#Water-borne disease risks

[townpostin]

Heavy Rains Disrupt Life in Jamshedpur

Low-lying areas face flooding as city grapples with continuous downpour Jamshedpur residents navigate waterlogged streets and flooded homes as intense rainfall hits the city, with more expected in coming days. JAMSHEDPUR – The steel city is experiencing severe waterlogging and flooding in several areas due to intense rainfall over the past 24 hours. Despite lower overall rainfall compared to last…

[yahya-abu-zour]

Hello my friends...

🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨

Iam YehiaAbu Zor 33 years old ,my wife is pregnant and iam father of 3 childrens.

My story begin at 21 Oct when isrealian defense forces destroy my house and excude my dreams of living as all humans.

I spend 9 months in hills "north of Gaza strip "

and the attacks by IDF never been stopped even one day, our lives become unbelievable .

There's no food to eat, no clean water,no house and no safe place to escape from war, hospitals and schools are destroyed .

My children live in dangerous environment, they suffered from panic attacks for several times and from gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases due to pollution result from waste, garbage and poor sanitation.

Please help me to buy new home

and evacuate my family to safe place that provides safety and security.

"small donations can make big💔🙏

difference "

👇

In a war-torn village, a baby was born under harsh conditions. He had no healthcare and insufficient food to satisfy his hunger. His mother tried her best to provide for him, but the war had taken everything from them.At night, they slept on the cold ground in a makeshift shelter, with no blankets to keep them warm. The baby's constant crying reflected the pain of hunger and fear. Without medicine or enough food, the future seemed bleak.Yet despite all the suffering, the mother continued to fight, believing that hope would come someday, and that the war would end, bringing peace and a better life for her little one.

This child is in Gaza, and he is crying because there is no food, milk, or diapers for him. His parents are asking for help from everyone to provide these essential supplies for the child. I don’t have money, and the child’s father is also struggling. We need donations to help provide for our baby.

We need your help to support our family and provide the basics of a decent life. Every donation, no matter how small, will make a big difference in our lives.😭����🇸🙏💔

A child is suffering from severe rashes and infections in sensitive areas of his body due to the use of unsuitable cloth diapers. His condition is getting worse, and his family is desperately seeking treatment for his skin and relief for the sensitive areas affected. They are in urgent need of help to provide the necessary care and medications for their baby. They are pleading for assistance to help give their child the relief and comfort he desperately needs.💔

We are struggling to find clean water, and the available water does not meet safety standards. With no access to clean water in our homes, we are facing a serious crisis. We are making an urgent plea for help, as the lack of water is putting our lives and health at risk.💔🙏

We are forced to cook our🇵🇸 food over firewood, and as a result, the food is often unhealthy and harmful. The lack of proper cooking resources is making it difficult to provide safe and nutritious meals, putting our health at risk.😭

Our home was destroyed by the Israeli occupation, and we no longer have a safe place to live. We are left without shelter or access to proper healthcare, struggling to find safety and basic care for our family.💔

🚨🚨🚨

We are a simple family from Gaza, and we have suffered greatly from the difficult circumstances we live in here. The difficult economic conditions and the unstable security situation have made daily life very difficult. We need your help to support our family and provide the basics of a decent life. Every donation, no matter how small, will make a big difference in our lives. Thank you for your generosity and solidarity. Our prayers for peace and well-being for you and your families.

Vetted by @gazavetters my number verified on the list is ( #30 )

@irhabiya @commissions4aid-international @wellwaterhysteria @junglejim4322 @kibumkimxap @kibumkimxap @kibumkims @neechees @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @heritageposts @heritagepostsbot @heritagepostswithjax @toiletpotato @fromjannah @omegaversereloaded @vague-humanoidot @evillesbianvillainarchive @ot3-old @ot3-old @ot3showdown @ot3showdown @ot3showdown @amygdalae @amygdalaemotions @amygdalaenigma @amygdalaedamage-blog @amygdalaexploration-blog @ankle-beez @ankle @anklebanger @anklesdown @anklexbiters @anklexbiters @dykesbat @stuckinaprill @stuckinaprill @violentrevolution-blog @mar64ds @lacecap @lacecappedhydrangeas @watermotif @socalgal @socalgal69 @socalgall @socalgal9900-blog @socalgal76-blog

[absentlyabbie]

i'll tell you what converted me to being all-in on keeping cats indoors only:

living for a year and a half in a rural area with a sudden feral cat colony explosion on the property.

i moved in with my folks for a bit and at that time, one (1) stray cat mama had taken up residence on the property, but was too feral to let my mother anywhere near her. but especially after she brought three kittens around, mom fed her and the kittens in hopes they'd grow trusting enough she could catch for spay and neuter at the minimum. momcat stayed mean and hella wary, but the kittens would hang around a little nearer and play with my mom via long stick, but still wouldn't come close enough to touch or catch.

unfortunately, two of the three kittens were girls and started having kittens of their own before further progress was made, shortly after i moved in. and that was pretty much instant doom.

there were so many kittens. SO MANY. multiple litters. every time we turned around, more kittens.

we fed them. we hunted for and located the kittens every time anywhere on the property and would move them to a repurposed doghouse anytime a mama cat had them somewhere else, so that they could grow up human-socialized and we could spay/neuter them when they were old enough. (also it was a handy tactic to push the issue of the mamas getting more used to/trusting of us themselves. only really worked with one of them, though.)

and we watched them die.

we watched litter after litter of kittens never make it to the age they could be spayed or neutered. the moms stayed, for the longest time, too skittish to more than briefly touch, much less catch and crate for a vet visit.

it sounds like a silly joke to say i have kitten-related ptsd, but i absolutely do.

too many goddamn times i'd walk out of the garage and find the carport and gravel drive strewn with tiny bodies. others simply went missing, never to be found.

one in particular, i wish i hadn't found, and the visual literally haunts me still, almost a decade later.

i saw so many kittens die of snake bite, spider bite, wild dogs, birds of prey, hit by cars, respiratory illness, covered in fleas and eyes crusted with infection.

and we loved them all. scrimped for antibiotics if the vet could be convinced to give it to us despite our being unable to bring them in. bought flea collars and ointments. we cared for them and fed them and petted them and played with them, brushed their fur and cleaned up their little faces, put ice in their water in hot summer, rigged a heating lamp in their house in the winter.

and they died. horribly. that property is pocked with unmarked graves of kittens and cats.

all the best intentions, not enough resources, and it didn't matter anyways because the population went from three to almost twenty (at times, over thirty) in the blink of an eye.

they died and died and died. our hearts broke over and over again. the stress and anxiety wore us down like sandpaper. i think, by the end of it all, we managed to find less than 10 of them all homes, including batman the disabled kitten i found a home across the country through tumblr.

it was carnage and tragedy, frankly. and we were helpless.

it only ended because they started dying faster than they could be born, and because we finally caught the two remaining mom cats in traps and got them spayed.

the points about outdoor cats being invasive predators devastating to local wildlife populations is true and valid and important.

but i know cat people, and cat people who don't know better than to let cats outdoors. what matters to you is the cat itself, generally. the cat being happy and taken care of.

keeping cats outdoors, letting them outdoors, is not taking care of the cats. it's not protecting them. it's not giving them any happiness or invigoration that couldn't be provided to them as indoor-only pets with just a little research and effort.

they die. they get ill. they get hurt. they're at risk of predators, and cars, and disease, and carelessly cruel children and deliberately cruel adults. they're at risk of disappearing on you because someone else saw a cat outdoors and intervened to give it a better, safer life not in conflict with the local environment.

and if that offends and angers you that someone would just take a cat they saw roaming outdoors, even collared, and that it sounds like i'm endorsing that, i am, but not if you intervene and be that person yourself for your own cat.

if what matters to you is doing right by your cat because it's family and a living creature whose happiness and health and safety is important to you,

keep them indoors. not part time. always. exclusively.

edit: since apparently i need to clarify this, i'm saying cats should live inside, that they should not live outdoors, even part time. visiting the outdoors supervised on a leash or in an enclosed catio is not the same as even part-time living outside, and i am certainly not advocating against it.

[educatedsimps]

— how hq men push you into the pool, hcs

≪ back to fics masterlist

hq character x gn!reader

a/n: this has been sitting in the drafts for months because i was so lazy to format everything nicely but here it is lol hope u enjoyy

cw: humour, lil bit of fluff

hinata, yamaguchi, oikawa (the first victims tbh) WOULD BE THE ONES GETTING DRAGGED IN AHHAHAHA like they'd try to push you in but you'll be able to turn it against him so easily that he'll be the one flailing in the water within seconds

kuroo, bokuto, tanaka, terushima would bridal carry you and instead of dropping or throwing you in he'd jump in with you so you can't even try to wiggle out of his arms he just canonballs straight into the water LOL

noya, suga, tendo, hanamaki would successfully push you into the water before jumping in himself so you can't even get revenge by pulling him in or splashing water on him 😭

atsumu, kindaichi, lev would get uno reversed AHHAHA like he would think that he and his friends are planning to push you in but the plan was to push him in all long 😂 let us observe a moment of silence as he did not take his phone and airpods out of his pocket.

asahi, daichi, ennoshita, akaashi, kita, iwaizumi, yaku (AKA ALL THE HQ GENTLEMEN) you would have to BEG them to push or throw you in because he couldn't bear to do it unless you really really wanted him to :,) he just doesn't wanna do anything that would make you even the tiniest bit uncomfortable HE'S SUCH A GENTLEMAN JKAHSKJDHKDJF

kageyama, ushijima, osamu, matsukawa doesn't get why anyone would wanna push someone into the pool or be pushed into the pool but either his or your friends would be able to convince him to throw you in (as long as they know you don't mind ofc)

tsukki, sakusa, kenma, suna are nowhere NEAR the water 😂 tsukki does NOT want to get splashed ; sakusa would never willingly be within 10 feet of a "pool full of idiots and water-borne diseases" ; kenma would not risk his game console getting wet ; suna would not risk getting his phone wet from filming all the stupidity going on near the pool

bonus headcanons!

hinata and kageyama would be racing each other into the pool

kuroo would try to drag tsukki and kenma into the water with the help of bokuto and surprisingly, akaashi too HAHAHA

noya would pull your leg underwater to scare you and then drag you down to give you a hug or a kiss underwater to surprise you 🤭

atsumu would be the floating corpse meme

a/n: lmk if i missed out any characters HAHA

© educatedsimps 2024. do not repost, copy, translate or plagiarise any work from this blog on tumblr or any other platforms. if you do, the simps will hunt you down. likes and reblogs are appreciated!

[heartpascal]

omg plsss do more platonic father-figure joel fics comforting the reader please i begggg they are so good

carved over the door

▹— joel miller x platonic!reader

▹— summary: you’ve been hiding something from joel, and he finally found out. his reaction is… not what you expected.

▹— a/n: ok this isn’t even like. close to being a favourite but i think the idea is cute, execution just isn’t great!! to be clear, things like this are NOTHING to be ashamed of, but this is gonna touch on how it can make the person feel!! (EDIT as of july, i have no idea how this fic is looking so please go easy, i haven’t proofread it, only tagged a bit of writing on the end to finish it up, so it’s not great)

▹— warnings: father figure joel, reader is illiterate, r is embarrassed about it, therefore says some bad things, is ashamed almost, so please be wary, cute lessons ensue, swearing, lazy writing at the end, use of ‘sweetie’

▹— taglist: @rhymingtree @sleepygraves @wnstice (everything), @auggiesolovey @just-kaylaa @evyiione @lemonlaides @fariylixie0915 @erensloveinterest @dazedshoon @faceache111 @randomhoex @canpillowscry @pedropascalsrealgf @star-wars-lover @coolchick333 @soobsdior @ilybbg @rvjaa @oliest19xx @pedropepsi @sunflowersdrop @truthfuleeyours (pedro)

masterlist

∘₊✧───── ───── ───── ─────✧₊∘

Being born into the end of the world probably should have killed you off early. Most kids your age were either dying or dead, or being trained to become child soldiers. It was rare for kids born in the pandemic to live, you had been told. Risks of death were everywhere, from Infected, to FEDRA, all the way to all those diseases you hadnt been vaccinated against.

Survival odds were bleak, to say the least, but you were one of the lucky ones.

Life had put you in the path of the only two good people you knew — Joel and Tess. It was them who had saved you from FEDRA’s clutches, though you had never understood why. They had consistently told you that they only looked out for themselves, so was the way of life in the apocalypse, but each time you needed them, there they were.

There was that time you had an infection, and despite the weather being awful and security tight, Joel and Tess had gone out on a supply run, getting a hold of the antibiotics that had saved your life.

You tried to be useful, hopeful that if you helped them enough, as much as they helped you, that they wouldn’t kick you out any time soon.

It’s why you always took it upon yourself to clean their bloodied clothes, to sew up the tears that would have ruined them, to wash the dishes you all ate your rations off of. It’s why you always made sure to use the coldest water, refusing to take any that may be the slightest bit warm from them. Little things like that would surely keep you at least somewhat helpful.

It’s also why you kept your biggest secret quiet.

You had done your best to prevent them from ever finding out, and had they not decided that you could join them in visiting Bill and Frank, you were sure they never would’ve.

They’d known the two men for a while before you had arrived, and this would be your first time meeting them. Joel usually insisted upon you staying at the QZ, too worried over the journey and the risks it posed for you to attend any of their supply runs, but they seemed… content to let you join.

The three of you would be heading straight to Bill and Frank’s, and then straight back. No pit stops, no detours, just one confirmed route.

Your nerves had been playing up the whole time, causing you to jump at any sound, your hands shaking at the sight of Infected, hell — you had listened to every word that Joel and Tess said, though they didn’t blame you. It was your first time outside of the QZ, and they understood how frightening this could be.

You couldn’t decide if arriving at Bill and Frank’s made your anxiety better or worse.

It kept you quiet the whole time you were there, even as Bill tested the three of you, nodding when the screen flashed green. You stuck by Joel’s side as the four of you set up the table, Bill inside the house cooking dinner.

The four of you finally sat down, with Frank and Tess starting up conversation quickly, before Frank stopped, turning to you and saying, “Oh, would you mind going and grabbing a bottle of Barbera, sweetie?”

He was nice, and you didn’t want to get Joel and Tess in trouble with them by bringing you if you didn’t help them out, so you nodded with a nervous glance at Joel. “Sure, in there?” You pointed towards the house, and Frank nodded with a smile, turning back to his conversation with Tess.

You stepped away from the table, glancing back and seeing Joel looking at you with a quirked eyebrow, frown marring his features. You smiled tightly toward him before opening the front door, stepping inside and following the smell of cooking until you found Bill. “Um, Frank said to grab the bottle of… Bar—Barbera?”

Bill grunted, a grumpy expression covering his face, and nodded his head toward another door. You went through it quickly, down some steps, and you just about stopped yourself from crying when you saw the number of bottles around the room.

By the three minute mark, the stairs creaked, and Joel appeared at the bottom, looking increasingly concerned as he saw your distressed expression. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s—it’s fine.” You replied, your voice shaking slightly, and you looked away from him, continuing to scan all the bottles on the shelves in front of you. The labels meant nothing to you, and you couldn’t help but get more upset by Joel’s presence.

He placed a hand on your shoulder as he approached, and didn’t say a word as he grabbed a bottle up towards your left. He led you out of the room, handing you the bottle and guiding you to where the other three were now settled at the table, food set out in front of them.

“Thank you, sweetie.” Frank said kindly as you set the bottle down at the table, quickly pulling your hands back before anybody could see the shake to your fingers.

You sat through the rest of the dinner quietly, barely able to enjoy the actual nice, home-cooked food through your racing thoughts. You answered Frank when he spoke to you, still knowing that you needed to be polite, but you were starting to feel sick.

When the three of you finally made it home, Joel and Tess had shared a number of concerned glances, eyebrows drawn close together as they murmured between one another, still talking quietly even when you dropped down on the sofa, a sigh leaving your chest.

It stayed that way for the next few weeks, and there was an awkward energy growing in the apartment the three of you shared. With your uncharacteristic quietness, and the way Joel and Tess would converse quietly, as if you hadn’t noticed, something was up.

That much became increasingly obvious when Joel sat you down on the couch you slept on, the crease between his brows as deep as ever.

He said your name nervously, and cleared his throat before he continued, “When we were at Bill and Frank’s, I, uh— I noticed somethin’.”

“Noticed what?” You responded when he didn’t continue, your anxiety leaking into your voice in the way it shook as you spoke, and you knew exactly what was coming. He’d realised your secret — he and Tess must’ve been deciding what to do during all of those talks.

“Fuck,” He muttered, clearly unsure how to go about this conversation, “Don’t… take this the wrong way, but, can you read?”

Your heart dropped to your stomach, and you swallowed nervously. “‘Course I can read, Joel.” You replied, snapping at the man, who just frowned more at your response.

He nodded, and reached into the backpack by his feet, pulling out a relatively thin book. He looked almost remorseful, pulling this out when he knew you were lying, and you hated the way that shame pulled at your stomach, making you feel sick as you looked at the letters you couldn’t make any sense of.

“Y’know, there’s nothin’ wrong with not knowing.” Joel said, voice softening as he looked at your panicked expression.

“Except that you don’t want me around anymore, right? It’s fine, but it’s not good enough. Don’t want some dumbass kid who can’t even read hanging around, is that it?” You snapped, anger firing up in your chest as you stood from the couch, fists clenched at your side as you averted your eyes from the book in his hand.

Your cheeks were burning, embarrassment flooding your expression, and your eyes were beginning to fill with tears.

“What? No, kid, sit back down.” He said, pushing you back to your seat by your shoulders. “Don’t go ‘round making assumptions like that. I’m offering to teach you.”

“Oh.”

He snickered at your response, though he looked almost embarrassed to be making the offer, like he was unsure what your response would be.

“So… you’re not kicking me out?”

“‘Course not. Getting ahead of yourself, there.”

“You really wouldn’t mind… teaching me?” You asked, heart still hammering in your chest as you stared at the man, his face softening at your nervous questions.

In response, he moved to sit right beside you on the couch, and opened the book in his hands. “It’s been a while for me, kid, so go easy.”

You smiled at him, wiping your tears before settling close to his side, head gently resting against his arm to get the best angle of his book. He pointed an index finger at the words as he read aloud, pointing new letters out each time they came up. Some familiar words came up, spelled phonetically, and made sense once you’d learnt the full alphabet on paper, but others made much less sense. Like fight — where did the gh come from?

By the time the two of you had made it through the first chapter, you could recognise letters on paper, know the sounds that the letters made, and even read majority of the simpler words, the ones that came up often.

Tess came home a bit later on, after you had fallen asleep against Joel’s shoulder. She raised her eyebrows, a hint of something like a smile on her face as she looked at the two of you, and asked, “Good first lesson?”

Joel wiped a hand down his face, his muscles tense in his efforts to keep still in order to not wake you, and stay awake himself. “Made some good progress.” He acknowledged, his voice barely louder than a whisper as he looked down to where you were slipping from his shoulder. Tess nodded at him, before heading down the hall to get on with unpacking her backpack.

From then on, these sorts of evenings happened a few times a week, almost always ending with you falling asleep against Joel. Your reading ability improved, and when the two of you finished the short book, you started rereading it immediately, now able to follow along more clearly as the stuttered words flowed more easily, and soon enough, Joel was promising to grab a new book from Bill and Frank’s.

The new words were tricky, when starting the new book, but each time you got stuck, Joel was there to help, and eventually, you got used to reading without his help. Sounding out words you were stuck on yourself, just waiting for his confirming mmhm to be muttered before you would continue on.

When finally, you finished an entire chapter without a murmur from Joel, you pulled away from his side excitedly, looking towards his face and seeing his expression being nothing short of filled with pride. He pulled you back to his side, one arm wrapped around you this time, and squeezed your shoulders before urging you to continue.

Feeling your eyes start to slip, words going blurred on the page, you asked, “Could you keep going?” Without questioning you, he continued from where you left off, reading the words out loud and keeping his arm wrapped firmly around your shoulder.

It was strange, hearing that softness to Joel’s voice, when before these lessons, you’d only ever heard the gruff voice he usually had. It made sense, you supposed, given that he remained rough around the edges for everybody who wasn’t you and Tess, but it made you feel… almost comfortable. It was like a safety net was wrapped around you, like nothing could happen to you if you stayed at his side.

You yawned, eyes still trying to focus on the book that Joel continued to read, his finger subconsciously moving along the page whilst he spoke the words.

It wasn’t long before you fell asleep against him, his voice fading to a whisper when he realised. It became something of a tradition between the two of you, these lessons where Joel taught you, and then eventually read to you until you fell asleep. He didn’t mention how much it reminded him of before, of her. And you didn’t mention how much more comfortable you had gotten since the lessons had started.

No longer were you on the edge of your seat, waiting for them to give you the boot. Now, you finally felt… accepted. In a way you never had been before Joel, before being taught something that wasn’t just for survival.

Strangely, it was almost like you could live, rather than survive. You didn’t voice it aloud, but you suspected Joel felt similarly, if his change in behaviour said anything.

[physalian]

“Why doesn’t the villain just kill the heroes?”

Ah, plot armor. If you want to be a real go-getter and think up a more creative way for the heroes to always narrowly escape death out of sheer dumb luck, the villain being too slow on the draw, or the villain simply not thinking of it in the moment, you have to come up with a reason for why the villain doesn’t just kill the hero.

Four examples today.

1. Zhao & Aang

In “The Blue Spirit,” Aang is captured by Zhao, a man normally not above anything to further his agenda, including murder. The Avatar is the largest obstacle in his way, second to the Earth Kingdom, and all he has to do to take Aang off the gameboard is to kill a twelve-year-old. He’s got Aang in chains, not quite powerless but harmless enough, and could do it quickly.

So why doesn’t he? Per Zhao himself, if he kills Aang, the Avatar cycle will continue, born into some random water bender that may take them years to track down. Sure, they’ll be harmless for a few years and the Fire Nation might get lucky and find them easily, perhaps even sway the new one to their side, but what if the waterbending Avatar is born into the Foggy Swamp? Or they end up having to kill them, too, and then have to track down an earthbending Avtar across the entire Earth Kingdom? Does Zhao really want to take that chance when he can just keep Aang alive? Just barely?

Of course not.

Killing the hero in this case might stop the immediate threat, but it will just delay the inevitable, thus it’s in the villain’s best interest to exploit a loophole while likely committing war crimes in the process. He gets to secure a Fire Nation victory and make Aang suffer for the rest of his life.

Ozai doesn't kill Aang until the first chance he gets, which just so happens to be the series finale. And we all know why Aang has a no-kill policy.

2. Sam, Dean & The Angels and Demons

Hahaha it’s the show known for its refusal to kill its heroes. We’re gonna ignore everything past season 5. There’s obviously meta reasons—kill the main characters and you have zero supporting cast that could realistically take over the show.

But in season 4, despite multiple deaths already for both of them, so begins the “if you die we’ll just bring you back” threat, because they’re angels and angels can do that. Similar to Aang, Sam and Dean risk a fate far worse than death if they don’t cooperate with Zachariah’s plans. He happily gives them both a slew of diseases and illnesses to get his way whenever he gets the chance and reminds them both that if they just kill themselves to escape the Apocalypse, he’ll happily revive them. The Demons won't kill Sam and Dean because they're necessary to further their own plans by breaking certain seals on Lucifer's cage, though they're not above breaking bones and killing bystanders.

Fate worse than death is a popular threat, but usually the heroes offing themselves is still a viable, if deeply unpopular, option. Supernatural removes it entirely and for such a simple little detail, it does a lot to make their survivability believable.

3. Batman & Joker

Ahh the age old furious rant by people who don’t understand Batman: If Batman killed his villains they’d stop busting out of Arkham and murdering innocent civilians, Batman has so much blood on his hands—

Babe. Babe, he’s a comic book character. By his very nature, he can’t kill his villains otherwise he’d have no rogues gallery. Comic books are like a giant board of Monopoly, going around in circles and occasionally having a timeout in jail.

But the in universe reason there’s no killing has been essayed about extensively and so has why Joker doesn’t try harder to kill him, but I couldn’t not include these two. Batman does not kill because he is not judge, jury, and executioner of his villains, most of whom have mental health issues and while they certainly know better and their crimes aren’t justified, his villains need actual therapy and help and medication, not death. Even those who he might agree must be stopped and there’s no other way except murder, Batman himself will not be the one to pull the trigger. He must remain a hero, so that no matter who he comes across in the dark alleyways of Gotham, they know he’s not here to kill them, be it criminal or victim.

Joker doesn’t kill Batman for a much simpler reason, and Heath Ledger literally says it: “I won’t kill you because you’re too much fun.” He does not need a more convoluted reason, he enjoys the game, the chase, the tug of war (most versions of him, at least) and to kill Batman would be to end his greatest form of entertainment, and the only person probably in the whole world who is neither afraid of Joker nor dismissive of him as simply a freak.

4. Optimus and Megatron

Optimus Prime and Megatron are very similar to Batman and Joker but with literal eons of history between them. In most serialized Transformers media, as opposed to movies where the plot is more urgent, Megatron both wants to win Optimus over and just can't quite let himself finally win. Who is he without his rival, after all this time?

Optimus is in the same boat, refusing to kill him because he's still holding out hope for Megatron's redemption, that there's a peaceful way to end this war (no matter how much collateral both leaders end up causing). Shit gets real whenever Optimus breaks the unspoken rules of their no-kill rivalry and Megatron gets incredibly pissy about it because he's in love.

—

Suggestions to workshop this plot hole in your own narrative:

The hero staying alive is absolutely paramount to the villain’s plan (in which case, you have to have rock solid reasons for why they keep narrowly escaping capture)

The villain is so confident in their plan that they don’t even consider the hero a proper threat

The villain doesn't really have a bodycount, but if they kill the hero, suddenly all the other powers that be will take them seriously and they'll have a huge mess on their hands

The villain is so full of themselves or so in love with their rival that it’d break their heart to have to kill them just to win

The villain is simply not capable of murder either physically or morally (perhaps because the hero is a child)

Killing the hero would make them a martyr and the villain would end up with a far bigger mess on their hands when the lone hero is replaced with an avenging army

The villain is too proud to simply kill the hero and wants to win fairly in a proper fight on the battlefield and not take the cheap and easy shot

The villain does not have a phyiscal form or real presence in the plot, acting through their minions, and their minions are incompetent

It’s simply not fun if the hero dies/the hero is the only one who understands them and they’d lose far more than they’d gain by killing them

The villain still wants to try and win the hero over and is so dedicated to this path that they regularly sabotage their own plans desperate to change the hero’s mind

The villain firmly believes in a fate worse than death and while the hero’s survival isn’t crucial to the main plan, they want the hero to watch their own failure/become the villain’s minion/ prisoner/ partner by the end

There’s a million examples out there to pull from and I could keep listing them all night. So long as whatever it is doesn’t come out of nowhere or open a plot hole of “why didn’t they just do that earlier?” you can get quite creative.

One last example that’s a personal favorite of mine to implement: In Eternal Night of the Northern Sky there aren’t too many opportunities to ask this question, but when it does arise, Villain A has Hero B as a meat shield, and while Hero B’s love interest, Hero C, is more than happy to shoot through them to incapacitate Villain A, the person they take orders from isn’t so reckless, which later leads to Drama and Issues.

[morbidology]

John Allen Chau, born in 1991, was a young American missionary driven by a fervent Christian faith and a deep desire to share his beliefs with others. Chau underwent missionary training and embarked on several missions around the world. His journey to North Sentinel Island, however, would prove to be his most ambitious and contentious endeavor.

North Sentinel Island is home to the Sentinelese, one of the last known uncontacted tribes in the world. The Sentinelese people have a long history of rejecting contact with outsiders, fiercely guarding their isolation and autonomy. This isolation is not only a cultural choice but also a means of protection against diseases to which they lack immunity.

Undeterred by the risks and legal restrictions barring outsiders from approaching the island, Chau ventured illegally into the restricted waters surrounding North Sentinel Island in November 2018. His goal was to establish contact with the Sentinelese and introduce them to Christianity, believing it to be a divine calling despite warnings from anthropologists, government officials, and advocacy groups.

Chau's attempts to make contact with the Sentinelese met with resistance from the tribe, who shot arrows at him during his initial visits. Undeterred, he persisted in his efforts to communicate with them, even leaving gifts such as a football and fish on the beach in an attempt to establish rapport.

Tragically, on November 17, 2018, Chau was killed by members of the Sentinelese tribe he had been trying to make contact with. Fishermen reported that they saw the islanders dragging Chau's body, and the next day they saw his body being buried on the shore.

[cripplecharacters]

Hey! Thanks so much for all your work — seeing your answers has helped me be a lot more conscious of ableism in media. I have a question about a character I’m writing.

The story is a climate fiction story set in the fairly near future, and the origins of their disability is traced back to water pollution. The effects of the disability are that they are in a scooter.

One of the things you say all the time that I really appreciate is when writing disabled characters make sure they have a specific disability which characteristics you can research — but I’m not totally sure how to research disabilities connected to pollution? I am thinking the character’s disability will be connected with lung issues, which then connect with certain types of muscular atrophy, hence the wheelchair. But this is kind of just guesswork based on some inconclusive googling and what I know of pollution-related health conditions.

Any thoughts or tips?

Thanks!

Hi!

I think that a disability related to pollution is a very interesting premise! I myself have a family member who has a congenital disability due to radiation pollution (Chernobyl), it's nice to see it represented :-)

Some things to consider that could help you with further research;

Were they born with it or is it progressive? Some pollution conditions, like Minamata Disease, could be both but the symptoms can vary between them. E.g. it wouldn't make sense to give your character microcephaly if they became disabled at 23, but it would if it's congenital.

If possible, try to pinpoint what specifically is causing the water pollution. Heavy metals? Radiation? Chemical spill? There are a lot of incredibly specific pollution conditions. If you can think of it, it probably already happened. This can be research of the incredibly boring variety, but once you find something that works "enough" it will make things easier going forward.

Examples: heavy metals will often cause neurological problems (including ataxia), radiation will cause extremely high rates of various (blood and thyroid, for example) cancers even decades after the exposure, chemical spills can cause almost anything.

If you're going for lung issues, I would research Pneumoconiosis. Apologies for the link to Wikipedia, but it leads to a ton of different subtypes that you could be useful to look into. It talks about dust pollution, but generally if it's in the air then it's going to be in the water very soon too.

Using a scooter can be helpful for an incredibly wide range of conditions, including COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) which is a common symptom of various pollution diseases.

Establishing the exact cause will also help you with worldbuilding - if the chemical polluting has a 90% fatality rate, it will be very different from one with <1%. If there's radiation, are unaffected people going through health anxiety due to the obvious cancer risk? Are local animals going extinct, how is the vegetation changing?

For water pollution specifically, think of how it affects the whole community - is rainwater safe to drink, are there ways to clean it, are there any fish to eat? Etc.!

I would also research the conditions that you might not necessarily think about, like bacterial or fungal ones. Here's a page on water-based diseases and their effects, as well as potential causes.

This is a very hard to exhaust topic as there's probably a million ways to pollute water, but I tried my best! I wish you good luck with writing! I think it's important to bring attention to these kinds of things.

I hope this helps! :-)

mod Sasza

[simply-windy]

The Seven Islands - Phighting Au

The "Seven Islands" are a collection of islands ruled over my deities n their families, each island hosting spawn fountains and a number of demons that inhabit them. Each island has their own characteristics that separate them from the rest and have their own "regional pin' that's given to every demon at birth as a form of identification. Island of Flames: Ruling family: King Firebrand and his grandsons, Prince Dom and Prince Valk The Island of Flames is one of the hottest islands with skyrocketing temperatures during the morning hours and cooler, more tolerable temperatures in the night hours. The waters around his island tend to be hotter too, making swimming a tad of a risk. There is also a dormant volcano located in the very center of the island. All demons born here have a natural resistance to the heat. Island of Storms: Ruling family: Queen Windforce and her son, Prince Banhammer The Island of Storms is one of the roughest and toughest of islands, constantly plagued with harsh weather and storms, those who inhabit this island are always prepared for some sort of dangerous/strong weather events. The Island of Storms is also home to one of the biggest fighting arenas within the seven islands, demons from all over come to show their strengths in hopes of fighting the queen herself. Island of Flowers: Ruling family: King Illumina and his nephew, Snapdragon Sword The Island of Flowers is definitely the most beautiful. Covered head to toe in dazzling flowers, luscious greenery and fruit bearing trees. nature prevails here. The Island of Flowers is also home to the biggest animal population as well. Island of Souls: Ruling family: King Ghostwalker The Island of Souls is a quiet one. A peaceful island where those who're on death's door come to find a resting place. Most elderly demons tend to live on this island for that reason. Peaceful with haunting yet cozy beauty. Island of Plague: Ruling family: King Venomshank and formerly his son, Snapdragon Sword The Island of Plague is one where the undead walk freely and openly, where ghouls and goblins n such come to life. Most demons who inhabit this island also grow up with an immunity to most of the plague and diseases that containment the land. Although food n water are kept heavily monitored to make sure they're containment-free and safe for all to eat for non-native borns Island of Shadows: Ruling family: King Darkheart The Island of Shadows used to be a fun place to visit. Any and all demons were welcomed to come and traverse the darkened waters and shadowy landscape, but now very few demons even LIVE on that island in general. The island nowadays is deemed "unsafe for residency" due to a tragic event that befell the king, causing them to lose their mind and basically overrun the island completely with their madness. Those who remain on the island have fallen into said madness too. Island of Frost: Ruling family: King Icedagger The Island of Frost is snowy and chilled, being the coldest island out of the seven. Peaceful and serene, many people tend to travel there to celebrate winter holidays, go on vacation or simply to see a different form of nature. Many cozy cabins and log houses make up the general housing for residents and such. The waters are incredibly frigid, making swimming a danger for those who're not native born. All demons born here have a natural resistance to the cold.

@discothemechanic is also apart of this au!!!! She's the owner of the Sword in this au. Since she's reworking him, his name is currently unknown as of now and will be added once everything's all set. @seaside-merchants and @young-sharkling , two of my own blogs, are also apart of this au!

[melhindips]

⭕️ update of the most important statistics of the genocide being carried out by the "Israeli" occupation against the Gaza Strip for the (335th) day – Thursday, September 5, 2024:

◻️ (335) days of the genocide.

◻️ (3,556) massacres committed by the occupation army.

◻️ (50,878) martyrs and missing persons.

◻️ (10,000) missing persons.

◻️ (40,878) martyrs who reached hospitals.

◻️ (16,715) child martyrs.

◻️ (115) infants born and martyred in the genocide.

◻️ (36) died as a result of starvation.

◻️ (11,308) female martyrs.

◻️ (885) martyrs from medical teams.

◻️ (82) martyrs from civil defense teams.

◻️ (172) martyrs from journalists.

◻️ (7) mass graves established by the occupation inside hospitals.

◻️ (520) martyrs were recovered from 7 mass graves inside hospitals.

◻️ (94,454) injured and wounded.

◻️ (69%) of the victims are children and women.

◻️ (178) shelters targeted by the "Israeli" occupation.

◻️ (17,000) children living without both parents or one of them.

◻️ (3,500) children at risk of death due to malnutrition and lack of food.

◻️ (121) days since the closure of all Gaza Strip crossings.

◻️ (12,000) injured needing to travel abroad for treatment.

◻️ (10,000) cancer patients facing death and in need of treatment.

◻️ (3,000) patients with various diseases needing treatment abroad.

◻️ (1,737,524) affected by infectious diseases due to displacement.

◻️ (71,338) cases of hepatitis infections due to displacement.

◻️ (60,000) pregnant women are at risk due to lack of healthcare.

◻️ (350,000) chronically ill patients at risk due to the prevention of medication entry.

◻️ (5,000) detainees from the Gaza Strip during the genocide.

◻️ (310) detentions from healthcare staff.

◻️ (36) journalist detentions whose names are known.

◻️ (2) million displaced in the Gaza Strip.

◻️ (200) government buildings destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (123) schools and universities completely destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (335) schools and universities partially destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (110) scientists, university professors, and researchers executed by the occupation.

◻️ (610) mosques completely destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (214) mosques partially destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (3) churches targeted and destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (150,000) housing units completely destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (80,000) housing units uninhabitable due to destruction by the occupation.

◻️ (200,000) housing units partially destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (82,000) tons of explosives dropped by the occupation on the Gaza Strip.

◻️ (34) hospitals rendered out of service by the occupation.

◻️ (80) health centers out of service by the occupation.

◻️ (162) health institutions targeted by the occupation.

◻️ (131) ambulances targeted by the occupation.

◻️ (206) archaeological and heritage sites destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (3,130) kilometers of electricity networks destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (34) facilities, stadiums, and sports halls destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (700) water wells destroyed and rendered out of service by the occupation.

◻️ (33) billion USD in direct preliminary losses due to the genocide.

[satellitebroadcast]

Government Media Office: Telegram

The Government Media Office publishes an update of the most important statistics of the genocide being carried out by the "Israeli" occupation against the Gaza Strip for the 335th day Thursday, September 5, 2024: - 335 days of the genocide. - 3,556 massacres committed by the occupation army. - 50,878 martyrs and missing persons. [Recorded not all] - 10,000 missing persons. [Recorded not all] - 40,878 martyrs who reached hospitals. [Recorded not all] - 16,715 child martyrs. [Recorded not all] - 115 infants born and martyred in the genocide. [Recorded not all] - 36 died as a result of starvation. - 11,308 female martyrs. [Recorded not all] - 885 martyrs from medical teams. - 82 martyrs from civil defense teams. - 172 martyrs from journalists. - 7 mass graves established by the occupation inside hospitals. - 520 martyrs were recovered from 7 mass graves inside hospitals. - 94,454 injured and wounded. [Recorded not all] - 69% of the victims are children and women. - 178 shelters targeted by the "israeli" occupation. - 17,000 children living without both parents or one of them. - 3,500 children at risk of death due to malnutrition and lack of food. - 121 days since the closure of all Gaza Strip crossings. - 12,000 injured needing to travel abroad for treatment. - 10,000 cancer patients facing death and in need of treatment. - 3,000 patients with various diseases needing treatment abroad. - 1,737,524 affected by infectious diseases due to displacement. - 71,338 cases of hepatitis infections due to displacement. - 60,000 pregnant women are at risk due to lack of healthcare. - 350,000 chronically ill patients at risk due to the prevention of medication entry. - 5,000 detainees from the Gaza Strip during the genocide. - 310 detentions from healthcare staff. - 36 journalist detentions whose names are known. - 2 million displaced in the Gaza Strip. - 200 government buildings destroyed by the occupation. - 123 schools and universities completely destroyed by the occupation. - 335 schools and universities partially destroyed by the occupation. - 110 scientists, university professors, and researchers executed by the occupation. - 610 mosques completely destroyed by the occupation. - 214 mosques partially destroyed by the occupation. - 3 churches targeted and destroyed by the occupation. - 150,000 housing units completely destroyed by the occupation. - 80,000 housing units uninhabitable due to destruction by the occupation. - 200,000 housing units partially destroyed by the occupation. - 82,000 tons of explosives dropped by the occupation on the Gaza Strip. - 34 hospitals rendered out of service by the occupation. - 80 health centers out of service by the occupation. - 162 health institutions targeted by the occupation. - 131 ambulances targeted by the occupation. - 206 archaeological and heritage sites destroyed by the occupation. - 3,130 kilometers of electricity networks destroyed by the occupation. - 34 facilities, stadiums, and sports halls destroyed by the occupation. - 700 water wells destroyed and rendered out of service by the occupation. - 33 billion USD in direct preliminary losses due to the genocide.

[egnidres]

Version française

Information :

I think I spent a lot of time keeping information about Magicpunk like a dragon keeping its gold close to its side. It's more because I was debating with myself about details that I found illogical and that probably needed to be changed in order to be ‘acceptable’ to me. But I also know that I risk changing things again and again just because I'm not satisfied.

Of course if you have any questions you can ask, I'll do my best to answer them.

Here's what Killer, Cross, Dust and Horror look like. This wonderful illustration was made by @zu-is-here

In this universe, magic is present in everything (stones, wood, water, blood, etc.) in different quantities. It follows the same principle as the colour of stars: the hotter a star is, the more its colour turns purple. It's the same principle with magic, but not because of its temperature, but because of its quantity.

Some things don't have the colour of the magic they contain, but when they change state, like wood for example, the flames it gives off will have different colours. But precious stones, for example, have exactly the same colour as the amount of magic they contain.

What's more, their state can also influence their use. For example, gems are solid and can explode if misused, while water is most often used (especially in factories) because it's easy to separate the magic from the material. They simply use the principle of distillation (magic evaporates at just 75°C). However, the smoke is dangerous and potentially fatal. The smoke affects the souls of skeletons as it is not protected by fur, scales or skin.

Two people who worked in this place are affected by the smoke: Killer and Cross. They were born and lived for years in the slums, experiencing cold, hunger and fear, but they always stayed together.

It's because of the smoke that their souls and irises are red in whole or in part, creating Gamic antibodies to protect themselves and destroy the threat. But the soul is no longer able to stop or even reduce the production of its antibodies and so it gradually destroys itself because of their excessive presence, attacking the soul little by little. If we were to draw an analogy with two diseases that really exist, they would in some way be type 1 diabetes and cancer.

Killer's soul changed shape to become a circle and that's what saved his life, but Cross's didn't. That's why his soul changed shape to become a circle and that's what saved his life. That's why his soul is an inverted heart, half red and cracked in places. Horror and Dust help them find a way to save Cross.

Horror is a clockmaker and owns the shop with Dust in one of the modest neighbourhoods at a crossroads. They live close enough to the highest quarters that aristocrats can come and see Horror's creations and earn quite a bit of money. But it's frowned upon for these people to go there, so it's quite rare and they're quite discreet.

They then decide to ask Nightmare for help to save Cross.

Cross and Killer can't read, so Dust and Horror teach them to read and write.

[officeobject]

I used to mention this, and I can mention this again: I can't deny nor verify.

ayaanqar95

2h ago

ayaanqar95 asked:

Hello

My name is Aya, and I am reaching out from Gaza, where my family and I are living in constant fear and suffering. Every moment poses a grave danger to our lives due to the ongoing war. The bombing never ceases, and we are running out of food and water.

Every passing minute increases our risk, and our hearts are filled with anxiety and pain. I urgently need your help to evacuate my family from this hell. We are desperately seeking a way out, but we need financial support to do so.😔😔

Please, extend a hand to save us and let the world hear our cries.💔💔

✅️ Verified by @gazavetters, my number on the list is (#217) ✅️

Best regards,

Aya.

Answer

nafezs-blog

4h ago

nafezs-blog asked:

Hello, I am Nafez from Gaza. My house was bombed by the Israeli occupation, and I lost my job. I want to live in a tent with my children, Lynn and Suhaib, and I need your help. 🙏😭🍉

https://gofund.me/c8f02989

Answer

mah99moud

13h ago

mah99moud asked:

Hello dear ❤🇵🇸,

I’m Dr. Mahmoud, a 25-year-old dentist from Gaza. The war has devastated my life and the lives of my family. I was supposed to be an assistant teacher at my university, but I lost both my university and my home. Now, I live in difficult conditions, displaced from one place to another 🇵🇸🍉. I also lost my workplace at a dental clinic and the university 💔.

My baby, Abdullah, was born during the war under challenging circumstances. Unfortunately, the resources to care for him are only available at exorbitant prices 💔.

Can you please donate and reblog my pinned post on my account? 😍🙏 Alternatively, could you help by creating a price list for donors and updating it periodically, or ask someone with a popular blog to publish my campaign? I would be so grateful if you could pin it on your page.

The pinned post shares our story 🇵🇸🕊. Please donate or help by sharing and reblogging it. Every share makes a difference ❤🙏.

Thank you so much for your support.

Answer

rewaaamir1

16h ago

rewaaamir1 asked:

🆘 🆘 A Call for Urgent Help for Our Family in Gaza🚨🇵🇸🍉

Dear Friends and Supporters,🙏

I am reaching out with a heartfelt plea for assistance. My family, consisting of five children and two parents, is in urgent need due to the ongoing crisis in Gaza for the second year of war.

We are struggling to meet our basic needs: rent, food, clean water, and medical expenses. Each day presents new challenges, and my priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of my children, especially after we are afflicted with the ongoing infectious diseases spread in the Gaza like Hepatitis C disease.

If you are in a position to help, any contribution would be immensely appreciated and make a significant difference in our lives.

Thank you for your compassion and support during this critical time.

We hope to help us by donate or reblog/share with others .

Every donation makes a different even if it a small.

Not: our account is Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #155 )

With gratitude,

Rewaa Amir,

This is our link if you need more details of our story 👇👇

https://gofund.me/16f342ff

Answer

[historyforfuture]

🔴 The Government Media Office releases an update on key statistics of the genocide carried out by the occupation in Gaza Strip, Day 385, Friday, October 25, 2024:

◻️ (385) days of genocide.

◻️ (3,738) massacres committed by the occupation army.

◻️ (52,885) martyrs and missing persons.

◻️ (10,000) missing.

◻️ (42,885) martyrs received by hospitals (Ministry of Health).

◻️ (17,210) child martyrs.

◻️ (171) infants born and martyred in the genocide.

◻️ (786) children martyred during the war, under one year of age.

◻️ (1,206) Palestinian families entirely erased from civil records.

◻️ (37) martyred due to famine.

◻️ (11,742) female martyrs.

◻️ (1,047) martyrs from medical personnel (Ministry of Health).

◻️ (85) civil defense martyrs.

◻️ (177) journalist martyrs.

◻️ (7) mass graves established by the occupation within hospitals.

◻️ (520) martyrs recovered from 7 mass graves inside hospitals.

◻️ (100,544) injured and wounded individuals received by hospitals (Ministry of Health).

◻️ (396) journalists and media personnel injured or wounded.

◻️ (69%) of the victims are children and women.

◻️ (197) shelter centers targeted by the Israeli occupation.

◻️ (35,055) children living without one or both parents.

◻️ (3,500) children at risk of death from malnutrition and lack of food.

◻️ (171) days of complete closure of all Gaza Strip crossings.

◻️ (12,000) injured needing travel for treatment abroad.

◻️ (12,500) cancer patients facing death and in need of treatment.

◻️ (3,000) patients with various diseases needing treatment abroad.

◻️ (1,737,524) infected with communicable diseases due to displacement.

◻️ (71,338) hepatitis infection cases due to displacement.

◻️ (60,000) pregnant women at risk due to lack of healthcare.

◻️ (350,000) chronic patients at risk due to medication shortages.

◻️ (5,280) detainees from Gaza during the genocide.

◻️ (310) detentions among healthcare staff (3 doctors were assassinated).

◻️ (38) journalist detentions with known names.

◻️ (2) million displaced in Gaza Strip.

◻️ (100,000) tents have deteriorated, becoming unfit for the displaced.

◻️ (205) government buildings destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (126) schools and universities completely destroyed.

◻️ (339) schools and universities partially destroyed.

◻️ (12,700) students killed by the Israeli occupation during the war.

◻️ (785,000) students deprived of education by the Israeli occupation.

◻️ (750) teachers and educational employees killed during the war.

◻️ (130) scholars, academics, university professors, and researchers executed by the occupation.

◻️ (814) mosques completely destroyed.

◻️ (148) mosques heavily damaged, in need of restoration.

◻️ (3) churches targeted and destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (19) cemeteries destroyed entirely or partially, out of 60 total cemeteries.

◻️ (2,300) bodies stolen by the occupation from various cemeteries in Gaza.

◻️ (150,000) housing units completely destroyed.

◻️ (80,000) housing units made uninhabitable by the occupation.

◻️ (200,000) housing units partially destroyed.

◻️ (85,500) tons of explosives dropped by the occupation on Gaza.

◻️ (34) hospitals taken out of service by the occupation.

◻️ (80) health centers taken out of service by the occupation.

◻️ (162) healthcare institutions targeted by the occupation.

◻️ (132) ambulances targeted by the occupation.

◻️ (206) historical and heritage sites destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (3,130) kilometers of electric grids destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (125) ground electricity distribution transformers destroyed.

◻️ (330,000) meters of water networks destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (655,000) meters of sewage networks destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (2,835,000) meters of roads and streets destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (36) facilities, sports venues, and gyms destroyed by the occupation.

◻️ (700) water wells destroyed and put out of service by the occupation.

◻️ (86%) of Gaza Strip destruction rate.

◻️ (36) billion USD estimated initial direct losses from the genocide.

25, October Official website -Hamas movement

[forasecondtherewedwon]

remember it once - epilogue

Fandom: The Artful Dodger Pairing: Jack x Belle Rating: E Chapter: 8 / 8 Word Count: 2816

read on tumblr: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Will it be the same? Belle wonders this, not in her mind, but in her limbs. She drags her heavy tread up the steps, her tired body aching to be swept from the ground by Jack’s arms. She tugs at the fingers of the tough leather gloves that cover all the way to her elbows, rubbing her chafed skin once they’re off, yearning for fingers that will slip gently between her own. Will either of us be the same?

Belle leaves it in her body’s hands—that if there’s any back to get back to, her body will find the way when the time comes, will walk the old paths again, will find the high hills with the clear views and feel what it is to be home.

In the meantime, her mind bends to science, to medicine. She works from the morgue long enough to discover a method for stabilizing the wounds, burning away necrotic skin and halting the symptoms’ progression, though not reversing it. Thankfully, it neutralizes the aggression, drastically reducing the risk of patient attacks. The military maintain their perimeter, but slowly, slowly, Prof, wielding his rusty authority, is able to convince them to let in new patients as their others calm.

While in the hospital, she wears the long gloves, cutting up and sewing more pairs for Sneed and the nursing staff, all made from fine, barely-worn boots and hunting attire her father scavenged from Government House. They are protection from the patients’ nails and teeth; Belle deduces, by the comparatively generous development of her own symptoms, that she could only have been scratched. Small mercies. Used to reading her body as another would a book, she learns and records her limitations. She rests as often as it feels right and necessary to, applying herself to her study of the disease at all other times, at the odd hours they have all adopted at the hospital that feels like an island surrounded by the hazy waters of a dream.

Belle conducted her preliminary experimental treatments on Sneed. She would’ve done them on herself, but he stopped her, reminding her of her condition. As though she did not feel the weight of her belly, bearing it with her feet, back, and hips—another process she leaves her body to manage, trusting it to see her through. But she conceded, and so he exhibits the most breath-stealing scars. He was off his feet and wearing a single boot while he recovered, adapting readily to making his rounds of the wards in a wheelchair as he had done after Fagin shot him.

Because she has been able to help, because the disease is no longer spreading within the hospital walls, because, after treating Sneed, she treated herself, Belle recognizes when it is time to leave the morgue. She’s many months into her pregnancy, and her fathers—she’s found she has two—insist that she carry on with her experiments from the home laboratory Jack set up, always planning for it to be something they shared.

In the transfer, Fagin and the Governor driving the carriage with Belle stowed inside, they are beset. The Governor is yanked from the carriage and bitten. The teeth marks are close to his heart, as Belle has been, he tells her softly, since the day she was born. Since even before. She tends to him in the parlour of her home with what supplies Jack has not taken with him onto the ship, feeling Fagin’s watchful presence at her back. They were going to return to the hospital, to bring the rest of what she needs. Fagin is reluctant to go back alone—not out of fear of what’s out there, but that Belle will be in danger from her own father in here. Eventually, she forces him out, the weeping that threatens to break from her body like water from a dam too clear in her voice. He goes. He returns. She tries and tries, but her father worsens. She did not start soon enough, he is not a young man, he has had a fondness for drink.

There is no violence, no confusion of mind. There is no time.

Quietly, Belle’s quantity of fathers drops back down to one.

She can’t always trust her mind, which sometimes forgets. If she thinks, if she makes herself remember too clearly after a hazy waking, it seems so daunting to just… go on. The dread grips her and pins her to the bed. So she doesn’t think; she works, and her body wonders. Her lips and her wrists and her hips miss the one who would comfort her most, because she forbids it of her mind. She puts her ring away.

Following the death of the Governor, Belle dismisses Fagin. Well, she tries. She dismisses him several times a day: when he comes poking around the second-storey laboratory, when he nudges plates of plain crumpets along the table at which she labours. Infuriatingly, he stays. Weeks become months and she quits trying to convince him not to. Thank god for it, because he cautions her against testing solutions on her skin before they’re truly ready, keeping her whole as she inches towards a cure. He’s there to hear her, just down the hall, when she cries out twice in succession. The first time, it is in pure joy. The second, in shock at the sudden gush of fluid over her slippers.

—

Jack is aware of his flaws. The quick thinking and even quicker hands demanded by his profession have not made him a patient man. His history has meant he is kind by effort, not by nature. Both his patience and his kindness are tested continually onboard the ship. Some days feel endless. He has the people he’s brought, and those who brought him. Hetty’s presence steadies him; Fanny’s reminds him of Belle in the oddest ways, at the strangest moments. Mostly, it is tense, but they are living, and so it’s difficult to complain.

They make port with great wariness, taking on supplies but never new passengers or crew. Jack often goes ashore; it breaks up the tedium. He always takes his sword. What he observes is that some towns appear unaffected by the disease, others have discovered methods of containment, and still others are so spookily empty that they are underway again without bothering to disembark. He doesn’t know what’s happened in those places, whether they’re empty because the people were smart and fled, or…

Due to their extreme care and the sharp orders of Lady Fox, who doesn’t allow anyone’s guard to lower, all onboard remain healthy. Except for the seasickness. But that is manageable and endurable, and bringing water to the green-faced passengers gives Jack a feeling of usefulness when he stalls in his research. He and Hetty have been at work in the captain’s quarters, transfigured into their floating laboratory. They have their meticulousness in common. He conducts thorough (if slow) experiments, and she notes everything down to ensure they do not repeat their mistakes. They work so seamlessly together that the only thing Jack ever gets cross with Hetty about is the fact that she’s not doing something as Belle would, that she’s not reading that case in the medical text in Belle’s voice, that she’s not Belle.

But they form a community. They sew and read and play cards to pass the time. Children cavort on the deck in clear weather. Of course, beneath it all, as surely as the hull of the ship, is the grief. The fear and anxiousness. There are no complete families here, only siblings without parents, mothers without daughters, men without their wives. For the most fortunate, it’s temporary; there is the hope of reunion upon their return to Port Victory. If Jack ventures from the lab, drowsy and stretching his arms high over his head to crack his stiffened back, someone will inevitably inquire about his progress. Charlie has taken to attempting to shield Jack from these questions, but whacking the members of a closed community in the shins with his crutch is an untenable solution. Occasionally, Jack must try to come up with answers to How’s it coming? Anything new? When might we see home again? and How do you think they’re getting on without us?

The trouble is that it’s all wrong. Until they met, Belle was very much the expert on the theoretical side of things, Jack the hands-on experimenter. Now, Belle is back home, confronting the disease every day in the flesh while Jack drifts with the tides on a ship full of people who are perfectly well. He can’t advance by active testing; he must puzzle things out with his mind alone. At some point, Fanny joins him and Hetty. She’s been privy to her sister’s methods, though she didn’t pay them the strictest attention at the time, and if there’s anything she can do that will lead to her sister being helped, then she’s prepared to do it. Especially as the theoretical process rather appeals to her for its distinct lack of blood and guts.

So it is just their minds, their three minds, until. Until. They are finally close enough that Jack and Hetty both go ashore at the next docking (Jack won’t, can’t, risk Fanny). They’ve never done so before, afraid to send the two people with the greatest medical expertise, but they’ve traveled as far as they can—almost literally, upon the waves for many long months—and they need a human subject. They’re in search of someone who isn’t too far advanced, someone who can still give conscious permission, someone who understands that this isn’t a guaranteed cure, though they do promise to return with one when they can.

After their first small triumph, they change the ship’s heading. With each successive bit of progress, they advance towards home. All along the coast, they apply measured treatments, docking longer so they might observe their patients. This makes their passage back to Port Victory a crawl. They hunker down rather than attempting to beat bad weather, they hug the shore and avoid the faster currents farther out. They watch symptoms halt. They watch people get better. One man, a tradesman turned doctor by the circumstances, improves so quickly that they decide to invite him aboard. Apparently, the man has delivered five babies since the current state of affairs began—three to the same woman without losing a single soul. Jack tells the man there will be a place for him at the hospital (if the hospital still stands—it is horrifying to let his thoughts linger too long), that he has hoped to hire more talented doctors, no matter that he didn’t go to Oxford like Sneed (Jack even misses Sneed). Jack also sees how Hetty is with this man, how he is with Hetty. He longs for Belle more than ever. The nearer their journey comes to its end, the more he fights the urge to dive overboard and swim to her.

It's been years since Jack last saw Port Victory from the sea—and then, he never saw it and thought, Home. Nor did he feel it deserved its name, but he feels differently now. He’d survived so much when first he reached that port. He’s done so once again. It is a victory to have protected these people, to have worked alongside Hetty and Fanny to devise a treatment, a cure. Really, it’s a victory to be alive. He stands on the deck as the blue sky blanches, giving way to the orange and gold that will accompany the sun to its rest. For the second time, he is filled with joy and dread, doubly flooded, too much emotion for one person to hold. Will she be waiting for him as he once waited for her? Will either of them be the same?

—

Belle stirs, waking. Even with Fagin living downstairs, she’s become a fearfully light sleeper, her fragile oblivion shredding like a cobweb at the slightest sound. Groggy, she sits up to find there is still some light seeping through the bedroom curtains. What was it this time? Fagin banging around in the kitchen? A soldier at the door wishing to issue the report she demanded on the state of the hospital? The baby?

In case it is the latter, Belle makes herself get up. Her memory is still a project for her, improved through effort, but at the moment, it will not yield the location of the robe she removed before climbing into bed. No matter. It isn’t as though Fagin has never seen her in her nightgown. Her slippers are next to the bed, so she dons them. She pads across the hall.

What would this room have been, had the house belonged to another man? For Belle, it is a sanctuary. Because of the hour, she doesn’t bring a candle; even in darkness, she would know her way, having fallen asleep here many nights over the past several weeks since giving birth. There are no surprises in the weight of the door she now eases open, in the welcoming creak of the boards beneath her feet as she steps inside. What startles her is herself: an involuntary sound leaves her as she takes in the shape of a figure standing over the crib. He sees her at the door and turns.

“I hoped this might become the nursery,” he says.

Belle stumbles across the floor and into Jack’s arms, blinded by tears of love and relief, heedless of the baby’s confused cry at the sound of her mother’s distress.

For several minutes, she has less to say to him than she has since they first made each other’s acquaintance. The sun slips peacefully away as they hold each other harder than they ever have. Jack is scarcely more composed than she is, and promises that everyone who boarded the ship is fine, that her sister and mother are fine. Hiccupping her words, she tries to tell him about her father. He hushes her and holds on all the tighter; Fagin explained when he let Jack into the house. She doesn’t need to say. Jack is here now.

“I should probably keep going, see the hospital,” he says before sighing his regret into her hair.

Belle draws back a little.

“But—”

“We found a cure,” they say together.

The baby’s cries are rising into a blaring, ripping wail, obscuring her parents’ words. They look at each other with confusion, unsure of what they heard.

“You didn’t.”

“We did.”

“So did we.”

After the attack that introduced the disease into her body, they have been careful about their contact. Even through affection, rather than violence, there was a risk of Belle infecting Jack. She has yearned for so many months to be kissed as he kisses her now. Her fingers delve into his hair, his grip into her waist through her nightgown. She has made herself think of nothing but what was necessary to find a cure, then, once that was accomplished, what was necessary to preserve the life of their daughter. Now, the kiss is thought as well as feeling, every memory of his touch reinstated in her mind. Every look, every brush, every closing of his hand over hers as he guided her scalpel on an incision.

They separate and a high laugh leaves Belle. She bends over the side of the crib, collecting their child, easing her body into the bouncing sway the baby prefers. Jack begins and begins again, trying to tell her of their methods for combatting the disease. She hears enough to understand that they’ve found two different cures, arrived at two different solutions, both sound.

“Incredible,” she breathes.

“Yes,” he agrees, but he’s looking at the small, soft creature in her arms.

“Oh, yes,” Belle says. “Your daughter.”

Jack does not appear ready, but neither was she; she offers the baby and helps him correct his hold until he has her tucked against his chest.

“Daughter,” he chokes out. And this makes him cry like nothing else has.

“Norma,” she provides.

Jack nods, sniffling. She wipes the tears from his cheeks.

“Like the opera,” he says. “The music you had Fanny play.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Belle releases a heavy sigh, pressing a hand to her heart. “I didn’t realize how worried I was that you might think it was some derivative of ‘Norbert.’”

“A PERFECTLY GOOD NAME!” Fagin calls up the stairs.

Jack cranes his head away from the baby before shouting back, “QUIT LISTENING IN!”

“I’LL JUST MAKE US SOME TEA THEN!”

Jack looks at Belle with an expression of exasperation and he is here, and they are whole, and it is just as it was before.

Norma shrieks as though tacking on instructions for how she takes her tea.

It is, inarguably, even better.

[sevenoctober7]

*The Government Media Office publishes an update on the most important statistics of the genocidal war waged by the “Israeli” occupation on the Gaza Strip for today (315) – Friday, August 16, 2024:* (315) days since the genocidal war. (3,493) massacres committed by the occupation army. (50,005) martyrs and missing persons. (10,000) missing. (40,005) martyrs who arrived in hospitals. (16,479) child martyrs. (115) infants were born and martyred in the genocidal war. (36) They were martyred as a result of famine. (11,102) female martyrs. (885) martyrs of medical staff. (82) Civil Defense martyrs. (168) martyred journalists. (7) Mass graves built by the occupation inside hospitals. (520) martyrs were recovered from 7 mass graves inside hospitals. (92,401) wounded and injured. (69%) of the victims are children and women. (175) shelter centers targeted by the "Israeli" occupation. (17,000) children live without one or both of their parents. (3,500) children are at risk of death due to malnutrition and lack of food. (102) days since the closure of all Gaza Strip crossings and the tightening of the siege. (12,000) wounded people need to travel for treatment abroad. (10,000) cancer patients face death and need treatment. (3,000) patients with various diseases need treatment abroad. (1,737,524) infected with infectious diseases as a result of displacement. (71,338) cases of epidemic hepatitis infection due to displacement. (1,300,000) doses of the occupation vaccine are prohibited from being brought into the Gaza Strip. Nearly (60,000) pregnant women are at risk due to lack of health care. (350,000) chronic patients are at risk due to preventing the introduction of medications. (5,000) detainees from the Gaza Strip during the genocidal war. (310) cases of arrest of health personnel. (36) Cases of arrest of journalists whose names are known. (2) One million displaced people in the Gaza Strip. (198) government headquarters destroyed by the occupation. (121) Schools and universities were completely destroyed by the occupation. (333) Schools and universities that were partially destroyed by the occupation. (110) Scientists, university professors, and researchers executed by the occupation. (610) Mosques completely destroyed by the occupation. (214) mosques partially destroyed by the occupation. (3) Churches targeted and destroyed by the occupation. (150,000) housing units were completely destroyed by the occupation. (80,000) housing units destroyed by the occupation are uninhabitable. (200,000) housing units were partially destroyed by the occupation. (82,000) tons of explosives dropped by the occupation on the Gaza Strip. (34) Hospitals taken out of service by the occupation. (80) health centers that the occupation put out of service. (162) health institutions targeted by the occupation. (131) An ambulance was targeted by the occupation. (206) Archaeological and heritage sites destroyed by the occupation. (3,030) kilometers of electricity networks were destroyed by the occupation. (34) facilities, a playground, and a gym destroyed by the occupation. (700) water wells destroyed by the occupation and put out of service. (33) billion dollars, the initial direct losses of the genocidal war. *