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THE LAST OF US, and the israeli themes surrounding it

i'm very glad that people were able to see one of the previous things i published, where i complied a series of links that you can use to learn more of what's going on in gaza, how you can help, places you need to boycott, etc. however, at the end of the post, there is a large part of it that is DIRECTLY meant for people who play or watch the last of us, or play the last of us 2.

the last of us 2 in specific is not at all elusive in displaying the chilling themes we are seeing before us today. what boggles my mind, is that a select few individuals are choosing to keep publishing fics, reblogging them, uploading content that has NOTHING to do with what's going on, etc. also, you can't reblog one thing about palestine and claim that you care, then flood your account or people's home pages in fanfiction, especially during a media blackout. it just doesn't work like that.

i took the time to make a post discussing all of the israeli/palestinian themes that the games as a whole, but mainly the second one, display. if you are my mutual, a friend, a fan of my work, or a fan of the game or show, then i 100% demand you read this. if you can read fics for hours, you can spend time to read a post discussing the universe those very fics came from.

a lot of us are now aware of the last of us's nature in regards to the ongoing genocide, but not many people know the specifics of it. after seeing this post last night (the person who made this, you are an angel), i decided to take the time to dive into the specifics of the last of us 2's israeli nature, on a logical level, but also a moral level, using a list of sources to help me along, which will be linked at the end of this post. i will link the sources along the way so you know which sources i got my information from.

regardless of if this changes anyone's mind about ignoring the media blackout, or not giving a fuck about what's going on period, know this: regardless of how you feel, regardless of what you believe, from the river to the see, palestine will be free. at this fucking point, the people who are on the right side will keep speaking out and spreading awareness, regardless if you are here to do it with us. that's it. now, let's get into this.

UPCOMING DISCUSSIONS: neil druckmann, the last of us 1, the last of us 2, the last of us show and zionism in the show's cast, boycotting the game and show, and conclusion

NEIL DRUCKMANN

45-year-old neil druckmann, who was the co-director and co-writer for the last of us 2, was born in tel aviv, israel in 1978. according to the above source, druckmann was raised in a settlement in the west bank, where he was surrounded by violence on a daily basis. comics, movies, and most of all, video games, became an escape for him as a child, before he and his family moved to miami, floridawhen he was 10 years old.

to water down the full story that you can, again, read here, druckmann went to college to major in criminology. however, when he was in college, druckmann took a compsci course, that later lead to his major becoming coding as opposed to criminology. soon after, he knew he wanted a career that related to one thing: video games.

in the summer of 2013, the last of us part 1 was released, and it was renowned as one of best video games to have ever been made. in 2020, druckmann and nd released the last of us part 2, followed by the 2022 release of HBO's show based on the first video game. druckmann played a huge part on set, being not only the co-creator and co-writer of the show, but also having directed an episode himself. druckmann will remain involved in the second season of the show.

bringing up neil druckmann’s background is a crucial aspect of what’s upcoming in this post, hence why i wanted to discuss it at all. druckmann growing up in israel is one of the sole reasons the last of us was ever made at all, and not only that: it is the reason why the second game is the way it is, because neil druckmann planted his israeli ideologies right into it.

so, let’s speak on it.

THE LAST OF US 1

on the official the last of us podcast, neil druckmann himself discussed the last of us' link to the israeli-palestinian conflict, and now, genocide. the general consensus was that people will go ridiculously far for the people that they love. this idea of druckmann's was revealed when he discussed the first time the main character of the first game, joel miller, kills somebody to keep his daughter, sarah, safe from harm. this is one of the first scenes in the game prior to the time jump, where the pair's neighbor becomes infected, and attacks them. joel uses a gun to kill him so that the neighbor doesn't harm sarah.

the following is a quote i would like to copy from this link word for word: "Druckmann said he follows "a lot of Israeli politics" and compared the incident to Israel's release of hundreds of Palestinians prisoners in exchange for the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011."

the plot of the first game, as neil druckmann explained, is based around a moral dilemma. he discusses how if joel had to kill a man to save a random kid, would he have done it? druckmann himself says, "but when it was his tribe, his daughter, there was no question about what he was going to do."

while the first game, in my opinion, isn't as heavily centered around israeli themes as the second game is, regardless, it is heavily crucial to note that the basis of the first game derived from a real-life incident involving israel and palestine, where hundreds of palestinian people (edit: i believe it is more than 1,000) were released from imprisonment, all in exchange for one israeli soldier. in the second game, the israeli-palestinian themes, if you look closely enough, scream out at you.

let's talk about it.

THE LAST OF US 2

"There is a common saying that if you seek revenge, you should dig two graves. Playing The Last of Us Part II is like being made to dig those graves with your teeth (Zacny)."

nd's 2022 the last of us part II is described down to the last letter in the above quote, albeit the game's utterly obvious israeli nature. in this post, the creator, rob zacny, goes on to discuss the game's theme of a "cycle of violence," and how the game reminds you in each grotesque encounter of the cruel ideology behind that. due to what occurs in the last of us 1, joel, basically, reaps what he sows when he is murdered for killing a surgeon who, along with the group said surgeon was a member of, the fireflies, was planning to perform surgery on ellie, who joel had since grown close to, in search of a cure for the infection that has plagued their world for decades. four years later, the second playable character in the game, who is introduced in the first half hour or so, abby anderson, kills joel to avenge the surgeon who was murdered, who happened to be her father. from then on, the game follows what, again, can only be described as a "cycle of violence." joel kills abby's dad, abby kills joel, ellie kills all of abby's friends, aims to kill abby in the final battle of the game, but spares abby when ellie's conscious morally attacks her for her decisions.

throughout the 24 odd hour gameplay, the player is allowed to play as ellie and abby, abby's parts of the game being arguably longer than ellie's. the idea this, i believe, is meant to introduce, is one of perspective: the player is meant to be loyal to joel miller once the first game has been finished, so when he is killed, they are inclined to make abby pay for it. however, abby's perspective, both in the past and as the present course of the game goes on, is meant to make the player understand why she did what she did. thus, the moral: there are no good guys in this game. every person is as equally bad as the following, and no one is innocent. however, when we consider the israeli-palestinian nature of this ideology and how it is presented in the last of us part 2, it simply doesn't work like this.

“I suspect that some players, if they consciously clock the parallels at all, will think The Last of Us Part II is taking a balanced and fair perspective on that conflict, humanizing and exposing flaws in both sides of its in-game analogues. But as someone who grew up in Israel, I recognized a familiar, firmly Israeli way of seeing and explaining the conflict which tries to appear evenhanded and even enlightened, but in practice marginalizes Palestinian experience in a manner that perpetuates a horrific status quo (Maiberg).”

when discussing the last of us part 2’s plot, one could 100% argue that there really aren’t good guys on the dual sides of the game. if you compare ellie and abby, you know that ellie went on a murder frenzy to get revenge on abby for killing joel. on abby’s side of it all, you know that abby wasn’t all that great before coming across lev and yara, and even then, she killed people to do what everyone in said world aims to do: survive. prior to finding lev and yara, abby had killed numerous people before, and did, as the player sees, handle joel very cruelly before she ended up killing him. here’s one more example, one that’s more random (but it’s simply to compare abby vs. ellie’s people, if you will): joel and manny. joel went on a cross country murder spree to keep ellie safe, and killed a building full of people at the end of the game to save her life. in regards to manny, if you recall a discussion that manny and mel had in the beginning of abby’s parts of the game, the pair are discussing a happening where a group aside from the wlf, the seraphites (which we will discuss later) attacked them because the wlf killed children who were a part of their (the seraphite’s) group. manny voiced how he would prefer to keep their people (the wlf) safe, and challenges mel, implying that those “kids” weren’t really kids, because they were the ones who attacked their guys (the wlf) in the first place. as a general consensus, manny kills several people throughout the course of the game, which can be inferred or seen by the player, making him, for the sake of what i’m getting at, a bad guy.

we see in the game how ellie and abby’s people are unanimously bad. the last of us is set in a world where laws and morals are thrown out the window for the sake of survival, so this is no surprise. however, this dual perspective, “no bad guy,” ideology simply doesn’t apply in the world today. you may compare ellie vs. abby, or joel vs. manny, or bring in more characters in the game, such as tommy, nora, etc, claiming that all parties are bad. that makes perfect sense. but think about it like this: if this is meant to represent the israeli-palestinian perspective, and i give you the scenario of a five-year-old child versus a full-grown IDF soldier, what would you say? isn’t there an obvious answer as to who is in the wrong and who’s not? maiberg is 100% right in claiming that the game marginalizes the real-life palestinian experience. abby, ellie, joel, manny, etc, are not real people. but the thousands of innocent children who have been killed for the ridiculousness and inhumane israeli regime are. you can’t say each side is equal in awfulness, not when one side is full of innocent men, women, and children, some of which could never make it into a year of their lives. not when if one side pauses their battle, there would be a ceasefire, but if the converse pauses their battle, they would all be dead.

“And then they cheered afterward,” Druckmann, who grew up in Israel, recalls. “It was the cheering that was really chilling to me. … In my mind, I thought, ‘Oh, man, if I could just push a button and kill all these people that committed this horrible act, I would make them feel the same pain that they inflicted on these people.’"

remember how i said discussing neil druckmann's background was crucial? it is. druckmann, who, again, was born in israel, told the Washington Post that the game's cynical themes of revenge and suffering is linked to the 2000 killing of two israeli soldiers (tw, lynching), who were killed by a mob (maiberg). allegedly, some of the incident was remembered in film, that druckmann watched, and in his interview, he explained his angry nature that came about in response to the video, and how he desired vengeance.

the last of us part 2 is mainly set in seattle, washington, where secondary main character, abby anderson, resides in with a militia group named the wlf (which we will also delve into later, alongside the seraphites). maiberg brings out how seattle, on a visual and mechanical level, is based around "a series of checkpoints, security walls, and barriers (Maiberg)." he notes: "[seattle] looks almost exactly like the tall, precast concrete barriers and watch towers Israel started building through the West Bank in 2000." here are side by side images for comparison:

now that we’ve discussed this, let us discuss one of most prevalent aspects of abby’s part of the story: the wlf, and the seraphites. the seraphites are a religious group, nicknamed “the scars” due to the scars the members of said group carve into their faces to display their membership, who the wlf, a makeshift militia group, runs into conflict with following the fall of FEDRA, the country’s former military. in a note in the game, a fedra commander explains that the city of seattle has been lost to the wolves (the wlf), who he names as terrorists. maiberg brings out the following: “Here, there are parallels to early Zionist organisations that fought British rule in the region. These organizations were also described as terrorists, and leaders of those organizations later became leaders in Israel, much like how Isaac, the leader of the Wolves, came to control Seattle. Other in-game notes, scenes of urban ambushes, and the bodies of executed FEDRA officers laboriously walk the player through the cliche "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter (Maiberg).”

maiberg also discusses a series of manners in which the fictional seraphites resemble real-life palestinians. here are the three ways he specifically discusses in his original post, but there are much more:

“The same note from the Seattle FEDRA commander that bitterly says the Wolves are in charge explains that it's now their responsibility to not only feed and shelter the people of Seattle, but deal with the "religious fanatics," referring to the Scars.

Later in the game, Ellie finds a location called "Martyr Gate," where the Scars' spiritual leader apparently died, indicating a religious significance of a specific and disputed location, and emphasizing the notion of martyrdom as central to their culture.

The Scars are able to get around Wolf patrols and various barriers around the city via an elaborate, secret system of bridges between skyscrapers. These function as a kind of flipped version of the underground tunnels Palestinians use to bypass Israeli blockades and other means of limiting free movement in order to get supplies and carry out attacks on Israel.”

one more post i would like to link is this one, the very reason i decided to make this in the first place. it captures the zionism in the last of us 2, along with the wlf vs. seraphite conflict, perfectly. i very much recommend you read it, as it explains it much better than i can.

the general consensus is this: the idea that the seraphites are equally as bad as the wlf, which implies that palestinians are equally as bad as israelis, simply doesn’t apply in 2024. as i said before: what is so vile and cruel about a newborn baby? a pregnant woman? an innocent man? NOTHING. part of the reason the last of us captures this so poorly is due to the apocalyptic nature of the world the game is set in. obviously, people would go rogue if their lives were put in peril by not only animalistic infected beings, but also humans. however, we live in a real world where laws and morals do, in fact, apply. this isn’t a video game where those are simply discarded. what the wlf and the seraphites did to each other in the last of us 2 could be any other day for them: but what israel is doing to palestine right now is a war crime, a genocide, and plainly vile.

THE LAST OF US SHOW, and zionism in the show’s cast

i don’t think i need to spend a lot of time here, because if you have made it this far, you are well aware of the real nature of the last of us and the last of us 2 already, so you must understand that the show is HBO’s take on the game’s story (which, need i remind you show-wise and game-wise, neil druckmann played a huge part in). i simply bring it up so that people are aware of the fact that the 2022 show is ALSO linked to the ongoing genocide, and the cast is a major part of that (however, if anyone would like me to delve deeper into the show, let me know, and i 100% will).

for the following season which is a sequel to the last, theorized to center around the happenings of the last of us 2, members who are set to play a few crucial characters in the game have been announced. this includes isabela merced, who will play dina woodward, ellie’s romantic partner for most of the game, alongside kaitlyn dever, who will play abby anderson.

many people freaked out when they realized kaitlyn dever will be playing abby, but not for the reason they should have been. if you are a last of us fan, you are well aware that abby’s muscles are a central aspect of her persona. yet, kaitlyn dever is on the skinnier side, and according to some, does not resemble abby.

but this is not the issue that is most crucial to discuss.

kaitlyn dever is a zionist, and so is isabela merced (i am under the impression that both of these claims are true, but i had trouble finding a source i deemed reliable enough to link here. if i do, however, i will). now, while i’m not here to riddle you with conspiracy theories, people believe this (zionism) is the reason kaitlyn dever in specific got the role of abby anderson (there is a separate actress, shannon berry, who more closely resembles abby, but made a post in solidarity with palestine. this is theorized to be the reason why she didn’t get the part, and why kaitlyn dever was announced shortly after this particular actress made said post). let us not also forget that ellie’s actor, bella ramsey, is also in support of israel, which can be seen here.

(edit: i was informed since making this that bella has a story on one of their social medias, showing their alleged support of palestine and calling for a ceasefire. i’m going to link this post where i spoke on it, so you aware of what i think on that front).

all of the previously provided information brings me to my final part of this post: boycotting the games, and boycotting the show.

BOYCOTTING THE GAME AND SHOW

i could go on and on about why this is so crucial, but we would be here forever. however, i’m going to paste in what i wrote in this post surrounding the topic of boycotting, as i personally believe i got it down quite well in regards to the last of us (the show and game). it reads:

"DO NOT BUY TLOU, TLOU REMASTERED, TLOU2, TLOU2 REMASTERED, OR ANY GAME FROM ND! neil druckmann has donated money to the IDF in the past. & where do you think he’s getting his money from? yeah, you got that. watch gameplays, pirate these games, or buy them secondhand. several shops sell used games. & for those of you who went and purchased the game anyway, knowing about all of this? fuck you.

if you think your $10 doesn’t matter, then think about this: okay, one person spends $10 on the game. whatever. but when 100,000 people do it? that’s a million dollars, going into the hands of a zionist, who is using YOUR money to help kill innocent men, women, and children. put that in your pipe and smoke it.

it is not just the games you need to boycott. HBO’S show also needs to be. follow this link to learn of more movies and shows you need to boycott, & the reasons why, including the last of us. let’s also not forget that dina & abby’s actresses are in support of israel, and BELLA RAMSEY, ellie’s actress, has also shown support.

boycott. the fucking. show. there are a million websites where you can pirate it, so you are not giving any of your support to it. resist."

what it comes down to is this: purchasing the game or watching the show directly from nd or HBO is not a must. spreading awareness and speaking out about palestine is. you are more than capable of not purchasing the game, or watching playthroughs, or buying the game secondhand, etc. you are more than capable of pirating the hbo show so that money is not made off of your engagement. it's not that difficult. i have said it once, and i will say it again: boycotting is a form of resistance, and that is the least we can do for those suffering in gaza as you read this. resist. people openly admitting that they went and purchased the game anyway simply make me sick. i hope you know what an awful thing to brag about that is, and how despicable of a human it makes you.

CONCLUSION

there's so much to discuss when it comes down to this topic, and it's possible that in the future, i will make a second part to this. however, for now, i really hope this does suffice. i believe knowing of the game's israeli nature is a step. but knowing the specifics is a leap, one that i need everyone engaged in this fandom to take, hence why i wanted to make this post at all.

i'm not saying anyone needs to quit liking the games or the show or whatever. i'm not saying you need to delete or throw away a game you spent $60 on. i've seen so many people who are way too dense to understand that. what i'm saying is that it's crucial you are at least AWARE of the content you are consuming. aware of why it even came about at all.

in my opinion, you can't separate the game from the roots. but you can remain aware of the inner workings of this world you've grown to love. you can keep spreading awareness about it, and you can do right by the people in gaza by discussing the ongoing genocide, and using your voice as much as you can.

i'm so lucky to have been able to gain a following on here in such a short amount of time, even if that following has gone up and down because i've chosen to post more about palestine as opposed to my previous content (granted, that fact won't deter me at all). i will keep using said following to keep speaking out for the people in gaza, and i encourage you to do the same. keep reblogging. keep speaking up. keep using your voices. the people in gaza need us. be there for them.

FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE 🇵🇸🍉.

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

neil druckmann | the official the last of us podcast | the not so hidden israeli politics of the last of us 2, by emanuel maiberg (i highly recommend you read the full post. it discusses several crucial details i didn't discuss in this post) | galid shalit prisoner exchange | Neil Druckmann Speaking on the Washington Post | 2000 killing of two israeli soldiers (TW: LYNCHING) | 'The Last of Us Part II' Is a Grim and Bloody Spectacle, but a Poor Sequel | Veiling Colonial Violence: The Last of Us Part II, Israel and the Erasure of Power (full disclosure, i did not read the full post. i merely needed the quote in the very beginning of it) | zionism in tlou2 | isabela merced | kaitlyn dever | bella ramsey's support of israel

PALESTINE LINKS

—

The way Puss is followed by two dogs and one teaches him to accept death and the other teaches him to appreciate life

It's sad to see you won't be posting for a while, but it's understandable. Then I will take advantage of:

What if the reader being invited to a dance (whether it's a wedding, in town, or even far, far away) and have a ballad with death?

¿Please?

BTW: I llove how you write, I'm your fan

There Was an Attempt:

Valentines

[Hope you guys don’t mind but I’ll be starting with the requests that aren't in the modern times first so it wouldn’t be confusing to read, and then I’ll get right on with the modern ones (so there’s some semblance of a timeline). I also didn’t know if you mean the slow and romantic song that you dance to, but that’s what I went with. Y'all can also consider this as an early Valentine’s Day gift from moi]

There was something in the air today. From the moment she woke up, she swore she could hear the happiness and the overall vibrancy of the outside world, tired eyes squinting out the window to see the many decorations the people had put up, the red and pink themes, the hearts, the—

Oh. She thought, looking up at the calendar right above her bedside. Valentine's Day.

Right, she huffed, pushing herself up and only cringing at the pain that wracked through her head. After all that rest, her head still throbbed just as it did the first time The Fates had returned her, a grumble leaving her lips as she rubs at her temples. The pain in her brain was proof enough that she wouldn’t want to be messing with the rest of Muerte’s brothers and sisters ever again, except for Vida, of course, bless her kindness. There was also the mark on the back of her palm, indicating the exchange that she had made and that she owes each one of the Fates a favor.

Standing to her feet, she headed down to the kitchen to fix herself up a quick breakfast. She wondered if she was going to head to the pub today, she’d already closed it down yesterday because of their visit to the Fates, though it would be highly likely that most of the people in town would be too busy preparing for the festival later tonight.

Making herself a quick cup of coffee, she takes a seat on the table, waiting for the water to boil and letting her cheek rest against the cool surface of the table, a breath escaping her.

“Still dizzy?”

Her entire body jerked upwards so fast she would have jumped off the seat had it not been for his hand on her shoulder, feeling his laugh against his chest as she leans back into him in ease, his lips pressing gently on her cheek as his hands kneaded lightly at her shoulders.

“Lo siento, mi Estrella,” He hummed before taking a seat on the empty chair beside her. “What are you up to today?”

“Nothing much,” she gives a tired smile. “Can’t open the pub today since people would be busy the entire day.”

Muerte nods, “Are you going?”

“Of course I am,” she grinned, pushing herself to her feet to turn off the stove, silencing the whistling kettle and pouring its contents into her mug. “Do you want a drink? Coffee? Tea?”

“Tea would be nice,” he replied, and she was quick to grab another mug from her cupboards, fixing his drink up quick before handing it over to him, placing the sugar and milk containers in the middle of the table in case he needed it. He takes a quick sip of his drink, letting her lean against him as she pulls her knees closer to her chest.

“So about your ‘idea’...”

“I already told el gato, and his friends.”

“Damn, I wanted to come with.” She grumbled under her breath, and he chuckled.

“Maybe next time,” he hummed, “But we’ll be taking a boat.”

“How romantic,” she fake swooned, placing a hand on her chest and batting her eyelashes up at him. “Imagine dancing on a boat.”

“Why bother imagining it?” He grins, tilting his head to the side. “There’s a dance tonight, isn’t there? It's not on a boat but you get what I mean.”

Her eyes widened, mouth parting to reply but she couldn’t find the words to confirm it. “I— I was kidding, I don’t want to dance in front of that many people!”

A hand finds its way on top of her knee, giving it a reassuring squeeze as he leans forward to give her a peck on the forehead. “You’ll be great.”

She grabs onto his shoulders, basically pleading up at him. “Please, don’t.”

He gently pries her hands away, pressing a kiss on her knuckles. “Meet me tonight at the center of the town, right before the dance, all right?”

“Muerte,” she repeats his name in a warning tone, and he simply laughs, standing up to his full height. “You’re not going to listen to me, are you?”

“Hmm, no,” he teased, slowly backing up to the front door with a shrug.“Besides, it’s my turn to take you out on a festival date.”

He didn’t even let her get the chance to argue, already out the door and gone by the time she had opened it, being met with a slightly empty street with people looking at her weirdly with the way she had forcefully opened the door.

Giving them an awkward grin, she slithers back to the confines of her home, shutting the door and pressing her back against it with an exhausted sigh.

“Well, there goes my plan to lay down for the rest of the day.”

---

It was a few hours before the dance, and the middle of the town was beautifully decorated with red and pink hearts and roses, all being casted by a warm glow of the fairy lights that hung over their heads. The fountain in the middle was even filled with rose petals, lovers of different ages sat down on the side and embracing the loves of their life. Some people weren’t even with their lovers, some of them were just with their family members or friends, enjoying the festival and enjoying the food stalls set out on the sides. This was a festival everyone is supposed to enjoy, after all, and what better way than to celebrate it by celebrating all kinds of love whether it be familial, platonic, or romantic.

“Señorita (Y/n)?” A familiar voice calls her name through the noise of the music and the crowd, turning her head to the left to see a familiar brown haired boy approaching her, carrying a basket full of pink and red letters in hand.

“Corin?” She gasps, her heart almost falling to her stomach at the sight of him. “Oh stars— you’ve recovered!” She would’ve run over to him and given him a tight hug, but she didn’t want to overreact or get the kid to be weirded out by her too much.

“Yeah! Just yesterday, actually. Papa said that I still shouldn’t be walking around by today, but I wanted to stretch my legs.” He made a show of shaking his legs a bit as he said that, making her let out a laugh at his antics.

“Well, don’t overwork yourself, you’re still recovering after all.” She lets her gaze fall to the basket. “Are those the mystery letters?”

“Yep!” He dipped a hand in the the basket, showing one to her with a mischievous grin, leaning slightly towards her and lowering his voice in a low whisper. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve basically read every single one here. I think I might have decreased my lifespan by a few years trying to forget them.”

“Have you tried not snooping in anyone’s business?” She places her hands on her hips.

“I would, but where’s the fun in that?” He grinned, then seemed to remember something and dipped his hand yet again in the basket, scrounging through the letters before finally popping a red one out. “This one's for you!” He winked. “Some guy dropped that off earlier.”

“Did you read it?” She takes it into her hands in suspicion.

“Nooo,” Corin wasn’t even trying to hide the truth. She gives him a warning glare, pulling apart the top of the letter as the boy gives a wide grin. “Alright, I did.”

Taking the paper out of the envelope, she reads its contents, the tenseness easing off her shoulders at the familiar handwriting.

Mi Estrella,

I know I said to come to the town center, but I thought about what you said and I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable by having you do something you don’t want to do. So instead, I want you to meet me up the hill, the one where you first drew me.

I know, I know, I can hear you complaining how you already walked to the town square, pero confía en mí. It’ll be worth the walk, I promise. I know you won't be able to resist me anyway.

Yours, M.

She snickered at the familiar words written below, and the mysterious sign off name. He probably knew Corin was reading them and didn’t want the kid to snoop anymore than he already was. When she tucks the letter in her pocket, the boy was grinning teasingly up at her, wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

“Stop that,” she huffed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head as Corin laughed.

“Alrighty then, señorita!” He turned, the teasing look still on his face as he waved a hand, “Have a great night!”

“I will!”

“Not too great though! Wear protection!”

She gaped at Corin just as he winked and pointed at her with finger guns before disappearing in the crowd, some of the people giggling at their interaction. The need to shrink into her clothes and disappear grew, a hand coming up to calm the raging heat on her cheeks. That kid is a menace, she thought, turning around and heading to the cliff, curious as to what would await her there.

---

Her breath was caught in her throat.

Standing before her, Muerte stood rolling up the sleeves of the white button up he wore, averting from her gaze as he fixed up his new getup and even unbuttoning the first one at the top, finding it hugging his neck much tighter than he wanted it to.

“So?” He grinned. “Is it worth the walk?”

The place had also been beautifully decorated, the tree was filled with beautiful purple, pink and blue flowers, the place being lit up by fireflies that she didn’t even know how he managed to get to stay still.

“Vida helped,” Muerte added. That would explain the amount of flowers and fireflies that seemed to stay in their place. “I almost got an earful when she heard that I was going to do this wearing my poncho, so—”

“— that would explain the suit?” She grinned, walking towards him with her arms crossed on top of her chest.

He chuckled. “Yes,” He held out an arm for her to take, “But you haven’t answered me yet.”

She reaches up to his collar, bringing him down to her height so she could press her lips against his own, his hands immediately finding their way on her hips and pulling her closer, a low hum pushing from his chest.

Pulling away, she wraps her arms around his neck. “Does that count as an answer?”

“More than you know,” he hummed, then pulled her closer in his arms, a light laugh escaping her lips as they lightly stumbled at their feet. “Now I believe I’m owed a dance?”

“But there’s no music?” She looked up at him, amused as he held her, a hand on the small of her back, keeping her close and pressed against him while the other cradled her hand beside them.

“Do you really think I’d be unprepared?” He grinned, and as if their cue was heard, a beautiful melody began to play from out of nowhere, her brows twitching upward, head turning to look at their surroundings but all she could see was darkness beyond the fireflies that circled them, her heart steadily pounding against her chest.

“Eyes on me,” his voice broke through her panicking thoughts, and her eyes met his own, calm and gentle under the warm lights, his hand squeezing his own in reassurance. “No one’s here but us.”

“But the music—”

He hushed, his hand momentarily letting go of hers to press a finger on top of his lips.

“There’s no one here but us, all right?”

His hand weaved against her own once again, swaying with her to the slow beat of the song.

“No one but us?” She parroted, a small smile tugging up her lips. A soft chuckle escapes him.

“No one but us.”

He twirls her and pulls her back in, her back pressing against his chest, giggling under her breath as she sways slightly in his arms.

“See? You’re a natural,” He spoke, and she had to tilt her head back to grin up at him.

“Only ‘cause you’re leading.”

“Am I?” He teased, letting her pull away to resume their previous position, his hand on her back and holding her hand beside them. “You’re doing wonderful.”

“Thanks,” she smiles up at him, then briefly shifting her gaze downwards to watch their steps. “I’ve never… you know… danced with anyone before.”

“Really? I can’t tell.” He chuckled, and she rolled her eyes playfully at him. “Seriously, you’re doing great.”

“I’ve watched people do it before.”

“Ew.”

She gasped, playfully hitting him in the chest with her mouth gaped in disbelief. “Not like that!”

He laughed, the sound almost echoing in the darkness as he tilted his head backwards, (Y/n) covering her flushed face with a hand while the other kept busy squeezing at his shoulder in annoyance and yet still managing to sway with the beat.

“You’re unbelievable,” She sighed, running her hand down her exasperated face before placing it back on his shoulder, scrunching her face up at him as he winked.

“What are you gonna do? Pin me on the wall?”

The words echoed back at her, familiar and one that she knew all too well. “You can’t just use my words against me, that’s unoriginal.”

“Sue me.”

“Maybe I will,” she poked a tongue out at him. It was nice. The silence. The music. Being alone and dancing with him under the white light of the yellow moon. Placing her head against his chest, he sighs, placing his hand much higher up her back and feeling him rub calming circles there.

“I like this,” she hummed. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she could hear his voice rumbling from within his chest. “Are you tired?”

“No,” she hummed. “Just wondering how you manage to squeeze your time in for me or for doing stuff like this.”

“Time doesn’t affect me much,” there was a shift in the air, and Muerte cursed under his breath. In worry, she pulls away lightly, looking up at him with her brows creased. He looks back down at her apologetically. “I was kidding.” He seemed to glare at the sky as he spoke, and she wondered for a brief moment if Father Time could see the both of them like this, and her thoughts traveled back to the music that echoed around them.

Surprisingly, she doesn’t panic. She doesn’t feel the sudden racing of her heart at the thought of someone watching them. Because right now, there was no one in here but them, and that’s what mattered.

Her eyes shifted away from the darkness that surrounded them, then back up at Muerte who looked down at her expectantly. She smiled, pressing her ears against his chest and once again letting herself get comfortable in his arms.

He chuckled.

They let themselves bask in the silence, not worrying to much if an hour, two, or three, had passed, just keeping one another in their arms.

When (Y/n) opened her eyes, she noticed something she hadn’t really talked much about before, but she found herself smiling at it nonetheless.

“Do you constantly replace it or is it still the same one?” She asked, breaking the silence, Muerte hummed in confusion, and she momentarily pulled away to brush at the lilac flower on his left breast pocket.

“Oh,” He chuckled, “It’s the same one. After that day, Vida did some of her magic on it and, well, it’s an eternal lilac now.”

“Really?” She looked at it in disbelief, then looking up at him with her brows raised. “So… you’ve been wearing the same lilac the entire time?”

“I did promise to make sure that it doesn’t fall off.”

“Damn,” she huffed. “I should’ve stuck with making you wear that flower crown instead.”

“Don’t push it,” He rolls his eyes. She laughed, nodding her head and placing it back on his chest, wrapping her arms around his torso. “Do you want to go home?”

“No,” she replied. “Do you?”

“No.”

“Then let’s stay here,” she sighed. “For a while.”

“Okay,” he pressed a kiss against the top of her head, pulling her closer to him as they swayed away in the night. Until the both of them were exhausted and rested against the trunk of the tree, looking at the stars above and leaning against each other until the other fell asleep.

Bombing kids is not self defense

Bombing kids is not self defense

Bombing kids is not self defense

Bombing kids is not self defense

Bombing kids is not self defense

Bombing kids is not self defense

Bombing kids is not self defense

Bombing kids is not self defense

GUYS GUYS GUYS HEAR ME OUT

what if Death’s eyes (which are red) glow in the dark and can be used as a laser pointer and then Puss and Kitty just end up running after the light while Death stares at them????

…I think Imma go sleep