I Wanna Address The Narrative That “both Sides Are Bad But Pakistan Didn’t Choose Their Government

... I just saw an advertisement for luxury ayurveda. Luxury ayurveda. Just. Why.

Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus

They sat in silence. How else are you meant to sit with a boy you once loved so much that it hurt to breathe? But no, James and Regulus were more than that. Their love story wasn’t simply painful, it was a normal Romeo and Juliet story. It was wretched, rotting. Cursed longer than their souls had existed, cursed before their bloodlines started. There was no universe or alternate timeline in which they ever had a happy story, that didn’t stop them from both wishing they did. In their most impossible dreams, they pretended like it was. Yet neither of them would ever admit they were smart enough to know the truth.

James sat on the bench, his hands intertwined. If you looked close enough you could see he looked distant, in his thoughts– like, maybe he was pretending one of his hands wasn’t his own.

Regulus was sat next to him, avoiding eye contact. As always. So Incredibly close to James he could feel the warmth of his skin, yet he still seemed to be just out of James’ reach. James had always hated irony. If you followed Regulus’ gaze you could see him sneaking glimpses at James' hands, and at moments like these– maybe just maybe Regulus was pretending no different to how James was.

The war had ended a few months prior. Although Sirius had begun to forgive Regulus, mind you– slowly, James refused to enter a city with him in it, let alone share a bench with him until now.

Maybe it was something about this spot, about Hogwarts that made him softer. James wished it was strong enough to make him able to forgive, but yet some things aren’t even that strong.

James opened his mouth, Regulus prepared for the slap.

‘’You did some things that I can’t unabsorb.’ James’ spoke, each word careful. Eggshells.

Regulus deserved that he did. The mark on his forearm would forever be a reminder of that, and James. Oh pure and loving James Potter, even he had limits.

‘Well, you turned me into an idea of sorts.’ Regulus ground out. A defence mechanism, always. James had learned to know that type of response all too well, and yet despite the weight his words held, they didn’t hurt.

James let out a shaky laugh. ‘At least I won’t have to wonder if you’ve changed, still forever the same snarky git I fell in love with.’

Regulus’ heart flipped, but that feeling couldn’t erase the bitter tone that lingered on James’ words. They’d both changed. They both knew that, perhaps James’ fleeting joke was a final attempt to reminisce, Regulus didn’t overthink it.

Regulus’ gaze flicked to James as James leant back against the bench. Shuffling and adjusting, James took a box of cigarettes out of his pocket. Regulus didn’t dare scoff, he didn’t know James’ anymore. Why should he be surprised?

James flipped it open, carelessly– he placed a cigarette between his teeth. Slipping the pack back into his pocket and fumbling for a lighter. Each movement slid together like clockwork, the marks of an old habit. Regulus wondered when it started.

‘You know what I’ve always wondered.’ James spoke, clicking the lighter. ‘If I sell my house, and you have some kids with some pureblood witch, will that make your memory of my hands fade?’ James' voice was cold, passive almost.

Regulus struggled to recognise the boy next to him. He couldn’t resist it anymore, so he turned to look at him. James met his eyes. Gone were the bright brown eyes of James Potter that Regulus had once loved so deeply, instead empty dark ones stared back at him. Lifeless, eyes that could only be found in someone who had seen so much loss. Regulus wondered which loss did it.

‘That was cold of you.’ Regulus mumbled weakly. Stupid, he scorned himself. You ruined him, yet you are the one who cowers at his presence, how awfully poetic.

‘Well, If you want to break my cold cold heart, you know what to say.’ James' voice came out bitter, he lit the cigarette and took a deep inhale. Slipping the lighter away, Regulus averted his gaze.

‘What, that I loved you? I do.’

James took the cigarette between his fingers and exhaled.

‘You didn’t,’ He laughed, tapping the ash away. ‘You may have needed me, but you needed them more. You just expect me to watch that– all of that happen, and believe that you still loved me?’

Regulus didn’t have to ask who he was talking about.

‘They’re gone James.’

James shrugged.

‘Big fucking whoop. What does that change? That may be true but so are other things. Like, you should have left with Sirius, but you didn’t. I should have stayed away from you, I didn’t. They should have been better parents, they weren’t.’

Regulus tried to ignore the feeling in the back of his throat. He couldn’t understand how sweet, good, James Potter was speaking to him like this. Not that he wasn’t wrong, He missed his James, and he hated himself for turning loving James into this person.

‘Why are you here James?’ Regulus somehow found the strength to say.

James looked at him, really looked at him.

‘You know that I loved you the way that you were? Why wasn’t that enough?’

James had always been stronger of the pair of them, but in that moment– He was the one who broke eye contact. He couldn’t bear to see Regulus’ eyes brim, no matter how much he hated him.

‘I don’t know, but I want to be better.’

‘It’s a bit fucking late for that.’ James took another deep puff, before chucking the cigarette on the floor before it burnt too close to his fingers. ‘You know what one of the worst parts is? For me, It was enough just to float in your orbit. Just being around you– I thought that it was all going to be okay, that whatever was going on would work itself out.’ James took a shaky breath, a fracture in his facade. ‘I wish that was enough for you.’

Regulus squeezed his eyes together. ‘You were enough James,’ He breathed. ‘You’ve always been enough–I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to choose you.’ James used that moment to steal a glance at him.

Regulus heard movement. Warm breath. Cinnamon. He let his eyes flutter open, James was watching him, carefully. His cold eyes had relaxed slightly, watching Regulus ever so intimately. Regulus resisted the urge to run his hands over his own arms.

James and Regulus had moved closer together, naturally. The space between them on the bench seemed to shorten with each breath. Regulus may have been too weak to choose them, but that didn’t mean James would ever stop being weak for him.

‘You’ve had too many moments of weakness, It’s not fair, I deserve one.’ James mumbled, eyes on Regulus’ lips.

‘Please, James.’ Regulus breathed. He was innately aware of his pounding heart, he had missed the smell of James, his touch. He ached for just a moment with him again. A certain type of release that could only be found through the embrace of James Potter.

The last thing Regulus heard fall from James’ lips sounded like a pained ‘God forgive me.’ but he wasn’t sure, he didn’t care, because James had broken the distance.

What started as a simple, gentle brush of lips turned quickly into a violent collision. A tongue feeling familiar to a gentle I miss you, evolved into passionate I hate you.

James’ hands fell to Regulus’ waist, gripping so hard he might have marked him, James though. Good. Let me mark you like how you have marked me. You’ve altered me body and soul, let me leave a small bruise. Please. Although the thoughts remained unsaid, it was as if Regulus already felt them in his bones. James and Regulus had always known each other so deeply, it was as if they could communicate through simple hums, rhythms that buzzed in each other's bones. They had always felt like one.

Regulus melted into the touch, the taste of James’ tongue euphoric. God he missed what it had felt like to be loved by James Potter. Hands in hair, an entanglement of limbs– that was always how it seemed to go with them. They still touched each other as if each touch was the last, if only they had known when they were younger that that feeling held some truth. Would Regulus have lingered a little longer? Would he have told James he loved him before it was over?

Regulus shut off his thoughts, and allowed him to revel in the feelings of James’ soft hands, which had made their way up to hold Regulus’ face ever so carefully– as if he was scared he’d break him. How sickly ironic, Regulus– a weak deatheater who’d succumbed to the sins of his parentage, weak and pliable in the hands of a boy who kissed and touched like the sun, a boy who represented everything that was left of good in the world.

The heat of the kiss has died down, and changed into gentle kisses, dampened by salt and the ache of what could have been.

James was the one to break it, leaning his head against Regulus’, neither of them dare open their eyes.

‘Will I always have to wonder, Regulus? Or do you think as a part of this being better, you could give me an answer?’

A beat. Regulus wanted to be better, he did that much was true, He just didn’t know how to.

‘I don’t have an answer for you James, I don’t think I ever will.’ Regulus whispered, his eyes didn’t move, frozen– clenched shut. Hiding. At that moment, James knew Regulus would always cower, he would never be able to be better, despite no matter how much they both wanted him to be better.

‘Guess I’ll always wonder.’

Regulus was left alone with only the sound of his own choking breaths. He didn't open his eyes till the air he breathed felt clean, he wasn’t sure he would ever stop missing the smoke. Guess he’d always wonder.

me before a math exam be like

idk if any y'all can relate to this but...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

^^^^^ EXACTLY!

I am a student applying to gov colleges and whatever be the exam, around half of the seats (sometimes more cumulatively) are reserved for SC and ST. While I understand that there are still a few colleges out there that deny people their education based on caste (which is wrong and not at all something I condone), the fact right now is that there are students in the general category who do not get a fair shot due to what is now outdated caste data and the loopholes in the reservation system.

Reservations in colleges and other gov institutions need to be based on economic background now. It is not at all funny or nice to see people from poorer families give their blood, sweat and tears for a seat that they don't get even though they have the marks and the merit. That seat usually goes to someone from a richer family who has a surname or has certificates proving they are from a particular caste. Especially when they had easier access to resources than other deserving students.

Besides, from what I have seen, an increase in the number of seats in colleges will not do much unless the categories are revisited, because seats allocated to SC and ST students is on a proportional basis. As in, a certain percentage of seats in every college (whether that college has 120 or 1200 seats) will be reserved. So saying that a college should have more seats is probably not the best solution.

repeat after me: caste reservations are not the problem, the lack of government colleges and seats is.

volodymyr zelenskyy is the strongest man alive for sitting through this utter bullshit without swearing or punching the fuckers or angry crying. fuck trump and fuck everyone who did not vote for harris and fuck russia.

like i can’t even read this bit of news without feeling humiliated and i’m not even fucking there.

i am terrified that i will have to sit back and watch the loss of ukraine in front of my eyes.

elon musk did a nazi salute twice at the inauguration, and republicans are defending him.

trump revoked executive order 11246, which prohibited discrimination.

trump put all dei employees on leave to be fired.

trump blamed the dc plane crash on dei.

trump banned all lgbtq+ flags from being hung in government buildings.

trump ordered the pentagon to cancel celebration of mlk jr. day, black history month, women's history month, holocaust remembrance day, asian american pacific islander heritage month, lgbtq+ pride month, juneteenth, women's equality day, national hispanic heritage month, national disability employment awarenessmonth, and national american indian heritage month.

trump proposed removing all palestinians from gaza, turning the area into a vacation resort called “riviera of the middle east”.

trump rolled back biden’s executive order to lower prescription drug costs for people using medicare and medicaid.

trump rescinded the $35 cap on insulin, and prices are expected to rise to $1500 a month.

trump ordered the national institutes of health to cancel their review panels on cancer research.

trump ended the guidelines to prevent ai misuse. the guidelines prevent many things, but notably it prevents production of ai child pornography.

when sean hannity asked trump about the economy, he said “i don’t care”, after campaigning with the economy as his main talking point.

trump has withdrawn the us from the world health organization.

trump is ordering health agencies to stop reporting on bird flu and halt publications of scientific reports.

trump has pardoned over 1500 people who stormed the capitol on january 6th.

trump changed denali back to mount mckinley.

trump signed an executive order to rename the gulf of mexico to gulf of america.

trump shut down cbp one, an app which granted legal entry to 1 million+ immigrants.

trump is allowing ice raids at churches and elementary schools.

trump announced plans to declare a national emergency at the us-mexico border.

trump signed an executive order to expand the use of the death penalty.

trump disbanded the school safety board that works to prevent school shootings. it was comprised of survivors, educators, and gun violence prevention advocates and formed after the school shooting in parkland.

trump has threatened to invade panama to claim the panama canal.

trump withdrew from the paris climate act.

trump revoked all protections for transgender troops in the us military.

trump rescinded executive orders made by biden that benefited and protected women, lgbtq+ people, black americans, hispanic americans, asian americans, native hawaiians, and pacific islanders.

trump is attempting to make it legal to refuse to hire or fire pregnant women.

multiple state legislators are drafting bills to allow the punishment for abortion to be the death penalty.

trump pardoned 23 individuals convicted under the freedom of access to clinic entrances (FACE) act for their anti-abortion activism, including oftentimes violent protests at abortion clinics.

trump signed an executive order allowing deportation of foreign students who they believe express support for hamas or hezbollah.

trump announced that the us government will from here on out only recognize male and female as sexes. intersex is not legally recognized anymore.

the trump administration paused health communications to prevent the fda from announcing food recalls.

google and apple maps now display the gulf of mexico as “gulf of america”.

andy ogles drafted a constitutional amendment to allow trump to be president for a third term.

the us senate confirmed russell vought, one of the main authors of project 2025, will lead the white house budget office.

andy biggs introduced a bill to abolish osha and completely eliminate federal workplace safety protections.

georgia republican congressman mike collins called for the deportation of new jersey born mariann budde, the bishop who urged trump to “have mercy” on the lgbtq+ community and immigrants during a service at the national cathedral.

there is a bill named the SAVE act which would require americans to provide their birth certificate, passport, or other citizenship documents every time they vote, and would require the last name on their driver’s license to match that of their birth certificate. this would prevent married women who have changed their last name from voting.

bill h.r.1161, which is available publicly on congress.gov, would authorize trump to enter into negotiations to acquire greenland and to rename it to "red, white, and blueland".

six states (arizona, idaho, iowa, kansas, mississippi, and north dakota) are planning on challenging obergefell v. hodges, which would end same-sex marriage nationwide. about a dozen more states have representatives are also considering filing similar resolutions.

amazon revoked protections for lgbtq+ and black employees.

the cdc has removed their hiv prevention page.

the united states state department has officially changed its “travelers with special conditions” page which previously said “lgbtqi+ travelers” to “lgb travelers”, completely getting rid of the tqi+.

every single republican told us we were overreacting. trump swore he had nothing to do with project 2025 yet continues implementing details outlined in it. not a single person has the right to tell us we’re being dramatic anymore.

hope “cheaper eggs and gas” was worth it.

EDIT: i removed the “trump refused to swear on the bible” point because it was being taken as me being an offended christian. i’m not christian, im agnostic. the reason i included it in the first place is because he’s the first president in history to ever refuse to swear on ANYTHING. meanwhile his “conservative christian” followers had no issue with this, and decided to continue to scramble for excuses instead of admitting he may not be as religious as he claims he is. i figured taking that point out entirely is probably better than filling this with an explanation in the middle of the other important issues.

birthday.

In honour of what would've been Regulus' 63rd birthday, here's a small one-shot. June 25th, 1975

Regulus never slept the night of his birthday.

Ever since Sirius let slip that Regulus was born at 4:44 am on the cool morning of 25th June 1961, Regulus always stayed awake to celebrate the moment he officially completed another year in solitude. Sirius tried to join him many times, but, after the fifth consecutive year when Regulus made it very clear that he did not want anyone with him at that moment, Sirius decided to wish his brother at exactly 4:46 am, giving Regulus two minutes to enjoy completing another year before he was smothered.

And Regulus loved it.

He loved how calm London was at the early hours of the morning. The glow of the lightbulbs weren't that much at Grimmauld Place, and it was probably the best place you could stargaze from. Even better, both his and Sirius' rooms had balconies where one could sit and watch the stars on end. Sometimes, Sirius would join him from his balcony, but most times, he would wait for Regulus to have his moment.

Regulus looked up again. The Leo constellation shone brightly in the sky, and it didn't take him much time to find the star he was named after. Regulus. A star from the lion constellation born into a family of snakes, traitors and blood-supremacists.

He wasn't sure how to feel about that.

The special clock struck once, reminding Regulus that there was just one more minute till he officially turned 14. Wow, he thought, this year went by really fast. He was finally growing into the Black genes, and it didn't go unnoticed that Regulus' Black's jawline had become more defined, his nose longer and the shadow of maturity rising in his features. Although he was slightly taken aback with that change one fine morning, he was glad, at least he looked as aristocratic and melancholic as he felt. And while third year was nice, third year was great, he looked forward to fourth year. Maybe Sirius would talk to him at Hogwarts too, now that neither of them were no longer children.

The clock struck twice. Thirty seconds.

Regulus traced his fingers over the small engraving on the railing and closed his eyes. That was the first time he had broken a rule -- he was around 5 or 6 at that time -- and for some reason, it was never noticed. It was his little secret, and he loved to keep it that way.

As it had happened on all his previous birthdays, tears began to pool in Regulus' eyes. Most of them were happy, this time, but it was more gratitude that he had lived another year. Gratitude for the friends he had. Gratitude for his experiences. Gratitude for having whoever he had, because had it not been for them, he would never have become the person he was.

The clock struck twice again. Ten seconds.

Regulus took a moment to take a deep breath. His tears were overwhelming him, but if there was one thing he hated, it was entering a new year with a tear-strained face. It was poetic, though. Every time he entered a new year, he entered it crying, just like he did when he came out of his mother's womb.

Thank you, he said over and over again, although he wasn't sure who. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for everything.

The clock struck thrice.

It was 4:44 am.

Regulus opened his eyes with a soft smile on his face. He felt a rush of excitement and joy course through his veins, just like every other year, but there was something special about this one. Regulus knew at that moment, although he didn't know how, that that year was going to be vastly different from what he had imagined. Something was going to happen, and it was going to change him forever. A grin formed on his face at that thought.

Looking up at the star he was named after, Regulus took another deep breath before uttering his next words.

"Happy birthday, Regulus."

that's it i cannot unsee it now

okay, hear me out...........James Potter variant

This both broke and healed something in me.

beta tum itna kyu kha rahi ho? (she was eating her first kaju katli in three months)

tell me you are Indian without telling me you are Indian