#Remove weakness after corona infection

[bitchfitch]

Idk, I want to talk about Lino's prosthetic.

He gets his first while in The Sun. the Leader gives it to him to 'celebrate' his birthday. Lino doesn't know when his birthday is, no one in the corona knows theirs because it was seen as outlandish and wasteful to celebrate oneself like that. That was what the Leader said when they were banned soon after the Sun formed. But the prosthetic .

The implants were put in too early. Lino is still fighting the same infection he got from his crush wounds not being treated right. A less obedient doctor would have taken one look at his femur and say they need to remove the whole thing if they're ever going to make a functioning prosthetic for him. The implants hurt. The bone they're supported by is weak and they're too heavy for someone Lino's size.

The leg itself was even worse. It was a perfect mirror of his other. It was warm to the touch and the skin felt real and it could move like it was flesh and bone instead of metal and silicone. He even had some sensation of touch through it. But it was so extremely heavy, and his implants so poorly done that using it was agony. It would twist his hips with every step and make him stand with his entire weight on the other. It looked perfect though and that was the point. It wasn't meant to make Lino able to walk again. It was meant to make him 'perfect' again. The fact it gave the Leader an excuse to remove Lino's chair from the picture and trap him more fully where he was needed for the image the Leader was trying to project was just an accidental benefit.

after he escapes back to the bunker Lino takes the leg apart piece by piece. Cannibalizing what he wants and discarding the rest. He's a tinkerer at heart. He has no formal training but he's gotten enough machines apart and put back together that he can reverse engineer the contraption. His first version is barely better than the original. Hes still trying to make it look like a leg and wasting a lot of weight to do so. His second is better, it's all skeletonized aluminum but still too heavy. his third, fourth, eighth, they all have problems. but each iteration gets closer and closer to what he needs.

until he finally has it. He still calls it a prototype, because he doesn't expect it to work so well. It's light, its cuff is designed so that the meat of his thigh takes some of the weight when stepping and standing so his implants don't have to do so much work. He wires up the touch sensors to help deal with the phantom pains, and the heater so he could still go outside in the winter without it getting unbearably cold where it meets his leg. It's an ugly, purely functional thing and he loves it so much more than the perfect leg he had been given.

[kisansatta]

कोरोना संक्रमण के बाद कमजोरी को दूर करें खजूर

कोरोना वायरस से बचाव रखने के लिए मास्क पहनना, बार-बार साबुन से हाथ धोना, सैनिटाइजर का इस्तेमाल करना बहुत जरूरी है! आपको संक्रमित व्यक्ति से 6 फीट की दूरी बनाए रखने की जरूरत है! इसके अलावा कोरोना वायरस से लड़ने के लिए आपका शरीर भी मजबूत होना चाहिए! लोग इम्यूनिटी बढ़ाने के लिए तरह-तरह के उपाय कर रहे हैं! शरीर को मजबूत बनाने के लिए आपको हर रोज नियमित रुप से ड्राइफ्रूट्स का सेवन करना चाहिए!

आपके लिए खजूर भी बहुत फायदेमंद है! खजूर में विटामिन, आयरन, कैल्शियम, एंटी-इंफ्लेमेटरी, एंटी- बैक्टीरियल और फाइबर, एंटी-ऑक्सीडेंट जैसे तत्व पाए जाते हैं! इससे आपकी इम्यूनिटी मजबूत होती है और शरीर में आई कमजोरी भी दूर होती है! अगर आप कोरोना वायरस के संक्रमण से ठीक हो रहे हैं तो रिकवरी के वक्त डॉक्टर्स आपको खजूर खाने की सलाह दे रहे हैं! आइए जानते हैं खजूर के फायदे और खाने का तरीका!

इम्यूनिटी बढ़ाता है खजूर- नियमित रूप से खजूर खाने से हमारे शरीर में रोगप्रतिरोधक क्षमता बढ़ती है! खजूर में कैल्शियम, आयरन, विटामिन, एंटी-बैक्टीरियल, एंटी-ऑक्सीडेंट जैसे कई गुण पाए जाते हैं! इन्हें खाने से शरीर को ताकत मिलती है और शरीर की इम्यूनिटी बढ़ती है!

दिमाग को स्वस्थ रखता है खजूर- खजूर खाने से नर्वस सिस्टम काफी मजबूत होता है! खजूर में पाया जाने वाला कैल्शियम, आयरन और दूसरे विटामिन काफी ज्यादा मात्रा में पाए जाते हैं! इन्हें खाने से दिमाग भी हैल्थी रहता है!

खून बढ़ाता है खजूर- खजूर आयरन का अच्छा सोर्स माना जाता है! इसमें भरपूर मात्रा में आयरन पाया जाता है! नियमित खजूर खाने से शरीर में Red Blood Cells बढ़ते हैं और खून की कमी दूर होती है! खजूर से थकान भी कम होती है!

ब्लड प्रेशर को कंट्रोल करता है खजूर- हाई ब्लड प्रेशर वाले लोगों को खजूर खाना चाहिए! इससे शरीर में ब्लड प्रेशर कंट्रोल रहता है! साथ ही दिल से जुड़ी बीमारियां भी दूर रहती हैं! इससे हार्ट अटैक का खतरा भी कम हो जाता है!

https://kisansatta.com/remove-weakness-after-corona-infection/ #RemoveWeaknessAfterCoronaInfection Remove weakness after corona infection Life, Trending #Life, #Trending KISAN SATTA - सच का संकल्प

[littlemisslol-fic]

Summary: Twelve years ago, the Kingdom of Corona fell after the demon Zhan Tiri infected the minds of its people. The only survivor was Princess Rapunzel..

.Or so they thought.

An amnesiac orphan named Varian, struck by the need to branch out on his own, follows a mysterious necklace towards what he knows must be his missing family. On the way he scoops up three companions: a young ex-noble named Nuru, a fiery boy called Yong, and, to top it off, a handsome rogue named Hugo. Together they travel for Vardaros, unaware of the demons dogging Varian's heels.

Zhan Tiri, after all, isn't finished with her revenge.

Notes: Hey all! Gunna preface by saying that is is a present for my beautiful friend jjgg_art for her birthday! Hope it was a good one, babe ❤️❤️This is her Anastasia AU, written out! She drew art for it a while ago and it lived rent-free in my brain, so here it is!

(Be warned though, she’s LONG)

 They say that good things were never meant to last.

 The kingdom of Corona, in the peak of its life, was beautiful. It was the city of light, a towering monolith of white marble and shining gold. Its spires raised high into the always-blue skies, like white crests on perfect waves. It was a city of golden wonders, of joy and love and contentment unknown through the Seven before.

 But it was never meant to go on forever.

 Like gold eventually tarnishes, or limestone wears away with the pounding surf, Corona eventually fell. The royal family, led by King Frederic and his wife, Queen Arianna, had grown compliant. Weak. Beneath the shining veneer, Corona was beginning to crack.

 And into the cracks, slipped the darkness.

 It was said that Zhan Tiri herself had seen the prosperity of Corona, had seen the glittering spires and sunny skies, and had grown jealous of the city. In turn, she sent down an army led by her three disciples, to rage through the city without mercy. They targeted many, but above all the royal family had been the ones most as risk.

 It happened on a cold winter’s night, one where the Coronian royals were hosting a Ball to celebrate the end of another year. The crown princess Rapunzel, only twelve at the time, had been the light of the party, dancing through the crowds with an ease that seemed almost natural. She weaved through the crowd, her brunette hair bobbing softly with the motions. The princess hummed to herself, scanning the crowd with a curious eye. The adults around her danced with perfect timing, even as she scooted past them in a flurry of purple fabric. Green eyes widened when she caught sight of a familiar head of black hair, nearly swallowed up by the crowds.

 A small bag of velvet was in her hands. Her grip tightened on it, her smile widening as she beelined towards the other end of the ballroom. Her quarry was hiding near a large pillar of white marble, his blue eyes wide as he looked at all the people.

 “Varden!” She cooed, startling the child in front of her. He couldn’t have been older than six, the boy still almost a toddler with how much baby fat was still in his cheeks. The boy caught sight of her, his baby face breaking out into a wide smile that scrunched his cheeks and eyes.

 “Hi ‘Punzie!” He said, holding his arms out. Rapunzel smiled, hugging him tightly. When the split, the black haired boy looked around the ballroom with a nervous face. “Have you seen my daddy?” He asked, “I can’t find him…”

 “I’m sure he’s around,” Rapunzel soothed, “Besides, I have something for you!”

 The boy’s blue eyes went wide, his worry immediately forgotten. “For me?!” he gasped. Rapunzel nodded, handing him the velvet bag with a grin.

 “I know you’re sad about my family and I going on that trip to Vardaros,” she said, trying to ignore how his little face fell at the reminder, “So, I thought this might help with the wait!”

 He opened the gift with small hands, looking curiously as a small box fell out as he tipped the bag into his waiting palm. Rapunzel took his hand, holding up a small pendant in the shape of the Corona Sun.

 “See, watch,” She cooed to him, inserting the small key into a slot on the side. She turned it with three gentle movements, watching the boy’s face as it lit up with delight. As Rapunzel removed the pendant from the music box it opened, playing a little tune. Varden gasped as a little automation within began to move, slowly miming out fighting invisible enemies. Rapunzel smiled as he watched the little dance, holding the music box close. She hummed along to the tune the music box played, slowly coaxing him into singing along with her.

 “Soon you'll be, home with me,” She sang to the tune. Varden’s voice floating along with hers, “Once upon a December,”

 “Wow, Punzie!” He said softly, “It’s our lullaby!”

 She smiled as the box finished its song, the little lid closing tightly. She passed him the necklace, smiling as he put it on “Exactly,” she said, hugging him tightly as he leaned into her side. “So you’ll never forget how much I love you, even when we’re apart.”

 The boy’s face split into a massive grin, small hands hugging the box close. “Thank you!” He chirped, “Thank you so much!”

 Rapunzel went to say something else, but was cut off by a sudden, loud scream. Both her and Varden startled at the loud noise, turning towards the door. Both of them gasped at the sight of the doors slamming open, the hallways beyond consumed in flames. People from the town swarmed inside, holding weapons high as they flooded the ballroom. The guests screamed, backing away as the mob attacked, quickly overwhelming anyone in their way.

 Rapunzel shrieked, covering Varden’s eyes at the first sign of blood.

 Things happened quickly after that, the princess running from the room with her little brother in tow as chaos broke. Varden yelped as he was pulled along, barely keeping up on his short legs. Rapunzel did her best to weave around panicking people, ducking in between legs as people scattered. The fire quickly burned through the halls, filling them with smoke.

 Rapunzel coughed into her free hand, still tugging her brother along. Varden followed without complaint, the boy gripping her hand tight. They both stopped when there was a loud gunshot from nearby, followed by a loud scream from up ahead. Rapunzel skid to a stop, Varden nearly tumbling into her as she frantically searched for a way out. The noise behind them grew louder and louder, angry shouting and screams filling the halls behind them. She frantically looked back and forth, unable to decide which way would be better- the smoke was getting thick, a cloying, irritating thing. She could feel the panic creeping in, moving higher in her throat. She didn’t know what to do.

 “Over here!” A voice called, cutting through the shouting.

 Rapunzel spun on her heel, coming face to face with a young boy, maybe about Varden’s age, peeking out of one of the servant’s hidden entrances in the wall. She gasped in relief as he waved them forwards, disappearing into the wall. She followed, panting for breath as the boy closed the hidden door, sealing them away.

 “C’mon,” the blond boy said, urging them forwards, into the darkness of the secret hallways. “They’re attacking the royalty, you guys have to go!”

  Rapunzel tugged her brother behind her, following the servant boy through the labyrinth within the palace. Her heart raced, the princess cringing as she heard screaming and sobbing coming from the other side of the walls. Smoke still filled the air, though less so. Varden sobbed behind her, sniffling as he followed her with his hand in hers. The music box was between the two of them, held in both their hands.

 Eventually the servant boy led them to an exit to the courtyard, where Rapunzel could see a hot air balloon waiting. Her Aunt Willow was already there, sneaking around. The blond boy waved them away, closing the door behind them once they left the safety of the walls. Rapunzel cringed at the cold, but rushed forward, tugging her brother behind her.

 “Aunt Willow!” She cried. The woman turned, her eyes filling with tears at the sight of them.

 “Children!” The brunette woman cried, “Come on, quickly!”

 Rapunzel ran, reaching the basket and jumping in. Varden tried to follow, but he was too short to easily jump the basket. Rapunzel reached for him, tossing the music box into the basket so she could use both hands, but the princess screamed as a loud bang rattled the courtyard. The balloon shuddered, suddenly lifting off.

 “Wait!” Rapunzel screamed, “Wait, he’s not in yet!”

 Willow was scrambling, trying to catch their cut lines. Rapunzel tried fruitlessly to tug her brother up into the basket, shouting at the exertion. She saw a flash of fuchsia light, the princess gasping as her brother was tugged from her arms, as if grabbed by a force. The boy screamed as he fell, plummeting down to the cobblestone meters below. He vanished into the smoke, going deathly silent.  Rapunzel wailed, unable to tear her eyes away from where he’d disappeared.

 “NO!” She screamed, tears overflowing. The balloon continued to rise, pulling away from the castle properly until they’d left it behind. Rapunzel felt herself be pulled into a hug by Willow, the woman trying to comfort her between her own sobs. The boy was not the only casualty that night, but his was the one that would haunt her. Rapunzel shuddered.

 She held onto the music box in a clawed grip, her tears falling soundlessly onto the porcelain.

 >>>><<<<

 Twelve Years Later

 The cold hit Varian like a slap the second he opened the door.

 With a shudder he pulled his too-large coat closer, trying to sink into the thick layers he’d wrapped himself in. The cold of winter was never easy, but apparently the last decade had been near brutal with the freezing temperatures.

 Varian sighed as he felt a tug at his scarf, the thin fabric nearly choking him as the head of the orphanage yanked on it. He followed the cranky old woman out of the building, his feet quickly sinking into the thick snow.

 “Now, I’ve gotten you a place at a fish cannery, near the port.” Old Lady Crowley was grumbling. Varian went quietly as he was pulled along by the scarf, the other end caught in her iron grip. She kept pulling, guiding the teenager towards the large, wrought iron gate at the side of the property. “You’ll take the left path, do you understand me?”

 “Of course I understand, Ol- Miss Crowley.” Varian said with a roll of his eyes. “Left at the fork, straight until the cannery.” His hand slowly found itself up near the center of his chest, fiddling with a small pendant hanging around his neck. He smiled slightly, unable to help himself as he joked: “I’m an amnesiac, not stupid.”

 “Same thing.” The woman grumbled, unlocking the gate. “And stop fiddling with that stupid thing, it’s just a cheap trinket.”

 Varian pouted at her. “Even if it is, it’s all I have-”

 “From before you arrived here, you’ve told from here to the capital about it.”

 The gate opened with a creak, loud and squealing. Varian flinched at the noise, but straightened when the woman turned to shoo him along.

 “Go on, boy,” Crowley snapped, “You’re going to be late!”

 Varian smiled politely, trying to ignore how she muttered idiot child as he walked past her. The second he was outside the gate, Crowley slammed it shut with a loud bang. Varian spun on his heel, seeing her already leaving towards the orphanage without another word.

 “Goodbye, then,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “See you around, I guess.”

 Varian started forward down the street, grumbling to himself. The snow was thicker outside the orphanage property, coating the ground by nearly two feet. He grunted as he slowly kicked his way through the thick snow, a hand reaching up to grab at his necklace. The metal of the pendant was cold to the touch, a small sun with strange little teeth circling the outside. Varian chanced a look down to it, and saw the little words Together in Vardaros lovingly engraved on the center circle. A soft smile took over his face as the gold glinted in the sun, reflecting brightly.

 “I’ll find you,” he murmured, barely even thinking about what he was saying. “I swear it.”

 When he chanced a look up, he found he was already at the fork in the path. A sign stood tall, pointing in two directions. To the capital, on the right, or to the port, on the left.

 “Left at the fork.” Varian whispered. “And then straight on until I hit the cannery, but… hm.”

 His fingers continued to fiddle with his pendant, blue eyes staring up at the sign in thought. He had enough funds for a train ticket, he knew he did- he’d been saving for months just in case. Varian should go left, he knew- should follow Crowley’s orders like a good little wage slave and sign his life away to a life of packing fish- but something in him screamed at the thought.

 “Left to a stable, agonizing job,” he thought out loud, “Or right, to spending every coin I have on a hunch.”

 On paper, they both sounded terrible.

 Varian fiddled with his pendant again, biting at his lip. A brisk wind blew from behind, making him shudder. “Maybe I should wait for a sign.” He laughed to himself, kicking at the snow. A puff of it got close to the base of the sign. Varian startled as a plume of snow suddenly began to wiggle, a chittering noise coming from the lump.

 The teenager laughed harder as a small, fluffy face popped up from inside the snowdrift. “A raccoon?” He asked himself, “Shouldn’t you be asleep by now, bud? It’s the middle of winter.”

 The raccoon made another little noise, rolling out from under the sign. Varian bent down, reaching out a hand to pet the animal. The raccoon waddled up to him, briefly sniffing his fingers before pushing into the outstretched hand. Varian grinned as he scratched the raccoon behind his ears. The animal purred, content, before suddenly reaching one of his little hands forward and grabbing at Varian’s scarf.

 “Hey!” The teenager cried as the raccoon began to run down the right path, the blue scarf tightly gripped in its teeth. “That’s mine, you little jerk!”

 He stood up, stomping his foot. The ring-tailed thief chittered a laugh at him, still holding the scarf. The teenager huffed, crossing his arms.

 “Will you give that back?” Varian demanded, “I’m waiting for my stupid…”

 He cut himself off, blue eyes flicking from the raccoon to the sign in front of him, and back to the raccoon.

 “…sign.” He breathed. His eyes went wide, looking up to focus on the path to the city. For a second the breath caught in his throat, something in him shocked.

 “Am I crazy?” He asked the raccoon, who only cocked his little head. “Yeah. That’s what I thought too.” He sighed, rubbing at his arms with freezing hands. His gaze fell to the snow, a blanket of white covering his boots. “Together in Vardaros.” He murmured, gaze rising back to look towards the towering spires of what used to be Corona.

 And just like that, he took the first step.

 Once he got started, walking down the path was nearly easy. Soon enough he had left the farmland, the tall trees and rolling, snowy fields quickly replaced by dull, drab buildings and cracked cobblestone. Varian shuddered at the glares a few of the city folk shot him, tugging his coat closer around himself. The raccoon had managed to crawl up onto his shoulders at some point, offering himself as a scarf.

 “Well… Ruddiger,” Varian said, testing out the name and deciding it stuck. “If you were a train station, where would you be?”

 The critter only cooed, playing with the blue stripe in Varian’s hair. The boy laughed gently swatting at his new pet. “Thanks for the help, buddy.” He griped, wandering further into the desolate town. Ever since the royal family had fled, Varian knew, the capital city had been borderline barren. Travel outside the country was heavily restricted, the insurrectionist government of Saporians that had swept in during the power vacuum the royals left behind had made sure of that.

 Varian flinched at a loud scream from a few streets over. He began to hustle, ducking into the train station without looking back. In the warmth of the building he sighed, finally able to relax a little. There were dozens of people in the large building, the bustle of them all making Varian’s head spin. His hand unconsciously went up to his necklace, twisting it with nerves.

 There was a long lineup of people waiting for the single open toll window, Varian quietly took his place, unwilling to meet the eye of anyone around as a few of them glared at him. He nervously reached a hand up to pull at his hat, tugging it down over his hair. Something in him demanded he hide, burrowing deeper into his coat.

 Eventually Varian reached the front of the line, quietly approaching the grumpy looking man behind the glass.

 “Uh, hi!” He said, waving awkwardly. “One, um, one ticket for Vardaros, please?”

 The man arched a brow at the sight of Ruddiger, but quickly turned back to Varian with a scowl. “Papers?” He grunted, holding out his hand.

 “I- I’m sorry?” Varian asked, “What-”

 “Your travel papers, boy.” The man grunted. “No papers, no ticket.” When Varian continued to fumble, the man lost patience and barked, “NEXT!”

 Varian was quickly jostled out of the way, blinking in shock. Sure enough when he looked to a nearby sign, he could see the latest proclamation that in order to cross the border, he’d need government papers.

 “Shit.” He hissed. “Shit, shit, shit, shit-”

 “Pst,” A voice cut through his curses, drawing Varian’s attention to an older woman. “You need papers?” She asked him. Varian nodded, tugging his coat closer as she waved him towards her.

 “Go to Hugo,” she whispered, leaning close with a conspiratorial smile. “He lives in the old palace. If you need papers, he can acquire them. But you didn’t hear that from me.”

 “Oh!” Varian quickly nodded, backing away as she shooed him off. “Okay, thank you!”

 “You didn’t hear it from me!” The woman repeated, disappearing into the crowd. Varian watched her go, biting on the inside of his lip. For a second more he stared, nervously, in the middle of the train station. Ruddiger chittered, pulling on his hair, snapping Varian from his daze.

 “Alright,” Varian shook his head, moving for the door. If he needed papers, he’d get those papers. He opened the door, stepping back onto the street. The cold was bitter, angry and painful against his warmed skin. Varian shuddered at the temperature change, but still twisted on his heel so he could look up to the crumbling ruins of the castle. He felt a smile creep across his face, the teenager starting off towards the decrepit building. As he walked, he couldn’t help but reflect on what the woman had told him. He muttered to himself as he moved, determination crossing every footstep. His voice was lost to the wind, but the words were still light in the early afternoon sun.

 “Hugo, huh?”

   >>>><<<<

 If there was ever a time Hugo was regretting his career choices, it was probably now.

 He looked in abject horror at the long list of applicants he, Nuru, and Yong had put together. Every. Single. One. Was crossed out.

 “None of them worked out?” He groaned, looking to Nuru with beseeching eyes. She shook her head with frustration, her dark skin pulling around her eyes as she frowned.

 “Not a one,” she sighed. “They either didn’t look like the lost lord, or didn’t act the part.” None of them were a good Varden, and it was driving Hugo up the wall.

 “This plan isn’t going to work unless we can find a boy to play the part,” Hugo griped, rubbing at his face. “We’re screwed unless we figure it out. Nuru, if we can’t find a guy-”

 “Then we can’t con a grieving woman out of her money, Hugo, I know,” Nuru snapped. Hugo sighed, rolling his eyes. Morals, bah.

 “Don’t make it sound so terrible,” he replied, “If her majesty Princess Rapunzel is dumb enough to offer a reward for a kid who died twevle years ago, then it’s on her. We need out of the country she abandoned, that’s not our fault.”

 Nuru groaned. They’d had this discussion countless times, each one ending the same way.

 “I still don’t like it,” she whispered, “It’s a terrible thing to do.”

 “I think Nuru’s right!” A third voice piped up. Nuru and Hugo snapped from their glaring match to look at Yong. Their third companion was sitting cross legged nearby, fiddling with what was definitely dynamite. Hugo scoffed, shaking his head.

 “Don’t blow anything up,” he chided, before turning back to Nuru. “And if you both feel that way, then have fun starving to death in this shithole city! You don’t have to come along.”  

 That shut them up. Hugo sighed, rubbing at the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Guys, listen," he said, “I know it’s a little… morally grey, but just think of the money! We get a boy to play the part of Varden, we take him to Vardaros, we get the coin, and we’re set for life. No more scrapping for food, no more fighting to survive, just cupcakes and caviar for the rest of our days!”

 The abandoned castle around them groaned in the raging winds. Nuru shuddered against the cold, shaking slightly in the bitter air. Hugo crossed his arms, cocking his head. He knew he was right, and was certain she knew it as well. The younger girl finally scoffed, crossing her arms.

 “I still don’t like it,” she muttered, looking away with a glare as Hugo smiled at her admission.

 “And you can cry about it in a palace,” he shot back, “Instead of a dump like this.”

 Nuru scoffed, but finally let it drop. Hugo looked back to the list, almost a hundred crossed out names staring back at him.

 “Well, like I said, we’re screwed if we can’t find a boy to play our prince,” he griped. “I guess we’ll have to put out more applications.”

 “I don’t know if there’s anyone left to apply,” Yong piped up from his place on the floor. “We’ve been at this for days.”

 “There’s gotta be someone,” Hugo grunted, “I know it-”

 He was cut off as a loud clatter rang through the abandoned halls of the old palace. All three of them tensed, looking towards the entrance to the grand ballroom, where the noise had come from. Unfortunately, the old castle had had more than one squatter over the years, and the three of them were only the most recent occupants.

 “Shit,” Hugo said, “Must be looters again.”

 “I can take care of it!” Yong cheered, holding his dynamite high. “I think I finally got the burn ratios right-”

 “No.” Nuru interrupted, “No you will not be taking care of them.” Hugo snickered, until her amber eyes landed on him. “Hugo will be,” she said with a smirk.

 “Wha-“ Hugo spluttered as Nuru’s smile went sharp, “Fine. But I don’t want to hear another room about bullshit morals for at least a week.”

 “Fine,” Nuru grinned like she’d won something. Though she probably had, from the way Hugo ended up walking for the door. On the way he scooped up a crowbar, specifically used for that purpose and an old friend, at that point. He grumbled to himself as he shoved at the door, entering the ballroom on silent feet. He tried to ignore the eyes on his back as he walked past a portrait of the royal family, their unblinking gaze settling on his shoulders as he hustled into the ballroom properly.

 It was a large space, towering and opulent even in ruin. Large windows lined both of the longer walls, bathing the room in the light of the setting sun. It bounced off the dusty floors, shining off tarnished gold and illuminating the cloth covered silhouettes of furniture long since left to time. Hugo hated being in the ballroom, it was always drafty and definitely haunted; the revolution had started here, he knew, and the large stains of long dried blood that marred the marble floors was enough to prove that.

 He shuddered, moving further into the room. Over the calls of the freezing winds though broken windows he could hear shuffling footsteps, accompanied by…

 “Is that humming?” He whispered to himself, already more confused than where he’d started.

 Sure enough, drifting along in the quiet ballroom, was an unmistakably male voice humming along to a lullaby sort of tune. Green eyes scanned the ballroom, finally landing on a short, small figure standing across the room. Hugo scowled, marching forwards, but paused as the shorter teen skimmed his hand along a covered table.

 “Soon, you’ll be,” the boy murmured to himself, “Home with me, once upon a December.” His thin fingers trailed across the table, his blue gaze a million miles away.

 Hugo scoffed, rolling his eyes.

 “Hey!” He shouted, “You wanna scram? This party’s invite-only!”

 The stranger startled, whirling around to look at Hugo with wide eyes. Hugo couldn’t help but appraise for a second- the guy was cute, even in the ill-fitting jacket and wrapped in fifty layers… and what was with the raccoon?- but with the big hood it was nearly impossible to see much of him. A pair of brass goggles, beaten but obviously well loved, were perched on his head.

 “Sorry!” The black-haired teen said, “Sorry, sorry, I’m looking for uh- Hugo? I think that was his name…”

 “Who’s asking?” Hugo barked. He set the crowbar down on the table, getting close enough that he could see the smattering of freckles on the stranger’s cheeks. He also noted, with a smug grin, that the other teenager was nearly a head shorter than him.

 “My name’s Varian,” the intruder said. “I was told that a guy named Hugo lives here, and that he can help me with travel papers-”

 “Ah- quiet!” Hugo hissed, “Do you want the guards knowing about all that?”

 Varian perked up, grinning slyly. “So you are Hugo, then?”

 “I- shit, yeah alright,” Hugo groaned, feeling a headache brewing. “I’m Hugo, but I can’t help you right now. I’m busy.”

 Varian’s face fell, before sinking into a pout. “You don’t understand,” he said, “I have to get to Vardaros, it’s important!”

 Hugo only shrugged, he didn’t have time for this, not with the search for someone to play their Varden. “Sorry, Sweetcheeks,” he bemoaned, smirking at the frustrated expression on Varian’s face at the nickname. “Got places to go, people to see.” He spun on his heel, walking back towards where he’d left Yong and Nuru.

 “Wait!” Varian ran after him, the shorter boy skidding to a stop between Hugo and the painting of the ex-royals. “Wait- please, I just need the travel papers, and I’ll be out of your hair!”

 His hood had fallen off in the scramble, hair wild as it escaped from under the hood. Hugo paused at the streak of blue cutting through the black like a slash of light through a midnight sky. His eyes moved from Varian’s frantic face and up to the painting behind him- specifically on the visage of the missing lord.

 Oh.

 Bingo.

 “That’s too bad,” Hugo shrugged, reaching into his pocket. “Because I’m busy looking for the lost lord, and these-” he pulled a set of four tickets out with a flourish, “Are for his royal highness, myself, and my companions, so that we can take him to his sister in Vardaros.”

 Varian’s eyes locked on the tickets. Hugo’s grin widened. Gotcha.

 “Of course, we haven’t found him yet- say you look a lot like Lord Varden yourself, don’t you?”

 Varian looked dumbstruck for a second. His hand was fiddling with a pendant around his neck, some weird circle looking thing, but Hugo could see the curiosity in his eyes. Now to lock it in.

 “What makes you say that?” Varian asked.

 The blond gestured towards the painting, stepping up beside Varian with a flourish. “Why, just look!” Hugo said. “You’re practically the spitting image. The hair, the eyes- I can practically see Lady Ulla’s nose!”

 Varian let out a loud laugh, crossing his arms as he too turned and looked the painting in the eye. Now that Hugo could see Varian and Varden side by side, he really could see the similarities in the face, hell even the stripe in his hair. He’d be perfect.

 “As if,” Varian scoffed. “I’m just… just some orphan. There’s nothing special about me, and I’m not some lost Lord.”

 “Who says you can’t be?” Hugo argued, his grin only widening as Varian began to look more and more nervous. “What, don’t you remember?”

 “I don’t," Varian muttered. “This is going to sound crazy; I was found when I was six, with no idea about who I was or where I came from. I was just wandering around the city by myself, the only thing I have left is this.”

 He held up the pendant, the gold catching the light. “I mean, sure,” Varian kept going, focusing intently on his painted twin. “Every lost little boy wants to think he’s a prince, that’s a given. But there’s no way I am who you think I am.”

 Hugo tapped at his chin, playing dumb. Time to give a little slack, he thought to himself, forcing his shoulders into a casual shrug.

 “Well, if you’re sure,” he said, once again walking away. Varian stayed in front of the painting this time, almost unable to move away from the image of the lost lord. Hugo slowed his pace, not looking back but mentally counting down as he got further away.

 Sure enough, a self-satisfied smirk crawled across his face as he heard hurried footsteps chasing after him.

 “Hugo!” Varian’s voice echoed through the abandoned ballroom, “Hugo, wait!”

 “Need something, Sweetcheeks?” Hugo asked as he turned around to face a nervous Varian.

 “Maybe- okay, do you really think that I might be the lost lord?” Varian fidgeted with his pendant again, biting his lip. “Because, I don’t remember my family, but I know they’re in Vardaros, and you said that the princess is in Vardaros, right, so maybe… maybe it’s not a coincidence?”

 Something smug settled in Hugo’s gut. The blond smiled, wrapping an arm around Varian’s shoulders. “I’m almost positive,” he assured the nervous boy. “In fact, think of it this way. Either you are Varden, in which case you find your family and all that garbage, or, if I’m wrong, you’re in the right place to start looking for them.”

 Varian’s face lit up at that, his hand finally dropping the necklace in favour of spinning out of Hugo’s grip.

 “I- okay!” He chirped, already outpacing Hugo. “Okay, yeah, let’s give it a try!”

 The blond watched him go, the younger of them already moving up the stairs and towards where Yong and Nuru were. Hugo smiled, something sneaky and smug at Varian’s retreating back, already planning out exactly how he was going to spin this. He focused on his new cohort with barely contained glee, already imagining the piles of gold Varian would fetch them from the Princess.

 It was because of that focus, that he completely missed a flash of bright fuchsia from up in the rafters of the old ballroom.

>>>><<<<

 They said that evil never slept, but it had certainly been dormant for some time. 

 She wasn’t sure exactly why she had been drawn back to consciousness after almost two decades. It had been some time since she had destroyed the joy of the Coronan princess once and for all. Sure, the princess had survived, but the wake of blood and suffering was more than enough to sate the bloodlust that had tied Zhan Tiri to the human realm.

 But now, she was awake again.

 Zhan Tiri was not a stupid creature, despite what that fool Demanitus had thought. She knew that something had gone wrong with her revenge on Corona for her to be brought back from the dredges between time and space. Conscious again in the swirling void of her realm, Zhan Tiri spurred back to life. When she opened her eyes she saw two figures, her loyal servants, standing by and waiting, just as they had been all those years ago.

 “Tromus,” she greeted, “Sugracha.”

 “Mistress,” they responded, dull and monotonous.

 “Something seems to be stirring, in Corona.” Zhan Tiri murmured, reaching forwards to the air in front of her. With a rip of her claw she tore a gaping wound in the universe, a fracture in space time that allowed her to see the results of her handiwork. A flicking purple portal stood in front of her, showing her glimpses of the human world.

 In this one, she could see the Coronan princess, slouched on a lounging chair, despondent as always. She looked near tears, fiddling with a small music box that Zhan Tiri knew she was unable to open.

 “The princess suffers,” Tromus purred, “As always.”

 Sugracha snickered, content with the result. The image in the portal flickered, switching to the burnt-out shell of Corona Castle. “And Corona is in ruin.” She cooed.

 Zhan Tiri clicked her tongue. The two of them snapped to attention. “We’re awake for a reason, my friends,” the demon murmured. “There’s something not right with our revenge.”

 She searched again, the feeling drawing her towards the interior of the castle. She waved a claw once more, switching the image. It was two young men, one blond, one raven with a blue streak-

 “Ah.” She cooed, “One of them managed to escape us, it seems.”

 For all Zhan Tiri was calm on the outside, on the interior she could feel the rage brewing. How dare that boy escape her, ruin her perfect revenge? The demon grit her teeth, toying with a wisp of magic in the air.

 “That won’t do.” Tromus’ accented voice drifted through the air. “We wanted all of them, save the princess.”

 “The boy will have to be dealt with.” Sugracha agreed. “Wouldn’t want him causing problems.”

 “Hm,” Zhan Tiri allowed a smile to split her face. In the portal, she could see the boy growing acquainted with a small group of other humans. He was the spitting image of his parents; it made the anger in her gnash its teeth like a starving beast. “It seems we have a little insect to squash.”

 Her head tilted towards Tromus, ram’s horns slicing at the swirling cosmos around them. “Tromus,” she said. He snapped to attention, ever the loyal soldier.

 “Yes, my lady?”

 “Take care of the pest, would you?”

 Tromus grinned, allowing himself the luxury of floating forwards in a showy bow, dipping at the waist.

 “Of course, my lady.”

>>>><<<<

 Varian watched the countryside slide by with fascinated eyes. The train was fast, speeding through the countryside at a breakneck pace. He’d never been on a train before, so the whole thing was novel enough to have kept his attention for the first few hours of the trip.

 Their train car rumbled along the tracks, the hissing of steam and whistling of engines faint enough that it wasn’t distracting. Varian bounced slightly in his seat, looking away from the windows and towards his new companions with a smile.

 Nuru and Yong sat across from him, the two of them taking up the bench. Nuru was quietly writing on a few sheets of loose-leaf paper, and a curious eye told Varian she was forging travel papers for them all in a crisp, blue ink. He winced at the legal implications, but still decided not to say anything.

 The door to their left opened, sliding over on its track. Varian looked to see Hugo standing there, brushing his coat off.

 “How are we looking, Nuru?” He asked, shuffling into the cabin. Yong refused to move his feet away, forcing Hugo to step over him. The blond grumbled, throwing himself down onto the seat next to Varian. The shorter boy let out an oomph, grunting as he was jostled.

 “Hey-“ Varian griped, shoving at Hugo. “Watch out!”

 “Oh, so sorry your highness,” Hugo muttered, “I’ll be sure to be more careful next time.”

 Varian grumbled, shoving at Hugo with a grunt. The blond responded by sticking his tongue out, to which the other teenager did the same.

 “Boys,” Nuru snapped. “I’m a little busy here, could we maybe act like adults while I work?”

 Varian sighed, rolling his eyes and slouching back into the bench. The frozen scenery of Corona continued to pass them by, blue eyes watching curiously at the world beyond. Ruddiger purred from his place in Varian’s lap, stretching contentedly when Varian scratched between his ears. Varian fiddled aimlessly with his pendant, letting his mind wander and missing how Hugo and Nuru began to frantically whisper to one another.

 Corona had once been beautiful, apparently, not that Varian could remember it. His fingers buried into Ruddiger’s fur, scratching away as the expanse of white sped on by. For a second he could have sworn he saw a flash of green light from nearby, moving around near the wheels below. Varian sat up straighter, trying to focus on it. What had-

  He was distracted as Hugo stood again, grabbing his bags from the overhead. Nuru was doing the same, as was Yong. Thoughts of the green light fled, especially when he saw how worried the others looked.

 “Are we moving?” Varian asked, arching a brow when Hugo nearly dropped his suitcase.

 “Yep,” Hugo replied. There was something stressed about his tone, but Varian didn’t bother to question it. Instead he stood as well, scooping up his meager shoulder bag and following the other tree as they left the cart.

 “Red,” Nuru muttered bitterly, “Why would they change to red, they’ve been blue forever-”

 Ah.

 Varian groaned, watching her crumple up the half-finished forgeries in clenching hands. “Oh,” he said, “Is that why we’re moving.”   

 Hugo scowled, tugging Yong along gently when the younger boy wasn’t moving fast enough. “It might be, Sweetcheeks,” he said, “We’ve got a plan, though.”

 Varian only scoffed, cocking a hip. “I gotta say, if I am royalty, then you’re not exactly giving me a lot of confidence here-”

 “Guys!” Yong whispered, holding a door open in front of them. “C’mon!”

 Hugo quietly pushed Varian ahead. The shorter of them went quietly, stepping into the cold of the new train car. They were close to the engine now, the noise of it loud in his ears and the rumbling much worse than it had been in the passenger cars. Around them were countless suitcases and bags, even the odd crate or two. Varian looked around apprehensively, clutching Ruddiger tightly.

 “Is… this the baggage compartment?” He asked, biting at his lip. “Are you sure they won’t find us here?”

 “Nope,” Hugo grinned, popping the p.  “But it’s the best we’ve got.”

 “I thought you said you had this all planned out,” Varian grumbled. His hand nervously went to his pendant, twiddling it between his fingers as he tried to stave off the cold. Hugo looked ready to smack him, but Yong distracted them both before anything else could brew.

 “Uh, guys?” He smushed his face against one of the windows of the compartment, looking towards the engine. “I think something’s not right.”

 The train rumbled again, a lurching, unnatural thing that sent all of them toppling to the wooden floor. Varian cried out as his elbow hit the floor first, a shock of pain running up the whole limb. Ruddiger hissed when Varian dropped him, but the boy didn’t have time to apologize before there was another loud bang, and his guts swooped out from under him as the train suddenly picked up a large amount of speed.

 “What the hell is going on?!” Hugo barked, stumbling to his feet. “Have they lost their goddamn minds?!”

 Nuru, standing as well, stared out the small window in the door they’d just entered from, her eyes wide and her skin nearly ashy from lack of blood. She turned to face the boys, and in a flat tone said: “We’ve lost the passenger cars.”

 “What?!” All three of the boys cried at once.

 Nuru didn’t reply, simply opening the door wide. Varian felt his heart sink at the sight of the Coronan wilderness beyond, the rest of the train having come free and was steadily being left a fair way down the track behind them.

 “Well, that can’t be good.” Hugo muttered, already going for the engine car instead. “We’ve got to see if we can stop this thing!”

 Varian was on his feet in an instant, following the blond as they reached the forward end of their car. Hugo ripped the door open, the wind rushing into the baggage car, screaming as it whipped past them. Varian trembled in the sudden cold, clinging tight as he forced his eyes open and stared at the engine. It was glowing a bright, noxious green. He felt his heart sink, watching as Hugo jumped the gap between the two cars. The blond moved to the engine, trying to find a way to stop themselves.

 “How’s it look?” Varian called over the wind, grimacing when Hugo spun around with a worried face.

 “Not-so-great!” The green-eyed man replied, hopping back over to the luggage cart. “It’s all ruined, there’s no way to stop it.”

 “Shit,” Varian gasped. He looked up ahead of them, into the far distance, where the silhouette of a crumbling bridge could be seen.

 A broken bridge.

 “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Varian breathed, reaching out blindly to pat at Hugo’s shoulder. Once he had the blond’s attention he wordlessly pointed to the shattered remains of the bridge, feeling his face drain of blood.

 “Hm,” Hugo grunted. “I can see that developing into a problem.”

 Varian nodded, lost in the shock as he refused to look away from the steadily approaching drop. Hugo dropped to his knees next to Varian, starting to tug at the connection keeping their car attached to the engine.

 “Goggles!” He barked, “Try and find me something I can use to wedge us apart!”

 Varian stuttered to life, turning back into the car with haste. Nuru and Yong were both scattered about, trying to find a way to slow them down. Nuru was throwing a series of weighted chains from the back door, the ends of them snagging on the tracks but not enough to slow down the car. Yong was working on something, a stick of what looked like dynamite held tight in his hands.

 Varian inhaled a quick breath, holding out a hand to Yong. “Can I borrow that?” He asked, his voice oddly calm despite the panic climbing higher in his throat.

 Yong looked up to Varian, then down to the dynamite in his hand. The younger boy looked confused for a second, but still handed it over. “Sure, I guess,” he chirped. “Just be careful!”

 Varian grinned, rushing back to where Hugo was still bashing at the connection with what looked like a screwdriver.

 “I hope you-“ bang, bang, “Found us a hammer, or a crowbar would be better, because this thing doesn’t want to move-“ bang, bang.

 Varian merely leaned over him, holding the dynamite in front of his glasses.

 “Oh,” Hugo said, going slightly cross-eyed as he focused on the explosive. “Yeah, that’ll do.”

 Varian smiled, stepping back as Hugo got to work. He rushed back to Yong and Nuru, waving at them.

 “Hold on to something!” He shouted, ducking behind a crate and pressing his back against it. He caught sight of Nuru grabbing Yong by the hand and dragging him behind another crate before his vision was taken up by green fabric. Hugo slammed into the crate next to Varian, breathing heavily from running to the back of the car, and pressing hard against the wood.

 “Brace!” The taller boy shouted, slamming his hands over his ears. Varian copied him, only just in time before the whole car rattled with a sharp force. He felt a small pain as he bit his own tongue, his body rattling down to the bone with the force of it.

 Varian tasted copper.

 But as quickly as it started, the shaking ended. Varian cracked his eye open and let himself breathe at the sight of slowing trees. He peeked around the crate, eyes widening when he saw the front half of their car totally destroyed, small fires racing up the sides of it. In the far distance, he could see the engine car speeding towards the bridge, getting dangerously close.

 Their car trundled to a stop at last, unable to keep up momentum without the engine car to pull it. Varian saw the engine car hit the bridge in the far distance, before finally shooting off the broken track and into the gorge below. Hugo stood next to him, the two of them watching the massive engine go plummeting over the side only a half-mile away. There was a second of terrible silence, before another explosion rocked the earth, a plume of black smoke starting to rise from the gorge.

 Varian stumbled back, only to be settled by a hand on his upper arm. He leaned into Hugo’s touch, watching the smoke rise in the distance.

 “Well.” Blue eyes focused on the smoke as Varian crossed his arms. “That was fun.”

 Hugo’s hand didn’t move off his arm, but Varian didn’t shove it away.

 “What did they teach you in your orphanage?” Hugo finally asked, “Because whatever it was, it’s very different from mine.”

 And with that, the moment snapped in half.

 Varian scoffed, shoving at Hugo’s hand and spinning on his heel. He walked back into the car, already moving to help Nuru up off the floor. “A thank you wouldn’t hurt!” He called, unaware of how Hugo’s eyes followed him as he left.

 And, oddly enough, unaware of the blush that scattered across Hugo’s cheeks.

>>>><<<<

 “If you’re going to convince them to meet with you, you’ll need some formal training.” Nuru said, tapping at her chin.

 Varian looked up from the book he’d been reading, an eyebrow arched. “I don’t know,” he said with apprehension, “I don’t think I have the disposition for the royal way of doing things.” He snorted at the thought, turning back to his book, only to have it gently taken from his hands.

 “Hey-”

 Nuru didn’t seem phased, shutting the book with a snap. “If you have no training, they won’t even let you meet with the prince-consort, let alone agree to see the princess.” Her smile was sharp, obviously delighting in being the one in charge. Varian paused, mulling it over.

 “I… I guess that’s fair.” He said, biting at his lip. One of his hands went again to the pendant, tugging at the chain. “But I don’t even know where to start.”

 Nuru’s grin got wider, her arms going behind her back.

 “Welcome to royalty boot camp,” she said, “I’ll be your guide.”

 Varian laughed, allowing her to take his hand. She pulled him to his feet, settling her hands on her hips as she appraised him. Seeming to find what she was looking for, her face split into a warm grin.

 “Now,” she began, “You were born in a palace by the sea…”

 The next few days were a whirlwind of rules- Varian felt his head spin with every new piece of information, each new rule, but he did his best to keep everything straight.

 Back straight, head up-

 When addressing a count you will call them-

 Your sixth great-uncle was named Ivan-

 It was a flurry of names and history, but it never was too much. Somehow it felt less like learning something new and more like re-building a puzzle- like the pieces had always been there, but only now the image was starting to come through. Varian tried not to dwell on it, grateful for the fact that the information at least was easy to learn.

 The trip was tiring, but worth it as they slowly hiked their way towards the coast. Hugo had told him that they’d reach the coast in the next day, and then it would be a simple boat ride to reach Vardaros. Varian could feel the excitement settle in his bones, the promise of finally reaching the place he’d been aiming for after all these years.

 And, to be honest all the trivia was kind of fun, too

 “And remember to mention that your second cousin, Elbert, would invite you and your father to his estate for a few weeks every summer.” Nuru told him as they all sat upon a large carriage. It trundled down a dirt path, slowly but surely getting closer to their destination. The costal city around them was buzzing with people, the air warm and smelling of salt.

 “Oh, yeah.” Varian said, tapping at his chin. “Didn’t he have an orange cat? I think it was really fat, right?”

 Nuru paused, glancing at Hugo. The blond looked stricken, blinking. Nuru shrugged, and then turned back to Varian.

 “That’s right,” she chirped, before leaning over to Hugo. “Did you teach him that?” She whispered, “Because I didn’t.”

 “I thought you did,” Hugo replied, the two of them staring at each other with a small shock. There was no way… right?

 “Oh!” Varian’s voice cut through their confusion. “Guys, look, it’s the port!”

 Sure enough, their carriage had pulled into the port properly. It was busy out, as expected, but Varian couldn’t help but be excited as they stepped off the carriage and onto the cobblestones. Hugo tugged him along by the elbow, dragging Varian behind him as he walked further into the port.

 “Where’s the boat?” Hugo asked Nuru, who only shrugged.

 “I think it’s this way,” she replied, heading off into the crowd. Yong followed her, used to keeping himself from getting lost in big crowds. It seemed Varian didn’t have that skillset yet, as he was forced to keep close to Hugo so he wouldn’t get lost. The blond didn’t seem phased at the close contact, instead leisurely throwing an arm around Varian’s shoulders.

 Eventually Nuru found the ship, a massive, metal steamboat made for forcing its way up the lakes and rivers leading to Vardaros. Varian had never seen such a huge boat, his eyes went wide at the sight of it. Hugo and the others seemed unphased, simply walking up the gangplank like they owned the place.

 “Gotta pretend to belong,” Hugo had told him once, “Or else everyone will see you for exactly what you are.”

 The ship gently rolled beneath his feet, the wood of the decking polished and clean despite being old. Varian leaned back a little, taking in the sun on his skin. Corona had been cold since the fall of the royal family, to feel the sun like this was a rarity these days. He leaned against the railing of the ship, letting the warmth sink deep-

“Ey, Sweetcheeks!”

 Oh, Hugo.

 Varian opened one eye, tilting his head to look as the blond approached. He had something tucked under his arm, tied together with string in a little bow. Hugo had a grin across his face, one that only widened when Varian opened his other eye and focused on him.

 “I got you a little something the other day,” Hugo said, holding out the bundle. It looked like it was made of teal fabric, a jacket maybe? Varian blinked, holding out his hands wordlessly as Hugo shoved the present at him.

 “I- thank you?” He said, the words coming out more as a question than something grateful. Hugo’s smile cracked into a smirk, worming across his face.

 “Well,” he said, “You can’t exactly meet her majesty looking like the common rabble, can you?”

 Varian laughed, holding the present closer to him. “Okay, moment’s ruined,” he snickered, “Thank you, Hugo.”

 He tried to ignore how Hugo lit up at the praise, the faintest smattering of a blush crossing his pale skin. Varian felt his own face rush with red, and he quickly pushed himself off the railing and held the gift close.

 “I’m going to go try it on,” he said, bolting for the cabins. He hoped that Hugo hadn’t seen him getting flustered, but as he changed, he couldn’t help but blush harder. Varian caught his reflection in the mirror, biting his lip at the sight of a teal vest, dark pants, and a billowing white shirt. He’d never owned anything so nice before, let alone something that looked so nice on… him. Varian turned away from the mirror, coughing to cover up how flustered he felt. He quickly left the cabin, returning to the deck.

 He caught sight of Nuru and Yong, the two of them laughing as they spun together. There was a small quartet of men with instruments, other passengers Varian would assume, playing a jovial tune. He laughed as Nuru and Yong went spinning past him, jumping back to avoid their path. Varian clapped along to the beat of the music, watching the dancers with a large grin.

 He felt a presence sidle up next to him, and looked over to see Hugo. The blond was avoiding his eye, leaning against the railing. Varian arched a brow, quickly putting the pieces together. His face split into a wry grin, grabbing one of Hugo’s hands.

 “Dance with me!” He said, tugging Hugo along into the circle. Green eyes went wide, Hugo putting up a bit of a fight but nowhere near as much of one that Varian knew he could. Hugo eventually went along with it, placing his hands onto Varian’s waist and following as the other dancers spun in a circle. Varian smiled, tossing his arms around Hugo’s neck and letting himself be led.

 The music slowed a little, the beat turning into more of a waltz. Hugo rolled his eyes, but Varian noted how his hands never left Varian’s waist.

 “Okay, Sweetcheeks,” he said, “Just gotta make a box- yeah, see, you get it. We’ll make a dancer of you yet.”

 Varian pouted, taking the chance to accidentally step on Hugo’s foot. The blond winced, his face squishing in mild pain. Varian snickered, biting at his lip as Hugo playfully glared back.

 “Haha,” he griped, “You must think you’re very funny.”

 Varian laughed, nodding. “I’m hilarious,” he said, “It’s not my fault you just can’t see it.”

 They continued to bicker back and forth, slowly drawing closer until they were only inches apart. Neither noticed that the other dancers had stopped, and that the music had drifted away until it was only a single violin player left. Their world had narrowed down to each other, the quiet sass and laughter they shared.

 Nuru, nearby, smiled knowingly as she gently pushed Yong downstairs, leaving them alone.

 Boys, honestly.

>>>><<<<

 Hugo woke up to the sound of Ruddiger clawing at something.

 “C’mon,” he groaned, “Can’t you just wait until the morning, you stupid trash panda?”

 He kept his eyes screwed tight, throwing an arm over them for good measure. He’d opted to take the floor for the night, leaving Nuru and Yong to split one bunk in their room and Varian to take the last bed, so his back was killing. Now, the stupid raccoon wanted to play, and he had just gotten to sleep-

 Ruddiger kept pawing at the door, chattering up a storm. Hugo nearly snapped, quickly losing patience.

 “What do you want, you little gremlin?!” He hissed, throwing his arm away from his face and sitting up dramatically to glare at the raccoon. Ruddiger didn’t even look at him, clawing at the wood of their door like he was trying to burrow through it. Rain pattered at the porthole window nearby, the occasional flash of lightning flickering through the room. Hugo grumbled at the sound of rolling thunder, but slowly woke up as Ruddiger continued to panic.

 “Hey,” Hugo said, caution taking over at the sight of the frantic animal. “Hey, ringtail, what’s wrong?”

 He rolled over a bit, quietly getting to his feet and shuddering at the cold on his toes. He looked around the dark cabin, trying to see if anything was out of place. Yong and Nuru were fast asleep, Yong curled up on his side and Nuru splayed out like a gangly starfish, and all the bags were still there so-

 Wait.

 “Where’s Varian?” Hugo hissed into the darkness. Green eyes focused on the empty bed next to him, widening when he also saw that Varian’s boots had been left behind.

 The ship gave a sickening roll under him, the floor groaning under the force of the rushing waves. Hugo felt his guts swoop out from under him, but managed to keep his footing as he headed for the door. The second he opened it, the raccoon was bolting out into the hallway, long gone by the time Hugo himself got out of the room.

 “Goddamn it,” he muttered, “It’s too early for this shit, I swear.”

 He quickly walked down the hallways, looking for Varian. The longer it took to catch sight of him, the more stressed Hugo became. Soon enough the blond was sprinting down the length of the ship, calling for the shorter voice with something near panic. He’d searched the whole ship, all that was left was…

 “The deck,” Hugo breathed in horror.

 He bolted for the main door, stumbling up the stairs and onto the main deck of the large ship. The storm was only getting worse, the wind rushing around him and nearly sending him toppling onto the soaked deck. Hugo’s hair plastered itself to his head, the rain coated his glasses and made it impossible to see.

 “Goggles?” He yelled over the pounding surf, “Varian?”

 He scanned the deck again, squinting against the rain-

 There.

 Precariously close to the edge was Varian, drunkenly stumbling along the deck. Hugo was moving before he could even think of anything else, his bare feet slapping against the wooden planks.

 “Varian, stop!” He screamed, rushing forwards.

 Varian didn’t even flinch at the scream, instead opting to slowly lurch towards the guardrail. Hugo felt a sense of terror climb higher in his chest, even as he ran. If Varian pitched over the edge, he was surely done for, in a storm like this being in the open water was a death sentence. Varian kept walking, eventually clambering up a set of crates to perch himself on top of the guardrail, a hand holding onto a nearby line the only thing keeping him from toppling over the edge and into the raging water below.

 Hugo screamed again, something wordless and nearly feral as he sprinted forward, reaching a hand out towards the other teenager. Varian swayed dangerously, his bare feet almost half off the railing, a thin hand lifting up into the air like he was reaching for someone.

 Hugo panted as he drew close, his feet skidding as he tried to slow down before he hit Varian and sent them both over the edge. He slipped, landing hard on his side with a shout. Hugo scrambled up to his feet again, reaching out and grabbing Varian around the waist with both arms, pulling him off the railing and onto the boat properly. Varian fought him with sleepy, lazy throws of his limbs. Hugo noted with shock that his eyes were totally closed, had he really been sleepwalking?

 “Lemme… let go!” Varian mumbled, struggling without any real force behind it. Hugo kept his grip easily, backing them off the edge and towards a safer area, the rain still coming down around them could easily send them off the edge if they weren’t careful.

 “Sweetcheeks!” Hugo called again, shaking Varian gently, “You’ve gotta wake up, c’mon!”

 Varian’s freckled cheeks shone from rain and tears, his face scrunched up in fear. Hugo shook him again, letting go of his waist to grab at his shoulders.

 “Varian!” He shouted louder, getting closer to the shorter boy’s face.

 Varian’s eyes snapped open, scaring the hell out of Hugo, the shorter boy gasping like he was coming up from underwater. He looked terrified, small hands coming up and smacking at Hugo’s chest with a little more force than he’d had before.

 “What?” Varian gasped between breaths, “Where- Hugo?!”

 “Oh, thank god.” Hugo gasped, allowing the panic in his chance to finally settle. Varian shook in his grip, violent tremors that took his whole body. The shorter boy looked close to tears. Varian suddenly fell forward, still on his feet but he was leaning his entire body into Hugo’s chest, hands that had been slapping at him gripping his sleepshirt tightly.

 “Hugo.” Varian gasped into the blond’s chest, “I was so scared- I- I saw-”

 Hugo paused, unsure of what to do, before slowly wrapping his arms around Varian and pulling him into a hug. “You’re okay,” he whispered into Varian’s hair, “It’s okay, it’s over now. You’re safe.”

 “I’m not!” Small hands tightened their grip on Hugo’s sleep shirt. “I keep seeing faces- I’m not, I saw a demon, and she said she was going to… to…”

 “It was a nightmare.” Hugo soothed. “It’s okay. Let’s get you below deck, out of the rain.”

 Varian’s hands slowly let go, inching around so that he was hugging Hugo properly. The taller boy held him close, unwilling to let go. “You’re safe,” he murmured again, unsure if he was soothing Varian or himself. The rain continued to pelt them, washing away the fear with the feeling of Varian in his arms, warm and still breathing.

 In the depth of the universe, the space between life and death, the demon Zhan Tiri snarled.

 Sugracha had failed. It was time for her to deal with this herself.

>>>><<<<

 Varian’s leg was bouncing.

 He nervously tugged at his pendant, waiting with the others inside of a grand chateau. Upon arrival to Vardaros he’d been pulled along by Nuru to the richer part of the city, a sprawling neighborhood of mansions with perfectly trimmed hedges and beautifully painted trim.

 Varian had never felt so out of place before.

 They’d stopped at the home of a woman named Willow, an eccentric woman in her early forties, who was apparently the princess’s aunt. She was nice enough, having shouted upon seeing Nuru and wrapped the girl up in a tight hug. She’d brought them into her home, directed them to a sitting room. So now they were here.

 And Varian’s leg wouldn’t stop bouncing.

 The room around them was lavish, large paintings and brushed gold. Varian felt under dressed, even in his new clothes. He was exhausted, having stayed awake with nerves the night before. They still refused to leave, the fear cloying as he tried to force it down like a bad pill. Hugo was sitting next to him, stoic and stable. Varian found himself twitching again, unable to stop himself from shaking-

 Hugo’s hand slipped into his own.

 “You’ve got this.” The blond whispered, “It’s okay.”

 Varian nodded, taking a deep breath. He squeezed Hugo’s hand, grateful for the assurance. He managed to get a handle on the shaking, letting his leg finally settle. Nuru and Yong, sitting on a different couch nearby, let out a sigh of relief as he calmed.

 “Who wants tea?” Willow called, entering the room with a tray in her hands. Varian caught sight of a teapot and cups, but felt sick. He was sure if he tried to eat or drink, he’d surely lose his nerves and his stomach.

 Varian breathed deeply as Nuru took a teacup from Willow. She caught Hugo’s eye, nodding when he gestured with his chin to her.

 “Miss Willow,” Nuru said softly, “I think we found him.”

 Willow paused, stopping where she had been pouring tea. “I see,” she said. Her voice had dropped a few degrees. Varian tensed, only calming when Hugo squeezed his hand again. Willow’s eyes focused on Varian, appraising. She gestured for him to stand, her lips pursing.

 “Well, you certainly look like little Varden,” she said. “The stripe is hard for some people to fake, though not impossible.”

 “It’s not fake,” Varian mumbled. He tugged on the stripe self consciously, feeling uneasy under her glare. “I was born with it.”

 Willow smiled, finishing pouring Yong’s tea.

 “Alright then,” she said. “We’ll start easy. Where were you born?”

 It went like that for hours, a series of questions that got more and more specific as the time dragged by. Varian answered each one as best he could, stumbling over his words and constantly tugging at his necklace. Willow wasn’t unkind, but she had the air of a woman who had seen too many fakes.

 The sun was nearly low in the sky by the time Willow was done. Varian felt exhausted, wrung out and tired in a way that was bone deep. Willow had kept the tea flowing and the biscuits piled, but even Nuru and Yong were obviously worn out. They all slouched into their seats, blinking away the light from the setting sun. Hugo had held his hand the whole time.

 “I just have one more question,” Willow finally said. Varian perked up at the thought of an end to the interrogation, sitting straighter.

 Willow pursed her lips, eyes narrowing.

 “How did you escape the raids?” She finally asked, settling back in her seat.

 Hugo tensed. They hadn’t told him that-

 “I…” Varian paused, biting at his lip. “There was… a door, I think? A little one, in a wall. A boy took us through it- but that’s stupid.” Varian cut himself off, shaking his head with a laugh. “Little doors, sorry. I don’t know what I’m saying,”

 He didn’t even notice Hugo’s face go ghostly white next to him, too caught up in his own musing. Willow smiled, nodding.

 “Well,” she finally said, “You answered all the questions correctly-” They all breathed a sigh of relief, “-but I’m afraid my niece isn’t seeing any more potential Vardens. She’s had her heart broken enough times.”

 Varian’s heart sank, the anxiety creeping back in. “I- please!” He cried, “We’ve come all this way, please, she might be the only family I have-”

 Willow sighed, rubbing at her temples. “I can’t take you to her,” the woman finally said, “But, I can say that she’ll be at the Vardaros Opera, tonight. If you were to drop by, I might be able to get you to her.”

 Varian smiled wide, his eyes swimming with tears. “Thank you,” he said quietly, hoping he could impart even just a little of the gratefulness he felt in the words. From the way Willow smiled, it must have worked, as her own face split into a grin.

 “If you are him,” she said, “It’s worth a try. Besides, now we have an excuse to go do something fun!”

 “Something fun?” Yong’s voice piped up, muffled through a mouthful of biscuits. Willow smiled, cracking her knuckles. Varian tensed at the sly look on her face.

 “Shopping.” She declared.

 Oh, dear.

>>>><<<<

 Hugo grit his teeth against the blowing wind, huddling deeper into his coat. The grand entrance to the opera was cold in the evening, large stone steps doing nothing but leeching the warmth from his body. He grumbled to himself, slouching in place as he sat on the stoop. He curled tighter, as if he could shove the bitter feelings down.

 Hugo scowled, picking at the grout between the large stones. The feeling of misery had been settling in his gut ever since Willow had finished quizzing Varian, a festering, horrible thing. It was a dread that had taken him for the whole evening, the blond unable to enjoy the last of his time with Varian before-

 Before he lost him.

 Hugo scowled again, flicking a rock. Varian was the missing lord. A fact that had been festering in his mind for hours. He had been the boy who had saved the real Varden- he had saved Varian, when they were children- he’d been the boy in the wall. Varian was Varden, clear as day. He looked like the missing boy because he was.

 The festering misery only grew worse, digging its claws deeper. Varian was royalty, was one of the heirs to a kingdom- and here was Hugo, with a stupid little infatuation with him. Even if he’d had a shot before- which he didn’t, not with Varian, who was good and kind and pure in a way that was too good for Hugo- he certainly didn’t now. Not with the status Varian finding his family would bring him. Not with a relation like the princess. Varian would surely have his pick of rich, handsome bachelors; Hugo didn’t have a snowflake’s chance in hell when compared to them.

 So yes. Yes, he was bitter, but not against Varian. Never against Varian- Hugo wouldn’t blame Varian for passing him by once someone who would give him what he deserved came along. How could he? Varian deserved the best and brightest, so that was what he’d get.

 And Hugo just wasn’t a contender.

 He felt his face twist into a scowl, picking up a nearby stone to fiddle with. He’d had one last good day with Varian, one more day to watch him smile and laugh, to see him happy. It had been like heaven, seeing the sun shining off those baby blue eyes; Hugo had tried to bask his fill before he’d lose Varian for good. It hurt, knowing his time with Varian was being cut, that he wouldn’t ever be able to pursue the feelings that had burrowed in his chest-

 “Hugo?”

 The blond startled, his thoughts breaking off at the call of his name. He dropped the stone, twisting in his spot to see Varian, wrapped up in his oversized coat.

 “Are you okay?” The younger boy asked, arching a brow. Hugo smiled, standing quickly. He brushed himself off, forcing his face into a smirk.

 “Of course, Sweetcheeks,” he said. “What, worried about little ol’ me?”

 Varian scoffed, but even Hugo could hear the fondness in it. “I just don’t want to be late.” He said, turning and walking towards the opera doors without looking back. Hugo followed without complaint, ditching his coat at one of the checks before trying to find Varian in the crowd again. He never did see what Varian had picked out to wear, he’d been too busy trying to keep Yong on task at the time, so Hugo had no idea what he was even looking for…

 But oh, when he saw it.

 Green eyes caught the flash of blue first, Varian’s blue streak popping out in the sea of black suits. He’d gotten rid of the ugly overcoat, leaving him in a well tailored, form fitting suit made of dark navy material. His shirt was a pressed white, with a blue tie that matched his eyes perfectly-

 Hugo felt his heart thump.

 Varian was looking around nervously, playing with the necklace he never took off. When he caught sight of Hugo, his face split into a large grin, waving awkwardly. Varian carefully picked his way through the crowd, awkwardly shuffling past people until he finally stood in front of Hugo with a small grin.

 “I couldn’t find you,” he laughed, “I thought you'd gotten lost!”

 Hugo was dumbstruck, unable to focus. His tongue felt weighted, his eyes drawn to Varian’s face and unable to look away. The shorter boy looked at him with an expectant face, waiting for him to reply- oh shit, he had to reply.

 “You… you look really nice.” Hugo choked out, awkwardly stumbling over the words. Varian blinked, a small blush sparking across his face at the compliment.

 “I-” he stuttered, “Thank you. You do too.”

 It was a strange moment between them, something fragile but important, a tie in the space between that kept them both rooted to the spot. The buzz of the crowds filtered away, the world narrowing down to just them. Hugo knew that this was it- his last shot, the last chance he’d get to tell Varian how he felt, after this it was over. All it would take is for him to spit it out, to say I think I love you, to just try.

 “I… we should get to our seats,” he said.

 Varian smiled, allowing Hugo to lead him by the arm into the auditorium. Hugo swallowed the regret, the pain, and forced his face into a smile. Varian deserved the world, and the world was what he’d get.

 The opera was boring. Hugo wasn’t usually one for musical theatre, so he mostly ended up watching as Varian nervously tore his playbill to shreds in his lap. Eventually he’d taken Varian by the hand, leaning over and whispering in his ear.

 “It’ll be okay,” he murmured over the singing, “You’ll be fine.”

 The way Varian smiled at him was more than enough for Hugo. He forced himself to commit it to memory, to save the feeling for later, once the ghosts were all he had left.

 At intermission they made their way to the upper balconies, meeting Willow in the main hallway.

 “You made it, good!” The woman said, clapping her hand. “Hugo, you go first. Introduce yourself, tell her you found him. She’s had a bad day today, you’ll need to be delicate.”

 “Sure, delicate,” Hugo muttered, “I can do that.”

 He slipped into the booth through a curtain, only just catching sight of Varian’s worried gaze as he did so. The booth was large, lavish and opulent. Hugo quietly marveled at the plush carpet under his shoes, the soundless way he moved through the space. Curtains hung from every wall, gold leaf and delicate paintings covered any surface not coated in a thick velvet.

 And there, sitting on one of the large, wingback chairs, was the princess herself.

 Rapunzel was radiant, her long, blonde hair spilling out behind her. Her purple dress was beautiful, a layered skirt and tight top accenting her form. Green eyes looked out numbly towards the crowd. When Hugo looked closely, he could see where thick makeup covered deep bruises caused by sleepless nights. Rapunzel, for all she was the essence of grace and beauty, had an air of sorrow around her that refused to leave.

 Hugo stepped forwards, trying to be calm. For Varian.

 “Your majesty,” he began.

 Rapunzel turned to look at him, her gaze boring into him. Two pairs of green eyes locked onto each other, Rapunzel’s face scrunching up in confusion.

 “Hello?” She said, obviously puzzled as to why he was here. “Can I help you?”

 “You can,” he replied. Hugo inched closer, kneeling next to her chair. “I’ve travelled here from Corona, I have someone that I think you’d really want to meet. His name’s Varian-”

 “Ah,” her face crumpled in obvious misery. “Another man chasing after the reward money, huh?”

 “No!” Shit, he’d been afraid of this, “No, ma’am really, I think that I’ve really found him. I used to work at the palace, I was the serving boy that got the two of you out-”

 Rapunzel’s eyes flashed in recognition, but her face remained sad. “Everyone who ever worked at the palace has put their Varden’s forward to me.” Her tone was bitter, exhausted. “And I’m done. I’m sorry, but I won’t be seeing anyone else about the reward. My brother is dead. I can’t keep trying to find him when he obviously has left us. Please, leave me to my mourning.”

 Hugo stuttered, flinching when he felt hands on his shoulders. A security guard started to tug him backward, but he refused, shoving himself toward the princess.

 “No, you have to listen!” He cried, grabbing her by the shoulders. Rapunzel seemed shocked, blinking at him, but he shook her gently. “You have to meet him, he remembers you, please, just give him a chance!”

 Rapunzel’s face crumpled. “My brother is dead,” she snapped.

 And that was the end of it.

 Hugo was wrenched out of the booth by the security guard, the blond shouting as he was pulled away from the princess. In what felt like a split second he was thrown into the hallway, landing with an oomph on the carpet. He got his hands under him, pushing himself up to see a pair of black shoes.

 He looked up, seeing Varian near tears. Hugo shoved himself off the floor, drawing close.

 “It was all a lie, wasn’t it?” Varian asked, his tone dangerous. He sounded furious. He sounded devastated.

 “No,” Hugo tried to touch his arms, but Varian pulled away, “No, no, it’s not like that, I swear-”

 “I was just part of your con?” Varian’s whole body shrank into itself, the hurt in his voice clear. “Just a trick to get her money?”

 “No,” Hugo repeated, desperately trying to get his point across, “No- okay it might have started that way, but it’s different now!”

 Varian turned away, the shock clear on his face as he started to leave. Hugo rushed in front of him, cutting his access to the stairs off. “You are Varden,” Hugo gasped, flinching when Varian’s eyes went cold.

 “Will you stop it?” The shorter boy hissed, shoving at Hugo’s chest. “From the moment this whole thing began you were lying to me, and I was stupid enough to believe you!” He let out a groan of frustration, clenching his fists in the air. Varian’s tone had gone from pained to furious, the air around him dropping a good few degrees.

 “Varian, please, just listen to me-”

 “No!” Varian snapped, “I’m sick of listening to you! Can’t you just leave me alone?” He tried to shove past Hugo, going for the stairs, but the blond caught him by the arm. Varian paused, his face darkening in a scowl as he twisted around and-

 SLAP.

 People in the crowd gasped, watching as Varian yanked his arm out of Hugo’s grip. The blond paused, eyes wide as he brought a hand up to feel his stinging cheek. The shock was immense, nearly enough to quell the ache that had sprung from the hit, but not quite.

 Varian disappeared down the stairs, vanishing into the stunned crowd. Hugo took a second to breathe, to pull his raging emotions back into check, to just panic, before launching himself into the crowd. He pushed past people roughly, uncaring as they whined at his lack of manners.

 Varian, where’s Varian? His mind had narrowed down to one focus, one mission. He couldn’t the stripe of blue anywhere, the other boy having well and truly disappeared. Hugo ended up outside the opera, standing in the misty evening and looking around frantically for his missing friend. It was nearly abandoned outside, the streets quiet.

 Hugo panted as he searched, the devastation slowly sinking into him. He’d screwed up, horribly. He had to make it right, had to apologize, had to-

 Shit, what did he even do now?

 Hugo’s breaths came faster, him having to force air into his aching lungs. Varian must hate him, must think he’s horrible. But Varian was Varden, was the missing lord, this was his chance to get Varian to his family. If Hugo failed now, it was over, for all of them.

 He spun around, trying to catch sight of Varian, but still only saw empty cobblestone streets. A carriage was nearby, the driver waiting nearby as-

 Rapunzel.

 The princess was getting into her carriage, her face molded into a blank slate. Hugo paused, thinking hard- he could get executed for this… but Varian deserved to be with his family, regardless of if Hugo were a part of the picture.

 With that thought in mind, he stalked forward, and got into the driver side of the carriage.

>>>><<<<

 Varian scrubbed at his face roughly, chewing the inside of his cheek to stave off the tears.

 He roughly chucked more of his things into his suitcase, uncaring as to how they fell. His vision swam with bitter tears, eyes burning against the salt.

 Gods, he was so stupid, how could he ever think Hugo would ever be anything other than a dirty, lying cheat-

 Varian slammed his suitcase shut. Ruddiger whined from his place on the bed, the raccoon obviously picking up on Varian’s sour mood. He sighed, reaching out a gentle hand for the animal. Ruddiger chittered, pressing into the touch. Varian blinked away the tears, only to scowl when new ones took their place.

 “Sorry, bud,” he sniffed. “This was stupid of me to drag you all the way here. We’re going home.”

 He heard the door creak behind him. Varian scowled, turning and expecting to see Hugo. He was surprised, then, when he saw a young woman standing in the room with him. She was beautiful, but her face was horribly sad. Her blond hair was frazzled, her dress stained with mud, but her stance was still one of immense power.

 “Y-your majesty,” Varian stuttered. Rapunzel only smiled, taking a seat on the bench of a nearby vanity.

 “So you’re the next Varden, then?” She asked him. Her gaze was expectant, judging.

 Tired.

 “I… I just want to know who I am.” He replied. It was painful, to bare his soul to a woman who was effectively a stranger, but if this was his chance… he’d still take it. “I want to know if I belong to a family. Your family.”

 Rapunzel paused smiling softly. “You’re a very good actor,” she said. “The best yet, in fact. But I think I’m ready to let my brother go.”

 He took a seat next to her, slouching. He’d been hopeful, that much was true, but he couldn’t blame her heart for being broken one too many times. He took a steadying breath through his nose, but paused when he smelt something particular.

 “Is that… paint?” He asked. “Or lavender?”

 “Both,” Rapuzel shrugged. “It’s a special type I order from Pincoasta. Gets the colour just right-”

 “I… didn’t I try to make you a bottle?” He asked, rubbing at his temples with a hand. His head was killing- “But I spilt the oil, on your mother’s favorite carpet. And it reeked of lavender from then on.”

 The princess paused, sitting back down on the bench. “I- yes,” she said, her eyes wide. “Yes, that’s exactly what happened. How did you know that?”

 “I don’t- I don’t know,” Varian stuttered. “I was found with no memories at about six years old. I get… I don’t know, flashes or whatever you’d like to call them. They’re always random, but it’ll be things like smells, tastes… or faces, that bring a memory up.”

 The princess looked at him with that same calculating expression before her eyes trained down to the chain around his neck. “What’s that?” She asked quietly, gesturing to the necklace.

 Varian looked down at it as well, a blush working across his face. “Oh,” he mumbled. “It was something I was found with. It was my clue for trying to come here.”

 Rapunzel looked shell shocked, green eyes blown wide as he took the necklace off and handed it to her. “I… I got him a present,” she told Varian. “Before my parents and I were to go on a trip. So he’d remember me while we were gone.” Her eyes filled with tears at the sight of the pendant, a few trailing down her freckled cheeks. With a small movement she pulled out her bag, drawing out a small, porcelain box. Varian gasped at the sight of it, holding his hand out. She tipped it and the necklace into his palm, crying harder as he inspected it.

 “The music box,” he mumbled, “I remember this. It was so I wouldn’t miss you as much, and it would sing me to sleep.”

 He began to hum to himself as he slotted the pendant into the premade slot, gently turning the crank within. Rapunzel let out a wet gasp as she recognized the tune, the woman blinking away tears as the music box opened. The tiny automaton began its dance, the music trilling through the quiet room.

 ““Soon you'll be, home with me,” She sang to the tune. Varian’s voice floated along with hers, “Once upon a December.”

 Rapunzel fully let out a sob, Varian following along as their eyes met. Without any more hesitation she lunged forward, wrapping him up in a hug. His hands found their way to her back, clinging tight.

 “Varden,” she sobbed, “I thought you were dead-”

 “It’s- heh, it’s Varian,” he giggled out through the tears. “And I didn’t even know I was lost.”  

 Rapunzel held him tighter, laughing into his hair.

 Neither of them saw how, standing on the sidewalk down below, Hugo stood looking up at the window. He held himself high, an honest smile gracing his face. He brought his fingers up to his lips, gently kissing them before raising his hand in a palm up gesture towards the window. He paused for only a second more, coat in hand, before turning and leaving the mansion behind.

 With this, he would have to be content.

>>>><<<<

 Varian bit at his lip, reaching towards his neck. His hand touched air, and he felt a small sinking in his stomach when he realized that he’d left his necklace behind. He let his hand drop, instead picking at his fingers. He hid behind the curtain in front of him, staring out into the massive ballroom beyond, one even more grand than the ones in his recently unlocked memories. He bit at his lip, watching the elites mill about together. He felt out of place already, trussed up in a suit fancier than anything he’d even seen before; the nerves were going to eat him alive.

 “Vard- Varian?” Rapunzel’s voice cut through the anxiety. Varian paused, looking to her with a forced smile. She laughed at his expression, reaching up to gently fix the circlet on his head. He was thankful she was willing to use his second name- after being Varian for so long, he didn’t really want to switch back.

 “Rapunzel,” he greeted, letting his face fall a little. She kept her smile, cupping his cheek.

 “Are you okay?” She asked him. She pushed his hair away from his face, cocking her head.

 “I’m fine,” he lied. There was a pause as she stared him down, the boy quickly breaking. “I was just looking for someone.”

 Rapunzel paused, turning away from him to look out to the party. “He’s not there,” she said sadly, “Though I wish he was. He’s a remarkable young man.”

 “Oh, I’m sure he’s fine,” Varian said, only a little sour, “He’s probably off spending his reward money as quickly as he can.”

 Rapunzel sighed. She gestured towards the guests again, tilting her head. “This is the world we were born into,” she said, her hand waving gracefully. “You were born for riches, gold and diamonds, princes and lords. But is that really what you want?”

 Varian backed away, letting the curtain fall shut. “Of course it is!” He tried to defend, refusing to meet Rapunzel’s eye. “Of course, I found what I was looking for, didn’t I? I found out who I was, I found you-”

 “And you’ll always have me,” Rapunzel assured. “But is it enough?”

 Varian paused, looking at her in confusion. She reached forwards, drawing him into a hug. He hugged her back without pause, unsure of where she was going with this.

 “Varian,” she whispered to him. “Hugo didn’t take the money.”

 “He… he didn’t?”

 She shook her head with a smile. “You’ve grown so much since I saw you,” she grinned. “And I’m so proud of who you’ve become. But… you have to be sure you’re listening to your heart,” she pushed a hand to his chest, gentle, “And no matter where it takes you… know that we’ll always have each other.”

 Varian stuttered, unsure. Rapunzel let him go, slowly going towards the party. She smiled at him one last time before vanishing between the curtains. Varian watched her go, biting his lip.

 For a second he stood stalk still, unable to think- what did he really want? He could follow her, become a prince, live a life of luxury with the family he’d always tried to find… or he could return to the one he’d built. The family he’d stitched together with tape and glue, with Nuru and Yong…

 And Hugo.

 Varian took a step towards the curtain, but stopped himself. He bit at his lip, tapping his foot. He finally spun on his heel with a groan, headed for the door, when something caught his eye.

 A bright fuchsia light glowed from the gardens beyond, wildly out of place against the cool glow of the moon. Varian watched as it flickered, moving around in the distance. He spared one last look to the ballroom before stepping away, walking into the garden beyond.

 It was a warm evening, but he still felt a chill. Varian rubbed at his arms, shuddering. A thick mist permeated the garden, choking out the moonlight before it could really hit the stone path. The pink light was gone, leaving the garden pitched into a strange collage of shadows. Varian spun a bit, trying to find the source, when he heard a sudden voice on the wind.

 Varian.

 He tensed, looking further down the path towards where the voice was coming from. Another gust of wind made him shiver, rubbing at his arms again. He kept moving forwards, deeper into the garden despite the sense of apprehension and danger he was starting to feel.

 Varian.

 He kept walking, startling when he saw another flash of colour out of the corner of his eye.

 “Hello?” He called into the darkness. Something about this was setting him on edge, something in the way the air froze in his lungs. He walked a little faster, eventually finding himself on a large bridge. Water rushed below, nearly deafening. Varian shuddered again, the air was even colder here with the water nearby. He scanned around for the owner of the voice, pausing when he saw a figure on the bridge.

 “H-hello?” His voice was weak in the darkness, fear slowly creeping in. He should go back, back to the warmth and the light-

 “Varian,” the voice, a female one, purred. Varian tensed, moving towards the figure as she spoke. “Your royal highness- a young duke in your own right, hm?”

 Varian squinted, stopping on the bridge properly. The figure continued towards him, slowly taking a female shape. A large, puffy skirt danced around her ankles, long hair done up in two intricate buns. Varian caught sight of a shark’s smile splitting her face, eyes glowing fuchsia in the darkness.

 “Look at what the years have done to us, hm?” The fog parted around the woman at last, showing her nearly skeletal face. Varian flinched at how familiar it was, his nightmares-

 The woman smiled wider, holding her arms towards him. “You, a beautiful young thing… and me, a withered old corpse.”

 Varian’s mind raced, his breath picking up. He needed to run, needed to go, but his feet felt glued to the ground. He shuddered as the woman got closer, her hands barely an inch away from his skin.

 “Don’t you remember?” She asked him, “No? Hm, you were only a child, I suppose. It was a party, just like this one… though it certainly ended with a bang.”

 She waved her hand, her fingers warping into claws. Varian screamed as there was a rush of heat; he threw his arms up in front of his face at the feeling of fire on his skin. He was knocked back onto the stones, landing hard without his hands to stop the fall. The fire suddenly stopped, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.

 He looked to the woman in shock, seeing what looked almost like a lantern in her hand. It was glowing that same pink, before settling down into a normal light. She smirked as he stared at her. Varian sucked in a breath through his teeth, everything falling into place- his nightmares had all whispered a name to him, one that had haunted him since he was a child…

 “Zhan Tiri,” he breathed, nearly inaudible above the sound of rushing water below. Her smile grew, something smug and wicked. Varian forced himself into standing again, refusing to break eye contact as she stepped closer.

 “Smart child,” she cooed to him. “I can see some of my Demanitus in you… it’s time I fix that.”

 She waved the lantern again, forcing him to step back towards the railing of the bridge. Varian yelped as the stones shuddered under him, a wave of energy hitting him dead on. He felt tiny hands grabbing at him, trying to pull him towards the edge. He swatted without thinking, gasping when he saw small, demonic creatures swarming him. Varian cried out as one pulled at his hair, ripping it from its slicked back style and making it fall normally. He swiped at them again, panting as they disappeared into thin air. He didn’t need to look down to know his suit was ruined, his circlet gone; he leveled a glare at Zhan Tiri, wanting to smack the smug grin off her face.

 “I’m not scared of you!” He yowled, shoving his wayward hair behind his face. Zhan Tiri only laughed, standing tall as she waved the lantern again.

 “You will be,” she cackled, letting the magic burrow deep into the stones below. Varian shrieked as there was a large crack, the noise near deafening. He nearly fell as the bridge began to shake apart, a large chunk of it, the part he was standing on, beginning to break away. He tried to grab the handrail as it started to tip into the water, but failed.

 He let out a terrified scream as the floor dropped out from under him, falling forwards. He clung to the stones, his fingers nearly numb against the cold. The part of the bridge was nearly ninety degrees from the rest of it- Varian screamed again as he began to slide down towards the raging water. He only just managed to catch himself on an edge before he would have slipped over the side. A wave of nausea took him as he felt his legs swing in the open air.

 He heard a scuffle going on up on top of the bridge, but was too busy focusing on not plummeting to his death to care, until he saw a third figure break through the fog and slide down the broken bridge toward him.

 “Hugo?!” He gasped, clinging tighter as the blond skid to a stop in front of him and grabbed Varian’s arms.

 “Hey,” Hugo grunted, trying to pull Varian up. The smaller boy huffed out a breath, trying to scramble up onto the edge. He caught sight of the fear in Hugo’s eyes, and let out a gasp.

 “If we live through this, remind me to thank you,” Varian gasped as he was pulled, the stone digging into his stomach. He looked up, gasping at a flash of pink behind them-

 “Hugo, LOOK OUT!”

 The older teenager yelped as he was grabbed from behind. Hugo was dragged away by magic, cursing. Varian grunted as he was dropped again, sliding back down to hang off the edge again. His arms burned as he clung to the bridge; he heard Zhan Tiri cackle, Hugo swear.

 “How enchanting,” she laughed, “Together again, just in time to die!”

 Varian heard Hugo shriek, a high-pitched yelp that cut through the noise. He just caught sight of a massive statue bursting to life, the giant, stone horse slamming its hooves into the bridge. No guesses for what was occupying Hugo, then.

 Varian grit his teeth, reaching up and managing to catch a handhold in a cracked piece of the bridge. He pulled himself up, grunting with the exertion of it, and felt himself breathe a little easier once his feet were scrabbling against rock instead of open air. He kept pulling himself up the angled section of bridge, finally getting to the point where he could clamber up to hang off the edge of the standing part of the road.

 He caught sight of Hugo rolling between the stomping hooves, gasping as he clung to the edge. “Hugo!” he cried, throwing out a hand towards the other boy out of sheer desperation. It was because of that distraction that he didn’t even notice Zhan Tiri until she was right in front of him.

 The demon plucked him up by the front of his shirt with barely any effort, holding him high as he struggled.

 “Finally,” she hissed. “The last of Demanitus’ little kingdom, gone. Goodbye, your highness.”

 And with that, she let him drop. Varian shrieked as he fell, his heart jumping in his chest. He managed to snag a piece of metal that was jutting out from the bridge, wincing at the pain that raced up his shoulders when he did so. His body swung in open air, the only thing under him was the raging water a hundred feet below. He grit his teeth against the pain, hearing Hugo shout his name from the bridge. Zhan Tiri shrieked her laughter to the sky, cackling.

 “At last!” She cawed, “The end of Corona is here!”

 Varian swung his legs, forcing himself to move. They thought he was dead, he had a chance here-

 He managed to grab another part of the bridge with aching hands, his fingers nearly slipping. With a groan he pulled himself up onto the stone bridge, gasping for breath as he finally got solid cobble underneath him. He chanced a look up, seeing Zhan Tiri and Hugo locked in a battle of wills with each other. Varian clawed his way to his feet, running for the demon with a shout.

 He caught her in a tackle, sending them both tumbling to the stone. Varian ignored the pain in his body, reaching for the power source Zhan Tiri was carrying around. It glowed an ominous pink, a bright beacon in the dark.

 A target.

 Varian let out a gasp as he touched the lantern, an electric zing making his fingers numb. He felt a sudden kick to his stomach, the demon launching him away, but he kept his grip. Varian felt himself fly back, landing hard on his back. He groaned, rolling a bit on the stone. He caught sight of Hugo nearby, knocked unconscious by… something, and scowled.

 He got his feet under him at the same time Zhan Tiri did. The demon looked frantically around herself, but stopped when she saw the lantern in his hand.

 “Stop!” She shrieked, running towards Varian. He caught just a glimpse into her eyes, the rage and fire in them, before he whipped the lantern down at the ground, shattering it. He was thrown backwards, landing nearly on top of Hugo with a grunt. The world around them spun, flashing lights and colours overtaking the evening in a stunning light show and roaring winds.

 In the center of the vortex, Zhan Tiri screamed, the agony in her voice clear as she sank to the ground. Varian watched in abject horror as she collapsed, dropping to the cobblestone as she turned to dust. Her screams went silent, the flashing pink and roaring winds dying out in a sudden, terrible silence.

 Varian panted, sinking down to the stones as he caught his breath. He wasn’t well versed in this magic business, but turning to dirt probably wasn’t good for anyone, demon or no. He slowly turned on his knees, gently reaching for the man behind him.

 “Hugo?” He whispered, as if scared to break the quiet they’d found themselves in. Varian cupped Hugo’s face with gentle hands, trying to rouse him. “Hugo, c’mon…”

 But Hugo didn’t even stir.

 Varian fought back tears, his eyes searching the other teenager’s face. “Please wake up?” He asked, desperate. “Please?”

 He sniffled, turning away for a second to wipe at his eyes. The fear and adrenaline was starting to leave him, leaving only aches and sorrow in their wake, Varian’s body shook from the ordeal it had gone through, an involuntary spasm as he cried.

 But then, like the sun through clouds, a gasping breath.

 Varian twisted back around, his face splitting into a grin as he saw Hugo’s eyes open. The blond looked confused, still dazed from whatever had hit him, but Varian didn’t pause, instead throwing himself into Hugo’s chest with a happy noise.

 “Ow,” Hugo whined at the impact, “Ow, c’mon Sweetcheeks, wanna maybe be gentle?”

 “Oh, sorry!” Varian backed off, a little, but he was still close enough that their noses were almost touching. He cocked his head, looking at the green eyes in front of him.

 “You… came back?” Varian asked, “I thought you were going back to-”

 “I was,” Hugo shrugged, not meeting Varian’s eye, “But, uh, I…”

 “You didn’t take the-”

 “I couldn’t.”

 Varian’s head dipped a little more, drawing closer to Hugo. “Why?”

 The blond paused, shrinking a bit. “Because I…”

 Varian stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder, the shorter boy moving closer. They were only centimeters apart, their breaths mingling-

 Tink.

 They startled at the noise. Varian looked down to see he’d nudged his circlet, the shining diamonds still bright in the evening light. Hugo smiled, something quiet and resigned, before picking up the crown. He stood, Varian following quickly.

 “They’ll be waiting for you,” Hugo murmured. He held the circlet to Varian, who took it with gentle hands. He stared down at it, contemplating, before looking back up at Hugo.

 And just like that, he made his choice.

>>>><<<<

 Rapunzel entered her grand foyer, Willow following her closely.

 “I’m sure we’ll find him, darling,” Willow placated, “He can’t have gone far.”

 Rapunzel only smiled knowingly, catching a glint of shine on a nearby table. She walked to it, picking up Varian’s circlet from the tabletop. Her face split into a wide smile, reading the accompanying note quickly before passing it to Willow. Her aunt took the paper, scanning it, before gasping.

 “They’ve eloped!” She cooed, “Isn’t that romantic?”

 Rapunzel grinned, joyful tears in her eyes. She held Varian’s crown to her, smiling at the thought of her baby brother out there, happy at last. She watched as Willow dabbed at her eyes, sniffling. Rapunzel laughed as Willow cooed again, holding the note out back to her. The princess only turned away, looking out her window towards the expanse of Vardaros.

 Something in her settled at last, content to know he was out there, finally living his life. She took one last breath, blinking away the last of the tears as she focused on the distant river. If she imagined, she could almost catch a flash of blue on the deck of one of the boats.

 Though she may not know it at the time, Varian stood on one of those very ships, laughing as Hugo bowed to him. He performed an overly dramatic mime of a curtsey, letting Hugo take him by the arm and begin to spin him, giggling as they danced together. His face glowed with the light of his smile, drawing closer to Hugo as they danced, until finally-

 The press of Hugo’s lips on his was like coming home at long last.

 Varian smiled into the kiss, bringing his hands up to cup Hugo’s face close to his own, deepening the kiss as it went on. When they finally split for air, there was a split second of pause, the two of them trying to memorize the other’s eyes.

 Hugo finally broke the quiet, dipping forwards to scoop Varian up into a bridal carry, spinning them both. Varian openly laughed at that, throwing his arms around the blond’s neck and pressing an enthusiastic kiss to his cheek. He blinked past a sudden rush of happy tears, hugging Hugo tight to him for as long as he could.

 Finally, he was home.

[mollies-mad-moments]

Update 07/01/2021

Hello lovely followers. Thought it was about time I gave you guys an update. Up until now I haven’t really had the energy or motivation or concentration.

So. It started on Boxing Day. I was shivery and hot and cold and felt like I had a heavy cold. That night I hardly slept and just coughed the whole night away, used my blue reliever inhaler so frequently that I had palpitations. I contemplated waking my carer but I thought I’d wait til a reasonable time. 7am came and my baby woke up. I got him ready for the day, after which I had no energy left and could hardly breathe. My temperature was very high at 39•C. The carer called 111 and they dispatched an ambulance. The paramedics were absolutely lovely to me. They inserted a cannula and gave me IV fluids, along with oxygen because my sats were low at 93%. They said not to pack too much to take with me, mainly because of the corona virus but also they said I might be able to go home with antibiotics and steroids. So I grabbed my handbag and off I went. I deteriorated on the way to hospital so when we got to A&E I was rushed straight into resus. They put me on high-flow oxygen and used my phone to ring my carer and my Mum (my next of kin), to say that I was being moved to Intensive Care and that I might have to be intubated as my body was fighting so hard to breathe; sats at 87% on oxygen. Thankfully, my COVID test came back by the time I got to ICU as negative but I was still very poorly. They took several arterial blood gases, then inserted an arterial line. I was given IV antibiotics, steroids, carbocisteine, magnesium, potassium, paracetamol and fluids. I had a catheter inserted and had an NG tube to feed me temporarily as I was too weak to even eat.

I lost track of time in ICU, it’s a very strange place. The lights are always on, all day and all night, and each patient is on constant 1:1 with a nurse, with very close physical observations, hooked up to all sorts of monitoring.

Eventually I was out of the woods and moved to a High Dependency bed on the respiratory ward. The nurses there were amazing. By this point I was struggling mentally as well as physically. Although I had still been having all my regular psychiatric medications, the admission was taking its toll, I felt paranoid and agitated and I was given PRN diazepam several times to help with this.

NG tube remived, I was eating normally but the antibiotics gave me terrible diarrhoea. I had to use the bedpan, and had to be cleaned up by a nurse, which was a humiliating experience, but the nurses were so kind about it all.

Thankfully I was only in HDU for 48 hours, then moved to a normal bed. And that is where I am now.

I am now completely off oxygen and my sats are stable at around 95%, and only drop to around 93% upon exertion. My catheter was removed, sadly I have a bladder infection now but I’m being treated with MORE antibiotics for that. Also, as usual for me on antibiotics, I’ve developed thrush (TMI sorry!). I’ve also put on over a stone of weight since being here, courtesy of high dose steroids making me ravenous at all times. Today, with the help of the physiotherapists, I’ve managed to get out of bed and into the chair, and have used the commode to empty my bowels and pass urine.

I’ve been having daily visits from the hospital’s Psychiatric Liaison Team, which has been really helpful. I know most of them already because they used to work on one of the psych wards I spent a long time in as an inpatient. They’ve quite literally kept me sane, and gave me the time and space to talk through all of my many worries and keep me company since nobody is allowed visitors.

I have missed my little boy terribly, but once I was well enough I was able to talk with him on FaceTime before his bedtime every night. I held it together every time I was speaking to him but afterwards i always cry. It’s so hard.

The plan now is to continue with antibiotics and steroids, keep seeing physio to strengthen my body again, and hopefully I’ll be home in 2-3 days!!

Thank you to everyone who has read this far, sorry if I’ve bored you.

Stay safe, stay golden, you’re all amazing x

[aalt-ctrl-del]

something that does disturb me about some of these corona virus self-reports, is a small account given by those that have had corona virus or know someone who went through corona virus. Third-party reports, with minimal credibility, but there is a disturbing narrative I review, that comes from a common attribute. There is a dismissive often casualness to these reports, which comes from someone who has done minimal research into the significance.

A somewhat frequent trend is that those young people, who have the minimum side-effects (such was mild aches and soreness in the throat, sometimes headaches) go on to ‘recover’ from corona virus. Then go on to say, “Taste or the sense of smell has not returned. At all.”

To the “it’s just a flu” crowd, this is dismissed as typical allergy or side effects of a mediocre cold. But the account may have a more unsettling significance.

I have a family member, who several years prior, suffered a very mild stroke. A mild stroke can be missed, because it does not have outward significance to those who knew the individual. And, we only put together the context of this stroke and it’s impact on her health, years later, when she displayed early onset dementia. The stroke was only made knowledge years following, after a MRI scan revealed the mild onset of neuro damage that matches to a stroke pattern, though it was not outwardly visible. Though this family member, aware that her mind was damaged but not comprehending how, made the efforts to square away essential assets and put her future care in order. There is more to this story, but it is personal and not relevant to the corona virus tangent I am going through.

Now, of this early onset dementia, our first clue was that her sense of smell and taste was affected. Bear in mind, no neurological discrepancies were visibly apparent at the time - and this medical narrative comes before a time when resources for dementia or Alzheimer's was made readily available. The plot we built around our ailing individual, we had to piece together years later following the discovery of medical documents. However prior to the documents surface, as years endured, it became more apparent that memory loss was setting in, and she was aware of this.

What does this have to do with corona virus? From what we have gathered with the virus, is that it is systemic, it can infect and damage other organs and tissue of the body. It can infect the brain and optical nerves, it can affect the liver and kidneys. There is a distinct difference between pneumonia corona virus and the systemic corona virus - these health issues are one in the same - though it only establishes where corona virus has infiltrated and damaged. It is only when corona virus has infiltrated the lung tissue and presents itself in respiratory distress, that people think that they have contracted corona virus. And I tell my family this, when they have a little throat thrash - Corona virus WILL NOT present itself first as a cold or abrasive throat. You will not know you have it, and when you begin presenting the common and true respiratory distress, it may be too late.

And right here I want to make a very crucial note. Ebola first presents as a flu or cold. Meningitis first presents itself as a flu or cold. Measles first presents itself as a cold or flu. Invasive fungal sinusitis first presents itself as a flu or cold. A deadly bacteria microbial that killed a 6 year old in Texas, first presented itself as a cold or flu, or corona virus.

What all these illnesses have in common, is that, they present firstly as a common cold or flu, but if the medical institute which treats the infected fails to work fast enough to actually diagnose the individual, they will die. Yes. Ebola is fatal to many people without hospital intervention and antiviral treatments, and even still if it is not controlled quick enough the infected person will perish. Measles is deadly to children AND adults. Invasive fungal sinusitis is often fatal, unless the contaminated tissue is hacked out of the persons face - this usually results in disfigurement. The point being, because something has been described as a little flu or cold, does not mean it is harmless - it only means that we can see these symptoms presented. It is a prescript response the body has, to many viral or bacterial infections, due to an inflamed reaction to compromised tissue. That is what a sore throat is, tissue contaminated to invasive cells which the bodies white blood cells must destroy and remove - this results in abrasion or a ‘burn’. When you want to refurbish furniture, you first must remove tarnished and unsightly top coat through sanding. You can accidentally disfigure your furniture project if you are not careful, or need to do repairs on weaknesses or damage inflicted by age. The body is the same way, the cells destroy the infected cells and some cells which are not infected - this is the cytokine storm which puts individual infected with covid, into the hospital for essential medical intervention.

Now back to this topic of dementia and neuro damage. These young people as reported casually, having recovered a ‘mild’ infection from covid, and did not present any symptoms or barely ‘noticed’ any aches or whatever. They still report a loss of taste and smell. Why this is concerning to me, is it can mean that covid cells infiltrated the brain and got up to some not good businesses. NOW, I am NOT here to say, “omg, these people are doomed. Oh no.” What I will say, is that they ARE NOT CURED.

The body likely responded to some sort of infection, it might have only affected the sinus cells. Whether or not antibodies were produced is unknown. There is a possibility that the headache is a result of the body attacking compromised cells in the brain, and if that sounds scary, DO NOT LET IT MAKE YOU AFRAID. This is very important. This is only a cautionary segment, and a plea for those who have suspected they may have been exposed to covid, or have recovered from covid, to be cautious from here on out. Neuro cells can rebuild themselves, to a degree. Neuro cells or brain cells, are notorious for being permanent, non-replicable. But they can be fixed by small increments. It can also take months, or years, in an individual that is healthy. This is why I say those who have lost some sensory, must absolutely be careful. Covid cells have a very direct plan of attack, they are very illusive in the body, and cells that have gone through the trauma of protecting you from this virus may be weakened to some degree.

This is why I am adamant about directing focus to the lack of immunity or the relapses when they occur, to those that previously thought they recovered from covid.  I saw a beautiful post on here a few days prior, about a woman who is HIV +, but is able to have children and a husband, without fear for them contracting the virus, because she has medicine to keep the viral count down. Thus, her family does not need to worry about HIV, her children can live a normal life, and she can have children. It’s a blessing.

It is also a very important narrative for the corona virus, an illness we are still struggling to understand to the full of our capacity. This speculation I have that antibodies formed following a corona virus infection, may be short lived or unreliable to future infection. If a person is subjected to a high concentration of virus load, such as our healthcare workers, the prospect of infection and a lethal infection increases. This is why metropolitan areas need harsh restrictions due to the corona virus, the high concentration of people increases the infection rate - probability - of a positive infection. The more covid cells you encounter, the higher risk and possibly the more severe your infection because your body is not capable of keeping up with the infection onslaught. Healthcare workers MUST BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS - that is why they wear hazmat suits while treating covid sufferers. They are in a viral load element, and many can not go home to their families because the risks are too great.

If you suspect you have had covid or may have encountered someone with covid, reduce your interaction with people. Do not go out. Treat yourself like you are still struggling with the virus, even if you feel you are not. Behave like you are still taking the medication your doctor gave you, even though you feel better. Let your body do its job to its fullest, before you go out courting covid once more. If you keep subjecting your body to a trauma, then the cells become eroded and run down - it increases the probability of a severe infection which will have ultimate consequences.

“Young people seem to bounce back” is a highly irresponsible narrative. We do not grasp the full effects of corona virus infection in young people. We have no test group, nor a control group. But we can follow patterns. The cases increase, due to the false belief that corona virus is not serious. It likely comes from some young person believing, “I recovered and didn’t feel that bad, thus, the virus is not that bad. I am very healthy, and the virus didn’t stand a chance.”

Wherein the truth is, your body managed to get the virus under control to the point the young person felt good. And yes, because the young person may be healthy, but they are not exempted from a second, or third infection. IF THE ANTIBODIES ARE NOT THERE. This is where we reach the relapse, reinfection, and the ongoing lethargy that some people endure. The virus is still present, but it is managed by the body. The body is producing antibodies, but the virus is still producing cells which attack the body.

This may also explain the “negatives” of those that test negative, but still feel like crud. The negative of a covid test, might mean that there is not sufficient viral load to reach a positive result. I could be wrong. All I have right now are speculation, theories. But the doctors are telling us fundamental things, and not going into specifics why.

You do not want to contract corona virus. It does not care how healthy you are, it’s primary mission is replicate and spread, and feed on hemoglobin.

When people say, “Yeah, I still don’t have my sense of taste and or smell back.” I am very alarmed. Because when someone dismisses something so essential, my first concern is not, “That is common in colds”; I begin thinking, “This virus attacks any tissue, and the sinuses have been traumatized. How long does this last?”

We do not know enough about this virus to be complacent. It does not behave anything like a cold or flu, aside from symptoms which are a synonymous onset to every other kind of horrendous viral or bacterial infection with a high fatality rate. The cytokine storm is a very sudden, aggressive onslaught on anything compromised by corona virus cells - including cells that may have not been infected let alone compromised. Individuals who come across as very proud to have recovered so efficiently from a possible corona virus infection, may be health compromised or primed for a second more serious infection.

And last, if you are a person who does not know where you liver is located, then you probably shouldn’t conclude you’ve recovered from the corona virus. And final, if you lost your sense of taste or smell, you need to be more cautious from here on out because it is possible you are not fully recovered.

[spjcomicart]

White, Green, and Tara

Stefano Junior Om Tare Tuttare Tara Soha, Om Tare Tuttare Tare Soha, Om Tare Tuttare Soha—so goes the Matra of one magnanimous Mother of all Mother deities. Tara, is Compassion embodied yet is she who wears 21 distinct guises and from which splinters crystalline and colouful into myriad more. It is also she who derives her existence from Avalokitesvara, bodhisattva of Compassion who bore her of his tears.. It is she whom was once a corporeal princess who affirmed the value of the feminine principle. “I prostrate to the Liberator, Mother of the all Victorious Ones” is more or less what her mantra elucidates. But how, and moreover, how does the practice of Vashryana Tara benefit the practitioner in a way distinct from other Buddha or spiritual deities and how does the practice of the feminine aspect of Buddha correlate or differ from the veneration of the Virgin Mary in the west? (1) Long ago, the Victorious One, came into existence and was known as Light of Worlds. The Princess “Moon of Wisdom” had the highest respect for his teaching, and for 10 million and 100,000 years she made offerings...; after much discourse she replied “In this life there is no such distinction as male or female,......weak minded worldlings are always deluded by this.” And so she vowed “Therefore may I, in a female body, work for the welfare of beings right until Samsara has been emptied” Then (guru Tathagatha Dundunbhisvara) prophesied “As long as you continue manifesting such supreme Bodhi, you will be exclusively known as “Goddess Tara”. Tara, later quite obviously embraced as a feminist icon, both as either the reincarnation or reiteration of Avalokitesvara from the tears he wept for the suffering of those trapped in an endless state of Samsara or the enlightened Moon Princess who relinquishes her humanity, she always insists on the necessity for the recognition of the female as essential. Despite her claim that gender has no corporeal relevance at the arrival of Buddhahood, the principle of femininity, motherhood, creation, compassion and myriad aspects associated with women culturally are vastly ancient. Dating as far back as the legend of the chaotic waters of Tiamat an Innana of Mesopotamia in the East, the notion of the female aspect and her attributes could either have been inherited culturally through India, or arrived at instinctually, or some combination of both. And with Tara, as with all Buddha, she comprises all aspects of both the feminine and qualities of the nature and cosmos. Conversely, the visuality of a Maternal Buddha would no doubt attract women to adhere to the tenets of spiritual enlightenment both for themselves, their daughters, and the good that they might contrive to do for their families in this realm during their current life cycle. In Christianity, no one inhabits this role more exclusively and effectively, for centuries, than the Virgin Mary. Mary of Nazareth, the purported mother of the Son of God, Jesus, is venerated by Christians all over the world as the “mother” of all of us and is sought in solemn prayer for 2 guidance, comfort, protection, and compassion. The repeated and recited prayers over her Rosary beeds thanks her for her stewardship of her son and asks that she not only forgives us for our transgressions but the “sins” of those that would do us harm-the ultimate act of contrition. Because only compassion for our enemies and ill doers over ourselves and our kin can truly exemplify a transendent forgiveness or “enlightenment”. Tara wields her own “Golden” rosary, in thanks to Taranatha, or Kun-ga nying-po a scholar and Buddhist created the rosary in 1615 after founding the monastery Tak-tan. The rosary follows a process of recounting Tara’s Tantras and lineage but most notably on the arrangement of her powers that save the practitioner from Eight great Fears; but more on that in a moment. Tara, as Buddha, is both the Mother AND the Father. She is the spiritual embodiment of Compassion and Virtuous enlightenment but she is so of her own accord, not because of the suffering she vicarously endured at the hands of her son’s persecuters. Tara is the “Saviouress” because she is compelled through her enlightenment to have “Karuna” (compassion) for the suffering that is inevitable in human life and the cycle of Samsara that all beings are subject to, in spite of their ignorance and proclivity for evil. “Tara” means Star and as such, she is both a maternal teacher and comforter as she is a guide to those who seek passage. Navigators and shipsmen would practice Tara as she might literally reveal their path and illuminate their journey while protecting them from the insurmountable dangers that abound. But she acts to do so also on the spiritual plane just as she is meant to gently encourage, an “Immovable Encouagement”, an individual or party on achieving or arriving toward their goal or undertaking. What greater force is there more 3 immediately recognizable and emotionally enmeshed than that of a Mother’s encouragement? If not for which, the majority of men AND women may not have taken its first steps. Not unlike the Hindu Elephant headed Ganesha, himself the son of Parvati-the wife and feminine aspect of Shiva, who eliminates obstacles from the worshipper who seeks his aid. (2) The Goddess destroying all hindrances is the supreme remover of Fears. For the practitioner’s protection draw Her, righteous, granting boons. The daughter of the ten Powers and Compassion is the Goddess wearing a woman’s form. Draw Her, the bestower of boons, for the welfare of all beings. (Vajrayana “Mahavairocana-Sutra” 716 ad) Tara can take away your Fear. 3)She is the Protectress from Fear of Leprosy. In the Land of Kumaraksetra, a powerful acarya caught leprosy, and he wandered from one person to another, he infected them. Relatives fled fro his presence as he defiled their purity. One day he saw a stone image of Noble Arya Tar and with faith begged her on behalf of the 500 infected Brahmins. A liquid like medicine trickled in an endless stream from Taras hand and when he had bathed in it the leprosy had subsided. The man’s own compassion for his fellow sufferers was essentially key to Tara’s blessing. Tara has compassion but calls upon us to actively engage with it on our quest to enlightenment through suffering. In addition to fear of disease, Tara can also aid in assuageing the fear of Losing Relatives among the Eight she is ward of. And thusly, combined with her vast magical attributes comprise the green of of a prosperous nature, that guide, protect, and encourage humankind, amidst her 4 many faceted faces, Tara is the ultimate Mother and can provide comfort to all in our insular trials and those we inevitably contend with in the physical world through our journey through Samsara. Whether or not an individual believes or not is another story. But those of us who have been reared by mothers know how very real a mothers love and compassion can be if immaterial and how moving her physical embrace can be (perhaps the Tara’s many arms could effectually embrace our spirit then); and also her wrathful judgment-but that story and that of Tara’s more terrifying aspects would be better suited explored in another essay. 4).​ Empower Us, that we may evoke without hindrance, that we may act as friends to the unfortunate that we may achieve our own and other’s aims, that we may gain the highest magical attainment. In January 2020 as the Coronovirus took a foothold in Asia and surrounding countries, the Dalai Lama encouraged Buddhists to practice Tara and chant her Mantra. Om Tare Tuttare Tara Soha....Om Tare Tuttare Tare Soha...Om Tare Tuttare.. Perhaps it cannot effect a cure as the world stands traumatized at the rampant death count and dissemination of our economies and regular life practices, but perhaps, like a Mother, Tara can aid us in achieving peaceful mindfulness, that we may have compassion for those whom are suffering instead of fear and acceptance of inevitable forces beyond the influence of our human will. This unprecedented level of global suffering may reorient our attention to the suffering of all and how meaniful existence can better be arrived at through compassion and courage. 5 Works Cited Wilson, Martin ​In Praise of Tara​, 1986,1996. Print Shaw, Miranda ​Buddhist Goddesses of India,​ 2006. Print Beyer, Stephan​ ​ ​The Cult of Tara ​1973. Print Templeman, David (Taranatha, Jo Nang) ​The Origin of Tara Tantra​, 1981 (1608) Print Wikipedia ​Tara (Buddhism), 2​ 020 Online Tibet Diary ​Corona Virus: The Dalai Lama advised Tara Mantra,​ 2020 YouTube Masters of Buddhism ​Short Biography of Tara​, 2018 YouTube 6

[thetimeoftomorrow]

COVID19 FAQ/CLARIFICATION

(From Singapore's Ministry of Health: https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/faqs)

[Relevant as of 27 March 2020]

Introduction

Hello everyone. Firstly I would like to inform you that I am from Singapore, and we are fighting alongside everyone against the Corona virus. Secondly, all the information I present will be taken directly from my country's government and the link has been provided above as I am not a medical student. Thirdly, please do take this pandemic seriously as it is NOT a laughing matter, and I hope that you keep calm and positive througout this situation.

What are Coronaviruses?

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses causing illnesses ranging from the common cold to pneumonia (a more severe lung infection). A new coronavirus strain has been identified in Wuhan, China. Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) has caused cases of severe pneumonia in China and cases have been exported to other countries and cities.

How does COVID-19 spread?

There is human-to-human transmission of COVID-19. For now, the evidence suggests spread is mostly via droplets. The virus is carried within droplets emitted from an infected person over a short distance, such as when the person coughs or sneezes. If these droplets come into contact with the eyes, nose or mouth of another person, directly or indirectly through hands that have come into contact with these droplets, the other person may become infected. Members of public are advised to remain vigilant and observe good personal hygiene practices.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

The symptoms of COVID-19 infection are similar to that of regular pneumonia. Typical symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath.

What is the treatment for COVID-19?

Supportive treatment is provided based on the patient’s clinical condition. No proven specific treatment or anti-viral drug for COVID-19 is currently available.

Is the disease deadly? How is it compared to SARS?

The situation is evolving and many characteristics of the virus and how it may affect people are still unclear. However, current information suggests COVID-19 can cause severe disease and death in 2% to 3% of people with the infection, especially among the elderly and those people with underlying health problems or compromised immune systems.

Who should wear a mask?  What kind of mask should I wear? 

For the general public who are not having any symptoms at all and are well, there is no requirement to wear a mask. 

As a good hygiene measure, people who are not well and have respiratory symptoms should wear a mask so that they do not spread any infection to other people. Anyone who has symptoms should see a doctor as soon as possible, to make sure that they remain well. 

In the case of COVID-19, we know that the infection is spread through droplets. Wearing a mask will protect other people when someone with respiratory symptoms coughs or sneezes, as the mask would trap those droplets and prevent those droplets from spreading and disseminating.

As such, a surgical mask is sufficient for this case and fulfils the important function of preventing a spread if worn properly. The mask should be changed if it gets soiled or stained.

Why do healthcare professionals use an N95 mask and don full personal protective equipment (PPE), including goggles, then?

When dealing with infectious diseases, healthcare workers are required to wear the personal protective equipment (PPE), including N95 and goggles, as they are in close contact with patients and their bodily fluids.

As such, the PPE is needed to create a barrier between healthcare workers and the infectious agents from the patients, and to reduce the risk of transmitting micro-organisms from healthcare workers to patient(s).

How long is the incubation period? If somebody travels to cities with confirmed cases, how many days of no-symptoms after the travel, will he/she then be considered clean and disease-free?

Data from cases in China suggests that the incubation period is around 14 days.

Therefore, travellers are advised to monitor their health closely for at least 2 weeks upon return to [home country]. You are advised to seek medical attention promptly if you feel unwell, and to also inform your doctor of your travel history.

Summary for COVID-19 FAQ

I have compiled the FAQ to be useful to an international audience so if you are a fellow Singaporean please head to the website and remain updated as often as possible. If you are NOT from Singapore, you may still check the link for relevant general information if it helps. Please note the relevancy of this information and stay up to date with the latest news.

COVID-19 Personal Experiences FAQ

(Circulated among Singaporean Citizens)

Introduction

I have compiled a list of relevant information that fellow Singaporeans have been sharing among themselves. I hope people would take the time to read these anecdotes to understand the gravity of the situation, and that it may help in your understanding of this virus. Please do also take the information with a pinch of salt as they have not been confirmed/checked by any authority.

Annecdote from a Singaporean Patient's Family

"Make no mistake. When loved ones are removed from your home by ambulance because the virus has hit them hard, you are not going to be able to follow them there, sit by their hospital bed and hold their hand. You are not going to be able to pop in at 7.00 pm for visiting hours. They are going to have no one other than exhausted and brave hospital staff to see them through days or weeks of barely breathing through a ventilator until they either die or recover. They are not going to be well enough to text you.

You are not going to be able to phone the ward to check in on them regularly (staff will be too busy for that). During that time, they will be completely alone, while you sit at home waiting to hear whether they have made it through.

Imagine that person is someone you love dearly. Because it's going to be a reality for many in the coming weeks.

And if that person in hospital happens to be you, going through that ordeal completely alone, it would be nothing less than terrifying.

Please stay home and only go out if absolutely necessary. Social distancing is imperative right now for your family and mine."

Day by Day Symptoms of COVID-19 from Patients

Day 1-3

Common Cold

Itchy throat

No fever, no fatigue & good eating & drinking seems normal.

Day 4

Painful throat, more itchy/scratchy. The body is weak, & seems intoxicated

Hoarseness (husky voice)

36.5° body temperature

Start to decrease appetite include not wanting to eat & drink water

Mild head pain/headache

Mild diarrhea

Day 5

Inflammation of the throat (You might see white dots or patches in the back of your throat-might be red & swollen). Hoarseness until you lose your voice

36.5°-36.7° body temperature

The body is weak (body malaise) and joint pain(the pain is like rheumatism or gout)

Day 6

37° body temperature (fever)

A dry cough (coughing without phlegm)

Painful throat while eating, worsens when you swallow & when you talk

Body malaise, nausea or recurrent vomiting

Mild breathing problems/shortness of breath

Hand & finger pains

Vomiting (throwing up) and diarrhea (watery bowel movements)

Day 7

High fever from 37.4°-37.8°

Persistent cough with phlegm

Headache/head pain along with diarrhea

Persistent diarrhea

Persistent vomiting

Day 8

Fever 38° above

Breathing problems/Shortness of breath

Persistent cough

Headache, more joint pain, that passes in the lower back like pain in the buttocks (lumbar strain)

Day 9

No relief at all

Fever is getting high temperature

Persistent cough with phlegm

Worsening shortness of breath

If you feel all these, please go to the nearest Hospital's for testing and medication. There is no need to be afraid of having checked on what is being felt to avoid the loss of life for no reason.

Summary

I would like to emphasise that this information is NOT checked by authorities so please do not panic unnecessarily. Please do not spread panic or quote this information without citing its lack of source. Remain calm, and please direct yourself to the nearest hospital/clinic if you are unwell. If that is unavailable to you in your country/state and you are sick, please socially distance yourself at home until the medical team's/hospitals call you in.

Concluding Statement

I understand that for some of you information, medical facilities/equipment, and perhaps even basic necessities (such as food/water/shelter) are unavailable, seeing as I am interacting with an international audience. However, I would like to implore you to stay calm while you treat this matter with the utmost seriousness. This is because anxiety among the people would only cause prices in goods to sky rocket, and you will only endanger people when the market starts bidding wars for things such as equipment and medicine.

So please, firstly do not conduct mass-purchase of anything unnecessarily as it would only result in an inflation in prices for important goods. An example would be chloroquine which is NOT a cure for COVID-19, as mass purchase will place/is placing people suffering from lupis and arthritis at a disadvantage. These patients need that medication, unlike some of us who don't even know if it works against COVID-19.

Seccondly, please do not treat social distancing as a joke. Lives are at stake, and this means any form of contact with the virus will infect your immune system. While travelling overseas might seem fun due to the low priced flight tickets or because of spring break, this virus will infect you and your loved ones if you do not take the necessary precaution. This means sharing of food, untensils, clothes et cetera should be avoided to prevent the virus from infecting others and yourself. Some of you might want to die, but others don't so please, mind their consent if you can't be bothered with yours.

Thirdly, (I do apologise if I sound distinctly more annoyed as I type this, seeing how humanity consistently tries my patience) the corona virus is not an excuse for you to be racist or classist. I repeat: the corona virus is not an excuse for you to be racist or classist. While the COVID-19 virus did originate from China, it is not the 'chinese virus' and it was not borne from skin tones or genetics. It was instead born from the unlucky evolution of bacteria/germs that China so happened to win said lottery for.

This is the country that is developing and making the ventilators you need to stay alive. This is the country that has developed a new technique to keep you breathing/blood circulating if you are unable to do so. This is the country that gave the world 42 days to prepare for an enslaught of cases. They have no reason to help you: the virus was not made by them and you are not their citizen. But they are helping, and the least you can do is to be kind. (And if anyone would like to argue I'd like to quote Wu Chuanpu of supply chain Vedeng on ventilators that "the expansion of the production line is very time-consuming and resources-intensive," and "also involves personnel training. It is too cumbersome.")

So please, do not judge, do not be prejudiced and for the love of god be kind. The world is suffering, and people are dying. This is not the time to be fooling around or placing other things as your priority, whether it be your job, your fun, or your god damn xenophobia.

The priority is containment and survival.

To rebuild humanity you need humanity to exist in the first place. Stop being stupid, selfish and a damn ass hole about it. The virus isn't picky about its victims. It isn't going to care how much money you have, what your skin colour is, or what your age is. We have to work together and fight the common enemy. So stop taking sides and pick this one, the one where everybody wins. Don't be a fucking wuss cowering in the face of this virus. Mankind is resourceful, you are resourceful! Focus on what you can do and not what you can't! Take action, even if it seems small, because the small ones definitely count.

Keep yourself safe, signal boost this for people in need of information, and let's fight hard! Cause I'm definitely welcoming 2021 with all you people on this weird blue site.

Hugs and kisses from the fucking little red dot in Asia bitches ♡

[rizzoli-is-queen-of-sarcasm]

All Danish borders are closed as of today noon 14 March 2020.

Found this interesting article about the Corona/Covid-19, writen by a Danish medical doctor, Iza Alfredsen, Ærø. (For international friends reading it; this represents a Danish perspective with unusually high confidence in government.)

***

COVID-19 has broken out in Denmark. The outbreak is so massive that, contrary to other countries around us, we have given up on containing it. The battle is lost even before the horrors start. We know that we have to slow down the virus. We know that we are going to see more deaths that we can accept. We could maybe accept 6,000. However, if the virus continues at the current rate of infection, the death toll will be even higher. Unacceptably high. Inconceivably high.

STAGE ONE:

At first, all is well. No deaths. It is primarily the “young, rich, and beautiful” who have brought the disease home [from skiing vacations] that are being tested and taken care of by the health authorities – and who report that Corona is “just a cold.” And it is. For the most part. Snot, fever, and a sore throat. On Instagram and Facebook, we can follow a twenty-year-old’s unfair struggle against loneliness under quaranteen. Missing mommy and daddy and the unfairness of having to struggle both against the cold and the urge to drink beer with friends. The struggle against vaginal fungus seems tougher than Corona, and many young people are instigating rebellious anti-movements where they party and gather as a rebellion against the apocalyptic prophecies (those old assholes like me who have read books and not had an honest chlamydia infection in years). That was stage one.

STAGE TWO:

This week, we are entering stage two. We assume everyone who has a fever and a cold has Corona. And if they are otherwise reasonably normally intelligent and immuno-competent, then they are asked to stay at home and take care of their fever and snot, and otherwise stay indoors. It works fine in rural Denmark. But, the tabloid news papers are flooded by the Capitalist elite, that cannot cope with having a runny nose and not get tested. Be different! Wipe your nose, watch Netflix, stay away from others. Don’t go out among others until you have recovered. Actually, wait until 3-4 days after you have recovered. It is not because the health authorities not would like to send you a packet of kleenex and determine precisely the cause of the runny nose. It is because others are dying from what you are perceiving as annoying. Fever is annoying. Coughing is annoying. Snot is annoying. But, if you are young and healthy, the risk of getting severely ill from Corona is comparable to that of the Flu. Endure.

Everyone will get Corona, but we hope and pray for two things:

– that the number of ill does not exceed the capacify of the health care system; and

– that the really ill do not contract Corona before we have an effective cure.

The third hope is the vaccine.

The second stage is uncomfortable. Many will experience fever, coughing, snot, and general discomfort. One worries. Will I survive? If you are young, below 65, and otherwise fit, the answer is yes. Just as likely that you would survive a case of the Flu. The statistics are on your side. The numbers are working for you.

STAGE THREE:

Here, we, the health care personnel, and the patients will face hell before the onset of death. The time for stage three is soon. Two weeks after we reach 5,000 infected, we hit the abyss.

There are no more intensive care vacancies. Every day, we remove people who we would otherwise have saved from the respirators, because of the sheer number of people arriving. So many, so fast. Prioritization (the most important medical competence: who should we kick out) becomes number one. We put people to die just because their survival chances are a mere 25%, but the new ones arriving have a 50% chance. We sedate them a bit. It is very uncomfortable to suffocate in ones own secretion fluids.

But more are pouring in. Patients in the emergency units are beginning to remove their facial masks, they receive upon arrival, because they can’t breathe. They have been there for hours. Some for days. They have seen people collapse on the floor. Without anyone coming to help. There are no doctors. 20% have Corona and the numbers are rapidly increasing.There are no more facial masks for the medical personnel, so we go to work every day carrying the risk. A few infected patients fight their way to the uninfected unit, desperate for help. There, where infected cannot go. There lies traffic accident victims with open wounds, children with astma, and young people with appendicitis. And some of them will die. The twenty-year-old woman with the inflamed appendicitis. It burst without anyone noticing. All doctors were busy with those who were even more ill. But now it is too late. She has bacteries in the blood and there are no one to operate. She receives anti-biotics, but the intestines have stopped. Finally, she gets operated on, but can’t come out of the respirator again. She ought to. But it’s too late, because she contracts Corona in the chaos and Corona preys on the weak. And today that was her. Before hell broke loose, no one would have imagined it possible to die from appendicitis at the age of 20. But today is not any day. All illnesses one curable now carry a high death toll. But it gets worse. 40% of the doctors are now infected. And the ill are arriving so fast. At a nursery, 40 out of 66 residents have died from Corona. But they weren’t admitted, because there wasn’t room and it was hopeless. They were left dead for a week, before there was capacity to remove them. The smell on that warm morning in May 2020 was unbearable. So many, so fast. Two doctors have committed suicide. That is rather common for doctors, but two from the same unit is more than we are used to. The nurses are at 50% infected. They have closer contact with the patients. Everything is chaos. A few doctors and nurses have collapsed under the pressure. They are being put into the linen deposits to sleep. After two or three months it dies out. As sudden as it all started. 75,000 dead.

DOES IT HAVE TO COME TO THIS?

No. The Prime Minister gave us a unique opportunity to stop it. A unique opportunity to stand together, each of us. In a safe Corona distance of two meters. Most of Denmark have shut down. And life cannot continue as before. Nothing is as before!

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

We need to obey. Say “yes sir.” And take orders. It is estimated that the curve we are entering is too steep. It rises so fast, that we in no time will consume all available resources in the health sector, if it continues. The country does not shut down for two weeks because we are scared of a couple of hundred deaths and a snotty cold. The collapse of the entire health care system and the ordered conditions we have in Denmark are right around the corner. Number crunchers are calculating how much infection we can cope with (because we cannot stop it) over the course of a week, how much we need to shut down in order to achieve a slow down, that will yield just enough to make us make it. The guestimation landed on a total shut down of the public sector exceping safety-critical functions, a recommendation to stay at home, hasty legislation on increased mandates to uphold quaranteens, and, not least, the recommendation to stay at home.

Translated this means that in three weeks we will be in so much trouble that a twenty-year-old will die from appendicitis or a swollen finger, if we don’t obey. Not to mention all the cancer patients who will lack treatment. The ill children that will suffer.

We have to listen. Now.

And we are told: stay indoors. Avoid gatherings. Stay calm.

If all this Corona is too hard to understand, then memorize: Listen to the authorities.

STAY AT HOME

Even if you feel like visiting your friends, so that you can have a beer and discuss how wildly exaggerated all of this is, don’t. You can cause a chain of infection. You are young. You will live. But, you will contribute to many people suffering. Even if it only happens in three weeks. So, be responsible. Stay at home. Clean your halo. Play Counter-Strike or FIFA. It is healthy. Find fun things to do without visiting each other physically. Limit encounters with others. If you have to, go shopping at odd hours or order food online. It is almost like Robinson. Survive. Alone. But, with Netflix and modern toilets.

WASH HANDS, APPLY ANTI-BACTERIAL GEL, AND RELAX

If you do this, you have done what you could to contribute. Be introvert. Learn to avoid the attempts of contact from others. I, for one, hate when people want to hug. Normally, I just put out my hand, but in these Corona-times, I would consider a round-house kick, if someone initiated those kind of greetings. Ew.

YOUR PARENTS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR WORK

Stay at home with your family. Your parents are in the risk group. They should get into the first wave of infected. Spare them. And if you get layed off by your work? Then they are fools.

GO TO WORK

IF, you are part of safety-critical personnel, then, yes, it is your damned duty to come to work and contribute what you are able to. There are advantages and disadvantages for everything. While all others are at home, I sit and read directions from the authorities and are in phone conferences. These are hours I will never get back. And there is a risk by doing nothing about the Corona apocalypse. But, it is not so high, if you are under 65.

CANCEL EVERYTHING

Parties, family dinners, football practise, walks in the city. No. Just no. The curve is too steep. We have ONE chance. Cease it.

ORDER ONLINE

Easy, convenient, and breaks the chain of infection.

KEEP DISTANCE. SHOW CONSIDERATION

Put a note under the door of the old person living next to you. Should I shop for you? Help your friends who have contracted a cold to get the right amount of sympathy. Via the phone!

USE MEDICAL SERVICES CORRECTLY

Do not call upon the medical services, if you are neurotic about Corona and your runny nose; call your friend instead. You probably have Corona, but your doctor has other things to do. Everybody has a runny nose. Call if you are ill or have serious illness and have concerns. Do not use the doctor-on-call servicesas your personal psychologist who can help you endure a runny nose, sore throat, or joint aches. The health services are mustering and focussing on the really ill.

THE END

We write the end ourselves. What we are doing right now will be what we will harvest in two weeks and the deaths are in three. Choose wisely. Be heroic. It is the time for heroism. Never before. It is us between 15 and 50 who are propulsing the infection. We have a responsibility to stop it. Even if it does not hit us so hard, it will hammer the ill and old. Be the one who socially responsibly declines social gatherings. Be the one who obeys. Use social media. Spread the message. Start the wave now.

Even if I don’t know the end and can only see the contours, I will say “Never. Never. Again.”

Next time, we will have the experience. It is now that we are writing history. And we will. From today.

***

[I didn’t agree with the derogatory references to the “young, rich, and beautiful” or “capital elite”, and didn’t like the oversimplicity word “number crunchers”, but I found it exceptionally well written.]

[valgasnewsthings]

Covid and vision.

 Am heard, that corona affecting on weak places in organism, am interesting if patient endured covid as on any form,does it affect negatively on his vision?

As mucus of eye are entrance gates for infections,as in attacking on her as if before forming and dry eye syndrome, micro injures, burns of quartz ,as virus agent moving in blood  current through damage surface of micro capillaries and after process affecting for generalization,as virus entering in all organism answers ophthalmologist Ivanovskaja.

As am a doctor and saw lots of cases manifest in eye symptomatic,and patient felt acute aches, light fear, hyperaemia right away, conjunctival,scleral or mixed infection,eyes are red irritated, inflamed with secretions as mucus or pus. And beginning displaying covid are acute conjunctivitis , scleritis,as of which without a timely cure leading till uveitis as infection faster entering in inside eye membrane and late am saw are covid results,that displaying on eyes .

Base patients complaints after covid endured.

A vision bad, image is not clear, tiredness eyes, diplopia as image is double  vision, fear light, dryness and discomfort.

And clinical forms for post covid  eye pathology are few.

1.Thrombosis for retina vessels as thick blood thrombocitosis as a part for care organism reaction on injures,as any inflammation processes, are vessels damaging as starts this mechanism with a goal to stop a blood lost. As infection a most spreading reason for thrombocytosis as 40 percent cases,and so as on the eye having an end vessel branch,thus micro capillaries retina are more affected for thrombosis.

2.Autoimmune vasculitis. As a base mechanism for vasculitis displaying is depositing immune complexes on the walls of vessels.Activating cascade for complement,and mobilization for polymorphonuclear leucocytes happening,as referee from a proteolytic ferments. And all of these realizing inflamed process in vessels.Corona virus infection is systemic diseases,and eye having a high autoimmune potential. And thus are these cases are not rare.

3. Macular oedemas. As a investigation of inflammation of vessel membrane eye, as in damage this membrane is happening sweating as liquid remove,which filing in macular zone.

4. Destruction for vitreous body,as reaction on inflammation, as proteins remove in vitreous body from surrounding his vessel membrane eye, as a consequence of thrombosis vessels retina.

5. Diplopia. As a corona is systemic pathology,thus in pathologic process involving and cns and she damaging on all levels  and  oculomotor nerves, and vision, and affecting and oculomotor muscles, and on which eye attaching to orbit.

As we can to see covid results are displaying in all eyes structures,as this infection is systemic pathology,and on the eye is ending vessel branch. As and eye mucus are entrances gates for this infection, thus are eye results of covid are not rare appearance. And thus in first signs of pathologic changes in eyes visit ophthalmologist immediately. As remember a covid infection is a not full studied,and we are know which are far displays having ,as earlier cure is best result.

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[alphaarogya]

Long-Lasting Immunity For COVID-19 with Ayurvedic Immunity Boosters

Taking care of our health and building a strong immunity is what many people aim to do. Taking immunity boosters that last for long will keep us protected for longer periods. But, how do we know which immunity boosters last longer? Ayurveda has the answers. In Ayurveda, there are chosen herbs that help give a boost to our immune systems for a longer period and also there are Ayurvedic medicine for immunity.

When our immune system is weak, we are prone to attacks from germs, viruses, bacteria etc. This may cause problems and discomforts and we may experience many health issues like headache, cough and cold etc. Hence, we must protect our body from inside by consuming the best Ayurvedic medicine to boost immune system, Alpha Health Protection Kit.

A strong immune system is like a strong wall and the stronger we make it, the more equipped our body is to fight diseases, especially communicable diseases like virals, especially the challenging COVID-19 which the world is facing right now.

How does COVID-19 start?

COVID-19 is a pandemic which has affected every corner of the world. When it first started, people did not pay much heed to its affects and compared it to common cold. But, it took the world by surprise and with no prior research on it, doctors could not save many lives. However, scientists, doctors and countries around the world are making joint efforts to bring a vaccine to the common man. There have been many countries who have already conducted phases of tests and soon they are hopeful to distribute the vaccines everywhere. But, till then, we need to keep our immunity strong with the regular dose of ayurvedic immunity boosters.

Symptoms of COVID-19:

The following are the most common symptoms of COVID-19:

Fever

Headache

Cold

Cough

Shortness of breath

Sore throat

Nausea

Diarrhea

Loss of taste or smell

Muscle or body ache

Difficulty to breathe

Congested or runny nose

Long-Lasting Immunity: Only Prevention of COVID-19

As the famous saying goes, ‘Prevention is the best cure’, is absolutely true. The tools we have at hand to prevent ourselves from falling sick are:

Immunity Booster: An Ayurvedic Immunity Booster like Alpha HPK has a trio treatment.

Immune Booster: Alpha One is an effective product to build immunity naturally.

Cure Headache: Alpha 11, ayurvedic cure for headache contains essential herbs. It is the best ayurvedic medicine for severe headache online.

Cure Cold and Cough: Alpha 21, the best ayurvedic medicine for cough and cold.

Cure Ear and Nose pain: Alpha ENB has chosen herbs to strengthen the natural defences by building immunity and help to detoxify the blood.

Muscle and Joint Pain: Alpha 111 has herbal oils that cure muscle and joint pain.

2. Face Mask: A face mask is your second defence against the disease, as it covers your nose and mouth from tiny droplets entering your nose or mouth when an infected person sneezes or coughs.

3. Hand Sanitizer or Gel: A hand sanitizer is your third defence against the disease, as it helps keep your hands clean by killing germs and stops the spread, especially if you have touched an infected surface.

Ayurvedic Immunity Boosters: Only Hope for a COVID-19 Vaccine:

There are quite a few vaccines being tested around the world and hopefully the vaccine reaches every person in the world. A vaccine will start building anti-bodies and memory cells that fight the infection almost quickly. To build an immune response, the vaccine may take between 7-21 days.

How to stay safe during COVID-19?

Till a vaccine reaches every person, we must do the following:

Maintain Social-distancing when outside

Avoid leaving your house unnecessarily

Avoid going to crowded places

Always wear a face mask before leaving your house, keep it on all the time you are outside.

Dispose off used mask carefully in a closed bin, do not touch the front of the mask, hold the elastic to remove the mask.

Immediately wash your hands with soap and water after disposing the mask.

Always carry a sanitiser when going out especially when you do not have access to soap and water.

Use a sanitiser whenever you touch surfaces.

Apply the sanitiser and rub it properly all over the hand and palm and especially between the fingers.

Rub the sanitiser for at least 20 seconds.

Keep your immunity high and protect your health by consuming Alpha HPK, cough cold Ayurvedic medicine.

Always sanitise your surroundings to make sure all germs are killed.

Maintain body hygiene, especially cleaning your tongue properly.

Doing yoga after you wake up in the morning also help you to strengthen your immune system.

Meditation also helps you concentrate and bring your mind and body to peace.

Cook and eat fresh food and balanced diet, avoid eating oily foods, especially form outside.

What to do if you are infected with COVID -19?

Firstly, if you feel sick, get a COVID test done so that you know if you are sick because of Corona infection.

If your symptoms are not very serious, and you are experiencing headache or cold or cough, taking the Alpha HPK, will help build immunity and relieve you from the symptoms.

If your symptoms are severe, then go to the nearest hospital so that you get the right care immediately.

Always wear a two- or three-layer face mask, as the mask will keep the infection droplets inside the mask when you cough or sneeze.

Make sure you quarantine yourself from other family members for at least 14 days and take complete rest.

Keep your mind positive and do not get sad or depressed.

Try to do light breathing exercises to give ample oxygen to your lungs.

Eat healthy and balanced diet, like fresh fruits and vegetables, to help your body build immunity and conserve energy.

Your body can resist any kind of disease when you have a positive attitude and do not panic. You can protect yourself from the virus with a strong long-lasting immunity with Alpha HPK, an Ayurveda prevention. For more information on Alpha HPK and other essential Ayurvedic products, click here.

Source:- Alpha Arogya

[88inpursuit]

It’s a, been a rough year.

Today is the last full day of a two year adventure. 

We woke up to the first rainy day in.... let me go look it up....

This is potentially the only rainy day this whole month. 

In January of this year we were in Madrid, Spain living a wonderfully metropolitan life, and on March 1st we drove back to Bordeaux, France with Mackerel in tow. Within one or two weeks of our arrival the country was in full lockdown mode from a virus called COVID-19. It has many names but the most commonly used is COVID-19 or Corona Virus.  Many globally highly aware of it’s havoc it was causing mostly in Asian countries late 2019 and early 2020. I felt even more familiar with what was going on as many of my students are from Asian countries, South Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan. Many naive people around the world were thinking that, ‘oh no, it won’t get to us, and if it does it won’t be that bad.’ It is now July 22 and the United States is struggling. New York was hit pretty hard in April. Many lives were lost and so many infected. Hospitals were over capacity and the city was in full lockdown mode. 

Back to Europe. We had escaped the massive lockdown in Madrid that happened only just a few days after our departure. I am so very thankful we got out of there before that. They weren’t allowing people to travel whatsoever. They were reportedly stopping people at the border to turn back. Our living situation was so much better in Bordeaux than it would have been in Madrid. Initially we were staying at an Airbnb for a month that had an outdoor space, despite the house itself being haphazardly put together with a multitude of problems functioning. The bed was super cozy if initially difficult to get used to. Great deck and swimming pool, even if it was too cold to get in. April came and we were able to get into our new, old apartment. The one we were initially staying in when we first moved to France. 

Domaine Maucamp: Avenue de Thouars. An old building from : 

DOMAINE MAUCAMP

202, avenue de Thouars Residence built at the end of the 18th century Maucamp means "bad field"

In 1846, the estate was 24 ha including 7.5 ha of amenities (English garden, fishpond, stream, entrance courtyard, etc.) and 7 ha of vines. In 1920, the estate was mainly made up of pastures. In 1969, only 1.5 ha remained.

En 1846, le domaine était de 24 ha dont 7,5 ha d’agréments (jardin anglais, vivier, ruisseau, cour d’entrée, …) et  7 ha de vignes.

En 1920, le domaine était essentiellement composé de pâturages. En 1969, il ne restait plus que 1,5 ha.

Actuellement, nous y trouvons la Résidence La Pléiade-Maucamp situé dans le parc.

The apartment has high ceilings and curved corners where the ceiling and wall meet. The apartment has been decorated eclectically by our hosts. Modern with some vintage furnishings with no particular region. Our hosts are both professionals in the film and tv industry here in France. They both share a down to earth-ness that reminds me of people who have lived an interesting life. From their experiences to the travel they’ve done. They both have had previous partnerships and share one child with their previous partners. Fany has a son who is close to our age, 25, and Stephane has a daughter who is twelve. They all have such unique personalities but are similar in that they are all quirky and kind, the best combination. Throughout our who time in both France and Spain they have been the most accommodating, kind, sincere people we’ve had the pleasure to meet. They will be friends for life. We plan on coming back next year, well I do intend to the very least. I will miss them very much and am already tearing just thinking about not seeing them in passing or just hearing their voice in the hallway that we share. I will have to do some illustrations of the apartment set up before my memory slips away. 

We have been so very fortunate throughout this whole journey here, and I can’t believe that I am saying this, but I don’t want to go. The reason being is that I was the one probably pushing harder to go home. I think my anxiety from how the world is at the moment influenced my pressure of wanting comforts of home. 

It is now April... in the timeline and well we found out that we were/are, I am pregnant. I still have to let that sink in when I write that out. I knew it a week after I missed my period. It was that gut intuition you get as a woman. The intuition that continues to be socialized out of us, well tries to at least. My husband didn’t believe me, granted a couple times there were false alarms. What I didn’t/haven’t told him is that I didn’t actually think I was pregnant the previous times, but was wishful thinking. This time I knew it in my bones as they say. So deeply that I was as equally excited the way you get when something significantly new happens for me. The type of blindly excited but unaware of the weighty details of the life change. The kind you have as a teenager well into your mid twenties. I would like to think of it as a fearlessness. As the days slowly progressed to the date we agreed on taking a pregnancy test if the red gates unleashed came closer, the fear set in. Fuck. We were living in a country not as familiar to us as our home, I didn’t have a steady job, he was still in school and all job prospects had been dropped when COVID hit. I wasn’t on my thyroid medication for my Hashimoto’s. I have diagnosed clinical depression since childhood. How am I going to manage. How are we going to manage. This list went on and on and on. I didn’t sleep. I would wake up in a panic early, with my mind racing. The day came, it was raining, and he to the pharmacy to get the pregnancy test and micellar water.... why I don’t know. We weren’t out. Not only did he get micellar water he got three bottles, or so he thought, and only one pregnancy test. One bottle of micellar water, two bottles of baby safe cleansing water, and one pregnancy test. I peed in a cup put the stick in on the sick counter, and immediately a thick pink line instantly appeared. I cried immediately and had him look at it to make sure that it was accurate. He said yep, and the tests were 99.9% positive and we were definitely pregnant. I sobbed and that was that. 

Since, it’s been a rollercoaster. The first trimester was full of nausea, bloating, constipation, headaches, irritability, and unearthly cravings for things. Particularly gummy candies, and egg sandwiches. Trouble breathing, sleeping, and no motivation to move. Mood swings galore. 

Our first prenatal doctor’s appointment was well to say the least fascinating. Not only are we in a different country with different sets of procedures but also during a time of COVID. Rory was not able to be with me the whole appointment but for the sonogram and for questions after. Despite being listed as speaking English our doctor knew as much as I do in French. Not great but passable. My expectations were to have my blood pressure taken, my height, my weight, heart rate, the usual. Nope none of that. She asked me my medical history, family medical related issues, and concerns. We calculated the due date, and had a miscommunication that this was my first visit and first child. We did however get to see the baby on through a sonogram, and saw the blob that would later grow arms legs and a penis. Yes, a penis. It’s a boy. The following appointments were similar, sonogram’s galore but no blood pressure, heart rate, or weight taking. Our last appointment was fascinating though. We got to see him clearly defined as a boy and long gangly limbs. He was not as wiggly as the previous appointment, but there was some movement. These sonogram’s have been reassuring despite not having the regular procedures you would expect at prenatal appointments in the US. For one she would tell us what his measurements were, if he was growing well, and that he was okay. The important base things. Additionally it is the only time that I feel genuinely connected to him. Everyday otherwise I feel like many other women who probably don’t talk about it, I don’t feel connected. For me he is just something, well yes a baby, growing inside of me. I feel the same way about my organs, they are in there doing their thing and I am thankful, but I’m not connected to them emotionally. They just exist. I don’t think I am a horrible person for feeling this way, I am neither ungrateful for being able to get pregnant and so quickly, it’s just that this is how I’m wired. I’ve gone over it a million times, still do as to why I feel this way, but I don’t think that I’ll ever have a real reason unless I choose one and stick to it. Some of my reasonings have included: ‘To not be emotionally connected is my way of not getting hurt or broken if something were to happen,’ this is the one I tell people who I know are disturbed by my feelings of disconnected-ness. Another is that I don’t have the mother gene, despite what others are constantly telling me. The fun more irritational one is that I am not actually having a baby and that I dreamt this all. I could go on but I will bore myself. 

Motherhood is a sore subject for me. I had a very rocky childhood largely formed by circumstances that both my mother and I could not have controlled or changed. It is hard to fault her, but it is hard to know that I won’t succumb to issues my mother once and sometimes continues to be influenced by. I just hope that the cycle of disappointment and hurt felt by me, my mother, her mother and potentially her mother and so forth ends with me. I know that I will have moments where a flip will be switched and I will have to remove myself to not cause this cyclical damage. In fact I’ve had and continue to have conversations with him to help me help myself from this happening. I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses. I am afraid my weaknesses are more powerful than my strengths. 

Being pregnant has largely influenced my pressuring to go home. I somewhat am regretting it. A part of me thinks I should have sucked it up and try to make it work here with him. Fought harder to make it work so that our dream of living overseas long term could take several steps forward as opposed to quite of few steps back? I keep running into this strange feeling mindset of, ‘should we do this or do that? should I pursue this or that?’ When did I get so wishy washy? I used to be so strong in my convictions. Anywho we are flying back tomorrow. An 18 hour + journey back to the crisis hole this is America at the moment. 

[torturedwarrior]

Coronavirus Aka COVID-19

What is the coronavirus disease? Why is the disease being called coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19? How does the virus spread? What is a novel coronavirus? Who is at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19? What are the symptoms and complications that COVID-19 can cause? “Six strains of coronavirus have infected humans, four of which are together responsible for about one-third of common colds.” “COVID-19, are you going to be naughty or nice to me?”― Steven Magee

A coronavirus is a type of viral virus that causes your nose, or upper throat to become infected. The majority of coronaviruses are not harmful. Following the outbreak of the disease in China in December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 was listed as a new form of coronavirus by the World Health Organization. The epidemic spread rapidly across the globe. Official name for this epidemic, first reported as the 2019 new outbreak of coronavirus, was declared by the World Health Organization on February 11, 2020. Coronavirus 2019, the abbreviated COVID-19, is the new name of this disease. 'CO' means 'corona,' 'VI' means 'virus' in COVID-19 and 'D" means disease. This condition was formerly known as the "novel 2019 coronavirus" or the "2019-nCoV" disease. There are several kinds of human coronaviruses, some of which often cause mild Ove rectal diseases. COVID-19 is a new disease, caused by a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans. “With Covid-19 I believe it's God's way of telling us: "Only Humans can Save Humans with Humanity.”― Somya Kedia

A modern coronavirus, not previously known, is a current coronavirus. The 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) virus is not the same as the popular coronaviruses which circulate among people and trigger mild disease such as cold. The COVID-19 virus is suspected to transmit primarily from person to person, mainly through respiratory gout created by the infected individual as they toll, sneeze, or speak. Such droplets may wind up in the mouths of those in the area, or probably in the lung. Dissemination occurs more often in intimate partnerships (about 6 feet) with each other. In the Community ("community spread") COVID-19 appears to spread easily and sustainably in many geographical areas affected. Public spread indicates all citizens in a region have become diagnosed with the infection, even those who are unaware about whether or when they are diagnosed.

Over 10,1 million COVID 19 and 502,589 deaths worldwide have been reported (3) – but these figures continue to rise. Globally, the fatality rate confirmed for patients is over 5 percent – one in 20 individuals who suffered from the disease with a positive result of COVID-19 reported. In late January, the initial US COVID-19 had been diagnosed. Since 26 June 2020, 2,422,312 COVID-19 confirmation cases in the country have been reported and 124,415 deaths have been reported. Around 10 April 2020, the total number of reported cases each day in the United States stood at 31,000 and eventually dropped to about 22,000 a day. But the figures of reported claims have slowly risen to 33,000 a few weeks since the market was revived. New estimates predict that 3% to 10% (between 10 and 33 million people) of Americans have been infectious thus far. Thankfully, in the US, the rate of fatalities every day has dropped from more than 2,000 in April to just 600 in the middle of June. The reduction in deaths can be clarified by a change to younger people 's diseases, sustained security of the aged, expanded checks on asymptomatic and minor symptoms and enhanced diagnosis. Other countries have not experienced this disconnect between the increase in new cases per day and the number of deaths per day – but, because deaths lag behind new cases by approximately three to four weeks, deaths in the US are expected to rise again. “The great pandemic has come like a paroxysm to our SOCIETY, to break the bond of AMITY. The world one year before was the place where every people could experience with gargantuan ECSTASY, But the world today is the place where many valetudinarians are residing with POIGNANCY” ― Rhaqiq Raihan

           The main symptoms include: Fever, Coughing, Shortness of breath, Trouble breathing, Fatigue, Chills, sometimes with shaking, Body aches, Headache, Sore throat, Loss of smell or taste, Nausea and Diarrhea. Pneumonia, respiratory failure, septic shock and death may contribute to the infection. A disorder known as cytokine release syndrome or cytokine storm may cause multiple COVID-19 complications. Inflammatory proteins called cytokines are used to trigger an infection to inundate your bloodstream. Tissue can be killed and your organ can be damaged. If you notice the following severe symptoms in yourself or a loved one, get medical help right away: Trouble breathing or shortness of breath, Ongoing chest pain or pressure, New confusion, Can’t wake up fully, Bluish lips or face. Strokes have also been reported in some people who have COVID-19. Remember FAST: Face. Is one side of the person’s face numb or drooping? Is their smile lopsided? Arms. Is one arm weak or numb? If they try to raise both arms, does one arm sag? Speech. Can they speak clearly? Ask them to repeat a sentence. Time. Every minute counts when someone shows signs of a stroke. Call 911 right away. Symptoms can appear within 2 days or in as many as 14 if you are infected. This differs between men. The most frequent symptoms among people with COVID-19 were according to researchers in China: Fever 99%, Fatigue 70%, Cough 59%, Lack of appetite 40%, Body aches 35%, Shortness of breath 31%, Mucus/phlegm 27%. Some people who are hospitalized for COVID-19 have also have dangerous blood clots, including in their legs, lungs, and arteries.

That individual may get COVID-19, most of which are mild infections. The older you get, the more serious you are at risk. When you have all of those chronic problems you do have a greater risk of severe illness: Chronic kidney disease, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), A weakened immune system because of an organ transplant, Obesity, Serious heart conditions such as heart failure or coronary artery disease, Sickle cell disease, Type 2 diabetes. Conditions that could lead to severe COVID-19 illness include: Moderate to severe asthma, Diseases that affect your blood vessels and blood flow to your brain, Cystic fibrosis, High blood pressure, A weakened immune system because of a blood or bone marrow transplant, HIV, or medications like corticosteroids, Dementia, Liver disease, Pregnancy, Damaged or scarred lung tissue (pulmonary fibrosis), Smoking, Thalassemia and Type 1 diabetes. This extends much of the time while a sick person cough or sneeze. You will spray gout up to 6 meters out. The virus can get into the body if you breathe in or swallow them. Some people with the virus have no symptoms, but the virus may still spread. You may even get the virus by contacting a substance or item on which the virus impacts the lips, nose, or even eyes. Many viruses may survive on a surface on which they land for many hours. A trial reveals that on various types of surfaces SARS-CoV-2 will survive for many hours: Copper: 4 hours, Cardboard: up to 24 hours, Plastic, or stainless steel: 2 to 3 days. That is why it is important to disinfect surfaces to get rid of the virus.

Wash your hands often with soap and water or clean them with an alcohol-based sanitizer. This kills viruses on your hands, Practice social distancing. Because you can have and spread the virus without knowing it, you should stay home as much as possible. If you do have to go out, stay at least 6 feet away from others, Cover your nose and mouth in public. If you have COVID-19, you can spread it even if you do not feel sick. Wear a cloth face covering to protect others. This is not a replacement for social distancing. You still need to keep a 6-foot distance between yourself and those around you. Do not use a face mask meant for health care workers. And do not put a face covering on anyone who is: Under 2 years old, having trouble breathing, Unconscious or can’t remove the mask on their own for other reasons, don’t touch your face. Coronaviruses can live on surfaces you touch for several hours. If they get on your hands and you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, they can get into your body, Clean, and disinfect. You can clean first with soap and water, but disinfect surfaces you touch often, like tables, doorknobs, light switches, toilets, faucets, and sinks. Use a mix of household bleach and water (1/3 cup bleach per gallon of water, or 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water) or a household cleaner that’s approved to treat SARS-CoV-2. You could check the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website to see if yours made the list. Wear gloves when you clean and throw them away when you are done. Another way to help prevent COVID-19 is Social distancing or physical distancing, keeping space between yourself and other people when you have to go out, Quarantine, keeping someone home and separated from other people if they might have been exposed to the virus and Isolation, keeping sick people away from healthy people, including using a separate “sick” bedroom and bathroom when possible. Neither antidote is available, but extensive work has been under way globally to establish one after the origins of the virus is published by scientists in January 2020. In March 2020, clinical vaccine trials launched at unprecedented pace. In various phases of development, there are over 100 vaccine projects. “There is currently no drug or medicine, and vaccine against the Coronavirus. Garlic is most effective in increasing immunity power. There is been extensive investigation of the effectiveness of it. But it is completely free of side effects and can be used regularly to reap benefits from it.” ― Srinivas Mishra. 

                                                     Work Cited:

"Coronavirus & COVID-19 Overview: Symptoms, Risks, Prevention, Treatment & More." WebMD - Better information. Better health... Web. 7 Jul 2020. <http://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus#2-3>.

"Coronavirus Quotes (559 quotes)." Goodreads | Meet your next favorite book. Web. 7 Jul 2020. <http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/coronavirus>.

Plapp, Fred. "The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Summary." The Pathologist. 6 Jul 2020. Web. 7 Jul 2020. <http://thepathologist.com/subspecialties/the-covid-19-pandemic-a-summary>.

"What is coronavirus - Google Search." Google. Web. 7 Jul 2020. <http://www.google.com/search?safe=active&sxsrf=ALeKk02NsudRdaxFbmMybxfsiSnyY7QKQw%3A1594133763464&source=hp&ei=A40EX8C8GcGItQXfoYGgBw&q=what+is+coronavirus+&oq=what+is+coronavirus+&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzIECAAQQzIHCAAQFBCHAjICCAAyAggAMgIIADIECAAQQzICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAA6BAgjECc6BwgAELEDEEM6BQgAELEDUIkHWMMlYMRKaABwAHgAgAHnA4gBkxKSAQkzLjEuMS4xLjOYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwiAysWFs7vqAhVBRK0KHd9QAHQQ4dUDCAk&uact=5>.

[kamronpagac]

5 Effective Ways to Avoid Getting Corona Virus When Traveling

Corona virus has attacked thousands of people in various countries and claimed hundreds of lives. In order not to be infected by this infectious disease, there are several ways you can do to prevent coronavirus transmission.

When infected with the Corona virus, a person will experience flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, and runny nose. However, a few days later, people who develop corona virus infection can experience shortness of breath due to infection in the lungs (pneumonia).

Until now, there has been no treatment that can cure Corona virus infection. Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) appealed to the public not to look down on this disease and to always take preventative measures even when traveling around the world.

Some steps you can take to prevent Corona virus infection are:

Wash your hands properly Washing your hands properly is the simplest but effective way to prevent the spread of the 2019-nCoV virus. Wash your hands with running water and soap, for at least 20 seconds. Make sure all parts of the hand are washed thoroughly, including the back of the hand, wrist, between the fingers, and nails. If it is difficult to find water and soap, you can clean your hands with a hand sanitizer. Use hand sanitizer products with an alcohol content of at least 60% to be more effective at disinfecting germs. Wash your hands regularly, especially before and after eating, after using the toilet, after touching animals, taking out the trash, and after coughing or sneezing.

Using a mask when on the move There are two types of masks that you can use to prevent transmission of the Corona virus, namely surgical masks and N95 masks. Surgical masks or surgical masks are disposable masks that are commonly used. This mask is easy to find, the price is affordable, and comfortable to wear, so many people use this mask when they are on their daily activities. The correct way to use a surgical mask is that the colored side of the mask should face outward, while the white inner side faces the face and covers the chin, nose and mouth. The white side is made of material that can absorb dirt and filter germs from the air. Although not entirely effective in preventing exposure to germs, the use of these masks can still reduce the risk of spreading infectious diseases, including Corona virus infections. While the N95 mask is a type of mask designed specifically to filter out harmful particles in the air. This type of mask is actually more recommended to prevent Corona virus infection. However, this mask is not comfortable to wear everyday and the price is relatively expensive. When removing masks from the face, both surgical masks and N95 masks, avoid touching the front of the mask, because that part is full of germs attached. After removing the mask, wash your hands with soap or hand sanitizer, so that the hands are clean from germs that stick.

Maintain endurance A strong immune system can prevent various diseases. To maintain and increase endurance, you are advised to eat healthy foods, such as vegetables and fruits, and protein foods, such as eggs, fish, and lean meat. In addition, regular exercise, adequate sleep, not smoking, and not consuming alcoholic beverages can also increase endurance to avoid transmission of the Corona virus.

Don’t go to an infected country Not only China, Corona virus infection has now also spread to several other countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, the United States, and Europe. The Corona virus has also been confirmed to be found in neighboring Indonesia, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. And for now Indonesia is still safe from the corona virus.

Do not consume animals that have the potential to transmit coronavirus The new type of Coronavirus is thought to originate from certain animals, such as bats, camels, and cats. Therefore, avoid consumption of these animals. If you want to eat meat or fish, make sure the meat or fish has been washed and cooked until completely cooked. Avoid eating meat or fish that are not fresh or rotten. If you experience flu symptoms, such as coughing, fever, and colds, which are accompanied by weakness and shortness of breath, especially if in the last 2 weeks you have traveled to China or other countries that already have Corona virus infection cases, immediately consult a doctor so the cause can be ascertained and given the right treatment.

hopefully the corona virus can be resolved soon and the cure can be found.

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