#always waging wars

[smoakandstar]

always waging wars | mia + bucky

@redeemablesoldier

After fighting her way into some money, finding a place to sleep, and hurling herself at the barrier a few more times, Mia found her way to Hills Hunting. This town seemed more sleepy and weird than actually dangerous, but she didn't know who or what had brought her here, and she'd feel safer if she was armed with more than the couple of knives she'd had on her. It took most of her money to buy a bow and a better set of throwing knives (that she didn't exactly need but had sort of fallen in love with), but she'd prefer to have something reliable and lasting. She could earn it back the same way she had the first time, and not having to pay for a room would help. She hoped not to be here much longer than that.

New weapons meant getting a feel for them, so she found a clearing out in the woods and set herself to several hours of relentless target practice. Her bow at home was better, but this would do for now, and she wanted to know the exact shape and feel and give of it by the time she left the trees. The knives were easier, a kind of present to herself for hard work. When she heard someone approaching, she didn't think; she just turned and threw one all in the same motion. She wasn't aiming for him but the tree next to him, a warning that next time she wouldn't miss if he tried to come any closer.

--

Bucky didn’t have quite the problem with restlessness that Steve did, but there were times when it kicked in. He didn’t run, that’s was Steve’s schtick, but he wandered the woods, the edge of the water. Exploring and seeing what could be seen, what happened when he was still enough for things to feel comfortable coming near, it was fascinating and a little fun for him. Part of the appeal was how rarely he came across people during these particular wanderings.

The familiar twang of a bow string had him tipping his head in curiosity and he couldn’t help but follow the sound carefully. Stealth could have been his top priority, but he wasn’t up for surprising anyone. Hearing the sing of metal, he sighed and decided to make a point. His hand shot up, the flesh one, not metal, and caught the dagger at its hilt, tossing it to study it and test its weight.

“Not bad,” he murmured, flipping it in his hand and holding it out as he walked closer, his other hand helped up in a gesture for peace. The look on her face was familiar in a way and he tipped his head to study her. “You know, you can do this in a place in town, too, right?”

--

Nobody human could have caught that knife, and she went still and wary, wondering if she should bolt. She'd be faster on rooftops than in this fucking jungle though, and if he wasn't a human, he could probably catch her. She decided she was better off here with her weapons than leaving them behind to stumble through the woods, but the other knife slid into her palm in case it was needed.

"It's rude to sneak up on someone." She glared, backing away as he got closer and nodding for him to put it with the rest of her weapons. Peace or not, she didn't want to be within arm's reach. The metal one didn't look like something she could fight easily. "Do I look like I want to be around people? I only fight humans, if that's what this is about." She'd have recognized him from the bar if he'd been there, but word got around. She was counting in it if she wanted to make any more money fighting. Mia already knew she wouldn't win a fair fight against this guy, no matter how good she was. That's why her dad taught her to take every advantage.

--

“It’s rude to throw knives at people,” he pointed out with a little chuckle. Entirely too much of his life had been spent rooted in violence and teaching for him to be bothered by her reaction or attitude. A quick flick of his wrist buried the knife in the ground next to her small pile as he raised an eyebrow. He recognized the antagonism of someone forced to fight for their lives and just live it.

“Do I look like I really care who or what you fight?” He was nonchalant and visibly relaxed, unbothered by anything she had done so far. He wasn’t one to make a problem where there wasn’t one. “Bows aren’t the most common weapon of choice. I’ve only met one who did it,” he tipped his chin to her bow.

--

"If I was being rude, I would have aimed for you." Given that catch, she probably still would have missed though, and her brain was already buzzing with strategy in the event she had to try it for real. A lot of knives, or arrows, in quick succession or all at once, maybe. Don't go for the obvious hit. He couldn't catch everything. Unless he was a speedster, and then she was hopelessly outmatched with her current equipment.

"What do you want, then?" Mia couldn't relax as long as she didn't know the answer to that question. Maybe not even then, depending on how honest it was. He wasn't being hostile, unlike her. If she had hackles, they'd have been raised. If she could have electrified herself like a fence, she would have. "Then we're clearly not from the same place." It was practically a trend in Star City, but that didn't make him safe. Oliver Queen had enemies all over the damn world.

--

“You know what, that’s fair,” he accepted with a small chuckle, “But I would have also just called it smart.” She was clearly smart and well trained, it was interesting to see. Different from a widow, because she was clearly emotional, even if it was annoyance or something similar. But he could see her mind racing through how to take him down if it came to that.

“I was just walking and heard you. Not many people choose the woods, and for good reason. My husband and I live on the edge of them, we like the solitude and the quiet.” He gave an easy shrug, unbothered by the hostility since he’d brought it on himself. “No, definitely not. You’ll find that’s going to happen a lot here in Sallow Hills, though.”

--

"Are you saying I should kill you if I get the chance?" She raised an eyebrow. Somehow, that did not make her feel any better about this encounter. He hadn't done anything overtly threatening, but she wasn't sure he could be anything but menacing with his size and that arm. Mia hadn't killed anyone since she got here and wasn't planning to, but if she had to save herself, she wouldn't hesitate.

"You know who likes solitude and quiet? Serial killers," she said flatly. If he didn't want anything but he wasn't going to leave, she didn't see any reason not to waste the time she'd set aside for training. She slid the knife in her palm back into place and picked up the others, keeping him always in her sight as she went back to target practice. "Don't care. I'm not staying."

--

“Not at all, I would really rather you didn’t,” he admitted with a slight lift at the corner of his lips. She wouldn’t really like what would become of her life, he thought, if she did that while stuck here in Sallow Hills. “I’m saying that recognizing a potential threat’s a good idea, and there’s a few of them around here.” As soft as he might be these days, he knew that he was still a force to be reckoned with.

“Or people who spent too long fighting other peoples’ battles,” he pointed out with a shrug. Her insistence that she could leave made him shake his head. “Yes, you are. Whether you like it or not. There are people who have been stuck in Sallow Hills for years. You’re not different and you won’t be the last.”

--

Mia didn't like anything about her life being stuck in Sallow Hills, but she wasn't naive enough to think things couldn't always be worse. Being found guilty of murder was kind of a worst case scenario plan. It would mean she'd run out of any other options. "Oh yeah? What are the potential threats?" Her tone said she might not believe a word he said, but if he wasn't going to leave, she might as well gather information. She wouldn't take any of it at face value, but she could check it against other sources.

The words hit a chord, even if she'd never admit it. All her family did was fight other people's battles. "Do heroes really retire?" She raised an eyebrow, the sarcasm a little more bitter than she meant it to be, but emotional trauma or not, her aim never wavered. When she ran out of knives, she went to collect them, still keeping him in her peripheral vision. She tugged them out of the tree one by one, tossing him a slow smile. "Fine. Underestimate me. I haven't even really started trying yet."

[lilcetis]

every single character in the dragon prince loves with their entire heart. they love so much it bring them to their knees. so much that they're willing to die for love. so much they're willing to live for love. love between partners, love between friends, love between siblings, the love of parent and child, the love between worshipper and their god, the love we as people have for the world around us. the entire world is really held together by love.

[too-many-rooks]

In a world of heavy footprints, be untraceable. Wage wars! Get rich! Die handsome!

- The Mountain Goats

[is-the-owl-video-cute]

Iran is bombing Israel apparently, FAFO moment truly.

Both Biden and Trump are vowing to defend Israel with harsh military force against Iran.

If they follow through with it and the US moves against Iran, this will actually become a war.

Do not stop pressuring politicians to support Palestine. Do not stop advocating for Palestine. Do not stop protesting Israel. Do not stop protesting genocide.

From the river to the sea.

[hms-no-fun]

Why do you, as a marxist, talk like a liberal

[toastytrusty]

fermín aldeguer and alonso lopez don't even post images hanging out anymore they just post images of the same place at the same with the same filters with each other in the background and hope nobody notices

[creativesplat]

Happy birthday to Nintendo's unexpectedly nuanced princess!

[nando161mando]

Always remember

[driveitlikesebastianvettelwould]

Um I was not just forced to see Mattee Binono spew BS about Seb. In front of my salad. Not you. Not one of the people largely responsible for stabbing Seb in the back in 2019-2020???? Not the clown that continued to make jabs at Seb even in 2021 and 2022. The AUDACITY.

[uncanny-tranny]

There's this pull in recovery to feel behind in comparison to your peer group, and that's, of course, a valid feeling. It's understandable, but I think a lot of what we don't remember is that... they often aren't starting out in the same place you are.

I think part of the reason so many feel terrible about "being behind" is that it feels like we have to blame ourselves for being behind. If you just weren't affected by it, you'd be right where your peers are, right? It's a way to blame yourself in severe cases.

Recovery isn't about "catching up," I think. It's about pressing the play button and letting yourself live. You might never "catch up," you might never be at the "same level," but that fundamentally doesn't change that your life is worth living how you want it to.

[age-of-moonknight]

“8-Ball,” Vengeance of the Moon Knight (Vol. 2/2024), #5.

Writer: Jed MacKay; Penciler and Inker: Alessandro Cappuccio; Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg; Letterer: Cory Petit

[bylertruther]

the usage of tentacles in stranger things is so graphic lol like 🤨 i know what u are, bro(s)......

[redvelvetwishtree]

There are people on Instagram's book reading community demanding creators don't show books by Russian authors and telling everyone to throw such books away ... ...like ??? How do their brains work? Why are western people sooo sure of their political correctness and shove it down aggressively down others' throats? Everyone can decide on their own what they want to do or not. It is always the western people policing and bullying everyone.

Also, ma'am, when are you throwing away all your American and British literature? Lemme know when please.

[1mnobodywhoareyou]

I've had this rant locked and loaded for YEARS but have never figured out how to quite make it right for Instagram and this post has brought it back up for me, so here goes:

Solidarity needs to flow DOWNWARDS. Stop expecting people who are poorer than you to stand with you for YOUR causes. This is true of literally every marginalization.

If you make 65k (or jesus, 100k) and are frustrated at the people making 30k, 10k, 5k for not standing alongside you in your fight for higher wages, turn back and see what *they* need. Listen to *their* perspective.

I can almost guarantee (with few exceptions where the privilege DEPENDS on their oppression) that in uplifting the MOST MARGINALIZED, you will better your OWN experience.

We've *seen* what happens when we only focus on our own struggle and getting *our* next step up. Nothing changes and there are just new steps to climb (hello, white feminism etc).

If you want less "infighting" and more "solidarity," look back.

Listen.

We are not your enemy.

We are not the ones making us enemies.

If you want "class consciousness" and "workers solidarity," start with yourself.

[rey1-studies]

21/06/24

hey guys! i'm currently out of town, and my deadline for completing some learning for my internship training is fast approaching (aka 24/06/24) and till now, i have completed only a video pertaining to it (which is, looking at the list of things i have to do, really just nothing lol; but still at the same time, one less thing so lets go!)

here's the broadstrokes of the things i need to learn:

learn the basics of machine learning

refresh python basics (w3 schools)

which now, doesn't seem like much, until you look at the subsections at the material i've been told to use

(i wanna scream)

So here's my plan for today:

(even tho most of the day is already over, but we're not going to think about that now)

machine learning tutorial

applications of machine learning

life cycle of machine learning

ai vs machine learning and

how to get datasets

and if time permits, i'll see if i can do some python.

alright. let's do this!

(pics from pinterest, all credits go to whoever they belong to)

[feliciamontagues]

Father Brown in Every Episode

↳“The Smallest of Things (Series 5, Episode 7)