#CFER

[faebriel]

brrrr rainduo hunger games au

mad shoutouts to bee, beans, daisy and cherry for hopping on the rainduo hunger games bandwagon kdhkdjd

okay so nonnie i have a bit of hunger games knowledge (have watched the first two movies with some pals in the last month, various clips on youtube, etc) so i decided to take this one to my friends in clout farm to bounce some ideas around. niki and wil as tributes? niki as a tribute and wil as an estranged old friend who won the games five years ago and then was swallowed up by the capitol? two coworkers in the world's worst subminimum wage job? then bee comes in with the sledgehammer

for everyone else who also thought oh god i need to google that: avoxes are rebels, traitors or deserters who had their tongues cut out as punishment, and are forced into servitude by the capitol.

alright so. wilbur and niki are two kids in district 12 in the midst of a potential regime change - and they're kids, around ten and fourteen each. to-be-president schlatt is shoving around president dream and it almost seems like this might be a window for change, something wilbur is so passionate about

and then that wrong person overhears, and wilbur is gone.

niki assumes that wilbur is dead. (and tries not to think about how he got taken, because of nothing more than sheer bad luck, and she didn't.) it's awful, but seven years pass and she does her best to cope with it. and then her name is called at the reaping, when she is seventeen years old.

niki has absolutely zero intention of playing along with the games - she thinks they're horrible, just another way for the capitol to terrorise the people of the districts, even if she's learned by now the consequences of actually saying that out loud. she meets her mentor, jack - a year younger than she is, district 12's only remaining victor. he came out of the coal pits at thirteen, with just enough charisma and confidence to win over the sponsors and just enough grit to outlive every other tribute in his games, despite his age.

unfortunately for jack, niki is stubborn as hell when she makes her choices, and she's chosen not to play. fuck the capitol - fuck acting as their entertainment while they burn her entire fucking world down. fuck smiling how they want her to and acting sweet. why should she? she should she, when they've ripped her away from everything she had to lose? niki can hold her own, but not like this - and if she is going to go to her death, she refuses to act pretty about it.

and then she encounters wilbur.

it's one of the dinners for the tributes - one of the early ones, right after they're paired off with their stylists (niki doesn't entirely know what to make of hbomb, who asks her what colour hair dye she'd prefer in one breath and then lays out the most cynical, how-to-get-ahead guide to the games in the second, and then exalts the benefits of a kitty ear motif in the third) but before the interviews and grading. they're eating the fanciest food niki has seen in what is probably her entire life, although it tastes like nothing more than ash in her mouth, and pouring the tributes and their mentors glasses of expensive wine - never mind that almost all the tributes are underage, because when else will they get the chance to drink, hey? niki is still silently fuming, pushing her food around her plate and refusing the sixth damn offer to refill her wine glass and she finally looks up and behind the mask he's wearing, behind the unrecognisable silence, behind seven years of thinking one of her best friends had been horribly killed (and being entirely unable to process that fact) - she sees wilbur.

she immediately asks, wilbur? - not that he responds, and now hbomb and jack are giving her weird looks as hbomb informs her it's just an avox and jack goes oh, yeah, they don't have them in the districts, but -

none of their words matter, because half of niki is solidly trapped in this space between reality and dreams and her worst nightmare - she's only able to pull her shit together once jack has dragged them all back to the district 12 tribute spaces, and gives her the whole spiel about what an avox is, and by extension, what happened to wilbur.

niki is horrified. to think she mourned for all those years, and wilbur was alive - not just alive, but mutilated and tortured at the hands of the capitol. niki didn't think she could become more furious, more enraged with them. she was wrong.

the problem now, then - if niki wants to help wilbur, actually help him, she has to play. she has to win.

(and yes, she does set the forest on fire. she has to win, after all, doesn't she?)

this post is getting so so long so i am putting some more miscellaneous thoughts about The World and more details about niki's games under the cut ⚔️

okay so dream WAS president but was overthrown by schlatt in a "peaceful transfer of power". this was around when niki and wil were 10/14 each - and naturally uprising resulted in a peacekeeper crackdown in the districts, leading to wilbur's capture and arrest :(

2. haven't really nailed down other tributes in niki's reaping (i'm already handwaving the guy from district 12. he doesn't exist to me he is stock image steve) besides uhh ranboo who niki makes brief friends/allies with and then dies horribly. i was thinking aimsey and guqqie because from what i've seen of their content they love a tragedy? but yeah idk

3. sam is the gamemaker for this arena! he was a former victor and has decided to use this knowledge in the worst way possible.

quackity is Also a gamemaker (young upstart with no experience yet in the arena or out of it) and they have terrible workplace drama. is he hooking up with the president? i will not say yea or nay.

4. rest easy in the knowledge that, as a servant to the capitol, wilbur got to see on live television the moment niki was reaped :']

5. niki does, in fact, win the games - by the skin of her teeth. while she is so full of fury at the capitol, i feel like she'd Actually kill like, one career and then feel Extremely ill about it. unfortunately, she has too much on the line to lose. this isn't just about surviving, or going home - she needs to get herself and wilbur home in one piece. she Cannot Afford To Fail.

she ends up winning by setting the arena on fire with use of a match donated by jack and some sponsors he managed to twist the arm of, plus probably some clever digging around in the arena itself to find something flammable (maybe some kind of fuel to power the arena itself?) this fire ends up killing off the remaining few tributes at that point - at least one in front of niki herself - and damages the arena too. niki, already injured before the fire started and now barely clinging onto life past her burns, doesn't even hear the sound of the cannon shots as her victory is announced - she only realises that she's won once the hovercraft descends, perfect steel against a fiery, smoke-filled artificial sky.

she can't really stand the sight of flames after that. unfortunately, fire becomes her new branding.

6. district 13 Is a thing. Eventually. can't overlook niki's beloved anarchist friends :3c

and finally:

[kaixcastiel27]

Cystic fibrosis

[nonbinaryphantom]

no one gets jazz as a big sister with a character like that includes being a big sister in fact being a big part of her character while also being not catered to danny’s needs does that make sense

[vonlipvig]

Fun fact about me playing Not For Broadcast: I have been constantly playing with a small voice in the back of my head trying to work out why Jeremy’s voice sounds so much like my own. I’m sitting there being like: Did we grow up in the same area? Do we share a speech pattern? Is it just a similar energy or tone??? I am literally deaf, how did I notice this and why can’t I notice it further so I know what it is!??

Anyway, the CF trust have a bunch of articles about people with CF who are in work. So naturally I was reading through the creative adjacent ones so I can compare myself unfavourably to them support the careers of my fellow CFers. And wait a second isn’t that…

Anyway it turns out that’s absolutely what it was, and apparently my profoundly deaf ears can ID someone as having the same respiratory condition as me by voice alone. (Also I know how much you love this game and I thought you might find it interesting because of that.)

Oh wow, that's amazing, how cool! I had no idea, but I love that your shared experience made you able to tell. Paul does a hell of an incredible job in NFB, what an absolute icon.

Thank you so much for sharing!

[shion-yu]

Popsicle

Just a fluffy little Al/Theo drabble. 1,385 words. TW: Emeto, mention of past character suicide. Cool article about historic CF treatment here.

One of the first pictures Al has of himself is in the mist tent. He doesn't remember much about it - they were already going out of style when he was born and quickly fizzled out as an effective treatment for cystic fibrosis in the early 80s. Good thing, given they were better breeding grounds for pseudemonas than anything, but the snapshot remains among Al's many baby pictures. There's so many, his mom explains to him, because they didn't think he'd live past childhood. Everything felt unknown back then. Now, Al thinks, so much is different. Kids are diagnosed within 24 hours of being born thanks to mandatory newborn screenings. There are medications and treatments that extend life expectancy for some CFers almost to normal. Very little existed on that snow-stormy night in 1979 when Al was born.

When Theo sees the picture of Al in that plastic nighttime prison, the gigantic compressor next to his crib that easily weighed a hundred times more than he did, his jaw drops. "This can't be real," he says in disbelief. "This looks more like the 1930s. 1960s, tops."

"What, you think my parents put me in there for fun?" Al smirks. "But you're right. It looks crazy. But rural Ohio, ya know, it was a bit behind on the times."

Al's mom also regales him with tales of disassembling and sanitizing the entire contraption plus changing the bed every morning, the sheets often soaking wet by then. He doesn't envy her at all. It's just another reason Al respects his mother endlessly, even though he knows he doesn't call her enough. He should call her more often.

They stopped talking every day after Al moved to New York. It was gradual but intentional, and often because Al hadn't wanted to admit to her when she asked how his day was that he'd gotten into another fight with Ollie. She loved Ollie, but she had never thought they were ready to marry or move in together. Ollie had only tried to kill himself last year, she told him. What were they going to do in a big city, in another state, without a clear plan for their future? Couldn't they just move to Columbus and try there?

It was a big fight. Al ended up going, and after that he felt too ashamed to tell his mother that maybe she had been right. After Ollie died Al was scared to talk to her about it. He was already so broken, he didn't need to be told what he did wrong. But when they finally did talk about it, she just hugged him and told him she was there for whatever he needed. He should have trusted her more, he thought as he sobbed in her arms just like he was a boy again.

She's supposed to be visiting sometime soon. It was going to be this week, but both Al and Theo woke up yesterday with a stomach virus from hell and had spent most of the last twenty-four hours vomiting in tandem. Theo has it worse than Al though and Al's doing his best to keep Theo as hydrated as possible. It seemed like everything he's offered Theo comes right back up, though.

"I'm fucking dying," Theo groans loudly after yet another round of violent gagging. He's lying on the bathroom rug, naked other than a pair of boxers and shivering despite most of the blankets in the apartment being piled on top of him.

Al's in his own nest in the bathtub with the rest of the remaining blankets that they possess. He stopped vomiting a few hours ago and now just feels vaguely nauseous and exhausted, but doesn’t want to leave Theo’s side. “You’re going to be fine,” Al tells him, although Theo does look on death’s doorstep if he’s being honest. “Drink some more Gatorade.”

“Ugh. Don’t even say that,” Theo says. He’s been alternatively sipping on and puking up Gatorade ever since this started and he doesn't think he ever wants to taste that shit again.

"Do you want to go to the hospital?" Al asks him.

"Shut the fuck up," Theo mutters, which causes Al to laugh.

"You're fine enough to complain," Al says. He detangles himself from his blanket cacoon and climbs out of the tub to rub Theo's back. Theo quivers in response to being touched, but after the initial discomfort it feels good. Al tries to remember what else he can do to help someone with the stomach flu, but he can only ever remember having it once before when he was quite young. What had his mom done to make him feel better? "How about a popsicle? It'll get that taste out of your mouth."

Theo seems to consider it very seriously before he says, "In ten minutes."

"Got it," Al says with a tired smile. His partner is exceedingly logical as always and Al knows he was weighing the pros and cons of a popsicle now versus in ten minutes versus never. Al waits ten minutes before dragging himself to the kitchen to grab a popsicle and calls to update his mom.

"Hi baby," she says when she picks up. "How're you two holding up?"

Al tells her that he's fine now, but Theo's still going through it. "Any ideas? I'm about to give him a popsicle."

"That's a good idea," she tells him. "Hmm... Got any of those ginger candies?" Al considers it. He thinks maybe he has some burried among all the crap in his med cabinet. "What about pepto bismol?"

"Ew, the pink stuff?" Al cringes. It never worked well for him personally, but it seems the zofran he's been giving Theo hasn't really worked so maybe it's worth a try.

"I'll order you some," she says. Ever since she discovered the magic of grocery delivery she seems to find some excuse to send him something every week. He doesn't bother arguing this time, since it's for Theo's benefit and he knows it makes her feel better to help. "What's Theo's favorite flavor of popsicles?"

"Green," Al says.

"Lime, dear," his mother corrects him. Al doesn't say anything. It's not worth fighting about.

"Thanks mom," Al says. "Love you. I'll call later."

"Let me know when you're feeling better," she responds, "And I'll re-book my flight."

Al knows she'll rebook it within an hour, so he'd better wait until they're feeling entirely better. Theo is fond of Al's mother, but he doesn't need her nagging and taking over the apartment while he's still not feeling well. Al tells her he loves her again and hangs up. Then he goes back to Theo's side where he finds his boyfriend yet again retching fruitlessly into the toilet. His heart clenches with pity.

"Poor Theo," he hums sympathetically, "You're okay. Deep breaths."

"Nothing's coming up," Theo groans.

"I know," Al says. "Let's get you to bed, okay? I want you to try eating this."

"What if I throw up in bed?" Theo mumbles feverishly.

"Then you throw up in bed. It'll be okay," Al soothes him, wrapping one of Theo's arms around his shoulders and hoisting him to his feet. They make it to the bedroom where Al deposits Theo onto the bed and presses the popsicle to his lips. "Suck on this. Just a little," Al coaxes him. "I know you don't want to but I can't let you get dehydrated."

"Fine," Theo obeys reluctantly. He gags a little but manages a decent amount before he pushes it into Al's hands. "I'm done," he pleads.

"Good job," Al says gently, running a hand through Theo's hair. He kisses Theo's forehead and puts the remaining popsicle into an empty water cup on his bedside table, so when it melts it won't make a mess. Then he brings a wet washcloth from the bathroom and washes Theo's sweaty, sticky face for him.

"Do you think you can sleep?" Al asks Theo. "Just for a bit."

"Maybe," Theo says. His pale, greyish complexion makes him look older than he is. "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course," Al says. He wants to nap too, anyways. "I'll be right here, don't worry."

"Love you," Theo mumbles.

Al smiles a little and kisses Theo again. "I love you too. Now rest."

Not sure if we actually have to write something for the "Free Space" in @hurtcomfort-bingo but if so, I'll count this one for my Free Space!

[jackhues]

my fav comms moments from this game in no particular order (phillies vs. mets - london series):

as someone who is not biased towards either team

they wished the net was positioned differently so maybe they could catch a foul ball (their box in london is much lower than the other ballparks)

having a whole conversation with the mets cf and him being mic'd up while screaming for the ball

and that one announcer who was just praising the cfer while they were interviewing him mic'd up

bryce harper's soccer celly after hitting a hr and the comms bringing it up multiple times

plotting how to get bryce harper to hit the cycle and calling it a 'london cycle' (it didn't happen)

going off topic and talking about whoever the camera would show in the crowd

saying 'across the pond' as they referred to playing in london. at least once/twice an inning

going off topic and talking about the dirt. saying it came from america

laughing at the mascot/costumes with a giant head (???) race - the last few seconds were televised before the bottom of the seventh

feeling bad for the mets pitcher when he was taken out of the fourth

when the top of the fourth finally finished and a player who's name i can't remember was the third out: "he was two of the three outs. they went through the order, and he accounted for two of the three outs"

pronouncing chelsea as kelsey, and the other guy correcting him immediately

getting a fish and chips delivery in the bottom of the 7th by the phillies mascot and absolutely losing their minds (probably one of my favourite parts)

one of the guys saying his fav part was being visited by the fanatic (phillies mascot)

THE GUY SAYING "CASTELLANOS DEEP DRIVE TO LEFT CENTER FIELD... IN LONDON" and then the mics going silent for like ten seconds lmaooo - (idk if this was on purpose or if i'm just reaching)

montreal expos mention

[dumbass-tumbler-cryptid]

(For CF one shot) Hi I know you haven't written this yet but I'm a bit interested in cystic fibrosis and I wanted to share some ideas ​​(you don't have to use them of course) I warn you that I am no specialist, but I am wondering if I would like to become a doctor in this field in the future

- Spider could have atypical cystic fibrosis (it's a milder version, comfort and longevity is bigger) but could have asthma/CFD (Cystic Fibrosis Diabetes) to add some "drama" (I mean Quaritch and his overprotectiveness - I think he would treat Spider as if he was going to die at any moment)

- People with cystic fibrosis should use oxygen therapy, use a special vest and, of course, take medication. Meditation and singing are also recommended.

Some people also need a gastric tube (G-Tube I guess) usually plugged in at night as they need to consume more calories than a normal person and have difficulty gaining weight. I think Quaritch would be totally crazy about this and would never let Spider leave the table without finishing his meal

- Cfers often get various infections like pneumonia - Quaritch could be even more of a pain in the winter, for example not letting Spider take off his sweater or scarf no matter how hot he is

- People with CF also need to work on their lungs for example by doing cardio - I bet Quaritch would become something of a rough trainer lol

- Often these people carry permanent oxygen concentrators with them, usually in a bag or backpack along with oxygen nasal cannulas.

- In general, they have to be careful because they can't get closer than 6 steps to other people with this disease. I don't think Spider will ever meet someone with CF but Quarotch could scare him like this to prezent trying to sneak out and get to know new people by saying something like "You never know if a person is hiding a disease from you and you don't want to die right?

- Not so long ago a drug was discovered - Trikafta which significantly improves the lives of patients but it is terribly expensive - Generally I think Quaritch would buy Spider all the most expensive equipment such like a mobile vest without the need to connect

- I recommend you the book / movie Five Feet Apart , @polarbarry's Tik Tok profile and the channel of the wonderful Claire Wineland (*)

- I think Spider would be frustrated with being locked up and might suffer from some kind of depression.

If you've been watching Five Feet Apart Spider reminds me of Stella Grant in terms of being obsessed with control so as not to hurt her parents, and Will in terms of drawing black humor caricatures. Will's mother also blatantly reminds me of Quaritch - she goes out of her way to find a way to cure the child, spending a lot of money and constantly sending him on the latest trials of experimental drugs, methods of treatment against his will and feelings.

Yeah I know you didn't ask for any advice but I couldn't help myself because my head is bursting with ideas CF Spider (of course half of it has slipped my mind now and will probably come back to me when I send it) And I can't wait to see it. Again sorry if I'm intruding you can just ignore this message haha

Sorry for mistakes but it's now after midnight and I got a sudden surge of motivation to write this 😅

I really appreciate you reaching out! this is all very helpful so thank you so much for the ideas/resources.💞💞

Also you unknowingly stumbled upon something I've already written for Cabin in the Woods with this line: Quaritch could be even more of a pain in the winter, for example not letting Spider take off his sweater or scarf no matter how hot he is.

He does exactly that and Spider only has asthma in that story. Quaritch would probably be the most insufferable mother hen in the C.F Au

[docwmedicineman]

Then DIE MFers ! ! (includes CFers TOO)

Bye assholes!

[sutrala]

Laurel Duggan Daily Caller News Foundation The Californians for Equal Rights Foundation (CFER) is suing the city of San Francisco and several other government entities over guaranteed income programs that discriminate on the basis of race, the group announced in a Thursday press...

[petnews2day]

Cat and kitten rescue charity gets superb support from veterinary centre supporters

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/o1tBA

Cat and kitten rescue charity gets superb support from veterinary centre supporters

Emma Adams and Avril Parker, from the Vets holding: Heidi, and from Clent View Emma Bailey with Domino and Kerrie Fisher with Cfer.. The St Georges veterinary surgery in St Georges, held a fundraising day with raffles, a tombola and plenty of homemade cakes and knitted gifts to buy. The day raised £295 for the […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/o1tBA #CatsNews

[faebriel]

what does Jack & Niki’s dynamic look like pre and post games?

that is a great question nonnie!! :D

i don't think they actually knew each other very well before niki was reaped. if anything there would have been a short time where jack was in the grade below niki's at school, and then he was reaped and went on to win his games, and then he disappeared into the ghost town that is the district 12 victor's village and didn't come back out. at most, they might have been able to put a name to each other's faces. niki can certainly put a name to jack's now.

in that sliver of time after the reaping but before they reach the capitol, i think they struggle to entirely get along. i think they have a similar sense of humour at times - jack snorts out a laugh at niki's occasional biting, sarcastic commentary on capitol bullshit while niki is startled into laughter at some of jack's more pointed observations about some of the escort aides - but it can't erase the fact that they're there for different reasons. jack, sixteen and 12's only mentor, wants someone to win. anyone but him. he can't be the only one. the part of him that, despite it all, is still sixteen and stupid beneath his bitter armour, wants someone from 12 to win. niki, though, she's through. call her name? fine. they can drag her to the capitol, but they won't make her play their games. fuck that. whether her fellow tributes kill her or the capitol kills her first, at least she will die as herself. the capitol might be able to take her away from her district, from her friends and her home and her life, but that is the one thing the capitol can't take away from her. they can only get halfway through a conversation before it dissolves into arguing over niki's refusal to cooperate with her prep team, the training regimes, potential interviewers and capitol coverage.

and then niki encounters wilbur, and the stakes become too high to take the noble way out.

i think this moment is a turning point for jack and niki - she turns to him and asks him honestly to give her everything he has to help her get wilbur back, and jack recognises the fire in her long before she sets the arena alight. in turn, niki kind of... better appreciates? how every piece of advice jack gives her was won on the knife-edge of life or death. she didn't understand jack (and i don't think part of her understood that yes, despite their then-different goals, he felt the exact same way she did about the capitol) until she understood that feeling.

they're thick as thieves until the games start, as attached to the hip as they can be for a mentor and tribute, exchanged hushed whispers or weighty side-eyes whenever they cross a particularly foolhardy tribute or some capitol fad neither of them know enough to keep up with. it's not really common for mentors and tributes to be friends, but it's not common for one's mentor to be a year younger than them either, so their friendship is a bit looked over. after all, nobody is expecting niki to win the games.

while she's in the arena, jack is the one to send her a lighter. they can't openly talk about burning the entire worthless city down, but some actions speak louder than words.

i think after the games, splitting them becomes a lost cause - jack is one of the first people to visit niki after she is plucked from the arena, having her burn scars airbrushed out of existence. for the first time (besides that slim window after jack's victory, and before his mentor's suicide) there is someone else from 12 who gets it. someone else who can measure the span of their short life from the coal dust to the fire.

(jack's mentor killed themself after his victory, when it became apparent district 12 would have another mentor to raise its tributes. the first night jack and niki spend on the train, away from the cameras, niki informs him that if he does the same, she's going up in smoke - she will burn down as much of the capitol as she can until they really do kill her, damn the consequences.

he wasn't planning to do that. really. but he's definitely stuck now, he thinks.)

the victory tour is not exactly easy, but jack gives niki the best advice he can. without the spectre of the games looming over them, their friendship can breathe - niki quietly tells jack everything she remembers from home in her worse moments, everything he's missed in his self-imposed exile since winning the games, and jack re-enacts some of his worst capitol encounters, with voices and impromptu props and all. they don't talk about it, but seeing each other's pain mirrored - the nightmares they wake up from at three in the morning, how niki itches at her skin for the sensation of phantom burns, how jack's hands shake when niki gently tries to talk him into writing a letter for his family - is another mark against the capitol. they're like a pair of stray dogs in their own tiny pack, defensive and sharp-toothed. niki rests her hand against jack's back as he ends up throwing up half the booze he drinks at games' parties. jack holds her by the wrists and counts out deep breaths with her in corridors when the fiery anger gets a little too much for niki to bear. they're restless. neither of them feels comfortable just going on like this. but they can't say that, so they exchange just the right sequence of darting eyes and finger taps (wilbur has been tutoring them) to communicate their disdain in crowded rooms.

they find their opportunity to scheme with the arrival of district 13.

[emopiee]

I feel so rubbish today!

It looks like I could have a hospital admission coming my way but for tonight I'll get comfy in bed, watch the Simpson's and shoot some zombies!

I absolutely love this game!

I'm only a couple trophies away from getting the platinum!

[graffitiarchive]

[saltyswifty]

Why so salty?

I feel like my url deserves a little explanation. I’m not (usually) a *salty* person but here’s why.

I have Cystic Fibrosis, it’s a chronic illness that affects the lungs, digestive system and more. We are best known for our chronic coughs but it’s much more than that. CF also affects sweat glands and the amount of salt that I release when I sweat which leads to extremely salty-tasting skin. (Don’t be gross y’all, a kiss on the head is all you need to taste the salt.) My body loses a LOT of salt when I sweat. Like a LOT. So I crave salt and I eat LOADS of it which is awesome when people tell me eating too much is bad for my cholesterol I lay them down with FACTS which is I . Need . Salt . And lots of it. 

I am forever “Salty” and I love it. So that’s why I’m a SALTY SWIFTY. Any other Salty Swifties on here?