#((your shins and kneecaps are not safe))

[epitomees]

"I dare anyone to try even lifting me off the ground, let alone chucking me just because I'm short."

[pursued-by-the-squid]

vi. wait for the green light

pairing: gi-hun x gn!reader x in-ho

word count: 9.3k

content warning: the games are finally beginning and i'm not shying away from the violence, so just be aware.

[ also, happy birthday in-ho!!! ]

ao3 | masterlist

Everything is painfully bright. You can see the lights through your eyelids even before you wake, but they’re still brilliant enough to hurt your eyes when you open them. For a moment, there isn’t much of anything beyond the sterile tint of fluorescent lights. And then, suddenly, there is everything.

The figure in your apartment, Gi-hun’s departure, the kiss – it all comes rushing back. You frantically push yourself up so you’re sitting and very narrowly miss hitting your head on a metal beam. “Oh, shit!”

Your hands fly up to shield your face while you simultaneously twist to the side, but the sudden shift in weight throws your balance off and you topple over onto the floor. Your shin rams into something hard and your tailbone aches when you land, but you’re otherwise unharmed.

“What the–?”

There’s a massive metal bunkbed looming above you, stacked five beds high and devoid of any personality apart from utilitarian despair. You see another one when you tilt your head back, then another and another, until your head is swimming. What kind of kidnapper has rows and rows of empty bunkbeds, and for what purpose?

You’re just about to spiral into a full panic attack when you spot a flash of teal green, then a splash of white, and suddenly there’s a woman kneeling in front of you. She has pretty eyes and the kindest smile you’ve ever seen, and stitched onto the breast of her jacket is a patch with the number ‘120’. She offers you a hand. “Are you alright?”

What the hell is she wearing? You glance down and practically crawl out of your skin, because what in the hell are you wearing? It’s the same outfit as hers – green zip-up jacket, green tracksuit slacks, white shoes, and white stripes running down your shoulders and legs – only your number is different. 457. Is that supposed to mean something?

“Hey.” Her voice is soft, Miss 120, and her touch is even softer, little more than a brush of her fingertips on your kneecap. And even though you’ve never met this woman before in your life, the contact is enough to soothe you temporarily. “It’s alright. Here.” Her palm is offered with a little quirk of a smile. “Take my hand.”

She pulls you up with a remarkable display of strength, damn near hoisting you off your feet instead of to them, but her other hand quickly comes to your shoulder to help you settle and find your balance. It’s only once you’re standing that you’re afforded a better look around, though there still isn’t much to see that you haven’t already taken note of. Rows and rows of bunkbeds, a swarm of green jackets, and too-bright lights that make your eyes hurt.

“What’s your name?”

“Huh?” You’re so disoriented that you’re finding it difficult to focus on any one thing, let alone whatever it is she’s saying. “I-I’m sorry, I’m…Where are we?”

Miss 120 shakes her head as her mouth tips into a slight frown. “I don’t know. I don’t think any of us know.” She casts her eyes about for a moment, cataloging the high rise of the ceiling and the glimpses of strange murals peeking out from behind the beds, before turning her attention back to you. “Did you play ddakji too?”

All your life, you’ve never thought it possible for the world to come to screeching halt. It hadn’t even done that when Gi-hun kissed you – oh God, Gi-hun. Where is he? Is he safe? Is he dead? No, no, wait, you can’t… you can’t think about that right now. Your mind is scrambling to make sense of what little information you have readily available and it feels like twelve separate traffic accidents are all colliding on the same city block inside your head.

Ddakji. She asked if you had played ddakji. That can’t be a coincidence, can it? Looking down at your jacket, you run your fingers over the stitched on ‘457’. The number is remarkably close to the one Gi-hun had given you once, the number that’s been taking turns with the dead recruiter haunting your dreams each night. This… can’t be right. The recruiter’s dead. While that hadn’t been Gi-hun’s end goal, surely that would be enough to get either himself killed or to put an end to the entire witch hunt, right? What more is there for Gi-hun or the higher-ups to do either than to kill each other?

But then, what else could this place possibly be?

“The recruiter,” you start, whirling around to look at Miss 120 once more. “The person you played ddakji with. Was it a man in a suit?”

Her frown deepens considerably as she nods. “Yes. Why?”

You press further. You have to know for sure. “The card. Did he give you a card? With the shapes on it?”

“Yes,” she replies, baffled, “didn’t you get the same?”

The room starts to spin around you, the ceiling tilting one way and the floor tipping the other until you’re stumbling backward into the metal frame of your bed. The games are real, then. You’d always assumed they were, assumed that Gi-hun was tortured enough not to lie to you about something so awful, but it was a distant fear that never came any closer than the printing of shapes upon a business card and a dead man in a suit. Now his words ring clearer than ever before – I was worried they’d hurt you because of me.

You run. It’s the only thing that makes sense. You have to get out of here before the games start. You are not killing anyone, no matter how much money they give you. You don’t need it and you don’t want it. You just want to go back home. You want Gi-hun back, you want–

The doors on the far end of the room open to show a line of men in zip-up hoodie suits, tall and ominous like the one who drugged you, only their hoodies are a vibrant pink rather than black. And just like that, your feet are rooted to the floor. Maybe they aren’t horrifically menacing to anyone else, but one of them wears the same mask as your attacker – all black with a white square. Is that him? The same one?

Where you had wanted to run only moments before, now all you want to do is hide. You push your way through the small section of people you’d already cut through to get back to your bed, back to Miss 120, anywhere so long as it’s as far away from those masked creeps as you can get. What if they drug you again? What if they drugged everyone else here? Your back hits the wall; it’s cool to the touch, almost uncomfortably so against the blazing heat of your neck and palms.

The man in the square mask takes a step forward. “I would like to extend a hearty welcome to all of you.” His voice is as modulated as the voice in your apartment, but you can’t tell if it’s the same person or not. Maybe it doesn’t matter, but it’s unsettling either way. “Everyone here will participate in six different games over six days. Those who win all six games will receive a handsome cash prize.”

The sign hanging above his head – a digital display of Hangul and numerals – feels as ominous as the square emblazoned on his face. 457. The same number on your chest. 457 people, all gathered together so they might kill each other for money. What kind of sick fuck would design something like that?

It seems you’re not the only one wondering, even if no one else in the room has any idea what it is they’ve stumbled into. Miss 120 speaks up first, then another person, and another, and another until the entire room is buzzing with whispered musings and mild accusations thrown in the direction of the masked figures. Everyone is wondering what the hell is going on and how these strange, masked men have any authority over their lives.

And then everyone suddenly stops worrying about it so much because, rather than offer a genuine answer, Square Mask offers footage – men and women alike, ddakji colors flashing in their hands, their cheeks bright red from slap after shameful slap, and a massive debt attached to each name. One of them is Miss 120 – Cho Hyun-ju, apparently, at nearly two billion won. There’s another poor soul with ten billion won in debt. Gi-hun was right, they really do prey on the most vulnerable people they can find.

How is this even legal? Is there footage of you too? Did the woman who approached you so long ago have a camera in her pocket so she could secretly record you? And why? Why would anyone want to watch footage of desperate strangers getting publicly abused? What pleasure could possibly be found in something like that?

“All of you in this room have crippling debts and are now on a cliff-edge,” Square Mask asserts. “When we first came to you, you did not trust us either. But as you know, we played a game and gave you money as promised. And so you trusted us and volunteered to participate according to your own free will. You have one last chance to decide. Do you want to live like a piece of trash, running from creditors? Or will you seize the last opportunity we are offering?”

The room devolves into further whisperings and murmurs as people start leaning in to one another. You, personally, can hardly believe a word you’re hearing. The manipulation feels so blatant – he’s literally calling everyone in the room garbage, goading them into participating so they can rise above the name calling and the weight of financial stress, and they have no idea. They don’t know they’re walking into a death trap.

Someone should do something, or say something. But who, exactly? You? Who else is there?

Before you can wrestle with yourself further, the lights flash and flicker into a dim yellow glow, casting the edges of the room into shadow. A large, glowing orb descends from the ceiling – only it’s not an orb, but a pig. Plastic, maybe, or glass, you’re not really sure, and at first, you’re lost as to why they would choose such a strange design. It’s wildly out of place. Then you hear the sound of a clicking lottery machine projected over the speakers and you realize it isn’t out of place at all.

It's a joke. It’s a perverted, twisted, fucked up attempt at a joke and it’s enough to make you sick.

45.7 billion won. The number is so mindbogglingly high that you can hardly comprehend it. You’re not even sure how much that would be in your home country, just that it’s a lot. Enough to pay off that one gentleman’s debts 4 and a half times with close to another billion to spare. That’s lifechanging amounts of money. And they’re just giving it away freely?

Not freely, you have to remind yourself. There’s a price to pay and it’s steeped in blood. Even if no one else in this room knows it, you do.

Someone should really say something, you just wish that it could be anyone other than you. There are 456 other bodies in this room, 456 people who could be saved if you just had the courage to speak up, but something holds you back. You’re terrified. You’re frozen in place by the icy chill of fear and uncertainty that clings to your bones. 456 people could easily rise up and overwhelm five measly guards, so why can’t you just say it?

You’re so intent on beating yourself up for your cowardice that you almost miss it. That voice. You don’t actually comprehend the words, you’re too dissociated to understand much of anything apart from the rush of adrenaline in your veins, but you don’t have to understand him to recognize him. Because you’d know that voice anywhere.

Gi-hun’s always had such a distinctive timbre. You could pick him from a crowd of lookalikes simply by asking him to speak, so picking him from a crowd of 456 is light work. You trail blindly in the direction it had come from, somewhere at the back of the room, lost among the rows of bunkbeds and metal platforms, looking at every face, every shock of short, dark hair, every gently sloping pair of shoulders until you find him. Because you have to find him. Because he’s here, he has to be.

Your hand lands on someone’s shoulder, someone who has that same tall and lanky stature, and his name is already on your tongue by the time they turn to reveal that they are not, in fact, Seong Gi-hun. You weren’t imagining things, were you? That was definitely his voice, you’re sure of it.

And then you see him. Cloistered among the metal bedframes with his face tilted toward the back wall. You don’t know what he’s looking at, you don’t care, because all that matters is that he’s alive. He’s here. You’re not alone, you don’t have to face this hellscape by yourself.

“Gi-hun!”

His head snaps toward you, his eyes wide and body stiff, and for a moment you’re left with only the ability to stare and to study. The face swimming before you is familiar and foreign all at once. The angles of his cheekbones are more pronounced in this lighting and his scowl more severe, but it’s really him. Your Gi-hun. And then you’re sprinting, throwing yourself into his arms and choking on his name as you cling to him, the only solid lifeline you have left.

“You’re alive,” you weep. Your hands won’t stop shaking as they grasp at any bit of skin or clothing they can find, desperate to keep him close in case you wake up and find yourself living in a world without him in it. “Oh my god, you’re alive.”

“What are you doing here?” he mutters, all gravel and breathy disbelief.

You’re trying to find the words to tell him everything, but they come out as incoherent babblings. “I don’t know,” you cry. “There was this man, and he grabbed me, a-and then I woke up and I–”

Something iron strong wraps around your bicep and yanks on you until you’re tripping over your own feet. A long, hard rod of metal slams into your spine as Gi-hun wrenches the two of you apart, his neck arched and his face contorted as he transforms into some wild and snarling beast. “What are you doing here?” he demands. He’s shaking you, his fingernails digging into your skin even through the jacket, and he’s everywhere, too close and too angry. “I told you not to come here! You promised me, [___]. You promised! What were you thinking?”

You shake your head, you try to protest, but he won’t let you. “Gi-hun–”

“I told you!” he growls, and no amount of flinching away is enough to give him pause. “Don’t leave the apartment, I said. Don’t go outside. Why?”

You’re clawing at him now, trying desperately to push him back and away, but he’s stronger than you ever gave him credit for. You’d always thought he was just some tall, lanky thing, all bark but no real bite. Now you finally realize how much you’d underestimated him.

“Did you keep the card? You thought you’d call the number and play when my back was turned?”

“I didn’t call,” you explain tearfully, struggling against his grip yet still failing to free yourself from his wrath. “I-I didn’t do anything. Gi-hun, please, you’re hurting me!”

His hand smacks into your chest, and he hits you so hard that the ache he left in your bicep disappears entirely. Your player number is caught in his fist. “What is this, huh? You think this is a Game you can win? You think this is fun?”

“Gi-hun!” you screech, and this time you summon enough strength to tear yourself free. Your palms slam into his chest and shove him backward several steps before your legs finally give out, collapsing you upon the very bed he’d pinned you to, and by then you’re both breathless and wide-eyed, gazing wordlessly at one another as if the other person has just grown a second head. “I didn’t keep the fucking card.”

“Then how?” he asks, his nostrils flaring when his chin tilts in your direction.

“I…” You close your eyes for a moment, thinking that maybe if you squeeze them tightly enough, you’ll wake up back in your own bed, far away from all the death you know is yet to come. It’s a pretty thought, but you know better. You wish you didn’t.

Because you can remember it all so clearly. You can still feel the hands on your skin, the rough gloves and the blinding, gut-wrenching panic that had settled in your bones. Here and now in the arena Gi-hun’s been trying to keep you from for the last two years, your body finally curls in on itself as it threatens to collapse.

“Someone broke into my apartment. They drugged me.”

You’re shaking your head, trying to fight back the memory, the horror, trying and failing to keep your head above the waves of despair lapping at your throat, but instead you feel like you’re drowning.

Gi-hun is there, his hands hovering over you but never touching. You think maybe he sees the way you flinch when he comes close, but you don’t have the strength to either forgive him or indulge him. “Did they hurt you?” he asks softly.

“I fought him, Gi-hun. I really tried, but he grabbed me and I couldn’t…” You think you’re going to be sick.

“Listen to me.” Gone is the spitfire and rage. Now there’s just Gi-hun, a bit softer around the edges than you’ve seen from him in weeks. It’s in the eyes, you think, or the way his brows purse when he dips his head down to catch your gaze. “I’m going to get you out of here. Okay?”

Glancing up through tear dropped lashes, you shake your head. “How? You said they made you kill people.”

“It won’t come to that,” he promises. “I have a plan.”

It takes every ounce of restraint you have not to laugh in his face. A plan? Really, that’s what he’s got? “You almost got yourself killed twice this year,” you snap. “Was that all part of your plan too?” Was showing up at your front door with three hours left ‘til midnight and kissing you part of the plan? Or was that just the act of a desperate man determined to die?

You hate that that’s where your mind goes. You hate that your life and the lives of 455 other people are on the line and all you can think about is whether or not Gi-hun really meant it when he kissed you. You hate that when he looks away, either out of shame or embarrassment, your gaze dips to the bow of his lips and you’re suddenly standing in the open doorway of your apartment, yearning for him to kiss you again.

“This is all part of his game.” He looks back at you and you tear your eyes away as fast as you can, your pulse leaping inside your chest. You really hope he didn’t notice that. “He knows I’m here to burn everything down from the inside and he’s trying to stop me.”

It takes you a moment to comprehend what he’s saying. “‘He’?”

Gi-hun nods as he starts surveying the other players. “The man running these Games, the Captain.” He falls silent for a moment, and the bed squeaks a bit when he leans his weight into it, one of his arms extended to press against the frame by your knee. “Things are different this time. The money – last time it was 45.6 billion won, and now it’s 45.7. Like your number.”

The patch sewn into your jacket suddenly seems to weigh more than the entirety of the planet. “Maybe he got more money this year?” It seems like a far better option than considering that you might be a part of this Captain’s plans.

“No. This is intentional. Now that you’re here, both the money and player count are higher. Even the rules are different.”

“So, what, he’s playing mind games with you?”

Gi-hun nods again, his expression deadly serious. “With both of us. He’s trying to get inside my head. He’s trying to scare me.”

You have half a mind to admit that it’s working because you think you might actually have a panic attack if you have to sit through a single one of these games, but you lose the chance before you can even grasp it. There’s a man pushing through the nearby gathering of players. He looks like any other man you’d meet on the street – kind eyes, a smattering of facial hair, a big smile – but the way that Gi-hun reacts when he sees him is comparable to what you imagine it might be to meet a ghost.

“Gi-hun-a!” the man exclaims as he scrambles up to greet him.

“Jung-bae-ya?” You don’t think you’ve ever seen him this shocked in his life. Well, apart from just a moment ago.

They collide just as Gi-hun rises to his feet. The other man slaps a hand on his shoulder as he draws him into a hug, laughing in total disbelief. They’re talking so fast – or at least, Jung-bae is – that you can hardly keep up with him.

“I thought that was you. I’d know your voice anywhere, you old–”

“What are you doing here?”

Jung-bae’s head tilts to the side. “What am I doing here? What are you doing here? I thought you were dead!”

Dead? Your attention snaps to Gi-hun, who has enough decency to look mildly embarrassed, though he doesn’t say anything to defend himself. You made peace with his quirks a long time ago, but the fact that someone he once knew also thought him dead is concerning. It’s not just you.

“No one's heard from you for three years,” Jung-bae continues, and God, he’s chatty. You’re trying to keep up with him while also processing everything he’s saying. “I heard your mom passed away. I had to hear about it from my wife! What kind of friend are you?” And then he’s spinning to point at you, his eyes wide. “We haven’t been here a whole day yet and you’re already trying to replace me? Is this just because I didn't lend you money? You had to cut me out?”

There’s a beat of silence while Gi-hun struggles to explain himself, but whatever he comes up with seems to fall short in his mind. In the end, he settles for a dejected sigh and a bashful shrug. “Ah, it’s not like that. It’s a long story.”

“Right. I can imagine, seeing as you're here.” Jung-bae scowls a bit, his eyes flickering all over Gi-hun’s face, searching for what, though, you couldn’t say. Likely whatever’s left of the friend he knew three years ago. “Still, you should've told me about your mom. You know how much she liked me.”

Another tense few moments pass as Gi-hun processes this. While you’re not entirely sure what specifically he’s thinking about, his mother or his mistakes, it’s very clear that he’s upset about this turn of events.

“Why are you here?” he finally asks. “What about your wife?”

Jung-bae flounders for a bit as his shoulders crowd inward. “We got divorced. But let's not talk about it here, yeah?” His focus slides to you momentarily. “When we get out, let's go for a drink and talk.”

At the mention of a drink, of actually getting out of here, Gi-hun’s eyes flash dangerously. His face, softened a bit with the weight of his affection for his friend, suddenly hardens and he grabs his friend by the collar, pulling him in so the three of you are crowded together.

“Jung-bae-ya, [___], whatever happens from now on, stay close to me. Both of you.”

You nod immediately. That’s all the convincing you need. Jung-bae, on the other hand, doesn’t realize how serious this is. After all, how could he?

“‘Stay close’?” he laughs. “That’s a bit melodramatic.” He looks to you for confirmation, as if expecting you to chuckle and nod along, only to receive a deeply concerned stare in return.

Gi-hun’s face warps once more. “Just do as I say!” he grits out. “I’m trying to keep you both alive.”

Your little nook is quiet for a long moment as the weight of Gi-hun’s words begin to settle. You know bits and pieces of what these Games entail – fucked up scenarios that twist your mind into something unrecognizable, friend pitted against friend, a detached sort of heartlessness that seeps into your bones – but Gi-hun has always been vague about the details. All this time you’d thought it was to keep himself safe from the trauma of reliving and recounting everything that happened, but now you’re starting to wonder if he wasn’t also trying to protect you. The look on his face seems to say as much.

Jung-bae is swiftly guided to sit beside you on the bed. He glances at you again, tries to smile at you, but you can see that he’s rattled, or at least confused. But by the time he attempts to ask anything more, Gi-hun is already crouching before you, his elbows braced against his knees.

“We don’t have much time, so listen carefully. Whatever happens out there, do exactly as I say. Understand?”

“But Gi-hun-a, out where? What is all this, huh?”

He swallows heavily, his jaw clenching, and then suddenly, he’s lowering himself so he’s kneeling, pressing his fingers inside his own mouth. You and Jung-bae both immediately recoil.

“What are you doing?” you ask, mildly horrified at the sight of Gi-hun gagging with his hands in his mouth. It’s… well, it’s…

“Fuck,” he spits a moment later, holding a –

“Is that your fucking tooth?” you exclaim, and it comes out much louder than you had intended.

He waves his hand absently in your direction, too focused on turning the tooth over in his trembling hands. You catch a glimpse of metal prongs and what looks like a hollow space carved out of the tooth, but it’s gone before you can make proper sense of it, caught in Gi-hun’s fist as he slowly slumps in defeat.

What the fuck is going on?

You’re leaning down to reach for him – his hand, his arm, his face, anything that will bring him back to you so he can explain, so he can help you understand – when his head snaps up and his eyes bore directly into your skull. “Talk to me,” you implore. “What is it?”

His eyes, dark and glittering, squeeze shut for the briefest of moments before he suddenly draws himself to his full height. With the way you’re sitting on the bed, it makes him appear mountainous and detached, soaring high into the stratosphere while you’re left at ground level, alone and confused and so painfully far away. “I’ll explain everything later–”

“But we might not get a later!” And that, at last, is enough to give him pause. He watches you pull yourself up and shuffle close. “You told me these games were deadly. What if something happens out there and–”

Gi-hun rests a hand on your arm, as gentle and soothing as he can manage under the circumstances. “Nothing is going to happen. Trust me.”

“I do. But you’re not making it very easy.” Your chin drops against your chest. “I’m scared. I don’t want to die.”

He shakes his head. “You won’t. I won’t let you. Stick with Jung-bae-ya and me, alright? We’ll keep you safe.”

Whether he’ll be able to or not remains to be seen, but you know Gi-hun well enough to know he means it. He’ll do anything he can to keep you safe. You just hope that fate agrees with him.

Player consent forms. As much as you despise the people running these games – the Captain, Gi-hun had called him – you have to admit that it’s smart. Many of these people will have already signed their bodily autonomy away in return for unpaid debts, so a blanket consent form with no real context isn’t going to matter to much of anyone. It’s nothing they haven’t seen before.

Your palms are clammy, sweat already slickening your skin as the player ahead of you departs. You don’t have any qualms about choosing not to sign – you have no desire to be here any longer, not even for a chance at 45.7 billion won. Besides, you already have all the money you could ever need.

“Player 457. Your signature has already been taken.”

Your head snaps up forcefully enough that you hear the joint pop. “What?”

The man behind the table inclines his mask to you – all black with a white circle – as if he were merely a polite, mild-mannered secretary breaking some unfortunate news. “Your consent form has already been signed.”

Maybe you’re not translating him correctly. Your Korean has improved a lot over the past few years, but there are still some gaps in your fluency. You take a step forward. “I haven’t signed anything. I didn’t even ask to be here. Gi-hun,” you start, turning to look at him over your shoulder, “I’m not hearing that wrong, am I?”

He shakes his head. The lump in his throat bobs just slightly, but Gi-hun’s focus isn’t on you. He’s glaring a hole into the head of the masked figure before you, his jaw clenched tightly enough that you hear his teeth scrape against each other.

The guard, however, doesn’t even seem bothered by either of your responses. “Rest assured, Player 457, that your consent form has already been signed and filed. Please step aside to allow the other players to sign.”

“No.” Your hand smacks on the table between you, hard enough that the discarded pen used by the previous player rattles and lolls to one side. “I don’t want to be here. I haven’t signed anything, so if you have something with my name on it, it’s a forgery.”

A quiet, creeping feeling has begun to swell deep within your gut. Gi-hun going AWOL last night was one thing, getting kidnapped and taken to the very games he’d told you about was another, but now being forced to participate against your will? It’s all horribly wrong.

“If you do not allow the other players to sign their consent forms, then we will be forced to disqualify you,” says the guard. “Please step aside.”

“Good! I don’t want to be here, and I’m not letting you sign me up for this shitshow without my actual consent!”

Already, the players lined up closest to you are starting to murmur amongst themselves. Some of them are staring at you, whispering behind their hands, and even a few of the guards have turned their helmets to watch you. That quiet, creeping in your stomach quickly turns to dread, hot and heavy and nauseating.

“[___].” Gi-hun rests a hand on your shoulder, his voice low and soothing, but you don’t know how he can manage that. How can he be so calm when your consent has just been ripped from your hands?

“Player 457.”

Your chest is suddenly tight. It… hurts. It hurts to breathe, actually. You press your palm flat against your sternum for a moment, your eyes fluttering wildly as you attempt to find your breath, to focus, to think, but it’s overwhelmingly difficult. The tracksuit itches at your wrists and neck, and the shoes are uncomfortable around the back of your heel. Your palms are getting sweaty again. And your pulse is skyrocketing faster than you can catch your breath.

Your name is called again, louder this time, and you know it’s Gi-hun, you know he’s trying to help you, but you can’t find it in you to hear him. You feel like a tiny sailboat adrift in a great sea of teal jackets and numbered patches. Everyone is watching, but not a single face looks familiar. Not a single face holds an ounce of pity for you.

“Player 457.” Your head snaps to the right, toward the voice, and you’re met with a massive wall of pink. It’s a different guard, you think. Taller. “Please step aside or we will be forced to remove you.”

“No,” you mumble softly, one foot already dipping behind you. The room tilts, and for a moment you’re back in your apartment, the room dark and shadowed, and you’re crying out for help because you’re about to be assaulted or worse. You can still smell the chemicals they drugged you with.

Something grabs you by the arm – to steady or to harm you, you don’t know – but you spin around in a blind panic, teeth bared, terrified and ready to fight when–

“[___].” It’s Gi-hun. Your Gi-hun, but he’s all wrong in this light. You don’t like the tracksuit on him, how the color clashes with his eyes and marks him as the same helpless, frightened animal that you’ve become.

“I didn’t sign it,” you gasp as you uncoil in his hands. “I wouldn’t, I swear!”

You half expect him to explode. It might almost be worth it to see him lose his temper, to give the bastards running this place a piece of his mind, but he simply doesn’t. If anything, he seems to freeze. You can see his hands trembling at his sides as they drop and curl into fists. He turns toward the Circle Mask, the back of his neck stiff above the collar and his shoulders tense. “Are you certain? You have the right player?”

The guard inclines his head. “Player 457’s consent form has already been signed and filed. We apologize for any confusion on the terms of your participation, but once consent is given it cannot be rescinded.”

Consent cannot be rescinded.

You cast your eyes about the room in daze. Most of the other players have taken to ignoring you now that you’re not making a scene, though you do receive several wary glances. You catch Hyun-ju’s eye for a moment – the only other person in this place you recognize, the only person out of 455 strangers to have offered you a bit of kindness – and she smiles briefly at you. You’re too upset to even attempt smiling back.

Consent cannot be rescinded.

You’re stuck here. You’re going to have to play. Everything Gi-hun has already told you about, every waking nightmare he’s been living with in the three years since his first bout of bloody games, is now going to become a part of your reality. The blood. The death. The bodies. You think of the corpse in the suit, his brain splattered on the wall, and you choke on your own saliva. Oh God, the bodies.

“Come on.”

His hand wraps again around your bicep, urging you to move even when your feet refuse to answer, although he’s mercifully gentler this time. You stumble blindly alongside him, not protesting, not crying, not able to summon a single thought apart from the realization of your impending doom. He guides you to one of the beds and forces you to sit.

“It’s going to be alright,” he promises, but the words are empty. They ring in your ears like a bell that’s gone sour with time and disuse. “[___], listen to me, you’re going to live. Do you understand me?”

You understand that you’re going to die. You understand that whatever comes next might be your last moments on Earth. What if they force Gi-hun to kill you? Or force you to kill him? What about his friend, Jung-bae?

“Whatever happens,” you can hear him say, “you stay behind me. If I tell you to freeze, you do it.”

When you don’t respond – too horrified by the notion of your own execution to do anything more than sit and wheeze – you notice Jung-bae lingering nearby. They’re talking about you, you think, but even if they are, you don’t have it in you to care. You know you’re going to die today and you’re trying desperately to find some peace of mind in the certainty of it, but all you can feel is the yawning, gaping pit of terror that’s opened up in your stomach.

The whiskey burns pleasantly at the back of his throat when he swallows. Normally he would be indulging merely for the sake of the drink, but he’s restless today, almost abnormally on edge. He could pretend not to know the reason why, but In-ho has never been inclined to lie to himself. The reasons for his uncertainty are displayed on the television with striking clarity. There’s no hiding from it now.

The first game isn’t yet in motion, so he takes the opportunity to study you. A review, of sorts, before the real test begins. He studies the footage of your capture the previous night with a hint of pride. Your strength is no match for his finest Manager, of course, but you’d put up quite the fight. After the bouts of vulnerability he has seen from you in the past, he wasn’t entirely sure you would have the mental fortitude to defend yourself; he’s pleased to note that the opposite is, in fact, true. And while he’s loathe to admit it, seeing you so quickly subdued after 456’s startling display of emotion only minutes prior is something of a balm for the grating ache in his chest.

Now that he hadn’t liked. Something dangerously sharp had stabbed through his lungs when he first saw it, akin to disgust but not entirely separate from anger either. Why should Seong Gi-hun be granted the pleasure of your kiss when, after everything he had killed and bled for, In-ho was left widowed and childless? Why should a man who had abandoned his own daughter to America and betrayed your trust countless times be allowed to have even the slightest glimmer of hope when In-ho has been the one to lose everything?

The Game is an equalizer. It is meant to offer no advantages or disadvantages, only opportunity, and yet Player 456 has somehow managed to survive an entire six rounds of gameplay, a bout of roulette with the most deranged recruiter under his employ, and has found both purpose and pleasure in simultaneously courting you and tearing In-ho’s empire to the ground.

And so, an idea had taken shape. It had started with your capture and blossomed into something more the moment 456 had stepped into his limousine and demanded to return. Rather than taunting Gi-hun with anonymous images of your gameplay, or even of your death, why not allow him to witness your destruction firsthand? Why not twist the Games in In-ho’s favor, just this once, to prove that there is nothing a deadbeat gambler like Seong Gi-hun can do in the face of human greed and bloodlust?

He'd watched you throughout the night, mulling over the possibilities as he nursed a bottle of whiskey. He’d watched you through the camera installed in your bedframe, watched your brows wrinkle as you slept, how your chest rose and fell beneath your jacket, and found himself inexplicably entranced. In the years he has watched you from your apartment, In-ho had never breached the privacy of your bedroom. That was a line he was uninterested in crossing, yet even now he finds himself wondering what details of your life he’s missed because of that decision.

How many hours have you spent pouring over Magritte’s book? How many hours have you dedicated to late night phone calls or messages exchanged with Gi-hun that he was unaware of? And that kiss… What else have you two been doing outside of his reach? What opportunities for manipulation has he missed out on by attempting to be gentlemanly, knowing full well the monster he’s already become?

He shakes his head and pours himself another glass. It’s better not to dwell on such things. The board is set, the pieces are eager to move, and the Front Man has a job to do.

Settling back into his chair, one leg crossed over the other, In-ho watches your player photo flash across the screen. Your eyes are devoid of emotion, the lines of your smile distorted into a flat expression that is so unlike you it makes him physically uncomfortable. It’s a remnant of your shock and horror, he knows, but the difference in your face is startling all the same.

He tries not to think on that either. Instead, he tries to recapture the contentment he has come to know during the Games. There is always death, there is always fear and greed; a cycle that never changes and never ends, and there is comfort in that certainty. He grasps it firmly with both hands and doesn’t let go.

Gi-hun’s reaction to the arena is expected, but enjoyable all the same. It’s an exaggerated rendition of the horror he’d displayed upon realizing his dental tracker was missing. In-ho almost wishes he had been the one to remove it, that his hands were suited for such a task, if only to revel in the knowledge of besting 456 yet again. But he finds that the satisfaction he craves comes in another, more surprising form.

He's never been sure of how much you were told. Likely vague ideas of heartless and bloody murder that have no doubt been tainted by Gi-hun’s irritating inclination for self-righteousness and self-pity, left to fester in your imagination. He’d seen glimpses of it earlier – the bobbing of your throat, the fear in your eyes, the wash of panic as you began to realize that you were trapped in his game, all the result of Gi-hun’s carelessness, not that either of you would ever see it as such. But the trepidation in your face as you stumble into the arena tells him that you know more than he first suspected.

This should be interesting.

What he doesn’t expect, however, is for Gi-hun to start interfering so soon. Perhaps he should have anticipated as much, but In-ho finds him to be something of a mystery. Every time he thinks he’s figured 456 out, the man turns around and does something unexpected like dyeing his hair, or abandoning his daughter, or taking in a stray. This time it’s taking command of the arena. A desperate attempt to save lives that aren’t even worth the effort.

“Don’t move! Everyone freeze!”

There’s a muscle in the corner of In-ho’s jaw that begins to tick. The whiskey suddenly tastes like gasoline, all traces of its usual bittersweetness erased in the wake of 456’s mounting victory. He’s not concerned – it’s been years since he’s felt anything, fear or otherwise, beyond the yawning void his soul has become – but neither is he foolish. Gi-hun may be a lucky scrap dug out from the garbage heap, but he is also a gambler and gamblers are dangerous. They take too many risks. They’ll crawl in the dirt like animals rolling in their own filth if it equates to survival.

A problem, he muses. A problem he may just be inclined to solve himself. After all, his hands are itching to wrap around something fragile and squeeze, and the urge is strong enough to make his breath catch.

The table clatters softly when he snags the remote from the center tray. The little display across the room lights up in shades of red and pale yellow, and In-ho swirls his tongue over his teeth as the music begins. He turns his gaze to you, to the small corner of the screen set aside for your live cam feed, and he finds himself wondering.

Your mouth is pressed into a thin, trembling line as you cower behind another player’s back, an old friend of 456 if he’s remembering the number correctly. A thin streak of blood is splattered across your ankle, but he can see no other signs of injury or contamination. Ironic, really. You would already be dead if he hadn’t given the order to spare your life.

In-ho swirls his glass in a slow, circular motion, studying the watery sheen of your eyes when a player falls dead on your right before finally downing the rest. He catches glimpses of you as he begins pacing around the room, can hear you screaming when Gi-hun does something particularly foolish and self-righteous, but it quickly becomes little more than background radiation. Another layer of music that curtains his thoughts as he strips himself of his Front Man attire.

The last thing he sees before rushing out of the observation room is your grief-stricken face and the gangling, flailing limbs of 456 as he stumbles over the finish line. In-ho catches himself smiling.

It’s quite a remarkable sight.

The chaos is overwhelmingly loud. Everywhere you look, there are people chattering, grasping at their friends or loved ones, weeping, conspiring in the shadowed corners. Everywhere are eyes too sharp and smiles too vicious, all pointed teeth and bloodlust. And oh God, the blood. You see it splattered on one player’s face, on another player’s shoes. When you walk, the soles of your feet are slick with half-dried blood caked in dirt. It’s awful. It’s so, so awful.

All this time, this is what Gi-hun had feared. This was the hellscape he’d escaped from, the very thing he’d warned you against. You’d known it was terrible, but now that you’ve seen it firsthand? Everything you’ve come to learn about him clicks into place.

He doesn’t protest when you curl yourself into his side, your eyes unseeing and your breath coming to you in stuttering phrases. It’s a small mercy. You think that if he had turned you away when you wordlessly reached for him, you would have burst into tears. Or even a mild panic attack. As it is, you’re already struggling to stay composed. But his presence is stabilizing and that’s good enough for now.

You don’t pay much attention to the masked figures when they enter the room, their garish pink suits at odds with the gruesome horror of this place. You simply burrow further into Gi-hun’s chest, nuzzling against his ribcage until he shifts uncomfortably and is forced to bend his frame around yours to accommodate you. The weight of his arm around your back is grounding enough to bring you back down to reality, to remind you that you’re alive.

People are crying, you soon realize. Not the same crying as before. It’s different now, they’re begging, pleading for mercy as they get down on their knees to grovel. But don’t they realize what they’ve done? They’ve signed their rights away, there’s nothing they can do now but accept the fact that they’re as trapped here as you are.

“[___].”

You’re blinking, staring at nothing in particular, when you suddenly realize Gi-hun’s speaking to you. Your head tips back slightly, your eyes bleary as you struggle to focus on his face. “Hm?”

His hands are curling around your shoulders, gently this time, as he prompts you to sit up and move off of him, only you don’t want to move. You want him to stay, to keep holding you. It’s not as scary when he holds you.

“Here. Jung-bae-ya’s got you,” he murmurs.

He passes you off like you’re a piece of bread or a bag of groceries, like you’re some inconsequential thing that he has to be rid of as quickly as possible, and you don’t understand why until he’s suddenly standing, staring down the masked men who have turned your life upside down. Some of the other players turn to look at him. Jung-bae rests an awkward hand on your arm and you try not to be rude and shrug it off; he’s only being polite, it’s just not what you want right now. It’s not Gi-hun.

“Clause three of the consent form,” Gi-hun announces suddenly, “‘the games may be terminated upon a majority vote.’ Correct?”

“That is correct,” says the Square Mask. He doesn’t nod.

“Then let us take a vote right now.”

There’s a bit of confusion between the decision to vote and the actual occurrence. As the shock and dissociation from the day’s events begin to wear off, you slowly become more and more cognizant of your surroundings. You note the decreased number of players and the newly accumulated prize money – 365 survivors out of the original 457 and a whopping 9.1 billion won.

A voting booth is displayed near the front of the room, designed to resemble a gift box with two buttons on display – a red X and a blue O to match the markings on the floor. Rules are announced, what each button means and how much money each player will receive should you all vote to leave now. (It’s ₩24,931,506 per person. You’ve never felt so thoroughly sickened by the thought of money before in your life.)

“If you wish to continue the Games, press the O button. If you wish to end them, press the X button. The vote will be held in reverse order of your player numbers.” The guard suddenly raises his hand and points to the back of the room. “Player 457.”

It takes you a moment to remember who Player 457 is. Gi-hun has to nudge you after several seconds tick by and you don’t budge. “Go,” he whispers, pressing his hand to the curve of your spine to urge you forward.

Everyone is watching, which only makes it worse. It’s not that you care what these people think of you because you know your own conscience, you’re not worried about your choice, but the memory of the game still lingers in the back of your head. With so many eyes on you, it’s almost like you’re back in the arena. One move and you’re dead.

“Aish, [___],” says Gi-hun, giving you another gentle push, “go. I’ll be right behind you.”

Maybe that’s what you were waiting for, this subconscious need for his permission. Whether you’re right or not, though, you don’t even want to guess. You just want this over with. You want to go home. The thought of crawling into bed in your own apartment is less appealing than it should be after being drugged in your own home, but at least it would be better than this.

That’s what finally gets your feet going. Home. Home with Gi-hun. A warm bowl of ramyeon, a movie, and his arm around your shoulder. You’re not sure that’s something he would ever want, but you allow the fantasy to persist anyway, if only because you can still remember the press of his lips over yours. It’s something to hope for, a light at the end of the tunnel.

“This one ends the Game, right?” You point to the red X button on your left. Now that it comes down to it, you’re illogically terrified of accidentally mistranslating every word spoken around you and pressing the wrong button, dooming yourself, Gi-hun, and every other soul in this room to another round of torment. “X means no.”

The guard nods. “Correct.”

You don’t even need to think about it. Your palm slams down on the button and the voting podium briefly flashes fully red before returning to normal. A patch is offered to you – a white X on a red background – which you proudly display on your right breast. Gi-hun is quick to follow, having already started toward the display while you were casting your vote, and when he joins you a moment later, your entire body goes limp with relief. He rests his hand on your shoulder, gives you an affirming nod and an almost-smile that you think you’ll treasure for the rest of your life, before guiding you to the designated waiting area.

You’ve both done your part. Now all you have to do is wait for the rest to follow.

If only it were truly that easy. While you were busy mourning the lives lost and yearning for home, many of the other players have been calculating. They’re greedy. You understand it to a point – life is never easy and money solves just as many problems as it causes – but you find it difficult to understand how anyone could choose to stay in the games after witnessing such a horrific and violent loss of life. Player after player chooses to stay. Young people likely around your own age, older folks with decades worth of debt, the awful man with the purple hair (not a surprise in the least), Miss Hyun-ju (it hurts your heart to watch – she seems so nice that her decision almost feels like a betrayal), all of them choose to stand in the blood and the gore for the sake of a little extra cash.

And when they aren’t dooming all the rest of you to unnecessarily violent deaths, they’re rioting at the slightest inclination of wisdom or sense. Gi-hun tries, he really does, to explain just how dangerous the games are. You can see it in his eyes how much it hurts him. The people who listen aren’t difficult to convince, but the ones who remain have hardened their hearts to anything he has to say, and that becomes a burden in itself. What hope had started to blossom in his chest and lift his shoulders is squashed the longer the voting goes on.

You want to take his hand and reassure him that everything will be fine, if only because the sight of his crestfallen face and haunted eyes makes you want to vomit what little remains of yesterday’s dinner, but it would be a lie. The only thing you’re capable of doing is waiting.

Ultimately, it comes down to Player 001. He’s been sticking to the shadows the entire time, the details of his face hidden behind other players and whatever uncertainties he carries with him. You catch a glimpse of his shoulder when he passes between the X and O groups, then the player number on the back of his jacket, but then he’s swallowed up by the crowd. Standing on your toes doesn’t offer you much more of a vantage point either, so you settle for leaning into Gi-hun and hoping for the best.

The room, once clamoring with competing voices all calling for their group to win, falls deathly silent. 001 pauses for a moment. If he says no, you get to go home. You get safety and freedom, you get Gi-hun, you get hope. But if he says yes…

Your eyes flicker to the scoreboard hanging overhead. A buzzer sounds when his choice is made and the number for the O team clicks up by one. All around you, your fellow players are groaning, hanging their heads in despair. Defeat rises up so quickly and so strongly in your chest that it feels like bile. Tears sting along your waterline as your surroundings grow blurry.

Somewhere in your vicinity, you think you hear Jung-bae attempting to comfort you and Gi-hun, but his words are hollow. Even grabbing for Gi-hun’s hand, clinging to him like some frightened thing lost in a storm offers little comfort.

When the sun rises tomorrow, you won’t be able to see it because you’ll be trapped here, forced into a game to kill or be killed, and you don’t even know if you or Gi-hun will be around long enough to survive to the end.

[ayushyaa]

Acupressure Techniques for Preventing Motion Sickness

Motion sickness is a common condition that affects many individuals, particularly when traveling by car, boat, or plane. It occurs when the brain receives conflicting signals from the eyes, inner ear, and body, leading to symptoms like nausea, dizziness, sweating, and a general feeling of discomfort. While medications are often used to treat motion sickness, natural remedies such as acupressure can be highly effective in preventing and alleviating its symptoms. In this blog, we’ll explore how acupressure techniques can help prevent motion sickness and provide a natural solution for travelers.

How Acupressure Works for Motion Sickness

Acupressure is a technique that involves applying pressure to specific points on the body, which are believed to correspond to various organs and systems. By stimulating these pressure points, acupressure can help restore balance to the body's energy flow and alleviate symptoms of motion sickness. This method is not only safe and non-invasive but also free from the side effects that can sometimes come with medications.

Key Acupressure Points to Prevent Motion Sickness

Several acupressure points are known to be particularly effective in preventing and relieving motion sickness. These points are easy to locate and can be stimulated using your fingers, a pressure band, or an acupressure tool. Below are the most commonly used acupressure points for motion sickness:

1. P6 (Neiguan) Point

The P6 point is the most widely recognized acupressure point for motion sickness. It is located about two finger widths above the wrist, between the two tendons on the inside of the forearm. Stimulating this point can help relieve nausea and reduce the feeling of dizziness that often accompanies motion sickness.

To apply pressure to the P6 point:

Use the thumb and index finger of one hand to find the P6 point on the inner forearm.

Gently press the point with firm pressure for about 3-5 minutes.

Repeat as necessary when symptoms of motion sickness arise.

You can also use acupressure wristbands that are designed to apply continuous pressure to the P6 point while traveling.

2. Stomach 36 (Zusanli) Point

The Stomach 36 point is located on the lower leg, about four finger widths below the kneecap, on the outside of the shinbone. This point is commonly used to improve digestive health and prevent nausea, making it an effective tool in preventing motion sickness.

To apply pressure to the Stomach 36 point:

Place your hand on the outside of your knee.

Measure four finger widths down along the outside of the shin.

Apply firm pressure with your thumb or fingers for a few minutes.

Stimulating this point before or during travel can help reduce the chances of feeling nauseous or uncomfortable.

3. Gallbladder 20 (Fengchi) Point

Located at the base of the skull, in the hollow area just behind the ear, the Gallbladder 20 point can help relieve headaches and nausea associated with motion sickness. Stimulating this point can also ease tension in the neck and head, making it a great option for those who experience motion sickness accompanied by dizziness.

To apply pressure to the Gallbladder 20 point:

Use your thumbs to locate the point at the base of your skull, just behind your ears.

Gently apply pressure in a circular motion for a few minutes.

4. Pericardium 3 (Shou San Li) Point

This point is located on the inside of the elbow crease, and it can help with symptoms of nausea and upset stomach. It is particularly effective when combined with other pressure points like P6.

To apply pressure to the Pericardium 3 point:

Bend your arm and locate the crease on the inside of your elbow.

Find the midpoint of the crease and apply gentle pressure.

5. Inner Wrist (Shen Men) Point

Located on the inner wrist, in the depression between two tendons, this point is used to relieve nausea and anxiety, common symptoms of motion sickness.

To apply pressure to the Inner Wrist point:

Use your thumb to locate the depression between the two tendons on the inside of your wrist.

Gently press for several minutes to alleviate nausea and dizziness.

Conclusion

If you're looking to explore the benefits of acupressure for preventing motion sickness, Ayushyaa Clinic- Acupressure Clinic in Bangalore is a trusted place to start. The clinic offers professional acupressure therapy, guiding you through effective techniques to relieve motion sickness and other discomforts naturally. With expert practitioners and a holistic approach to healing, Ayushyaa Clinic provides personalized care to help you feel your best, no matter where you’re traveling. 

[zany1122]

Knee Replacement Surgeon In Mumbai

Is it safe to say that you are battling with knee torment that restricts your versatility and holds you back from partaking in your life? Try not to allow knee to torment keep you down any more. Kapadia Clinics is home to driving knee substitution specialists in Mumbai, famous for mastery and progress in performing knee substitution medical procedure.

Our group of specialists are profoundly prepared and experienced in performing knee substitution medical procedure utilizing the most recent methods. We use the most recent progressions in careful innovation to guarantee the most ideal results for our patients. Plan a conference with one of our top knee substitution specialists at Kapadia Medical clinics in Mumbai and examine your therapy choices.

What is Knee Joint Substitution?

Knee joint substitution medical procedure includes eliminating harmed bone and ligament from your thighbone, shinbone, and kneecap and supplanting it with prosthesis made of metal compounds, polymers and high-grade gums. Medical procedure at the best emergency clinic for Knee Replacement Surgeon In Mumbai can assist with easing uneasiness and reestablish capability in seriously harmed knee joints.

When is a Knee Substitution Medical procedure Suggested? Joint inflammation is the most widely recognized justification for the reason for knee joint substitution. This incorporates both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid joint pain.

Knee inconvenience or firmness that keeps you from doing day to day exercises like strolling, climbing steps, sitting or getting off the seats. It very well might be hard for you to walk in excess of a couple of steps without encountering significant uneasiness, requiring the utilization of a stick or walker.

Knee substitution specialists in Mumbai ordinarily suggest a medical procedure solely after other less meddlesome treatments have been depleted. These may incorporate calming drugs, cortisone infusions, greasing up infusions, and exercise based recuperation (Physiotherapy). In any case, for those considering a medical procedure, it’s significant to ask about the knee substitution medical procedure cost in Mumbai to settle on informed conclusions about their medical care costs.

Sorts of Knee Joint Substitution Medical procedure

All out knee substitution: The joint surfaces toward the finish of your thigh bone (femur) and the joint surface at the highest point of your shin bone (tibia) are supplanted during the all out knee substitution medical procedure. The underside of your kneecap (patella) may likewise be supplanted with a smooth plastic vault during an all out knee substitution. Best knee substitution specialist in Mumbai like to save as a significant part of the regular patella as plausible.

Fractional (unicompartimental) knee joint substitution: The knee is separated into three compartments: the internal (average), the outside (sidelong), and the kneecap (patellofemoral). On the off chance that your joint pain has impacted just a single side of your knee, a fractional knee substitution, otherwise called a unicompartmental substitution, will be done. This strategy brings about quicker recuperation as it has less obstruction with the knee.

Kneecap substitution: On the off chance that the underside of the kneecap and its furrow (the trochlea) are the main parts harmed by joint pain, they can be supplanted independently, without the need of complete knee joint substitution medical procedure. This methodology is otherwise called a patellofemoral joint arthroplasty or patellofemoral joint substitution.

Complex or update knee substitution: In the event that you’re having a second or third knee joint substitution in a similar knee, or on the other hand on the off chance that your joint inflammation is serious, you might require a convoluted knee substitution. The stem on a muddled or correction knee substitution is in many cases longer, permitting the part to safely be put in the bone depression more.

The parts interlocks in the knee’s middle to shape a pivot for added security. To make up for any eliminated or significantly harmed bone, additional bits of metal as well as plastic might be utilized.

Knee Substitution Medical procedure Strategy: Sedation will be given to you for knee joint substitution medical procedure. Your clinical history and inclinations will help the specialists in choosing whether to give you an overall sedation or spinal sedation.

To help and to stay away from post-careful contamination, you’ll be given an intravenous anti-toxin previously, during, and after the system. It’s conceivable that a nerve block around your knee will be used to numb it. The deadness progressively dies down after the medical procedure.

Your knee will be twisted during the medical procedure to uncover all surfaces of the joint. Your specialist will make a long cut of 6 to 10 inch and will drive your kneecap to the side and removes the harmed joint surfaces.

In the wake of preparing the joint surfaces, the Knee Substitution specialist in Mumbai will collect the bits of the prosthetic joint. To guarantee ideal capability, the specialist will flex and pivot your knee prior to shutting the entry point. The method would require around two hours.

You will be accompanied to the recuperation room and the length of your visit after a medical procedure still up in the air by how well you are answering the therapy. Numerous patients are released and can get back that very day. The pain relievers recommended by the specialist will help in dying down the torment.

Kapadia Multispeciality Emergency clinic is prestigious as the best clinic for knee substitution in Mumbai. With a group of experienced muscular specialists and best in class offices, we offer first rate care for knee substitution medical procedures. Our clinic is furnished with the furthest down the line innovation to guarantee effective results and quicker recuperation for our patients.

For those considering knee substitution medical procedure, it’s fundamental to comprehend the expense in question. At Kapadia Multispeciality Clinic in Mumbai, we endeavor to give reasonable knee substitution medical procedure cost in Mumbai without settling for less on the nature of care. Our straightforward evaluating strategy guarantees that patients know about all expenses forthright, permitting them to come to informed conclusions about their medical care. Reach Us today to plan a counsel with our master muscular specialists and study our knee substitution medical procedure choices. Recover portability and work on your personal satisfaction with the best knee substitution medical procedure in Mumbai.

Venture out towards an aggravation free existence with our Free Counsel offer. Our specialists will evaluate your condition, examine your treatment choices, and assist you with coming to an educated conclusion about your knee substitution medical procedure in Mumbai.

[painrelief123]

How to get relief from Knee pain relief

Source:-url

Knee pain relief is common complaint that affects people of all age.knee pain relief may be the result of an injury, such as a reputed ligament torn cartilages Medical conditions includes arthritis Knee pain relief  can have causes that aren’t due to underlying disease.Examples include heavy physical activity,lack of use, injuries such as sprains or strains, sitting in a  

Constrained area or sitting on knees for a prolonged period

 

Treatment

         SELF-TREATMENT

   Losing weight may help relieve long-term knee pain relief.

    For new pain relief , resting,applying ice several times a day,

 Keeping the injured area elevated and wrapping the area with an elastic bandage may help. Avoiding squatting and climbing stairs may also help. 

SEEKING MEDICAL CARE

See a doctor immediately if you;

Heard popping sound when your knee was injured

Notice your knee looks deformed 

Feel severe pain relief

Have sudden swelling 

Can’t use your knee

Rest your knee. Take a few days off from intense activity

Make an appointment to see a doctor if you:

Also have redness ,swelling , warmth or  significant pain relief

Develop a fever

Feel constant pain relief

Notice your pain relief getting worse

Diagnosis 

 During the physical exam, your doctor is likely to:

Inspect  your knee for swelling, pain relief,tenderness ,warmth and visible bruising 

Check to see how far you can move your lower leg in different directions

Push on or pull the joint to evaluate the integrity of the structures in your knee

You can do many things to help knee pain relief  whether it’s due to a recent  injury or arthritis you've had for years.

Follow these 11 dos and don’ts to help your knees feel their best.

Don’t rest too much. Too much rest can weaken your muscles, which can in turn increase reinjury. Find an exercise program that is safe for your knees and stick with it . If you're not sure which motions are safe or how much you can do, talk with your doctor or a physical therapist. 

Do exercise.Cardio exercise strengthen 

The muscles of the heart, but not the joints.it is weight training mixed with keeping your muscles limber. Cardio is important for keeping your weight stable and 

Knee pain relief and problems

Knee pain relief is a common complaint among adults and most often associated with general wear and tear from daily activities like walking , bending, standing and lifting. Athletes who run or play sports that involve jumping or quick pivoting are also more likely to experience knee pain relief and problems. But whether an individual’s knee pain relief is caused by aging or injury, it can be a nuisance and even debilitating in some circumstances.

Brief anatomy of the knee 

The knee is  a vulnerable joint that bears a great deal of stress from everyday activities, such as lifting and kneeling, such as jogging and aerobics.

The knee is formed by the following parts:

 Tibia. This is the shin bone or larger bone of the  lower leg.

  Femur. This is the thingbone or upper leg bone. 

Patella. This is the kneecap.

Each bone end is covered with a layer  of cartilage that absorbs shock and protects the knee , including the quadriceps muscles (located on the back of the things), which bend the leg at the knee.

Tendons are tough cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones. Ligaments are elastic bands of tissue that connect bone to bone. Some ligaments on the knee provide stability and protection of the joints, while other ligaments limit forward and backward movement of the tibia (shin bone). 

Cause 

Knee  pain relief can have different causes. Being overweight puts you at greater risk for knee problems. Overusing your knee can trigger knee problems that cause pain relief. If you have a history of arthritis, it could also cause knee pain relief.

MEDICAL CONDITION 

Arthritis–including rheumatoid arthritis , osteoarthritis, lupus, and gout 

Baker cyst – A fluid-filled swelling behind the knee that may occur with swelling 

(inflammation) from other causes, such as arthritis

Cancers that either spread to your bones or begin in the bones

Osgood-Schlatter disease

Infection in the bones around the knee

Infection in the knee joint.

What is chronic knee pain relief?

Chronic knee pain relief is long-term pain relief, swelling, or sensitivity in one or both knees. The cause of your knee pain can determine the  symptoms you experience. Many conditions can cause or contribute to chronic knee pain relief, and many treatments exist.Each person’s experience with chronic knee pain relief will be different.

What causes chronic knee pain relief? 

Temporary knee pain relief is different from chronic knee pain  relief. Many people experience temporary knee pain relief as a result of several causes or conditions. 

Physical conditions or diseases can cause knee pain relief. These include.

Osteoarthritis: pain relief, inflammation, and joint destruction caused by degeneration and deterioration of the joint 

tendinitis: pain relief in the front of the knee that is made worse  when climbing, taking stairs, or walking up an incline

bursitis: inflammation caused by repeated overuse or injury of the knee

Chondromalacia patella: damaged cartilage under the kneecap

gout: arthritis caused by the buildup of uric acid

Baker’s cyst:a buildup of synovial fluid (fluid that lubricates the joint) behind the knee

Meniscus tear:a rupture in one or more of the cartilage in the knee

[maxprofitness]

3 Common Injuries for Runners and How to Avoid Them

Running is a fantastic way to stay fit and enjoy the outdoors, but it can also lead to injuries if not done correctly. Here are three common injuries that runners often face and how to avoid them to keep your running routine safe and effective.

1. Runner's Knee (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome)

Symptoms: Pain around the kneecap, especially when going up or down stairs, squatting, or sitting for long periods. Prevention:

Strengthening Exercises: Incorporate strength training exercises for your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes to support your knee.

Proper Footwear: Invest in quality running shoes that provide good support and cushioning. Consider using orthotic inserts if you have flat feet or overpronate.

Gradual Increase in Intensity: Avoid sudden increases in running distance or intensity. Gradually build up your running routine to prevent overuse.

2. Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)

Symptoms: Pain along the inner edge of the shinbone, often caused by repetitive stress on the bone and connective tissues. Prevention:

Proper Warm-Up: Always start your run with a proper warm-up and include dynamic stretches to prepare your muscles.

Surface Variety: Try to avoid running on hard surfaces like concrete. Mix up your running routes to include softer surfaces such as grass or dirt trails.

Strength Training: Strengthen your lower legs, particularly the calves and the muscles around the shin.

3. Achilles Tendinitis

Symptoms: Pain and stiffness along the Achilles tendon, usually felt in the morning or after activity. Prevention:

Gradual Increase in Activity: Slowly increase your running distance and intensity to avoid overloading the Achilles tendon.

Stretching and Strengthening: Regularly stretch your calves and strengthen the muscles in your lower legs.

Proper Footwear: Use supportive shoes that fit well and provide adequate heel cushioning.

Additional Tips:

Cross-Training: Incorporate cross-training activities such as cycling, swimming, or using fitness equipments like the Welcare elliptical cross trainers to reduce the repetitive strain on your running muscles.

Rest and Recovery: Ensure you get enough rest between running sessions to allow your body to recover and prevent overuse injuries.

By following these preventive measures, you can significantly reduce the risk of common running injuries and enjoy a safer, more enjoyable running experience.

[orthopedicsurgeon1]

Total Knee Replacement Surgery: What You Should Know

If your knee is severely damaged due to osteoarthritis or an old injury, basic activities like walking or climbing stairs might become challenging. There are moments when pain could even be experienced while resting on a bed or chair.

When treatments like pain relief medications, injections, physical therapy, or crutch use no longer provide relief, doctors may consider total knee replacement surgery. This surgical intervention is effective in alleviating pain, correcting leg alignment issues, and enabling a return to daily activities without discomfort.

Understanding the Necessity for Total Knee Replacement

Total knee replacement surgery is a proven and safe procedure for addressing persistent knee pain. It restores proper leg alignment and facilitates a return to daily activities without pain. The primary cause of enduring knee discomfort and limited functionality is often osteoarthritis, particularly age-related osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post-injury osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis: This condition commonly affects individuals over the age of 50, leading to the wearing away of cushioning cartilage in the knee, resulting in bone friction and discomfort.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Inflammation of the joint membrane causes cartilage damage, leading to pain and stiffness.

Post-traumatic Osteoarthritis: Cartilage may be affected after traumas like knee fractures or ligament tears, resulting in long-term knee pain and impaired function.

The Surgical Process

The total knee replacement procedure involves four fundamental steps:

Bone Preparation: Damaged cartilage and a portion of the underlying bone are removed from the ends of the thigh and shin bones.

Metal Implant Placement: Metal components replace the removed cartilage and bone to recreate the joint's surface, often cemented with specialized cement.

Patella Replacement: The underside of the kneecap is replaced with a plastic button, a decision based on the surgeon's expertise.

Spacer Insertion: A robust plastic piece is inserted between metal parts to create a smooth and functional outer layer.

Is Total Knee Replacement Right for You?

The decision to undergo total knee replacement surgery should be a collaborative decision involving you, your family, your general practitioner, and your orthopedic surgeon. Your doctor may recommend consulting an orthopedic surgeon to assess whether this surgery could be beneficial for you.

When Surgery is Recommended

Several factors may warrant knee replacement surgery, including:

Flexed knee due to severe osteoarthritis.

Limiting knee pain or stiffness during daily activities.

Persistent knee pain and swelling unresponsive to conservative treatments.

Ineffectiveness of previous treatments like anti-inflammatory drugs or physiotherapy.

Knee deformity requiring prosthetic surgery to realign limbs.

While age or weight is not strict criteria for knee replacement surgery, excess weight can impact implant longevity. Although most candidates are aged 50-80, the decision is based on pain and disability, not age.

Setting Realistic Expectations

A crucial aspect of deciding on total knee replacement surgery is understanding what the procedure can and cannot achieve. While over 90% of those who undergo knee replacement report a significant reduction in knee pain and improved daily activities, the prosthetic knee may wear down over time with repeated use.

Potential Post-Surgery Issues

While complications after total knee replacement are generally low, there are potential issues:

Infections: Infections can occur in the wound or around the prosthesis, requiring antibiotic treatment or, in severe cases, additional surgery.

Blood Clots: Formation of blood clots in leg veins is a common issue, with preventive measures such as leg elevation, early exercises, support stockings, and blood-thinning medications.

Problems with the Implant: Despite advancements, implants may wear down or become loose, requiring future interventions.

Persistent Pain: A small percentage of patients may experience ongoing pain after surgery, with causes sometimes challenging to determine.

Neurovascular Injuries: Rare but possible injuries to nerves or blood vessels around the knee during surgery.

Conclusion

In the journey towards total knee replacement, understanding the benefits and potential complications is vital. This guide has illuminated the intricacies of the procedure, from addressing chronic pain to restoring mobility. Individual experiences may vary, so approaching this decision with caution and consultation with medical professionals is essential. Seeking guidance from orthopedic experts ensures personalized insights, helping you make an informed decision tailored to your unique needs. By relying on skilled professionals, you can embark on a path towards an improved quality of life with reduced discomfort.

To know more,  visit https://www.drganeshnavaneedhan.com/blog/demystifying-total-knee-replacement-surgery-what-to-expect/

[dreamerstreamer]

Telltale Talent

Pairing: Dream / Clay x gn!reader

Summary: [Dream SMP!AU] When Dream tries to teach you how to spar, he learns that you’re more than what meets the eye.

Word Count: 2.1k

A/N: this was requested by an anon who wanted a fun sparring practice with a surprise! here’s to the first fic of 2021, and i hope you enjoy <3

Clay stared down at the map on his desk, his fingers curling tighter around the quill in his hands. A mess of scribbles and circles gazed back up at him as he made another mark. He bit back the sigh that threatened to escape his throat, his brow twitching.

You were doing it, again.

He could feel your eyes on him from the other side of the room, practically boring a hole through his skull. He clenched his jaw, chewing on his lip as he tried to focus his attention on the map lying before him. If you were going to do what he thought you were going t—

At that exact moment, you opened your mouth, but he spoke before you could.

“No.”

Almost immediately, a whine flew from your lips, and you thrashed your legs in annoyance. “What?! Why not?” You frowned, determination etched into your features. “It’ll be a good experience!”

This time, he actually did sigh, lifting his head to look at you dead on, balancing his quill between his fingers. “For one, it’s not like you’re not going to go into battle, anyway.”

Your frown deepened, a line forming between your brows as you shot him a longing look. “That doesn’t mean you still can’t teach me how to spar.”

He pursed his lips, his tongue poking at the inside of his cheek. “There’s no need to.”

For a few seconds, you simply stared at one another, your eyes swimming with resolve as he grimaced. Then your face lit up, and you shot your arm into the air, making him jump. 

“Self-defence!” you shouted, your entire body practically glowing with hope. “If you teach me how to spar, then I could use it for self-defence purposes.” Before he could open his mouth to retort, you cut him off with a cold look. “Clay, you can’t tell me that there’s no chance that I won’t ever have to defend myself—you just can’t.”

Clay blinked at you, glowering. You weren’t wrong, per se. He didn’t want to acknowledge it, but there was still a very real possibility that at any point, you could be in danger, regardless of whether or not you were on the battlefield. It wasn’t that he didn’t think you were capable of keeping yourself safe, but teaching you how to fight would mean having to admit that there may come a time where he couldn’t be there for you.

The mere thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He stared at you for a long moment, taking in the sight of your pleading face and clenched hands, your eyes desperately searching his. Then, he sighed once more, setting his quill down in its holder. “Fine.”

You let out a delighted squeal, springing to your feet before bounding over to his desk. Bending over, you pressed a quick peck to his cheek. His heart skipped a loving beat in his chest, and his cheeks flushed pink.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, Clay!” you cried, flashing him a bright grin as you pulled back. Your eyes curved into crescent moons as you giggled with glee. “You won’t regret this, I promise!”

He rested his head on his hand as he watched you cheer to yourself, pumping your air in a successful dance. A small smile flitted across his face, his emerald eyes crinkling at the corners as his map lay forgotten on the desk.

Oh, who was he kidding? You were far too cute to say no to, even if he wanted to.

“So, what’s first?”

He hummed, tucking a hand under his chin. Above you, the midday sun beat down on you both, the clouds watching with eager eyes as Clay paced around the clearing.

He was lucky to have found a spot within the forest that was both open and had plenty of soft grass. This way, you’d have a proper spot to practice while also having some semblance of cushioning beneath you in case you fell. As much as he wanted to simulate a real fight scenario for you, he didn’t want you to actually get injured. He could hardly manage to keep his cool when you got a simple scrape on your finger—there was no way he’d remain calm if you got hurt in a fight, practice or not.

His steps suddenly came to a halt, and he turned on his heel to look at you with a thoughtful glance. “Before we even properly start practicing,” he began, raising two fingers, “there are two things you should know and remember.”

Your eyebrows knit together as you let out a small whine, your shoulders sinking at your side. “Aw, is this a lecture?” You frowned. “I just want to skip to the fun part, already.”

Clay rolled his eyes as shook his head, but you didn’t miss the tiny smile on his lips as he wagged his fingers at you. “Ah, ah, ah. I’m the teacher here, so you better pay attention.”

You shot him a sour look, then quietly grumbled, “Well, you’re not a very fun teacher.”

He scowled at that, placing a hand on his hip. “We’re getting there!” His gaze softened, and his tone grew gentle as he offered, “Let’s just do this first, okay? I promise I’ll keep it short, and you will get to try a real spar, today.”

Your frown was slowly replaced by a smile, and you sent him a keen look, shifting forward onto your toes. “Okay.”

He grinned, taking a few steps back from you until he was standing on the opposite side of the clearing. “Good. First,” he said, pointing his two fingers at his eyes then to yours, “never take your eyes off your enemy.” He cocked his head as he lowered his arm. “It may seem obvious to you, but you’d be surprised by how often people forget in the heat of the moment.”

Your gaze was serious when you nodded, and he was almost taken aback by how quickly your demeanour had changed. “I can do that.”

He blinked for a second, then sent you another encouraging smile. “Perfect. Second,” he carried on, pointing downward, “remember that your feet exist.”

“Okay—wait.” You froze, your eyebrows furrowing together as confusion flickered across your face. “What?”

He chuckled at your confused expression, dropping his arm. “I know it sounds dumb, but it’s true! You see,” he explained, tapping a finger against his temple, “the human brain is kind of dumb, and a lot of the time when it comes to fights, a person’s first instinct is to focus on their enemy’s hands and immobilize them.” He raised his hand toward you, curling it into a tight fist. “After all, they are pretty effective weapons. But your feet can be just as, if not more, powerful.” His gaze darted back to yours. “Do you follow?”

Slowly, you nodded, your eyes staring directly at his knuckles. “In the same way,” he continued, “it’s also good to remember that your elbows and knees are two of the strongest parts of your body.” He raised one hand, the other reaching over to tap his elbow. “Don’t be afraid to use them, because they can be especially useful.”

Your lips parted as you bobbed your head. He could practically see the gears churning in your head, and he almost wanted to coo at how focused you looked. “Feet, elbows, knees,” your murmured quietly to yourself, huffing. “Got it.”

He dropped his arm, his lips quirking. “Awesome.” He turned slightly to the side, shifting his weight onto his back foot. “Now that the so-called boring part is done, do you just want to give it a first go and try a practice fight? First person to knock the other person over wins.”

Your eyes lit up, and for a split second, Clay could have sworn he saw something dark flicker through your gaze. But it was gone as soon as it had appeared, and he was soon blinded by your dazzling grin. “Sure!”

His expression mirrored yours as he brought his arms up in front of him, his hands forming fists. In front of him, your eyes quickly scanned him up and down, and you slowly moved to copy his stance. He felt a tinge of satisfaction shoot through him. You were a fast learner.

“I’m ready when you are,” he called, cracking his neck with a grunt.

Your eyes narrowed, your tongue darting out to wet your lips, and for a moment, all was still.

Then, in a flash, you were charging toward him, stopping only just in front of him to throw your fist at his skull. He smiled at your earnest effort, quickly twisting to the side. You nearly toppled forward when your fist met empty air, and he reveled in your widening eyes. A split second later, you leapt back, swinging your left leg up and into his side. But just before your shin made impact with his hoodie, he lifted his arm, his hand quickly latching onto your ankle and holding it in place.

“Ooh, nice try, sweetheart,” he hummed, shooting you a crooked grin. He drank in the shocked look on your face as his expression grew a fraction darker and his grip on your ankle tightened.

“But not nice enough.”

He swiftly threw down your foot, watching as you stumbled back at the force. You didn’t get the chance to regain your balance before he was suddenly looming beside you, his fist flying toward your nose. With a yelp, you ducked, your arm shooting above your head to grab his arm in midair. He blinked as your fingers dug into his sweater, curling tightly into the fabric. Then, a devious grin crept onto his face.

As much as you may try, he had the upper hand when it came to brute strength.

But to his shock, he felt something sharp and hard slam into his gut, knocking the air straight out of his lungs. He quickly back-pedaled, but your hold on his sleeve didn’t let up. He only barely caught a glimpse of your kneecap before you stepped behind him, twisting his arm around and pinning it to his back. Just then, he felt something brush against his ankle.

No way.

In the blink of an eye, his legs were flying out beneath him, and he was flipping into the air. With a thud, he slammed into the ground, a dull ache shooting through his back as the grass cushioned his fall. Before he could even react, you quickly placed your foot on his chest, keeping him thoroughly pinned down.

His eyes were the size of saucers as he took in your half-shaking figure, your eyes trained on his fallen form. You panted above him, your fists slowly uncurling. “Was—was that good?”

Clay gaped at you, his head spinning with what you’d just done. You had just knocked him, a trained soldier and practiced assassin, flat on his back with practically no instructions whatsoever. He had only given you two—well, two and a half—simple tips before putting you on the spot, and you still managed to take him down.

There was no sugarcoating it—you were a prodigy. 

If he wasn’t in love with you before, then he definitely was, now.

Pride swelled in his chest as he closed his mouth, swallowing. He stared at you for a moment longer before shaking his head free from his reverie. He couldn’t wait to teach you more.

“[Y/N],” he breathed, his lips stretching into an awed grin, “you’re amazing.”

You blinked, pointing to yourself in surprise. “I-I am?”

He nodded without even an ounce hesitation, his grin growing even wider. “Very.” With a small grunt, he pushed himself back onto his feet, dusting off his behind before turning back to you. “Now,” he said, “do it again.” His eyes glinted with something akin to mischief. “I won’t go easy on you this time.”

You tilted your head at him as a devilish smile of your own tugged at your lips. “In that case, neither will I.”

He raised a brow at you, but he couldn’t stop the affection bubbling up in between his lungs. He felt his heart beat faster as you settled into a fighting stance, your arms raised in front of you. “That’s the spirit.”

Your eyes locked onto each other, and for a moment, all was still.

Then, you came barreling towards him, your eyes glimmering in the sunlight. His lips curled into a smirk as he raised his foot.

Perhaps teaching you to fight wasn’t too bad of an idea, after all.

[onyxgabriel]

Pot of Gold: New friends and new names

One recap later...

Jaune: ...And that’s what happened.

Jaune just finished telling his story on how he met the pups, while his friends, mainly Weiss, Ruby, Nora and Yang kept on bombarding the puppies with affection. Safe to say that the four girls were absolutely livid that someone would abandon these sweet babies. Oh and Zwei was also there, he wants to meet his new playmates and possible siblings.

Weiss: THE NERVE OF SOME PEOPLE!

Her loud screeching made the pups flinch in fright. Thankfully, Weiss noticed this.

Weiss: baby voice Oh  I’m sorry little guy, mommy Weiss is just mad that there are despicable sacks of disappointment would leave precious little angels like you! Whose a good boy, yes you are!

Weiss reassured and cradled one of the puppies in her arms like a baby and giving belly rubs and scratches.

Jaune: ‘Wait, did she just call herself-’

Jaune was cut off by Nora.

Nora: Yeah! I wanna break their kneecaps!

Damn it, Nora...

Ren: Nora, no.

Nora: NORA, YES!

Double damn it, Nora!

Pyrrha: Breaking knees aside, have you named these little guys, Jaune?

Thank you, Pyrrha!

Jaune: Err, not yet, Pyrrha. I haven’t thought of names for the little guys.

From the corner of his vision, he saw Ruby, Weiss, Yang and Nora perk up from the statement, and he saw Blake being cornered by one of the puppies.

Weiss: brings her face close to the pup she was holding From now on, you will be called “William.” How does that sound to you?

The puppy barked happily in her arms, like he was saying yes.

Weiss gushed in delight and cuddled the the little baby in her arms, all the while rambling “Whose a good boy, you are!” And “I’ll get you and your siblings different colored collars!”

Nora raised the doggo in her arms like a sacred treasure.

Nora: Henceforth, you shall be named as “Prince Pancake!”

The pup barked in delight at the name.

Jaune: Uhh, Nora, that one’s a girl...

Nora: “Princess Pancake!”

Ren: sigh “Pancake” is just fine, Nora.

Ruby: holds puppy close to her face How does “Pumpkin” sound to you?

Her answer was a lick to her nose. Which made Ruby happy. Zwei barked in happiness at his new sibling/playmate.

Yang: Dad’s gonna flip out when he finds out we got a new puppy.

Jaune saw Blake still against a corner with a pup parallel against her. The pup seemed to be happy if the wagging tail was an indication.

Jaune: Hey, Blake, what are you gonna name that one?

Blake: hiss Mutt...

Jaune: deadpan “Matt” short for “Matthew” it is then.

He heard the puppy barked, and Blake hiss again. Jaune then felt something against his shin. He looked down to see one of the puppies. He smiled.

Jaune: kneels down Hey there little guy, you want to be with me?

A bark was his answer.

Jaune: smiles Okay, how does “Pete” sound to you?

The pup barked happily and wagged his tail. Making Jaune happy.

Then Jaune got an idea.

Jaune: Hey, Ruby. Zwei has his aura unlocked, right?

Ruby: getting her cheek licked Yeah, why?

Jaune: Let’s unlock these pups aura!

(Tadah! The pups meet their new friends and owners! And they got new names! Let’s see what shenanigans will ensue for these pups, especially now they’ll get auras and semblances!)

Pete (Boy) - Jaune and Pyrrha

William (Boy) - Weiss

Pumpkin (Girl) - Ruby and Yang

Pancake (Girl) - Nora and Ren

Matt “Matthew” (Boy) - Blake (NOOOOO!)

Other pups names:

Lucky (Boy)

Dory “Dorothy” (Girl)

Oswald (Boy)

Newt “Newton” (Boy)

Sam “Samson” (Boy)

[fruitcoops]

Could we please have a prequel to the praise kink fic? Because i really want to know why were Sirius and Remus not together and what did Remus send him. I really need context

I was hoping somebody would ask for this!! The aforementioned fic is here for any curious souls (18+ please) and SW credit goes to @lumosinlove!

TW for spicy texts (not exactly nudes), and smutty feelings with nothing explicit

The bus went over a bump and Sirius winced as his shins knocked against the back of the seat in front of him, connecting with the metal brace inside. “Fuck.”

“You sure you don’t want to switch?” James asked next to him. Sirius glanced down at the veritable wall of gear and empty snack bags between them, then back to James in disbelief. He shrugged, then set his headphones back over his ears. “Worth a shot.”

“Merde,” Sirius hissed as a pothole nearly took off his kneecap. He gritted his teeth and readjusted, drawing his legs closer to his chest. I want to be home, he thought, allowing himself an internal moment to whine.

He checked his phone—not even ten in the morning. It was a Saturday, so Remus would probably just be rolling out of bed, still sleepy and soft with his hair sticking up like a disgruntled cat’s. Sirius sighed heavily and stared out the window at the small town rolling past in the distance; there was little he wouldn’t give to be back with him instead of on the way to a full week of conferences.

“Why did we have to win the Cup?” he grumbled.

James lifted one side of his headphones. “What?”

“Nothing.”

It wasn’t like they had had much time to themselves before that, either—Sirius’ schedule was packed with interviews that felt more like interrogations, and Remus had been running the PT department mostly by himself while Moody took a well-deserved vacation. They were dead on their feet every night, worked to the bone with little energy left to do more than cuddle and fall asleep. Still, Sirius was grateful for every second of it.

He waited ten more minutes before giving in.

New Message To: Re

Bonjour mon loup <3

There was no immediate response, which made sense, though he was a little bit disappointed. Sirius closed his eyes and tried to make himself relax; it would be at least another six hours before they arrived at their destination, and the bad weather gathering overhead didn’t bode well for quick travel.

His phone buzzed gently and he scrambled to answer. Don’t be Reg, don’t be Reg, don’t be Reg—

New Message From: Re

Morning love!

Thanks for the bagels <3

“Fuck yes,” Sirius said under his breath. The bagels had been a last-minute decision as he crept through the house in the early hours of the morning after carefully detaching himself from Remus with a final half-asleep farewell kiss. There was no guarantee he would remember breakfast with everything going on, so Sirius figured it was a safe bet to toast them and leave them on the countertop before heading out.

Message To: Re

Pas de problem

Sleep well?

Message From: Re

Decent

Missed you :(

Sirius rested his temple against the cold window with a soft sound. He hated leaving at different times, but that was just how their life worked at the moment.

Message To: Re

Missed you too <3

Three small dots appeared for a long moment before vanishing without a trace just as his heart rate began picking up. Where’d you go? he almost wondered aloud. Something bumped his arm and James raised a quizzical brow. “Loops,” Sirius said by way of explanation.

“I figured. He okay?”

“I think so? He just…disappeared on me.” Sirius was well-aware of how plaintive he sounded—James’ teasing smile was completely unnecessary.

“Aw, Cap,” he laughed, reaching over to mess with his beanie until Sirius slapped his hand away. “It’s alright, buddy, it’s just a couple days.”

Sirius jammed his hat back on his head and flicked James on the unprotected bit of his ear, making him yelp. “Fuck off, I know you’ll be a mess as soon as Lily FaceTimes with my godson.”

“He has a name, you know.”

“Sorry. You’ll be a mess as soon as she FaceTimes with Pocket Pots, who happens to be my godson.”

James rolled his eyes. “I regret giving you that title.”

“Nah, you don’t.”

As if on cue, his phone lit up again; Sirius ignored James’ snickering as he quickly unlocked it.

New Message From: Re

When will you be at the hotel?

“That’s it?” he muttered.

Message To: Re

That was a lot of typing for one sentence

6-7 hrs, if the weather holds

Why?

Message From: Re

Sorry lmao Reg came in for a bit

Just curious :) Keep me updated?

Message To: Re

Will do <3

Tell Reg he needs to wash his sheets. It’s been over a month.

A small thumbs-up emoji was his only answer, and he tried not to be too bummed. Remus liked having things to do; sitting there and texting Sirius while he slowly got further and further away was probably not his preferred way to spend a morning. With a sigh that was likely a bit too dramatic for the situation he was in, Sirius faced the window once more and buckled in for a long ride.

He chatted off and on with the others when they stopped for lunch, but everyone was exhausted from the combination of a packed week and an early morning. Even Talker stayed fairly quiet, and James kept his headphones on for most of the trip.

Sirius finally succumbed to his tiredness and put some music on, then dozed for an hour or three while they traveled through yet another field. A few halfhearted calls of “cows” made their way around the bus, though nobody seemed particularly enthused about being packed in with double the gear due to a broken storage compartment. Donuts and gas station coffee could only do so much.

“Just crossed the state border,” Arthur called from the front of the bus as Sirius tried to ignore the cramping in his thighs. Three hours. Just three more.

His music was interrupted by a soft jingle alert and he pulled his phone out, hoping against hope that Regulus hadn’t caused a fire anywhere. It was unlikely given the…well, everything about him, but with Sirius’ luck it could happen.

New Message From: Re

How far?

Message To: Re

About 3 hrs. Ran into some detours

Good day?

Remus remained silent on the other end and Sirius frowned. That was rather rude, and highly unusual. Between the two of them, Remus was the one who kept conversations going past the initial question to be answered.

Message From: Re

Attachment: 1 Image

Love you! Call me when you get there : )

Sirius opened the attachment and almost threw his phone in utter shock. Skin. Bare skin everywhere, its smooth edges broken up only by tight black fabric that may as well have been painted onto the curve of Remus’ ass. “Oh my god,” he whimpered, voice barely audible even to his own ears. It had been taken in their bedroom mirror; Remus looked over his shoulder, and Sirius caught the corner of a devious smirk on his lips. “Oh, you fucker.”

Message From: Re

Thoughts? They’re cozy

Message To: Re

Did you miss the part where I said three (3) hours

Message From: Re

Nope

Second one is a guessing game and u get a prize if u get it right : )

The second photograph was more zoomed-in than the first and Sirius wracked his brain, running through his mental catalogue of Remus’ body to figure out the answer. It did absolutely nothing to calm the situation in his pants.

He had no idea what the promised prize was, but anticipation made his hands shake slightly as he carefully scanned the picture. The shadows caught it at an odd angle—it wasn’t the steady slopes of his face or neck, nor was it the strong curve of a shoulder. Not enough freckles, either, he thought.

A lightbulb lit in the back of his mind.

Message To: Re

Right hip

Another thought connected half a second later.

Holy fuck you took them off

Is that my prize?

Re?

Remus Lupin I swear to god

TEXT ME BACK

Message From: Re

Bingo!

Christ you’re impatient, I was gone for like 2 mins

He chanced a look toward Pots, whose head lolled to the side as he snored.

Message To: Re

Hey quick question why are you like this

It’s a good thing Pots is out cold bc this bus is too small to hide anything

Message From: Re

Haha sux to be you

Sirius’ cheeks heated with a whole cocktail of different emotions as he furiously typed a response.

Message To: Re

‘Sux to be you’???

Are you 13 yrs old????

Message From: Re

Do you want your prize or not u horndog

Message To: Re

YOU MADE ME THIS WAY

He took a deep breath through his nose and flexed his fingers.

Yes please

A simple smiley face—Sirius would never see those things the same—popped up, followed by an audio file. He triple-checked that his headphones were plugged in before tapping ‘play’ with an unsteady thumb.

His face went very, very hot before all the blood went straight to his groin and he closed his eyes, covering his mouth with his hand. Breathy sounds came through the heavy earphones, a little more crackly than they would be in-person; he heard Remus’ gasp catch in his throat and crossed his legs as best he could in the too-small seat, torn between thanking and cursing any higher power. He could practically see Remus’ face in his mind’s eye as the noises continued, intermixed with fragments of desperate words.

The file came to an end after what felt like the blink of an eye and a hundred years, and Sirius did not look away from the violently red seat cushion in front of him for a long moment as his brain came back online. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so turned on.

He took a few deep breaths, though it did nothing to erase the poorly-muffled whines that still rang between his ears like church bells. Sirius huffed and turned to grab his waterbottle out of his duffel, only to make direct eye contact with Finn across the aisle.

Sirius froze.

Finn grinned.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” he hissed, too low to wake James but just loud enough to carry over the four feet separating them. Finn’s smile widened. “Stop it. Stop it right now.”

“How’s Loops?”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“That good, huh?”

“O’Hara, I swear to god—”

“Oh, is Cap spilling secrets?” Kasey asked, poking his head over the back of the seat.

Finn opened his mouth, but the force of Sirius’ glare must have been enough to at least intimidate him a little, because he shook his head. The smug Cheshire grin remained. “Nah, just having a chat about our plans when we get home.”

Kasey groaned. “You’re a lucky man, O’Hara. Both your people get to come with you. Nat sent me a promise, like, twenty minutes ago and I can’t stop thinking about it. I won’t be available tonight from six to eight if anyone was wondering.”

“Did she really?” Finn looked back to Sirius, who bit the inside of his cheek and tried to keep his cool. Two and a half hours, and then he would be safe. Just two and a half more hours.

[tendertokyo]

Which NCT boy could I beat in a fight; a discussion

yours truly is feeling nasty today and who better to destroy than 23 idiots (mom i love them but i wanna kick their ass)

let's get it

taeil: the most powerful thing about him is his voice, this man built like a grandpa, i'm not sorry. one good kick in the shin would be enough to floor him

taeyong: he's the softest bitch i've ever seen. my scorpio bloodlust is too much for his weak cancer ass, i'd knee him in the nuts and he'd apologise to me for standing in my way

johnny: this man is the textbook definition of chaotic evil, i would not fight him even if you paid me. he would play dirty and use his height to intimidate me but i feel like he wouldn't attack me at all. he'd just smile at me calmly and cage me in with his giant man body and i'd be done

yuta: it's tricky with yuta, 'cause i kinda wanna fight him for scorpio dominance but i also know it won't end well for me. unlike johnny, he would attack me and strike me down. but he couldn't intimidate me enough to give up so he better bring his best game

doyoung: i feel like i could take him in a physical fight bit not a verbal one you know? like yeah i could fuck up his kneecaps but he could verbally traumatise me like a champ. something about him reminds me of my very balkan mother and that makes me uneasy. could easily picture him threatening me with a wooden spoon

kun: he's too nice and patient to outfight fight me even if i attack first, would try to persuade me to talk it out but i'm not here for a chat motherfucker. i would knock him unconscious with an uppercut, but make sure he safely falls on a soft armchair

ten: i would never fight him, are you kidding me? he's an apsolute legend

jaehyun: i would beat his ass at the drop of a hat, dumbass white boy. he's higher than a kite 97% of time, bitchboy wouldn't even notice me swinging at him. i would right hook him square in the face and it would feel so good

winwin: i would fight him for that sweet scorpio dominance and i would win. listen i know he's a classicaly trained dancer and i'd use it against him. he'd be wasting too much time on looking ellegant and not enough on catchin deez hands

jungwoo: he looks all cute and innocent but i'm telling you he's one sadistic motherfucker. i'd run away from him the way you run away crying from a horror house at the fair

lucas: he has the bodyodyody for it but he's too slow for me, i'd scratch him up like catpost. he also wouldn't take the fight seriously 'cause he's friendly like that which creates a perfect opening for me to punish him with my claws

mark: i would never fight mark, can you imagine how tired this man is? also i feel like he becomes hella terrifying when he gets MAD mad and and i apsolutely don't wanna be at the recieving end of that

xiaojun: i could make him cry like a baby with my words only

hendery: it's like when your brother tries to play fight you, he swings a lost to scare you but is actually completely useless. makes those woosh noises and keeps going "u wanna fight huh u wanna fight me?...! c'mon sucka fight me wooooosh pow pewpew wooshhh" yeah i'd be threw with him in only clean punch

yangyang: i'd break his chicken legs and eat sushi with them

shotaro: he's adorable, why would i fight him? kawaii ass tiktok boy smh

sungchan: i have previously wished to fight his virgo ass but upon seeing his rap in misfit i've changed my mind, he gets a free pass but just this once

renjun: i'd fight him with such joy, he's all bark but no bite i'm telling you. i'd wrestle him, pin him down and pull the "why're you hitting yourself" trick. he'd surrender soon after because i would annoy him into it. as he limps away from me i hear him mutter "...bitch" under his breath but you know what i've hurt him enough for one day, so i let it slide

jeno: my lovely taurus boy, i could never fight you. i love tauruses too much y'all i can't. he deserves cuddles and warm drinks

haechan: oh i'd whoop his ass sooooo fast, he'd see me approach him from the distance and he'd already know it's over. i'd make him scream like a little girl no cap

jaemin: this is a 10/10 lil fuck. i would never fight him because i like him too much. it's a joy to watch him simply exist in his own weird, wonderful way. he's just a stupid cute boy and i wanna pet his hair

chenle: he's also too much of a legend for me to even attempt it and honestly i don't really want to. i adore that young man with all my heart, he's just a really cool chill dude with good vibes. i don't doubt for a second that he could beat my ass though, he is a sadist and has no mercy

jisung: i wanna protect him from the world, dog. only thing he's getting from me are words of encouragement, never fists. god bless him

that is all

[enhalovebot]

꒰ mutual ꒱ ₊˚ˑ༄ؘ

➸ nishimura riki x reader (gender neutral)

➸ fluff ⌯'▾'⌯

➸ ˗ˏ ➶ [☁️]. ✧ ˚ - kim

⤷ nishimura riki, the name of the boy you hated. and in this case, the feeling was mutual.

“All of the people in this wretched school, it had to be you.” You pressed your back harder onto the shelf. 

“Please, it’s not like I’m the one who wanted to be stuck here with you. You’re honestly so suffocating to be around.” You feel a slight kick on your shin. 

You glare daggers at him in the darkness of the supply closet. “Real mature, Ni-ki.”

This was not how you imagined your night would go. To be alone in a small space with the one person you hated more than anything else, no less. Nishimura Riki, or as he liked to call himself, Ni-ki. The boy who tripped you over your bike when you were seven. He had you running with tears in your eyes to your mom by the end of recess. In conclusion, you hated him with every fiber of your whole being. And from what you have gathered from his actions, the feeling was mutual. And spending the afternoon with him will ultimately make you go crazy if you don’t find a way to get out of this closet. 

“Shut up.”

You sigh, “I didn’t say anything.”

“Sorry, your breathing is way too loud. I can literally hear you from here.” Ni-ki chuckled. 

With all you’ve got, you kicked him in the kneecaps, which sent him kneeling on the ground.

“Oh, sorry. You were talking way too much. It’s getting infuriating.”

“This is why I don’t like you.” Ni-ki rubs the probably reddening spot, sneering at you. 

“Good, nice to know that the feeling is mutual.” 

There wasn’t much you could do. It was a Friday night, and it was raining, and you’re trapped in this dusty closet. 

“I never understood why you hated me so much. What did I even do to you?” Ni-ki slides down and sits down on the cold closet floor. You grimace at this. “You are being too dramatic. Here, sit with me.” He pats at the space beside him. A raise of your eyebrow was enough for Ni-ki to put his hands up as if saying he is surrendering. “I won’t try anything, I promise.”

“Well, this is new.” You fold your arms over your chest as you sit down next to the boy. 

“This is the closest we’ve been without having the urge to strangle each other.” Ni-ki nonchalantly sighs, closing his eyes. You chuckle at his confession. What he said was correct in so many ways. 

“I always thought you had the best reaction.” Ni-ki once again speaks up, cutting off the silence looming in the small space you're both in. 

You turn your head at him in confusion. “What?”

Reaction to what?

“When I teased you when we were kids... You always had the best reactions, which is why I continued to do it.” He turns away from you, refusing to meet your questioning eyes. He hated the way you looked the first time he saw you. He guesses it’s just the way you acted and not your light-up shoes that bothered him. Or it was maybe the way you laughed with your smile reaching your eyes. Maybe that was the reason why he didn’t know how to react when it came to you. 

“You’re so stupid. You know that?” Your eyes glaze over his face. “You could’ve just asked, or you could’ve approached me. For all I know we could’ve been the best of friends.” 

Ni-ki discreetly shakes his head as he ignores the slight hurt he felt in his chest. Yeah, friends. 

“Yeah, you’re right. We could’ve been something else.” Ni-ki shuffles closer to you. You weren’t sure what he meant by something, but you certainly won’t mind knowing if that was what he meant. 

Both of you stay silent, letting the calmness of the situation take its place, which was nice to feel once in a while. You were so used to the endless bickering that you forgot how to act calm around Ni-ki. The difference this time was that there’s no fighting, bantering, and teasing. There was just silence. And honestly, you’re not complaining. It was soothing to know this side of Ni-ki. And maybe it was just your brain fooling around you, but you swear you felt your heart skip a beat. Or maybe, you even heard it through the silence. 

A few minutes pass is when you hear the sounds of keys echoing in the hallway. With this, you pull Ni-ki up to his feet as you banged on the door. “Let us out!” “We’re here!” 

Ni-ki draws you away from the door once the person on the other side finally opens the door. “Finally, we’re free.” The boy spreads his arms apart as he dashes out of the closet. The janitor quickly gives the two of you to hurry home, but not before also giving you a talk about how to avoid locking yourselves in a closet. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” You can’t help but ask. It felt like something changed in the short time you shared. 

A loud laugh escapes his lips, doubling over in laughter. “Y/n, we have no school tomorrow. It’s a Saturday.”

Oh.

Oh. 

“W-what I meant was I’ll see you on Monday.” You try to play it off.

Ni-ki chuckles and hands you his umbrella. “Yeah, I’ll see you. Definitely.” 

You nodded in embarrassment and turned around, ready to bolt out of the school. But Ni-ki was one step ahead of you. He catches your arms and pulls you to him. 

He leans close, lips almost touching the shell of your ears. “Stay safe, loser.” 

Yeah, the feeling is mutual. 

all rights reserved © enhalovebot

[abortionado]

I’ve been a true crime researcher (just a hobbyist) for years and years, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned from studying so many cases, it’s that as a woman, trusting your gut can save your life and the lives of others.

If something about a particular person or situation just feels wrong, chances are that it very well could be. If you feel a vague but overpowering sense of unsafeness, don’t be afraid to make a break for it, even if it seems “weird” or doesn’t make sense.

Look out for each other, especially other women. If you see another woman in a public place who is being harassed by a man, who looks uncomfortable with the man standing with her, who is intoxicated and being hassled by a man, if something just seems wrong, step in. Pretend you know her. Pretend she’s your sister, best friend, long-lost high school pal. Best case scenario, she and her boyfriend think you’re weird, and you walk away. Worst case scenario and you’ve just saved her life.

Don’t be afraid to be “rude.” Tell persistent men to fuck off. Carry pepper spray. Kick creepy men in the shins and in the kneecaps and in the nutsack if they won’t leave you alone. Learn basic self defense. Don’t say yes to something you don’t want to say yes to just because you’re afraid of looking “rude.”

As women, we’re taught that our instincts and emotional responses are irrational, that other women are our enemies or our competition, and that we should always be sweet.

All of this is lies—you’re smarter than you think. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up for a reason. Other women are your allies, and the greatest you will ever have. Don’t ever, ever hesitate to put your safety over a man’s feelings.

Stay safe.

[blushoseoks]

GREY AREA (M) 14

“And just like that, your fate was sealed - because Min Yoongi was absolutely going to destroy you. But hell, if you weren’t going to let him, or bask happily in the flames as he did so.

And sadly, at the time, you didn’t think that your thoughts would become so literal.”

pairing: min yoongi x reader

warnings: mature, heavy angst

genre: soulmate!au, slowburn

words: 1,752

chapter index

Cherry blossoms bloom from their sprouts and envelope the trees above where you lay, illuminating the already orange-red leaves with even more color. 

What a shame, echoes in your head, they’ll be dying soon.

“Hey, Y/n,” a voice fills the surrounding air shared between the three of you. Looking away from where your eyes had been focused on the branches above, you turn your head towards Seokjin, cocking an eyebrow indicating for him to continue on. 

“Have you heard from Jungkook lately?” The air in your lungs lets out as he voices his question. “He’s been a bit hard to keep in contact with.”

You part your lips to let your sigh escape silently, lifting a hand you rush it through your hair, head moving to glance back upwards at the blossoms, shaking your head in the process of your statement. “No.” You say. “I haven’t.”

And it wasn’t a lie, you had not heard from Jungkook in over a week, not since the night of the party. Texts you sent went unreplied to, but certainly were read if the little R indicated anything at all. You had attempted to talk to him once after class, only for him to all but run out of the room before you had the opportunity to even approach him.

During the day you had seen him in Sociology, the younger looked worse for wear. Dark circles littered the space underneath his eyes, his brown hair went unkempt, and a blank face he had been sporting. 

It had been odd, you noted, seeing Jungkook with anything but a smile.

Whatever had happened to Jungkook, was enough for him to completely isolate himself. 

“Hm.” Seokjin says, lips moving to curl to the side as if in deep thought. “Yoongi says he hasn’t really been at their apartment all that lately either.”

The mention of the aforementioned causes another deep sigh to slide past your mouth.

You hadn’t spoken to  or even seen Yoongi since the day after the party, he had not shown up in Literature - which hadn’t really surprised you all that much. And the text he had sent you that night was the first and last you had received.

“I’m sure he’s just busy.” Namjoon voices a moment later, eyes moving from the words in his book to stare at his boyfriend, and then to where you lay in the grass. “You and Jungkook seem to have gotten closer lately, has he said anything to you? Is anything bugging him?”

And that’s just the thing- you weren’t sure. Memories of the party were still coming back, bits and pieces were making themselves known little by little - but many parts were still missing. You couldn’t be sure that Jungkook hadn’t warned you that he may be busy as of late, you couldn't be sure that Jungkook didn’t mention if something was bothering him. 

Luckily for you, Seokjin cuts in before you have to think of a response.

“--But that’s the thing, even when Jungkook is busy he’s never been one to just cut off all contact.. That’s more of  a Yoongi thing.”

There’s a moment of silence as you and Namjoon try to search for answers. Neither of you were that close with the younger, therefore neither could offer a logical reason for his sudden radio silence towards not just you - it seemed, but the entire friend group.

Seokjin lets out a distressed sigh, in which Namjoon’s hand immediately moves to run through the older’s pink locks. “I’m sure he’ll come around.. When he’s ready.”

Yeah, you say silently. Hopefully.

Sunday [10:39 PM]

You:

Hey, I’m sorry for not messaging you sooner.. I’ve been asleep all day. What happened last night? R

Tuesday [1:12 PM]

You:

Hey, I had a question about the assignment due. Do you have time to meet for lunch? R

Thursday [2:15 PM]

You:

Did I do something wrong? R

“-- Alright, what is it?”

You glance up from where you had been absentmindedly thumbing through the same messages you had been staring at for a week straight.

“What?” You mumble out, eyes finding Yoona who sits at the opposite end of the couch. 

“Dont ‘what,’ me.Tonight was supposed to be a girls night, but I’ve spent the entirety of it looking at you wallow at your phone.. So fess up, what is it that’s got your undies in a twist?”

It takes a moment for you to soak in her sentence,  lips parting around no words as you contemplate whether you should indulge her or keep it all to yourself. 

Part of you felt guilty. You had promised Yoona an explanation for your disappearance the night and day after the party, and instead you were repaying her friendship with a half-assed night. With not an ounce of your attention.. The situation with Jungkook was driving you crazy, having someone upset with you for no known reason was something you were unfamiliar with.

You were sure you had plucked a strand of grey from your hair. 

A grey hair!

Never in your life had you felt the stress you had, ever since Jungkook had started to avoid you. 

Nevertheless, you let out a soft breath.. “I told you, Yoona.. I still don’t remember everything that happened that night.”

Her eyes narrow at you skeptically, silently letting you know that she didn’t fully believe you, not that you could blame her - even if you did remember the events of that night, the chances of you telling her were slim to none. 

“Okay fine.” She says, eyes looking like they’re about to roll out of her head. “But tell me about what happened when you woke up.”

You pull your legs up onto the couch, arms hugging around your shins as you rest your chin on your kneecaps.

“To put it bluntly, I woke up in Yoongi’s bed.”

It could be described as comical - the way Yoona’s eyes almost bug out of her head. 

“Wait..” She screeches, “Yoongi’s?” She asks, a face akin to horror shown obviously around the curve of her lips.

You decide to ignore her confusion, having no energy to explain.

“I had no recollection of how I got there. None..” You shake your head, “Then as I was leaving their apartment, he shows up.”

“Wait.” She says, still appalled. “Yoongi’s bed? Like - the one that isn’t very friendly -- has sort of a resting bitch face? Hardly talks? That Yoongi? His bed?”

“Yoona,” you say, “focus.”

Her lips form around a silent o, as she tries to take in the information handed to her. “Okay..” she urges you to continue. She gathers her legs, bending them behind her so she can sit on the back of her knees.

“Anyway,” you start, “he offered to buy me food since I hadn’t eaten in hours, and I accepted, thinking he could give me some information. We went out to this little diner.”

You watch as her lips purse, her eyes pulling together. 

“So, did you ask him how you came about ending up in his bed?”

“I did.”

“And?” 

You let out another sigh. “He said he found me asleep in some bedroom at the party.”

She’s silent for a moment, you watch as the confusion continues to spread across her face. 

“Any idea whose?”

You lift your shoulders upwards in a shrug. “Some friend of  Jungkook’s.. Yoongi says he found me asleep with Jungkook.”

She lets out a breath, one that seems a little like relief. 

“Alright, that, I’m not surprised by.”You want to scold her for making light of the subject, “-but I am confused as to why Yoongi took you to their apartment and not your own. And why he didn’t leave you alone with Jungkook?”

You shrug, letting out another sigh. “I asked him, he said he wanted to make sure that I was safe.” Your eyes fall down to where you’ve interlocked your fingers together, lips parting as you recount the story Yoongi had told you. 

The realization that he had wanted you safe, brings the smallest of smiles onto your lips.

In a small voice, you speak, “he said I didn’t have my key on me and he didn’t know if Hoseok and Taehyung would be home to let me in.”

You watch her teeth bite her bottom lip as she’s silent for a few moments - moments that for some reason, put you on edge. Your anxiety raises a little bit. She studies you - expressionless. And then after what seems like minutes, she finally speaks, thumbnail brushing across her bottom lip.

“Alright.. Hear me out, okay?” Her eyebrows uplift, you swallow the building lump in your throat, but nevertheless nod.

“Remember how I told you I thought Jungkook had a crush on you, and Seokjin basically confirmed that?”

You nod. recalling the conversation that had revealed that truth.Seokjin had basically confirmed it, and you were still trying to figure out how that made you feel, nevertheless whether at all it was possible or not.

“Well, you started the night out in bed with Jungkook-” you grimace-  “do not give me that look, I’m not judging just stating facts - but, you ended up in Yoongi’s bed. So let’s say that Jungkook wakes up to find you gone, he panics and tries to call you, no answer. Then, he gets to his apartment and for some reason goes into Yoongi’s room - and sees you in Yoongi’s bed..”

She trails off suddenly, hand moving to steady her chin as her elbow digs into her thigh. 

“Maybe he thinks something happened between you and Yoongi, he’s either jealous or angry, and that’s why he’s behaving towards you the way that he is.”

You take a moment to soak in her words.Contemplate whether it made sense or not. The thought of Jungkook completely ignoring you due to his own assumptions didn’t make a lot of sense to you, it didn’t seem characteristically accurate for him to do something so petty. And, if you remembered correctly he hadn’t attempted to call you that night nor the next morning.

“I’d like to think that Jungkook knows me better than to--”

You’re interrupted by a well manicured finger swaying in the air. “Baby, when it comes to feelings all logic is tossed out the window.”

You unravel your arms from around your legs as you allow yourself to relax into the back of the couch, head moving back and chin tilting so you’re staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t like that.”

“Most of us don’t.” Yoona says around a melancholy snicker.

You let your eyes fall on your female friend. “What do I do now? He won’t answer my texts and he all but runs whenever he sees me.”

You watch as she visibly contemplates this for a moment, pink tinted lips rubbing together. 

“Maybe this is something he’ll come to you with.. Eventually.”

“So I give him time?” 

The thought of not talking to Jungkook for even longer makes something swell up inside of your chest. Something twisted and revolting. Something you cant quite pinpoint.

She nods, moving a hand to rest over your own, as if she can somehow view the inner turmoil this causes within you. “Sometimes time is the only thing a person truly needs.” Her voice is soft, comforting.

And though she is speaking about Jungkook, her words resonate with you. 

If Jungkook needed time - you’d give it to him, just like you had done the same with Yoongi, even if it made you feel sick inside. 

You hadn’t known Jungkook for long, but the boy had seemed to wrap himself around a place in your heart. 

If only time could explain why the knot you had felt in your chest for a week hadn’t disappeared but only intensified as the days went on..

[a/n] it’s been a long, long, long, long time. :( i am sorry this is little and short compared to past chapters, i just thought you guys deserved something. i love you, still. <3 as always, feedback is truly appreciated... if anyone is still reading or still there.

[njasnyah-kholin]

Rhythm of War Reactions

I’m finished with Rhythm of Wythm! So here are some haphazardly thrown together reactions.

Major major spoilers below the cut!

- You know I started this book literally just for Shallan but I ended up loving all the POVs, as I probably should have expected

- Navani was my favorite! I found her plot to be the most engaging, her character growth, her relationship with Raboniel, not to mention:

- Math!?!? and music!?!? My two true loves!?!? The connection between which I try to fit into as many school projects as possible!?!? Can Navani hire me to work on this please?

- Other than me desperately wanting to work on this project, the whole thing with converting light into sound into oscillations back into light was so cool and set up really well from TWoK. Sand plates!

- Raboniel could stab me and I would thank her

- I stole this from another post but yeah Kaladin really was like “these people all need therapy” “none for me though”

- I really want to see Jasnah’s reaction when she returns to Urithiru and Kaladin’s like “oh yeah I’m helping all those people the ardents locked up now, isn’t this cool and probably not personally relevant to your life”

- The whole concept of “give him more time” was so good :’)

- KALADIN SWORE THE FOURTH! “I accept that there are some people I cannot save!” (Or something like that.) Good for you man you deserve it

- Interestingly, Shallan has not sworn the fourth ideal yet, though she seems really close. Does this mean she’ll swear two in book 5? Or is Brandon saving the fifth for the back half for her? (Doesn’t seem likely.) I thought “I killed my first spren” would be a pretty good truth, but who knows...

- I did not like Dalinar as much this book. For someone whose main tenet is change and growth, he was surprisingly stubborn. Yes, this is within his characterization, but I hope it morphs into something a bit more cooperative in book 5.

- TRIAL BY WITNESS need I say more? I was literally covering the next page with my hand because I knew something epic was going to happen and I would glance ahead if I didn’t

- That being said, I wasn’t all that satisfied with how the book left off the Shadesmar expedition. It felt kinda pushed to the side in favor of the climax at Urithiru. Which... maybe there was no better way? But it is Shadesmar, so I feel like the timeline could have been shifted around or extended a bit to make more of a conclusion.

- Spren culture! I want to learn more!

- Rlain is now my boy. Do not touch him or I will take your kneecaps

- I came in pretty uninvested in Eshonai and Venli. I’m still not super invested in either of them, but Venli’s pretty cool, I guess? I definitely enjoyed her POVs, I just couldn’t really pinpoint what she was all about

- On a different note Teft just, like, DIED, so... that happened

- This book lowkey had me in a bad place by that point where I felt like I had to keep reading to get to a better part and thus did not do any of my work due today but it’s okay because Kaladin swore the fourth and I felt better and now I will do my work and not procrastinate more by writing this...

- SEON???

- Shallan!!!! my babe!!!! Was scREAming all throughout the Formless chapter and it did not disappoint

- I actually don’t hate Jasnah/Wit. I don’t love it. But I don’t hate it

- Canon ace Jasnah!

- Singer lore is really cool and even though I didn’t find the RoW flashbacks all that interesting I am excited to see where this goes

- As an Asian person who grew up with squinty/shifty eye jokes, I find it absolutely hilarious that people continue to make fun of the Shin for their enormous eyes

- Canon neurodivergent Syl!

- Canon nonbinary spren! I didn’t really like how they kept describing the Sibling’s voice as somewhere in between male and female, especially considering how the Sibling is so derisive of humans’ binaristic worldview. I did like the part where they were like “why do you even gender” though, that was fun and if not a personal mood definitely a nonbinary culture mood

- While on this topic, Wit’s story was definitely about being trans (it was not but I will talk about this later, flow is important)

- Also while on this topic, I was getting real strong trans Lift vibes. Idk how that would work as Stormlight already transes your gender, but maybe she hasn’t fully figured it out yet, or she still sees herself one way Cognitively which is definitely a thing. I don’t think it’ll happen, but it would be cool!

- Kaladin would be afraid of dogs

- Idk what’s going on with Ishar and perpendicularities but it’s cool I guess. 5/10

- I’m annoyed that Taravangian went back to his old conniving ways after he Ascended. Him being a traitor already annoyed me and it felt like all his growth through the book was for nothing. Also, what about Rayse? Y’know, the villain we’ve been fighting all this time? I feel like this would have been better suited for mid-late book 5, after some sort of conclusion has already happened with Rayse, or we feel like this transition is necessary.

- Dalinar needs to attain the fifth very very quickly and that makes me nervous because he does not seem close to the fourth like Shallan does.

- Is the whole fifth book going to take place within the next ten days?

- Wit’s story was not about being trans it was about mental illness and it was really good for reasons that I cannot put into words

- And finally: Now that Shallan has two Shardblades, can she wield two swords at once??? Please???

I hope you enjoyed those reactions. Stay safe and have a nice day! :)

[orthopedicsurgeon1]

Total Knee Replacement Surgery: What You Should Know

If your knee is severely damaged due to osteoarthritis or an old injury, basic activities like walking or climbing stairs might become challenging. There are moments when pain could even be experienced while resting on a bed or chair.

When treatments like pain relief medications, injections, physical therapy, or crutch use no longer provide relief, doctors may consider total knee replacement surgery. This surgical intervention is effective in alleviating pain, correcting leg alignment issues, and enabling a return to daily activities without discomfort.

Understanding the Necessity for Total Knee Replacement

Total knee replacement surgery is a proven and safe procedure for addressing persistent knee pain. It restores proper leg alignment and facilitates a return to daily activities without pain. The primary cause of enduring knee discomfort and limited functionality is often osteoarthritis, particularly age-related osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post-injury osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis: This condition commonly affects individuals over the age of 50, leading to the wearing away of cushioning cartilage in the knee, resulting in bone friction and discomfort.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Inflammation of the joint membrane causes cartilage damage, leading to pain and stiffness.

Post-traumatic Osteoarthritis: Cartilage may be affected after traumas like knee fractures or ligament tears, resulting in long-term knee pain and impaired function.

The Surgical Process

The total knee replacement procedure involves four fundamental steps:

Bone Preparation: Damaged cartilage and a portion of the underlying bone are removed from the ends of the thigh and shin bones.

Metal Implant Placement: Metal components replace the removed cartilage and bone to recreate the joint's surface, often cemented with specialized cement.

Patella Replacement: The underside of the kneecap is replaced with a plastic button, a decision based on the surgeon's expertise.

Spacer Insertion: A robust plastic piece is inserted between metal parts to create a smooth and functional outer layer.

Is Total Knee Replacement Right for You?

The decision to undergo total knee replacement surgery should be a collaborative decision involving you, your family, your general practitioner, and your orthopedic surgeon. Your doctor may recommend consulting an orthopedic surgeon to assess whether this surgery could be beneficial for you.

When Surgery is Recommended

Several factors may warrant knee replacement surgery, including:

Flexed knee due to severe osteoarthritis.

Limiting knee pain or stiffness during daily activities.

Persistent knee pain and swelling unresponsive to conservative treatments.

Ineffectiveness of previous treatments like anti-inflammatory drugs or physiotherapy.

Knee deformity requiring prosthetic surgery to realign limbs.

While age or weight is not strict criteria for knee replacement surgery, excess weight can impact implant longevity. Although most candidates are aged 50-80, the decision is based on pain and disability, not age.

Setting Realistic Expectations

A crucial aspect of deciding on total knee replacement surgery is understanding what the procedure can and cannot achieve. While over 90% of those who undergo knee replacement report a significant reduction in knee pain and improved daily activities, the prosthetic knee may wear down over time with repeated use.

Potential Post-Surgery Issues

While complications after total knee replacement are generally low, there are potential issues:

Infections: Infections can occur in the wound or around the prosthesis, requiring antibiotic treatment or, in severe cases, additional surgery.

Blood Clots: Formation of blood clots in leg veins is a common issue, with preventive measures such as leg elevation, early exercises, support stockings, and blood-thinning medications.

Problems with the Implant: Despite advancements, implants may wear down or become loose, requiring future interventions.

Persistent Pain: A small percentage of patients may experience ongoing pain after surgery, with causes sometimes challenging to determine.

Neurovascular Injuries: Rare but possible injuries to nerves or blood vessels around the knee during surgery.

Conclusion

In the journey towards total knee replacement, understanding the benefits and potential complications is vital. This guide has illuminated the intricacies of the procedure, from addressing chronic pain to restoring mobility. Individual experiences may vary, so approaching this decision with caution and consultation with medical professionals is essential. Seeking guidance from orthopedic experts ensures personalized insights, helping you make an informed decision tailored to your unique needs. By relying on skilled professionals, you can embark on a path towards an improved quality of life with reduced discomfort.

To know more,  visit https://www.drganeshnavaneedhan.com/blog/demystifying-total-knee-replacement-surgery-what-to-expect/