Frodo smoking behind the camera rn 

The Devil | Reiner Braun

warnings: modern(?) college au, drinking + weed mentions, cheating, angst but happy ending dw, some characters (historia) are ooc sry but she doesnt talk its okay not proof read word count: 2.1k notes: this may or may not be a rewrite of something i wrote for a diff fandom like, five years ago or something. so if theres anything that doesnt make sense its because its from the old fandom lol. i didnt feel like making it 2 parts so there is a timeskip in there

Going to a party was not your definition of fun, and the only reason you were even there is because your friend, Colt, was throwing the party. His parents and younger brother were out for the weekend so he had to have a party, and he wanted all his friends to be there. You didn't like the party scene, but there was no way you could tell him no. That, and your boyfriend Reiner practically begged you to go. It was your second year of college and you still had never been to a party, he insisted you go.

You didn't mean to hide out in Colt's room, but that's where you ended up. The entire house smelled like alcohol and weed, aside from this room. You felt almost miserable. All you wanted was to lay down next to Reiner and sleep until morning, but you knew that wasn't an option currently. The best thing to do was to go out and try to enjoy yourself surrounded by mass amounts of your intoxicated peers.

"Porco have you seen Reiner?" You touched his shoulder, making sure to get his attention. You took immediate notice to the drink in his hand, it smelled strongly of alcohol. But surely he wasn't drunk yet.

"I haven't seen him, but Annie probably has," Porco half-heartedly answered, whether it be because of the alcohol or something else you couldn't tell. But still, he gestured to Colt's basement door, which is exactly where Annie would be.

The basement found itself full of twenty-something's who would rather get high or cross-faded than just drunk. You found them to be dumb. You aren't stuck up by any means, but smoking weed in the basement of someone's parents' house was not your definitely of fun. The beloved Annie was not hard to spot, sitting in the circle of people in the middle of the floor. Her blonde hair stuck out against the dimly lit room.

"Do you know where Reiner is?" You probably sounded just as nervous as you looked. It shouldn't be this hard to find him, he's tall and stocky. Not to mention confrontational when drunk.

"I saw him with Historia about fifteen minutes ago," Though her eyes were blood-shot and breath smelled of alcohol, you were going to take her word for it. Annie wasn't one to lie, especially not to you.

You could feel the anxiety pooling in your stomach as you pushed through the bodies of the college students. At this point they all just felt like obstacles when it came to finding your boyfriend. God only knows what he could be doing with the likes of Historia. There were few things the two could be doing together, and the worm in your brain was telling you the worst of them.

You and Historia never got along, it started when you were nine and she put gum in your hair, so then you hit her across the face. Since then, you've been out for each other's throats. Historia never liked Reiner, but if it were to get at you, she would do anything.

After leaving the basement, it took less than five minutes to find Historia. And she was standing right against your boyfriend. You didn't need to see his face to know it was him, you would be able to see his large build anywhere. He was clearly intoxicated, Reiner was always a complete lightweight despite his size. And it didn't take a genius to figure out that Historia was kissing him. You felt like you were going to throw up, the little worm in your brain was right.

"Reiner," Your voice was loud, sadness hooked in every word, "I want to go home. Now, please."

The sound of your voice shook Reiner from whatever trance he had previously been in. The sadness written on your face sobering him up to the point you'd think he never drank to begin with. "Okay."

Reiner was struggling to keep up with your pace, but met up with you in his old shitty car. It took you a second to collect your thoughts, the words getting caught in your throat. "I don't think it would be a good idea for us to date anymore."Though you hesitated speaking and your voice shook as you did so, it got the point across. You're breaking up with Reiner.

"Okay," was once again all he managed to get out before starting the car. His heart was in his stomach, he felt like he was about to throw up. Reiner's entire world came crashing down before him in the drivers seat of his car while some stupid playlist he had made for you played in the background.

The drive to your house was short and silent. You were just ready to get inside and never speak to him again. But he had other plans, grabbing your wrist to prevent you from leaving. "I'm sorry. I love you. Goodnight, bugaboo." His use of the cheesy nickname made more tears well up in your eyes. He was begging you to call him a dumb nickname back, to let him know things would be okay.

"Goodbye, Reiner. Thanks for the ride." You didn't, because things weren't okay.

You and Reiner didn't tell the others what happened, or even that you had broken up. But it didn't take a genius to figure the second part out. The two of you used to share small kisses and hold hands and banter constantly, but now it was nothing. You were avoiding the gaze of one another, not answering when the other would ask a question. Completely avoiding each other. But no one wanted to question why.

Anyone with eyes could tell that neither of you were doing well. Reiner barely slept, often sneaking into Bertholt's house and sleeping there because he couldn't bear to be alone. It didn't take more than three times of this for Bertholt to figure out why Reiner was coming to him instead of you. As soon as he asked the question, "Did you and y/n split up?" Reiner was in shambles.

"I miss her," Reiner sobbed, "My whole body hurts without her." His head was in Bertholt's lap, he was petting Reiner's hair to try and soothe him, just as you used to. "I hate Historia. I was drunk and I was stupid and I'm never drinking again." Reiner and Bertholt both knew this was untrue, he was a party animal. But at the moment he didn't care about his old ways, he just cared about you.

While Reiner had Berttie, you had Zeke. The two of you were a very unlikely pair in some ways, yet in other it seemed like you were meant to be best friends. Zeke was the first of them to figure it out, as he paid extreme attention to the little details about everything. One Saturday afternoon when you didn't show up to the group's weekly lunch he went to your house. You told him everything, and he was heartbroken for you.

"I thought he loved me," You croaked, the backs of your hands covering your eyes, "How do you do that to someone you love?" You looked to Zeke, who was reading a book. You didn't mind when he did this, even as your best friend you wouldn't expect him to devote his full attention every time you cried over the same things.

"He does love you," He didn't look up from the book, but he did place his hand on your head, "Alcohol is a hell of a thing, and Historia is the devil on earth."

Things continued on this way for ages. Bertholt and Zeke would get together once in awhile to talk about all the ways they could fix it, but ultimately they knew it was up to no one other than the two of you. Nothing changed, until four in the morning on a Wednesday.

"Reiner Braun, what are you doing?" Your voice was filled worry. Outside Bertholt's house sat the man you love, soaked to the bone from the rain. It stressed you out beyond compare, no amount of hatred or anger could stop you from being worried about him.

"Mr. Hoover kicked me out," Reiner's voice was hoarse, you could tell he had been crying, "He told me I was distracting Bert again. I wasn't even doing anything. I was crying. What're you doing out here? You'll catch a cold." He didn't look up at you, but he could tell you was looking at him with that look. The look you gave whenever you're worried about him.

You sat next to him, "Zeke wasn't home, I forgot he and his family were leaving for vacation." The air wasn't cold, but the rain made you feel freezing. Reiner almost instinctively wrapped his arm around your waist in attempts to keep you warm but he hesitated. He didn't have a right to do that anymore.

The silence around you felt overwhelming. Neither of you wanted to be the first to speak, afraid of what would happen if you did. It needed to be talked about, so Reiner did it. "I can't even remember if I told you I was sorry."

That's when the lump formed in your throat, preventing you from speaking up right away. If you said anything right then, you'd likely burst into tears.

"I am, so unbelievably sorry. I can't do anything to fix what I did to you, y/n, but-"

"You did apologize," You cut him off, deciding to let your tears fall, "You told me you were sorry and that you love me. And all I said back was goodbye."

"Because I do." You took notice to how he said do instead of did. He put his head in his hands before speaking again. "I didn't deserve anything other than a goodbye."

The sound of him crying immediately shattered your heart. You hated seeing Reiner cry, you hated seeing him anything other than happy. It felt like for the first time in centuries that you were at a loss for words when it came to speaking to him. "Come with me. It's too cold for you to be out here, we have school tomorrow."

"I can't go home." Reiner's voice cracked, "I don't want to be there. I want to be with Bertholt." I want to be happy. To be with you. You knew Reiner, and that he didn't like being home when he cried. It was nothing against his family or his home, he just hated how alone he felt crying in his room.

You stood from your place and offered your hand to him, "I know I'm no Bertholt Hoover, but I have some of your clothes and our favorite movies back at my place." Your hand seemed to hover in front of him forever before he finally took hold of it with a firm grasp.

The walk back to your house wasn't too long, ten minutes at most. The two of you were crying and holding hands the entire way there. Everything felt right again, from the moment he took your hand to the moment you stepped into your bedroom.

"I know you were just drunk," You sighed, watching him strip from his soaked clothing. "And I know it probably didn't mean anything to you, and that Historia is just-"

"The devil," Reiner cut you off, looking down at the shirt he was wearing. At some point in your relationship you had stolen his favorite band t-shirt and several pairs of his sweatpants. He looked to you, wearing one of his sweatshirts that was way too big on you and a pair of shirts hidden underneath. Reiner wasn't sure when you got so many of his clothes, but he was glad you did. He never had the heart to take any of them back from you, even now.

"Yeah, the devil," You laughed a little, laying on your bed and opening your laptop. "I know it may take awhile for things to be okay again. But I want you to know that I love you, Reiner. You're my home."

i hope u liked this i love u guys <3 reblogs and likes and comments appreciated!!

Hey guys, this blog is back from the void! Sorry about the hiatus, it wasn’t really our call, like, at all.

So for those of you who don’t know, Gotham’s been experiencing a kind of tech black out for the past five months. The majority of working class people haven’t had access to phones, computers, or internet following a big heist in late October.

The whole thing hasn’t had much news coverage as a result of the Metropolis fiasco in December, but I’m sure you guys have seen the articles talking about military involvement in Gotham and the usual “Gotham City gets fucked up again” types of stories.

So to give you a run down, on October 25th of last year, Riddler and Calender Man resurfaced after an Arkham break out a few weeks prior and pulled this big, Trick-Or-Treat themed crime. They hijacked every internet connected device within city limits, shutting everything down after a quick, run of the mill “go along with our demands/give us money” type of speech.

They kept Gotham on lockdown for six days with minimal interaction, in which time I’m pretty sure the city council and police force were trying to figure out what the hell to do. I wasn’t allowed to go outside during this part though so that’s just what I’ve heard from other people.

On Halloween, Calendar Man popped up on everyone’s screens with a roulette wheel that would decide whether we got a “trick” or a “treat.” We ended up getting trick because of course we did, which turned out to be the “blow up the cell towers and everyone’s devices” option, effectively cutting off any form of communication through phones and computers and sending a good chunk of people to the hospitals and ERs around town.

(Me and W were fine, but my dad got cut by some flying glass. He’s fine and most ppl have been treated at this point so dw!)

Great right? It gets better.

Apparently, screwing literally everyone over wasn’t enough, so Riddler then preceded to cut off deliveries to every apple, android, google, etc. store in the city, after, obviously, blowing them up. As a result not only was the sky was filled with smoke for days (we had to use our gas masks to filter out particulate matter, a lot of ppl got sick), but we couldn’t order in replacements for important tech.

Radios still worked though, so we got government support pretty early on. The Wayne foundation also helped fund relief efforts, including replacing damaged tech in companies and stores in December, and sending out basic replacements to civilians in late January. In general stuff‘s been kind of tense and weird, but not the worst.

A lot of people left to stay with family in other cities until everything blew over, but if you didn’t have access to cars or transportation you were pretty much stuck. We didn’t have enough gas in our car to drive to my Aunt’s place in Cleveland, so my family stayed, which has been mostly fine since not much happened after the initial crap. Riddler and Calender Man were apprehended in November so it’s been mostly citywide recovery stuff since then.

W’s folks took her to stay with a friend in Metropolis so she was chilling there for most of it, but they moved to stay with her Grandmother in New London when shit hit the fan there too.

I probably would’ve been able to update you guys sooner but petty crime had a spike with all the chaos so rebuilding’s been delayed a lot. We just got internet back at my house two days ago, but I had to remember all my passwords so that took a hot minute.

I got in touch with W and she says her family’s gonna be heading back in a few days, so we’ll finally get some time to talk about shit! I’m hyped for that bc I’ve been super bored all February.

In the end, it sucked ass and I don’t want to go through it again, but it’s also probably not the worst thing I’ll experience in my lifetime. I got to read a lot of books and explore around the city, and I found some great hiding nooks I might use if I want to be alone so that’s 👍

If you guys have any questions or concerns about this whole thing send ‘em my way! I’ll be pretty open the next couple of days while I wait for W to get back.

-G

ALL QUESTIONS!! ALLLLL (except the one you said you were uncomfy answering ofc)

welcome to my daily essay procrastination (dw it is getting done I've just written like 1000 words and I need a break from literature type writing lol) 

1: Full name - Robin, not sharing the rest (like I said) 

2: Age - 21 

3: 3 Fears - Abandonment, clowns, sleep paralysis 

4: 3 things I love - Theatre, languages, my puppy 

5: 4 turns on - Being dominated, lip biting, gentle physical contact, increasing physical contact 

6: 4 turns off - I genuinely don't know rn can u tell its been a while since I got laid lol, so I guess, being a dick, using certain terms for body parts, 

7: My best friend - Char is prob my best friend!! we currently communicate exclusively through animal crossing post lol 

8: Sexual orientation - Right this is somewhat challenging still but I'm gonna go gay 

9: My best first date - Would you believe I've only really been on two? I can't remember the first one v well but I'd be inclined to say that because all that first love shit was great 

10: How tall am I - 5' 3" i think?? 

11: What do I miss - uni 

12: What time were I born - I actually don't know exactly but it was definitely the afternoon 

13: Favourite color - Baby blue 

14: Do I have a crush - Yup 

15: Favourite quote - "The universe is seeming really huge right now. I need something to hold on to." 

16: Favourite place - I've got a few, a corner in the orchard at Hom, the nook under my window in my room, the bench up on the hill where I walk the dog 

17: Favourite food - Stir fry 

18: Do I use sarcasm - I think I was fluent in sarcasm before I was in English tbh 

19: What am I listening to right now - Right technically I cheated bc I just skipped a couple songs, but Bad Habit by Ben Platt and the puppy's snores 

20: First thing I notice in new person - Smile or voice 

21: Shoe size - 4 i think 

 22: Eye color - blue 

23: Hair color - a literal rainbow 

24: Favourite style of clothing - uhhh does generally gay count?? 

25: Ever done a prank call? - nope 

27: Meaning behind my URL - one of my friends once called me the shakespeare of nicknames as my other friend called my such a slytherin so i mashed them up 

28: Favourite movie - Moana atm, non animated either Let It Snow or Pitch Perfect 

29: Favourite song - Obv this changes a lot but the last few days, Wonderland by Taylor Swift 

30: Favourite band - Stornoway 

31: How I feel right now - Too damn warm and a lil sleepy 

32: Someone I love - my sister 

33: My current relationship status - furiously single 

34: My relationship with my parents - good 

35: Favourite holiday - when my friend and i went to austria at the end of year 13 

36: Tattoos and piercing i have - zero 

37: Tattoos and piercing i want - I want a few transition tattoos, a dodie lyric, something in russian, something watercolour 

38: The reason I joined Tumblr - Originally because it was 2013 and my friends and I were v much the typical tumblr demographic, this one to vent feelings about some shitty situations 

39: Do I and my last ex hate each other? - Pretty sure they both hate me, I don't hate them, but I hate how things worked out 

40: Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts? - Sometimes yeah 

41: Have I ever kissed the last person you texted? - Nope 

42: When did I last hold hands? - Probably when I last went clubbing? 

43: How long does it take me to get ready in the morning? - Depends, I have to put T on, once i'm actually out of bed probably 15 minutes 

44: Have You shaved your legs in the past three days? - nope 

45: Where am I right now? - on my sofa in my kitchen 

46: If I were drunk & can’t stand, who’s taking care of me? - depends where i am, home city it'd be katherine, clubbing in cam, jules probably or char, drinking just in cam, umme or porters 

47: Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level? - reasonable 

48: Do I live with my Mom and Dad? - usually mostly with mum, currently exclusively with dad because quarantine 

49: Am I excited for anything? - getting this damn essay done and sleeping 

50: Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to? - yep 

51: How often do I wear a fake smile? - not that often i don't think, but i am very good at hiding my emotions if i decide to 

52: When was the last time I hugged someone? - like 6 hours ago? 

53: What if the last person I kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me? - not at all unexpected tbh 

54: Is there anyone I trust even though I should not? - not at the moment, i think i've managed to stop trusting the person who would've fit this category 

55: What is something I disliked about today? - my sister got super stressed and cried and i just wanted to make everything okay 

56: If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? - ben platt 

57: What do I think about most? - rn animal crossing or work 

58: What’s my strangest talent? - i don't think i have one 

59: Do I have any strange phobias? - nope 

60: Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? - both, i love taking photos and i love having photos of me at important times 

61: What was the last lie I told? - god probably something dumb like no i absolutely did not just steal your cup of tea 

62: Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online? video chatting 

63: Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens? - no, yes 

64: Do I believe in magic? - no 

65: Do I believe in luck? - yes 

66: What’s the weather like right now? - decent I think?? it's like 2 am so idk 

67: What was the last book I’ve read? - What Is to Be Done? by Chernyshevsky 

68: Do I like the smell of gasoline? - Fuck no 

69: Do I have any nicknames? - Bob, Bobbin, Robs, Rob, Stink, Little'un 

70: What was the worst injury I’ve ever had? - that would probably be me getting a fish hook stuck in my thumb lollll 

71: Do I spend money or save it? - both 

72: Can I touch my nose with a tongue? - the fact that this said a tongue and not my tongue is... unsettling.. but yes 

73: Is there anything pink in 10 feet from me? - yes 

74: Favourite animal? - elephant 

75: What was I doing last night at 12 AM? - writing the essay lol 

76: What do I think is Satan’s last name is? - morningstar i watch too much lucifer lol 

77: What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it? - rain by ben platt 

78: How can you win my heart? - hug me when i'm sad, send me things that make you think of me 

79: What would I want to be written on my tombstone? - he was there for me 

80: What is my favorite word? - mousse 

81: My top 5 blogs on tumblr - okay so i have five blogs and am so tempted to just list those but sewing-and-showtunes, aeternumregina, oneoveroneisone, ballym, xx-thedarklord-xx 

82: If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say? - STAY THE FUCK INDOORS 

83: Do I have any relatives in jail? - no 

84: I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power? - shapeshifting 

85: What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on? - do i like myself 

86: What is my current desktop picture? - hamilton and laurens lol 8

7: Had sex? - yes

88: Bought condoms? - yes 

89: Gotten pregnant? - no 

90: Failed a class? - yes 

91: Kissed a boy? - yes 

92: Kissed a girl? - yes 

93: Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain? - yes 

94: Had job? - yes 

95: Left the house without my wallet? - yes 

96: Bullied someone on the internet? - no 

97: Had sex in public? - yes 

98: Played on a sports team? - yes 

99: Smoked weed? - yes 

100: Did drugs? - no 

101: Smoked cigarettes? - yes 

102: Drank alcohol? - yes 

103: Am I a vegetarian/vegan? - no 

104: Been overweight? - no 

105: Been underweight? - no 

 106: Been to a wedding? - no 

107: Been on the computer for 5 hours straight? - yes 

108: Watched TV for 5 hours straight? - yes 

109: Been outside my home country? - yes 

110: Gotten my heart broken? - yes 

111: Been to a professional sports game? - no 

112: Broken a bone? - no 

113: Cut myself? - yes 

114: Been to prom? - no 

115: Been in airplane? - yes 

116: Fly by helicopter? - no 

117: What concerts have I been to? - dodie, stornoway, show of hands 

118: Had a crush on someone of the same sex? - yes 

119: Learned another language? - yes 

120: Wore make up? - yes 

121: Lost my virginity before I was 18? - yes 

122: Had oral sex? - yes 

123: Dyed my hair? - yes 

124: Voted in a presidential election? - i'm british 

125: Rode in an ambulance? - yes 

126: Had a surgery? - not unless my fish hook extraction counts 

127: Met someone famous? - yes 

128: Stalked someone on a social network? - yes 

129: Peed outside? - yes 

130: Been fishing? - FISH HOOK YES I HAVE I NEVER WILL AGAIN 

131: Helped with charity? - yes 

132: Been rejected by a crush? - yes 

133: Broken a mirror? - no 

134: What do I want for birthday? - a boyfriend lol, or tbh for quarantine to be over 

135: How many kids do I want and what will be their names? - oh lord who knows, i like the name scottie and archie for girls 

136: Was I named after anyone? - my middle name is after my gran 

137: Do I like my handwriting? - ehhhh 

138: What was my favourite toy as a child? - my teddy bear 

139: Favourite Tv Show? - Crazy Ex Girlfriend 

140: Where do I want to live when older? - Berlin, Cambridge or London 

141: Play any musical instrument? - used to play the violin v poorly 

142: One of my scars, how did I get it? - fish hook or pets 

143: Favourite pizza topping? - pepperoni 

144: Am I afraid of the dark? - no 

145: Am I afraid of heights? - sort of 

146: Have I ever got caught sneaking out or doing anything bad? - don't think so 

147: Have I ever tried my hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end? - yes 

148: What I’m really bad at - currently? being motivated 

149: What my greatest achievements are - getting into my uni, finally finding an antidepressant that works, coming out 

150: The meanest thing somebody has ever said to me - oh yikes it's way too late at night to open that can of worms 

151: What I’d do if I won in a lottery - pay for my damn top surgery 

152: What do I like about myself - I'm empathetic 

153: My closest Tumblr friend - @oneoveroneisone 

154: Something I fantasise about - going to pride abroad 

155: Any question you’d like? - I'm gonna pass this to the anons, ask me questions?

My Europe: Georgia fights over its future | Europe| News and current affairs from around the continent | DW

Georgia is the guest of honor at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, where from October 10-14 it will present its literature and culture to the visitors, book critics, authors, publishers and politicians that flock to the yearly German-language literary convention. In the lead-up to the book fair’s opening, journalist Krsto Lazarevic shares his impressions in a guest column of a country that is full of culture, contradictions and change.

Georgia is situated between the Greater and Lesser Caucasus mountain ranges, but it wouldn’t be out of place in the Balkans. A small country at the edge of Europe, its mountains and bad roads make it seem a lot bigger. People here are very hospitable; they make you eat until you’re fit to burst and keep refilling your glass of home-made schnapps. Georgia and the Balkans are pretty similar. The mountains in Georgia are a bit higher, the wine is better, and the hype rather bigger.

Ask them whether they consider themselves part of Europe and Georgians will stare at you in astonishment. Then they’ll pull a face, as if you’d asked them whether they wash their hands after going to the toilet: “Yes, of course. What do you think?”

Georgians are proud to be European, despite their geographical distance from Europe

To avoid any shred of doubt, every government building displays the European flag. It’s just a shame the EU doesn’t want Georgia because parts of the country are occupied by Russia. Georgians can hang out all the flags they like with the five-pointed stars on the azure-blue background: They may be participants in the Eurovision Song Contest, but their European patriotism is not enough for the EU.

Vegan restaurants and rotting meat

Describing a place as “contradictory” is not particularly original, but there’s no better word to describe the capital, Tbilisi. Coming out of a vegan restaurant in the center of town, you find yourself a few seconds later standing in front of a butcher selling pig’s heads and suckling piglets. The suckling pigs are stretched out under the hot sun. Bottles of ice in their bellies are not enough to stop a whiff of putrefaction from lingering in the air.

The old temple of Narikala sits majestically on a hill in downtown Tbisili

Three metro stations further on, an old textile factory has been transformed into a hipster paradise. Here you will find backpackers, artists and young entrepreneurs openly smoking joints outside. A few months ago the law was changed so that you can now smoke dope in Georgia without risking punishment. Getting caught with tab of Ecstasy can still land you in prison for up to eight years, however.

The capital Tbisili is also full of modern and adventurous architecture

Less than five minutes’ walk from the factory and its graffiti-covered walls, right-wing extremists are standing around outside a metro station, gathering signatures.

“What are you collecting signatures for?”

“Muslims are a threat, and we don’t want them in our country.”

“But there are a lot of Muslims in Georgia, aren’t there?”

“Yes, that’s why they have to leave.”

“But they’ve lived here for centuries. Where do you want to send them?”

“We don’t care. They’ve just got to go.”

As argumentation goes, this leaves something be desired. Nonetheless, the men have already collected a lot of signatures.

I haven’t met many Muslims in Georgia, but I have met a lot of Orthodox priests. They’re highly respected and enjoy a great many privileges. They don’t pay taxes, people admire them, and they’re apparently allowed to jump the line at the supermarket. After communism was thrown into the dustbin of history, religion filled the vacuum in Georgia. Criticism of Patriarch Ilia II, the current leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church, is tantamount to blasphemy.

Read more: ‘We give people a voice that would otherwise be overheard’

Patriach Ilia II (center), the leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church, met with Pope Francis in 2016

Techno revolt

There is, however, another Georgia — one that bothers the clerics. Inside the Bassiani nightclub, drag queens are kissing on the dancefloor. One of them says, “This is freedom for a night. Outside is enemy territory.” Outside, openly homosexual people are frequently beaten up — sometimes by priests and police officers — and the perpetrators go unpunished.

Back in May, a minor revolution kicked off in Bassiani. The soundtrack of this revolution was techno. Old factory buildings and run-down Soviet architecture are the perfect surroundings for hardcore electronic music. In the middle of the night, hundreds of police officers with helmets and machine guns stormed the nightclubs Bassiani and Café Gallery. The next day, thousands of people demonstrated against the raid by gathering in front of the parliament building and holding a rave.

Almost everyone was surprised by what happened next. The prime minister and his government resigned and were replaced by others from the same party. This happened at the behest of the all-powerful oligarch and former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. The “techno revolt” was successful because the oligarch — the one who makes the decisions — agreed with the demonstrators’ demands: Western freedoms and a country more closely aligned with Europe.

What does ‘Europe’ mean?

This wasn’t just a raid on a couple of nightclubs; it was a culture clash between progressives and reactionaries. For the time being, the progressives have won. Georgians want to be part of Europe, but what exactly does that mean? For most Western Europeans, Europe represents liberal values. Those who took part in the techno revolt feel the same way.

But for most Georgians, and many Eastern Europeans, “Europe” signifies the Christian West, protection against Russia and money from Brussels. What they don’t want is the liberal modern world — the one where minorities, dissenters and people with alternative sexual preferences are treated as equals. At least, the majority of Georgians don’t want this.

That’s no reason to give up, though. Georgia is changing. The fight for a better future has only just begun.

Krsto Lazarevic was born in Bosnia-Herzegovina and fled as a child with his family to Germany. Today he lives in Berlin, where he works as a journalist and writes for various German-language publications.

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1: How tall or short do you wish you were? I’m fine with my height. 2: What’s your dream pet (real or not)? A mabari or a nug from Dragon Age.

3: Do you have a favorite clothing style? Ninja-goth and street-goth are cool to look at. If I had a ton of money, that would be how I dress. But I don’t, so... I just wear plain black clothes. 4: What was your favorite video game growing up? Final Fantasy IX, Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Crash Bandicoot trilogy, and Spyro the Dragon series. 5: What three things/people do you think of most each day: My husband, money, work. 6: If you had a warning label, what would yours say? That I’ll sacrifice them to the almighty Dark Lord if they cross me. I don’t know. Whatever. 7: What is your Greek personality type (Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric, or Melancholic)? Choleric. 8: Are you ticklish? Very much so. 9: Are you allergic to anything? Not that I can think of. I used to be allergic to bananas. 10: What’s your sexuality? Hetero. 11: Do you prefer tea, coffee, or cocoa? Tea. 12: Are you a cat or dog person? I like both, but I’d go with dogs. 13: Would you rather be a vampire, elf, or merperson? Elf, like a dark elf from the Elder Scrolls series. 14: Do you have a favorite Youtuber? No, I don’t watch any specific YouTubers. 15: How tall are you? 5′2″. 16: If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? I’m fine with my name. 17: How much do you weigh? Like 135 lbs. 18: Do you believe in ghosts/spirits? Yeah, definitely. 19: Do you like space or the ocean more? The ocean.  20: Are you religious? Not really. I consider myself Agnostic. 21: Pet peeves? People who don’t use their blinkers while driving, people who are rude to cashiers, people who steal art/writing/whatever and claim it as theirs, when the weather says it’s going to rain and then it doesn’t, silverware scraping dishes, interrupting me when I’m talking, and many other things. 22: Would you rather be nocturnal or diurnal (opposite of nocturnal)? Diurnal. I like sleeping when it’s dark outside. 23: Favorite constellation? Osiris. 24: Favorite star? Altair, just because of the name. I don’t care for the star itself. 25: Do you like ball-jointed dolls? Uh... sure. They’re kind of neat, I guess. 26: Any phobias or fears? Roaches, the dark, the paranormal, mirrors and windows in the dark, someone I love dying tragically. 27: Do you think global warming is real? Definitely. 28: Do you believe in reincarnation? It’s interesting, but I’m not sure if I believe it or not. 29: Favorite movie? I can’t name just one. It’s way easier if I were to be asked, like... what my favorite comedy, horror, animated, etc. movie is. 30: Do you get scared easily? Yes! Not as much I used to get, but I still manage to get easily scared by little things. I torture myself by reading scary stories when I’m home alone. 31: How many pets have you own in your lifetime? Eight were officially ours—two fish, two rabbits, a guinea pig, a dog, and two cats. One cat is still alive and with my parents. Then there’s, like, a million feral cats around that neighborhood that love being around their house. 32: What is a color that calms you? Gray. 33: Where would you like to travel and/or live? I think I’m fine with where I live for now, but I’d like to travel to Iceland, Bolivia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, France, Romania, Ukraine, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. 34: Where were you born? Rome, Italy. 35: What is your eye color? Brown. 36: Introvert or extrovert? Introvert. 37: Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiacs? Not at all, but I do like reading the lists people come up with, like the zodiac signs as types of Pokémon or Greek gods or whatever. 38: Hugs or kisses? Hugs. 39: Who is someone you would like to see/visit right now? No one in mind. 40: Who is someone you love deeply? My husband. 41: Any piercings you want? Nah, I’m good. 42: Do you like tattoos and piercings? I do, but not on me. 43: Do you smoke or have you eiver done so? I have smoked, but I don’t regularly smoke. 44: Talk about your crush, if you have one! Uh... I’ll talk about a celebrity crush. He’s an annoying, bald Swedish dude who’s an exceptionally talented guitarist and music producer. Extra emphasis on the word ‘annoying.’ 45: What is a sound you really hate? Silverware scraping dishes, the vacuum, the blender, really heavy footsteps, the sound of vomiting, pots and pans clanking together. 46: A sound you really love? Rain, thunder, ocean waves, fire crackling, strong wind. 47: Can you do a backflip? Maybe. If I want a trip to the hospital right after, sure. 48: Can you do the splits? I can do a front split, but not a side split. 49: Favorite actor and/or actress? I don’t really have any. I mean, I have some I like and find attractive, but I don’t pay too much attention to them. 50: Favorite book? ”Death: A Life”  by George Pendle. 51: How are you feeling right now? Tired. I also still feel blah from that ramen I ate earlier. 52: What color would you like your hair to be right now? I’m fine with its natural color. 53: When did you feel happiest? Mm, probably when I got married this past Monday. 54: Something that calms you down? Usually laying down is enough for me. 55: Have any mental disorders? General anxiety and ADHD. 56: What does your URL mean? Bones made out of meringue. 57: What three words describe you the most? Mischievous, tired, creative. 58: Do you believe in evolution? Yes. 59: What makes you unfollow a blog? They haven’t updated in forever, they start reblogging too much fandom discourse, or they say some stupid offensive bullshit (e.g. racism, classism, homophobia, etc.). 60: What makes you follow a blog? They mostly post what I like seeing on my dash. 61: Favorite kind of person: ... Someone nice. Which I figure is what most people would say is their favorite kind of person. 62: Favorite animal(s): Rabbits, hares, bears, bats. 63: Name three of your favorite blogs. Let’s not. 64: Favorite emoticon: The ghost or pile of poop. 65: Favorite meme: Any Kermit or DW reaction image. 66: What is your MBTI personality type? INFJ. 67: What is your star sign? Cancer. 68: Can your dog roll over on command, if you have a dog? My dog’s dead and she never obeyed commands. She was way too hyper. 69: What outfit out of all your clothes do you like to wear the most? Plain black zip-up hoodie, random t-shirt tucked into a black tennis skirt, black thigh-high stockings, a pair of black/white low-top Vans. 70: Post a selfie or two? No. 71: Do you have platform shoes? I have a couple pairs of wedges, if that counts. 72: What is one random but interesting fact about yourself? I can walk backwards like Regan from The Exorcist. Now... can I do it on stairs? Probably not without breaking my neck. 73: Can you do a front flip? I can on a trampoline. 74: Do you like birds? Sure, they’re alright. I think puffins are super cute. 75: Do you like to swim? I do. 76: Is swimming or ice skating more fun to you? I’ve never gone ice skating, but I feel like I’d still answer with swimming. 77: Something you wish didn’t exist: Donald Trump. 78: Some thing you wish did exist: Fifty large sacks of money right in front of me. 79: Piercings you have? None. 80: Something you really enjoy doing: Sleeping and daydreaming. 81: Favorite person to talk to: My husband. 82: What was your first impression of Tumblr? I don’t remember. That was back in like 2010. Obviously I must have liked it enough if I’m still here. 83: How many followers do you have? Negative five. 84: Can you run a mile within ten minutes? I’m not sure. I could back in high school when we ran timed miles, but I weigh a bit more, so... Hm. Maybe not. 85: Do your socks always match? When I actually bother to wear them, yes. I hate mismatched socks. 86: Can you touch your toes and keep your legs straight completely? Ah, something I can do! Yes. 87: What are your birthstones? Ruby. I’m not sure if I have more than one... 88: If you were an animal, which one would you be? A shark, possibly. Or a hare. 89: If a flower could aesthetically represent you, what kind would it be? Black velvet petunia. 90: A store you hate? I don’t care enough. 91: How many cups of coffee can you drink in one day? Like two. Not much. I prefer tea. 92: Would you rather be able to fly or read minds? Fly. Reading minds would be shit with my anxiety. 93: Do you like to wear camo? Not really. 94: Winter or summer? Winter. 95: How long can you hold your breath for? I was bored and timed it right now. A minute and nine seconds. 96: Least favorite person? Any evil dictator. 97: Someone you look up to: My parents. [/cue ‘aww.’] 98: A store you love? Barnes and Noble. I can feel as if my wallet is mad at me every time I shop there. 99: Favorite type of shoes Vans. 100: Where do you live? The U.S. 101: Are you a vegetarian or vegan? If so, why? No, because I don’t want to be. 102: What is your favorite mineral or gem? Sapphires, rubies, azurite. 103: Do you drink milk? Sometimes. 104: Do you like bugs? Not really. 105: Do you like spiders? I like some... like the plush black spider on my bed. 106: Something you get paranoid about? The paranormal. 107: Can you draw?: I can. I even went to school and made a career out of it. 108: Nosiest question you have ever been asked? Anything very sexual, like related to kinks, fetishes, or whatever. 109: A question you hate being asked? I hate when I’m tired and someone asks if I’m okay, and then when I say that I am they say some stupid shit like, “Are you sure? You don’t look okay.”  110: Ever been bitten by a spider? YES. I still have a big scar behind my knee from being bit by one a long time ago. 111: Do you like the sound of waves at the beach? I do. 112: Do you prefer cloudy or sunny days? Cloudy. 113: Someone you’d like to kiss or cuddle right now: My husband. 114: Favorite cloud type: Google calls them cirrus clouds. 115: What color do you wish the sky was? Like naturally? Gray, all the time. Or maybe pastel purple all the time. 116: Do you have freckles? Nope. 117: Favorite thing about a person: I suppose the little traits and interests that make them wholly them. 118: Fruits or vegetables? Fruits.  119: Something you want to do right now: Take a shower. 120: Is the ocean or sky prettier? The ocean. 121: Sweet or sour foods? Sweet. 122: Bright or dim lights? Dim lights. 123: Do you believe in a certain magical creature? Kind of. I mean, there are parts of the Earth we’ve yet to explore, and we’re constantly finding new species every single year. Who’s to say something ‘magical’ doesn’t exist and it really isn’t magical? 124: Something you hate about Tumblr: Hive-mind mentality, especially when it comes down to someone being called out. 125: Something you love about Tumblr: There are so many things to pull inspiration from as an artist. Also the roleplay community is pretty sweet, depending on what fandom you join. 126: What do you think about the least? I’m not sure. 127: What would you want written on your tombstone? A curse of some sorts. 128: Who would you like to punch in the face right now? Why would I want to hurt my hand? Pass. 129: What is something you love but also hate about yourself? Hm... Maybe how much I care about certain people/things. 130: Do you smile with your teeth showing for pictures? Rarely. 131: Computer or TV? Computer. 132: Do you like roller coasters? They’re alright. 133: Do you get motion sickness or seasickness? I used to when I was a little kid, but not anymore. 134: Are your ears free or attached? They’re free, but barely. 135: Do you believe in karma? I’m not a buddhist, so no. 136: On a scale of 1-10, how attractive would you say you are? Maybe a 7. 137: What nicknames do you have/have had? I have too many. We’d be here all night. 138: Did you have any pretend or imaginary friends? I never did. 139: Have you ever seen a therapist/shrink? Not repeatedly. I saw one a couple times so they could diagnose me and give me meds that I don’t take, but that’s it. 140: Would you say you are a good or bad influence to others? Mostly good, I think. 141: Do you prefer giving or receiving gifts/help? Giving help, mainly because I hate the idea of receiving it in any way. I don’t like admitting I need help. As for gifts, I like both giving and receiving about equally. 142: What makes you angry?: A lot of things. 143: How many languages do you speak fluently? Honestly, one. Kind of sad. I can’t speak my native language fluently anymore. 144: Do you prefer boys, girls, and/or non-binaries? Boys. 145: Are you androgynous? No, I don’t think so. 146: Favorite physical thing about yourself: My hair and ass. 147: Favorite thing about your personality: My creativity. 148: Name three people you would like to talk to right now in person. I don’t want to. 149: If you could go back into time and live in one era, which would you choose? I wouldn’t. I’m fine reading about them. I don’t need to experience their pains. 150: Do you like BuzzFeed? I don’t really have an opinion about them. 151: How did you meet your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner? Short story, mutual friends. I’m too lazy to type out the long story. 152: Do you like to kiss others’ foreheads or hands for platonic reasons? Not really. I give a lot of nose and head kisses though. [EDIT] Okay, so earlier whenI took this survey my eyes just seemed to skip over the word ‘platonic.’ I don’t give platonic kisses. 153: Do you like to play with others’ hair? Nope. 154: What embarrasses you? Remembering embarrassing things I did like ten years ago and curling up into a ball. It’s an endless cycle. 155: Something that makes you nervous/anxious: Being out in public. 156: Biggest lie you have ever told: No idea. Maybe that I liked someone. Or that I was working on a project when I wasn’t. 157: How many people are you following? On my personal Tumblr, 956. I can’t follow anyone from this particular blog because it’s just a sideblog. 158: How many posts do you have on your blog(s)? I’m not going into my roleplay accounts because I don’t feel like signing in/out, so I’ll just do my main and sideblogs. Main (cyberpunk + fandoms) is 6,073. Cute sideblog is 2,194. Nature sideblog is 1,615. Reference sideblog is 212. Brown/tan aesthetic sideblog is 322. Then there’s two sideblogs I don’t know the aesthetic of, but one has 230 posts while the other has 110. 159: How many drafts do you have on your blog(s)? I don’t feel like looking anymore. 160: How many likes do you have on your blog(s)? 331 on my main. 161: Last time you cried and why: I don’t remember. 162: Do you have long or short hair? Very long hair. 163: Longest your hair has ever been: It’s currently the longest it’s been, and it’s about an inch above the base of my back. 164: Why do you like, dislike, or have neutral feelings about religion? In short, because I don’t care. 165: Do you really care how the universe and world was created? Not really. I mean, I think it’s interesting to read about, but I don’t care when it relates to religion. 166: Do you like to wear makeup? Sometimes. 167: Can you stand on your hands or head for more than thirty seconds? Probably not anymore. 168: Did you answer the questions you were asked truthfully? I did.