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trashyvanillabean · 3 months

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I just realized, I don’t think we see enough of “absent-minded scientists” being played seriously. At least for me personally, I think Ruan Mei is the first character I’ve come across that plays the trope seriously — with potentially dire consequences.

(On the off-chance someone actually decides to read this mental trash bag, please bear with me. I have a lot of trouble articulating myself. Also, it’s been a while since I completed the quest. 😅)

Interest in the Aeons and trying to understand human nature aside, Ruan Mei didn’t seem like she considered some laboratory protocols and backup plans for her experiments (at least, she never told us if she had any backup plans, which is…really bad for a scientist, all things considered).* All she said was that she would step in if things with the Propagation Emanator became too much for the Trailblazer to handle. What’s the criteria for that? How does she decide if things become too dangerous? What exactly was her plan if she did decide to step in? What was her plan if the experiment managed to break out of the Seclusion Zone entirely? A behemoth of that size, with that kind of power and aggression could have still caused massive damage within that minute before it finally died. At no point during the boss fight did she step in to give us a hand, nor did she bother asking about our condition after we managed to “kill” it (more like just watching it die).**

She does have the decency to try to apologize when we meet her again afterwards, but it felt more like a lab protocol with the whole “Time and again, my experiments have fallen short, and they’ve always yielded predictable results,” instead of, “I recognize that I have put you in danger, and I am sorry for that.” So it comes across as more “I’m sorry that my experiments are often failures,” and less “I’m sorry that I almost got you killed by my experiments.” (A good example of her mentioned communication struggles.)

What I’m trying to say is that I would not have minded if Ruan Mei was another example of the absent-minded scientist/professor I have seen before in other media (although, she would have been the rarer calmer ones), but instead she and her actions are actually played seriously. The whole Mission is played seriously (and quite scarily, even — slightly similar to Alien: Isolation).

There is no, BOOM followed by “lol your hair looks funny after that explosion!”

There is no “Oh, oops, teehee! I forgot~”

There is no burst of visible enthusiasm when seeing something fascinating and ensuing wackiness of trying to stop her.

Ruan Mei is instead quiet, reserved, and quite calm, either giving a false sense of security with her very basic display of social etiquette in offering us snacks, or perhaps seeming slightly unsettling for some others.

There are also potentially several laboratory violations, very dangerous if not critically dangerous research being conducted, and countless lives at risk if things went horribly wrong.

That kind of writing and thinking about the what-ifs, future encounters and potential payoffs are what fascinate me. Ruan Mei’s character still fits the mad scientist type of character to a T, without any of the villainy like with Genshin Impact’s Dottore or hyperactive eccentricity like with a few other characters (from different media I’m familiar with).

Now, we have Firefly, who has a history of combating the Swarm as part of Glamoth’s Iron Cavalry. It makes me wonder if there will be some kind of clash between her and Ruan Mei in future versions, considering that Ruan Mei is bringing the Swarm to life, even cloning an Emanator.

(I’m also wondering just how sturdy the station is. There is no way vibrations were not felt during that boss fight and someone would not think to ask around and investigate. 😆 There’s just no way.)

My only gripes have to do with how the Trailblazer seems to lack a little agency here. We have the option to refuse to eat her cakes, but we are still made to eat them anyway. We could have replied with “I don’t really accept food from strangers” if pressed, and it would have been interesting to see how the mission played out without being drugged (or maybe Ruan Mei could have attempted again with another method, and succeeded).

Trailblazer doesn’t even think to contact the Crew to let them know that they are doing something solo in case something happens (and oh boy, did something happen). Even if the drug only affects what they say, what is stopping them from using text messages?

When we were texting her after the mission, the Trailblazer straight up says, “I look forward to experiencing new stories with you.” It’s not even an option. We don’t get the chance to instead say something like, “After something like that, I don’t feel safe around you,” or “Please leave me alone and don’t contact me or ask for me (ever) again,” both of which would have been very understandable things to say after being put in a life-or-death situation. We don’t even have the option to give a blunt “I don’t like you.” 😂

For those moments, the Trailblazer’s writing was…almost kind of like how Genshin Impact’s Traveler is sometimes written (very limited dialogue options with a limited range of reactions), the operative word being “sometimes.”

Some (Probably Pointless) Notes:

*I will say, she did at least seal off the whole Seclusion Zone (which was definitely the right step given that we see Swarm enemies in the halls). What nags at me is that we don’t know what her plan could have been if the Trailblazer failed (and maybe even died) and those things had managed to get out.

**As for her being stuck in that meeting with the other geniuses, she could have said, “I’m sorry, but I just remembered something that I need to check on. I’ll try to be back asap. No, I don’t need any assistance, but thank you for offering.” Hell, she could have used the super basic bathroom excuse (the aftermath of which I think could have been a potentially comedic moment when asked why she took so long).

I’m curious: Of all the Paths that she could have chosen, why the Propagation? Obviously human experimentation is highly unethical, but has she already tried and failed to search for Emanators of other Paths to contact for various reasons? (Diamond, who works for the IPC, could be unsuitable, and the Xianzhou’s Arbiter-Generals would certainly be a no-go, but now we have Acheron.) Or was it because of her struggles with people and working with an animal was easier for her? (I’m gonna guess it’s the second one…)

Whenever people talk about her flaws, it’s most often about her drugging the Trailblazer and tampering with our memories in the process, or it’s about her neglecting and leaving behind the cat cake critters she created.

I have yet to see someone cite her, oh, you know, BREEDING A GIANT MAN-EATING ALIEN BEETLE IN HER COLLEAGUE’S BASEMENT.

ONE THAT COULD HAVE GOBBLED UP AT LEAST A FEW HANDFULS OF RESEARCHERS IF IT MANAGED TO DEFY RUAN MEI’S EXPECTATIONS AND LIVE LONGER, AND/OR BREAK COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTAINMENT.

It’s insanely dangerous (and irresponsible) no matter how you look at it.

(Yet the most common reasons are still either the cat cakes, or the nonconsensual drugs…)

Also, I know we all love our parental stand-ins (like Welt, who is an actual father, and who I feel definitely lets that play into how he handles March and our trash panda) and found family concepts and projecting them onto some of our favorite characters who fit those roles. I myself am guilty of fantasizing over the father-son relationship vibes between Jing Yuan and Yanqing. (It’s cute and hilarious to me.)

But isn’t it a little bit strange to get upset when that character, particular if they’re a female character, coughruanmeicough does not fit that role and has not expressed any desire to?

Heaven forbid women do anything? More like heaven forbid women refuse to do anything.

#vanille throws out the garbage #honkai star rail #ruan mei #it’s now around 6 am as I post this #I’m tired bruh #sorry if this feels pretty unintelligible

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naffeclipse · 1 year

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Haunting your inbox again with another question about a sleuthing jesters series :)

In No Small Favor, I’ve always been curious about a few things. How quickly did word spread in the underworld about Moon getting shot? I’ve been thinking about that one mini drabble you wrote about how Eclipse would patch up Sun if someone nearly destroyed him to earn the mob boss’ favor. So did he plan to intervene before Moon’s condition became irreversible? (Though that begs the question of what really would be considered irreversible, and Sun did go for awhile without a working celestial wire at the end of the series.)

Also, what was Eclipse’s reaction when his goons passed on word that the vigilante was asking for him? Did he actually think they were considering joining him, or had he already put two and two together that they were looking for him on behalf of Moon? If it’s that latter, I could see how he might view that as an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: save Moon and get the vigilante in his debt.

One more thing! Is Balloon World considered his domain, or is it just a general seedy area where mobsters can use the back rooms as they want?

Never mind, I just thought of one more question djjflskdkd XD Did you ever have any lore/ideas about DJ Music Man’s role/character in the series? I know he doesn’t show up in it, but I wondered if you had some notes or thoughts about his interactions and relations/dealings with the underworld.

Hope you don’t mind the question(s) haha <3

Lumi, you are welcome to haunt my inbox anytime you feel, my ghostly friend ♥

Eclipse was aware that Moon had been injured—what he wasn't aware of was the extent of his injuries. He knew Sun would tend to their brother, but as the days passed, Eclipse would have grown more aware of their absence and would have investigated himself if the vigilante hadn't intervened. (Celestial wires ceasing to function for long periods of can lead to permanent damage even after being fixed/replaced. Much like falling into a coma, it can be very difficult for an animatronic to power back on after a long period of inactivity.)

Eclipse was certain the vigilante had finally begun to see things his way (it was inevitable, and this is the easy way for them) so that's why he's a bit, ah, displeased when he realizes the vigilante is asking about a celestial wire. At the same time, he understood that Moon is not actually okay, but Eclipse did not miss the opportunity sitting in his lap trying their best to look pretty and not afraid. He's more than willing to kill two birds with one stone, and he did.

Balloon World is a personal favorite hangout of his, and more or less somewhere you don't want to go if you don't want to run into the mob boss himself. He doesn't own it in the traditional sense, but it is his place that's kept under wraps.

Ah! I never did touch on Music Man but he's got a little story! He's the head of a rather lucrative underground operation, though less powerful than Eclipse, but he handles his gang wisely and is able to successfully and discretely laundry money via his club and a separate recording studio as fronts for his illegal business of trafficking weapons. He's on pretty good terms with a lot of gangs and knows to not cross wires as a supplier. My design for him is that he's humanoid but fairly large, on par with Eclipse's height except that he has six arms instead of the regular two. Music Man is mistaken for a simple-minded weapons dealer but he is very strategic in all aspects of his work; he will effectively remove the problem of your existence if you happen to interfere with his smoothly running operations. (He can also play a mean guitar.)

The vigilante found out his real name through some bribes and, uh, more persuasive violent means and would have liked to have gone after him, but other events took up their attention.

I don't mind the questions at all so long as you don't mind me rambling hehe ♥

#sleuth jesters #luminitewrites #i'm not so sure that mafia boss is the right term for music man as he more so runs a business rather than a far reaching group #but it's still very illegal #supplier!dj music man

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blackbat05 · 1 year

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Life

Joaquin Torres x Reader

Plot: Life could be a cruel joke. You turn to escapism to meet someone with a unique perspective on your struggles.

Genre: PG-13

A/N: Let’s just say I’ve based this on the shit I’ve experienced so far in adulting and it hasn’t been long yet. Really hope everyone is doing alright and I’m so sorry for the lack of content. Tagging @the-slumberparty for the BINGO card game!💜 I think this fic could fulfill two slots? I don’t think this is how it works? Please correct me if I’m wrong?😅

Life.

It could be a bed full of sunflowers and roses, and you feel like you could take on the world.

But it mostly also involved you being punched in the gut without warning.

Let’s just say, you had enough of terrible working conditions and decided that the only power a poor working woman like you was to quit.

You pulled your suitcase behind you, weaving through the departure hall. Passport in hand, you managed to get through the self check-in with the help of an attendant. In record speed, you found yourself having two hours of spare time to kill.

Making yourself comfortable at the lounge, you satisfied yourself by watching the planes dock and prepare for take off at the landing strip. Your phone beeps and you sigh at the rude intrusion.

It was only your parents who meant well, telling you to take care and text them when you arrived. A rush of emotions overwhelms you as you read how proud they are of you for making this decision.

Honestly? You were feeling pretty shitty. You were ecstatic getting that job you studied so hard for, only to be slapped in the face with reality where the lack of guidance and cliquey colleagues increased your self-doubt and incompetence. When you announced that you were ending your short lived career, there was no surprise. Only nonchalance and a whole lot of gossiping behind your back.

You abruptly stand up, hoping to make your way to the washroom before you experienced another breakdown.

“Shit! I’m so sorry!” You looked down to see a stain the size of a dollar imprinted on your shirt. The man in front of you with an opened juice bottle has what can only be described as a sheer look of terror on his face as he scrambles to hand you napkins from his bag. “Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

He doesn’t notice you staring at him blankly as he attempts to do damage control. You can’t help but to be reeled in by the way his curls bounce against his forehead rhythmically. Doe eyes furrowed in concentration, the man’s attention turns back to you and catches you looking at him.

“Yeah… I mean, yeah! I’m fine!” You shake yourself awake and into reality. “It’s alright. I wasn’t looking where I was going either. In fact, I could use a drink myself. Please let me get you another drink. I insist.”

The man doesn’t seem convinced, especially when you were about to board a flight with a soiled shirt. But if there was one thing you were good at, it was being stubborn.

An eventful way to pass time even, as you realized that both of you had the same destination on your plane tickets. Credit to the charming stranger, as he does not pry for more information. As the announcement booms through the departure hall, you shake his hand, glad to have made an acquaintance even if it was short lived.

***

The bright lights from the neon signboards mixed with the sounds from the foot traffic was enough to overload your senses. Yet, you felt completely at ease as you walked across the bridge that connected to multiple shopping malls.

Stomach growling, you opted to enter the next shopping mall to make your way to the food court. It was your happy place. Authentic, local cuisine that offered tantalizing flavors.

You weren’t the only one with the idea to come to the food court to escape the humidity. Tourists and locals alike prowl the area in search for seats to devour their purchased food and drinks. Carefully balancing your tray, you crane your neck to keep an eye out for an available seat.

“Y/N?”

You turn around at the voice to find a familiar face beaming at you.

“What a coincidence! You can sit here if you want.”

“Joaquin.” You breathed out a sigh of relief. “Am I glad to see you. Thank you.” You take the seat across him, eager to give your legs a break. “I thought I saw the last of you at the airport.”

“Well, I’m here now. I hope you aren’t rushing off to anywhere because I would like to know more about what brings you to the land of smiles.”

You pause, hesitant in dredging up the horrid memories. Joaquin senses this as he naturally steps in. “I lost a close friend. I can’t tell you much but his death affected me terribly. I needed to get away so here I am.”

He slurps more noodles to fill the silence. You can’t imagine the scars that Joaquin is holding behind his smile.

“I guess you could say I lost someone- well, something too.” You twirl the noodles around your chopsticks. “My sense of worth.”

“All this while, I thought I knew what I was fighting so hard for. I was so happy to be finally be able to make that difference that I always dreamed of as a student. But reality is often disappointing and terrifying.” You slowly savored the noodles as your chest constricts. “Maybe I’m just running away from reality.”

“Looks like the world hasn’t been kind to us both.”

“Touché.” You raise your glass bottle of soda, clinking it with his. “If the world wasn’t going to be kind to me, I figured I should be kind to myself.”

Joaquin nods in approval, taking a sip from his own drink.

As the crowds come and go, you get lost in the conversation with Joaquin, truly enjoying what it means to be in the presence of another human.

***

You had a blast.

It turns out that this wasn’t Joaquin’s first rodeo, as he took you to many places beyond touristy traps. Eating breakfast at a Michelin star coffee shop. Visiting the temple with locals. Meeting adorable canines at a dog cafe. Chilling at the hotel bar to finish the evening.

“I’m definitely coming back here!” You saved another picture of you and a majestic husky at the cafe. “Thanks for the amazing day, Joaquin. I didn’t even know half of these places exist!”

“Glad my reputation as tour guide still stands.” Joaquin takes a swig of beer, watching the vibrant nightlife that had no intention of dying down. You take a sip of your Bloody Mary, still reeling from the adrenaline of the past few days.

Even though you were aware that all good things had to come to an end.

“What’s next? Although being a hippie sounds very appealing but I can’t imagine it isn’t very cost friendly.” Joaquin keeps the conversation light, knowing how touchy the subject could be with you.

Little did he know how much of a positive impact he had on you for the past six days. Sure, it was a trip to shake loose all worries and responsibilities but Joaquin managed to keep you grounded. No one can run away forever, Y/N.

“I’ll try.” You watch the mini whirlpool you created. “But I’m not going to lie, I’m scared. The idea of being disappointed by others when you’ve already gave it your all… I don’t know if I can take it.”

“Then you know how to fall better. Sure, you’ll take a hit but that’s really all we can do. To fail better.”

Joaquin’s wisdom hits you and you wonder again what kind of horrors he had to witness and endure to come out with a rock solid mentality that was unshakable.

“You’re still in the game, you haven’t lost. So keep your chin up.”

“Is this what you tell your fellow soldiers?”

Joaquin chuckles. “No. This is what I tell to the people I care about.”

In the midst of tourists being invested in the soccer match that was shown on the large television and servers expertly serving countless of drinks and meals to hungry customers, time slowed down and the confusing thing called life seemed to make a little more sense in the chaos.

Joaquin checks his phone with a frown on his face. “I’m sorry-”

You waved a hand, dismissing his apology. “Duty calls, I get it. Thanks for everything, Joaquin. I mean it.”

He leaves a bill on the table, shooting down your protests. You can’t help but to feel a pang of sadness at how quickly Joaquin had disappeared from your dreamlike holiday as quickly as he came into your life.

A waitress comes to collect the bill and to your surprise, she slips you a piece of paper. “The gentleman told me to pass this to you once he left.” Her eyes have a knowing twinkle and leaves you to check the content - a number scribbled in blue ink.

Call me, Joaquin.

You toss your head back slightly, amused at the situation. Dialing the number, Joaquin picks up on the second ring.

“So, does this mean I can see you back home?”

“You bet.”

Life.

Maybe it punched you in the gut to fall into a bed of roses.

#joaquin torres x reader #joaquin torres #danny ramirez

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peony-pearl · 2 years

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Iroh gets a letter from Zuko a few months after Ozai’s defeat. The new Fire Lord has been keeping tabs on his sister, and over the past few months and letters, he’s mentioned that her anger has begun to dissipate. However, it very quickly turns into something else.

Nothingness.

His once passionate, clever sister stares out into nothing.

‘Uncle, I think I’ve made a mistake’.

Iroh realizes he can’t remain in Ba Sing Se for now. He gives temporary ownership to one of his apprentices and he takes off for his birthplace.

Zuko is overwhelmed, but thriving. He can handle the legal works; it’s Azula’s condition that is putting the most stress on him. He and Iroh agree it would be best that they go to see her together - Iroh’s sudden appearance could have the potential to trigger something in Azula that could cause damage to others or herself.

Iroh returns to the prison he was held in for an unknown amount of time. He could only recall the amount the days he’d been in there from the time he’d realized the eclipse was imminent to the day he escaped.

He sees Ming, in good health, and he bows and thanks her for the kindness she showed to him.

Upon being escorted to Azula’s room, there is a curtain hung just beyond the bars of the cell, ensuring some type of privacy for the princess. Zuko steps in, pulling the curtain aside, where Iroh looks upon his shattered niece.

Oh, he knew this look very well.

The despair, the emptiness. He knew it all too well.

“Azula,” Zuko says. “May we enter?”

Azula doesn’t speak.

“Azula?” Zuko repeats. Still nothing.

Iroh stands up straight. “Princess Azula,” he says with the command of a general, but the restraint of the man who owned the Jasmine Dragon.

Azula’s eyes look up.

Iroh’s own eyes are guarded, but soft. “May I enter your room?”

Azula stares at him, and for the first time in weeks, there’s a glimmer.

But it’s not at all pleasant.

“No.”

They return to the palace. Zuko apologizes for taking Iroh all the way up there, but Iroh shakes his head.

“No, I needed to see her.”

“... What now?” Zuko asks. Iroh sighs, looking upon an old portrait. He was surprised it was still hanging. It was of the entire family at one time - Azulon, flanked by Iroh and Ozai, with their wives and children. Only three of these people had left the mortal realm and yet... Iroh still felt like he was looking at a communion of ghosts.

“We can try again; but not tomorrow. We mustn’t overload her in her state. I will remain and assist you with your duties; help with your workload.”

Zuko smiles. “That means a lot to me. Thank you.”

It’s several days later, and another ‘no’ from Azula that has Zuko worried.

Iroh, upon being told ‘no’, only tipped his shoe over the threshold of the cell to get one clue as he peered in quickly - the cell was smeared with smoke residue

He looked on the sole of his shoe to find ash caked on it.

“We could only have firebenders work with her for the first month. She just... she would attack everyone. Even alone she would firebend in her cell, screaming at people that weren’t there. We had to... we had to restrain her because she was just in a cycle of destruction, but that didn’t last long either. She just... kept going. She would either hurt others or herself and it was constant. She’s only just now healing from the worst of her bruises; but it’s only because she just... won’t do anything. I worried about her before but now I’m... I don’t know.”

Iroh hummed. He remembered the state of his cell back when he was imprisoned. It was a standard; cold, dirty, and dark.

Perhaps there was a new approach he could take.

He returned without Zuko several days later. Azula barely registered the sounds of the guards offering to help Iroh carry something, but he insisted he do this alone. The door was unlocked, and the curtain pulled back.

Iroh stood at the threshold of Azula’s cell with a broom, a mop, and a bucket that carried several other items.

“Princess Azula?” He says upon catching his breath.

Azula looks up at him, still with that spark in her eyes like flint striking a fire.

Iroh doesn’t flinch. “May I clean your chambers?”

Azula hesitates. She curls inward, but he finally gets a response.

“The spiders stay.”

Iroh nods. “The spiders stay.”

He quietly asks a lingering guard to fill the bucket with water - should anything go south, they know Iroh can manage to fend the girl off. He begins by handing a piece of cloth to Azula.

“Use this to protect your nose and mouth; this could get dusty. I don’t want you getting sick.”

He sets it next to her. She doesn’t respond immediately.

He begins sweeping, the floor immediately changing shade. He nudges the broom into the corners in the ceiling to evict old cobwebs, but he did inspect other webs for signs of life before digging away at the stretchy, sticky architecture.

Azula’s eyes occasionally peer over, but she remains curled up on her bed, back to the wall as her uncle is eventually on his knees scrubbing her room. The day goes by, he is sweating, and yet, all he asks of the guards when they check in on him is two cups of tea. One for him and one for Azula. Even when she doesn’t touch her cup, he still asks for a refill for both of them.

But they don’t talk, and he doesn’t force conversation. Azula only hears the occasional hum, and him finding a hidden spider.

“Watch out!” He chuckles, “I almost turned you into part of my brush!” he says, allowing the spider to clamor onto his hands as he relocates them to a dry part of the room.

It’s well near dusk, Iroh looks to Azula in concern that she hasn’t touched the meal she’s been brought.

But instead of pushing her emotionally any further, he decides to only ask “May I return tomorrow and finish? I would like to bring you some bedsheets from the palace.”

“... My round pillow,” she says.

“I’m sorry?” Iroh asks.

“I want my round pillow. From my bed.”

“Round pillow from your bed. I will bring it tomorrow.”

While going over paperwork with Zuko a maid returned to the office with several pillows that could have fit the description Azula mentioned. Iroh shrugged.

“I’ll just take them all.”

It was an awkward trek, but no matter. He entered Azula’s room with his arms full of pillows and bedsheets. She looked up to see him trying to smile positively.

“That one,” she said, “The dark red one.”

Iroh shrugged. “I mean... you can have them all with you,” he said. He walked over and gently flooded one side of Azula’s bed with pillows before nodding and returning to gather the packed bedsheets, which he began to unravel from being folded when he heard a choking sound, and he turned towards Azula-

Only to find her in tears as she held her favored pillow. Iroh hesitated.

“Azula? What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, clamping her eyes shut as she cried silently. Iroh set the bucket and mop aside and slowly approached her.

“It... It smells like home.”

Oh.

“It smells like the palace; it smells like me! It smells like home and I hate it!”

She throws the pillow, now trembling violently as she cries.

Of course. The last time she was home... Everything happened.

Iroh swiftly moves to take all of the pillows out of her sight. He looks back to see her mired in intrusive memories. Ones she begs to stop.

Immediately he remembers being curled up on his bed after returning from the Siege of Ba Sing Se, begging for the images of his son’s corpse to leave his mind - all after stumbling upon one of Lu Ten’s old toys tucked away in a closet.

How he wanted to disappear, to meld into the walls, to not be seen, to not feel or see a thing.

It was a tender game when all you wanted was to feel human again, but you also just wanted to leave... but there was nowhere to go.

Iroh looked at her, his niece that he’d never quite shared a bond with. One he’d scuffled with and dismissed.

He was just about to turn away, unsure of what he needed to do when-

‘I looked away’

His eyes flashed open. He stopped.

Guilt that was old began seeping into new.

He looked back at Azula.

‘I looked away’

He’d sworn he would never do so again.

How was this any different?

He slowly approached Azula, and he sat on the floor next to the bed. He didn’t say anything. He couldn’t think of what else to do. All he could do, for now, was just be with her.

She wasn’t Zuko, in the same way that Zuko wasn’t Lu Ten. Helping Zuko had been difficult. Helping Azula... not only were they not on good terms, but... they were so much alike. The prodigy, the exalted child.

Fallen from grace after the lies they’d been fed prove to be their greatest downfall.

Iroh swallowed, hearing sobs that echoed his.

He couldn’t think of much else to do; except to slink his hand out towards her on the bed, palm up.

She didn’t notice at first until she wiped her eyes and looked upon the worn mattress. She saw him offer his hand, worn and calloused from years of fighting and age. He didn’t move. He didn’t look at her expectantly.

His gaze was surprisingly empty, but not hollow. He muted his expressions to maintain some sense of neutrality so she didn’t feel obligated to answer.

His arm became tired after some time, but he waited it out. He’d been in more uncomfortable positions, like his now-screaming lumbar muscles that were upset that he was just sitting on a stone floor without some kind of cushion.

It takes time; but he has all the time in the world.

He did for Zuko.

He can do it once more.

He keeps his hand out.

He’ll never look away again.

He keeps his hand out...

#atla #Iroh #Azula #Zuko #my writing

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godmona · 9 months

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i know this is on my new account so i dont have a lot of my followers here yet, but i will be reblogging this post on all of my blogs i have. life update, whatever you want to call it. heart failure, sickness, hospital, surgery and just death stuff in general.

in november, my dad collapsed in the house and had to go to the er by ambulance. he’s been dealing with heart failure for years, had open heart surgery back in like 2010, and had a defibrillator put in. he’s never gone back in to have the defibrillator batteries replaced and his heart has been getting worse over the years with age. in november, we finally were able to convince him to have the surgery to do that. it went great!! his heart started to work a little better and catching up with his body. last week, my mom called me to say that he couldn’t breathe, and she convinced him to go back to the hospital via an ambulance again. it’s not good. his liver is failing. both his kidneys are failing. so everything your kidneys are supposed to filter out is just sitting in his body. he has had a breathing tube down his throat for almost a week and they have to take it out soon or it’s going to cause permanent damage or they’re going to have to put a permanent one in, which he’s already said no to. he’s stable, but he’s stable because the machines he’s on are doing all the work for his body right now. my sister is down there with my family ( they live in another state ) and my job basically told me to go fuck myself as far as going down there right now. it’s not good, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better. he's conscious, but with the breathing tube in his throat he can only answer yes or no questions. again, my sister is down there, but me and my sister both know that he doesn't want to live on life support and stuff like that. on top of that, there's the problem with what to do with our mother. me and my sister are not close to her, we do not care about her, we've been trying to go no contact but haven't because we love our dad. she's never worked a day in her life, and is completely useless in literally everything. once something happens to my dad, we have no idea what the fuck to do with her. and everytime she calls me to update me on my dad's condition, she immeditely makes it about herself when we've told her this was coming years ago. she should have figured something out. i'm not using the money i make to take care of a grown 44 year old fucking woman. i’m completely helpless in the situation, and i’ve never lost a family member i knew or was close to before, let alone a parent. it is hard to exist, let alone be online. i see my notifications of tumblr and discord and i’m sorry if it looks like i’m ignoring you or something but i genuinely do not have the energy for anyone except my partners right now. i’m trying so hard to figure out a way to go do down there ( probably for a funeral because it doesn’t look like he’s going to make it to the end of the year ) without loosing my job because i do not have an immediate new job to set up to go to. it would be different if i needed time off to go to a funeral in the same state, but its in another state, so money and travel time. in the end, if they’ve got a problem with me going to my father’s funeral, i will be quitting my job as well. which we all know how the job search is, and the financial strains on households as it is. im barely getting up enough in the morning to go to work in retail without having a breakdown of the stuff going on. so this is that update. please don’t expect much from me right now.

#& out of character /#& update /#tw; sickness #tw; hospital mentions #whatever you need me to tag this i dont know.

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aventurasdeunatortuga · 2 months

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Sunday, July 21st

Last full day of this trip.

I managed to actually very easily change my train tickets back to Seoul for this morning and booked a last minute hotel. The train journey was very quick and seamless.

I had wanted to go back to my original hotel in Seoul but it was all booked up, so I found one sort of nearby but didn’t realize until after I booked it that it was a capsule hotel, where you basically get an 8x4 wooden box with a little door on the end, the box sits on a shelf with 8 other boxes per room. The hotel itself was honestly one of the worst I’ve ever been to, not the worst, but definitely up there in the top 5. At least there was proper ventilation and air conditioning is all I can say. Bathroom was definitely very scary.

After putting my things in my weird little wooden box on a shelf I went out to _____ market to go try to find a suitcase. I have bought way too much stuff here, more than I’ve ever bought on any other trip before, so I got a whole separate suitcase.

Then I went over to Myeongdong and though I’d been to that neighborhood plenty of times I somehow didn’t realize there is a big shopping street there that I ended up on. I went there to go get my haircut.

I hate getting haircuts so I almost never get them and then my hair gets really long and damaged. Korea does beauty and hair salons like no one else, so I told the stylist to give me whatever style she thought was best. She told me she was going to cut it short and I said I was okay with that but was still shocked when without even looking she lopped off a good 5-6 inches of hair.

She did a fantastic job and it turned out really well. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy with a haircut.

After that I got some dinner. I love Korean Barbecue but they serve such huge portions it’s usually best to not go alone, a lot of barbecue restaurants here will actually turn you away if you’re eating alone. My first night here I found a place that served small portions, and I was able to get barbecue again with a girl I met on a group tour another day, but today I was all by myself and they served huge portions. I was surprised they didn’t turn me away, I was fully expecting them to. The staff were laughing after I ordered. I was very determined though and managed to eat it all.

The last thing I did was go up to Namsan Tower, it’s a huge tower on a hill on the outskirts of town that has the best view of Seoul. They had a little outdoor elevator / escalator that took you up to the bottom of the second hill, from there you take a cablecar up to the top. It was gorgeous. They light it up different colors depending on the air quality that day, red/orange/yellow for poor, green for average, blue for good, and purple if BTS is doing a concert 😂

I took the cablecar/elevator back down to the ground but even though it was only about 1km back to the metro and my hotel it took me nearly an hour and a half. I don’t know why but today my feet just started hurting so badly. It was also still really hot despite being nighttime so I might’ve been experiencing a bit of heat stroke as well. When I finally got back to my little drawer hotel my feet were literally bleeding from blisters.

Until tomorrow,

#travel #solo travel #korea #south korea #seoul #busan

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aries-writingblog · 2 years

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Enemy Fire: 8

Summary: There’s a new kid in town, and she’s got a city to usurp.

Pairing: Jason Todd x F. Reader

Word count: 1.4K

Warnings: language, threats, violence, gunshot wounds

AN: photos are from Pinterest

Jason sat in a chair at her bedside, his legs spread wide. He’s been sprawled there for hours, waiting.

He was mildly impressed with her, yet again. She had managed to distract him enough to actually steal something off his belt.

The street rat in him couldn’t believe it.

And for that, he was pissed.

So he was waiting for her to wake, so he could kick her ass.

But he had been there since Dick called him and no change. She still hadn’t woken.

He had sat for hours, examining her face. Her full face. He had never seen her without the domino. Now, able to see all her features, he couldn’t deny she had an eerie beauty.

A new scar graced her cheek, the skin still looked irritated and raw.

His fingers came up, carefully touching his own scar that lashed angrily across his throat.

Batarangs never dealt too much damage. Just enough to leave a permanent reminder.

YN groaned, her lungs felt pressured, like they had been filled with water. Her body was heavy. Aching. Her eyelids were in much of the same condition.

Her vision was bleary and blurred as her eyes finally cracked open. Where the hell…

“Good morning, Princess. Mind telling me why and how you lifted that nifty little device?” Jason asked. He tapped his fingers against the chair’s arm.

She blinked groggily, rolling onto her side. Jason cocked an eyebrow.

YN groaned, the stitches in her skin pulling irritably. Her eyes quickly found the figure sitting beside the bed.

He wore regular clothes: a light blue T-shirt with dark jeans, combat boots on his feet. A signature, brown leather jacket layered over it.

Black hair tussled perfectly, the white streak nearly positioned in a perfect question mark— almost begging her to ask. Obscuring his identity, a black domino lay across the bridge of his nose, whiting out his eyes.

But just beneath the mask, a cruel, curved scar began at the corner of his lip and traced a path across his skin.

She didn’t even have to guess.

This was Red Hood. Or at least, what he was comfortable showing her, with how much she had caught him off guard.

Pushing the thick blankets from her body, YN groaned again, a vain attempt to keep herself quiet. She made it to her feet shakily, wincing at every harsh tug of her stitches.

Jason sat up, realizing she was committed to escaping.

“Where the fuck are you going?” He barked. Anger flushed his face, red hot heat in his cheeks. He shoved the chair back, rushing toward her, standing in front of the door. “I’m speaking to you.”

YN shoved at his chest; The force was weak, she nearly toppled over from the exertion. If only she had been freshly hospitalized when he first met her, he felt he could’ve taken her a lot easier.

“I have to get home. He’s coming.”

“Not ambiguous at all.” Jason griped, under his breath. He leaned back against the door. Blocking the only way out— unless she broke through the window, which she was seriously considering. “I’m gonna help you but you have to be clear with me here.”

YN laughed, the action made her stomach ache but she ignored it.

“Oh, you’re gonna help me, are you?” She snarked. Her face settled into faux gratitude before it was broken by a vicious sneer. “When did I ever ask for your help?”

“When you stole my pager.” Hood retaliated.

YN’s mouth closed, her lips pressing together. Jason scoffed, chuckling darkly under his breath.

“I didn’t know what I was stealing— it looked like a taser.” She lied, shrugging one shoulder.

Jason rolled his eyes.

“You’re not gonna make it far like this.” He gestured to her injuries.

“I’ll go as far as I need to.” She heaved out, her hand absentmindedly clutching at the wound on her side. “I’ve been on my own for years, Hood. I’ve survived worse.”

“Sure.” He droned. Jason finally pushed away from the door and stepped aside. Holding his hand out, presenting her exit. “When you pass out in a few miles, I’ll be right behind you to gather your unconscious body.”

YN shoved past him, as soon as it was available. It didn’t matter in the moment that she certainly didn’t own the shirt or the purple sweatpants she wore, or that she was only in socks. Or, most importantly, missing her domino mask.

She had to get out of this place. For more than one reason.

“What’re you gonna do with it? Bury me in the backyard?” She shouted back, hobbling as fast as she dared down the hallway.

“Well, actually, there is an unoccupied grave back there.” Jason admitted.

YN rolled her eyes, scoffing quietly. She pressed her hand to the wall, keeping herself upright.

The carpet underfoot was soft, the furniture nearby lavish. Where the hell was she, anyhow?

“It’s so hard to see why you’re still single.” She grumbled.

Jason sighed, watching her struggle passively.

She definitely didn’t look like the same person that attacked him and nearly destroyed him twice. She looked more like an injured animal, trying to hide herself away until she healed.

She looked more like himself.

Jason bit down on his lip. He was gonna regret this.

He moved forward, stepping in front of her again. Blocking the path. She leaned her shoulder against the wall with a grunt. Nearly breathless from her attempt at escape.

“Whoever’s hunting you, whoever you’re worried about, you can’t face them like this. You’re hurt.” He insisted, trying to keep his face neutral.

“And you just want to keep me here where you know where I am.” She clarified, putting a hand on his chest. His muscles were soft— a healthy layer of fat over the strength lurking beneath his skin. He took care of himself; A strange realization to come to, but a realization nonethelesss. “No thank you. I’ll be in my lair, plotting my evil domination.”

She pushed him away, continuing along the hallway with her hand pressed to the wall.

He pursed his lips at her stubbornness.

“God, you’re such an asshole.” He declared, turning to watch her fumble down the stairs.

She only shook her head; Jason was sure she was grumbling under her breath at him.

Dick emerged from the living room, upon hearing commotion from upstairs. Standing at the end of them, he watched as the mysterious girl came down, her face screwed up in anger.

“You’re awake.” He smiled in greeting. YN blew right past him, forcing herself out of the door as soon as she opened it. He turned back to see Jason halfway down the stairs. “What did you do?”

Jason snatched the mask from his face, giving Dick a glance that read ‘are you kidding?’ Shoving his mask into his pocket, he stared at the retreating figure down the driveway.

“Trust me on this one,” Jason grumbled, his hands came in front of him, rubbing his fingers over the mostly healed but still raw skin on his wrists. “She’s psychotic.”

Dick glanced down to his movements before glancing back up to the driveway.

She had left in a hurry— no shoes, none of her clothes, only the borrowed ones she wore.

This whole situation was becoming increasingly more confusing.

“Where’s she going?” He questioned.

It seemed strange that Jason was unaware of this girl’s possession of his pager. Even more suspicious that this random girl, somehow connected to Jason, ended up with two gunshot wounds in an alleyway.

“She left.”

“Did she tell you who shot her?”

Jason shook his head, turning on his heel. Dick followed quickly.

“No, but she knows.” Jason threw the door open to the study.

Opening the door behind the desk, he dragged his fingertips along the wall. They caught on an uneven section and he pushed inward. A set of spiral stairs led down, into the dark.

“Who was she?” Dick asked.

Jason groaned at the constant barrage of questions his brother lobbed at him.

He supposed this was his punishment for keeping them all out of the loop, but this was his problem to solve and he didn’t need the help of his older brother.

Lights flickered on as Jason stepped on the first flight . Dick went to follow, but Jason placed a firm hand on his chest and shoved backwards.

Dick’s mouth fell open with incredulous offense.

“I’m about to find out.”

#jason todd x f!reader #jason todd x fem!reader #jason todd x you #jason todd x y/n #jason todd x reader #enemy fire

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ina-nis · 1 year

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Other than grieving a life and experiences I’ve missed, I guess I never truly saw it in myself the possibility of change.

It’s hard to see anything when you internalize so much self-contempt - and that’s all normalized and reinforced by how society treats people who are different: you’re “falling behind”, you’re “damaged goods”, your life is over “if you don’t achieve a certain amount of [success] by a certain age“, you’re “strange, off-putting and a creep“, you “should grow up and stop being so childish and immature”, you need to try to fit in not matter the price because otherwise you’ll be excluded, etc...

When you add these sentiments (and so many more) to the fact that they mostly get confirmed by your every interaction with another human being, it’s not an good sign, isn’t it?

Then, you go look for help and it’s all about “reframing” and “focusing on the positives” and “trying to see the good in bad situations/people”, it’s all a simple matter of attitude and perspective - which obviously, isn’t true, things are much more complicated than that and these “solutions” fail to recognize that, no, they might not work for everyone and they’re especially difficult to work for people with Personality Disorders.

Also, behind all the optimism lies a trap that will end up invalidating the issues that remain unaddressed, and are avoided or “reframed” into “good things”.

I’ve been there, believe me, I’ve tried everything I could think of to tackle my loneliness the “right” way.

It didn’t work. And it all became more frustrating and hopeless instead, since I’ve been doing what’s supposed to work - I start blaming myself for not being able to move forward, or I blame others, or I blame myself and others, when the problem is much more complicated and definitely not a blaming game.

The answer is simple: this is not something that can be resolved with “reframing” and “positive thinking”. Doing that can help a person cope, but doesn’t address the issue.

For me, coping isn’t enough anymore. I need more.

And I’m not talking out of some nonsensical desire for a cure or complete remission - realistically, I know my chances are very small! - it’s just that I’d rather focus on the problem at hand and try to do something about it. Considering that’s going nowhere, I’ve been trying to branch out my paths and it’s been an interesting journey.

Recognizing how much loneliness affects me and how much space it takes without trying to see good in it or be optimistic about the prospect of feeling (eventually) less lonely in the future, have been a freeing experience for me.

It fucking sucks, it’s depressing as fuck. I hate it. I don’t want to be alone anymore and I don’t want loneliness to have this much control and space in my life even though I’m well aware it’s completely out of my control. I’m not accepting it, I’m not trying to see the good in it and I’m not trying to reframe the way I feel about it.

For once in my life, I can look at this emotion in the face and be like: fuck you.

The next step was something I was a little bit skeptical about because, well, that feels like enabling the disorder and still using avoidance to cope. That also goes against some of the literature I read about in AvPD and issues of over self-control: looking inwards and doing a lot of introspective work.

This is an interesting one because, yes, it can make things worse. It can enable the disorder even further. It can reinforce avoidance a lot. I guess, for me, it was all a matter of timing: considering I feel like I exhausted my options going outwards and doing the hands-on work externally, and observed that I was still stuck and, worse yet, a lot of that was actually worsening my condition (including the treatment itself), that’s one of those moments you need to actually stop and take a step back.

I started the whole “self-love” thing kind of as a “joke” to try to tackle some of the new triggers and, while (I feel) I never lacked self-love and my self-esteem was not that brittle or small, obviously I could never shake off that feeling of being “inherently inferior” or “different than others”, the latter being something I always took pride on while being aware it is, indeed, something that contributes to my loneliness whether I like/choose it or not.

Surprisingly, doing that helped with the triggers and, as usual, other problems surfaced while the loneliness was still there, still too big and still unaddressed.

The last few days, I feel like there were more, albeit subtle, changes to the way I see myself and deal with this whole thing. I keep thinking about changes.

I’ve been reminded, now and again, that there’s always possibility for change. It doesn’t matter where you’re at, it doesn’t matter how successful or stuck you are: change is still possible.

Of course, it’s still a fragile state of things. Like for example, I remember seeing some news article about a person in her 90s on her deathbed finally coming to terms with being trans, if I’m not mistaken she was buried dressed the way she wished and maybe had her name changed too. It was a change, even if for a very short time, I’m sure it still made her happy.

Some changes are like that... and it triggers me because of the fact that I feel like I “wasted” so much time - I don’t want that kind of situation to happen to me, because I feel like there would be too much regret despite happiness. I guess it would be more accurate to say that I’ve experienced so much loss in my life! It’s no wonder the loneliness takes so much space, it’s no wonder everything else feel so small and meaningless when the prospect of loss is omnipresent. This is probably why I have so many issues with “endings”, so many issues with things that are transitional or conditional and do end, and so many issues with accepting loss as a permanent part of my life and existence - as it is part of everyone’s - loss is most of what have stayed with me, most my memories, most my pain, most of everything. The good doesn’t erase it, the happy memories don’t either, that’s the issue.

With the possibility of change actually in my mind now, I feel like it’s less strenuous to think about pretty much anything: yes, I’ll keep moving forward regardless of all the stress and bad things; yes, I might die single and “friendless”; yes, loneliness might never truly go away or stop having such impact in my life; yes, there’s still more to life than that and I can pursue many things; and so on.

I’m pretty sure this is not enabling avoidance or disordered behaviours, but I might be wrong. All I know is that I’m giving myself some dignity, I’m constantly telling myself that “it’s not over” with my actions and even my thoughts. I’m not trying to think positively out of a bad situation, or letting the bad situation dictate my life, and I’m not trying to solve things the “normal” way or in ways that have “worked” for many people with similar issues because, in the end of the day, it’s not catered for me - yes, trusting my gut can be tricky with the whole trauma and confirmation biases, but I think it’s good enough to say that I followed the regular/usual treatments to the best of my ability and it didn’t work for me in any long-lasting way.

In one way or another, this could be considered “reframing”, huh? It doesn’t matter what it’s called, what’s important to me is to find something that works and that can help me long-term - I know the feelings come and go, I know it could get worse again, I’m still sick and I’ll be sick for the remainder of my life.

Being able to change is freeing.

Change is not success, change isn’t failure either. It’s the perfect nuanced thing I needed all along.

The possibility of changing is something to look forward to, a goal to set and achieve, a future that could be soon or far away but it’ll be there.

Maybe change is the answer I was looking for.

#avpd #avoidance #avoidant #avoidant personality disorder #loneliness #inanis post

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novumtimes · 30 days

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The WA government is being taken to court over Aboriginal tenants poor housing conditions

Aboriginal tenants across remote communities in Western Australia allege that their state housing was without working toilets, showers, cooking facilities, lights, safe drinking water and reliable electricity, a class action is claiming. Filed in the Federal Court, the suit accuses the Housing Authority and State of Western Australia of breaching residential tenancy, contract and consumer protection laws. It is alleged that tenants lived in properties with broken windows, blocked pipes and inadequate hot water, exposed electrical wiring, widespread mould and insect and rodent infestations. Tenants claim the housing they were living in were infested by insects and rodents. Repairs were allegedly inadequately fixed, or not fixed within a reasonable time frame by the Housing Authority or State. Community leader Aunty Vivienne Gordon says that tenants deserve basic housing facilities. “We want to make sure our Elders are looked after and that they’re living in their properties at a good standard … that families have got everything working in the property,” Ms Gordon said. “We still don’t have hot water in some of the houses.” Ms Gordon, a resident of Baylulu, an Aboriginal community located 10km south of Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region, believes the area’s neglect wouldn’t happen elsewhere. Tenants allege they lived in properties with widespread mould. “I need to have [the Housing department] out here on community talking to us… We’re definitely treated differently because we live in an Aboriginal community and we’re not in a town setting. “We need to be looked after because this is our community, this is our connection to our Country,” she said. Father Eric Bedford says that the government needs to be held accountable. “We’re custodians of the land, we look after it… It’s their responsibility to come and fix it. Do better.” Eric Bedford showing the conditions of the house he is living in. “The government hasn’t even come here. I never seen one Minister or anything in the whole time I’ve been here – I’m born and raised here… how can you make change when you’ve never even been here? “If you can start looking after us, then maybe Aboriginal people will change the way they view the government … stop putting us last in line,” Mr Bedford said. The class action also accuses the Housing Authority and State of WA of knowing that Aboriginal tenants were vulnerable because of their limited housing options, and knowingly charged higher rent prices for poor-quality properties, and that the amount of rent charged varied without sufficient explanation. “With anywhere, if you are paying rent then you have the right to get everything fixed in your property,” Ms Gordon said. Tenants say they are wanting financial compensation for the losses and damages they have suffered and repayment of expenses they have incurred to rectify housing defects and issues. The class action will include thousands of tenants living in remote areas including the East Kimberley and Pilbara between 2010 and 2024. “Once we get that all sorted, I think a lot of the mob will be able to to be happy just living out here in our community and trying to make our community move forward in a good way,” Ms Gordon said. The WA Department of Communities has not publicly commented on the court case. Instead, they have pointed to a recently announced Source link via The Novum Times

#The Novum Times

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rewirelessify · 1 year

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Rugged Speakers for Outdoor Activities

Are you looking for the perfect audio companion to your outdoor adventures? Rugged speakers can provide the sound and durability you need, but are they worth it? Yes, rugged speakers are good for outdoor activities as they are designed to withstand harsh weather conditions and physical impacts. They provide quality sound output and are easy to carry and use. Rugged speakers are an excellent investment for anyone who enjoys outdoor activities and wants to enhance their experience. This article is about " Rugged Speakers for Outdoor Activities". In this article, we explore whether rugged speakers are good for outdoor activities, and what features they typically have that make them suitable for such environments. We will also discuss how to choose a rugged speaker that best meets your needs. With this information, you will be able to determine if a rugged speaker is right for you.

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As someone who loves being outside, I've found that having a rugged speaker makes all the difference in the world for my trips outside. Not only are they built to withstand tough environments, but they also provide high-quality sound and are incredibly portable. From my own experience, here are some good things about rugged speakers for outdoor activities: Durability and Resistance to Harsh Weather Conditions First of all, rugged speakers are made to last and can handle rain, dust, and other harsh weather conditions. This means that they can be used in different outdoor settings without worrying about damaging the speaker. Portability and Ease of Use Second, rugged speakers are easy to carry to any outdoor activity because they are small and light. Whether I'm camping, hiking or having a picnic in the park, I can easily pack the speaker in my backpack and take it with me. Quality Sound Output and Versatility Another advantage of rugged speakers is their quality sound output. They are made with high-quality drivers and amplifiers that make them sound great even when you are outside, where it can be hard to hear. Compatibility with Various Devices Also, many rugged speakers are made to be flexible, so you can connect them to different things like phones, tablets, and laptops. In the end, having a rugged speaker has made a huge difference for me when I'm outside. They have made my time outside more fun by letting me listen to music and podcasts.

How Rugged Speakers Enhance the Outdoor Experience

As a hiker and nature lover, I spend a lot of time outside, whether it's on a remote trail or in a nearby park. I like the peace and quiet that nature gives me, but I also like to bring music with me to make the experience even better. That's why you need rugged speakers. The Freedom to Enjoy Music in Different Settings without Worrying about Damaging the Speaker One thing I really like about rugged speakers is that they are made to be used outside. They are strong and can stand up to bad weather, so I don't have to worry about my speaker breaking if it starts to rain or snow. I've had my speaker for years, and even though it's been bumped and bruised, it still works perfectly. The Convenience of Having a Portable and Durable Speaker for Outdoor Gatherings Rugged speakers are also great because you can take them with you. Most of them are small and light, so you can put them in a backpack or even your pocket. I love that I can bring my speaker hiking or camping and set it up anywhere I want to listen to music. The Role of Music in Enhancing Outdoor Activities The sound quality is, of course, the most important thing about any speaker, and rugged speakers don't fall short in that area. They make great sound, and many of them can be used with a wide range of devices, like smartphones and tablets. I also like that some rugged speakers have long battery lives, so I don't have to worry about running out of power in the middle of a hike. Overall, I think rugged speakers are a must-have for anyone who likes to be outside and listen to music. They can last for a long time, are easy to carry, and sound great, so they are perfect for any outdoor adventure.

Types of Rugged Speakers for Outdoor Activities

As someone who likes to be outside a lot, I've had the chance to try out different types of rugged speakers over the years. These speakers are made to handle rough weather, physical impacts, and other problems that come with being outside. Here are some of the types of rugged speakers that I have found to be the most useful for my outdoor adventures: Wireless and Bluetooth Speakers Wireless and Bluetooth Speakers: These speakers are very portable and can connect to devices wirelessly. This makes them great for camping, hiking, picnics, and other outdoor activities. They come in various sizes, and some models can be clipped to your backpack for ease of use. Waterproof and Shockproof Speakers Waterproof and Shockproof Speakers: These speakers are made to be resistant to water, dust, and physical impacts, which makes them perfect for the beach or pool. They can also be used for water-based outdoor activities like kayaking, fishing, and rafting. Solar-Powered and Environmentally Friendly Speakers Solar-Powered and Environmentally Friendly Speakers - These speakers are powered by solar panels, making them eco-friendly and ideal for outdoor activities that take place during the daytime. They are small, light, and easy to carry, and they make good sound.

Tips for Choosing the Right Rugged Speaker for Outdoor Needs

I'm a big fan of the outdoors and love to explore nature and do things outside. I always bring my rugged speaker with me when I go camping, hiking, or anywhere else. Years of experience have taught me what to look for when picking the right outdoor speaker for my needs. Looking for Features that Suit Outdoor Activities When picking a rugged speaker, the first thing I look for is how long it will last. It's important to find a speaker that can handle rain, dust, or wind. A speaker that is waterproof and shockproof is a good choice because it will keep the device safe if it falls or gets wet by accident. Choosing a Speaker with Good Sound Quality The quality of the sound output is another important thing to think about. A good speaker should make sound that is clear, well-balanced, and loud. This makes sure that I can still hear the sounds of nature while listening to my favorite music and podcasts. Choosing a Speaker with Good Battery Life and Compatibility with Devices When picking a rugged speaker, portability and battery life are also very important. It's important to choose a model that is small and light so it doesn't take up too much room in my backpack. Also, I always choose speakers with long battery lives so I can listen to music without having to worry about running out of juice. Lastly, I look for speakers that work with my devices, like my laptop or smartphone. Wireless and Bluetooth connections are great ways to stream music from my phone or other devices without having to use cords. Overall, picking out the right rugged speaker has made my trips outside more fun and memorable. With the right gadget, I can make my experience better and make the place I'm in more fun and inviting.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Are Rugged Speakers Good for Outdoor Activities?

Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the topic "Are Rugged Speakers Good for Outdoor Activities?": What Makes a Speaker "Rugged"? A rugged speaker is designed to be durable and able to withstand harsh environmental conditions, such as water, dust, and shock. They are built with protective features that make them resistant to damage, making them suitable for outdoor activities. How Do I know if a Rugged Speaker is Waterproof? Most rugged speakers come with an IP rating that indicates their level of water resistance. The higher the IP rating, the more water-resistant the speaker is. A speaker with an IP67 rating, for example, can be submerged in water up to 1 meter deep for up to 30 minutes. Are Rugged Speakers Portable and Easy to Use? Yes, rugged speakers are designed to be portable and easy to use. They are often lightweight and compact, making them easy to carry in a backpack or bag. Many models come with features like Bluetooth or wireless connectivity, making them easy to use with your smartphone or other devices. How Long Do Rugged Speaker Batteries Last? The battery life of a rugged speaker can vary depending on the model and usage. Most models come with a battery life of around 10 to 12 hours, although some can last up to 24 hours or more. It's always a good idea to check the battery life before purchasing a rugged speaker to ensure it meets your needs. Can I Connect my Rugged Speaker to Multiple Devices? Yes, many rugged speakers come with Bluetooth or wireless connectivity, which allows them to connect to multiple devices at once. This feature is useful if you want to switch between different devices, such as your smartphone or laptop, while using the speaker.

Conclusion

I need a rugged speaker for hiking and camping. My speaker has functioned well in all types of conditions, from blazing sun to heavy rain. The speaker is waterproof and shockproof. It's crucial to consider sound quality while choosing a robust speaker. I can hear clear, loud sounds with my tough speaker. This makes hiking, reading by the campfire, or listening to music or a podcast more enjoyable. Durable speakers are also portable. These speakers are usually compact and light, so they're easy to pack and bring on trips. These don't weigh much, so I can listen to music while traveling. Finally, Bluetooth and wireless connectivity have improved my outdoor enjoyment. Without wires or cables, I can stream music or podcasts from my phone or other devices. The speaker's battery lasts all day, so I can listen to music without charging it. I recommend bringing a durable rugged speaker for outdoor activities. It'll enhance your outdoor experience. Ihope you all liked our article. For more articles visit us : Rewirelessify Read the full article

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longsilent · 2 years

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Befit mom dvd

#Befit mom dvd how to#

#Befit mom dvd zip#

Honestly, I wish that I had heard about this site during pregnancy, because there are so many resources explaining what type of exercises are safe in pregnancy. It is so informative in explaining how pregnancy really affects a mother’s body. I read about the BeFit Mom fitness program, so I went online and checked out the site (). Classic gym exercises have nothing to do with being postpartum.” Mom’s Favorite Stuff: Real Mom’s Reviews of Everything for Mom and BabyĪfter having my second child, I was really looking for a workout that would help me get my body back in shape, without doing more damage (as I had heard crunches can do). Exercises such as heel slides, toe taps, and belly scoops - which realign the pelvis - are reflective of Byrne’s muscle specificity, whereby, she says, “What your practice is what you get. The mom, former dancer and self-proclaimed “pretty hard-core jock” offers women a back-to-basics, gentle reentry into the realm of conditioning, with proper positioning as a cornerstone. The Alameda resident and author of “Exercise After Pregnancy” is the creator of the new “Bounce Back Fast! Post Natal Core Conditioning” DVD - complete with exercise resistance band. “The body is doing layers of jobs during one exercise.” “I prepare the body neuromuscularly,” she adds. “When that gets tight, a whole host of doors open up to you,” she says of the ensuing, essential dynamic stability that’s created. Instead, postnatal fitness expert Helene Byrne focuses on slowly restoring integrity to the new mother’s pelvic floor and working on core strengthening, specifically the all-important, oft-neglected transverse muscles. Dong a simple sit-up remains elusive and committing herself to a regimen of crunches is not the solution. Her abdominal muscles, however, prove not to be so resilient. Core Strength Proves Key After Baby ArrivesĪ few weeks after delivery, a mother’s cardiovascular strength can return and the discomfort in the low back can feel improved. Why you’ll love it:Helene Byrne, a perinatal-exercise specialist, provides information on reconditioning the muscles most affected by pregnancy and labor. I did like the jeans a lot, other than my big gut-lol.Fit Pregnancy Magazine: Bounce Back Fast! Post Natal Core Conditioning BeFit-Mom, $22 The scoop: Filled with restorative moves such as Kegels and belly scooping, the DVD also features an abdominal-strengthening program. I had a muffin top so I'm going to get going with the exercising and try again in a few weeks. I went and tried the sweetheart fit jeans on tonight. Thank you for the DVD recommendation (and thanks for yours too Serena!) I'm going to check them out while I wait for LO to wake up and eat. so I can't speak to the effectiveness yet, although hubbie says he notices a difference (what a sweetie!)

#Befit mom dvd how to#

Yup, the BeFit Mom DVD goes over how to engage the deepest ab muscles so that you build up strength in the right order (so as not to have a 6-pack on top of a tummy pooch! and not hurt your back) It also covers how to do kegels properly. Just looking for a guide so that I'm not wasting my time or doing any damage to my lower back. Um, wtf? Seriously? I'll fit that in between the bon-bon eating and the weekly facials-lol. When I asked him what the right way is, he couldn't show me but said ideally, I should work with a trainer at a gym. it had good reviews on Amazon and people said it took about a month to lose the belly pooch)ĭoes your dvd include the correct way to do sit-ups/crunches? My doc said I need to be doing them, but that I need to do them the right way. I'm going to try and not buy new jeans which might decrease my motivation to shed those extra lbs! So far, I've been pretty good with my ab workouts (I'm using the Be-fit mom dvd. I start back to work next week and I'm planning to use the BeBand or an elastic band around the button of the jeans to get me back into my pre-pregnancy clothes.

#Befit mom dvd zip#

I'm in the same boat - those extra 5lbs are making all my jeans too tight! I can zip button them, but it's not pleasant and I don't even want to try sitting.

#Befit mom dvd

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clareguilty · 3 years

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The Naked Thing

Hello! I was dying without air conditioning a few weeks ago and decided to make it Mando Smut Mandalorian/f!reader Rating: Explicit | No Warnings Word Count: ~2900

The Crest falls out of hyperspace too soon, and you go flying. Curling around Grogu in your arms, you twist in midair so that your back hits the console to avoid crushing him. A lever digs into your spine, and you curse loudly. That’s going to bruise. Oh well. What’s another?

“What the kriff, Mando?” you snarl. Grogu seems unbothered, blinking at you and probably learning way too many swear words for a child of his size.

Mando pulls himself off the control grid with a pained groan, helmet swiveling as he takes in the damage.

“The good news,” he begins after a moment, “is that we lost them.”

That is good news, you agree. You were lucky that the army of bounty hunters and ex-imps hadn’t kept track of you. If you had shaken them off your trail, then that would earn you a head start to a safer system.

“The bad news is that they shot out our hyperdrive.”

“Dank Farrik,” you curse again, then glance at Grogu. Maybe you should watch your mouth more?

“...And our temperature regulator and our heat shields.”

You decide that it is an appropriate time for as much foul language as you please.

“What does that mean?” you ask. You hadn’t grown up around ships -- spent the last dozen years on the same dead-end planet until Mando picked you up. The most you were good for was turning a knob or flipping a switch here and there. Usually you just kept an eye on Grogu while Mando did all the piloting and bounty hunting and whatnot.

“We’ll have to travel sublight, but we can’t land planet side because without the heat shields any atmosphere worth a damn would burn us up. Our only option is a New Republic Outpost. We’ll be able to land there, and we’ll be safe while they repair the Crest. I’ll chart us a course and let you know how long it should be.”

“You know,” you snap, “we wouldn’t be in this mess if you weren’t so scared of droids. If we had an astromech on board, then we could get the hyperdrive repaired without having to crawl our asses through deep space in the hopes that whoever picks us up doesn’t want us dead.”

Mando doesn’t say anything. You don’t know if your words meant anything at all to him because you can’t see shit behind his helmet. Huffing, you take Grogu down to the hold. Not long after, the engines fire up again.

It takes a few minutes to set in, but its quick enough to be noticeable. The ship is getting hotter. Like… unbearably warm.

You fill a canteen with water and make sure that you and Grogu are both hydrated. After a little bit of digging, you manage to find a portable air circulator. You and Grogu sit directly in front of the current, doing your best to keep cool.

Mando comes down after a little while, he cocks his helmet when he sees you.

“It’s hot,” you whine.

“The temperature regulator is shot too. We don’t have a way too cool the ship down or shield the heat of the engines.”

You sigh. “How long until we can get repairs?”

“34 hours. Will the kid be okay for that long?”

Grogu hasn’t outwardly complained about the heat, mostly just sitting in front of the circulator with his eyes closed and ears flapping, but you’ve been worried as well. “He’s kind of… amphibious,” you frown. “I’ll get him a basin of water to sit in and put him in the fresher with the circulator. That should keep him cooled off.”

Mando nods. “Thank you. Will you be okay?”

You shrug. There’s not much you can do. As long as you stay hydrated then you should be able to last 34 hours.

“Thank you,” he says again.

“For what?” All you’ve done is curse at him and berate him for not having an astromech droid.

“For looking out for him back there. You saved all of us with that droid popper. And the move with the cannon was impressive.”

You aren’t expecting genuine praise from Mando. It always felt as though you were dead weight to him. Through all the planets you’ve been on -- and been chased off of -- you’ve always felt useless.You can’t fly, you’re not the best shot, you can barely take care of his kid. It means a lot that he doesn’t actually hate you.

“I’m starting to get the hang of this,” you grin. You had never considered yourself a hero or adventurer, but you had commandeered a cannon and shot down three imperial fighters.

“I’ll be up in the cockpit if you need anything. Just knock.” And he’s gone.

‘Knock’ means that Mando is probably going to take his helmet and armor off, which means you also get a few hours of total privacy. You set Grogu up in the fresher with a basin of water and the circulator -- though it pains you to give up the weak, artificial breeze.

It’s only gotten hotter, and your already filthy clothes are starting to became unbearable. You had gotten splashed with gore and grime and who knows what in your escape, and it wasn’t pairing well with the heat onboard.

Stripping out of your clothes, you sprawl naked on the metal floor. It’s dusty, but slightly cool, and you plaster as much of your skin to the durasteel as you can manage.

Time passes with you systematically rolling across the floor of the hold to try and keep from baking. It’s bearable only because you know there will be an end. As long as the ship keeps chugging along towards the space outpost, then you will be saved.

The hatch to the cockpit opens, and you leap to your feet. Mando clambers down, jumping when he sees you.

“You’re naked,” he raises his hands -- his bare hands -- and backs against the ladder.

“You’re naked.” you point.

“I have a helmet and pants on,” he says. But that’s all he has on. His chest and arms are bare, and it’s more skin than you’ve ever seen before on the man.

“I’ve never seen you out of your armor. That has got to be more scandalous than me being naked.”

You must have made a point, because Mando doesn’t respond. Instead, you both just kind of… stand there. You can’t tear your eyes away from his chest and from the angle his helmet is pointed it seems he’s having a similar issue.

“Did you, uh, need anything?” you finally manage to ask. Your mouth is dry, and you take another uncoordinated drink from the canteen, shivering as some of the water spills down your chest.

Mando coughs. “I just wanted to make sure the kid is okay.”

“Oh,” you turn to open the fresher door just a crack. You had checked on him just a few minutes ago, and he still seems fine. After a moment of pause, Mando comes up behind you and you can feel the heat of his skin against your back.

Grogu is asleep, curled up just in front of the circulator and the basin of water so that the cool air blows over him. The fresher is several degrees cooler than the rest of the ship, and while it feels amazing, you don’t want to let the heat in.

“I’m going to go back up now,” Mando says quickly, and then he’s gone through the hatch once again.

You resume your circuit of laying on the floor, but it feels like the ship is only getting hotter.

That’s when you take to banging on the hatch to the cockpit. “Mando, I’m going to kick your ass! You had better get us to that outpost or find a way too cool this ship down! I spent years on Tatooine, and this is the hottest I have ever been in my entire life!”

“I can cut the engines to stop generating any heat, but then we’ll just be coasting through empty space and we’ll never make it to the outpost.”

You huff. “At this point you should just freeze me in carbonite.”

Mando does not freeze you in carbonite, but you do eventually make it to the New Republic outpost. They give the three of you a small dorm and Mando arranges for the Razor Crest to be repaired. You don’t have any credits between you, so you wonder what he offers in exchange.

You toss your gear into the room and head out to get food for everyone. You always enjoy being in New Republic space. No one is out to murder you or imprison you. The officers are usually nicer. Everyone likes the Skywalkers.

A friendly droid loads you up with several plates of food, and you stop to check out the holonet broadcasts on your way back. Things in this corner of the galaxy are a little hectic -- something you just witnessed firsthand -- but its less gloomy than it used to be.

Mando is sitting on the lower bunk when you get back. He’s back in his full armor, but you can read his posture pretty well. Grogu is playing in the corner, levitating some rocks you had found for him a few planets back. You set the tray down, fully intending to take your portion and eat out in the hall or in one of the communal sitting rooms. Before you can even turn away, Mando has already grabbed a plate of food and tugged his helmet off.

“WOAH,” you raise your hands in front of your face, ducking your head before you can see too much. Curly hair. Tan skin. Moustache. If there is one thing you’ve learned, it’s that Mando doesn’t let anyone see him without his helmet. It’s a cultural thing, and you respect that. “What is with you being naked today?”

Your eyes are open, but very pointedly looking at a wall nowhere near him. He shifts for a moment, and you wait for some kind of explanation.

“Look,” he finally begins, “we’ve been through a lot together at this point. I’ve traveled with you longer than anyone since I was a foundling with the watch. You’ve saved my life as well as Grogu’s many times, and we just survived one hell of a fight. Not to mention, I saw, um, all of you today. I figure it’s only fair.”

You’re touched. It’s an honor that Mando trusts you enough to remove his helmet. For as long as you have been travelling together, you’ve assumed that you care for him far more than he cares for you. “You don’t have to,” you say. “I don’t want you to feel obligated.”

“I trust you,” he repeats.

You turn to face him. His eyes are so soft. Tired and kind and the warmest brown. He stares at you, taking you in for the first time with his own eyes and not the visor in his helmet. It’s unreasonably intimate considering he was staring at you naked with the helmet on just 16 hours before.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re kind of cute?” you laugh and look away, smoothing your hands over your pants. There’s food in front of you, and you use that as a welcome distraction.

“I’ve never trusted anyone enough before now to see me.”

How can he just say things like that? You try to drown the rapid beating of your heart behind some kind of bitter vegetable.

Mando begins to eat as well, slowly and unsurely. He picks at a few different dishes before finally speaking again. “You’ve, uh- I mean… you’re beautiful as well.”

You laugh loudly at that. It’s so shy. This man had seen you overheated and completely naked lying on the floor of his ship. You roll your eyes and shoot him a wink. “Something you like in particular?”

Mando chokes, coughing for a minute before chugging down half a glass of green jelly juice. He finally regains his composure, but his voice is rough when he speaks again. “I’d say the best view was from behind.”

It’s the last thing you expect from him. He’s so shy and reserved and has always backed down from your defensive teasing. It’s a moment before you can pull yourself together. Still, you aren’t sure what to say. Instead, you cram some shredded raw crustacean in your mouth and hope you aren’t too flushed.

Mando offers to take the trays back. The dorm bathroom has a shower with running water and you intend to take full advantage. Grogu rolls a rock at your feet as you head into the bathroom, and you lightly kick it back to him. “Are you tired of putting up with us yet? You’ve been a baby longer than I’ve been alive. I bet we seem like idiots to you.”

Grogu, predictably, says nothing. He makes a raspberry noise with his lips and plops down into a sit.

The shower is one of the greatest gifts you’ve ever enjoyed in life. Hot water, high pressure, steam and soap. You take your time washing up and letting the jets work out all of the kinks in your muscles.

When you slide the stall door aside, Mando is standing at the sink. Helmetless. Shirtless.

He jumps slightly, staring at the floor as you step out of the shower.

“We have got to stop doing this naked thing,” you say. It doesn’t actually bother you. You like that Mando trusts you, and you’ve never been shy about being naked around others, but he’s too attractive and it drives you nuts.

“I rather enjoy it,” he manages to pull his gaze from the floor to shoot you a wink. Your pulse speeds up.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish, Mando,” you step forward. You’re still steaming from the shower and dripping wet. He’s never been this cheeky before, and you kind of enjoy it.

His gaze darkens, eyebrows rasing. He reaches out to grab your waist, pulling you in and pinning you against the sink. You gasp at the feeling of his skin on yours, leaning back as he crowds you against the basin.

“Grogu is napping,” he whispers.

“I think the shower will fit both of us,” you breathe.

He’s already working at the buckle of his pants, toeing out of his boots. You drag him back into the shower with you. The jets hit his back, and he melts a little. You wrap your hand around his cock, and he looks like he may collapse. His eyes flutter shut, one of his hands slamming against the wall by your head.

You lean in to brush your lips over his skin as you stroke his cock. You’d never even seen this man’s face before today, and now you’re kissing your way over his jaw and down his neck. His other hand grabs your ass, kneading the flesh and pulling you closer so your hips brush his.

Your thumb swipes over the tip of his cock, and he shudders. It happens so fast, you didn’t know he had spun you around until your cheek is against the shower wall. His hands are glue to your hips, digging into your ass and pulling you to him so he can grind his cock against your slick skin.

“Please,” you whine. You haven’t had sex with anyone since you began travelling with Mando, and opportunities to get yourself off come few and far between with three of you on the Crest. You’re desperately horny, and you’ve wanted to fuck this man since you found him in that godforsaken desert.

He lines himself up and drives his hips forward, sinking into you with one solid thrust. You bite your forearm to muffle your moans, panting as you try to get used to the sudden stretch.

“You good?” he asks, leaning forward to kiss your cheek.

“Move,” you say, demanding but desperate.

It takes a moment to find leverage in the tiny -- smaller than you first assumed -- shower stall, but Mando begins to fuck you at a steady pace. You reach down to rub your clit, clenching around him. You’re going to finish quicker than you’re used to -- probably because you’ve been turned on since you saw Mando shirtless on the crest.

From the way Mando’s hips twitch and his rhythm falters, you guess that he’s close to coming as well.

His hands are everywhere. Your hips, your ass, trailing over your stomach and and reaching up to squeeze your breasts. His fingers brush your throat and you nearly come from the touch alone. He feels the way you tighten around his cock and places a hand on your neck, squeezing your jaw between his thumb and forefinger.

You come so hard your knees give out and your vision goes white. Mando keeps you from collapsing in a bruised heap on the shower floor by simply continuing to fuck you until he comes as well.

It’s not a lot of space, so you’re slumped together under the spray of the water. You manage to wipe yourself clean in a few swipes and stagger back out so Mando can actually wash up. He’s much quicker than you were, and he’s out of the shower by the time you’ve finished rubbing scented moisturizer over your skin. The New Republic sure knew how to treat their guests.

“I think we should definitely keep doing the naked thing,” he grins.

#the mandalorian #Mandalorian/reader #the mandalorian/reader #mandalorian x reader #mandalorian #din djarin #din djarin x reader #din djarin/reader #grogu #smut #lemons

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roscgcld · 3 years

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DAYDREAMING!AU || new reality

;request: rn i’m obsessed with your writing & the daydreaming!reader<33 but i also love angst so what would happen if she ended up getting really hurt protecting another student - hope that wasn’t too weird.. again, i love your writing !!

note: ahaha, i am glad that a lot of people enjoy my daydreaming!reader works; she is also one of my babies as well >< and originally i wasn't going to do this cause i had no idea on what to write - but i had managed to layout a rocky plan before i got some bursts of inspiration lol. ended up becoming too loud though ><” I am sorry for that~

pronouns: she/her

daydreaming!reader masterlist

“There is a chance that she will never wake up from this.”

Shoko gave the others in the room a concerned glance as she glanced up from her tablet, hating how silent it was besides the quiet beeping of the machines around the occupied bed. Laying in the bed was Y/N, a breathing tube carefully inserted into her mouth with the ventilator beside her being the only thing that’s keeping her oxygen levels normal. “The amount of damage she took was quite large. And even though she had managed to regulate quite a strong barrier of Curse Energy around her at all times, it wasn’t enough to brace her for the impact of her being slammed into the build.”

The mission shouldn’t have ended this way - the first and second year students were sent on a mission to deal with a few Finger Bearers that had appeared in the city due to the lack of sorcerers on duty at the time. They were under the care of a few First Grade sorcerers, all hand-picked by Yaga-sensei to ensure the safety of the kids.

However, things rarely go to plan in the jujutsu world.

Yaga-sensei sighs softly as he leans back into his seat, his eyes glancing over at his student that was clearly battling to stay alive. Guilt started to eat him from the inside out, since this was technically his fault. Sure, everyone knows that there is no way that you can go on a mission without enduring some casualties. But the fact is that this was not what he had expected for the outcome to be.. “I am going to kill them myself.”

“G-Gojo-san!” Ijichi hissed out as he glances over at the white haired shaman in the room with wide eyes, the man having been leaning against the wall opposite from the hospital bed with his arms crossed over his chest. His head was tipped forward with an almost too casual expression on his face, yet anyone can tell the barely suppressed anger that lurked underneath. An anger that was only a few moments away from exploding. “You can’t - don’t say things like that!”

“And you expect me to sit back as they failed to save the children?” Gojo asks in a loud voice, effectively squashing whatever confidence Ijichi had built up inside of him. The hand that was resting arm tightened, the veins at the back of his pale hands started to protrude out as Gojo’s anger started to show itself. “I need a good explanation on how their incompetency put our student in this state. 5 First Grades against 3 Special Grade Curses? With 7 talented students by their side and they still can’t handle it? Give me a fucking break.”

“Not everyone can be like you, Satoru.” Yaga-sensei finally mumbles out as he rests his forehead into his hand, fingers pinching at the space between his eyes tiredly. “If anything, it was my fault. I had underestimated the brains of the Finger Bearers, and because of that, all my calculations were wrong. I put retrieving the fingers over numbers. So if you want to find someone to be angry to, the blame is on me.”

The room went quiet after Yaga’s explanation, both Ijichi and Shoko sharing a caution look before casting a glance over at the blindfolded man. After a few tensed moments Gojo pushed himself off the wall and walked out of the hospital room without another word, closing the door behind him quietly; a stark contrast to his usual habit of either slamming the shoji doors too hard, or leaving it open completely.

That out of character move definitely had Shoko sighing in concern. “That idiot...I hope he’s not going to do anything stupid.” She mumbles softly before she turned back to face the young girl laying on the bed, quietly reaching over to brush her fingers through the soft strands that had fallen over Y/N sleeping face. “You better wake up soon, sweetheart...I worry that this might finally push him over the edge.”

Occupying each seat outside of the small waiting area in the infirmary were the other students; wounds bandaged, yet their anxiety was palpable in the air. They had heard what had happened, yet were sheild by the other sorcerers who had called for back-up. Last they heard of Y/N was a scream before what sounded like a building collasping. “Do you think Y/N-senpai is alright?”

Yuji was the first one who dared to break the silence, glancing up from his clenched hands before him to glance at the others. “I mean...it must have been bad, since she was charted off as soon as back up arrived.” Yuji mutters softly as he tightened his fingers together, trying to stop them from shaking. He felt awful - if only he had spared a few seconds to glance over at his senpai, maybe she wouldn’t be in the condition she’s in now. “It’s not every day you’re rushed straight to Ieiri-sensei’s office...”

“...If there is one idiot who can pull through, it’ll be her,” Maki mumbles out quietly after awhile, looking away from her kouhai to stare down at the wooden floors of the building they were in. “Even if it’s bad, she always pulls through it...there is no reason why she can’t do it this time.” She mutters softly just as a pair of footsteps came towards them, causing everyone to look up at the approaching figure.

Gojo paused when he spotted the others, the question they wanted to ask was clear as day. And for once, Gojo wished that he was able to reassure them like he always does. For him to be able to put up the act that everything was alright, that everyone will be okay.

But he knew that it’ll do no justice if he did. “Is she...is she alright?”

The question that fell from Yuta’s mouth was left hanging in the air for a few moments, the sliver of hope they had moments ago slowly dimming with each passing moment. Quietly Gojo slipped his hands into his pockets, his blindfolded eyes downcast; too scared to see their reactions. For once, he wished that he was not the one to break the news to the students. “Y/N-chan...might not recovery from this.”

His words sent shock waves through the students, yet he balled his fists up in his pockets to continue with what he had to say. “She hit her head too hard...and if she was not subconsciously protecting herself with Cursed Energy all the time, the impact would have caused her skull to crack in two on impact. But it still took a lot out of her person, and Shoko said that-”

The sound of a metal chair being thrown backwards echoed across the room, causing Gojo to look up just in time to see Yuta standing up with wide eyes as he hastily tried to calm his friend. “Maki, you need to calm down.” He tried to reason with the girl, who had her backed turn to the group, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her jacket. “This isn’t your fault-” Yuta tried to reason, only to pause when Maki just silently started to walk away, leaving with no more but a loud slam of the main door that echoed down the hallway once more.

For a few moments no one said anything else, yet the first one to move was Megumi; who turned to face his sensei. “Can we visit her?” He mumbled out quietly, to which Gojo just glanced over at him with a slightly raised eyebrow. “Usually people talk to someone who is in a coma. Might jolt them awake or give them encouragement to fight harder...I am sure Y/N-senpai will get lonely if no one visited her..”

“Why not?” Gojo said after a few moments of thought, giving his students what he hope was a reassuring smile as he turns a little; nodding down the hallway. “Shoko managed to stabalise her condition. Just make sure to sanatise your hands at the door.”

Quietly the group of students followed behind their silent sensei, keeping close to one another as if they were trying to give each other comfort. The walk to the room seemed too far, the door seeming to grow further and further away from them with each step. It was if it was trying to stop them from seeing the truth; yet they didn’t stop. Yet soon they found themselves standing before the smooth door; the single grey name plaque with her name written in black resting in the silver plaque holder. “Right, here we are.”

After everyone was handed a blob of hand sanitiser and had wiped it onto their skin, the small group entered after a quiet knock to the door. “Y/N-chan, I’ve returned with the others...minus one, that is.” Gojo hummed out in delight as he made his way towards the bed, a silent gesture for the others to do the same. “You know Maki-chan though. Once she finishes beating herself up, she’ll come running back. She always does~”

Quietly the others made their way into the room, eyes scanning over the beeping machines and many wires connected to the sleeping girl. “Y/N...senpai..” Nobara mumbles out in shock, her eyes resting the ventilator; not believing that a girl that was bounding about the college earlier today now needed help to do something as simple as breathing. “No way...there is...”

A warm hand rest on the top of her head, Megumi quietly giving her a form of comfort whilst his wide eyes stared at the bed before him in shock. No one dared take a step forward, like they were standing on the other side of a fragile glass bridge that was moments away from breaking. “Y/N..”

Gojo felt the hole started to eat inside of him as he watches how his students were staring at their fellow classmate in shock. Quietly he settled down in the only seat at the corner of the room, watching from the shadows at how the others will react to seeing her in such a state. The first person to snap out of it was Yuta, who quietly places a hand on Toge’s shoulders before giving it a light squeeze. “Shall we go and say hello?”

Quietly Yuta made his way towards the bed, only to hesitate one step away from grabbing onto her hand. He stared at the frail hand, a simple IV needle carefully taped on the back of her palm for a few moments; a clear look of uncertainty on his face. Yet he took a deep breath, and with a trembling hand, carefully took Y/N’s cold hand in his. “I...Hi, Y/N...” Yuta mumbles quietly into the hospital room, voice barely heard over the constant beeping of the heart monitor. “Sorry...we took awhile to visit...and sorry that Maki isn’t here...I am sure she’ll drop by when she is ready though.”

The only response he got was the sound of the steady beep of the heart monitor, to which he just tighten his grip ever so slightly on Y/N’s unmoving hand. He could hear the soft giggle that Y/N would let out at his words, and if he felt tears welling up in his eyes as he hears her voice bouncing around inside his head.

“It’s alright, Yuta-san! I am sure you were busy before that. And I know Maki-chan will come after you leave - but you didn’t hear that secret from me~”

The silence of the hospital room made Yuta sick to the stomach, the idea that he might never hear Y/N’s voice again started to really sink in. Her usually warm and familiar touch felt cold and lifeless, causing Yuta to carefully tuck her hand underneath her hospital blanket; as if he was trying to warm it up once more. “I...I am going to go grab her favourite stuffed animal from her room. I am sure she’d love to have something of comfort whilst she’s here...if you’ll excuse me.”

Without another word Yuta just walked out of the room quietly, Yuji being the only one turning to watch his senpai leave with a look of concern. Out of everyone Yuji was definitely the one who seemed to be able to hold himself together the most, so it was no surprise when he was the one that went next. “Yo, Y/N-senpai,” Yuji greeted quietly as he walked towards the hospital bed, easily dodging all the wires and such. After all, this wasn’t his first time visiting someone he cares for in the hospital. “Can you hear me? I hope you can - or not Fushiguro might lecture me for being loud.”

The other sorcerer couldn’t even find his voice whilst Yuji continues on; his voice soft yet soothing as he looks down at his senpai with nothing more but a soft smile. “I know you’re trying your hardest go come back to us, and you’d probably tell us that we’re not the ones to blame. That you’re a big girl now, and things like this happen all the time.” Yuji continues, the only indication to his change of mood was the slight quiver that was hard to hide. Yet Yuji continued on anyway. “I hope you know we miss you...and we’re worried sick that you’re in the state you are now. But I know that you need some time to rest up, and soon you’ll be back on your feet again, right? ‘Cause..b-because that’s how you’ve always been.”

Silence enveloped the room once more, with Yuji just not sure on what else to say to her as he stared at her pale face. The other three in the room sort of just huddled together, all of them unsure of what to say to her. They weren’t the best with emotional words - beside Toge, who usually doesn’t use words at all - so asking them to keep their tone in check whilst referring to their unconscious classmate is a little too much for them.

So after awhile Yuji decided to lead them out of the hospital room, giving Gojo a parting smile before he closes the door behind him. Leaving him alone as he stared at the slumbering figure of his student as he rests his elbows on his parted knees. Quietly he rests his head in his hands, eyes closed as he tried to push back the light migraine that was coming on. He hates that it is his duty to break the news to the others - her parents, her elders. Heck, he has to give a call to Nanami and Utahime to tell them the bad news.

If it was anything else, he wound be more than excited to blow their phones up. But this? He wishes that the duty was handed to someone else - because he himself doesn’t even believe that this was happening in the first place.

He wishes that this was all just a terrible nightmare.

Maki quietly pushed the window open as she climbed in from the roof, the doors of halls of the infirmary long going silent; cicadas chirping away in the night sky. Maki quietly stuffed her hands into the pockets of her hoodie, eyes racking over Y/N’s sleeping form, to the amount of machines that were working by her side to make sure that she’s alive. “Hey, idiot...I’ve arrived.”

Quietly she made her way towards Y/N’s bedside, her eyes clouding over with an unreadable emotion. If she was being honest, she didn’t know how to react right now. On one hand, she was pissed - she is pissed off because she could have done something to help Y/N. Maybe if she was just faster, just a bit more aware, maybe if she was training to try harder. Maybe if she can just try harder-

A loud slap sounded across the room, Maki having pulled her hand out of her pocket to slap across her cheek hard to snap out of the spiraling thoughts. The burning sting on her cheek reminded her to return to reality before she started to trash the room out of anger, something that she and Y/N had been working on for some time now. Y/N would always say, “You should never turn to anger and violence to deal with your issues!”

Maki wonders what her reaction would be if she had saw Maki slapping herself so hard that there was a light handprint on the side of her cheek. “You’re so annoying, you know that?”

With a tired sigh Maki settled down in the seat that Gojo had occupied earlier in the day, keeping her eyes on the steady heart monitor; her eyes following the spike that indicates the faint heartbeat of Y/N. “Who the hell knew that it took an entire building to really get you hurt.” Maki sigh as she tore her eyes away from the screen, looking down at her boots quietly; examining all the scuffs and scratches on marring the smooth leather. “Call me stupid, but I really thought that it’d take more than that. Remember when you had jumped out the window of the 10th floor and left with no more but a bruise? You were crying about it ‘cause you couldn’t wear dresses for about 2 weeks.”

Maki let out a tired laugh at the memory of finding Yuta trying to reassure a crying Y/N when she found the bruise on her knee; Yuta just patting her head with the most amused look on his face whilst she cried her eyes out at the idea that she can’t wear her cute dresses until it cleared up. “Imagine what will happen when you wake up from this? God, that is going to be a pain.”

A soft sigh left Maki’s lips as she glances over at the stuffed sheep that Yuta had brought from her room; along with a few more random stuffed animals that surrounded her head like a halo. This caused her to smile sadly as she rests her head on her shoulder, watching her for a few minutes without saying anything. Maki had always been bad with words and emotions; with all the things she had gone through when she was younger. Wording how she feels and emotions are not Maki’s favourite thing to deal with, since she wants to keep this badass, strong woman front she has on all the time to prove something to her elders.

“You better wake up from this, or not I am going to kick your ass.” Maki mutters after a few moments, getting up with a tired sigh before she casts her another glance at Y/N. Without missing a beat, she reaches over to brush strands of hair away from her face, warm hand resting on her head for a few moments before she places a few parting pats on her head; something she had always done when she needs to leave for a mission or a meeting outside of school.

“‘Night, brat. Wake up soon, okay?” Maki mutters, and with a final sigh she made her way towards the window she climbed in once more, quietly shutting it behind her after she hauled herself over the railing. It was only in the dead of the night that Maki quietly lets her tears fall, biting her lip hard to stop whatever sounds that were threatening to leave her lips.

Because at the end of the day she is stubborn, and refuses to believe that this might be her new reality.

A week had passed since the day that the others found out that Y/N had fallen into a coma of a sorts, and everyone would visit at least once just to see if there is any sight of change. That there might be a sign that she was going to wake up soon. And there were slight changes; a few days after she had been admitted she was allowed to get off the ventilator and rely on oxygen instead. But she was still in bad shape.

Nanami tries to make time to drop by to visit as well, coming over to quietly read pages of the book that he was reading. Whenever Y/N was sick, she would call Nanami over the phone and ask if the man can read to her; something about how she finds comfort in his voice that puts her at ease. And since Ieiri had encouraged them to talk to her more for stimulation, Nanami takes the time to read to her after a long day of work. It brought him some comfort as well, listening to the constant beeping of the heart monitor and the humming of the other machines around her.

Gojo would sometimes drop by as well, only to berate Nanami for his ‘boring’ book choices; and an unconscious Y/N has to endure two adults arguing about book choices and how Gojo’s titles are definitely not appropriate to even bring onto school grounds.

Besides the occasional argument, sometimes Gojo will prop his phone up against a vase of flowers that Yuji brings so that Utahime can FaceTime him; the students from the Kyoto side being able to see and talk to the slumbering Y/N. For the most part, everyone was shocked that she was in the state she was in; having never expected such a bright and talkative person can fall into such a state.

The most distraught one was definitely Todo, who had almost jumped out of his seat and make a full on dash towards Tokyo if it wasn’t for Noritoshi and Mai joining together to restrain the man, along with Principal Gakuganji threating to hold him back from their planned trip to Tokyo the following week that had him calming down.

But barely - the man is still more than ready to just up and run across the country just so he can be closer to his ‘beloved Y/N-chan’.

Every day, without fail, Toge will come into her hospital room with a new accessory to pull her hair back into; carefully brushing her hair out and applying dry shampoo so it wasn’t greasy to the touch. Once he was satisifed he’d carefully style her hair back so it didn’t get in the way of her checkups, taking his time with everything so he gets to spend more time with her. He doesn’t say much, he usually finds that doesn’t whenever he is around her; so he takes his time when he does her hair in hopes that she can feel that he is there for her.

Yuta and Megumi will find time after classes to go and visit her together, telling her about everything that had happened whilst she is asleep. Sometimes Nobara will visit as well, must for the most time she’d come alone in the evening after dinner to just rant to her about everything that she found annoying that happened over the day. Nobara usually stay until Ieiri comes to kick her out, hoping that Maki might come in as well to visit Y/N.

But Maki never does - yet everyone knows that Maki finds the time in her day to go and visit her like everyone else. However, no one dared to ask her how or when she does it. They’ve accepted that it was probably a sensitive subject to her, and that it’s off limits to ask her unless you want her to ignore you for the rest of the day. Gojo had learnt it the hard way when he had teased her, only to be thrown out the window of their classroom by an annoyed Maki.

Even his Infinity is no match for that woman’s wrath.

Days soon led into weeks, with slow but not so encouraging signs of improvement from the young girl. The elders of her clan and her parents had visited the college as soon as they can, and had kept tabs with every single thing that is going on with her. There was no denying the fear of her suddenly relapsing once more, and soon it will become too much for her parents to bear. The idea of keeping Y/N around, knowing that she is in so much pain, just for their selfish want of keeping her alive was a reality they want to avoid.

The once vibrant and lively campus soon turned gloomy; the hallways of the school quiet without the familiar sound of bunny-themed slippers running across its worn-out flooring. The chime of a familiar giggle was missing in the air, along with a dreamy voice that just never seems to stop; no matter what time of the day it is. There were days where the others forget that Y/N was not there to make dinner for the night, or she wasn’t there when they want to ask her opinion about something. Her room, which once served as a sanctuary for the students who can’t sleep at night, now became too painful to even walk past on certain days.

Yet everyone tried their hardest to go on with their days, knowing that it was what Y/N wanted them to do. If they were to allow their grief to consume them whole, they knew the delicate routine they had rebuilt would crumble before them. And if there is one thing they can do to keep Y/N’s memory alive, is to live their lives to the fullest. To try and cherish each and every day, no matter how painful reality is without her by their side.

They have to try, for her sake.

It wasn’t until a month passed when Yuta had came running into the lunch hall, looking like he had seen a ghost as he tried to catch his breath. “Okkotsu-senpai?” Megumi asks in concern as he looks over at the older man, putting his tray down to try and give his panting senpai a hand. “Are you-” He asked, only to have Yuta put a hand up to stop him as he took a few deep gulps of air.

“A-Awake...Y/N...Y/N is awake.”

Within a few seconds the students were sprinting across campus, none of them believing what Yuta had said until they have see it for themselves. What is usually a 10 minute walk from the lunch hall took about four minutes with them sprinting, possibly annoying half of the cleaners of the school that they were breaking the no running rule. Yet they didn’t stop even at their annoyed outcries, the simple wooden door of the infirmary almost coming off its hinges at how hard Maki had thrown it open.

Maki was the one who pushed the hospital room door open, causing the people in the room to jump in shock. Including Y/N, who had let out a soft squeak of shock; her voice hoarse from not using it for so long. The others blinked in shock at the sight of Y/N’s bright eyes meeting theirs at the doorway, ones that blinked before she gave them the biggest smile she can muster.

“H-Hi.” Y/N mumbles softly, to which Nanami just gave her a rare smile as he gently rubs her back, Gojo smirking softly as he recorded the reactions of the others by the door. He had gotten over the shock a few moments ago. “Don’t strain yourself, Y/N-chan. Remember what Ieiri-sensei said about straining your voice.” The blonde man hummed before he turned his blue eyes over at the shocked students as well. “And that goes to you too. If you all stress her out, I am not against tossing you all out.”

Y/N made a noise and turned to try and reassure the older man, not noticing how the others were staring at her in shock. The first person to move was Maki, whose eyes look suspicious wet as she stormed into the room. “I am going to kill you.” She growled out loudly, to which Y/N jumped before she held her arms out for protection; feeling a shiver of fear go up her spine. Yet before she can make a move to stop her, Maki suddenly wrapped her up in a hug, the arms that Y/N held out to try and pacify her angry classmate freezing from the unnatural reaction from Maki.

Y/N blinks for a few moments before she smiles softly and wraps Maki up in her arms as well, gently patting her head as Maki silently wets her shoulder with her tears. “I know.” Y/N mumbles out softly before her eyes met the others, giving them a soft smile as she gently gestures to the others to enter her room. Soon there was just a huge ball of crying teenagers hugging one another on Y/N’s hospital bed; Gojo and Nanami having moved aside to give them more space for their reunion as they watched on from the other side of the room. “Should we stop them?”

“Nah, we might get murdered if we try.” Gojo said with a hum as he grins over the sound of intelligible crying, looking over at Nanami who had a ghost of a smile on his lips at the sight. “Besides, this is great content. I never had a video of Maki crying before.” Gojo admitted, to which Nanami’s smile dropped as he looked over at him in annoyance.

“Why am I not surprised at all?”

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