#Acupuncturist going in to do her thing

[inusmasha]

Me rn just getting home from work which was constantly on the verge of becoming an absolute shitshow if I wasn’t there to b fucking psychic and predict shit hitting the fan before shit in fact hit the fan but then… shit literally hit the fan

[cosmerelists]

If Cosmere Characters Had Real-World Jobs (But Not The Obvious Ones)

In this list, I wanted to try to give Cosmere characters jobs in our world while avoiding the jobs that would be the most obvious picks--like, for example, the real world equivalent of whatever their canon job is.

1. Kaladin: Professional Football Player

It's a dangerous job that Kaladin's dad would scoff at, but the other kids in town think it's really cool and also the recruiters are coming through town and, I mean, he's really good at football.

2. Lirin: Public Defender

If we avoid the obvious job (doctor), then Lirin still needs a job where he is doing good, but it's pretty thankless and the general public are suspicious and think he might actually be evil somehow. So I figure: public defender. He's highly educated, helping people who need it, and just getting nothing but grief as a result. Worst of all, his smart son wants to be a FOOTBALL player!

3. Marsh: Masseuse

I feel like people who are good at hemalurgy know about the body and its pressure points and things like that. And frankly, "acupuncturist" felt too on the nose.

4. Shallan: Park Ranger

Shallan HATES to be confined, so no way she's going into an office job. Plus, she likes nature and animals, but I'm trying to avoid the more obvious jobs (like botanist or ecologist). It's just too bad that Shallan is SO bad at staring a campfire, though.

5. Navani: Wedding Planner

Navani is VERY good at managing people and events, as seen when she had to manage everything while Gavilar was off plotting. She's also very organized and literally invented wristwatches. So I think she's be very good at this job.

6. Elend: Grad Student

This one may be too obvious, but I figure something like "politician" or "philosopher" are more obvious. But to me, Elend has major grad student energy.

7. Nale: Insurance Adjuster

Nale is a cop, of course, through and through. But if he wasn't a cop, then he'd need some other job where he uses the rules to screw people over. So I see him as, like, an evil insurance guy who's denying people medical coverage because the company wants him to.

8. Blackthorn-Era Dalinar: Debt Collector

If flashback Dalinar couldn't make a living mowing people down in battle and had to find a less obvious job, then I could see him being the guy to hunt down people and demand money they don't have. He doesn't really care about the money. He just likes the hunt.

9. Adolin: eSports Player

It's a job where you can head-to-head battle people and your dad is vaguely puzzled and thinks you should be doing something more important with your life.

10. Lightsong: Customer Service Agent

In canon, Lightsong's job is to face down a huge line of people and tell them "no" in response to them asking for something they want. So, I mean, I feel like that's equivalent to one of those shitty customer service jobs where you're not really allowed to help people (until, of course, Lightsong goes rogue and does start helping people, but that's another story...)

11. Stormfather: Bus Driver

He has his route, and he's not deviating from it. And if you miss the bus, he's not stopping. He's not going back. You can try to run, but you will not catch up to him.

12. Tress: Mechanic

As a Sprouter, Tress had to figure out how each of the spores worked and how to use them. I just feel like she'd be good at diagnosing issues in machinery and then fixing them.

13. Steris: Programmer

She's precise, she's smart, she likes rules. I think coding would suit her.

14. Yumi: Waitress

She could stack the plates SO high.

15. Marasi: Investigative Reporter

Which, honestly, is what I wish she had been rather than being a cop like in canon. I think it would suit her! She'd get to research, investigate, find the truth...

16. Kelsier: Motivational Speaker

He tells you about the power of smiling no matter what, so that you are never defeated. He tells you to carry something small, some memento or photo, to help you find your motivation. You tells you that no goal is out of reach--you just have to find the right people and the right steps to move forward. And he tells you that the most important thing is to survive.

[idyllcy]

delusion

Word count: 1.1k

Content Warnings: unhealthy obsession, needles (acupuncture)

Summary: it's unhealthy, really.

It's an unhealthy relationship, really.

You go running back to Hinata each time something goes wrong in your life, and you sob your eyes out in his chest, brain spinning, tears hot. He's your soulmate, even if you weren't his. He left you for high school? You flew halfway across the world for him. You settled down in one of the local high schools rather than Hope's Peak, staying at Hinata's place and paying rent. You didn't do anything at his place considering that your school had dorms too.

But it wasn't Hope's Peak.

So, you suppose that's the reason that Hinata doesn't talk to you as much as before. He's busy with his schoolwork. There's nothing wrong with that. You can sit in his room as he does his work and everything else in between. You're just happy he hasn't kicked you out.

He used to do that when the two of you were kids; kick you out of his room when he needed to focus.

You would sit with his parents and chat instead. It didn't bother you. Not when each time he kicked you out he'd hand you a piece of candy he hid with a face redder than your cheeks when you fell in love with him. It was really simple and easy.

Hajime Hinata didn't like you back, but you were someone of equal importance to him.

So, you sit in his room again.

This time it's 11pm, and you're staring at his ceiling, ranting about how shit your parents are and how awful your classmates treat you. Hinata doesn't respond, but he's listening. He's listening in his own way. He's always done that.

It's not like you need him to respond anyway. You'd throw him out as soon as venting to him became pointless and null.

You consider it some nights

Tonight is one of those nights.

You go quiet first, eyes fluttering as you stand up. You need to get to your dorm.

"I'm heading home."

"Ah, right," Hinata hands you a sheet of paper, and you blink at it slowly.

"Why are you handing me a contract?"

"I need you to forge my parents' signatures."

"What is it for?" You scan through the paper as Hinata goes quiet. "Surgery."

"Yes."

"For a talent."

"Yes."

"You're selling your body for science? Wow, Hinata, not even I'm this stupid." You mumble, forging the signatures anyway. You're in love with him. How could you not? You spend every moment of your life thinking about your soulmate whose soulmate is definitely not you. You'd do anything for him. It's pathetic on your end, really.

You hand him the contract back.

"When's the surgery start?"

"Two weeks."

You have a weird obsession with him. You'd kill, die, burn, and do just about anything for Hinata. You've been obsessed with him since a child, and that obsession has not changed whatsoever. So, as you settle into Hope's Peak's main course as ultimate acupuncturist, you're placed on the surgery team that Hinata needs. You don't know why they need acupuncture, but it doesn't really matter. You're insane enough to make it to Hope's Peak for the love of your life. You think that's good enough of a reason.

So, as Hinata blinks at you at his diagnosis, you smile and wave.

It's a weird obsession with him.

Not like you were normal to begin with.

You look over his diagnosis, pressing points on Hinata's skin to try and loosen him up. You weren't hired because they needed one. You think you were hired because the woman in charge wanted Hinata to get pampered before death. Oh, well. You're thankful for her either way. You got to spend more time with your beloved Hinata.

So, you're back in his room at school.

It's 7pm.

"Why are you here?"

"Why not?"

"I didn't know you knew how to do acupuncture."

You tap your chin, reaching for an alcohol swab. "Family things."

Hinata waits as you push every needle into him, falling asleep as you sit in his room.

It's a little unhealthy.

In a moment where your delusion breaks, you stare at the needles on Hinata's body.

Maybe it was unhealthy.

But as quickly as your delusion fades, it comes back. Maybe this would be the last time you see him. ever. Even as you pull the needles out of his body, you stare at him. He's been like that. He's been slim since forever. Maybe they'd give him muscles after the surgery or something. You don't know the details. You hope you can continue to see him after it. It would be nice.

"Ready?"

"Um," Hinata holds onto your wrist. "One last request."

You wonder if he realized that your soulmate is him from that.

You're so busy with Hinata that you forget about your own problems.

An overflowing cup of emotions was never something you're ready to deal with.

So, at the strike of four, you sit in the glass chamber, staring at Hinata undergo surgery.

"You know," You smile. Nothing like trauma dumping to the two brain nerds. "I hate Hinata."

"What the fuck-" Matsuda's cut off with a harsh smack.

"Shut up.

You grin at the girl. "I wish he'd be a little more selfish like me."

"I can see that."

"He won't remember me, huh?"

"No." A pause. "But he'll be the ultimate everything. He'll be the ultimate therapist as well."

You tilt your head, meeting eyes with the red-eyed boy that steps out of the pod.

"He's kind of hot."

"Yeah, we made him that way."

You sit in Hinata— Kamukura's room, pressing needles into his skin, rambling about your issues.

Was it healthy? No.

But you were the same person to book a flight ticket and move away because you were in love with Hinata. You'd do anything for him, obviously.

You pull the needles from Kamukura, staring down at him as his eyes meet yours.

"You miss him."

"Yeah." You mumble. "How's it feel being alive? You're like... some new person." Your voice goes quieter, tears falling. Hot tears, as they always are. Hinata's gone.

Kamukura reaches for your hand instead. It might be muscle memory. Yet, he runs his thumb over the back of your hand mumbling. mumbling. You didn't even know Kamukura could do that. Maybe he was acting to further fuel your delusion. You're in love with him so much. It's a painful realization that you're still in love with Hinata even if he's Kamukura now. How pathetic.

So, as you cling onto Kamukura's arm as he watches the school burn down, you blink slowly.

Yes, it's unhealthy, but it's fun.

It's home.

Whoever this man was, anyway.

[officeshelpdesk]

On the bank of the Yalong river a young man and his aging father sit and fish. The father says "when I was your age I was in the army of a warlord" as he casts his line into the river "his name was Liao De, and he was feared by many"

A fish nibbles on the line, and the father begins to reel in a little bit

"one day Liao De came across a cart moving a shipment of grain, and allowed the driver to make a decision. He could either be shot dead, and the grain would be distributed to a nearby village for free. Or, he could live, but the village will be burned."

Then the line yanks, the father reels in the fish quickly, it is an impressively sized catfish

The young man says to his father "That will go nicely for dinner"

The father says "ah, I can do as Liao De. There is a family in our village that has gone hungry, the children are too young to work, the father is an alcoholic, and the mother is bedridden"

The father takes the fish and takes a stick, breaking the stick to be the same length as the catfish.

"we can eat it tonight, and the family will not have dinner, or I can bring it to them and cook for them. However, you will not be able to eat until you catch a catfish bigger than this one"

The young man thinks for a while and asks what the grain cart driver did. "I will only tell you the first thing he said to us. I will not tell you his decision, as this one should be yours"

The son agrees and the father says "He said 'my wife lives in that village'"

The son decides to let the family eat tonight, as so the father takes the catfish to them and prepares it for cooking.

In this small home in this small village, laughter can be heard from inside for the first time in a year. People begin to hear this and investigate. They bring their own food and cook with the family, they give them enough to make it through the season, and all are merry

The son sits at the bank and catches 300 catfish, none of which are bigger than the one his father caught. The sun turns into stars, and the stars turn into sun. In the morning, he is finally able to catch one big enough, and returns home.

The son and father eat together, and the father expresses his pride in his son's selfless act.

"So what happened next?" Asks the son excitedly "what happened to the village?"

The father begins to tell him "We began by burning the farms and salting the earth. Anyone who stayed in their home was to be lit on fire, anyone who escaped was shot with an arrow. Screams filled the valley that night, and it's said you can still sometimes hear it in the wind. There were no survivors"

"but father!" The son asks "the cart driver told Liao De that his wife lived there! Was it a deception? Did Liao De intend to go back on his deal?"

"No" the father says "Let me finish the sentence the cart driver told us for you. 'My wife lives in that village' he began 'you know my wife gives me no respect! I told her I was seeing an acupuncturist and she told me she was seeing an acupuncturist too, a long with a farmer and a soldier on the sides'"

"ah!" The son says as he figures out who the cart driver was "the driver of the cart was the great Rodney Dangerfield!"

"yes son, yes he was"

[randomwritingguy]

The Myth of Y/N (Korra x Reader) Part 26

OLD FACE. NEW IDENTITY.

Y/N’S POV

Kuvira and finally arrived back at the edge of Zaofu where the Beifong Household is located. After our emotional talk about our parents of all things we hung out for bit more while before we headed back. Apparently, the guard’s shift was about to start soon.

When we finally reach back to where we began, it was past afternoon. I don’t see any of my friends anywhere. They must be around here somewhere.

“Here we are.” Kuvira states.

“Here we are.” I echo back.

I glance back at the guard with a smile who smiles back.

“This was nice.” I tell her. “I had a good time.”

She nods. “As did I. Hopefully, we could meet again before your departure.”

I hum in agreement. “So do I.”

Then, before I can even react, a press of warm lips land on my cheek and I am engulfed in flames.

“Good day, Y/N.” Kuvira tells me with a smirk, finding my flushed state amusing, and walks away with her hands behind her back in a business-like stature.

Even when she’s walking away, my cheeks still feel like they are on fire. I place a hand on the cheek that she had kissed.

Well then…

Shaking out of my flustered state, I start walking around the city and trying to find anyone there. It’s time I stopped avoiding them.

It took a few minutes, but I finally found them.

And what I see…

“What in the spirits is going on here?!”

I see Lin lying unconscious on the floor with Korra holding her head. Boulders spread out across the land like confetti, metal panels bent out of shape to form barriers, and I even see one of those weird metal structures crashed against the wall.

That’s not the only thing I see. I notice Opal on a bridge with Suyin and Bolin on the right end and most of the Beifong family on the left.

“Y/N!” Bolin exclaims with urgency. “Not trying to be rude but, uh, you kinda showed up at the wrong time.”

“Clearly.” I agree, walking closer to Korra and Lin. I kneel down next time and examine the Chief of Republic City Police’s health to see her condition. She looks awful. Not only is she slightly wounded from the fight, but she looks as pale and white as the snow land of the South Pole.

Opal rush towards us too, her posture clearly expressing her nearly overwhelming worry. “Is she okay?!”

“She’s pale.” I comment. “And slightly injured but…she’ll be all right. What happened?”

“I just learnt how to metalbend and Bolin was about to start but Lin showed up out of nowhere.” Korra explains, nervous and confusion mixed into one. “She and Su started to argue and then Lin attacked and all of a sudden they started fighting!”

Putting the revelation that Korra can now metalbend aside, I continue focusing on the chief. Sounds like the tension between the two siblings finally reached its dangerous breaking point.

“That doesn’t matter right now.” Suyin tells us, who has now walked towards us. Her tone expresses regret and shame. “We need to take Lin to her room and give her some medical attention.”

“Agreed.” I tell her. “Let’s carry her.”

With the strength of Korra, Bolin, Suyin, and I, we manage to bring her to her guest room. When we place her onto the bed, Aiwei enters the room with clear distress. “I heard what happened. Is she all right?”

“I’m not sure.” Suyin tells him.

The trusted advisor lets out a very tense sigh. He marches towards Lin and examines her. “This is my fault. I suggested to her to visit an acupuncturist to help deal with her supressed feelings. She must have not allowed herself to rest once the process was done.”

The worries from the matriarch and the truth seer aren’t mutual to mine.

“The Chief has been through worse.” I assure them but looking at Suyin specifically with sympathy. “She’ll live.”

“Y/N is right.” Korra agrees, facing them too. “Lin has dealt Equalists and mecha tanks. If she can survive that, she can survive this.”

The words of our reassurances seem to have worked as the tense and frightened looks of Suyin, Aiwei, and Opal smooth out and diminish slightly.

“That’s good to hear.” Aiwei responds. “Right now, I think she just needs some rest. We should leave her be.”

Yeah, that’s probably the best idea.

As we all reluctantly leave and then proceed to go our separate ways, I hear my name being called out.

“Y/N. May I have a word?”

I turn and see the matriarch. Her expression is unreadable.

With my fists tightly clenched and my body tensed, I slowly but surely walk towards her.

“Yes?”

“Thank you for helping to bring my sister here.” She tells me with her tone containing gratitude. “You didn’t have to after our last meeting.”

Oh…

“Lin needed help.” I reply. “I wasn’t going to refuse to help her because of some argument.”

She nods in understanding. “Of course. You’re as noble as Korra.”

“No chance.” I tell her in an attempt to appear humble. I hesitate slightly and bite my lip. Then, finally, I continue speaking. “Look, I am not going to apologise for what I said last night. I stand by my words. But…I will apologise for how I said it in front of your family. That was uncalled for.”

My apology seems to have startled the matriarch as her eyes widen in surprise. Then, a moment later, the surprise is gone. “Thank you. Apology accepted.”

And, with an exchange of nods, we depart.

I meet up with Korra, Bolin, and now Mako and Asami who seemed to have been caught up on what happened.

“The talk with Su gone all right?” Korra asks me when I finally approach them.

“Surprisingly, yeah.” I reply. “I apologised for how I acted to her. We seem to be on mostly good terms now.”

“That’s a relief.” Asami says. “That means you won’t be skipping breakfast tomorrow?”

I rub the back of my head with a sheepish grin. “I’ll be there.”

“What were you doing anyway?”

“I had a prior engagement.”

Korra cocks an eyebrow. “Prior engagement?”

I shake my head gently. “Met a guard of Zaofu when I stormed out. We hung out and decided to hang out today. She seemed pretty cool.”

“Pretty cool, huh?” Bolin asks with a smirk.

The memory of Kuvira’s kiss on my cheeks resurfaces and I feel my cheeks heat up slightly. Regardless, I roll my eyes.

“Not like that.” I tell him. “What about you guys, though?”

“Like I said before, Suyin gave me some metalbending lessons!” Korra informs me with excitement. “I am now the world’s first metalbending avatar!”

My eyes widen. Not even Aang learned metalbending? Interesting.

“That’s awesome, Korra!” I tell her. I turn to our earthbending friend. “What about you, Bolin? Did Suyin teach you too?”

My words seem to have struck the wrong chord, though, as nervousness washes over him. “Uh, no. No. Not yet. She was about to but, uh, Lin interrupted.”

“Oh.” I respond, not really knowing what to say. “Well, I’m sure she will give you some lessons later.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Bolin responds, the nervousness still present. “Of course.”

Hm. Odd.

I open my mouth to speak…and then close it.

Now with the urgency of Lin’s condition now gone, the memory of my conversation I had with Kuvira and my final decision now returns more louder than ever.

It’s time.

“There’s something I need to tell you, guys.” I announce, my voice calm and steady. “Well, specifically, I need to tell you something Korra and Mako.”

“Why us two?” Mako asks, eyebrow raised in curiosity.

I gaze downwards to the ground, and I rub my arm up and down. “Asami and Bolin already know.”

“Know what?” Korra presses.

I take a deep breath and slowly let it out. Despite making my decision, I still feel my heart beating as fast as an Air Scooter.

“Back on Air Temple Island…” I begin softly, shifting my gaze to my friends now. “I phoned up my parents to tell them I got airbending and was planning on join the Air Nation…”

“What did they say?” the firebender asks.

I sigh yet again. “They told me if I join the Air Nation…they will disown me.”

Mako’s jaw drops in shock. Bolin and Asami stare at me with sympathy and care. And Korra…

“They…they couldn’t…”

I get it. I really, really do. Korra has known my parents for years. I’ve lost count of how many times she came to my house and played together while my parents watched on. They treated her almost like she was their own daughter.

“I thought the same.” I bitterly mutter. “But they did. They were being dead serious. They told me I was trying to abandon the Southern Water Tribe.”

“What?!” Korra exclaims, concern now being replaced with anger. “How could they do this?!”

“That’s not it.” I continue. I turn to face her directly and I see the fiery rage in her normally cool eyes. “They even brought you into it by wanting me to ask you take my bending away.”

“WHAT?!” Korra barks out. “That’s it! Let me call them and I’ll- “

“-Korra, no.” I interrupt her, placing both of my hands on her shoulders. I squeeze them gently. “It’s okay, I-“

“-It’s not okay!” she tells me. “They’re your parents and they’re willing to abandon you! That’s awful! How are you fine with all of this?”

“I’m not.” I bluntly tell her. “When the call ended, Bolin saw me as an emotional wreck. It has been bothering me since we’ve left Air Temple Island. I didn’t want everyone else knowing yet. I only told Asami about it because she’s had similar experiences with family trouble.”

“Why didn’t you tell me and Korra?” Mako questions. His tone doesn’t come across as judging or hurting or anything of the sort. Just curiosity.

I sigh. “You guys were so excited and focused on finding new airbenders and I…I didn’t want to be a downer.”

Before I can even react, Korra’s two strong arms pull me into a tight hug with her face buried in my shoulder.

“You will NEVER be a downer.” She assures me. “I’m sorry you’ve been feeling this. I knew something was off, but I had no idea it was this bad. I’m so sorry.”

The beating of my heart that was running as fast as a Satomobile slows down to a gentle pace and a comfortable warmth fills my form. I hug her back just as tightly and smile. “It’s okay. I get it and…I’ve made my decision.”

“And?” Asami asks.

Korra pulls back to look at me. I gaze at all of my friends, and I take a deep breath. “I’m going to join the Air Nation.”

“But your parents-“

“-Screw them.” I interrupt my best friend, looking back at her. “I’m not going to let them bully me into not living my life. I want to rebuild the Air Nation and be part of its culture. If they don’t want to be part of my life when I do that, so be it. It will hurt, really hurt, but…I have accepted it.”

As soon as I finish my monologue, two big, strong arms wrap around my waist and lift me upwards. I know the all too familiar hug.

“We’re so proud of you!” Bolin exclaims, voice overly emotional.

Mako and Asami walk closer to Korra, Bolin and, I, smiles full of pride on their features.

“Good on you, Y/N.” Mako compliments.

“I’m glad you’ve made your decision.” Asami adds on.

Korra is the last one who speaks up. “We’re always going to be here for you. I will always be here for you.”

Spirits…

I feel droplets beginning to form from the kind and heart-warming reassurances.

“I know.” I finally tell them, voice watery. “I have you, guys.”

“Yeah!” Bolin agrees, now excited. “You have Team Avatar!”

Classic Bolin.

I giggle at his excitement. “Yeah, I have Team Avatar.”

We’re like that for a moment or two, basking in the warmth that is our friendship. It feels like all the problems in the world are nothing but a minor inconvenience now.

Everything will be all right.

TIME SKIP

Darkness clouds my vision as I rouse from slumber.

Great. Another restless night.

Some time passed since I told my friends of my situation with my parents. Lin managed to fully recover and even patched things up with Suyin and her niece. Opal even convinced Suyin to let her go to the Northern Air Temple to learn and train with the rest of the airbenders. We just saw her depart a few hours ago.

At least, I think it was a few hours ago. I don’t know how long I slept. Ugh.

After a few minutes, my vision adjusts to the dark room and I can see everything more clearly. For now, though, I am not interested. I continue staring at the ceiling, lying flat on my back.

The thoughts of my parents stills fill my mind.

I have made my decision to join the Air Nation. Now I just need to tell them.

Tomorrow...

Yeah, tomorrow. I might as well get it over with.

After one phone call, my old life will be over.

Despite the hurt that will come, the wonder and joy of living the life of an Air Nomad will be worth it. I know it.

Maybe, just maybe, if I allow myself to think of it and if I’m really, really lucky…that new life will have Korra as my girlfri-

“THEY’VE GOT KORRA!”

WHAT?!

Scrambling out of my room and my own room, I see Mako and Bolin already sprinting out of theirs. I follow them soon afterwards, and I see four of the strangest people I have ever seen.

A tall and powerful woman with a jet black ponytail and a tattooed third eye. A combustion bender?!

A long-haired woman with…watertendrils as arms?! WHAT?!

A scruffy-looking bearded man with a dangerous build and stance, carrying an unconscious Korra over his shoulder. That bastard!

And a bald man in robes. Wait…he looks familiar somehow…

I don’t have much time to ponder on this, however, as the four individuals unleashed a tsusnami of attacks with boulders, flames, water whips, and gusts of wind.

Wait-

Gusts of wind?! An airbender?!

Zaheer…

That airbender must be Zaheer. Lin said he got airbending now.

But still…why do I feel like I know him?!

Again, I don’t have time to analyse that question but thankfully Bolin creates an earth barrier to block the initial attack of the boulders which buys us just enough time to dodge the other incoming attacks and take cover behind one of the metal pillars.

“Sound the alarm!” I yell out to any guards in the area. “Zaheer and his friends are here!”

My yell worked as not even a second afterwards an ear-piercing screech that was the alarm fills my ears and blinding headlights appear into view and start shining towards the four individuals.

My relief is short lived, however, as mere seconds later an explosion appears out of absolutely nowhere with a force of ten mecha tanks which fling the three of us backwards! I roughly land on my back and pain fills my entire form!

Asami rushes to us with panic and worry written clear on her face.

“We can’t let them take her.” Mako groggily tell us, trying to recover from the impact of the explosion.

“I don’t think they’re going to get far.” Asami reassures us. She points towards them with urgency. “Look!”

I turn to the direction Asami pointed at and I see it.

Together with the effort of Lin, Wei, Wong, Kuvira, and the rest of the guards they are able to trap the four fugitives in a metal prison of their own making.

“We have you surrounded. It’s over.” Kuvira declares, her tone not revealing any trace of fear or nervousness. “Release the Avatar!”

I rush up to them to examine the scene. Okay, okay. Good. They can’t escape now! There’s no way they can-

-Suddenly, the grass around begins to be filled with molten rock, then filled with a hot pool of lava!

WHAT?! HOW?!

The metal panels that trapped the four fugitives succumb to the overwhelming heat of the lava and one by one they fall apart, revealing them in battle stances.

“No way! That guy is lavabending!” Bolin exclaims with complete shock. “That’s awesome…ly not good for us.”

Lavabending?! That’s a thing?!

“Save your admiration for later, Bolin.” I snap at him.

Then I see the bald man use his wooden staff attempt to create some sort of cover for him and his friends with his airbending. One of the guards notices this and exploits the temporary vulnerability by shooting out a metal cable that wraps around his arms like a snake and with considerable strength, flings him away off the platform!

That man…why is he so damn familiar? I have to know!

I run. I run despite the yells and screams of my friends. I run to where the man lands as he fights two of the guards. Much to my surprise, he seems to be taking them on effortlessly with some sort of mixture of martial arts and airbending. Who in the spirits is this guy?!

He blasts the two a good distance away and before he can press his attack, I launch my own with a powerful gust of wind! He is sent back but quickly recovers with a retaliatory swing of his staff that creates a tunnel of wind in my direction. I dodge with a roll, raise my fist and-

Freeze.

So does the man, his eyes now so wide they look like they could pop open.

That face…

I know that face…

I know those olive green eyes and those sharp eyebrows. I know that slightly cut left eyebrow which has been disconnected from one section of the eyebrow to the other.

“Yorru?!” I exclaim, my stance faltering into shakiness.

The flash of recognition in his eyes confirms my suspicions. “Y/N?!”

It is Yorru!

Yorru is the man who tried to kidnap Korra?!

Yorru is Zaheer?!

“What are you doing?!” One of the two guards yells wh are now running back. They launch their metal cables at Yor-Zaheer, but he dodges them with a quick backflip. When he lands he launches yet another air strike which hits them again. This time, however, it knocks them out cold.

And I? I just stand there during all of this, still frozen in shock of the truth.

When the guards get knocked back, though, I snap out of it.

I rush forward to Zaheer and deliver a low air swipe kick in an attempt to knock him to the ground. I know he would most likely dodge it and when he does just now I use my low position from my previous attack to roll away from his counter-attack and then flip into the air, spin as fast as I can, and launch a powerful air kick!

Only for him to dodge it!

WHAT?!

Now left vulnerable midair, Zaheer launches an upward air kick in retaliation which knocks be back to the top of one of the pillars, hitting me straight in the spine.

“AGH!”

I land with a loud THUD! I try so hard to get up but the pain on my back is too much.

However, instead of seeing him towering above me, I glance up and I see Zaheer looking back at the platform with his face full of panic.

Panic?!

I look to the source of his fear, and I see it.

Lin Beifong, Korra in her arms, holding a metal cable that is elevating her to the top of the dome, away from the other fugitives.

YES!

My relief quickly vanishes because Zaheer turns his staff into an air glider and begins advancing towards the two in the air!

NO!

Luckily, Lin dodges Zaheer’s attack and before he can launch another one Suyin appears in a metal cable of her own and sends dozens of daggers into his direction, ruining one of the wings of the glider and causing him to land back onto the glider!

Before, I can celebrate the victory, however, the entire area is filled with black smoke that clouds my eyes! When my vision recovers, they are gone!

HOW?!

Despite the frustration, though, we had a victory. We saved Korra.

KORRA!

Ignoring the excruciating torment, I am feeling, I slowly rise to my feet. Almost immediately after I get up my back engulfs into a fiery torture of suffering. “AH!”

“Y/N!” Asami yells, rushing forward to me. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” I snap, trying to advance forward. However, as soon as I take a step, I begin tumbling back onto the floor. Luckily, Asami catches me just in time.

“You’re not fine!” She retorts angrily. “You’re badly hurt!”

“I don’t care!” I bark back. “I need to see Korra! Is she okay?!”

“Lin and Suyin have her.” She replies. “We need to give you some medical attention.”

DAMMIT!

TIME SKIP

We are in Suyin’s office. I am sat with Mako, Bolin, and Asami on one sofa while on the sofa opposite, Korra lies still while Aiwei takes care of her. When I saw her, my heart broke again. I haven’t seen her this bad since she broke down sobbing in front of Tenzin and I during the Equalist Crisis. No, scratch that. This is worse.

“This should neutralise the shirashu toxins.” Aiwei informs Korra, handing her some sort of drink. It seems to have worked slightly, as I see her slightly moving her fingers. It ain’t much but it’s a start.

“How could you let this happen?!” Lin yells at Suyin, frustration clearly present. “You assured me this was one of the most secure places in the world.”

“It is.” Suyin counters. “I don’t know how this happened. Obviously, this was a well-planned operation, so don’t blame me.”

WHAT?! How fucking dare she!

“Take some fucking responsibility!” I loudly tell her, my rage allowing me to ignore the pain of my back. “It’s clear you have a rat within Zaofu! A rat who is very influential and knows the city inside and out like your guards! Your arrogance nearly costed Korra’s life!”

The short-lived peace we established has fallen apart as Suyin glares daggers at me. “You have no right to lecture me, Y/N! We will question them all! Whoever betrayed my city will suffer the consequences!”

I let out a sarcastic laugh. “Oh, so when outsiders make “some mistakes” you give them second chances but when someone within Zaofu makes one then they will get punished? Fucking rich!”

“Enough, Y/N!” Lin barks out, silencing me in an instant. The anger, while still present, is mixed with shame and guilt.

Dammit. I told Korra I would tolerate Suyin and I already failed…

“Everyone!”

We all turn to the voice and I see Kuvira, standing tall and proud. “We searched the entire estate. There’s no sign of them.”

DAMMIT!

“Well, keep looking!” Lin orders at the captain.

Now that the silence has filled the room, despite the intensity due to the argument between Suyin and I, my mind returns to Zaheer.

I need to tell them.

“I met Zaheer before.” I announce.

“WHAT?!” everyone shouts, absolutely shocked. Even Korra, in her paralysed state, appears shocked with her widened eyes.

“When?!” Lin demands. “When did this happen?!”

“It was just before Harmonic Convergence.” I explain, trying my hardest to recollect. “Korra, Jinora, and I meditated into the Spirit World to close the Northern and Southern Portals, but we got separated. A spirit told me to go to Wan Shi Tong’s Spirit Library for some answers. When I got lost, Zaheer approached me. He said his name was Yorru and he guided me to the library and just…disappeared.”

“Did he say anything to you?!” Lin demands, quickly processing my story and like a true Chief of Police seeks out any other relevant information. “Anything at all?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose as I concentrate to find the memories.

“I simply spend my time in this realm because it makes me feel more free than ever. Freedom is essential to one's happiness."

“I haven't been free in a long time. "What ifs" and what could have beens have been plaguing my mind for years. I'm homeless, you see? I am worthless to the eyes of corrupt leaders of the nations. But here? Here, I feel more alive than ever."

“I did. Three of them, actually. They were my best friends. One of them...she...she was the love of my life. But they're gone now."

"I, too, find the culture fascinating. I admire it. Their views on life and how the world works are truly inspiring."

“He…he talked about freedom, corrupt nation leaders, having three now gone best friends with one of them being the love of his life, and his fascination with the Air Nomads.” I slowly tell them as I begin to remember the words. “I assume the three friends he was talking about was the other fugitives present. However, he also claimed he was homeless. For all I know some of it could be bullshit.”

“It’s the best we’ve got.” The Chief tells me. “That’s more information we’ve had about him than when we interrogated him.”

“Why didn’t you tell us before?” Mako questions.

I frown. “I didn’t think it was important. How was I supposed to know he was a criminal? That doesn’t matter now, what matters is that we need to find out let them in and why.”

“And we will do just that!” Suyin exclaims. “We won’t stop until the traitor is found!”

She marches off, anger still burning within her. I frown yet again. The absolute hypocrisy of that woman drives me fucking insane!

I glance back at Korra who is still lying flat on her back and paralysed. I’ve never seen her so helpless before in my life.

My fists clench at the sight.

Zaheer will suffer for this.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that's it!

Did you know Yorru was Zaheer? He used that name when he infiltrated Air Temple Island in "Rebirth"

Hope you all enjoyed it!

Feedback is appreciated!

See you all in the next chapter!

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Poena (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- Mother by her daughters

Ms. Slaughter by Hermes, Thanatos, and Ares

The Dark Justice by the people of Olympius & the Underworld

Age- 49 (immortal)

Location- The Underworld

Personality- She's harsh, self-sufficient, a major grudge holder, & an uncompromising force with an unbreakable sense of morality and justice. She's currently single.

She has the standard abilities of a goddess except shapeshifting. As the goddess of punishment (as it relates to the punishment for the crime of murder & manslaughter), her other powers/abilities include umbrakinesis, limited necromancy & soul manipulation, truth sense, having an innate sense of a being's death (by way of an eerie buzzing sound that only she can hear), fire immunity, haemokinesis (blood manipulation), and having an innate knowledge of different order systems.

Poena lives by herself in a house built from onyx and Stygian Iron. Inside, the walls (which are built out of concrete) are bare- except for various mounted weaponry while the flooring is black brimstone. There's stainless steel appliances and Stygian Iron cupboards in the kitchen, leather furniture with glass & metal furniture pieces in the living room, as well as a basement filled with other weaponry and a wide variety of torture devices. In her bedroom the color scheme is black, black-blue, & blood red while her bed has a glittering obsidian headboard.

She has two pets- a screech owl named Shriek and a chimera named Dagger.

In the Underworld she gets around in her black sturdy car. When in New Olympus, she gets around by way of public transportation- like the train, bus, or a cab.

Notable features of Poena includes her striking alabaster skin, her short white blonde hair, and her attention grabbing height of 6''4! She's the tallest goddess in the pantheon.

In the mornings she starts off with a session with her acupuncturist followed by tai chi & meditation.

A go-to drink for her is red wine. She also likes beer, ginger ale, pomegranate juice, mulled wine, classic martinis, black russians, vampiro cocktails, and black martinis. A usual from The Roasted Bean is an olympian sized iced dark roast coffee.

She absolutely hates tattoos & piercings of any kind.

Poena is the mother and sole parent of her daughters Megaera, Alecto, & Tisiphone- otherwise known collectively as The Furies. She got pregnant on her own with the fertility services offered by Gaia (goddess of the earth). Other than her pets, Poena cares deeply for her girls. Because of their busy schedules, they don't get to spend time together often, so they're constantly keeping in touch through text. When they do have down time, a favorite pasttime of Poena and her daughters is lava surfing by the currents of the River Phlegethon. They also love visiting the Stygios Gun Range.

She doesn't wear much makeup except for mascara, black liquid eyeliner, & powder.

A favorite accessory of hers that she always wears on her clothes is her platinum scales of justice brooch pin.

Poena's fashion style is very structured with high neck shirts & blouses, leather pieces, tailored pants and knee length skirts, minimalist jewelry, boots, & stiletto heels. Black, white, gray, and red are major colors.

A typical breakfast for her is a bowl of whole grain oatmeal topped with dark chocolate chips, dried cherries, blackberries, & pomegranate syrup. She also likes burnt strips of bacon along with sesame crusted tuna tataki.

Poena has two assistants- a lampade named Darcy and an empousa named Enya. She says that without them helping out with her workload, she would've gone mad a long time ago.

She's well versed in pressure point martial arts, jui-jitsu, and lethwei styles of fighting.

Her favorite frozen treat is black licorice ice cream.

Poena has "an eye of an eye" way of looking at things when it comes to the world & the criminal justice system. She's a firm proponent of the death penalty.

She enjoys listening to rap, classical, and heavy metal music.

A thorned black rose is her favorite flower.

Poena is a licensed lawyer. Her office is located in the Shadowstone neighborhood of New Olympus. For other means of income, she also teaches the criminal justice class at the New Olympus School of Law and she's also the head executioner (an official who carries out a sentence of death on a legally condemned being) at Chlotonius Prison- the most notorious maximum security facility in Olympius. Poena works there alongside the prison's warden Ponos (god of hard labor & toil). Means of execution carried out includes the guillotine, hanging, lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, firing squad, and being burned alive. She also writes for the crime section in The Oracle newspaper.

Poena is currently developing a signature parfum. She hasn't decided on a name or the design of the perfume bottle, but has settled on the fragrance notes- jasmine, belladonna, orchid, saffron, pomegranate, musk, incense, honey, & blackberry.

She loves snacking on mint charcoal gum.

The steak salad drizzled in extra creamy balsamic vinaigrette dressing is her favorite thing to get at The Bread Box.

In the pantheon she's friends with Acheron (Titan god of pain), his wife Orphne (a lampade), Styx (Titaness of hatred), Asteria (Titaness of falling stars, astrology, magic, necromancy, & nocturnal oracles and prophecies), Geras (god of old age), Enyo (goddess of war, destruction, bloodlust, & devastation), Nyx (goddess of the night), Amphillogia (goddess of arguments, disputes, & altercations), Erebus (god of darkness), Lycana (Titaness of lycanthropy), and Amechania (goddess of helplessness & want).

Poena was the official mentor towards Nemesis (goddess of retribution).

She's also quite fond of The Moirai.

She doesn't like Empusa (goddess of shapeshifting) and thinks that Themis (Titaness of justice) is a self-righteous pretentious poser with a lax view on justice.

Her & Nyx rode dragons throughout the Underworld together one night. The Mother of Darkness rode Mysterion while Poena rode Nyx's other dragon Rhaegara.

In the pantheon she's known for her addictive cherry pie!

On TV she loves watching true crime programs, the news, gothic black & white movies, as well as episodes of The Agnostic Network- which is hosted by Momus (god of mockery, satire, & ridicule).

Poena's carnal proclivities are quite particular. She enjoys hardcore BDSM, power play, erotic asphyxiation, as well as being gagged, slapped, and tied with rope. Poena is a dom towards a lotus eater named Valdus while she is a sub to the giant Geryon. After an intense session involving a pyrotechnic bullwhip with her body covered in gashes & stained with ichor, Poena enjoys the aftercare Geryon provides for her- washing her hair, setting up a bubble bath with lavender soap, putting ambrosia ointment on her wounds, and providing an ice pack. They cuddle & fall asleep afterwards.

She's a frequent attendee at The Alpha Room, A BDSM themed club owned by Menoetius (Titan god of rage, violence, & rash actions).

Poena's favorite meal is chili crusted salmon with grilled asparagus.

In her free time she also enjoys boxing, working out, chess, sword dueling, axe throwing, basketball, reading, mixed martial arts, ink painting, going to museums, and ice hockey.

"In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are only consequences."

[randomthingsthatilike1]

Hot dentist. Hot chiropractor. Any other interactions that live rent free in your head? 😅

not chiropractor it was an acupuncturist!!!! there's a difference!!!!

and. um. so when I was 18 I had a very pretty personal trainer who was recommended to me by one of my moms friends and the friend was like @ my mom she doesn't like v many people but she does like Gabby a lot!!! and uhhhh sometimes my mom would go to my sessions and we'd split them and she wouldnt be as playful or happy when it was me and my mom and just. she kinda liked to torture me a little bit and 4 years later I realized that she was flirting

bc this was also when I was v v fit by anyone's standards and shed say things like God we need to get you into a bikini or being very touchy with me but not my mom and also doing things like when I was on the treadmill randomly turning up the speed while I was walking on an incline to see how fast I can walk without jogging while she laughed and other things of repositioning me to make whatever position I was in more difficult or just randomly adding more weight to what I was doing and her just. smirking.

bc .I always did what she asked with minimal complaining

so tl;dr

yes.

[prettiestcowgirl]

i spent last night by myself as i cleaned up after my first dinner party. my childhood best friend and i made handmade gluten-free pizza, herbed french fries, and a garlic-olive oil aioli. i also bought some sparkling mineral water and local-craft made sodas for everyone. i had my best friend go to the garden out front of my house and make a bouquet for the dinner table; we have daisies and white hydrangeas. we played the evangelion cover of fly me to the moon while guest showed up. they brought wine and housewarming dishes.

later on, after a few hours of talking, everyone went home. i spent the night washing dishes while listening to a crime documentary. life comes at you fast. i started the year terrified to leave my bed and now im hosting dinner parties in my new dining room.

there is still residual suffering; i realized i have a lot more trauma than i previously thought. my roommates will slam a door accidentally or move their personal items to a private place or walk loudly throughout the house and i panic because i assume theyre mad at me. every slammed door makes me shake. im so used to my mother's volatile emotions that i cant comprehend people doing things accidentally or non-threateningly.

the quiet has also been hard. now that there isn't screaming and abuse, the silence is unnerving; it gives me too much time to think. ive been thinking of my dad a lot lately. ive been thinking of my grandmother. i am no longer surviving, so i am just thinking, and it hurts so badly. i was warned that once i left that house id start shedding layer by layer.

the first week i could hardly move. i laid in bed after work and slept until the next day. the second week i hardly showered and considered the woods behind my corporate office as a good resting place if i did the unthinkable. i woke up this week and i was somehow better. i stopped smoking. the nights spent crying were minimal. the sleeping improved. i had things i aspired towards. its slow getting to the surface, but it's so close, i can feel it.

i have wonderful health insurance due to my job and i decided to prioritize my mental and physical health now that im free to nurse myself back into a human being. i got a new psychiatrist and im being assessed for transcranial magnetic stimulation. it's for people who have OCD and major depressive disorder and don't respond to medication. sounds like rebranded shock therapy. im willing to try anything at this point.

ive also decided to try things for my physical stress symptoms, the pain, the shaking, the migraines, the dizziness, the nausea, etc. i am looking for an acupuncturist in the city as im only two train stops away from 30th street station. ive contacted a holistic doctor and a nutritionist. i meditate. i do breathing exercises. i surround myself with as much calm as possible.

ive lived in this body addled with stress since i was small. im scared ive put too much strain on myself already. last night at my dinner party, we discussed our hypothesis that stressed killed my father. he suffered a widowmaker, and we always assumed that it was due to his negligent lifestyle, but my roommate and i talked about her uncle recently passing due to one as well, and he was healthy. he had a primary doctor, he was fit, he ran, he ate well; harrowing that death comes for anyone regardless of their choices.

i slowly worked through the idea that maybe he was stressed. maybe my father was stressed. maybe stress and cortisol and adrenaline wreak havoc on these soft bodies we live inside. i was tested for cortisol at seventeen and was misdiagnosed with pcos due to my high levels. years later, after getting an ultrasound to finally address the constant pain i experience during sex and urination, they revealed that i didnt have any cysts on my ovaries. this meant that i didnt have pcos just very high cortisol floating through my body. it kind of clicked for me. i have abundant health issues and a terrible mental state and its slowly grinding my body to sawdust.

i think im finally in the place to start healing. i think i can do it. i want to see the other side. i want to replace this body and start fresh.

[chicago-geniza]

I think the (hopefully!!!) impending railroad strike & difficulties filling prescriptions & various bit-part, cog-in-a-wheel*, peripheral or marginal--to more significant-in-their-impact disruptions in the supply chain. Are going to make me write about, for myself, of course, not for publication. The way my family's self-sufficiency paranoia (itself a product of deficit!) shaped my approach to, well. Being a disabled adult in 2022 America. My mother has always been strident to a proselytizing degree that one should be "physically dependent" on as little as possible outside one's control. For awhile she wanted me to replace my anticonvulsants with herbal supplements that we could grow on our allotment ourselves, that I could dehydrate and cure and make into tinctures. Natural remedies I could procure from anyone without a middleman, without insurance, so I would never be forced into the unenviable position of, essentially, indentured servitude to the medical industrial complex. Unfortunately nobody, even the medical industrial complex, has figured out a cure for epilepsy, but the ones they gatekeep are more effective than most mortar-and-pestle alternatives, especially for my rare channelopathy, which only responds to calcium channel blockers. Want to write about my friend whose parents--also unusually old--were Christian Scientists, and how we were kicked out of drivers' ed because our parents wouldn't let us get glasses. How we ended up at the same acupuncturist, the same naturopath for our autoimmune diseases, though my parents expressed haughty disdain for her parents' beliefs. How my first reasons for hysterectomy as a very, very young child--first, second grade--were not gender dysphoria but rather watching the news and thinking: What do you do if there's a hurricane and you have your period and you need to evacuate? What do you do if there's a war and you need to flee and you can only take the clothes on your back and you have your period? What if you're in a refugee camp & someone--? or at the border and someone will only let you cross if--? What if you're in jail. They don't give you sanitary supplies or medicine in jail. Antonio said his cousin didn't get her insulin in jail, so--

So much of this alternative health resurgence, I think, stems from recognition that extant systems are collapsing, that disability and illness make you vulnerable, the exposure of those vulnerabilities as--imbricated in *networks* of labor etc. that people don't want to acknowledge or something? Idk idk idk. There are certainly many other factors at play but having grown up with it *as a disabled child* and observing the ways in which it's becoming more commonplace...I see where it's coming from, and I don't like it :(

*I know it's another word but am off the two meds that make my brain work. Steampunk thing that is pokhozh na...spoke? Gear? Gauge? It's round but spiky, like the protein that allergens bind to, but if you sliced it a la cheese hors d'hourves for a crudites plate at a fancy reception. Like the allergen binders are spheres and these are flat but still have spikes, though still have a little body. What the fuck are they called. I hate aphasia.

[uswnt5]

A friend of mine has an acupuncturist who used to be in the USWNT pool before she blew out her knee in college. And the acupuncturist is still in contact w Jill Ellis. So she asks Jill about Vlatko, and Jill says “I had a conversation w him just after he was named, and I told him the number one thing with this team was to tell them - 9 months before a world championship tournament - exactly what their roles were going to be, and not to waver from that no matter how upset it makes them. And his response was, ‘but I want the players to like me,’ and that’s when I knew he wasn’t going to be a good coach for this team.”

I think he doesn’t know how to say hard things to these players. Everyone says he’s such a nice man, but he’s trying to please too many people rather than focus on the goal of winning a championship and the brutal decisions that requires.

And I have to say, I have the same concern about Laura Harvey. The player love her (and she seems amazing), but though the Reign have several shields, they’ve never put together a successful championship run. You have to be willing to hurt the feelings of talented players in order to prioritize team goal of winning the championship. Do we think Harvey can do that?

Interesting!

Re: Harvey -- Vlatko put together multiple championships in the league, and that's not translating to the NT. So, why does Harvey's lack off the Final game win totally negate her preparedness for the role? Not saying you're saying that, but I've seen people say it. I think Harvey would be a good fit for the team to manage the personalities and to uplift or lean into them and each person's talents, rather than to diminish or dapen them, which feels like what is happening right now.

[clairethecutepup]

Title: A String's Many Uses... (Ed Edd n' Eddy, "Assassin AU")

"I'm not going to kill you, silly~... You're doing it yourself, 'little dolly.'"

- Sarah, after Goon "A" jeers at the thought of some "prissy ballerina" taking him out, if he doesn't scram.

"Now, now, if you insist on falling to pieces, you should do so properly~."

- Jimmy, after Goon "B" freaks out over Sarah managing to physically manipulate his cohort into forced suicide.

Click "keep reading" for artist's notes...

Did I say C2ndy2C1d's version of Sarah and Jimmy unnerve me? Sorry, I should correct myself: I'm jumping out the most lethal window height, if this version of them ever tried coming within 100 ft of me. Maybe I just "headcanon" this version of them as being more malicious and childishly "playful" than they're actually meant to be in the AU, even when they're assassins that kill people for a living and can't be expected as the most moral beings; but they often did have a crueler/sinister side in the actual EEnE series, and I'd imagine they'd only grow that sense of ruthlessness and cunningness when entering a highly amoral career choice. I doubt the "puppet masters" and professional acupuncturists here wouldn't be too shy about-- and keep your mind out of the gutter here --taking a chance to get all "hands on" and playful with an amusingly fearful shorty, like me. I'd probably be perfectly "dolly-sized," as I could hear Sarah giggling.

Anyhow, the actual file of this thing is about .8 mb over the acceptable size for PNGs, here on Tumblr. Thank goodness for the concept of "Print Screen" and Paint, for "shrinking" the size of a file and not harming the quality, really.

As for the "design-wise" aspects, this was a great opportunity to practice the "shading assistance" feature in Clip Studio Paint: I have to say, it doesn't look too bad, but I wish there was a way to make it appear a bit more smoothly blended. Of course, I had to use red coloring to cover up a yellow spot it made under Sarah's hair, but you should stick to AI art if you expect to let a program do everything for you and do no proper "touch-ups" as needed. I also liked the "gradient" tool, too, 'cause it helped make those neat backgrounds possible! I ensured to have Sarah and Jimmy stand in the center of their "light beams" behind them, while the goons would have the main focus of their lethal injuries be "illuminated" in a similar fashion. I didn't intend for the whiter section to practically "line up," in the two goons' squares, but I'm glad it practically did 'cause it looks nice. I also hope their injuries aren't "gory," but let's be honest: if you can't handle red circles or a spritz of VERY cartoonish-looking blood droplets, I dunno if you should further traverse the internet, lest you end up a mess from the REALLY traumatizing stuff out there...

Also, ever since Puppy Eyes and Doll Eyes (click for comic), I've been adamant about giving Sarah and Jimmy these signature "slasher smiles": Sarah having fiercely glaring eyes and a malicious sneer, while Jimmy has a gleefully sadistic grin and eye filled with ecstatic cruelty. Ohh boy, speaking of that, the (fully-human) Claire is sure in for a ride, when the fan comic series for this AU comes out... Sorry, Claire, but I'd rather YOU be forced to constantly be near them, as part of the "apprentice" program by the organization, than come within 1,000 ft of those two myself. Hey, I said I'd only jump out the window, if the distance was 100 ft, as I'm confident I could find the appropriate one to escape through while they're closing that 900 ft gap.

Anyhow, if you like this piece, thank Demon Slayer for inspiring it, by reminding me of the duo: the "mother" of the spider family could control people with her threads (she even calls them her "dolls"), and the Kizuki that created said family would cut people up with his thread. Interesting fact: C2ndy2C1d's ref. sheet for Sarah and Jimmy only states that thread of theirs is good for cutting bodies than controlling them, it's really fan art and all that portrays them as actual puppet masters-- even if one of C2ndy2C1d's digital art pieces DID depict the duo extending the string from their fingertips, like their hands were actual "crosses" for a puppet's wires to dangle from.

[becauseiamnotanelephant]

witchcraft is better than lasers, hopefully

Today was the big day. The last hurrah. The final attempt. I went to the baby making factory and had our final embryo implanted. Graham dialed in and was underwhelmed by the process, which takes 5 minutes. The last two times we tried this, I opted for the extra cost of the laser acupuncture, but always felt like it was total bullshit. This time instead, I have been going to an actual acupuncturist for the last two weeks and saw her again right after the transfer. There were all sorts of needles in all sorts of new places this time, plus she burned mugwort. I of course, fell asleep immediately, and am just hoping all this voodoo will help.

Back at home, I was doing some BrainQuest stuff with Hannah, and presented her with this question:

She looked at it for a long time. I don't know what you think is wrong with this picture, but most certainly it's the same thing I was thinking, and what was posted as the answer.

Hannah's response "The panda should be eating bamboo and the rabbit should be eating a carrot". She might be ready for school but is school ready for her?

[darnalila]

100123 He stole nightmares from others about trifectas of fortresses turned them into dreams a ritual walls and walls and walls of protection from the inside or the out? I know he saw himself as a monster a titan with a tectonic temper he told me so many times how he couldn't love me in the ways I needed and I denied it until grey in the face sending smoke signals to the others numbing myself into someone who could fade into him the awful things we do to make the head go quiet a warm cloud around him to feel but never hold; falling apart under his touch - My gracious girl hospitable hag a direct shooter of sensibility she watched me fading until I left, told me two years too early for me to know: "How could he say he loved someone he couldn't tell was dying?" I as Himi a moth to a flame a gauche gouache a likeness of a lover; all spectacle without substance all white-hot skin and visions of blue skies to blaze into: Bhfuilis soranna sorcha Ach tagais 'nós na hoíche Trína chéile - And there on the precipice of the beginning in her exalted position (as is correct, with her angels flanking her each morning) sympathetic not para- (lysed, or sympathetic) armed with her own hurt; unrelenting morals steady hands that touch skin and souls with softness in her moment burnt by my careful words that I tried to douse so they would not light as embers at her feet blown into a bushfire - Finally, I am safe; I walk to her expecting embrace as she pulls each person forward like a pin to stick an acupuncturist of pain until I can bear it no longer and I take my moment of reprieve like the carpenter's son back into the cool and shaded letting the water rollover the rocks of my cheek the heat now inside of me; as each thought she showed to me weren't ones that I had slashed into me echoing relentlessly from a rabid animal of a person for this month of madness now imprinted in my mind and said in sorrow as forming a new ritual in each moment of regret to each flesh and bone person of the ghosts she defends her voice saccharine now stoking a sonic sickness: "Delly, this isn't helpful" as though I'm unaware and needing of the valence of judgement as though able to hear words from anyone close to resembling her if only her walls, and walls and walls were high enough to keep her from me

[saintmeghanmarkle]

SaintMeghanMarkle Correction about Meghan Markle visiting a marriage counsellor instead of the dentist by u/Negative_Difference4

SaintMeghanMarkle Correction about Meghan Markle visiting a marriage counsellor instead of the dentist Hello Sinners, happy weekend!Normally we wouldn't issue clarifications on individual posts. However, its come to my attention that the story of Meghan visiting a marriage counsellor instead of the dentist Is been used as a reference source in the Megxit community. Because people trust us as an accurate source, it is important to issue a mod response. Normally, if a post is false, the flair is changed to Fake News and no further action is taken.I can understand why the post was taken seriously, because I had pinned the post for a few hours on the sub. This probably added to its legitimacy. Why did I do that without any evidence? Quite simply, I f*cked up. The poster was considered to be a reliable source. I also made an assumption, based on my experience that dentists / GPs lease rooms to other services which reduces costs. Salons do that too. There were articles about Meghan and Harry going to counselling a few weeks ago by The News Pakistan on the sub / The Mirror. But the next morning, I saw that the user did not have any evidence to back up their claims. Thats why the other post was pinned with the details of the dentist.Address of where the pap stroll is alleged to have happened on 13th of August 2023 (last Sunday) with Meghan and her bodyguard: 2173 Ortega Hill Road, Summerland, California 93067, United States (Google maps)I also could see that while the dentist - Marc Alexander occupied the first floor (2nd floor in American). The Ground Floor was taken up by Storygize (a marketing company). However, Storygize has since moved, which is confirmed on Google Maps. Please note that what you are seeing on streetview on Google is from March 2019. There are no accurate visuals of the building as you walk around it. The latest visuals are available from the main roads only. I could see that there is a business called Teeny bikini carrying out beauty treatments (aesthetician). Basically, there are multiple businesses at this location. So I had to confirm if a counsellor / therapist could use a room in the building on an ad hoc basis.I can understand why the poster assumed that she was visiting a marriage therapist, because how else would she get the Nucalm patch? Dentists aren't known hand out mental health / sleep aids. But the post made no attempts to back their claims by facts. Others Sinners were left to scramble and fact check.To complicate things, there is a marriage counsellor registered to the same postcode as the dentist but it may not be that specific building. This information also looks like its out of date. There are also many other businesses that have since moved on from the Marc Alexander dentist building. For example the Chinese acupuncturist, Storygize etc.So to be sure if there is a marriage counsellor, clarification was sought. It can be confirmed that there is only a dentist, an aesthetician and a private gym at that building. It was confirmed that there is no marriage counsellor at that building currently or recently.This is the post with the FAKE NEWSThis is the more reliable postLink to tweet providing clarification post link: https://ift.tt/1qD8Lzb author: Negative_Difference4 submitted: August 19, 2023 at 12:01AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

[seeminglyseph]

I am experiencing physical unwellness. Deeply unpleasant.

I told my family that my left eye does focus or dilate properly anymore, and I did not realize that I have perhaps not actually told anyone that yet. And I’m not sure really how to feel about all that.

Largely just in the realization like… “hm, that’s probably a complication that people will feel sympathy and understanding for to a certain degree”

And also “why do I feel the need to just never tell people things” my sister didn’t even know that I have intracranial hypertension. My mom barely comprehended what it was. Somehow I just went “yeah I just won’t bother telling anyone about the fact we did a CAT scan so no aneurysms or tumours, but MRIs for non-emergencies take months to years right now due to plague business, and my Special Spine makes doctors hesitant about a spinal tap because I have bone spurs and I’d need an MRI to figure out how advanced those fuckers are anyway.

I kind of wish I could have like Physical Therapy and Massage Therapy home visits, because the anxiety of getting to doctors appointments can undo all the work, and most programs cover three appointments at best and… I’ve filled some forms out but I don’t know what’s gone through and what’s processing. And what’s rejected but still processing. Or just forgotten because my memory is garbage.

My body hurts so bad. I want an acupuncturist who isn’t over $100 a visit and over an hour’s drive from home… like “you’re probably going to feel nauseous and exhausted afterwards as your body processes the therapy” and I bounce around in the car for an hour trying not to throw up…

Part of me is realizing it would be easier to be healthy if things were easier to access. “Can a specialist help me with massage because like half the time I ask my mom to help I often have to repeat multiple times if I have muscle pain different than her own” I have never had someone fail to understand what “between the shoulder blades” so often and so… blatantly. How can I point to a spot and have you still decide I actually meant my neck?

And also can massage therapists take courses to not ask weird questions about scars? Because bro I don’t wanna explain the self harm scars I want you to make that ligament in my calf to become mildly less tight so maybe the pain will go down.

When I have a bad pain day I become the whiniest baby of all whiny babies… ugh…

[mvillamemoirs]

August 2020 unloading

Monday August 31st, 2020

-Work was okay. Woke up almost late, didn’t have time to make coffee or have breakfast and found myself getting crabby at work. I really need to work with Milenna more about scheduling because not all of us including my Boss gets to take a decent lunch break. Rather than getting irritated with her, I think I’m just going to look at things like a challenge/opportunity to grow somehow out of the situation. 

-Walked my dog, thinking about how irritated I am living in this house. Thinking about my parents divorce and how I need to move out because being here reminds me about him. I feel like i can’t talk to my mom about deeper things. I feel like it doesn’t matter to her.

-The closer it got to bed time, the more I just kept thinking about the next court date. I’m worried, I’m frustrated, I don’t know all the details, I’m all sorts of emotional and aggravated because I have so much to lose. I just want to continue to work, go to school to focus on my career/educational goals, and enjoy time with my friends and family. Since this incident happened, I feel paranoid and I just want to be alone until it’s over. I don’t want my misery spewing over onto other people’s plates. I feel so stressed out.

Sunday, August 30th, 2020

-Worked at Lokahi for a bit. It was very mellow. Both acupuncturists are starting to grow on me. I adore them so much and it’s so fun. Nothing really bothered me that shift, it was easy going.

-Getting home I made myself supper, then ended up going to my cousin Raymonds house for dinner- sashimi, poke and lobster. He’s like my brother and just came to realize how I hardly see him. He asked about my sister, my dad, and I ended up telling him how I’m seeking therapy. Asking about my Dad kind of pulled on some heartstrings because I feel like it’s a sensitive subject that of course I wouldn’t know where he’s currently at. . That dude abandoned us or whatever. It also was an ‘eye-rolling’ moment asking about my younger sister because she’s really out just doing whatever with her boyfriend, and has her hands tied with that. I find myself not responding to the subject of my dad’s whereabouts less emotionally, which I think is a good thing because it’s like I’m accepting of the fact that my parents are divorce. I still have some resentment and anger towards him just because of the entire situation, but more accepting of the fact in general.

--We were also talking about Hawaii, how this is all of our first time not going back to visit- normally we all go once a year. I really miss my grandma, cousins and older sister. COVID sucks.

Saturday, August 29th, 2020

-Came to my weekend job, was very productive and called it a day 3-4 hours here since i’m basically working nonstop until Labor Day where I’ll be off. I figured if I have the energy to, especially before Fall semester starts, why not, right? 

-One of the acupuncturists came back and it’s so weird because we just don’t click, just co-exist. She caught me up to speed that she was safe and didn’t have to evacuate at her parent’s place in Santa Cruz. It’s strictly just business with her, Holly. I love how that business is woman-owned and I always get a sense of uplifting each other and overall women empowerment. The patients are just as delightful as the staff.

-Hung out with Danny at his place at nighttime. All we did was watch The Flash on Netflix, took 3 shots of vodka straight-yuck. Just simply hung out since we couldn’t go out anywhere as bars and restaurants were closing at 11pm. Hanging with him just made me realize that we cannot talk about serious things like what was the downfall of our relationships. We cant talk about our feelings, I don’t think I was even comfortable telling him I was seeing a therapist nor what happened at the arraignment. . I really just had the vibe that it’s not his business, and there’s no point in sharing deeper things like that with him when it’s not going to change anything. Maybe we’re just better off friends, but I just kept remembering that night of getting arrested that Danny was like my safe zone/ protector, and I looked to him in more ways than just being a significant other. It amazes me how we go to all of that, to just this current situation of being friends or whatever it is. I guess in the end all you have is yourself.

Friday, August 28th, 2020

-Went into work getting lectured at by the other chiropractor’s wife about separation of patients because that’s how the chiropractor I worked for wants to do it. I felt embarrassed getting grilled first thing in the morning in front of patients, and I need to have a sit down with my boss regarding that issue as he’s the only one who wants to continue the practice like that despite sharing the building overall. I think it doesn’t align with the philosophy of wanting to treat the community and get people better

--Felt much better when I told Camille how she made me feel and she apologized for being insensitive. Still uneasy overall about the conflict. By the end of the day I didn’t get to talk to my boss because he was rushing out to get to his dinner date. It’s so annoying that he wants to start and wrap up meetings when it’s convenient for him versus a general daily thing.

-Went home feeling empty and numb. It was a good work day overall but I feel so lost sometimes. School is starting, not sure how to go about with my break up when the guy wants to hang out, trying to date but that’s a bit stagnant due to covid, I just feel uneasy overall. I miss my family in Hawaii, I would’ve been there and back by now. I miss my friends from the east coast. I’m feeling clusters of emotions with where i’m at, and just exhausted mentally, emotionally and physically. This whole court date thing in November is eating at me, too. I feel irritated. I did a whole ‘treat yourself’ meal and had pizza for dinner and called it a night with netflix. 

--I’m trying to slow down my pace and enjoy time to myself like i did before.

Thursday, August 27th, 2020 -Work was very slow paced, and my boss assigned me to work the front desk so Milenna can practice at the back office duties. I felt so fatigue and physically and mentally drained today-coffee didn’t help.

-At the very end of seeing patients, I talked with my boss about wanting more benefits as I enter the 3rd year, offered me a sign on bonus as I’m worthy in his business, but still want to revisit overall. I ended up telling him I was seeking therapy, and he asked if I talked to one of his bestfriends that comes into the office for treatment. I guess she commented some time ago that if I need someone to talk to, she’ll do it- but I told him it's a conflict of interest for me because I don’t like to shit where I eat. I wonder what it was about me that gave off that impression at that time-i don’t know, maybe deep in thought as the arrest was recent.. Again, not sure.

--On the ride home, I was just thinking how sad I really am inside-it’s hard to think about the lawyer method, because I feel like to contradict negative thoughts- I was thinking about my parent’s divorce and cried a bit on the way home- would be a positive thing about myself regardless being sad (?), and I think there’s no relation. . I need to practice more.

---I also started to think about my grandpa and how I miss him so much. He passed away in 2014 and that’s when I started to smoke tobacco as a coping mechanism and destress. It made me realize how my birthday is coming up soon, and I wanted to quit by then. Time to start cracking down on myself and look at my triggers/habits when I feel like smoking stoges.

Wednesday, August 26th, 2020

-Very productive and high energy at work. Vibed with everyone-including co-workers. Today was also my review with my boss-I’ve been there for 2 years now. Very interesting how my boss keeps giving me more duties to do, but I feel like I’m in the crosshairs of “I should be lucky I have a job” and knowing my worth as I do know the office operations like the back of my hand. It’s a good deal regardless, but didn’t want to sign right away.

-I feel more accepting and less anxious about the next court date. I have to keep faith in my attorney.

-Danny called me by bedtime needing help to change his flat tire at work. I ended up going for a number of reasons: empathy, it took him a lot to ask me knowing that our last conversation was about being friends when I still want to work things out, maybe this could’ve been an opportunity to tell him what’s going on with me and I’m in a funk. . It ended up being a very mellow encounter where I was just watching him change his tire and having his subwoofer stashed in my car. I like to see my kindness not being a weakness, just my nature.

Tuesday, August 25th, 2020

-Woke up this morning wanting to stay in my bed a bit longer. Woke up feeling Zen and more relaxed- not as anxious about the court date today because I put trust in this attorney for things to work out in my favor. Trying to control my outlook and keep vibrating higher with better intentions. Took my dog out for a walk and thought back about my oracle cards last night, and contemplated ‘‘healing”. Thought about self love, and mentally told myself that I loved myself which for the first time it hit some strings internally and I just realized I haven’t said that to myself in sooooooo long. The more I kept repeating that to myself, the more I just felt those words losing meaning, i don’t know.

-Went to pick up a loaner laptop from SJCC as mine has become unreliable for this upcoming semester. Feeling productive.

Monday, August 24th, 2020

-Work was overall good. Not sure what it is with Milenna, but her presence just tends to irritate me occasionally. Maybe it’s because she’s slow paced and sometimes drags my energy down, or she doesn’t do some of her work (?), but when I start to get this way, I go elsewhere to help my boss with patients to keep my energy flowing. Just that quick second of irritation didn’t affect my work day, though. It was a lot of laughs and connecting with patients and catching up. I’d say it was a good day at work overall.

-Coming home felt really uneasy knowing that my court date is less than 24 hours away. I feel aggravated and anxious and very impatient. I want it to get dismissed, I want all that to go away. Maybe I need to declutter my room to get a sense of clarity and peace. After walking my dog I lit up an incense and reorganized my closet and walking space to get rid of extra objects that don’t serve purpose, or that’s just taking up space. Might reorganize my shelves eventually.

-I did an oracle spread for the 2020 year. It’s crazy how it highlights healing and this is the year for that. I took it as a sign to work on myself since I’ve been feeling on the go and wanting to go out and not having any ‘me’ time. Adventure is the fruit of the looms of self-healing, abundance is what challenge will arise, I can thrive through the year with focusing, and flow is what I’ll gain throughout 2020. 

Sunday, August 23rd, 2020

-Helping out at Lokahi felt very refreshing today as it did yesterday. Talking with one of the acupuncturists and sharing my educational goals reassured me that I’m on the right track. She was also a certified massage therapist while practicing in behavioral health and gave me lots of insight. I told her I wanted to pursue CMT while retaking health science courses as I’d have a full year before reapplying to the PTA program at Ohlone CC next year-I’m thinking this will strengthen my knowledge and skills regarding the human body. She cheered me on and told me she personally can see me succeeding on that educational route!

-Went to go see Stephanie after work today. The smoke and the air quality fucking sucks, can’t even see the ESSJ hills. It was mellow, reassuring her that I’m happy with whatever she chooses to do with Jerome because he’s a cool dude despite me and him having a fall out. I feel lightweight ‘meh’ about it. Not bothered, but just want to make sure she feels the same way. 

-Hung out at Steven’s pad for the first time. Met him from Tinder, started talking and it’s so easy to converse with him. I like keeping my word with things I say that I’m going to do, so that took him by surprise when I actually dropped by tonight. His vibe is cool.

-This arraignment date simmering in the back of my mind is keeping my anxiety afloat. It’s hard to think forward when I feel like a lot weighs on this outcome. Drank hibiscus tea to relax before bed.

Saturday, August 22nd, 2020

-I feel like the universe is fucking with me. A lot of old ghosts-from-the-past are popping up- ie Jerome, Greg and Danny. Like is this a test? Like at the end of the day I just want everyone to be happy- I want everyone to win. I feel weird and uneasy about it, calling Kenn and telling him details about it, maybe I’m getting my period soon.

-Talked to my sister in HI a little bit and was contemplating about telling her about the arrest and arraignment date. Everytime I think about the court date, I hear Theo’s advice that I shouldn’t worry about anything, “it’s just a ticket that you can fight or get dropped” or something like that. SIGHH….

Friday, August 21st, 2020

-I thought today was a very good day at work! My energy was up there, got in about 57 patients in from originally 40 patients. Milenna wasn’t in which made me feel like ‘deer in headlights’ having to be doing the front desk work. Caught up on billing, very productive overall while having fun with patients.

-Best friend Stephanie, told me how someone at her parent’s Subway tested positive for COVID and that I won’t be able to come to the house for a while. That blows, but also having thoughts if this is her way of getting space to date Jerome- whatever. As long as she’s happy that’s all that matters. She’s going to get tested this weekend, so hope it comes out negative so we can hang.

-Surprise, surprise. . Danny hits me up to hang out tonight, then changes his mind in 20minutes as I was cleaning. At first I was calm about hanving out with him, but now I’m like what the fuck. I’m irritated with the whole Danny issue- states that we shouldn’t hang out last minute because we’re not friends yet (?!). I feel like he should’ve just left me the fuck alone instead of dangling with my feelings.

-Getting super anxious again realizing how close my arraignment date is.

Thursday, August 20th, 2020

-I feel unproductive at work since it’s very slow patient flow. I can’t focus. I feel like the day is dreading.

-I feel bad for my cousin’s fiance as she’s putting her dog down tomorrow. I’m more than sad for her and it just reminds me that I’m not ready if my dog were to pass away. Makes me appreciate my dog, Nala, more.

-Talked to Zarinah just now. Even though she moved back to New Jersey I love how we randomly check in on each other. She caught me up to speed with what her and her other friends are doing, her son’s situation- I would’ve been there this year by now if COVID didn’t exist. I told her about my 4th of July weekend, the getting arrested ordeal, Jerome talking to stephanie. I miss her a lot!!

Wednesday, August 19th, 2020

-Woke up to my car covered in ashes. This weather is making me feel depressed, aggravated, super concerned for those that are impacted by it. Hope my coworker Blanca is okay.

-On the drive home after work I kept thinking about my ex boyfriend. I feel more mad and upset rather than sad at the moment. I miss him, I feel low. . but ‘I deserve the kind of love I desire’, no? I should just cut ties and block him everywhere. 

Tuesday, August 18th, 2020

-Forgot I was having brunch with Anthony today. Talked to my PCP about my physical and mental health. Told him I was seeking outpatient care because of how slow inpatient services were for behavioral/psychiatric therapy. I felt he disregarded that and was highlighting me to take smoking cessation classes, when I am a conscious change and have begun smoking less tobacco daily. I don’t know why he’s pushing extra hard with taking these classes when I’ve weaned myself off smoking before. But anyway, just got ready last minute to meet up with Anthony for brunch versus flaking on plans for whatever reason (had the just do it attitude).

-Didn’t realize I set another therapy appointment in person with another LMFT today. The first encounter I didn’t know what to expect and got lost just getting to know each other. Went an hour and 20 minutes or so, and I just felt like I was introducing myself to her, spewing more details than anything. She commented she’s aware of my anxiety and can see how mildly depressed I am, but I didn’t really feel it was effective versus yesterday’s session. She mentioned she doesn’t think her methods are safe for me in the state of being that I’m in. Took the depression questionnaire home, but I don’t think I want to go back. She did mention eye-movement method (?), color schemes and blot pictures (?), reprocessing information methods (?). Not sure but I feel like i didn’t get anything out of that session than just highlighting how sad I freaking am.

-Told Anthony via text that I don’t see anything romantic between us. I didn’t feel like pursuing him in that way and see us being only friends. I felt that’s a respectful way to let him know versus him feeling like I'm leading him on, and he just went on mute and became unresponsive. I feel like I would appreciate someone telling me that straight up from the start, but whatever. I feel a bit irritated by it, but I can’t control other people’s emotions.

Monday, August 17th, 2020

-First therapy meeting went well. Broke down and cried a lot, felt vulnerable, never realized how much sadness I had inside. I did feel a light feeling of relief at the end of it. Looking for the next session, while reminding myself ‘it’s okay to feel what i’m feeling”.

-I have such strong adoration for my mom and how strong of an individual and woman she is. I feel very spiteful towards my dad for emotionally and financially degrading my mom through the divorce process (fighting over money, the house). It’s so weird how my mom doesn’t want me to think any less of my dad because ‘he’s my dad’ and I feel it takes more than making a child to be labeled as a father than providing sperm, right? I feel irritated when it comes to telling me how to feel about whatever the situation, because my feelings are valid, too. I don’t want their failed marriage to influence my love life. 

-I talked to my bestfriend kenn while walking my dog. He makes me feel calm. Told him about my first therapy session, he highlighted the importance of feeling safe and open with a therapist and finding one that clicks- which I agree and feel like I did. Caught him up about Danny, anxiety with school, and how work eased up with my coworker, Milenna. She used to irritate me a lot, but now it’s water under the bridge. Health is an investment.