#cold chain distribution

[mghyangoon]

Myanmar Golden Heart isn't just a logistics expert; they're a champion of freshness. Their innovative cold chain distribution ensures your perishable goods reach their destination perfectly chilled. Utilizing state-of-the-art cold storage and transportation, they guarantee quality and extend shelf life. Trust Myanmar Golden Heart for a stress-free cold chain solution.

[metamatar]

$200k seems like quite a reasonable cost for a small sterile lab. It's not a plan to make it at home, it's a plan to make it in your town. As of now, there are so few insulin plants that the economies of scale aren't optimal for distribution (but they are for profits!)

did you miss the part that it was speculative? that it has never been demonstrated? also no, the economies of scale are fine for distribution cold chain distribution it is a solved problem. people aren't struggling to get insulin bc it can't be delivered, they're struggling bc its expensive.

im not sure you understand what economies of scale means, it means when you try to do things at larger scale – you are generally able to deploy productive technologies and innovations in organisation (specialisation) which make things easier to produce (less labour and capital input) on average. things become cheaper to produce. it is cheaper to weave cloth at a factory than in a loom you install in your backyard. that's why open insulin can only hypothetically get a vial down to the price of for profit insulin in the uk. big pharma is able to profit from insulin at 7 dollars a vial, ie it's even cheaper to produce. this is like, adam smith pin example.

the existence of a big factory or doing things at scale doesn't create destructive megaprofits... this is such a bizarre worldview of the world. you have to make a very sophisticated argument to prove this, which imo is immediately debunked by the reality of worker organised cooperatives in factories or even state run industrial production. profit tends to be a function of factors like labour relations + market dynamics like supply, demand and competition. us healthcare sucks bc your workers don't have rights, private insurance colludes with hospitals and competitors and the govt doesn't regulate pharma companies who are providing an inelastic good (medicine.)

also addressing this bc some people are mad at me but the only part of my argument that cites a piece hosted on RAND corp is the extremely high price of US insulin compared to every other country in the world. its like 30x. i don't think that is a fact that's a capitalist conspiracy, the data can be confirmed with other sources too, it just illustrates how dysfunctional US healthcare is. like, when your enemies agree...

[solarpunkbusiness]

The CoolCycle Project is the combined effort of Youth Sustainable Development Network and KAMIM Technologies, led by Damilola Hamid Balogun and Adekoyejo Kuye.

The CoolCycle Project repurposes parts from disused generators to create affordable, energy-efficient solar-powered cooling systems, addressing generator waste and cooling needs to transform waste into wealth for Nigerian farmers.

The cold storage systems will be deployed at farm clusters, first-mile distribution/ aggregation centres, local markets and other critical points across the food supply chain. This solution simultaneously tackles post-harvest losses and environmental challenges associated with end-of-life generators.

[myfavlinkistwilight]

Okay, so I've been writing this fanfiction where the chain meets villain versions of themselves, and I I just love them so much, so here is my villainAU chain!!

Gloom/ Villain Twilight

As his name suggests he's a rather gloomy soul, serious, and vicious in combat. He's tall, with a mask that Feral gave him, and with heavier tattoos than Twilight, though not overboard. He's an assassin, though mostly working for Gen, as he's not one to be hired easily. He uses his wolf dorm quite a bit, as nobody would suspect him for any maulings, and he can get away faster. He despises Azure for hurting someone he cared about, and hopes to one day get his revenge on the man. He doesn't hate the royal family as much as most, having interacted the least with them, but still considers them dirt scum, and even assassinated one of the princesses. While Twilight is kind and steady, Gloom is cold and rude at times, however if he cares about someone, then there's nothing he wouldn't do to keep them safe. Most wanted ranking #3

Feral/ Villain Wild

Anybody would say if Wild were a villain, he'd be an arson, and thats very true in this case. He doesn't hate the royal family nearly as much as the others believe, and even might kinda like some of them... While some may break laws for survival, or for revenge, he does it for fun. His strange obsession with lighting things on fire usually ends up with mad dashes from forests so that the group doesn't burn with it, but usually he tries to resist. His redeeming trait is that he can cook, and quite well for their standards, though he burns almost every dish, and only really can make two dishes. With an illegally smuggled fire rod from Tetrad, his job became a lot easier, much to Glooms chagrin. While Wild is honest and brave, Feral is unreliable and shifty, though is good for a joke. Most wanted ranking #6

Tetrad/ Villain Four

Out of the whole group, along with Hyrule, he is the one who doesn't want to hurt people in his feud with the royal family. So, he smith's, and smuggles illegal items to sell on the black market. Often times he buys from Myth to resell stolen wares, though many things he creates himself and distributes. He extremely dislikes the royal family, and if anyone were to start a coup, you could bet he'd support it with his stocks. Very mature, and with a business mindset, he's likely also the least loyal to the rest of the villains, and is the least morally skewed. While Four has strong common sense and loyal, Tetrad can be a bit greedy, and if paid enough, maybe he'd be willing to switch sides... Most wanted ranking #8

Myth/ Villain Legend

He is one of the ones who hates the royal family the absolute most. After they cut off supplies to his home island, despite all the hero work he did for them, he grew resentful. Having to watch someone close to him slowly starve without being able to do much, he wanted to take away from the royal family. Deep down inside he was never blood thirsty or a killer, so he stole. From the two years, it's estimated he stole over seven million rupees worth of stuff from their armory, treasury, and general palace. Most of which he has stored up or sells to Tetrad or his friend Ravio. A master thief, he's high on the wanted list, and has never been seen stealing, except once by a certain hero... While Legend is sharp and good deep down, Myth is hardened with tribulations, and rather callous to others. Most wanted ranking #4

Realm/ Villain Hyrule

He holds almost no personal resentment for the royal family. But hearing the hardships from Myth, he questioned if he was on the wrong side. He decided to join Myth on his stealing ventures, helping pull off nearly impossible stunts, like stealing princess Dusk's rapier, and princess Flora's slate. Desperate to prove himself to his friend, he's willing to go to far lengths to prove his worth, as often times he feels he doesn't belong in their group. He eventually was good friends with Feral, and the two got into many scandals. He's by far the most trusting and innocent of the group, but not naive. While Hyrule is humble and reliable... so is Realm! *gasp* Most wanted ranking. N/A

Gen/ Villain Time

He holds the most resentment out of all of them for the royal family. Having been exploited and used for their purposes as an orphaned kid, they experimented with magic, trying to lasso time itself. Instead, he ended up as a kid in an adults body. The project was called off, and he was given a small fund of compensation. Fueled by a want of revenge, he plunged into the underworld, and with ruthless measures became a crime lord. Known from the petty thieves to the blood thirsty killers, his reach is everywhere. He has knowledge of much, and his plans involve over throwing the royal family, though that would come in due time... having pitied Twilight, he mentored him and occasion hires him to take out competition. While Time is mature and wise, Gen is rather immature, and manipulative. Most wanted ranking, #2

Azure/ Villain Sky

Likely the most different from his counterpart, Azure is a blood thirsty killer. Many said his heart died with princess Sun, which may as well be true as that triggered his first mass murder. Having no goals, instead to kill anyone he wanted, his sanity is questionable. On his figure he wears a torn bloodstained clothe around his neck like a cape, a gift from his lover. He hates Gloom with a loathing, and the two cannot be left alone or he may snap and attack the man. He hates the royal family for their lack of response for the death of his lover, and partially blames them for it. He's a talented musician though, his harp playing a soothing melody. While Sky is gentle and joyful, Azure is unstable and sadistic. Most wanted ranking #1

Legion/ Villain Warriors

Holding a large grudge against the royal family, his most famous move is the attempted coup of the royal family. It is said he managed to get the princesses at sword point, but was convinced by an old friend to spare them. He now considers it a moment of disgrace, and works as a mercenary, doing jobs for money. He eventually met Gust, taking to him like a younger brother, and funding the boy's pirate crew. He's intelligent and a genius in strategy, the main reason the group managed to evade the royal family for so long. He can kill very casually, and isn't afraid to get a job done. He was once revered as a military leader, he felt disposed of when the royal family forced him to retire after a war many considered to be his fault. While Warriors is prideful and charismatic, he's rather blunt, but still prideful lol. Most wanted ranking #5

Gust/ Villain Wind

Just a young lad, yet having been through as much as most of the other villains, he's a bit unhinged at time. He hates any and all authority, but will listen to Gen, as he looks up to and adores the man. Deeply tanned with scars that tell of his trials, and a hook he wears because he thinks it makes him look cool, his time of being a pirate have worn on him. While he travels with his friends, his friend Tetra watches their group. He doesn't despise most of the royal family, though thinks they are annoying. When his home island was in trouble he needed to save it himself by grouping with a pirate crew. After being chastised by the royal family, he decided to screw them and join a pirate crew. An absolute menace on the seas, he raids any royal ship, surprisingly successful often. He will raid villages if he needs food, but that's it. While Wind is outgoing and care-free, Gust is unhinged, but surprisingly thoughtful at times. Most wanted ranking #6

hehe, doubt anyone will see this, but I've been thinking about them alot...

[mushroompollution]

Canon Divergence pt 2

part 1

Leo's blood runs cold as he stares up at the man before him. The man whose private office he had infiltrated. Elliot's father. The Great Duke Bernard Nightray.

Behind him stand two of the largest men that Leo has ever seen, each bearing Pandora's insignia on the lapel of their stark, black suit. However, the Duke waves a hand to dismiss them both.

"Watch the door. If my son tries to intervene, you have my permission to restrain him. And if anything should happen to me in here, you are to kill him immediately and blame this servant."

Leo's starry eyes go wide. But somehow, he swallows down his gut reaction to jump right over the large desk between them.

Though their expressions seem unchanging, the two guards share a hesitant glance.

"That is an order."

"he's your son--!!!" Leo protests, only to be silenced by the Duke's raised hand.

"Do not make me repeat myself," The Duke fixes a cold, steady gaze on the young man behind his desk. "Glen Baskerville."

Feeling safe alone with Elliot, Leo had left his glasses behind when he'd gone to snoop. Now, he finds himself unable escape the authorative stare of the Duke Nightray.

He feels so small. So helpless.

So confused.

He doesn't feel like the fabled head of the Baskervilles. He doesn't feel like the cruel mastermind behind the Tragedy of Sablier.

He feels like the little child taken away to an orphanage in a ghost town.

He feels like a wild animal on trial for a crime it can't possibly comprehend.

And he feels those ghosts surrounding him, their judging eyes cast down on him like spotlights.

Slowly, sheepishly, Leo nods.

The guards turn to stand outside the main office, leaving the two alone inside the secret room.

"i don't know what you're talking about," Leo's voice sounds tiny. "i don't know anything about the Baskervilles. i'm just--"

"And here I was told you were clever," Duke Nightray interrupts. "You see the golden lights of Abyss that no one else does. There's no question that you're one of them." The Duke's face changes briefly to a scowl of disgust as he spits that word like it's something rancid.

"I thought by now those voices in your head would have directed you to your purpose. Three Sealing Stones down, yet you still seemed content playing the good little valet, unaware of the great power you hold. But now that you know the truth, we can finally work together."

"i don't want power. i. just want to save Elliot, and those kids--" Leo protests.

"That's the problem with commoners like you. Your world is too small to see the bigger picture before you, and you let your feelings get in the way of success," the Duke chides.

"they're going to die if someone doesn't do something!" Leo gasps. He can feel his rage simmering inside him, but he bites back his volume. He cannot wake Elliot.

"It's unfortunate, but the reality is that there's nothing anyone can do."

"that's a lie," Leo protests. "you could have saved his life if you killed the Chain right away, right?!"

"That Chain is special."

Exactly what those ghosts had said.

But unlike the spirits, the Duke Nightray elaborates.

"Humpty Dumpty distributes the burden of the Seal across many different Contractors. Every one of those seeds planted before Elliot's would need to be culled first. Do you realize how devastating that would be?! We didn't have Raven back then, our family's position within Pandora relied on the research in that facility. We had invested years, millions of dollars, and the shreds of our reputation on that research. All of that would have gone to waste! And what do you think would have happened to all those other Contractors?"

The Duke pauses as he narrows his eyes on Leo. "How many of those children would you want to kill just to save your precious friend?"

Leo feels something horrible and hot bubbling inside his chest. He's quite familiar with rage. This is something different, something unfamiliar. Something more.

This must be hatred, he thinks.

"Elliot is your son."

"And it wasn't a decision that I made lightly. But life is not without great sacrifice." The Duke's gaze is unwavering. "You have the opportunity to see that their sacrifices are not in vain, though."

Leo grits his teeth. His hands clench into fists in his lap. "what do you want from me?"

"Your cooperation," the Duke Nightray says. "If the legends about you are true, then those Baskervilles will have no choice but to obey your every order. I want you to command them to protect this family. Together, we can restore the Nightray name and pride."

"is that really the only thing you care about?!" Leo shouts, unable to hold back his anger any longer. "what happens if i say no?!"

"Then I shoot you dead, here and now. I tell Pandora that you were Glen Baskerville, and the Headhunter as well. Our family takes the credit for catching you, and our honor and reputation will be restored. It's just a shame that I couldn't stop you from striking again, first."

"your family name is so important that you'd kill your actual family to restore it?" Leo growls in disgust. "how does that make any sense?!!!"

"You and I both know you won't say no under those conditions. And you also know that boy. He's dedicated his life to restoring our family's honor since the day he could speak. If Humpty Dumpty would allow him to hold the thought in his head, he would want it this way."

"no he wouldn't!! Leo shouts. "if you actually knew anything about him, you'd know he hates that self-sacrificing bullshit!!"

"I think I should know my own son," the Duke scoffs. "He's far too immature and emotional to ever hope to lead this family, and he can't even bear a proper heir. Dying to restore our reputation and honor was always the greatest way he could ever hope to bring pride to this--"

The Duke's speech is cut short by a sudden rush of wind.

And then, things seem to move in slow motion.

Leo watches in horror as the Duke's head slides forward, clean off his shoulders.

He watches it fall, frame by frame. It hits the ground, leaving a splatter, and a trail of blood as it rolls across the hardwood floor.

Then, the body of the Great Duke Bernard Nightray, Elliot's father, falls to its knees before slumping lifelessly on down to the floor.

A fearsome, skeletal beast in a tattered red robe hovers over the body. The Chain stares down at Leo with its empty eye sockets and gruesome grin. It sports long, twisted horns and wings of sharp bone that come together like the blades of scissors.

"You don't know the very first thing about Elliot."

From behind the awful monster steps a slender man with long blond hair, his mismatched eyes of red and gold narrowed in disgust.

"You scum," Vincent spits at the corpse at his feet.

Leo covers his mouth with both hands, barely containing a horrified scream. Vincent raises his head, and the ice-cold malice in his eyes seems to melt away as they fix on Leo. "You know, I always had a feeling you were something special," he remarks with a gentle smile that makes Leo's hair stand on end. "Master."

Leo can hardly process everything before him.

The Duke Nightray. Dead.

Dead at Vincent's feet.

Killed by the Headhunter.

Vincent is the Headhunter?

And a Baskerville?

Master....?

He feels so helpless. Confused. Frustrated.

Then, he hears the sound of his own name, called faintly from somewhere far outside the secret room. A familiar voice.

The realization makes him gasp.

"those guards are going to--"

"Those guards have already been dealt with." Though his smile doesn't change, Vincent's voice sends a chill down Leo's spine. "Now, we're going to have to get out of here, but you and I need to have a little bit of a chat."

Leo's focus goes quickly from the door, to Vincent.

To the fearsome, skeletal monster looming over him.

To the headless corpse of the Duke Nightray on the ground at his feet.

To his head...

He can barely hear Vincent speaking over the sound of his own pulse pounding in his ears.

he wouldn't.

not Elliot.

After all, he had just defended him.

right?

Leo hears Elliot's voice again, but it isn't calling his name this time. The raw, horrified scream chills Leo to the core and makes his stomach twist with nausea.

As Vincent turns his head toward the open doorway, that monstrous Chain does the same, its sharp teeth curled in a gruesome grin.

And Leo panics.

He dashes forward without thinking, pulling the teleporter device from his pocket as he throws himself into Vincent's back and hooks an arm around the taller man.

There's a flash of light. Then his phone and teleporter both clatter to the floor as Leo and Vincent disappear from the Narrative.

[amodernpersephone]

めおと / Meoto (Married Couple) English Translation

by LIP×LIP, Shibasaki Aizou (CV: Nobunaga Shimazaki), Someya Yuujirou (CV: Uchiyama Kouki)

IMPORTANT NOTES: EXTREMELY dubious line distribution. sue me for confusing their voices when im screaming my lungs out. i translated this in less than an hour be proud of me (or no bc i did this instead of studying for my entrance exams). subject to change if they Ever drop an mv for the context so or so. the title can be translated as husband and wife, which is what is used in the lyrics.

Yuujirou • Aizou • Both

anata no kaeri machiwabiteshimau watashi no kokoro 【 anata & omae 】 no mono ni natteru* I look forward eagerly to your return home This heart of mine is yours and yours alone

anata no koto wa nani mo shiranai Ah totsugu dake kore wa sadameyo oie no tame ni kono mi suteruwa omae no koto ni kyōmi nado nai dōjō monai meoto ni naruga aishi wa shinai seiryaku no chigiri I know nothing about who you are Ah, let's just get married It's long been decided I shall sacrifice myself for my family I have no interest in who you are Nor do I have sympathy You and I will be wed but there will be no love in this political marriage yuki ga tokeru tabi ni kokoro mo toketeku chikaku natteiku atarimae no sonzai As the snow begins to melt away, so too does my heart We grow closer as though it was natural ** kuchi ni wa shinai ai no kotoba mo sokubaku shinai koi no katachi mo ishindenshin soitoge ayumi dasu meoto anata no kaeri machiwabiteshimau watashi no kokoro anata no mono ni natteru The words of love I've left unsaid and this love that does not chain is understood between our hearts Husband and wife, now together forever I look forward eagerly to your return home This heart of mine is yours, my love, alone. samuku hanai ka？ kaze hikanu yō kore o haorinasai hosokute shiroi sono kata ni fure mamoru to chikatta Are you not cold? Take care not to get sick Come, put these on. Touching that slender, fair shoulder I swear to protect you. bukiyōna yasashi sa tsuyogarina seikaku ochitsuku sono koe ni ochiteitta futari wa... With your clumsy kindness a stubborn personality and a soothing voice The two of us who fell in... hanare wa shinai kono saki eien ( towa ) ni raisedarō to hikiyoseatte rakka ryūsui konnan mo sasaeau meoto omae no moto e isogi kaeru watashi no kokoro omae no mono ni natteru I will never ever leave you Even in the next life, you and I are drawn to one another A mutual love between Husband and wife, through thick and thin I rush back home to return to you This heart of mine is yours, my dear, alone. sakura fubuita haru fūrin suzumu natsu kōyō irozuku aki yukigeshō 　 yorisō fuyu Cherry blossoms swirling in the spring Winds chime in the cool summer Autumn leaves shifting in color Cuddling in the snow-covered winter kuchi ni wa shinai ai no kotoba mo sokubaku shinai koi no katachi mo ishindenshin soitoge ayumi dasu meoto anata no kaeri machiwabiteshimau watashi no kokoro anata no mono ni natteru The words of love I've left unsaid and this love that does not chain is understood between our hearts Husband and wife, now together forever I look forward eagerly to your return home This heart of mine is yours, my love, alone. hanare wa shinai kono saki eien ( towa ) ni raisedarō to hikiyoseatte rakka ryūsui konnan mo sasaeau meoto omae no moto e isogi kaeru watashi no kokoro omae no mono ni natteru I will never ever leave you Even in the next life, you and I are drawn to one another A mutual love between Husband and wife, through thick and thin I rush back home to return to you This heart of mine is yours, my dear, alone.

* bit of wordplay here. yujiro (wife) sings “anata” while aizo sings “omae” which are two different ways to say you. anata is often used by women and is also a bit affectionate especially for couples. i tried incoporating that in the tl.

this appears a few times again in the lyrics and to show their difference — my dear is used for the husband and my love is used for the wife.

** it's like saying they're meant to be but that's a little on the nose. this is as close as we get w/o the mv.

[zeroducks-2]

I love your new ask chart you made—How does 30, X, and Sladick sound??

Hi guys ♥♥ thank you so much! I hope you don’t mind that you got lumped together!

30. Tortured together + C. “Let me have this one” + X. “It’s so cold” - Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson

(TW: blood, non-graphic torture, needles, long post)

Dick dangles from his chains like a dead body would, not an ounce of strength in his arms and not the faintest attempt of balancing on the balls of his feet; he just hangs heavily and Slade feels like a part of himself is seeping out of him at the same rate as the kid’s heart pumps blood out of his wounds. 

Slade hadn’t initially been worried about his own capture. Not the first time it happens, likely not the last. He has a lot of enemies with a lot of resources, he’s been held captive by superheroes and supervillains alike and he knows he’ll get out. But then they brought in Nightwing, bloody and battered to the point of being hard to tell it was actually him, but Slade would recognize him even if he was zipped up in a body bag. They hung him by the wrists to that cross-like structure, not unlike the one Slade is strapped to, and a registered voice announced that watching the boy die was going to function as retribution for the blood Slade had spilled. They provided names and surnames of who the blood actually belonged to, but it’s not like it mattered anyway.  

It’s against Slade’s protocol to show that he cares about a hostage, but it doesn’t look like he needs to show anything here; he and Dick have been kept close, so close in fact that Slade has been able to pick up the way the kid’s breathing and heartbeat change, the subtle glances Dick has been sending him from time to time, and even the smallest twitches and jerks his body made as he kept taking beatings and pain. 

It’s been… a while. Slade is not sure how long. They douse both of them with icy cold water every once in a while, but there doesn’t seem to be a pattern. They never unbind their arms and a needle taped to Slade’s arm constantly pumps him full of a foul dark thing which inhibits his metagene, takes away his strength and keeps his head foggy enough he can’t think of a plan… but. But his healing factor hasn’t been inhibited entirely, and his skin has been slowly but consistently pushing the needle out while regenerating. It is out now, still hidden by the tape, and Slade is sobering up and his strength is returning, soon he will manage to break free of those chains. But he doesn’t know when “soon” is exactly going to be, and right now Dick is dying. 

Someone walks in and it’s like they know exactly what is happening because they are uncapping a syringe, dangerously looking at Dick while they’re at it.

«I suppose you would want to say something to him.» The young man announces, regarding Slade with an emotionless expression like whatever was alive and vibrant inside of him just withered off at some point. «You robbed me of saying goodbye to my father and sister. But I’m not like you, and I will grant you the chance to say goodbye.»

Slade remembers that contract. He won’t focus on the details now but it was a nasty business… the sister in question was a chemist selling her produce to the highest bidder, which then distributed it to various drug lords of three major cities of the east coast. The father was… a collateral victim. It doesn’t really matter now, he’s killed very many people for very many reasons anyway.

«So, any last words you want him to hear?» The boy insists, eyeing an unconscious Dick for a brief moment. «He might not actually hear them, but he’s going to be dead soon. You might as well try.»

Oh, they’re just trying to humiliate him, Slade knows. This is not compassion. «I don’t have anything to say to him. I have something to say to you.» He comments in the flattest tone he can manage. «Let me have this one. He’s been tortured enough while I have barely been touched. I won’t die with that injection, you and I both know this… it is going to hurt me though, a lot. Give it to me.»

«You don’t understand, Wilson. I want you to watch him die. You’ll-»

«You’re a chemist too. Just like your sister.» Slade insists, sharpening his eye. «You know this will not kill me if you inject me. It’ll just make the torture longer and more painful, which is exactly what you want.»

The young man seems to consider, or anyway uses some more precious seconds to think about it. «And why would you want to prolong the torture. You know both you and him are not going to get out of this alive.» He turns to Dick again, then back to Slade. «If I were you I’d just allow him to stop suffering now.»

«Because,» Slade licks his lips, they’re chapped but his mouth is as dry as it can be, so the gesture doesn’t yield much. ��As long as he breathes I can hope that you will change your mind and let him go. And I’d prefer to hope for one more day.»  

Something shifts in the boy’s expression, and the dull emptiness of his eyes grows anguished for a moment. «This might actually kill you.» He says and tilts the syringe. «It probably will. I am indeed a chemist but my sister was the genius, and this toxin she crafted could flat-line any meta.» He takes one small step towards Slade. «Do you still want it?»

«Yes.» Slade replies, not even startled by how he didn’t really need to think about it for a fraction of a second. 

«Are you sure? He’s most likely going to die anyway. And I’m not letting him go even after you’re dead, Wilson.»

«Just give me the goddamn injection, boy.» Slade hisses between gritted teeth, muscles flexing in the restraints that don’t break, he doesn’t have his strength yet. «Come on.»

There’s a beat of silence, then another. Then the young man nods, very vaguely but he still does, and lifts the syringe more while taking another step towards Slade. The idea of watching him die a very painful death has to be too enticing, exactly as Slade was hoping. And then Dick is raising his head, his only visible eye open wide, something wild in the bloodshot and blue. In the quickest, most fluid moment Slade has ever seen he pulls his lower body up like he had no weight, and locks both legs around their captor’s neck, yanking him back and away from Slade. 

«No!» The mercenary yells as the struggling man chokes, digging nails into Dick’s thigh with one hand, and trying to stab him with the syringe with the other. But before he can manage there’s the telltale dull crack of bones snapping, then his arms grow limp and fall down, and then both him and Dick drop. The latter is still dangling from his bindings while the former hits the ground with a thud, his neck bending unnaturally. 

It takes five more minutes for Slade’s strength to return, enough so he can break free of his own restraints. He’s still way weaker than he should, his muscles are numb from lack of use. He forces them to work anyway.

«Talk to me, Grayson.» He grunts as he holds the kid to the chest after breaking his restraints as well, forcing himself to give a quick check to his wounds and patch up the most severe ones, or Dick isn’t going to survive their escape. There’s a muted mumble in response but Slade hears it anyway, and he thinks Dick just said they should be on a first name basis at this point. He snorts despite himself but it sounds choked like he was about to cry. «We have been for a while now, haven’t we…» He replies, stripping pieces of the dead man’s shirt for makeshift bandages, making sure Dick’s wounds stop bleeding. «You need to stay with me now, kid. Can you do that?»

Dick nods. His face is swollen, cut and bruised, he’s barely recognizable, and Slade prevents himself from holding him too tight because his kid is in so much pain already. He should really stop feeling like crying, though. «Talk to me.» He repeats, carefully pulling a black lock from Dick’s forehead. 

«’s so cold.» The other murmurs through split and chapped lips, and Slade doesn’t manage to stop himself any longer and hugs him to his chest, his body is indeed so cold. He’s lost so much blood. 

«I know, little bird.» He says to the side of Dick’s head, breathing in and out and pulling himself together. «Let’s get the hell out of here.»

Here's the ask game! Feel free to prompt me again or reblog it yourself.

[sychosid]

I've prayed enough, I rolled the dice

“Hangman” Adam Page/Swerve Strickland

[Ao3 Link]

Adam meets a strange man, unfamiliar to him. And then he remembers.

The Moon Doesn’t Mind.;Love Me Like You Used To.

It started with a search for a man, who he loved.

He loved him so much that he took a part of him and swallowed it and it became one with him. And he took that part of him and loved it and cherished it so much. That their blood became one. Acid melting the blood, distributing it through his body. The sweet taste of iron had stayed on his tongue and never quite left.

His eternal love had gone somewhere, and he needed to find him.

Driving with the moon by his side into an endless night.

—

The halls of the recording studio were empty, save for a faint light at the end of the hall. He watched a red light flicker off as he stepped in further. There were multiple doors down the hall he was walking, one notably labeled “RECORDING: DO NOT DISTURB.” He figured that was likely one of the actual recording studios.

The sound of dress shoes clicking on tile grew louder, until there was the silhouette of a man at the end of the hall. He had a cowboy hat on, and what Hangman could make out as a suit. Some deep, dark color. Green, maybe? A rather short man, he must’ve been about 5’5” if he had to wager a guess.

“Ah, our esteemed guest! Welcome! How are you doing?” The man spoke, in that strange accent. It was a genuine attempt at being a country accent, crossed with something Mid-Atlantic. Still on the back end was something a bit more Northeast, but he couldn’t place it.

“I’m uh…lost.” Hangman feels out of his depth as he looks around.

“Lost…” The man hums, tapping his chin. His hair was somewhere between waves and curls, dark brown like the bark of a tree in the night. “Well, maybe you can consider yourself found now.”

“Can…I?” He grit his teeth into something like a smile. His confusion was mounting and his palms were getting sweaty. Nervousness overtook him like an animal realizing it was prey. He didn’t want to be found, not like this. Not by whoever this was.

“...No, but you’ll get there.” The man gave a sad smile, like the melancholy of someone’s favorite childhood candy after years of never having it, when it doesn’t quite taste right anymore. Maybe the recipe changed, or maybe you have. “C’mon now, let’s talk inside. These halls are a little dreary aren’t they?”

Hangman had to agree. A feeling of unease stuck to him in these hallways, like there was something hiding. Waiting. Watching. That if he stepped through the wrong door he’d end up in the wrong place. Go somewhere he shouldn’t go.

There were dim green lights glowing through a door they passed, that he stopped to stare at. It was strange. It reminded him of something, maybe a long time ago. A trip north. Strange lights… Aurora Borealis? Or something else? Was it north, or out west? He remembered dense trees.

His head hurt, and this was as far as his memory was allowing him.

The man whistled, and he was properly snapped from his thoughts. Hangman stepped down the hall that felt like it kept expanding in front of him. No amount of steps felt like enough, until he finally reached the end of the hall where the man was standing.

Hangman barely notices that his own hands have been clutching the chain that was hanging around his shoulders. It was a cold burn, but somehow comforting. Grounding must’ve been a better word.

“Well, come on in.” The man stepped towards a door, pulling it open and leading Adam inside.

It was a small radio station. At least that’s what Hangman thought it was. He’d only seen them on TV, in movies and shows, and this one looked an awful lot like one in a horror movie he watched when he was way too young.

A song was playing.

“I have traveled many miles, I don’t wanna walk no more”

It was familiar, a song that inspired the feeling of being out on a road. On the way to a long lost lover.

Suddenly, Hangman was crouching on the floor. His head swam with the face of a man, handsome and almost brooding, a smile that was both sinister and earnest. Blood shared, swapped even. Veins that ran ice cold in the middle of the night, upon finding the bed next to him empty.

“Love me like you used to And I'll praise you like I should Love me if you choose to Though you say that I'm no good I dream most every night that I never left you”

He found himself muttering the line that played next, like a prayer on his lips.

“Do you love me anymore? Does my memory remain?”

There were dark skies, in his visions. A lake, vast and wide, pitch black like a deep grave. Something made to hide something forbidden and old, that should not have been awoken. Who fell in first?

Should he be dead?

—

It was a long, dusty road, in the middle of a never ending desert. Down from the mountains he had come, a journey from the highest grounds to the lows, stretched out roads of the mesa. He wasn’t even sure where he was at this point, the moon his constant companion. Hangman…no, Adam Page, couldn’t tell you when the last time he saw the sun was. It was unreasonable that he could make it so far out West into the desert from the mountains of Appalachia all in one night, but that was what had happened.

From winding roads and blind turns to a straight shot into the merciless and endless night. There was an odd twinkle in the sky, something off color. He peered over the steering wheel, over the dashboard, seeing a large twinkling green star among the galaxy that lit his way.

The next thing he noticed was a roadside stand. A small black tent, that could’ve been easily missed if the sky wasn’t lit up by stars. Adam slowed his car, to a stop in front of the stand. There was a little banner that read ‘Free Fortune Telling’, and a single woman sitting at one of those fold out tables with a fancy velvet table cloth over it. Adam could kind of make out the details of some of the embroidery, it looked to be some space pattern.

The woman was definitely one of those people into goth stuff. At least that’s what Adam guessed, from the thick black hair, the blunt bangs, the black silk dress complimented by lace gloves and what must’ve been a black and brown wool shawl. Although under the shadow of the tent, it was hard to make out.

She had some piercings too, and heavy makeup.

Pretty.

“Take a seat, sir.” She smiled at him, gesturing with her palm up to the wooden seat firmly set in the sand. He obliged.

The wood creaked under his weight.

“You’re looking for someone.” She said. Adam noticed that she was shuffling a deck.

“Yea. I am.” He nodded. It didn’t startle him that she knew.

“You’ll be lost soon.” She put a card down on the table, right from the top of the deck. It was a tarot card, he assumed. He could barely make it out. It seemed to be…

“The Five of Cups.” She answered the unasked question. She put down another card. This one, Adam recognized.

“The Wheel of Fortune.” They said in unison, the woman smiling.

“You have a fate you can’t escape. You can’t control it. But the cycle will restart, and you’ll be at the start again.”

“Will I keep cycling?” He asked.

The woman put down another card. He could barely tell but it seemed to be upside down. At least the text was. There were daggers on it.

“The Ten of Swords. Reversed, I mean. It’ll end. It has to end. When you’re at the bottom, you kind of only can climb up right?”

“Unless you have a shovel.”

They stared at each other for a moment, before both laughing.

“Fair, but you’re no undertaker. I know that much.”

“No ma’am, I am not.”

“You should go now. Putting off the inevitable just makes it worse.”

“Fair enough.” He stood up, stretching as he did. The only thing keeping him warm was the wool lined denim jacket. He could feel the harsh cold even through his jeans.

“Oh, and Adam?”

“Yeah?”

“Look out for the chain.”

—

“I gotta get out of here.” Hangman, – no, Adam – declares.

“Wait!” The man was still there. “Before you go…would you mind picking out the next song we’re gonna play? Get your message out, you know?”

“…Sure.” Adam nodded. He stood up, the weight of the chain on his neck lighter than it had been earlier. He wraps it around his hand idly as the man drags over a case of tapes and records.

“Your pick.”

Adam looks through the box, knowing exactly what he wanted to play. His message to that man. His long-lost love. The sound of plastic shuffling and clacking together fills the studio.

“This one.” He hands a small cassette that was buried at the bottom of the bin.

“Good pick. You sure you don’t want one of them about meeting?”

“I can’t force my fate…not this time, at least. He needs this message more.” Adam offers a wry smile, which is met by a solemn nod from the man.

“Well…you know the way out. I got a show to run.”

“Never caught your name. Sorry, bad habit of mine.”

“Oh don’t worry about it. Quincy.”

“Thanks, Quincy.” Adam turns on his heel, not bothering to look back. He rounds the corner, down the dark hallway. It was less ominous. Shorter; in what felt like a few steps he was already at those heavy double doors.

With a deep breath, he held his arms out. Ready to push those doors open.

Anticipating anything to be beyond those doors.

He wasn’t even sure he’d be in the same place as he was. Or the same time.

It didn’t matter. Only he mattered.

His love. He’d find him.

And finally he pushed those doors open, into the unknown, a man with a renewed purpose and a path to follow.

Hangman Adam Page knew what he was looking for, finally.

[mghyangoon]

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Read more.https://mghdistributors.com/cold-chain-distribution/

[stellari-s]

🍨

request; kind of - a friend gave me a prompt "ice cream" and i wrote something based off of that. requests open!

wc; around 1 440.

tags; cozy vibes i think, x gn! doctor! reader, spontaneous pov changes, ⚰️ is a secondary character, 4am writing (you've been warned).

summary; you run into a boy named ithaqua and while giving him treatment, you give him some ice cream...

to people who don’t know, the cold should be a sign. if it feels cold anywhere, it’s always a sign of something to come, for better or worse, just as pain lets the body know there was something wrong. it is the first sign of winter and a chilly calm before a blizzard.

some people are used to this cold, while others - any normal person would naturally want to shiver. if one shivers, there is no need for concern, but if one is simply used to constant coldness, then it’s like not feeling any pain at all, numbing to a lethal point.

footsteps imprint the pure white snow beneath, leading up to two silhouettes: one a hooded figure - you - and the other masked. you crouch beside the unconscious boy, who appears to be in his late teens or maybe early twenties, but looks are superficial and could only tell so much. you pull up the boy’s dark sleeves, enough to reveal a thin, pale wrist, before you gently pressed three fingers, enough to feel the thump, thump of the boy’s heartbeat.

it was slow - you have no clock to tell the time with, but you have dealt with enough patients to have a general feel for what a “low heart rate” is.

“how is it, (y/n)?”

another set of footsteps comes from behind. you withdraw your hands and turn around, your eyes meeting with ashy gray ones that would look lifeless to anyone who doesn’t know better. “he was probably in the cold too long. He’s unconscious but alive,” you reply, “would you mind helping me, aesop?”

in lieu of words, he only gives a slight nod, approaching you as you bring one of the boy���s arms around your shoulder, with aesop doing the same with the his other arm. with his weight equally distributed, your journey back to the small cabin where you two were residing quickly comes into sight.

there are people who want to cross the snowy area the two were just in. there is just one problem though.

in this area it is strikingly common to get ambushed. some cases, you and aesop could only find corpses lying in the snow, blood pooling from various areas, staining the white snow crimson, fingers gone blue long ago due to the cold. other times, you two managed to find those badly hurt but still alive. you were essentially being paid to treat anyone you could find who was injured.

this boy is strangely not hurt or ambushed, which had given aesop a bout of suspicion, but he understands you are a doctor - someone who cannot make choices on who is a patient and who is not due to their backgrounds.

back at the cabin, aesop makes a fire while you set the boy down on the small, simple bed.

you start treating him, just as you would any other person on any other day.

when ithaqua regained consciousness, the first thing he could see through his mask was a wooden ceiling, illuminated slightly by the fireplace nearby.

for several moments, he doesn’t move an inch, though he feels like a piece of toast that’s been cooking all day. when he turns his head to look beside him, it hits him like bricks.

there is someone beside him, but not someone he knows.

usually, it is mother who’s on the bed, chained up and unable to speak, with an inability to utter coherent words due to how despicable humans can get, but now he finds himself on the bed with a stranger leaning face down, forehead on arms.

that’s right, it’s humans like them who tried to hurt mother, the very same ones who tried to keep me away from her…

his thoughts whisper to him like an invisible demon as he walks out of bed. looking around, he can see his stilts and axe-like weapon propped up against the wall some ways away. he tries walking, but dizziness makes his head spin and his vision blurry, and he falls unceremoniously on the ground with a dull thud, loud enough to wake the stranger up.

with eyes are half-open, the stranger spends a few moments rubbing their eyes. “you’re awake,” they say, “i would advise against walking like that.”

ithaqua wants to make a quip back, but it’s hard to do so. his vision is still fluctuating a bit and his head is spinning too. he’s starting to feel a bit nauseous from the heat. “who are you?” he asks, his voice a bit robotic, unused to conversing with anyone other than mother.

“me? a humble doctor. my name is (y/n).” by this time, the doctor is fully awake as they stand. “i treat patients who get injured around this area. except you, that is.”

ithaqua tilts his head. “why would I be injured? i live around this area.”

“is that so? you’re quite brave then.”

“i have to be, or—”

he cuts himself off, realizing he was about to reveal information that the other does not need to know, nor do they seem that interested. in fact, it’s hard to read them at all. they wear a smile , but it’s neither cold nor warm.

ithaqua doesn’t know how to describe that in words though.

this time, it’s you tilting your head, but you choose not to question further, instead opting to ask, “your name?”

after a considerable pause, he replies, “just call me ithaqua.”

“that... is not your real name, is it?”

shaking his head, ithaqua stands back up. you reach to try and help him but are stopped abruptly when a claw, probably an extension of the glove he’s wearing, swipes dangerously close to your throat. “don’t touch me!” he shouts, his body trembling with what you feel is fiery anger.

at first, you stare back at him with wide eyes.

it’s the first time he has seen you with any other expression.

you quickly closes your eyes and take in a deep breath. when you opens them once again, your expression is back to that unreadable one ithaqua is most familiar with. “alright, then, i won’t touch you. let me at least get you something though.”

you back away to the table, where there’s a wooden bucket. atop of it is a type of spinner.

it doesn’t look dangerous, but it’s something ithaqua has not seen before, so he can’t help but feel suspicious nonetheless.

you remove the top part before grabbing a spoon and scooping something in a bowl.

it looks white, just like the snow outside.

when you are back beside his side, you hold out the bowl. “i’m not sure why you’re angry,” you say, “and i’m sure it’s none of my business, too, but maybe this can help calm you down a little.”

ithaqua raises a brow, but he accepts the bowl anyway. they seem really good at picking up on feelings...

the bowl feels cold to the touch, which surprises him a bit, but he doesn’t complain. the heat feels dizzying to him, so he simply eats what’s in the bowl without comment.

he was expecting it to taste like ice, but when a mildly sweet flavor hits his tongue, his face lights up behind the mask.

it’s like this little bite alone is threatening to freeze every feeling of anger and suspicion in his body and replace it with a cold sense of bliss.

but a little bite can only freeze for so long.

so he takes another bite, and another. he keeps taking small bites even when his tongue is numb from the coldness until the bowl is empty.

if this doctor isn’t here, will i never be able to eat this again?

when the bowl is gone, an idea pops into his mind.

if i bring this to mother, will she be happy too?

it’s worth a try. he is willing to do anything for her.

“i’m glad you seem to really like it,” you say from behind, breaking ithaqua out of his thoughts.

he turns back to you upon hearing your voice, holding the bowl out. “seconds,” he says, then adds as an afternote following a brief pause, “...and one more bowl.”

though the last part of his request comes out as a soft whisper, it’s not lost to your ears.

stifling a chuckle with your closed hand covering a part of your lips, you take the bowl from ithaqua’s hands while responding in turn: “as you wish.”

you are about to head to the table, but remembering something then and there, you turn back. “by the way, this is called ice cream, a cold sweet. if you ever find yourself wanting some more, you will always be welcome here.”

with that, you head over to the table, grabbing two disposable bowls from the shelf.