1. With early voting for the 2020 US Presidential Election having already started, let's break down voter suppression. Since 2010, half the states in the nation have placed new burdens on people's right to vote, aided by the Supreme Court striking down part of the Voting Rights Act in 2013. Forms of voter suppression include: voter ID laws (without a meaningful backup if someone fails to produce an ID), polling location closures/moves (without informing constituents), voter purges ("updates" to registration lists that may remove someone if they missed even one election), and voter registration restrictions (e.g. strict ID requirements, early voting cutbacks, etc.). Felony disenfranchisement is also a major issue; over 6.1 million Americans are ineligible to vote because of felonies. Furthermore, in 2017, Georgia created an "exact match" law that mandated voters' names on registration records had to perfectly match their names on their approved IDs. 80% of people affected were people of color. This is not a coincidence. Voter suppression must be fought. Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act must be restored. Polling place closures must be limited, and if they occur, voters must be informed in advance. Felony disenfranchisement, unfairly strict ID laws, and voter purges must be stopped. Demand action from your elected officials. And in this upcoming election? Vote blue, straight down the ticket. (Condensed from soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram.)
Bonjour vous-autres! I finally finished my first round of midterms (I have another in like,, two weeks,, but let's not think about that lmao). I really don't have much to say today other than that I hope you enjoy the chapter!
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The incident with Runaan and Ethari had been… disheartening, to say the least. Arguably unnerving. Definitely painful. Callum had remained on the floor with Rayla for close to ten minutes, and afterwards he had cleaned and wrapped his girlfriend's bloodied knuckles with bandages he'd found in a cabinet beneath his bathroom sink. They didn't talk about Runaan or Ethari for the rest of the night.
Rayla had informed him two days later that she'd nearly given Soren and Coach Zhou a heart attack when she'd shown up at the first football practice of the week with a bandaged hand. She'd also told him their reactions had been hilarious, even if she'd felt a little bad in the moment. Apparently Soren had passed the news on to Claudia - they were both staying with their dad over fall break - which had resulted in Claudia promptly texting Rayla in a panic to make sure she was okay. But her scratches and bruises were fully healed within a few days, much to the relief of everyone concerned about football. Including Rayla, who perhaps wanted KSU to make it to the championship most of all.
Now Callum was on his way to pick up his girlfriend from her dorm, as his dad had arranged reservations for the three of them - plus Ezran - at a nice restaurant. Harrow's excuse was that Rayla had not undergone the formal 'be introduced to her partner's parents at dinner' scenario. Which was true, sure, but Callum was well aware that the real reason was his stepdad simply wanting to check in on all of them. Ezran had a big presentation coming up in school after the break, Rayla was obviously nearing the end of the regular football season, and Callum himself had the art showcase Friday. Also known as… tomorrow.
He was not at all freaking out about the fact. Of course not! He was super chill. Completely unstressed.
Yeah, no. He'd never been great at convincing himself.
He knew, deep down, that the art showcase wasn't really a big deal. It was just an opportunity for people - mostly parents - to wander through different rooms filled with all the works selected for presentation. Artists would stand by their pieces and explain their inspiration or provide interesting facts about their art if so requested by attendees. Callum loathed the idea of having to interact with strangers, but at the very least he'd be talking about his art. He was grateful that he wasn't a senior, because some of the seniors whose pieces had been accepted were required by their professors to give speeches at the opening of the showcase.
His professor had congratulated him and given him ten bonus points for having his work accepted before calling it a day. Callum loved him.
Harrow was actually giving the final speech at the showcase - to conclude the introduction, or something equally ridiculous-sounding - and although Callum had made him swear not to mention him, he hadn't missed the glint of mischief in his stepfather's eyes. A glint he recognized all too well from Ezran's expressions.
Ugh. Ez was way too similar to their dad.
Callum turned his car into the parking lot of Rayla's dorm at exactly 6:30, as they'd arranged that morning. And sure enough, his girlfriend was already waiting for him outside, her phone in hand.
"Punctual as always," she teased as she climbed into the passenger seat. "You're the only person I can trust to actually come at the time you say you will."
Callum pressed a button to his left to lock the car, chuckling at her comment. "I've found Sonya to be pretty punctual, too."
"Ah, you say that now," Rayla chided, briefly glancing down at her phone as it buzzed in her hands before returning her focus to him, "but she's been spending a lot of time with Claudia lately, so Claudia's tendency to be 'fashionably late' might rub off on her."
He snickered. "What, you think it's contagious?"
"I think contagion is not a possibility to be discounted so easily."
Callum shook his head and started to take his car out of park, but paused, instead turning back to face his girlfriend. He needed a moment to appreciate her appearance.
Rayla wasn't someone who was opposed to dressing up - she simply prioritized comfort over style. Which didn't mean, of course, that she couldn't enjoy fancier attire every now and then. Claudia had gushed to Callum numerous times about how Rayla allowed her to experiment with different hairstyles and makeup on her.
Tonight she wore a short-sleeved, black crop top and high-waisted, white slacks, leaving just a sliver of skin visible between. He'd long since learned to stop asking if she was cold, because apparently Rayla was immune to chilly weather. He was incredibly envious of that ability.
"Why are you staring at me?" Rayla said, amused, halfway through typing a text.
"Am I not allowed to admire my beautiful girlfriend?" Callum teased in response. "How you wound me."
Rayla rolled her eyes, though she was smiling. "Of course you can, dummy." She tapped the clock on the dashboard. "But not if it makes us late."
Callum laughed. "Touché." He took his car out of park, looking over his shoulder as he backed out and turned around before pulling onto the road. "Still." He briefly glanced at his girlfriend, giving her a warm smile. "You look amazing."
Rayla blushed, one hand releasing her phone to reach up and finger the black ribbon tied around her ponytail. "Really? You don't think it's too much?"
"Definitely not," he assured her. "Besides, I'm pretty sure you could wear a potato sack and still be the most beautiful person in the entire restaurant."
Rayla snickered as she lightly shoved his shoulder, though she made sure not to hinder his driving. "You're just saying that because you're my boyfriend. But thank you." She winked at him. "You don't look too bad yourself. Red is a good color on you."
They'd been dating for months and the simplest compliment from her could still get him flustered. God, he was so in love with her.
Callum stammered out a 'thank you' before focusing fully on the road as he drove up to a difficult intersection. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Rayla had gone back to whatever message she was typing.
"Oh, you can put on music if you want," he said after a pause upon pulling up to a red light. He signed into his phone before offering it to her.
"Thanks," she said with a quick smile, accepting the device and placing it on her lap as she continued to text on her own phone.
Callum didn't really know how to feel about her constant texting during the drive to the restaurant. Obviously, he didn't think she was - she was cheating on him, or anything else so obnoxiously stupid. He was more confused than anything, because Rayla was often adamantly against being on her phone when she was with company. Unless everyone else was on their phones, of course.
Rayla must have noticed the way his gaze kept flickering between her and the road, because she sighed and offered him an apologetic smile. "Sorry. Claudia created a group chat for our calculus class to start sharing study materials for the final, and it's already getting kind of crazy."
Finals were less than a month away now - closer to being only three weeks, actually - so her explanation was not implausible. Far from it, really. Completely believable.
Yet… Callum wasn't sure he did believe her. It seemed like she was hiding something. He doubted it was anything bad or serious, but nonetheless, his curiosity was piqued. That said, he wasn't going to pester her into revealing the truth. He trusted her to tell him whenever she was ready.
"No worries," he said, turning as the light changed to green. "I get it. Group chats are a hassle." He gave her a crooked smile. "Have you considered muting it?"
Rayla laughed. "Many times, trust me. But I swear it isn't normally this bad." She swiped down from the top of the screen, tapping at something before turning her phone off and slipping it into her pocket. "No more distractions, though. Tonight is about spending time with you, Ez, and Professor Harrow." She grimaced. "That last one makes it sound weirder than it is."
Callum burst out laughing. "Don't think about it too hard and you'll be fine."
"Yeah. That's probably for the best." She shook her head. "Anyways." She gave him a knowing smirk. "So… You excited for the art showcase tomorrow? It's finally here!"
Callum had to fight down a shudder as anxiety surged through him. "Er… 'terrified' might be more accurate," he admitted. They were getting close to the restaurant now. "I don't do well in the spotlight."
Rayla gave him a concerned look. "Do you have to do any public speaking?"
"Oh, no. Nothing that bad." He chewed his bottom lip, turning onto the street that would take them to the restaurant. "I just… the idea of there being attention on me, even if it's 'good' attention, is still less than ideal. On a personal level."
Rayla nodded in understanding. "Got it. Are you sure you don't want me to head there early with you?" she offered. "I know I can convince Coach Zhou to let me out of practice -"
"No, you're fine," he interrupted. "You and Soren both need to be at every practice for as long as possible because you're so close to the end of the regular season. Besides, Claudia already said she can go with me early and will stick by my side for 90% of the showcase, so it's not like I'll be alone. I just…" He sighed. "Get stressed easily."
Rayla looked like she was contemplating further debate with him, but instead nodded a second time. "As long as you're sure." She gave him a comforting smile. "And for the record, it's all going to work out fine. Everyone there is going to be super impressed by your piece and they'll all realize in seconds that you're the most talented artist at KSU."
Callum could feel the blood rushing to his face at her compliment. "You're just saying that because you're my girlfriend," he said as he turned into the restaurant's parking lot.
She smirked at him. "But…?"
He sighed dramatically as he stole the spot next to the gray SUV he recognized as Harrow's. "But I love it, and you should do it more."
She laughed, leaning over to kiss his cheek as he put his car into park and removed the key from the ignition. "Not a problem."
They stepped out of the car at the same time, Callum locking it before putting his key in his pocket while Rayla walked around the front of the vehicle to join him, taking his left hand in her right.
Ezran and Harrow were waiting for them outside the restaurant, sitting next to each other on a metal bench. Ezran jumped to his feet when he caught sight of them approaching.
"Hey, guys!" he called with a cheery smile. "Over here!"
Callum was tempted to roll his eyes at his brother's eagerness, while Rayla appeared to find it endearing. Maybe that was why Ezran chose to pull Rayla into a hug while giving Callum the stink eye.
"It's great to see you again, Rayla," Harrow said with a warm smile, standing up from the bench. "Last time was… Ezran's birthday party, I believe?"
Rayla chuckled, returning Ezran's hug before turning to face Harrow. "Yes sir. Although Callum told me you watched the big game against Neolandia on TV, so I argue that halfway counts."
Harrow laughed. "Sure. That makes me feel like a more active presence in your life, since you're my future daughter-in-law and all -"
"And that is not a topic that needs expansion!" Callum interrupted, probably louder than necessary. Ugh. He'd known his dad would tease, but marriage? Really? They'd been together three months. "Let's get inside before we miss our reservations."
Harrow managed to cover his laughter with a series of coughs. "Yes. Right. Let's get inside."
Callum slipped his hand into Rayla's again, ignoring Ezran's delighted smirk and shrugging when Rayla sent him an inquiring look. He probably should have warned her about the incessant teasing they'd both have to endure over the course of the evening, but… Oh well. She'd pick up on it soon. If she hadn't already.
They entered the restaurant, and Callum was silently relieved to note that while people were indeed dressed nicely, it was nowhere near formal, so they weren't out of place. He'd been vaguely concerned that his stepdad had misread the description, but it seemed his fears were unfounded.
Rayla was nervous - he could tell because her shoulders were hunched forward some, making her appear smaller than she was. He gave her hand a comforting squeeze, and she relaxed, at least a little bit.
Harrow named their reservations to the hostess, who jotted something down on a notepad before leading them to a table near one of the corners of the room. Rayla's grip tightened on Callum's hand every time a shocked or disgusted stare was directed her way, but most diners seemed to mind their own business.
"Your waiter will be here momentarily," the hostess said, placing a menu in front of each of them before taking her leave when another group of people entered the restaurant.
They all looked over their menus, Rayla every now and then asking a question about an item when she didn't recognize a food. If Callum was totally honest, there were a few things he didn't recognize, either. He didn't exactly frequent upscale restaurants.
Because the place wasn't terribly crowded, given that it was a Thursday evening, they were able to get their orders in quickly and receive their drinks within a few minutes. Harrow had mandated that Ezran get water if he wanted dessert, much to Ezran's disappointment and Callum and Rayla's amusement. They had, of course, proceeded to get water with him in solidarity.
"So. Rayla," Harrow began. "What have you been up to lately? I know there's only three or four games left until the postseason."
Callum had to bite back a laugh at the way his girlfriend's eyes lit up as his stepdad mentioned football. Her passion was beyond endearing.
"Correct," she said with a nod. "Four games left until the playoffs, which we should be first or second pick for. It depends on if we win our last games and how difficult the CFP determines our schedule to have been."
Harrow raised an eyebrow. "Has KSU's schedule been particularly difficult this year?"
Rayla chuckled. "According to Claudia and Soren, yes. We've played more ranked teams than any other school."
"Which means that if you close out the year undefeated, you'll be basically guaranteed the top spot in the playoff rankings?" Ezran asked.
Rayla beamed at him. "Exactly! And that would be ideal, because then we'd be playing the bottom team in the CFP. Not that we'd be certain to beat them, but in theory it'd be easier."
"What if the fourth-ranked team is Neolandia? Unless they lose another game before the end of the regular season, KSU will be their only loss. And I doubt the CFP wants that matchup again."
Rayla made a sound like a disappointed hum. "Yeah, that's what Coach Zhou is worried about. But still. If we win the rest of our games, we should be ranked first or second. That's the best we can hope for."
"Well, we can also hope that Neolandia loses another game before the end of the season, that way they won't be in playoff contention at all," Ezran pointed out.
Their conversation was proof, in Callum's opinion, that Ezran had been spending way too much time with Claudia. His own understanding of football and the playoffs was still pretty limited to a game-by-game basis, and it could often be summarized as 'cheer for KSU, specifically for Rayla and Soren'.
Okay, maybe it wasn't so surprising that Ezran had already surpassed him in knowledge.
"If KSU makes it to the championship and wins it this year, that will be historic for numerous reasons," Harrow said after taking a sip of his water. "For one, it will be KSU's first championship victory since… 1958, I believe. But more importantly, it will be symbolic of cooperation between Katolis and Xadia on a non-political level."
Rayla nodded, absentmindedly stirring her straw in her glass. "Yep. Although I feel like media coverage will drag politics in, anyways."
Callum snorted. "I wouldn't doubt it."
"Speaking of Xadia," Harrow began, "has Callum told you about the progr-"
"Oh, look! Our food is here!" Callum interrupted loudly, earning a dirty look from the table to their left.
Rayla's attention was soon focused on helping the waiter pass out their plates, since she was closest to the edge of the table. Callum seized the moment to send his stepdad a stern frown, hastily signing to him, "Not yet!" because he couldn't think of another way to communicate without his girlfriend noticing. He fully planned on talking to Rayla about the exchange program, he did, he just… hadn't gotten around to it yet. His less-than-positive meeting with Runaan and Ethari still rubbed raw.
Harrow's eyes widened in understanding, and he quickly gave Callum an affirmative nod.
"Were you asking me something, Professor Harrow?" Rayla asked once they'd all gotten their food and the waiter had left. "I think I missed the end of your question."
Harrow cleared his throat. "Ah, yes. Right. I was just wondering… if you miss Xadia?"
Well… Not the worst cover-up Callum had ever heard.
Rayla blinked. "Oh. I mean, definitely. Xadia is my home, and sometimes I'll get a little homesick when I wake up and I'm not in my own bed. But it's not like I haven't been talking with my friends and family there." She chuckled. "To be honest, though, I think I may have made more friends here than I ever did back at the Silvergrove."
Callum had a feeling her situation had to do with the circumstances surrounding her parents' deaths, but he knew it wasn't his place to comment.
"Do you think one day we could go to Xadia?" Ezran asked, pausing with a forkful of noodles halfway to his mouth. "Because that would be super cool."
Rayla beamed at his question. "I'd love for all of you to come visit Xadia! Soren and Claudia, too, if their dad would let them. There's so many things I could show you in person. The things that pictures don't really do justice to."
Ezran sent Callum a knowing look, and Callum was suddenly hit with the realization that his brother had asked that question solely to get the gist of Rayla's preliminary reaction to the exchange program.
Damn. His little brother was good.
"Anyways," Rayla said with a wave of her hand, "I think that's enough about me. Ez, how's high school going for you? You're almost halfway through your first year now, right?"
Ezran wrinkled his nose in disgust. "It's okay, I guess. Most freshmen are still acting immature, even with midterms coming up. I bet half of them will fail."
Callum had to stop drinking his water for fear it would shoot out his nose. "Wow, Ez. That's cold."
"I'm just being realistic," Ezran said with a shrug. "But Aanya, Ellis, and I should all be fine. We've already started studying."
Rayla laughed. "Wow. I've barely started preparing for our finals, and I'm pretty sure we take those before you guys have midterms."
"Oh, that's another thing that makes me mad!" Ezran exclaimed. "I mean, kind of. I don't care that much about you guys starting winter break earlier than me, even though Callum will be really annoying about it."
That was 100% true. Callum was definitely going to rub in the fact that he'd get to sleep late while his brother had to get up early for school solely to take two exams a day.
"I'm upset that I'm going to miss Claudia's opening show because of our stupid midterm schedule!" Ezran frowned in disappointment, angrily eating his noodles. "I know it's just a pay-what-you-can matinee, but still. It's technically the first showing, and I wanted to go."
Rayla gave him a sympathetic smile. "Don't feel too bad. You'll still be able to attend at least one of her performances, so… not the end of the world?"
"And Claudia told me she wants us all to come to opening night, anyways," Callum added. "She said the matinee is just a fancy dress rehearsal and that the evening shows are usually better. Something about a more positive audience reaction…?"
Ezran appeared slightly mollified by his words. "I guess that's true. And it is Macbeth, so seeing the show at night will probably add to the drama."
Callum had no doubt about that.
The rest of the dinner conversation remained lighthearted, ranging from the art showcase the next day to Harrow's latest 'incident' with paperwork that had ultimately caused Opeli ungodly amounts of stress.
The poor woman. She deserved a raise, but the state legislature had been yet to provide one.
Ezran begged Harrow to let him order a dessert, which Harrow promptly countered with the point that they had jelly tarts at home. Callum noted with amusement that his brother didn't appear satisfied with the proposition, but he also didn't argue further.
Rayla offered to pay for her portion of the meal. When Harrow adamantly refused, she insisted that she at least be able to help cover the tip, which Harrow did - reluctantly - agree to.
"Aw, you're taking her back to her dorm already?" Ezran complained as they stepped outside of the restaurant and into the chilly November air. "Rayla, come to our house for a bit! We have jelly tarts!"
Rayla laughed. "Thank you, Ez. But I can't impose any longer. You've already given too much to me this evening."
"You're welcome at our home anytime," Harrow promised. "So while there's no pressure, Ezran is right that we do have a lot of jelly tarts."
Rayla still appeared hesitant. "Well…"
Callum did not at all mind the idea of spending more time with his girlfriend that evening. It was barely past seven. "Come on, Ray," he said, squeezing her hand. He didn't know why he suddenly introduced the nickname or if he even liked the sound of it, but he did enjoy the way Rayla's face dusted with pink in response. "It'll be fun. I can still bring you back to your dorm afterwards, no problem."
He didn't know what it was that convinced her, but she relented. "Alright," she said with a grin. "I wouldn't mind a good jelly tart."
Soon they were all at Harrow's house, sitting around the table with a plate of jelly tarts in the middle, happily munching away while Callum and Rayla recounted the latest story Professor Dupuy told them about their cat in Renaissance History.
"How much history do you actually learn in that class?" Ezran asked at one point, to which neither of them had a concrete answer. Apparently their silence was enough to convince Ezran that Renaissance History was a class he wanted to take when he went to college. Callum considered that a victory.
The conversation had long since shifted to whether or not Bait had a favorite kind of jelly tart and if he could even taste the differences between them when they were interrupted by the doorbell ringing.
"I'll get it," Harrow said, gesturing for them all to remain sitting as he left the dining room for the front door.
"I wonder who it is," Callum couldn't help but muse aloud, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Seems kind of late for an Amazon delivery."
"As if Jeff Bezos cares about his employees so much as to give them reasonable work hours," Ezran said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Callum. Don't be a bootlicker."
Rayla nearly choked on her jelly tart. "That is so quotable," she managed to get out amidst her coughing, waiting for them to subside before continuing. "Ezran, you are a gold mine of witticisms."
"Thank you, Rayla. It's my most admirable trait."
Callum started to retort with a silly comment, but he was interrupted by Harrow calling his and his brother's names before he could get more than a word and a half out.
"Ezran! Callum! Come here!"
Callum exchanged a confused look with his brother. "I guess it's someone we know?"
Ezran shrugged. "Only one way to find out."
They both stood up from the table, though Callum paused before leaving the room, turning back to face his girlfriend. "Will you -"
Rayla rolled her eyes, an amused smile dancing on her lips. "I think I'll be fine by myself for a few minutes, Callum. And you're only going to be, like, two rooms over."
She was definitely the voice of rationality and reason in their relationship. He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before following his brother out of the dining room and down the hall to the front door.
"Surprise!" Harrow exclaimed, a wide grin on his face. "Look who came into town early!"
Callum's eyes widened in shock as he saw who stood next to his stepdad. He found himself unable to speak, instead remaining slack-jawed as Ezran beat him to the punch.
"Aunt Amaya?!"
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;)
