt Exchange

[luckyladylily]

What do you think about Arab Americans refusing to vote Democrat unless they condemn the genocide in Gaza? I kinda feel like every post I've seen arguing against refusing to vote sidesteps that whole issue, including your own. Asking you specifically because you at least acknowledge the genocide in the post.

Alright, so the problem in Gaza is not a democrat problem, its an America problem. This is not about who is currently in power, but about 70 years of foreign policy and over seas American interests. The democrats will never abandon that because a relatively small amount of us on the left threaten to withhold our vote. Once again, it comes down to simple election math. I've explained this before on this blog again and again.

Depending on your area, progressives are up to around 10% of the population, and losing a progressive vote costs the democrat one vote. Centrists make up a minimum of 15%, with even greater numbers in the swing states that actually matter. And a centrist flipping from democrat to republican effectively costs 2 votes for the democrats - a flipped vote for republicans hurts twice as much as losing a leftist. This means that for any action they make to appease the left they have to gain twice as many votes as they lose centrists.

If the left wants to play this kind of election game we need to establish ourselves as a powerful voting block. But for the past 30 years people on the left have been hemming and hawing about voting in elections like Hilary vs Trump and Gore vs Bush and not showing up when it is clearly in our best interest. We have not done what is necessary to establish ourselves as a powerful voting block. If we had, if we hadn't been such lazy cowards about voting strategically, if we had established ourselves as an important, core voting block for the democrats then maybe we could attempt a move like this now. But we didn't. We were a bunch of useless cowards wringing our hands about how Hillary Clinton just didn't excite us, so why the fuck would the establishment democrats give a shit? We are a fickle, useless voting base that couldn't even take California for Bernie.

Meanwhile centrists are extremely reliable. That is a voting block with an extremely strong record. They will vote in high numbers every election in every state, especially swing states. And if they do not vote democrat, they will vote republican.

So on the one hand, we have the left, a small, unreliable, and fickle voting block, and on the other hand we have centrists, a sizable, reliable, consistent voting block that effectively counts double. Who do you think they are going to cater to?

If we want to use electoral politics like this to force change then we are going to need to put a lot of work over a long period of time. Work we on the left have not taken seriously for decades. It is absurd to think that we can suddenly enter the game at this late date and be taken seriously as a voting block. It's asinine.

For that matter, if we really wanted to avert this genocide happening now we should have been working at it seriously for decades. We've all seen the posts by now and read the history, this has been coming for decades. It was just a matter of when it was convenient for Israel to pull the trigger. But we, as the left, have not been making the concerted effort to influence moderate politics that would be required to shift American foreign policy like this. No, far too many of us have been so very concerned about keeping our personal hands clean or just being fucking lazy and not wanting to talk to moderates because it's not as fun as calling for le epic revolution. If every progressive for the past 30 years had made a strong effort to teach the basics of anti colonial politics to the general moderate left, centrist, and moderate right populations, using well considered arguments that appeal to their sensibilities, then this genocide might have been stopped in its infancy. Instead, we didn't. We sat around and complained about racist uncles and dropped friends at the first sign of them being less than perfect and created insular, echo chamber communities where we yell about settlers and a bunch of other bullshit and did nothing. We didn't do the work required. Trying to patch that over in a panic with electoral politics, which we also didn't do the work for, is terrible strategy. No one will be impressed.

And its not like the left's heart has really be in it for fighting this genocide, not completely. Oh, we made a reasonable effort at protest, but since we didn't do the work in either electoral politics or grassroots politics our entire strategy has had to rely on mass protest, which frankly we have not done to nearly the degree required to make up for our other shortcomings. Do you remember the 2020 BLM protests? We have never come close to that kind of disruption in our anti genocide protests. Which is understandable, protesting is dangerous and costly and difficult, but because we were too lazy or high minded to engage in either electoral strategies or mass grassroots conversion strategies up to this point mass protest is all we've got. We bet everything on protests and outrage. But it's not enough. The great flaw of betting everything on protest and outrage is that we can't keep it up forever because it is so costly. We are burnt out from years of protesting and dealing with Covid. It wasn't a month after this whole mess started that people were talking about fatigue and burnout. We don't have near the means or will to deliver the kind of mass riots that would be required to force an abrupt and massive change to American foreign policy. We might be able to cut the genocide short if we keep it up, and therefore we should absolutely keep it up, but frankly stopping it in its tracks was never in the cards for a political group as weak as the US left.

I understand the frustration or even hatred people feel towards democrats right now, I really fucking get it, but doubling down on proven failed strategies in a panic is not the answer. If we start establishing ourselves as an effective voting block now and we start a concerted effort to reach out to moderates and centrists now maybe in 20 years, if we are lucky, we will be powerful enough to throw around our weight with electoral politics. Maybe we will make it in time to avert the next genocide, or maybe us holding that kind of power will mean it never comes to genocide in the first place. But until that time we have no choice but to work within the constraints the failures of the US left of the past decades have left us with.

So I understand the idea, but I am sorry to say it simply will not work. As I said in my other post, the *only* thing you should be thinking of at an election is how it will effect your political goals. For the near future at the very least, vote withholding strategies will not advance any of our political goals and will almost certainly hinder many of them. It is a bad strategy and should not be employed.

#us centric