#corona virus outbreak

[suara-rakyat-blog]

Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia KKM hanya ikut arahan yang diberikan ketuanya. Rakyat seluruh dunia dan di Malaysia hanya perlu patuh ikut arahan KKM Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia.

Kalau tak ikut Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia KKM akan gunakan Akta 342 untuk memaksa rakyat Malaysia amik racun yang dipanggil ubat contohnya Vaksin.

Ini undang-undang zalim. Semua orang tahu Vaksin tu racun yang dah terbukti membunuh lebih dari 200 ribu orang di Malaysia. Cuma belum ada orang yang buka cerita ini sebab KKM sendiri pun belum dapat membuktikan adanya Virus Covid-19

Jadi selama ini kita dibohongi oleh Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia yang pada masa itu diketuai oleh Khairy Jamaluddin dan Muhyiddin Yassin Perdana Menteri ke 8.

Tapi hari ini bila dah tukan menteri baru. Nampaknya Menteri Kesihatan yang Baru lebih kurang sama macam Khairy Jamaluddin. Setakan ini belum ada apa-apa lagi paksaan.

Tetapi kita jangan leka. Mereka ada strategi baru dan sedang merancang agenda yang lebih jahat lagi. Mereka mungkin menggunakan Akta 342 yang mungkin akan dilulusakan tak lama lagi.

Kalau ini berlaku. Tidak ada sesiapa yang boleh menolak dan orang ramai akan dipaksa mengambil Vaksin. Walaupun Vaksin itu beracun, suka atau tidak Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia boleh memaksa semua orang mengambil Vaksin.

Tak apa kita tunggu sikit hari lagi. Apa yang mereka nak buat dekat kita rakyat Malaysia.

[recursive360]

(via GIPHY)

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-08-09/covid-19-is-heating-up-this-summer-should-we-wear-masks-again

[lightaflaem]

𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 [𝐨𝐧𝐞]

content warnings: heavy gore, zombies, infectious disease, mentions of blood, hospitals, cheating, profanity, violence, usage of weapons and guns, mental health problems, implied anxiety attacks, explicit smut, oral (f!receiving), fingering, protected sex

word count: 5.5k

summary: just when everyone thought that the flu-like virus which led to a global outbreak four years ago had finally settled down, a new variant struck that escalated rapidly and became out of control. with limited supplies and life at stake, you were left with no choice but to team up with your ex-boyfriend, oikawa tooru, to navigate and seek shelter.

keiya.speaks: this is an entry for @pixelcafe-network 's 2024 spooktober event 🎃

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You wished that all of this was just inside of your head.

You begged the ups that once you open your eyes, you’ll be in your favorite figs scrub suit, caressing your Beckman Coulter DxH 900 hematology analyzer, praying that the reagents would be enough for your hospital’s bed capacity as your laboratory supervisor forgot to place an order for this month’s supplies.

Or maybe wooing your Cobas e601, hoping that your quality control would be in the range of the mean so you would be able to run all your chemistry specimens smoothly. Maybe when you finally open your eyes, you’ll be back inside the laboratory, signing all your patients’ results as a Medical Laboratory Scientist.

However, when your eyelids unfolded and a baseball bat swung towards you that nearly grazed the tip of your nose, you were back in this stinking reality.

“I swear to fucking hell, Tooru, stop spinning the bat like that, you nearly hit me again!” you hissed, trying to avoid the piece of wood for the nth time. Your eyes caught a glimpse of the nip of skin that has been hanging around the bloody barbed wires wrapped around it for heavens knows how long and instantly, you felt your insides turning upside down, nearly throwing the acid of your stomach in disgust. 

“Aww, chibi-chan is annoyed, you’re too cute to be annoyed. You can’t be annoyed at me, darling. You’re stuck with me.” Tooru smiled, his eyes turning crescents while grabbing a few cans of easy-open tuna paella and throwing it into the creaky shopping cart.

You’re back in this reality where everyone around you has turned into a living dead—basically zombies. People might think that this is just a foolish tale told by someone like you however, it wasn’t. When everyone thought that the Corona virus that set the world into a pandemic four years ago had ended, well it hasn’t really ended that well yet.

A new variant mutated and current vaccines didn’t work that much into protecting the people. Eventually. Everyone started getting sick again and the cases doubled, tripled, and continued proliferating like hell. Hospitals were full of patients with flu-like symptoms and quarantine was implemented once again. With the lack of research and scientific approach, never have you ever imagined that the simple flu virus that was once contained will mutate into something more damned, something more hellish—and that is taking over its host’s nervous system and respiratory tract, owning it completely just like the mad cow and rabies disease. At this point, you didn’t really understand it that much because there’s a lot of factors and unknown elements. With that, the once feared virus has already taken over the world again but this time, much worse than the first one.

Two weeks since the virus has flipped Japan 360 degrees, 14 days of being stuck to survive with Oikawa Tooru, your ex-boyfriend. 

Shit happens for real, right? But when that menace, caramel-eyed, 6 footer guy who dragged his best friend, Iwaizumi Hajime, into his shenanigans suddenly showed up in your workplace with a bouquet of flowers 3 years after your break-up, you felt your blood boiling as the last thing you wanted to see is his face.

And another shit happens is that the very same day he showed his arrogant face to you, that’s also the day when the whole city went rabid and everyone suddenly started biting each other as the undead symptoms manifested in most of your emergency room patients. It was like a trigger that suddenly detonated, sending signals to all of the infected to attack.

That’s how you found yourself in an abandoned grocery, picking up some goods before you eventually hit the road to seek a temporary shelter while looking for a permanent one with your ex-boyfriend, who’s now taking advantage of the life or death situation to get closer to you once more.

“Phew, looks like we got everything we needed.”

Your gaze shifted to the items inside the cart. Canned goods, instant meals, protein bars, biscuits, some snacks, bottled waters that could probably last up to a few days depending on the consumption, energy drinks, basic medicine and first aid, batteries, ropes, some toiletries and personal necessities, and a box of condoms.

Box of condoms?

“Oikawa Tooru, you perverted sex animal!” you felt your face heating up despite the broken air conditioner kept on running, setting the whole area into freezing point.

Tooru was laughing his ass off as you picked up and threw the packets of rubber on his chest. He was bursting so much that he dramatically wiped his fake tears.

“We’re in the middle of a fucking apocalypse and you still have the time to pull shitty pranks just like that!” you exclaimed, face puffing in vexation. “If you don’t have a goddamn thing to do—”

“GRRAAAGH!”

“Fuck!”

A squeal leaped out of your mouth as you saw a flesh-rotting guy approaching Tooru from behind. It let out a deafening howl, echoing in the empty store. Its skin was pale, almost white with purple veins popping in its throat up to its face. The pieces of tissue that were decomposing and filled with maggots were falling into the floor, scattering everywhere. Eyes were bloodshot and scarlet red blood was pouring out of its mouth, approaching the both of you with speed. It can fucking run?! 

In an instant, Tooru secured you behind his back and gripped on the bat’s handle with force. As the raving undead approached, he swung the piece of wood with full strength, leaving a huge missing chunk on the man’s head as the muscle flew away due to the impact. Blood spurted out everywhere and you could see pieces of its brain being tangled in the barbed wires. It fell on the ground convulsing before becoming motionless, indicating that it’s already finally dead again.

“Are you okay, Y/N?” Tooru’s eyes landed on you, checking you from head to toe.

You were frozen in your place, still trying to comprehend what happened. It wasn’t the first time that you were attacked yet you could still feel your insides being scrambled whenever you’re placed in the exact situation. You felt like you’ll seriously never gonna get used to this scenario.

“Y-yeah, I’m alright. A-are you okay?” you questioned, meeting his brown orbs back. Tooru just laughed hysterically, pushing his hair back and settling the wood just above his shoulders.

“Of course! It’s the grand king after all.”

Piece of shit. You thought. He’s already 27 yet the silly nickname that he was given way back in his junior high volleyball days were still fixated on him. He’s a serious menace.

“C’mon, Iwa’s probably wondering why the hell we’re taking too long. As much as I wanted to say that we took this precious time to make out, I’d rather not.” he commented as he pushed the cart forward. You could see from his back how his gaze changed, sensing if there’s still a threat around you.

When the both of you exited the store, you were greeted by your two companies.

“Y/N! Are you alright?” Tobio hurriedly went towards you, examining your physical state. “We heard the noise from outside. We're ready to barge in, you know?”

“Oi. I’m here. Why didn’t you ask me too?” Tooru sniggered in annoyance as the black-haired man continued ignoring him as he was not existing at all. Of course, the former did not let it go and started a childish, rivalry eye to eye against each other.

It was just broken when Iwaizumi squeezed himself in between to check the items inside the cart.

“You guys forgot my snickers, you fuckers.” his forehead creased when he did not catch a glimpse of his favorite chocolate bar that he clearly instructed earlier. You mentally slapped your head as you realized it just now.

“Now Iwa-chan, this is not the right time to freaking enjoy a chocolate bar.”

“Shut the fuck up, you trash. I’ll stuff this cart into your mouth.”

“And I love you too, Iwa-chan!”

Both you and Tobio stood there with a facepalm on your faces as you watched the two best friends bicker with each other in the middle of goddamn ruins. Some people wouldn't be convinced that they have been friends since high school but they really are.

One of the few good things despite the catastrophe is that you somehow luckily ended up with the people you’ve already known. When your workplace turned into madness, Tooru and Hajime managed to pull you away from the crowd of insanity to hide and ended up escaping together safely to the hospital’s parking lot. However, little did the three of you know that there’s also a few undead lurking there. You felt the numbness taking over your body as you recognized some of them as your colleagues—Yamaguchi Tadashi, a nurse on the 6th floor and Sugawara Koshi, a pediatric resident. They were moving mindlessly, drool dripping on their lips as they no longer recognized their own self.

Before Tooru could drag you away from it, a familiar Suzuki Jimny in solid kinetic yellow stopped in front of you. The door flew open, revealing Kageyama Tobio, a phlebotomist and your college friend, screaming to the three of you to get inside the car.

And that’s how you ended up navigating the now ghost roads of Miyagi with these three. The first instinct is to drive to the government facilities in Tokyo to get help; however, it is nearly impossible to reach your destination when you’re unarmed, have no supplies, and do not know what terror lies ahead on those roads. Good thing is that there’s still electricity and water, however, cellular phone signals and wifi are now down so you couldn’t get any help through local authorities. With that, the three of you decided to stick with each other to gather and prepare everything you needed and move little by little at a time.

“Man, you seriously have horrible taste in color.” Tooru spoke to Tobio as he closed the door of his Suzuki Jimny, clearly provoking the younger one instead, all he received was a scoff, ignoring his remark.

“Tooru, stop it.” you berated your ex-boyfriend and blew you a kiss instead that made your eye roll heavenly.

In no time, you’re back on the road with Hajime driving, Tobio on the passenger seat, leaving you and Tooru in the backseat. Your itinerary for today is to find a house to stay in for a few days before finally driving out of Miyagi for good since the last house you went to got infested with undead.

Every night, you get nightmares from the images of the undead. Whenever you dream about it, it’s always detailed to the point that you could smell the malodorous odor of the rotting bodies. The terrifying screams were also echoing in your eardrums that sometimes sent a strike of headache on your head. But sometimes, you also dream about your life before all of this happens. Your happy life whom you’ve worked hard to achieve. Somehow, you managed to pull yourself together otherwise, you’ll lose your sanity and even worse, become one of the undead. However, you really don’t know how long you could still hold yourself in one piece.

“A penny for your thoughts?” Tooru managed to tickle your sides as your mind was hastily floating in cloud nine. You turned to him and saw his soft gaze locking on you. You noticed how his hazel hair that matched the color of his eyes is now cropped into a shorter one compared to its length when you were still dating him three years ago. He’s also wearing a graded specs now whom you did not recall him having one before. His pointed nose and chiseled jaw are now more prominent due to the weight and baby fats he lost. Arms and body became more muscular, skin got a little tanner than usual probably because of his training in Argentina as a professional volleyball player.

Tooru’s really handsome. He’s got the type of attractiveness where you’ll look over your shoulders to glimpse at him once again whenever he passes by. Despite his childish personality, he’s really kind and a gentleman that made him easy to penetrate inside the heart of his crowd. He’s got the aura wherein he can bring the best out of you when you’re with him. He's like the daylight you’ll see when you reach the end of the night sky.

Your relationship with him was stable. You fight but all the arguments are talked and reflected thoroughly. He always gives you whatever you want and need. Handles your tantrums very well and does not hold grudges against you or anyone else. He makes sure that he can show and make you feel all the love languages he could ever think of. He’s the best boyfriend and best friend you’ve ever had. It was so strangely stable to the point that you thought that he’s the one you’ll marry. However, when he accidentally left his phone in your apartment and you caught a glimpse of a contact with a picture of a girl asking if he had fun last night with her on his text messages, your dream of marrying him and being each other’s end game shattered.

He tried calling and chasing you for almost a week after that but you didn’t give him a chance to explain, knowing that only bullshit will come out of his mouth after he blatantly cheated on you just like that. After that, the only news you heard about him is that he’s flying to Argentina to turn his dreams into reality of becoming a professional volleyball player. He never tried contacting you again after that, not even once.

Three years later, he finally achieved his dreams as he’s all over the news as the best setter CA San Juan has ever had and now he’s suddenly back as if nothing happened between the two of you, alive and kicking. 

“Nothing, just tired.” you lied, not having any energy left to converse with him. You felt a calloused, warm hand placed above your left elbow, thumb caressing your skin. Your eyes flew and saw Tooru’s bruised and wounded hand attempting to soothe yours. “What the hell—”

“It’ll be alright, Y/N. I promise you. We’ll get through this, just like we always have.” he left out a soft yet reassuring smile before releasing your arm. You don’t know why but you felt like a hope ignited inside you. A sense of solace hit as you felt that Tooru never once had second thoughts in you. 

You find yourself erupting a small smile. There’s indeed hope despite the darkest times.

Standing in front of a 2-storey modern house, you clutched your baseball bat as you prepared yourself for a possible undead atack. It wasn’t that big but it’s enough for a family of three to live in. The exterior has a monochrome color palette with wooden doors and tinted glass windows that reflect your worn out states. It also has a balcony that has a few clothes hanging on the railing.

“Do you think it’s safe?” Hajime looked up at the towering building.

“I hope so.” Tobio answered, leading towards the door.

Slowly, Tobio twisted the automated door knob that surprisingly opened without any difficulty. The four of you exchanged looks, swallowing the balling lump in your throats as you set a foot inside the house. You were greeted by an eerie silence upon entering the abandoned house. It was decorated with lavish interiors and monochromatic palette, matching with the exteriors. The floor is made with oak wood and the walls are marble that added extra fire to the aesthetics. The second floor has a bathroom, one master bedroom, a guest room with two beds and a balcony that faces the streets. Overall, it’s a nice house and seems like the owner is well-off based on their residence.

Hajime and Tooru checked the second floor and found nothing but a few pieces of clothes that seemingly belonged to a man. However, inside the closet of the master bedroom, they found a leather bag of guns, ammunition and a copy of the firearm’s registration. You were not knowledgeable that much in firearms but you immediately recognized AK-47, M16, and the famous Smith & Wesson Model 27 that you once saw in the anime Banana Fish.

“Damn, so those really exist in real life.” Tooru made an exaggerated comment as the weapons were carefully being laid in the long coffee table by Tobio.

“We’re already in an apocalypse, you shithead. Guns like these are more realistic than this fucking hell situation.” Hajime retorted, blood is always boiling at his best friend’s idiocratic remarks.

“Let’s just keep these in one place and take it once we’re moving away. For now, let’s stick with our current weapons so we can utilize everything at once.” you proposed, earning quick nods from the boys.

“Ah, my darling is so clever! Come and give me a hug.” attempting to cage you in his chest, you quickly dodged your ex-boyfriend's arms and pointed the baseball bat a few inches away from his face.

“Don’t you dare touch me, Oikawa.”

“Why? You loved my touches. You were begging for my touch—”

“Shut it!”

You shused him by swiftly covering his mouth with your right hand. You could feel his lips twitching against your touch, eyes forming a curve as he smiled infuriatingly.

“Love birds, take your business upstairs. Me and Tobio will share the guest room, the two of you in the master bedroom so you can make peace with your demons. Don’t think of bitching up because I ain’t taking any shit today.” Hajime firmly said before grabbing the weapons one by one to store them in the small compartment under the coffee table. You felt your face being flushed with much embarrassment as the two guys witnessed your bantering. Tobio was about to appeal but he met the death stare of Hajime, making him pursed his lips.

You couldn’t even remember the last time you shared a room with your ex-boyfriend. The whole 14 days with him, you either get your own space or share a room with all of them. That's why your vital organ is now leaping so hard that it might jump out of your ribcage.

After arranging and dividing the supplies so that it can last for a few days, the four of you improvised a barricade on the door and covered the window so that you wouldn’t see the streets outside that holds a few abandoned cars, splurt of blood on the road, decomposing human pieces, and some bodies that are unrecognizable.

Seeing the first-aid kit that you grabbed earlier in the kitchen counter, the memory of Tooru’s wounded and bruised hand suddenly flashed in your mind. Without a second thought, you found yourself getting ice from the functional freezer and wrapping it in a clean cloth before wetting the piece of fabric so that the cold temperature could easily penetrate. In no time, you were now standing in front of the master’s bedroom, slowly peeking to see if Tooru’s awake.

You saw him sitting on the edge of the bed that is facing the door, clutching a polaroid film in his hand. His face is blank yet a void of sadness was swarming in his brown eyes as he sighed and kept the picture back in his wallet. Your lips parted as you recognized that he’s still using the wallet you gifted him on his last birthday before you broke up.

“Tooru?” you spoke, casually pushing the door. “Can I come in?”

He let out a chuckle. “Of course you can.”

With that, you slid your body inside the room. His eyes were fixated on you as you sat down beside him, placing the kit on your lap. Your hands were trembling as you reached for him, which he willingly lifted without any question, gently patting the iced towel on his bruises that he probably got from mishandling the baseball bat.

“Wow, never have I ever imagined that I’ll get a special treatment from a medical laboratory scientist. You know you can just kiss the boo boo and it’ll go away instantly.” he winked, making you roll your eyes at him again.

“Shut up. My treatment fee is really expensive for idiots like you.” picking up the disinfectant, you slowly rubbed it on the sides of the small cuts with a clean cotton ball, earning a winced from him as the sting penetrated the wound.

Tooru was silent the whole time you’re icing and dressing his hand. He knows that whenever you're doing something healthcare related, you don’t want to be disturbed as you pour your hundred percent concentration into it. He knows this better than you.

“You never gave me a chance to explain myself, Y/N.” he opened up when he saw you finished sealing the wrapped gauze pad around his palm. “At least let me explain this time. I cannot swallow the fact that we’re already in the middle of this goddamn situation and you still haven’t got the peace of mind you deserve.”

You could feel his stare burning at you. When you met his eyes, it was full of perseverance as if he’s not going to let you exit the room without listening to his explanation. To be honest, you really don’t know to yourself why you’re refusing to hear his side. Maybe you’re afraid of the confrontation. Maybe you’re scared of the fact that he cheated and he’s going to confess it in front of your face. Maybe you’re rejecting the reality that Oikawa Tooru did cheat on you with somebody else.

Gathering all your strength, you let out a deep exhale before speaking. “Give me a reason not to kick you out of this room.”

Tooru’s demeanor changed when he heard those words. It was hard for him to gain your trust once again after everything but if he’s given the chance, he will never let go and prove himself to be worthy of your heart once again.

“It was a prank.” he started, making your face puzzled. “It was a fucking shitty prank pulled by my teammate, Kindaichi. I remember him doing the same thing to Kunimi before but we all laughed it off since Kunimi’s single. I don’t remember when he did it but I think when I left my phone in the locker. He changed his number’s contact photo and name into a girl’s name. After that I went straight to your apartment. I seriously forgot the existence of my phone that day since we’re really having fun and I was late for my practice the next day. When Kindaichi heard that I left my phone somewhere, he texted it and that’s the part where you saw it and thought that I was cheating on you. I confronted him after that with Iwa-chan. That's why I know all of it and he said sorry. I never spoke to him after that.”

He let out a sad smile. “That’s basically everything. I tried contacting you, calling, messaging, and waited outside of your apartment for three hours but you weren’t there. I really wanted to talk with you because we both know that I’ll be leaving for Argentina in a few weeks but yeah, it happened and we can’t really change anything about it anymore.”

Tooru’s bandaged hands slowly made its way to yours, clasping both of his palms on your hands. “I’m so sorry that I let it go just like that. I know that I’m three years late but if there’s anything that I can do to make everything right again, I’ll prove it to you in any way you want just to trust me once again. Even as just friends…Y/N, you’re the best girlfriend and best friend I ever had in my whole life and thinking about everything that happened between us and how it ended just like that puts me in misery.”

Fuck. you thought. You don’t know if the world is playing with your vulnerability right now but after hearing everything, you feel like you’re stoned in your place. You feel like your insides are being scrambled and you wanted to vomit every single thing you ate for the last 14 days with him. All this time, it was a prank. A fucking prank that caused so much damage in both of your lives and relationship. A prank that made you lose your former significant other. And the most fucked up thing about it was you could’ve done something to prevent your relationship from crumbling down. It was completely in your control yet you let him slip away from your finger. If it wasn’t for your stubbornness, Oikawa Tooru is still your partner until today.

“Shit! Y/N, I—sorry! Fuck, please don’t cry.” Tooru panicked when he saw the pooling liquid in your eyes start streaming down your cheeks, eventually wetting both of your hands. You didn’t even realize that you were already a crying mess as you hollow your cheeks to prevent the pitiful sobs escaping your mouth.

With much fragility, Tooru enclosed your trembling body into a warm hug that instantly melted all the pain you’ve been feeling. You could hear your hearts beating together against each other’s chest.

“It’s okay. We’re okay now. I finally found you again. I love you so damn much, Y/N.” he whispered in your ear, right hand caressing your back.

After a few minutes of staying in that position, you finally calmed your hurricane. You pulled away, greeting his worried eyes with your puffy and red ones. Upon meeting his gaze, you felt your heart soften as Tooru’s caramel ones penetrated in yours. His lips formed into a small smile when he saw the way you looked at him.

He will never forget those doe eyes of yours. The very first time he saw your eyes, he instantly fell in love and he knows deep inside that he’ll keep on falling in love with you in every chance he gets. In every universe and in every lifetime, his heart only belongs solely to you.

Your faces acted on their own, slowly moving towards each other until your warm lips clasped with each other. The tension that was middling the two of you finally broke today. It started gentle, lips moving together in sync not until Tooru’s hand grabbed your jaw, lightly turning your face to the side to deepen the kiss as he explored the cave of your mouth that he hasn’t tasted for years.

You pushed yourself above him, finally straddling his lap and wrapping both of your arms around his neck as the innocent kiss suddenly turned into a heated one. Tooru would lie if he said that he didn’t miss all of this. The feeling of being intimate with someone that he hasn't given a chance after your break up because he doesn’t want to do this thing if it’s not with you.

Grinding yourself against him, you felt the growing bulge that was now poking your heated core. You couldn’t help but to let out a soft moan that made Tooru halt his action. It turned him on.

“Y/N, do you want to do this?” he asked, eyes now filled with lust. You nodded, wiping the corner of your mouth. You could feel your cheeks firing up as embarrassment crept in your soul for wanting him.

“Words, love. I need your consensual words.” he commanded you.

Despite the awkwardness you’re feeling, you couldn’t help yourself especially when you felt him fully erected under you. “Y-yes, Let’s do this.”

That’s all it takes for Tooru to gently place you in the bed and continue kissing your unattended mouth. His hands started roaming around your breasts, squeezing both of it tenderly that earned another moan from you. You felt him smirking against the kiss before he humped above you, aligning his clothed bulge that was restraining against his jeans and rubbing it against your clothed pussy.

It ignited a pool of wetness as you felt the hardness being rubbed in you.

“H-hgggh…Shit,” you cursed, eyes shutting from the luscious friction.

“Fuck, Y/N. I’m so hard for you.” Tooru said as he massaged your core with his hand. He felt the wetness leaking from your clothes that made him bite his lip in horniness.

He went down from his position as he pulled the hem of your scrub suits down, completely removing your bottom garment that revealed your wet panties. Tooru mentally cursed at his view. All he did was kiss and teased you and yet, you’re already a pooling mess for him. The way how your body reacts to you is driving him insane.

Slender fingers started circling around your clothed core that sent a jolt of pleasure in your body, making your back arch. Tugging the only piece of your bottoms down, he successfully removed the clothing swiftly. He was welcomed with your dripping pussy for him. He didn’t waste another second and devoured it hungrily, tongue nibbling your clit.

“Ahh!” you let out a loud moan as his warm muscle made contact with your pussy. He was licking and placing soft kisses before alternating it with sharp circles by his tongue. The way he glides his mouth against it was driving you in nuts, almost making you see stars.

“Shit shit Tooru, it feels so good!” you did hesitate to let out another moan when he inserted a finger inside you. When he felt that your walls adjusted to it, he slid another one before moving his digits in and out.

You don’t know what to feel due to the intense pleasure that was being thrown at you when he started scissoring his fingers inside. You felt like you could cum with just his fingers. Tooru’s eyes never left your sight and watched how you’re taking his fingers really good.

“F-fuck, Tooru. Please! I want you…Fuck me! I want to come in your dick,” you pleaded messily as you felt your stomach being tied in knots.

With that, he took his fingers out and started stripping his bottoms. His aching hardened cock finally freed itself and slapped against his abdomen. This wasn’t the first time that you saw Tooru naked and this wasn’t definitely the first time that you saw his member but shit, its length and size never fails to amaze you.

Quickly grabbing his wallet, he took out a piece of rubber which you quickly recognized.

“You really took the condoms earlier?” you asked, eyeing at the packet of condom that is now being torn from its packaging.

“Just a few pieces. For emergency.” he grinned as he slid the rubber on his dick without any problem. You laughed as you already expected that from him.

Positioning himself between your legs, he grabbed the shaft and started rubbing the tip against your pussy, almost teasing you. The damn idiot was smirking the whole time and slammed his dick inside you that made you yelp.

“Fuck! Tooru, what the hell?!”

“You like it rough, don’t you?”

He started rocking his hips slowly before picking a consistent pace that made him groan in pleasure.

“You’re so fucking tight and wet, Y/N. Fuck love, I love you and your pussy so much.” he said in between the thrust like he’s worshiping your whole self. You let out a chuckle that was replaced with erotic sounds as he started thrusting in a much faster pace. You felt your walls being stretched out but at the same time, it felt so good that his dick’s the one who’s stretching you out. Tooru found your g-spot in between the thrust that earned you a loud moan as the waves of electricity slammed your body.

“Yes! There! I-it’s so good! Y-you’re so good!” you moaned out as the same spot was abused by his dick repeatedly.

You felt that he’s nearing because his thrust became incredibly faster and impatient. His face was now grunting as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, lips parted in pleasure. Your stomach starts hardening as your core feels like it’s going to combust anytime. Your insides are tightening so much, indicating that you’re also nearing.

“T-tooru, M’gonna c-cum,”

“Me too, love. Me too.”

He replied incoherently, thrusting a few times more before pulling his member out, coming inside the piece of latex. You also released the coil that is forming inside you before he could even pull his dick out.

The both of you were panting so hard with your legs trembling and chest heaving. Tooru collapses on your top with a smile, kissing your lips once more before burying his face on your neck.

“I love you, Y/N.” he said, which made you let out a genuine smile.

Meanwhile, across the wooden door of the master’s bedroom, Tobio was standing with two cups of your favorite 3-in-1 iced coffee that was meant for you and him, right hand completely frozen on the doorknob’s surface as he listened to the alternating erotic moans launching from each other’s mouth while making love.

© lightaflaem. do not repost on any platform.

[lucydarkrain]

Zombie Apocalypse/World War Z AU

Rapunzel Corona

Rapunzel is the most knowledgeable about medicine and pathology among the survivors. Before the virus outbreak, she was a clinical intern at the San Francisco School of Medicine. Initially, after the outbreak, she was determined not to play the hero. However, after witnessing countless innocent lives perish before her eyes, she decided to uphold the Hippocratic Oath. From that point on, she vowed to help anyone she could save. While she appears full of survival instinct and often encourages others to keep going, deep down, she has long been prepared to face death calmly. Rapunzel embarks on this journey to reach Chicago, where she hopes to find an old friend of her mentor, Dr. Gothel, and uncover the origin of the outbreak by identifying patient zero.

Rapunzel’s First Day

On the first day of the outbreak, Rapunzel witnessed chaos at the hospital. She saw medical staff hurriedly wheeling patients out of the elevator, their faces pale with fear. Passing through the crowd, she caught a glimpse of the grotesque appearance of a patient, the strong scent of blood making her stomach churn. While taking the elevator to leave, she saw the same patient violently attack the doctors. Thankfully, the elevator doors closed just in time, sparing her.

Back in the lobby, Rapunzel struggled to process what she had just seen. The hospital still appeared normal, but she recalled her mentor, Dr. Gothel, mentioning a contagious disease that had recently surfaced in Panama. While running to the attending physician’s office, Gothel appeared, urging her to leave immediately. She handed Rapunzel her notebook, explaining that the disease had already reached California and was spreading rapidly. Suddenly, an ambulance crashed through the hospital’s glass walls, causing widespread panic. Gothel told Rapunzel to leave California and go to the address recorded in the notebook to find her.

As zombies overran the hospital, Rapunzel was saved by her EMT colleague, Cassandra, who helped her fend off the undead. The two managed to escape the hospital in a car. Though they initially planned to stick together, Cassandra was attacked by zombies shortly after their escape. Realizing her imminent death, Cassandra sacrificed herself to protect Rapunzel. Devastated, Rapunzel drove into a deserted countryside where she finally allowed herself to grieve. Wiping her tears, she began planning her next steps for survival.

Encounter

On the fifth day after the outbreak in San Francisco, Rapunzel encountered Jack sitting on a highway fence, smoking a cigarette. Covered in blood, he looked infected at first glance. Initially planning to ignore him, she remembered Cassandra’s help and her own oath as a doctor, eventually deciding to stop and ask if he needed a ride.

Items/Weapons

• Medical Kit: Contains disinfectants, iodine, bandages, antibiotics, sedatives, etc., scavenged from a pharmacy.

• Frying Pan: Her signature weapon. Unskilled with firearms and warned about their recoil by Jack, she once saved herself with this pan and gradually became proficient with it.

• Notebook: Dr. Gothel’s pathology notes, containing information about the virus and theories about potential sources. It also includes the Chicago address of Gothel’s old friend.

• Axe: A relatively effective weapon after learning zombies’ weak points.

Jackson (Jack) Overland Frost

Jack is the melee combat expert among the survivors. After graduating high school, he served in the military for a year, giving him strong physical and reflexive abilities. Before the outbreak, he was just an ordinary boy working part-time at a Dairy Queen. As the virus spread, Jack quickly learned how to fight off zombies and, for a time, even found a grim sense of enjoyment in the violence. Initially, he planned to exploit Rapunzel’s kindness to take her supplies, deeming her idealism naive in this cruel world. However, her repeated acts of kindness and her story eventually led him to trust her and believe in her theories. Over time, his personality began to revert to its original state, and he started trusting her. Jack’s goal is to reach Washington, D.C., where he hopes to reunite with his former commanding officer, North. Believing North, who once worked at Homeland Security, might have a solution to the outbreak, Jack is determined to find him.

Jack’s First Day

On the first day of the outbreak, Jack was on his way to pick up his younger sister, Emma, from school. Noticing panicked parents rushing to take their children home, he felt an ominous sense of dread. Taking Emma, he hurried back home, witnessing people fleeing in terror and infected individuals attacking others. The chaos triggered Emma’s asthma, but Jack couldn’t find her inhaler. He drove to a pharmacy, where people were looting supplies in a frenzy. Grabbing essentials, he and Emma fled the scene.

Back home, Jack thought they could escape with their parents, only to discover his mother had already been infected by a neighbor. She attacked him and Emma, forcing Jack to grab a handgun from a drawer and shoot her. Only later did he realize she was no longer his mother. Emma, frozen in shock, revealed a bite on her wrist. Tearfully, she begged Jack to end her life before she turned into one of them. Overwhelmed with grief, Jack carried out her final wish and vowed to survive in her honor.

Encounter

A week after the outbreak, Jack ran out of bullets. His car, damaged during previous attacks, broke down on the highway. With no will to live, he sat on the roadside fence, smoking and waiting for the end. Hearing a car stop, he looked up to see a young blonde woman asking if he needed a ride.

Items/Weapons

• M1911: A handgun from his parents’ bedroom, used to kill his infected mother and sister. It played a key role in his early survival.

• .45 ACP: A handgun obtained from a gun shop during his journey with Rapunzel, which he now carries at all times.

• Shotgun: A weapon stored in his car, frequently used in battles.

• Gold Necklace: Originally Emma’s, containing family photos. After her death, Jack has worn it constantly.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III

Hiccup is the brains of the survivor squad. Before the virus outbreak, he was a university student in Los Angeles. During his freshman year, he was hazed by a fraternity, which led him to successfully hack into all their members’ computers as revenge. Before the outbreak, he was quiet and reserved, but the absurdity of the situation turned him into a chatterbox. His destination during the escape is Minnesota, having heard it’s a peaceful place to retire.

Hiccup’s First Day

It all began when Hiccup was on his way back to his dorm. He noticed several helicopters flying overhead and an accident at a nearby intersection, with police and ambulance sirens blaring. Growing uneasy, he quickened his pace. In the park ahead, he saw someone being attacked, and though he didn’t want to believe it, he realized he was witnessing a scene of cannibalism. Glancing back, he saw people at the intersection abandoning their cars and fleeing in panic. Without knowing what they were running from, Hiccup instinctively joined them. Turning his head, he saw someone emerging from a nearby restaurant being chased and bitten by a grotesque figure. This horrifying sight prompted Hiccup to count how long it took for the bitten person to transform—it was just fifteen seconds.

As more and more infected appeared, Hiccup fled into a dark alley, where he desperately pried open a manhole cover and climbed into the sewers, narrowly escaping death.

During his escape, Hiccup encountered a stray black cat with only one ear. He initially wanted to name it “One Ear,” but the cat clearly disliked the name. The cat stared intently at Hiccup while he ate, and though he first mistook it for a zombie, he relaxed upon realizing it was just a hungry animal. He shared some food with it, but whenever he tried to touch the cat, it reacted with hostility. Once, it even bit his hand with its still-growing teeth. Hiccup didn’t resist and let the cat vent, which led to the cat eventually following him everywhere. Though he initially wanted nothing to do with the cat, Hiccup found himself saving it from a horde of zombies. Later, when he injured his leg and thought he was doomed, he told the cat he would never eat it and urged it to leave him behind. However, the cat refused to abandon him. Realizing his wound was just a scratch from metal debris, Hiccup named the cat “Toothless” and decided to find a home for both of them.

Encounter

Hiccup and Toothless were eking out a living in a supermarket on the outskirts of town. On the sixth day of the outbreak, Hiccup woke to the sound of movement. Gripping a baseball bat, he cautiously approached the pharmacy aisle, where he saw golden hair trailing on the floor. Following the hair, he found Rapunzel scavenging for medical supplies. Startled by the noise, Rapunzel grabbed a frying pan and faced him defensively. Jack, hearing the commotion, quickly located them. After confirming everyone was human, Jack relaxed but remained vigilant, questioning Hiccup about the wound on his leg. Hiccup assured him that if he had been bitten, he would have turned already.

Seeing signs of infection, Rapunzel gave Hiccup antibiotics. Since Minnesota and Chicago were on the same route, she decided to bring Hiccup along to prevent his injury from worsening.

Weapons and Equipment

• Baseball Bat: Originally his roommate’s, it was Hiccup’s first weapon but proved ineffective, forcing him to rely on hiding during the first week.

• Spiked Club: A homemade weapon made by driving nails into a wooden bat.

• Fire Crossbow: A self-made crossbow modified to light its bolts with alcohol, enabling effective ranged attacks.

• Glock 19: Hiccup’s backup weapon, meant for either defense or ending his own life if necessary.

• Prosthetic Leg: After losing his leg in the Chicago incident, Hiccup crafted a prosthetic limb using available tools. With Rapunzel’s help, he adapted to it and eventually regained his ability to walk and run.

Merida DunBroch

Merida is the survivor squad’s long-range support. Before the outbreak, she worked as a horse-riding instructor at a Southern California ranch owned by her father’s old friend, MacGuffin. As a Scot, she would often revert to a thick accent or use slang when agitated, which her clients couldn’t understand. Hoping to reunite with her family in Virginia, she began her journey. Another goal was to retrieve her father’s firearms, stored in a hidden armory near their family farm, to better protect her loved ones.

Merida’s First Day

Merida was leisurely riding her beloved horse, Angus, across a plain when they neared the forest. Angus suddenly stopped, uneasy. Sensing something was wrong, Merida returned to the stables, noticing the other animals behaving restlessly as well.

Shortly after, she received a call from her mother, urging her to lock the doors and windows, mentioning that rabies outbreaks from East Asia had reached the U.S. The call became choppy, and several helicopters flew overhead. Her mother’s final words before the line cut off were to get home immediately.

Merida stopped by MacGuffin’s mansion to find out more. His son pulled her aside, saying his father was acting strangely, and asked her to wait in the living room. Moments later, she heard glass shattering and a struggle upstairs. Investigating, she was attacked by a rabid MacGuffin and his son. Grabbing a decorative sword, Merida defended herself. Guards burst in to help but were quickly overwhelmed and infected. Realizing the infected could only be killed by destroying their brains, Merida used a crossbow from the estate’s armory to put down MacGuffin and his son.

Returning to her ranch, Merida found Angus had fled but eventually reunited with him. Her attempts to warn neighbors were met with fear or disbelief, with one person even stealing her gun and ammunition. Cornered by zombies, Merida watched Angus distract the horde, giving her a chance to escape in MacGuffin’s car.

Encounter

Ten days after the outbreak, WHO declared a global crisis. Jack, Rapunzel, and Hiccup took shelter in a Beverly Hills mansion. While exploring, Rapunzel admired a painting when an arrow narrowly missed her, embedding itself in the artwork. Turning, she saw a red-haired girl aiming a bow at her. Jack, alerted by Rapunzel’s scream, pointed his gun at Merida, who claimed she had staked her claim on the house.

The standoff ended when Merida was startled by Toothless. Jack wanted to tie her up as a precaution, but Rapunzel later brought her food and a blanket, suggesting she join the group. Merida escaped that night, warning Rapunzel that kindness could be deadly in times like these. However, when zombies attacked the mansion, Merida returned and used her crossbow to save Hiccup, ultimately helping the group escape.

Weapons and Equipment

• Metal Bow and Arrows: Merida’s personal weapon, highly accurate and effective in close combat when necessary.

• Crossbow: Taken from the MacGuffin estate, it became her primary weapon.

• Carbine Rifle: Lightweight and effective for medium-range combat, often used to cover Jack’s blind spots.

• Shotgun: A last resort, cumbersome but reliable.

Plot Outline: Virginia → Chicago

After a long journey, the four finally arrived in Virginia, only to find that the virus outbreak in the state was not as severe as in cities out west. Perhaps due to the vast rural landscape and lower population density, there were plenty of zombies, but the situation wasn’t as catastrophic as they had feared.

Merida quickly found her family home but discovered it in complete disarray. The windows and balcony glass were shattered, and the kitchen bore evidence of a violent struggle, with knives and bloodstains scattered around. After thoroughly searching the house and finding no sign of her family or their bodies, the group realized that the DunBroch family, apart from Merida, had likely perished. Merida silently stared at a shattered family photo lying on the ground for a long time. She then led the others to break into her father’s armory. Inside, they found most of the weapons intact, except for her father’s beloved Remington 700 rifle and MAC-10 submachine gun, which were missing. The group scavenged all useful items before continuing their journey to Chicago.

During the journey, Hiccup wrestled with whether to leave the group and take Toothless to Minnesota to build a home for themselves. While staying overnight in an abandoned hotel in the countryside, the group held a simple farewell ceremony for him. After drinking, a tipsy Merida and Jack even joked about tying Hiccup to the passenger seat of their car to prevent him from leaving. Once Merida and Jack had fallen asleep, Rapunzel, who was on night watch, handed Hiccup the address of her destination in Chicago and told him he was welcome to find them anytime if he changed his mind. That night, Toothless rested on Rapunzel’s lap, seemingly sensing the tension in the air.

The next morning, the group said their emotional goodbyes. Hiccup and Toothless set off for Minnesota, while the other three continued their journey to Chicago.

According to the notes they carried, Rapunzel’s late friend had mentioned someone with the codename “Pitch,” whose address pointed to Chicago City Hospital. The group fought their way into the hospital and found Pitch in a private room. Pitch explained that the hospital’s pathology lab contained blood samples from Patient Zero, the first documented case of the outbreak, and recounted the events of the outbreak’s first day in Chicago.

Believing that information about Patient Zero could help develop a cure, Rapunzel insisted on retrieving the blood samples. Jack and Merida initially dismissed her plan as reckless but ultimately decided to join her. Pitch, amused by their determination, agreed to help. He drew them a map of the hospital and marked the location of the pathology lab.

The three braved numerous obstacles to reach the lab, only to find its door secured by a fingerprint scanner. As panic set in, the door suddenly opened on its own. They quickly locked it behind them, keeping the zombies outside. Just as they were trying to figure out what had happened, the intercom inside the lab crackled to life—it was Hiccup’s voice. He and Toothless, after deciding to rejoin the group, had successfully infiltrated the hospital’s control room and hacked into its systems to assist them.

With the blood samples in hand, the group reunited with Hiccup in the control room and returned to Pitch’s room, only to find it overrun by zombies. Before they left, Pitch revealed that the safest place in the world was Jerusalem, which had prepared extensively for the outbreak even before it began. He mentioned a massive wall called “Limbo” that successfully kept the zombies out. Rapunzel urged Pitch to join them, but he refused, explaining that he had lost his daughter and no longer had the will to continue fighting. The group reluctantly left as the zombies poured in, and Rapunzel, glancing back for a brief moment, was shocked to see the zombies ignoring Pitch entirely.

As the group fled in their vehicle, zombies attacked before the door could close, and Hiccup was bitten on the lower leg. Once the car was secured, Jack immediately amputated Hiccup’s leg to prevent the infection from spreading. Rapunzel quickly wrapped his leg with a cloth to stop the bleeding while counting down the crucial 15 seconds. Merida placed the hilt of her sword in Hiccup’s mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue in pain. As the seconds passed, Jack, trembling, held a gun to Hiccup’s head, ready to end it if necessary. When the 15 seconds elapsed and Hiccup showed no signs of infection, the group breathed a sigh of relief. Rapunzel disinfected and bandaged his leg, while Jack, still shaken, muttered that perhaps Hiccup shouldn’t have come back. Hiccup, pale and weak, stroked Toothless and replied that he felt safer with them.

Shortly after, Jack managed to contact North, attempting to negotiate safe passage for the group. Sensing hesitation in North’s response, Jack revealed that they had blood samples from Patient Zero and that his experience in the field made him an asset. In exchange, he demanded transport to Jerusalem’s Limbo. After a brief pause, North agreed to contact them within an hour.

An hour later, North instructed them to meet his team at Cleveland’s Terminal Tower at sunrise.

Upon arriving in Cleveland, the group prepared for the final sprint, using thick magazines to reinforce their arms and legs and carrying all remaining weapons and supplies. At sunrise, they fought through a relentless horde of zombies toward the helicopter. Hiccup fired his flaming crossbow to signal their position to the pilots. During the battle, Merida accidentally ingested zombie blood, and once aboard the tower, she prepared to leap to her death if she showed signs of infection. Rapunzel, panicked, tried to stop her, but Merida refused, counting down 15 seconds with her eyes closed. When no infection occurred, she finally boarded the helicopter.

The group finally escaped and arrived within the walls of Limbo in Jerusalem. Rapunzel and the blood samples were handed over to surviving WHO virologists. Jack was assigned to the defense team protecting the walls, Hiccup and Toothless received further treatment for his amputation, and Merida, to her surprise, was reunited with her three younger brothers, who had survived.

—— TBC.

[madamepestilence]

H5N1: What to know before fear spreads

What is H5N1?

H5N1 is a 1996 strain of the Spanish or Avian Flu first detected in Chinese birds before spreading globally across various avian species. H5N1 is similar to H1N1, but spreads slower and has a much higher mortality rate.

H5N1 may also be referred to as Influenza A. The American Association of Bovine Practitioners has seen fit to rename H5N1 to Bovine Influenza A Virus, or BIAV, and are encouraging others to use the same terminology.

I would not be surprised if the colloquial name among the public becomes Bovine Flu or American Flu in the coming months, and may be referred to as the Chinese Flu by the same folks who took the spark of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic as an excuse to be publicly racist to East Asian people without social repercussions.

BIAV is a virus, meaning that it is a (probably) non-living packet of self-replicating infectious material with a high rate of mutation. BIAV is structured similarly to SARS-CoV-2, having a packet of infectious material encased in a spherical shell with a corona, or crown, of proteins that can latch to living cells to inject RNA.

Image source with interactive model: ViralZone - H5N1 subtype

What is the history of BIAV?

In 1996 and 1997, an outbreak of BIAV occurred among poultry and infected 18 people in Hong Kong, 6 of which died. This seemingly isolated incident then infected ~860 people with a >50% death rate.

At the time, BIAV was known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, and killed nearly 100% of chickens within a 48 hour period.

From 2003 to 2005, continual outbreaks occurred in China and other East Asian countries, before spreading to Cambodia, the Netherlands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

From 2014 to 2016, it began being detected in American fowl, as well as mutating the H5N6 (lethal in birds, no human to human transmission) and H5N8 (largely spread through turkeys, ducks had immunity) viruses.

BIAV has since evolved into a clade known as 2.3.4.4b, and was first detected in 2021 in wild American birds. This then caused outbreaks in 2022 among wild and domesticated birds (such as chickens) alike, but was largely being overshadowed by the pressing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic at the time.

From 2022 to 2023, it was observed to be spreading among various mammals, including humans. Now, in 2024, we're having the most concerning rapid outbreak of BIAV since 2003.

BIAV is known to spread from mammal to mammal, particularly between cows and humans. BIAV may also be spread from cow to cow (highly likely, but not confirmed - this is likely the reason the virus has spread to Idaho from Texan cattle), and is known to be lethal to domestic cats and birds within 48 hours.

How does BIAV spread?

BIAV spreads through fomites - direct contact with infected animals or infected surfaces and then touching parts of your face or other orifices - as well as through airborne particulates, which may be inhaled and enter the sinuses and lungs.

BIAV is known to spread through:

Asymptomatic Ducks, geese, swans, various shorebirds

Symptomatic, may be lethal Foxes, bears, seals, sea lions, polar bears, domestic cats, dogs, minks, goats, cows, (potentially human to human, but unconfirmed - there have only been 8 potential human to human cases in 2024).

How can I protect against BIAV?

As BIAV is a type of Influenza A, existing protocols should do fine.

Current recommendations are to wash your hands vigorously after interacting with birds (I would also recommend doing this with mammals), avoid touching your face or other open orifices, and wear N95 masks.

Avoid sick or dead animals entirely - I would also recommend reporting them to your local Animal Control or veterinary centre and warning them about the infection risk. People who work with animals are recommended to also wear full PPE such as N95 masks, eye protection, gloves, and partake in vigorous hand washing.

If you suspect you've caught BIAV, seek medical attention immediately. Existing medications such as oseltamivir phosphate, zanamivir, peramivir, and baloxavir marboxil can reduce BIAV's ability to replicate.

Standard flu shots will not protect against BIAV. Remember - symptoms of BIAV may not manifest for between 2 to 8 days, and potentially infected people should be monitored for at least 10 days.

How far has BIAV spread?

BIAV is currently a global virus, though the current infection location of note is the United States.

Image Key: Dark red - Countries with humans, poultry and wild birds killed by H5N1 Deep red - Countries with poultry or wild birds killed by H5N1 and has reported human cases of H5N1 Light red - Countries with poultry or wild birds killed by H5N1

Image source: Wikipedia - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 - File: Global spread of H5N1 map

Image source: Metro.co.uk - Map shows where bird flu is spreading in US amid new warning - File: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s H5N1 bird flu detections map across the United States

Should I be afraid?

You needn't be afraid, just prepared. BIAV has a concerningly high lethality, but this ironically culls its spread somewhat.

In the event human to human transmission of BIAV is confirmed, this will likely mainly affect marginalized communities, poor people, and homeless people, who are likely to have less access to medical care, and a higher likelihood of working in jobs that require frequent close human contact, such as fast food or retail jobs.

Given the response to SARS-CoV-2, corporations - and probably the government - may shove a proper response under the rug and refuse to participate in a full quarantine, which may leave people forced to go to work in dangerous conditions.

If this does spread into an epidemic or pandemic, given our extensive knowledge about Influenza, and the US having a backup vaccine for a prior strain of H5N1, a vaccine should be able to be developed relatively quickly and would hopefully be deployed freely without charge - we won't have to worry about a situation like The Stand.

Wash your hands, keep clean, avoid large social gatherings where possible, wear an N95 mask if you can afford them (Remember: Cloth masks are the least protective, but are better than nothing. If you can't afford N95 masks, I recommend wearing a well-fitted cloth mask with a disposable face mask over it to prevent pneumonia from moisture buildup in the disposable mask), support the disabled, poor, and homeless, and stay educated.

We can do better this time.

Further things to check out:

YouTube: MedCram - H5N1 Cattle Outbreak: Background and Currently Known Facts (ft. Roger Seheult, M.D.)

Wikipedia - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1

Maine.gov - Avian Influenza and People

CDC.gov - Technical Report: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses

Wikipedia - H5N1 genetic structure

realagriculture - Influenza infection in cattle gets new name: Bovine Influenza A Virus (BIAV)

[misty-memories09]

Soooo...I talked about a transmigration AU in this post. It's been a while, so I'm just going to give a little bit about the universe I'm making, maybe I'll retcon it, maybe I won't.

So, here's a look through the world building I've done as of now! I'm going to start writing this fanfic, possibly.

System & Contracts —

So, first of all the 'systems' would show themselves in forms of animals. They would appear infront of people that are in hopeless situations and strike a deal with them, thus making a contract (now that I write it, I can't help but think of kyubey).

So, basically, the people who enter a 'contract' will now be addressed as 'actors'. They then will have to complete missions, while also fixing poorly written stories for coins. Although they are asked to fix the story, they can not act out of their assigned roles — say an antagonist can't directly help the protagonist, but there would be a way arround this.

The systems are also there to help as guide to the transmigrator and also for the 'stats' screen. The systems also provide the 'actor' with 1) the story, 2) the comments 3) keeping track of the story, and lastly 4) a shop.

Coins & the shop —

First thing you should know about coins is that they can be converted into actual money. It's complicated to explain the value in terms of real life money, because obviously we don't use one currency all around the world but I have thought of something.

Another use of coins is a special shop which can only be accessed after finishing one story. This special shop is different from the shop we'd see while inside of the stories because it includes stuff that you can take with you (including abilities. is it reckless? truly. has anyone ever been able to do this before? only one. why? the shop is very expensive.) You can also convert your coins to money here.

The shop that you can access while in the stories includes items only usable while you are in a story, most items are multiple use but some might have restrictions — say you bought a potion that makes you faster, the effect will only last during the time frame of XYZ minutes or maybe hours but after that you would loose the ability. You would also have to buy that item again. Basically, like a game.

Missions —

Missions are something the actors would have to complete in order to gain more coins. It would align with the roles you have to play in the story. The amount of coins is depending on the level of importance of the mission.

Failure of missions has a penalty involved, which actors are not informed about prior to making any mistake — penalties may include: electrocution, severe pain, anuersym, de-clawing (removing the nails completely) and other torture methods. They would, however not have any physical demage afterwards. Like, they would feel the pain and there might even be bleeding but their bodies will return to normal.

With that on the side, here's the four stories I've thought about for Sabito to transmigrate in —

A teen girl romance novel: His role would be of an antagonist. He would be a bully of sorts, which would totally gross him out. What comes into my mind of speaking of this are the cringey Wattpad Y/N ones or maybe novels that follow the same formula of hunky cool boy and he's such a red flag that it needs to be scientifically researched, newcomer FL blah blah blah. Sabito messes this shit up like it's nobody's concern. According to him he was only "required to be mean to the the ML" and "being nice to the other characters doesn't count". But, you know, it totally does.

The next one's a post apocalyptic world. I'm afraid Sabito gets casted as the villain again. The system said, “Uhm, you suck ass in this, better try to be a good villain bbg.” I was thinking of just punching the story's guts with corona virus at first but why not, a zombie outbreak.

The next is a normal fantasy world set in historical europe, because it's common to see that and very repeating. Sabito overthrows the king somehow, while functioning on oranges. I don't know how but I will make that happen. Thankfully, the system this time casts him as the second male lead. So he can be nice without restrictions in this one. He's a duke because that's pretty recurring in manhwas.

The next one is a murder mystery, Sabito gets casted as one of the people at a hotel — a cheap third rate actor who commits theft and maybe murder. But somehow, Sabito manages to bring a "they all did it!" Divergence.

I might end up adding more stories heh. Kind of want to see him as a mad scientist, also, this AU will include sabigiyuu, I won't tell you "how?" right now but I will say one thing that there's also a hidden plot — you'll have to catch on! Or maybe you might see it unfold later.

[phightingaus]

*scurries in* *leaves more angsty apocalypse stuff* *runs away*

Slingshot was the catalyst. He investigated a ‘weird green thing’ that he caught a glimpse of during a phight, and was promptly attacked by it (it was a big monster).

He returned later on with Shuriken and Vine Staff to confront the monster, but that initial attack infected him. He mutates right then and there as the monster taunts them.

Shuri and Vine (understandably) gtfo, unintentionally leading Slingshot back to the crossroads and properly beginning the apocalypse.

Anyone under the effects of this virus will mutate as stated above, but their mutations depend on the Inphernal. No two infecteds are alike, but extra eyes, limbs, or mouths are the most common changes.

They’re more active at night, and dislike cold temperatures for the most part.

Most of them have lost their minds, but a select few (Banhammer, and Katana to an extent) are still rational. That doesn’t stop them from craving meat, though…

Oh, and all Infecteds naturally fear the ‘weird green monster*’ that started the infection in the first place, with even the most aggressive ones becoming all quiet and scared when he’s around.

*the monster has a name (Pafjyn), but it’s not like anyone would know it. He comes from another dimension entirely.

cool! although they feel a little bit to much like vampires (mainly the meat thing) even though that's a bit of a nitpick. I think the hole "every infected is different" is unique! especially since it's closer viruses at least during outbreaks, I mean we have like a shit ton of corona versions. And if this virus can control people and make them just on verge of death is horrifying and if it's powerful enough to do that chances are it can do that in a 101 ways. uhhh... 1) please continue (it doesn't even have to be here) 2) thanks' for coming to my ted talk.

[xaviers-student-union]

Xavier Student Paper: Issue #2

A return, and a dissapearence: Where is Gwen?

A few nights ago on a job, a friend of the Union; Miss Gwen Poole [ AKA; Gwenpool] dissapeared after reportedly being shot while working one of her jobs. Naturally, her line of work is incredibily dangerous and not without risks, and so this isn't the first time she's been injured. However, Miss.Pool is an active member or the community of heroes and anti-heroes and often interacts in person and through a newly popular medium for those in the buisenss of wearing poor fighting spandex and fighting people; known as Tumblr.

And more importantly, her beloved Jeff is currently being cared for not by Gwen...but by Scraps.

If anybody, anybody at all has any tips or leads to help confirm her status; if not her whereabouts. Please contact Deanne, at the numbers printed in the back of the issue

[ Relevent parties: @gwenpooleoffish , @scraps-stark ]

A Warm Welcome To our New Friend;

Since 2020, Eel has been somewhat off grid due to the outbreak of Corona Virus. Living off the shores in an old house boat, They have decided to make their return to mutant society by enrolling in the Xavier's adult courses; albeit in the medium of online school. We wish Eel a swift and smooth transition back into our community, and we hope you all here at the institute will treat them with warmth and kindness.

On that note, we'd like to officially remind folks that the institute in recent years doesn't just teach children, and prospective X-men. They offer degrees in unrelated subjects. For example, they are currently offering a Pre-Med course which is valid to get you into a medical programme upon graduation. Adult courses also include a dormitory that provides free housing, but with more privacy than the regular dorms inside the manor.

[Rlevent parties: @retrofittedfishmachine ]

Jasper's Monthly Spending Spree

As you all have probabaly heard, or even seen in our numerous posters around the building; it's that time of the month where Jasper takes the money his father forces on him and uses it to fund Pro-Mutant charities and campaigns. Aside from that, Jasper offers to buy everyone a gift.

If you're in need of anything, big or small please remember to contact him.

He's easy to find, as he practically lives in the library and club room.

Also, outside of his monthly spree he'd like to remind everyone that he's happy to step in and aid fellow students whose families may be falling behind with necessary payments. He has more money than he'd ever know what to do with. And, we're the worst to happen he has enough assets unrelated to his father that he would be able to live on. Though, jasper has asked I don't disclose anything more than that.

Extraterrestrial Cultural Exchange Club Event cancelled.

As forseen in last issue, it turns out that those "genuine" alien artefacts that the club leader promised were obtained legally and peacefully were in fact smuggled from the black market. As such, the event has been cancelled and all knowledgable parties have been barred from future club gatherings, participation and are receiving in school punishment.

All Alien artefacts gave been reappropriated to be returned to their rightful owners thanks to the work of Jean Grey, and Jasper. If you, or a family member have been impacted or believe your items to be missing please file a report with us and we will see to it that justice [ and your things return] be served.

Father and Daughter finally Talk; Everyone is pleased.

As of yesterday evening, Aranza Martinez and her Father; James Logan Howlett [AKA Wolverine] have had their talk. And while they're still figuring things out, they've both accepted that they want to be in each other's life. So, I hope everyone can join me in wishing them well.

It may be a long road to complete understanding, but hopefully with proper support and communication this could be the start of a fruitful, and happy parenting experience for a member of the xmen. So long as the mansion doesn't blow up.

Again.

[Relevant parties: @wolverineofficial ]

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This about concludes this weeks issue but before we go I'd like to remind our readers to report anything they believe to be interesting! The newspaper uploads on Friday!

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Author: Deanne

[wanderingthedesertalone]

Corona Alone a Diary Revisited: An American’s Experience of the Covid Lockdown in Mumbai 

Lockdown In Retrospect

Mediocre Graces: In any case, by the end of the Pandemic, I had somewhat been restored to good graces, not that I was ever greeted in Anand Nagar(8) at least with the Atithi Devo Bhava(11) spirit, I got on the good side of the local gang and befriended a Muslim woman who sells fish in a roadside stall, but it was too late, lonesomeness and faithlessness in humanity had grabbed a hold of me. Sadly, I am no longer able to speak to the fish merchant. She married, her husband is conservative and doesn’t allow her to speak to men.

On Lonesomeness: It’s worth noting that many endured the Corona epidemic in complete isolation. According to The Wall Street Journal, 35.7 million Americans, including myself, lived alone (Byron) around the time of writing the first journal entry. However, not just did I live alone, I was an expat, I lived alone in Mumbai, India. Regardless of the negative stigma that goes along with living alone, solitude never bothered me, in fact, ever since I was divorced, in 2012, I’ve preferred to be alone. Besides, I could always grab a cup of coffee and talk to strangers, I have the gift of gab when needed, but the double-whammy of isolation and becoming a pariah had pushed me to the brink of insanity. I’ve come to believe that those things that don’t kill us make us weaker and since the Covid outbreak I’ve become impatient, nervous and have lost faith in humanity, as I’ve already said.

Too Much Fluff: In all, the NPR article is woefully misguided and simply tried to make a buck off of Covid lockdowns, like so many other news outlets were doing at the time. A better story would’ve been on those who live alone before the Pandemic, whether for reason of mental health, a willful solitude or social ineptitude, that chronicled each persons’ descent into madness; I despise fluff journalism, maybe because it reminds me of the way that Bollywood paints India as an endless serene landscape of humorous follies in love that can easily be overcome when it’s something else all together, not easily, or that I would like to, put into words. This isn’t just fluff, there’s comedy for sure, there’s humor in all tragedy but there’s a reason for sharing the gritty details of lockdown in India, I feel it’s important to share these stories lest we live them again! In the past year, I’ve filled 6 volumes with recollections of lockdown, I hoped to get them published by a newspaper, that failed.

Diary Excerpts and Commentary

A Note to the Reader: The following excerpts are from the journal of an expat living in Mumbai (recorded between Feb 2019 and Feb 2021), during Covid lockdown(1). Dates have been replaced with titles because, unless indicated in commentary or prose, they’re irrelevant:

It Begins: There’s a few cases of Covid in China and other places but I’m not too worried, this will have as much effect on me as the 2003 SARS outbreak(6), there’ve been many such scares in my lifetime. Besides, I caught the virus from a wedding party in Sri Lanka, it was like the Flu, high fever, mild delirium and a little trouble breathing. Interesting thing about Sri Lanka, all of the land and wealth seems to be in the hands’ of the Nords, the locals have very little and the price of food is like that of America or Europe. Also, airport authorities took a child’s Queen Conch shell away right before boarding, she was clearly enamored by her seemingly magical wave machine. After they took it from her, she cried all the way back to Mumbai.

The Flasher: A few Covid cases have been confirmed and I’m beginning to feel like an unwelcome guest in a foreign land, an unusual notion in a land where the locals say “Atithi Devo Bhava(11).” Typically, Indians are hospitable, on my travels to the South they were, of course, taxi drivers tried to scam me there, but cabbies the world over are a special breed of scum, you should’ve seen the way they took me to the wringer in Hong Kong, hospitality is a source of national pride here. This afternoon, there was a knock on the door, it was my landlord. I found myself baffled by what he said. I opened the door and he began to speak, timidly and slowly in broken English: “there’s been a complaint,” he said. “What’s wrong?” “A man is walking around outside naked.” “Oh, I see. Thanks for informing me,” I said and shut the door, believing that he was telling me of a dangerous predator lurking among this slum’s numerous tightly knit alleys at night. Later, I came to find that the landlord was attempting to tell me that the neighbors had accused me of going on moonlit strolls in the buff, I was the predator. I was shocked and enraged when I found that I was, according to gossip, a flasher, but consoled myself by telling myself that none of this is the landlord’s fault, he just wants to prevent other tenants from rioting. People are scared and looking to point a finger at an invisible assailant. This will be forgotten quickly and my name restored, I guess it’s not contradictory to be both hospitable and two-faced. Why do I care about my reputation in a slum? I don’t want any trouble.

Last Days of Freedom: Worry has set in, even chain restaurants no longer accept cash, not from me at least, I tried to buy something to eat with good ol’ paper money at McDonald’s and they refused to serve me. Worse luck, as the Chinese say. I’m working on a project here and I’m paid in cash, so credit isn’t something I have access to. This doesn’t just affect me, a large portion of the population is paid, untaxed of course, in cash and most likely doesn’t have a bank account. Also, everywhere I go my temperature is taken.

Days of Optimism: Lockdown began, I went to get groceries for the 2 days that we are told we must shelter in place and plan to go to bed early. There was hoarding and ransacking of shelves at the local grocer, but I’m sure that it’s just hysteria and this whole thing will end soon. Another interesting thing happened at the store today, two women got in a fight over the last box of cookies, the first woman, a pudgy mother with a bad attitude towards everyone that I had had the bad luck of having a few encounters with before, used to admonish me saying “smoking is a bad addiction,” I wagged my finger and said “sugar is a bad addiction,” laughing my way out of the store. It was the first time I’ve laughed in days, I’ve been in a daze, everything is quickly changing and feels so dire. The fowl woman, she lost the battle and the box of cookies. A word about change, I’m often told that nothing changes in this little hamlet and I believe it. It’s hyperbole, things change here, but slowly, there’s digital gadgets for sale, but there are also oxcarts that sell food and other remnants of the past. It’s not that nothing changes, It’s that time seems to go by slower here, like the locals heartbeat at a slower pace. I always feel rushed but they take as much time as the seasons.

Two Days In: The two days passed, but lockdown continues, the food I bought didn’t last. Even worse, I wasn’t informed that lockdown part 2 had begun without the first installment ending, I slept through the grocery shopping time, 6AM. I snuck out for an evening walk despite lockdown, 2 interesting things happened on my covert walk, I saw many others outside as well, they all spoke of the cow that wandered into the open air temple that’s adjacent to my apartment complex, some are feeding here, even the Muslims, having taken up many of the folk traditions of the Hindus they live among, agree that a sickly heifer wandering into the temple is a good omen, the other interesting thing, The Green Eyed Lady (an Indian with green eyes) made me some Khichdi(24). There were also Chinese in Haiden, Beijing, a district home to many Russians, who have green eyes. Isn’t genetic splendid? In any case, the woman asked me if I had eaten, usually more of a salutation than invitation here, I said “no,” so she brought me a bite to eat. The food supposedly heals the sick.

Big Changes in a Little Town: Since implementation of the Janata(5) Curfew, many continue to sit along alleys in large groups or participate in sports, not wearing masks(4). Yet, as I walk enroute to purchase groceries, these intrepid individuals say “here comes Corona” and cover their faces with their dupatta(7) or a handkerchief. This change of attitude towards me is, although slight, I’ve always had my fans and detractors here, is palpable. Maybe it’s just my nerves. Before lockdown, I sometimes played Teen Patti(19) with neighbors at least, never understood the rules though. Anyway, the shelter-in-place decree will be lifted on Passover, this must be a good omen, not that I sincerely believe in such things, I think to myself and reiterate my resolution to weather the storm in Mumbai. One concern about the transmission of Covid, Indians don’t have a sense of proximity, they always crowd.

One Good Deed: The endless bad news has left me exhausted. A few thoughts before bed, having lived in other parts of Asia and meeting many people from Europe, India is like America in one way, heterogeneity. It’s a type of melting pot, not a melting pot of strangers from far off lands but a mixture of old kingdoms, who have their own languages and cultures, forced under one, possibly too small, umbrella. Adding it up, Indian society, due to its long history, caste system and numerous religions is exceedingly complex, for example Muslims created the first free public institutes of higher learning, yet in some regards they’re treated like would-be separatists (Khurshid). Thinking about the day’s event, I sit on the small broken cot that’s my bed, I have to get this fixed soon, it’s interesting, the cost of handwork is very cheap here, in the US, anything that artisan might do is expensive and it’s more cost effective just to throw the old away. I’m reminded of this Chinese woman I met in Beijing, she told me “I’m not Han(23).” “Interesting, which ethnic group do you belong to?” “I’m Miao.” “Is there anything unique about the Miao?” “We don’t eat dogs. All Chinese people are the same, we are one people, the only difference between Han and Miao is that we don’t eat dogs.” I was teaching adult English at the time for extra income. India is more like America than China or Europe, diversity is endless.

Anand Nagar Has a New Song: The decree wasn’t lifted. Another day, thousands more Covid cases and locals have begun to shout “go home Corona!” Despite the taunts, I’m staying where I am. I don’t have much of a choice, there aren’t any flights anyway, the airports, in a panic, have shut down, everything, with a mere 2 day warning, has come to a grinding halt. I guess this isn’t merely more sensational media. Besides, the situation is becoming bleaker in the US and airports are havens for communicable diseases, they pack people in, from all over the world, like sardines. Have you ever seen the projected distribution of an epidemic? It all starts with airports. Resolute that this virus will blow over, I buckle down for the Summer of Corona in India.

Foreigners Have it Too: Nothing good has come from lockdowns so far, it has fostered hysteria, mob mentality, greed and anti-foreigner sentiment. This “City of Dreams,” has become a nightmare! The nation has fallen into the clutches of fear of contracting the virus from a foreign national. Hysteria, I tell you! I only hope that this all ends soon. Despite an anti-foreigner hysteria, according to The World Health Organization there are a total of 1637 people infected by Covid-19, a mere 49 of which are aliens(3) (The WHO). Yet, the locals blame it all on Tablighi Jamaat(13)(BBC), why not? Trump is calling this outbreak “The China Virus.” The borders have closed, looks like I’m staying here for a while, I didn’t plan on leaving anyway. Besides, there’s talk of easing restrictions. Back to the human condition, I had always been considered an outsider here, I had always been greeted with mocking and mistrust, to some degree, but there were those who accepted me. The first day I arrived the children called me names and adults mimicked the way I speak with derisive tones and gestures, I guess imitation is the highest form of flattery? I despise epigrams, I really do.

Nostalgia for Slightly Better Days: Before lockdown, there was a woman with a fish tattoo on her arm who often invited me to play cards but I shied away from her after neighbors had told me that she “accuses people of rape to blackmail them for money.” I don’t usually listen to gossip but wanted to play it safe. Other than that, I was at least invited to weddings, funerals and dances during the Graba(22) celebration. Funny story, the first year I refused to dance, a man jokingly told me that if I dance with a girl I have to marry her. I didn’t actually believe him, I’m not that gullible, I’m just not fond of Indian music. Back to the present, it’s not the time for nostalgia, although I can’t think of a better pastime right now, maybe if foreigners in India practice social distancing, unlike the locals, they won’t catch the virus and the stigma will dissolve. The other night I went for a walk just to break the monotony of watching time go by and hoping the world would heal. This morning, I was again accused of perverse behaviors by my landlord. I wasn't walking the alleyways naked, but I am being watched. On the walk, locals barred the alley and told me “no foreigners allowed.” Yet, they daily gather to play Cricket while sentinels watch for cops so that they can quickly disperse.

There’ Gestapos In This Movie Too: I guess I should mention something good too. Lockdown has caused a sort of hush here and now daily I can hear the sound of an infant being bathed through the one tiny window my studio apartment has. Through the 4 foot square aperture I can hear the infant laughing as warm water rushes over it. I now hope that things will return to the way they were before, just subpar not “holy crap the world is on fire and we are all going to die!” A combination of police and concerned citizens, working with the police, now stand along the main road with bamboo canes in hand. They remind me of stories my grandfather told of the Gestapo. Both are poised for violence. The police, they resound the sentiment of the concerned citizens, ridicule the foreigner. Now, I usually get an escort, something that is only afforded to me, to stop “roaming” as I go to get essentials. There are now dots painted on the sidewalk, we are supposed to stand on them to ensure social distancing, the locals don’t obey this. If I do the same, I’m informed, thwack would go the cane. I’ve begun to see in black and white, not metaphorically but literally, I feel as though I’m watching a movie about a distant authoritarian time. The brutalist architecture(24) is reminiscent of Russia and North Korea, it doesn’t take much imagination for the arabesque attributes to obscure. I haven’t slept much.

Building a Wall: This hamlet is bluffed by a river by a river on one side with a small foot bridge for crossing into Neilam Nagar. The police have blockaded the entrance to the crossing and are building a wall to, I believe, keep the several hundred thousand impoverished residence of this hamlet trapped like mice on a sinking ship. I truly fear the wall, perhaps it’s because of my education, having been forced to read the line ‘Something there is that doesn’t love a wall(20),’ throughout school, it’s almost a national anthem. Walls and golf courses have always seemed as despicable things to me. Neither the rich nor the influential politicians are suffering the same as we are in the slums. They play golf in their gated communities…

The First Stone Tossed: As the situation in India worsens, so do the jeering. Now, a few individuals throw rocks at me, a tactic usually reserved for thwarting the region’s menacing wild dogs, as I venture into the ever more dangerous streets at the permitted time, 6AM, to get essentials, in an attempt to diffuse their frustrations over the region’s spreading epidemic. Yet, returning to the political quagmire that is America keeps me hopeful that sheltering in Mumbai will become easier. Rocks tossed or not, I’m staying in place. Oddly, despite not eating much, I’m gaining weight, it must be stress. Supplies have run thin, some are hoarding and there’s talk of a 2 week prohibition on supply trucks entering Anand Nagar.

Insomnia: Depression has set in and money has mostly ran out. Immediately before lockdown, I was given a promotion but as of yesterday, the company I worked for has permanently shut their doors. I’ve just now realized that I haven’t left my house, let alone gotten out of the broken cot for days. I look at the clock, it’s 5:50 AM, the allotted time for shopping. Getting groceries at dawn isn’t a matter of waking at dawn; I haven’t slept in days either, just sat on this cot watching time go by. Insomnia is starting to take a toll, I’m beginning to hallucinate, time has lost all meaning, at times days go by in minutes yet other times, minutes last for a small eternity. It has been days since I’ve had a face to face conversation with another human.

Home Invaders: Somewhat dazed, I sit on my bed contemplating the meaninglessness of time when there’s nothing to do. Jolted from my daydream-like state, there’s a pounding sound on the door. The sound is getting louder. I hear shouting. The words come into focus, “foreigner, we’re coming in! We’re breaking the door down,” says the unfamiliar voices. I spring to my feet and bolt the door. The pounding becomes more and more rapid and fear takes a hold of me. But then I hear a familiar voice, the voice of my neighbor, she shouts something in Marathi and the marauders leave. I fall into a sleep and don’t wake for 2 days. Food was cut off for 2 weeks, I had to get a bite to eat from the Hanuman Mandir(18). They handed out plates of rice and lentils.

Vigilantes: Days go by and panic worsens among residents of this Mumbai chawl(8). Due to rising fears, vigilantes begin to safeguard the streets from “roaming.” These sentinels attempt to impose restrictions of their own device on me: they inform me that I am not permitted to walk along certain roads because they are afraid that I carry the virus, this happened once before on a late night walk but now it’s the norm, although I’m merely in search of a store to buy necessities and wearing a mask. In the end, these vigilantes won’t cause a reduction in hanging out on the street, this I know, but a few of this slum’s inhabitants get to feel empowered because they are the new sheriff in town. I guess we all need a whipping-post and there’s good among the wicked, a local temple and a few individuals are handing out grains to the needy. We are all needy here. At this point, the lockdown has gone on for months.

The New sheriffs in Town: Currently, there’s two police along Mumbai’s backstreets, those who were given authority by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MNC) and vigilantes. Feeling harassed and completely rejected by society, loneliness takes hold of me, I begin to search for a way out of this “city of dreams,” maybe returning home while a buffoonish leader (Trump) who makes a mockery of the US isn’t so bad, I think to myself. All things considered, it’s nearly impossible to abide by laws set by both the government and a hysteric mob anyway.

No Payment Until April: At least I have a roof over my head, I think to myself, an article in Aljazeera, Foreign Tourists Face Hostility in India Amid Coronavirus Panic informs that an Israeli woman was evicted from her home in Goa due to locals fear of contracting COVID-19 and others were forced out of their hotel (Purohit), I can go a day without milk, but not without a bed, not to mention, the police had recently found tourists living in a cave because they are trapped in India and have ran out of money (NBC). I haven’t yet been evicted, but am also out of funds and live under constant threat of eviction. Rent payment is suspended until April (Delhi High Court). I lay on my broken cot, I will try to get it fixed on the black market, and continue to doom-scroll taking note of the day’s death tally and searching for any sign of things getting better. Passover has passed but Covid hasn’t.

Nobody Goes Home for That Price: I do some research and come to find that the US Department of State is offering “repatriation flights,” these flights carry a $2000 price tag (a promissory note for the aforementioned amount must be signed before boarding the plane) and a random port of arrival is where I’ll end up if I choose to return home through the ever so benevolent government, how can anyone pay this price during a Pandemic (this thing has been upgraded to a Pandemic, how lovely words are). Upon arriving at this port, the returning expat must find their way home through barricades and the threat of being infected by Corona (Genter). I harden my heart and again resolve to weather the storm in Mumbai. Besides, if the promissory note isn’t paid, I will be banned from international travel. I’m a Digital Nomad. I travel, work at an incredibly low rate and can only afford to survive in developing countries.

August’s Heat: The death toll jets upward and 75 degree angle, it’s updated daily. While bombarded with an endless stream of bad news, jeering has morphed into threats of violence, sleep is still a rare occurrence, heat rash has caused the parts of my body covered by clothing to become as freckled as Little Orphan Annie, I’m as poor to boot, my field of vision is filled sprawling geometric patterns and my temper is quick.

Worse Than the Daughters of Temperance: As the situation thickens, stores begin to deny me service. A shopkeeper refuses to sell me certain items that are in stock and we aren’t barred from sale, I have just been informed that liquor and tobacco have become contraband. The more than nagging need to satiate addictions during lockdown aside, this proprietor allows Indian nationals to purchase products, but denies me the same goods. He’d have me starve to death! I, like all outsiders, have become the face of a faceless virus that has ruined lives, in fact “Muslims were initially blamed for the spread of infection (Siddiqui),” a group that is no less a part of India than Sikhs(10), yet, like Jews anywhere in the world, are perpetual outsiders. All things considered, this is mass hysteria! Nobody I know has died from Covid yet. A sampling error? Perhaps. Nonetheless, I sit in my room without a breeze (I don’t have A/C) and ponder what society has come to, Freud’s mob mentality.

They’re Trying to Starve Me Out: That shopkeeper has changed his mind, I returned to him to buy groceries but he yelled “go away foreigner white face.” He then insisted that a clerk not give me an old box, although I was carrying a heavy load and had no tote. The hypocrisy of people here is an in the face classism, a rule for me and a rule for them. The Covid cases are increasing exponentially! So are my headaches. They’re not headaches as much as a feeling that every nerve ending in my body is being prodded with a needle and the inside of my brain shrinking. Now, I sit at home alone, the rats scurry across the floor, the heat comes in waves, time stands still and there’s nothing to laugh about, Covid cases are in the hundred thousands and the death toll is staggering as well.

Befriending the Gang: August’s heat, insomnia, constant dread and lack of nutrition are getting to me, I don’t know how much longer I can go on. Even local pharmacists have begun to convey a fear of me and insist that I have a cough when I go in to ask for something for heat rash. Unlike the grocers, the pharmacists sell me goods, but with great hesitation and suspicion in regards to my presence in this chawl. Finding tobacco is now the chief task of every day. It’s sold on the black market, along with chocolate, alcohol and meat, at exorbitant prices. So, like a heroin addict, I slink up to a back alley leant-to and buy a pack of smokes. It’s just like buying illicit drugs: there’s an obligatory period of making small-talk, ambiguity over whether or not the man actually has tobacco, razzing, phone calls and scurrying about to find it. In the end, I walk away with cigarettes at European prices and a dirty feeling.

Suicide Among Death: Lockdown continues and most in this chawl have lost morale. The neighbor sent her son over to tinker on my electric piano. She told me of what has been dubbed The Flower House Girl. A young woman hung herself from rafters due to endless confinement to her home and the bleak picture of tomorrow that the daily news paints. What a shame! I had wondered what the fire department was doing on the main street. They took her out of the third story window with the truck’s ladder.

Another Year Another Onion: Did I mention it’s a New Year? I didn’t even notice that the year had changed, the date passed unceremoniously and with festivities. Again, the police have rebuilt the wall that surrounds this chawl, tightening the perimeter, I’m not sure if it’s to keep Covid out or us in. In any case, food has scarcely made it through the makeshift wall and news is that food supplies will be cut off for 2 weeks, again. In any case, that which makes it in is mostly sequestered by the gangs, anyhow. It’s that I’ve got the most onions mentality(12). Despite rarely eating, I continue to gain weight. Speaking of onions, there are now over nine million confirmed Covid cases and farmers are protesting the price gouging of seeds, stating that “We are the ones who have provided food, milk, vegetables when the whole country was in lockdown, we were still toiling in the fields. It is the government” not gathering in New Delhi “that has put us at risk by introducing these laws during Covid (Hollingsworth et al).” My heart is with these brave men and women and if I had the strength I would be beside them. All things considered, despite the news and friends’ proclamations that a new year brings new hope, this may be an onion of a year too.

The Walls Close In: Yet again, the police have reduced the circumference of the wall. I feel claustrophobic or like I’m slowly, very slowly drowning. I go to bed, but sleep doesn’t come. I hear the rats fight over the last morsels of food in this chawl, when I wake, there’s inevitably a rodent corpse on the footpath in the ally that leads to my house. Food has been cut off for 2 weeks. I gave the last of my supplies to a family, in total it amounted to a pound of rice and a pound of lentils. Now, the cot is less of a fishing net with big holes and more of an empty frame. I lay on the floor instead, will I be able to get somebody to fix it, I don’t know. I have to get my family to send money first.

An Altercation: We are now allowed an evening walk, so I venture out to the usual chants, a ragtag team of would-be thugs follow me. A wave of exhaustion washes over me and my pace slows to a crawl in front of the BJP(14) Office. As I cross in front of the office, beneath the flag, a scrawny slum-bastard walk up and says “are you British?” “I’m American,” I reply. “I hear they call you Hari(15).” I can smell the alcohol on his breath as he speaks. “What of it?” “More like Harry Potter.” “I guess that’s funny,” I say and try to walk away, but he grabs me by the collar and takes a swing, he misses. I return the blow, my fist makes contact with his face. My heart is racing. I fear an all out retaliation when, like roaches from beneath rot-wood, members of the local gang emerge from the alleys and come to my aid. I had been buying tobacco from them, at highway robbery prices for weeks, and so it’s in their interest to act as my vigilante guardians, in some regards, the gangs are better than the police, or at least their corruption and self service is laid out on the table for all to see, where the cops are supposed to protect and serve, protecting and serving often isn’t the case here, it comes down to ethnic and caste schisms.

Two Deaths and a Ghost: It’s another day and the death toll has spiked again. Feeling that I escaped death and death being the only thing the news reports on I begin to wonder, had I been killed by a mob, would my death have been reported as a Covid death? Is the death toll real? There’s a little hospital in this chawl, it’s certainly not inundated with the dying and morticians don’t walk the streets singing “bring out your dead,” as they did during the Black Plague of 1665. In fact, of the 3 who purportedly died in Anand Nagar, one was an elderly with Emphysema, the other was a suicide and the last one, I saw him walking down the street the other day, risen from the grave as by some Covid era miracle. Truth be told, he had gone back to his family home and returned. Not an easy task, much like during the Holocaust, traveling papers are required to go anywhere, there’s not even any trains, minus a few for displaced workers. A combination of lack of food, a growing mistrust of the government’s intention with regards to lockdown and dire times brings these lyrics to mind: My wife fixed up a tater stew/ We poured the kids full of it/ Mighty thin stew, though/ You could read a magazine right through it. Always have figured/ That if it’d been just a little bit thinner, Some of these here politicians/ Coulda seen through it(21).

Are the politicians duped or am I? What about herd immunity? I feel like I’m living in the Dust Bowl, except there’s no storm of dust and the sky isn’t black. The enemy is invisible. Or, am I the enemy? So much for relativism.

Police and Indians: On another outing, again attempting to purchase essentials, those things that whether for sustenance or pleasure, an invisible hand has decided that I may indulge in, I find that even local authorities seem misinformed about the number of foreign nationals in India with Covid. Recently, police stopped me for questioning and informed me that “foreigners are the cause of Corona Virus.” After looking for a quarantine stamp on my hands several times and not finding one they insisted that I run back home and followed me on motorcycles. This was witnessed by several locals who cheered the police on. As the police resounded sentiments of this chawl’s inhabitants, it reinforced negative feelings. I didn’t eat that night. The days following the police harassment, locals continued jeering me by saying “the police will come and hit you,” while mimicking the thwack of a cane on their posterior. Not just are they misinformed, they’d like to see me hung.

Read the Sign: In case you feel incredulous in regards to my claims about placing a stamp on the hands of foreigners and the police’s blindingly Orwellian allegiance to the BJP, the party who blamed Covid on Muslims and foreigners, The National Library of Medicine has this to say about it: tourists who arrived in India from affected countries were put in quarantine for 14 days in their port of arrival, their “left hand was stamped with ink” to maintain the date and time of their home quarantine, “a move that could risk assault, due to stigma towards Covid suspects [foreigners].” Individuals violating the quarantine can be penalized via Indian penal code Section 188, 269 and 270 (Siddiqui). The police, like the locals, are looking for a whipping-post and have a draconian view about foreign nationals in India during this crisis, what a hoot it would be to cane them. Bollywood is no “City of Dreams,” in fact, misinformation abounds here, signs, obviously posted by Conservative and nationalistic Hindu Vegans, reads as so: ‘Ways to avoid Covid/ Don’t eat meat/ Don’t smoke/ Don’t talk to foreigners.’ I no longer see the good that I jotted down in an earlier journal entry. Also, tired of the word “misinformation,” not sure who gets to decide what’s misinformation, although I myself used it in this entry, just tired: days crawl by and the feeling of isolation causes a pressure on my cranium and a meaninglessness to all things.

Mending a Bed: Despite having become a pariah, I was able to get the cot fixed, for a small fee, a tailor was willing to come over, and work against the law, they despise me, but like money enough to look past it. The work doesn’t look great, it’s rigged. Most everything here is rigged. I’m never sure if this is the ingenuity of a race of impoverished people or the result of an attitude that declares good enough is good. In the end, most everything is a hodgepodge of corrugated steel, broken bits of wood and rope with exposed electrical wires that run through water and the elements in general. I’ve always said, if the manpower here became a collected force and decided to stop pollution, get the rivers clean, enforce something like an ADA, demand fair housing they would be an unstoppable force. Instead, they divide themselves along ethnic schisms.

A Pickpocket: Food has returned to the stores and shopkeepers are serving me, but I was pickpocketed at the register. I took my wallet out to pay, right before my eyes a man reached in my wallet and took a 500 out, it was the last of the money I had. I came home empty handed. For the first time since my divorce, I broke down and cried. Now I sit wiping my eyes. Is all hope for humanity lost? I cannot answer. Besides Covid, there’s so much political turmoil! It looks as though there won’t be a smooth transition of power this time.

What I’ve Learned From the Steppenwolf: I’m concerned for the nation’s migrant workers, other visiting foreign nationals and those who descend from Mizoram and Assam, these individuals may be more prone to the psychological effects of loneliness than myself. Culturally, Indian life centers around an extended family, whereas I’m more akin to Herman Hesse’s Steppenwolf. All in all, it’s tough to live overseas in the best case scenario and down-right depressing when you’ve become public enemy number one. But, as I said, I have a tough enough skin to survive this, but there are those who’ve been cannibalized by their own society. Anyway, lockdown should end in 3 weeks, the infection rate is on the decline. We are now aloud out in the evenings and I have taken to sitting with friends in front of the Rukhmini(16) Temple. It’s like the opening line of a joke, a Jew, a Muslim and a Hindu… Among us, there’s a Muslim, a Jew, a Christian and a Hindu priest. All in all, I need them not, but it’s nice to have some companionship, even if there’s little communication. I have returned to good graces.

Family Matters: Although I feel alone, I’m not jealous of India’s family structure. Locals often ask me about my family, casual things like “how is your mother?” “I don’t know. I don’t keep in touch with my family very much,” I respond. It’s a matter of privacy and staying out of gossip. Here, grown men never grow up, they are fed and coddled by their mothers. I had recently met a man who can’t cook for himself, nor wash his own clothes and still occasionally sleeps in bed with his mother. Speaking of men, spouse abuse, along with drinking, is on the rise. It’s not uncommon to see and hear it. Too often, after dark, I witness, when I sneak out for a walk to break the munatiny, men hitting women by the open air temple that my house is adjacent to. Speaking of temples, Hanukkah recently passed. I lit a makeshift menorah, but even that gave me little joy. As for now, the best thing is drinking chai by the little Rukmini temple.

Down With the Wall: The wall has come down! Lockdown isn’t over, but the wall has come down. Alas, air travel has returned, the government has announced “air bubbles” and I’m returning to America. After everything, I was never again treated as more than a second-class citizen in that chawl but it matters not, I’m leaving! In the end, the locals’ reaction to me and the psychological impact of the loneliness, their words and actions heave upon me, have caused deep scars. On a more disappointing note, all local newspapers have declined to publish my recollections of lockdown. An earnest question, were we fed false dichotomies, ones that stated wear a mask or everyone dies and get the vaccine or everyone dies, just for some political experiment or agenda? It’s just odd that after the farmers protested the Covid number began to decrease.

Integrity Intact

No Amnesty for the Wicked: One might say, you’ve survived the worst, why bring this up at all? Isn’t it time for amnesty? I feel the answers to this was best put into words in the video Pandemic Amnesty: Do you Forgive and Forget and so I will summarize what the author said, “there were things that happened that there needs to be a recognition of, and there needs to be a public apology. There needs to be a promise that this never happens again. There needs to be people who actually pay for their behavior, potentially criminal behavior. […] Until the people who did harm admit that they did harm this kind of thing will just keep repeating itself. […] Some people were victims, other people were perpetrators, and then there [were] also enablers (Wand).” For instance, The Deccan Herald reports that there have been “attacks on people from India’s northeastern region […], suspecting them of being carriers of the virus.” Assaulting your own people is like cannibalism, that’s all there is to it! As it was written in the newspaper, apart from being called “Corona” or “Chinki(9)” India’s [Asiatic] people were spat on and forcibly quarantined, despite showing no Covid symptoms, all because of their looks and an ignorant fear that anyone who looks different are the root cause of the Pandemic. Also, they were denied entry into their apartment complexes, evicted, merely threatened with eviction or forced out of restaurants to make others comfortable and none wanted to share transport with them (Karmakar). Of all things, it’s not time for amnesty.

Ignorance isn’t an Excuse: There needs to be punishment for these wicked deeds! There’ll be no retribution for foreigners who suffered in India, but locals, those from minority communities, who had just days before lockdown been upstanding citizens, deserve retribution and possibly reparations. There those who died from the virus and those who died at the selfishness and ignorance of mankind, for those who died by the hand of man have this to say: “To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time ( Elie Wiesel).” Ignorance, for good reason, has never been, nor shall it be an excuse for breaking laws and committing atrocities. The Atlantic is wrong in their assertion that we should just forgive and forget (Oster). Perhaps, in the name of healing, it’s time to forgive, but should never forget!

A Clear Conscience: During The Covid Outbreak, I may have lost my mind, found myself in complete isolation and on the brink of starvation at times, but at least I kept my dignity. I threw no stones and attempted to obey the laws, even those that actively brought hardship into my life. I defended myself when needed, I live by the adage “walk gently and carry a big stick.” As for the war of the ethnicities in India, I guess it’s none of my business, alone, I can’t defend the minorities. And in regards to retribution for the wicked, my hands are also tied. However, I won’t give amnesty, not in my heart. Forgetting and moving on, as Oster’s article suggests (Oster) is, to reiterate, akin to allowing the cycle to repeat again. In the end, my travels have provided me with armor to protect against cabin fever, I’ve endured hardships and loneliness in remote villages of Nepal and have been “the stranger” in the metropolitans of Hong Kong, Bangladesh… But there are those among the Indians whose identity and self-worth come from a tightly knit family and friend structure, many of which took their own lives due to isolation. Others starved to death because of lack of income and others died due to the rejection of medical services. Luckily, I was not immune to the effects of isolation, but well insulated from the threat of Corona by a chawl that exists off the radar and societies’ fear of foreigners, local inhabitants keep me at arm’s length and so, I didn’t catch the virus during lockdown.

Notes

1: The views herein are not the of WTDA but the author. At WTDA we publish a variety of news, depending on what we deem to be an interesting story at the moment.

2: At the time of writing, Covid hadn’t yet been declared a Pandemic.

3: Citation no longer available at The World Health Organization.

4: The author of this journal wants it to be known that they don’t, nor did they ever, believe that masks are/were an effective way of preventing Covid-19 but were forced to wear a face covering by Indian law. At the time, they obeyed the law.

5: Public.

6: Hyped media, having no real effect on the life of the author.

7: A long scarf worn by Indian women.

8: The Marathi word for neighbourhood which is colloquially used to denote a slum.

9: North Indian slang for India’s Asiatic population.

10: A religion that combines attributes of Islam and Hinduism and originated in India.

11: Guests are G-D.

12: In 2019, due to flooding, there was an onion shortage. An entrepreneur had been hoarding onions. At the time, not only did he declare that “onions are the new gold” he purportedly sold the onions for 3 times the market value. To the author, it serves as a symbol of the selfish psychological state that caused some of the worst aspects of Covid lockdown.

13: A 3 day Islamic spiritual event in India’s capital hosted by a 100 years Islamic Missionary Movement. Due to the cases reaching over 300 after the event, the meme was coined: China is the “producers” of the virus, and Muslims are the “distributors.”

14: A political party, of which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the leader of. Every neighborhood has a BJP office.

15: A common male name in India and regional pronunciation of the Anglo name Harry.

16: The primary wife of the Hindu G-D Krishna.

17: The name of the slum in which the writer lived during lockdown.

18: A temple in the slum in which the foreigner lived during lockdown. The temple is dedicated to the monkey G-D, a deity who helped Rama in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana.

19: A poker-like card game in which the players make melds with three cards.

20: Mending Wall by Robert Frost.

21: Talkin’ Dust Bowl Blues by Woodie Guthrie.

22: A dance form native to the west Indian state of Gujarat, performed in October to honour the Hindu Goddess Durga. It is also celebrated in Maharashtra. People gather on the streets, dancing in pairs of men and women where they rhythmically click sticks together.

23: The largest ethnic group in mainland China, about 91% of the population.

24: A South Indian dish made of rice and lentils. It’s a comfort food that’s supposed to aid in healing.

25: Brutalist architecture emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era.These buildings characterised by minimalism and bare building materials. They are commonly seen today in old Soviet Union countries and Central Asia, reminding many of totalitarianism.

[rebeccalouisaferguson]

Rebecca Ferguson: The first to ask questions in the intview

Ferguson calls via videocall from London and takes the interview in her own hands.

Rebecca Ferguson: Before we start I'd like to ask whats there behind you on the table. Sorry, I like to see through zoom-interviews the rooms of my intviewers.

ICONIST: What particular are you interested in?

Ferguson: The first book in the pile, for example.

ICONIST: I have to take a look for myself now. Here, "Bill Gates. How the prevent the next pandemic."

Ferguson: Oh. Does Bill have some good advice in it?

ICONIST: It's complicated. Gates had already warned of the dangers of such pandemics before the Covid outbreak. He later received death threats because one of his quotes, taken out of context, was used to create the grotesque fake news that he wanted to use the corona virus to microchip all of humanity. With that, we could now seamlessly move on to the conspiracies in your new series, Silo, in which no one knows which stories about human threats are true and which are fabricated.

Ferguson: *laughs* You are right.

ICONIST: The world has been destroyed, 10,000 people have survived in an underground silo, locked up there, isolated from the outside world. Nobody knows what really happened outside. You're not entirely wrong to take this as a depressing parable of the pandemic, are you?

Ferguson: There are certainly many parallels to events that happened not so long ago - the horror of the Covid lockdowns, governments wanting to control their environment, scarcity of resources and the need to recycle in order to survive. Only the novels on which the series is based have been published since 2011. And as an actress, what interests me most is the quality of the storytelling and the characters. When I was working on this role, I didn't think too much about whether the future society in the film had anything to do with today's society. To be honest, I don't want to think about the future of the world because sometimes it gets me pretty depressed. I am aware that I lead a very privileged life and that I am very fortunate. Don't get me wrong: it's important to me to speak my mind, for example I'm fighting for equality at every level. I accept those battles that I am convinced I must fight. Other than that, I just try to be friendly to others.

ICONIST: Your series about the silo society offers less action-packed science fiction escapism, instead it relies more on dialogue. It is reminiscent of Samuel Beckett's end-time visions in his play "Happy Days" - with two actors who are stuck in a mound of earth after an apocalypse, sink into it and console themselves with purposeful optimism about their hopeless situation.

Ferguson: I love your reference to Samuel Beckett *laughs* Makes perfect sense. I've done a lot of research on depression and trauma to better understand the loneliness, grief, and loss that weighs on my character. And I like philosophy. The theses of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Thomas Hobbes, for example, both of which assume the natural equality of human beings, i.e. that humans are good by nature and only become evil through society. It was interesting to transfer such thoughts to the film, to ask oneself: What happens when you condense this thesis and show what happens when many people are isolated in a room closed off from the outside world? And when down there one lie about the alleged causes of the catastrophe is followed by another. Do people rebel against lies? Regardless of the penalties they face? Those were the basic questions that fascinated me about this series.

ICONIST: The series is based on Hugh Howey's internationally successful best-selling trilogy "Wool", which is adored by fans. Did you feel pressure to live up to expectations? There are enough examples of film adaptations of fantasy and science fiction novels that have been torn apart by fans.

Ferguson: No, I didn't feel any pressure. It's great that this book series was so successful and has so many fans. I can only do my best. If people don't like it, that's unfortunate, but then there's nothing you can do about it. However, before I engage more intensely with such a role, I always do a lot of research on fan sites. I spend hours reading all sorts of things there.

ICONIST: Why are you doing that?

Ferguson: Because I often discover interesting details on these sites. For example, if a fan writes, "I love how the author describes how Juliette keeps her hand in a pocket the whole time." That's a small but significant detail. I said to myself, "Great, I'm going to do this the whole time through the shoot."

ICONIST: You say you don't like to think about the future too often. In a podcast "Spark Hunter" published in 2022, you dealt with the currently much discussed topic of the future of artificial intelligence. Actress Trudie Styler, wife of Sting, directed. What appealed to you about recording a podcast – actually more of a radio play – in addition to all your film commitments?

Ferguson: I like Trudie very much. When she called me one day and asked, "Do you want to do a radio play with actor Mark Rylance?" I immediately said, "If Mark Rylance is in, I'll be in, no matter what it is." Then sent me the scripts and I got scared at first.

ICONIST: Why?

Ferguson: Because it was pretty complicated stuff, with a lot of details about AI. It was just hard to understand at first. Mark Rylance voicing the inventor of a female artificial intelligence robot whom I speak. And then suddenly this robot starts to develop feelings, it takes pleasure in provocation and in questioning society. And reveals morbid feelings about human life - it's brilliant.

ICONIST: Sting also has a small speaking role in the podcast. In 1984 he had an unforgettable scene as an actor in David Lynch's film adaptation of "Dune - the desert planet" as the villain Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. There he stands with an oiled naked body, only wearing a futuristic loincloth, which he himself once described as the "first example of flying underpants".

(Rebecca Ferguson is laughing)

You can be seen as Lady Jessica in Dennis Villeneuve's remake of Dune. While working on the podcast, did you and Sting talk a bit about how sci-fi staging has changed over the past 40 years?

Ferguson: We actually did. I remember sitting with him and his wife at a table in their beautiful home at their winery in Tuscany. At one of our long dinners, I asked him, "Do you know what I'm filming?" "No," he said, "what?" Then I revealed to him that we were remaking Dune. And then his eyes suddenly lit up and we went on a long journey in our conversation, talking about what it was like shooting the first film back then, compared to the new one.

ICONIST: And the flying underpants?

Ferguson: (laughs) I won't give you any details, that's between Sting and me.

ICONIST: In winter comes the second part of the Dune film adaptation, in which you again play Lady Jessica, the mother of the young hero Paul Atreides. In the summer you can also be seen again as MI6 agent Ilsa Faust alongside Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning" - and already in the ten parts of the Apple TV series "Silo". it doesn't get any better. Aren't you afraid of overexposure?

Ferguson: No. This is going to be a big year for me, with three very different film productions that I'm very proud of. Things like that don't happen all the time. I don't worry too much about it. I'm damn happy it turned out that way. You never know if something like this will happen again. Actors often come into the limelight very quickly, but then just as quickly go out of fashion. Age is often not helpful either. In that sense, I feel like I'm in a good place right now. I've been very lucky.

ICONIST: It is your third appearance in the Mission: Impossible series and your second in Dune. Is it also important for you to have something like consistency in big blockbusters, in times of intensifying competition between film studios and streaming providers with an unprecedented oversupply of films, in which there are also rows and rows of flops?

Ferguson: It's actually nice that I now know my role in "Mission: Impossible" well, because working on the set is complicated because we often don't have finished scripts. Working on the Mission: Impossible movies is so different from other movies. But that's what makes it so exciting. I know my role, but I'm always getting to know new actors who are in for the first time. In their eyes, I can immediately see what they're thinking when they're on set for the first time: "What the hell…?" Then I just think to myself: "I know that, I felt the same way at first." Then it's nice, when you are already familiar with your role. Lady Jessica in "Dune" is also a cool woman. In the second part, however, she is changed. I won't reveal any details now. Just this much: Your performances in the second part are so different from those in the first that it felt like I was playing a new person.

ICONIST: What does it do to you when you switch from one large-scale production to the next?

Ferguson: Well, while I was shooting Silo, I got a message that I had to do some reshoots on the Mission: Impossible movie. I love that kind of thing yeah You always think you need breaks. Until it suddenly: "We need you for four days in June to reshoot scenes for 'Mission: Impossible'." Then you're suddenly sucked in again. I love that because I love the roles too. It sure would be bad if I had to work on set in a terrible environment. That's not the case. It is great.

translated from German by @edwardslovelyelizabeth exclusively for @rebeccalouisaferguson

[snakest1cks]

looking through my notes app to find a specific recipe link but omfg,,,,,, throwback to january 21, 2020 when i wrote the note "Corona Virus" so that i would remember to google it because my friend was having an "unreasonable" anxiety spike over this tiny weird outbreak that i had never heard of and i wanted to get my facts straight

[suara-rakyat-blog]

Kami sangat menikmati perjumpaan kami dengan Dr. Madej dan Dr. Christiane Northrop. Saya hargai perbezaan umur dari Dr. Northrop ke Dr. Madej kepada saya dan saya di tengah -tengahnya.

Dan kami melihat perbezaan bagaimana kami ditipu dalam proses pendidikan. Sesetengah orang sebenarnya dan kebanyakan orang memulakan hidup mereka dengan penipuan bahawa semua yang anda perlukan daripada kerajaan hingga penjara adalah Johnson & Johnson.

Jadi jika kita terus mempercayai penipuan ini dan kita tidak mempercayai bahawa Tuhan adalah dalam kawalan sepanjang masa, kemudian kita akan keluar untuk musim gelap, apa -apa pun yang anda mahu menyebutnya.

Jika semua orang hanya bangun sekarang dan mengatakan tidak lagi dan berpindah, maka kita mempunyai ini, Tuhan mempunyai ini.

[iamsahilparwaiz]

After Corona HMPV is Coming to india From to China

HMPV [Human metapneumovirus]

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a single-stranded RNA virus, is a global respiratory pathogen that emerged in 2001 in the Netherlands. It is closely related to the avian metapneumovirus (AMPV). HMPV infections are primarily caused by children, the elderly, and immunosuppressed individuals. The disease is endemic in late winter, similar to RSV and influenza, and is often severe in patients with conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or a significant drop in immunity. Symptoms and transmission involve the respiratory droplet route, close contacts, and contaminated surfaces. HMPV infection is diagnosed through RT-PCR or immunofluorescent assays, and there are no standardized therapy alternatives or approved vaccines yet. A recent outbreak of HMPV in China in late 2024 was found to surpass other known pathogens and allied respiratory illnesses, including rhinovirus and COVID-19. Rates of infection are on the rise, especially for those below 14 years old, indicating the severity of the virus. Despite its complexity, ongoing research into antiviral therapy and vaccine development is crucial to lessen the global burden of HMPV infection.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND FULL OF DETAILS CLICK THE LINK

[marketingreportz]

Wood Coating Additives Market-Industry Forecast, 2024–2030

Wood Coating Additives Market Overview

Request Sample Report :

COVID-19 Impact

Various countries have declared a complete national lockdown as a result of the corona virus 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. These decisions have restricted the movement of people and resulted in a complete shutdown of many businesses across many sectors. The construction industry, as a significant growth driver of the economy with no exception, has also been completely shut down. All the developments and projects were postponed until further notice. For instance, the construction output in Great Britain fell by a record 35.0% in Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2020 compared with Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2020. This value decline was due to the Corona Virus pandemic. With the decrease in building and construction operation, the demand for furniture has significantly fallen, which is having a major impact on the wood coating additives market.

Report Coverage

The report: “Wood Coating Additives Market — Forecast (2021–2026)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the wood coating additives Industry.

By Formulation: Water Based System, Solvent Based System, Radiation Cured System, and Others.

By Type: Dispersing Agents, Rheology Modifiers, Defoamers, Micronized Waxes, Emulsions, Wetting & Leveling Agents, Surface Modifiers, and Others.

By End-Use Industry: Food Industry (Trays, Pallets, and Others), Building and Infrastructure (Residential, Commercial, and Industrial), Furniture (Outdoor, and Indoor), and Others.

By Geography: North America (U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (U.K, Germany, France, Italy, Netherland, Spain, Russia, Belgium, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Rest of APAC), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Rest of South America), Rest of the World (Middle East, and Africa).

Inquiry Before Buying:

Key Takeaways:

Asia-Pacific dominates the wood coating additives market, owing to the increasing building & infrastructure activities in the APAC due to various government initiatives such as “100 smart cities” and “Housing for all by 2022”.

The primary purpose of using coating additives in wood is to manufacture superior quality wood surfaces. Additives are often used in wood coatings for a variety of purposes such as better stabilization, hygiene, and decoration of wood.

The coating additives also add some extensive properties to the wooden material such as moisture-resistant, anti-bacterial solution, improved hardness, better appearance, and more. These enhanced properties of wood coating additives are projected to increase the market growth.

However, high regulation on coatings due to its high emission of volatile organic compounds and awareness on damage for deforestation is projected to hinder the growth of wood coatings, which indirectly affects the demand for wood coating additives.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, most of the countries have gone under lockdown, due to which various building and construction operations are disruptively stopped, which is hampering the wood coating additives market growth.

For More Details on This Report — Request for Sample

Wood Coating Additives Market Segment Analysis — By Formulation

The solvent based system segment held the largest share in the wood coating additives market in 2020 and is growing at a CAGR of 6% during 2021–2026. A solvent based wood coating additives system offers a liquid protective layer that is primarily composed of organic compounds and applied to a material’s surface to prevent corrosion. They are typically more resilient than water based wood coating additives system coatings during the curing time. These coatings have one major advantage over water based wood coating additives systems i.e. they are less susceptible to environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity during the curing phase. Humidity can prevent the water in a water-based system from evaporating, making them impractical in some climates. Thus, solvent based wood coating additives systems are preferred for applications in humid environments. All these superior properties of the solvent based system are the key factor anticipated to boost the demand for wood coating additives during the forecast period.

Wood Coating Additives Market Segment Analysis — By Type

The Rheology modifier segment held a significant share in the wood coating additives market in 2020. For the optimal application of coatings on wood, it is necessary to adjust the rheology profile of the coating with the help of rheology modifiers. This can be managed by using associative thickeners based on polyurethanes. Polyurethane thickeners can be used solely or in combination with each other as well as with other types of thickeners (e.g. polyacrylates or cellulose ethers). In addition, rheology modifiers enable formulators to adjust the flow behavior of coatings, owing to which the wood coatings benefit from improved viscosity. Furthermore, it reduces dripping and a spattering of paint during roller or brush application, which is the major driving factor for the Rheology modifier additives during the forecast period.

Schedule A Call:

Wood Coating Additives Market Segment Analysis — By End-Use Industry

The furniture segment held the largest share in the wood coating additives market in 2020 and is growing at a CAGR of 5% during 2021–2026, owing to the increasing usage of wood in the manufacturing of the furniture industry. This exceptionally versatile material is commonly used as a building material as it is a natural resource, which makes it readily available and economically feasible. It is remarkably strong in relation to its weight, provides good insulation from the cold, and can be fabricated into all kinds of shapes and sizes to fit practically any construction need. Pinewood and whatman filter paper are common substrates used in furniture fungal resistance. Also, wood is an environmentally sustainable product, biodegradable, renewable, and carries the lowest carbon footprint of any comparable building material. In addition, no high-energy fossil fuels are required to produce wood, unlike other common building materials such as brick, steel, or plastic owing to which wood is widely used in the manufacturing of furniture. And wood furniture requires preservation for which coating additives are extensively used over wood, which is the major factor driving the demand for wood coating additives in the furniture industry during the forecast period.

Wood Coating Additives Market Segment Analysis — By Geography

Asia-Pacific region held the largest share in the wood coating additives market in 2020 up to 36%, owing to the increasing demand for furniture in the region. The key factors driving the increase in demand for furniture are the growth of housing and commercial construction and also the increase in income levels that influence customers to adopt global lifestyle options, especially in urban affluent Indians. According to the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI), the Indian domestic furniture market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 12.91% from 2020 through 2024. It has been observed that for 2018 and from 2014–18, India’s furniture exports surged at CAGRs of 15% & 8.8% respectively, which is way higher than the world average. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), China remains the largest wood-based panel producer in the world, accounting for roughly half of global production. Production in 2019 was approximately 325 million meter cube, nine percent higher than in 2018 (299 million meter cube), driven by strong demand from decoration facilities. Thus, with an upsurge in the demand for furniture, the demand for wood coating additives will also subsequently increase to preserve the wooden furniture, which is anticipated to eventually drive the wood coating additives market in the APAC region during the forecast period.

Wood Coating Additives Market Drivers

Flourishing Food Industry

Products derived from wood are widely used in the packaging of food in the form of paper and cardboard. Paper is a very cheap, lightweight product with excellent printing capacity. Although it is very sensitive to moisture, it can be corrected with a combination of paper and other materials such as plastic or paraffin. The wooden packaging is specially designed for cooking or reheating in traditional ovens or microwave ovens. According to the International Trade Administration (ITA), there was an increase of 4.7% in food production in Russia. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2018, the total value of all retail food and beverage sales in Japan was $479.29 billion (¥53,339 billion), an overall increase of 2.3 percent. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), China’s food processing industry continued to grow in 2017. Revenue climbed to $1.47 trillion, an increase of 6.3 percent compared with the previous year. The rising disposable income has resulted in the increasing demand for the food industry in various regions, which is further driving the growth of the food packaging industry market. And since additives improve or maintain the food’s nutritive value, make food last longer, make food stay fresh for much longer owing to which the demand for coating additives in wood-based food packaging is increasing. Thus, the expanding food industry acts as a driver for the liquid nitrogen market.

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Increasing Government Initiative Bolstering the Growth of building and infrastructure Industry In Various Regions

The building and construction industry is flourishing in countries such as India, and Singapore as governments are spending heavily on expanding the building and construction industry. The A government-wide program for a Circular Economy, aimed at developing a circular economy in the Netherlands by 2050 is boosting the construction sector in the country. The infrastructure sector has become the biggest focus area for the Government of India. India plans to spend US$ 1.4 trillion on infrastructure during 2019–23 to have a sustainable development of the country. The Government has suggested investment of Rs. 5,000,000 crore (US$ 750 billion) for railways infrastructure from 2018–30. And wood-based products such as furniture are often used in the construction industry. And these wood products to be durable and resistant require coating additives. Hence, with the increase in construction activities across the globe, the demand for wood coating additives will be foreseen to grow enormously. Thus, such government investments and initiatives in the construction industry act as a driver for the market.

Wood Coating Additives Market Segment Analysis Challenges

Presence of Other Substitute Materials

Most wood coatings are done either in a short-term artificial weathering chamber or long-term on an outdoor rack/fence. In both cases, the coatings are exposed to both ultraviolet radiation and water. As moisture is absorbed into the wood structure, the wood swells in proportion to the volume of water absorbed. As moisture is lost, the wood shrinks in proportion to the volume of the water lost. Thus, moisture in the wood end grain is responsible for coating failures. Also, the wood material may be too hard or rough for products like soft fruits, and therefore liners of soft material may be needed, which further increases the expenses owing to which polymeric materials are gaining popularity. Moreover, the continuous manufacturing of wooden-based products such as furniture, crates, pallets, containers, and more have put an extra claim on the natural forest resources, leading to deforestation. All these disadvantages of wood-based products are unlatching doors for other immediate substitute materials such as metal, polymer, composites, and more. Thus, the demand for wood may see a downfall, which may hinder the wood coating additives market growth during the forecast period.

Wood Coating Additives Market Landscape

Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the wood coating additives market.

The Top 5 companies in the are: Wood coating additives market

BYK Additives & Instruments

Arkema S.A.

Sherwin-Williams Company

Akzo Nobel N.V.

PPG Industries, Inc.

Acquisitions/Technology Launches

In November 2019, AkzoNobel invested $55 million to transform its wood coatings facility in High Point, North Carolina, and further strengthen the company’s market position in North America.

In October 2019, BASF introduced a new silicone wetting agent-“Hydropalat® WE 3225”, which combines excellent substrate wetting with pronounced defoaming performance. It is designed for use in high-end water-based industrial and automotive coatings and especially wood coatings that require excellent wood grain accentuation.

In October 2019, BASF launched a new high molecular weight dispersing agent-“Dispex® Ultra PX 4290”. Dispex® Ultra PX 4290 in response to surging market demand for a dispersing agent, which enables broad applicability in both inorganic and organic pigments and fillers used in water-based automotive OEM and refinishes coatings, industrial coatings, and wood coatings.

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THE ROLE OF INFLUENCERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGING: HOW SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS CAN DRIVE AWARENESS AND CHANGE 

DJ Stop! Bring it back to 2020!!!

Who and What is social media Influencer?  

When we hear the word “Influencer”, we will imagine a person that is only popular in the social media, doing a content such as meme type content, review content or something like storytelling or news interpret. The terms "influencer" has become more common in this digital era, particularly in social media marketing. What was once done by celebrities is now done by everyday individuals who have sizable social media followings. Social media has contributed to the growth of the so-called "citizen influencer." These individuals haven't necessarily appeared on TV before. They are enthusiastic people that create and post their thoughts and experiences for everyone to see on social media. They are far more influential than traditional celebrities in their respective fields 

How did Social Media influencers play their role during the COVID 19 pandemic?  

During the COVID 19 pandemic, people have spent more time online than ever. (Alias. H 2020) The first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic has resulted social media usage rose by 61% above average levels (Kantar, 2020) Including myself, I use to spend a lot of time on Twitter or X and TikTok to get more information about the pandemic. I also enjoy hearing the social media influencer's opinion regarding the pandemic and in this situation, Influencers are viewed as opinion leaders who have the ability to change the attitudes and actions of their audience. (Evans, 2017, p2) Public health groups have reached their hand to make influencers their important partners to promote public health issues and reach a wider and more audience. 

 Ever since the COVID 19 outbreak, Finland is calling in the cavalry; Social Media influencers (Politico, 2020) and Finland was among the first nations in the world to include social media influencers, as part of an urgent COVID-19 communication campaign started by the Prime Minister's Office. Therefore, one of the main functions of influencers while spreading COVID-19 content may be to foster new behaviors and standards. (Abidin, 2021) Influencers continue to produce and distribute brand-related content because social media gives them a way to make money. As a result, sponsored postings frequently contain COVID-19-related content. The audience, however, might view the inclusion of a COVID-19 message in a sponsored post as a marketing tactic rather than as the influencer's selfless recommendation. 

How Social Media Influencers Drive Awareness during pandemic ?

Social media influencers have become powerful agents for driving awareness and fostering change, thanks to their ability to connect with large, engaged audiences.  Their involvement in the campaign influenced social norms throughout the crisis, which is a significant, strategic objective in the context of public health communication. Influencers often share personal experiences or honest reviews, which makes their endorsements feel genuine and gain their follower's trust. For example, during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, social media influencers have done their role to speak up and raise awareness about the COVID 19 Issue through their social media platform. The social media influencer also helps to promote the public health guideline during the COVID 19 such as the importance of social distancing, wearing masks, avoiding crowded places, hand hygiene and vaccine awareness. 

For instance, in Finland a YouTube influencer called Roni Back with more than 500,000 followers are using his social media platform to raise awareness and try to change by uploaded a video on 29th January which targeted the child and youth called “What is the Corona Virus and should we be worried” on his YouTube channel with 300k views. A week following his update, he expressed his amazement at the insanity of the hate speech and conspiracy theories that were being circulated on social media and underlined the difficulty of delivering current facts about a rapidly evolving crisis. Then. He plans an unplanned volunteer activity to deliver goods to people in his third video blog. Later in March, Roni Back was able to have a really laid-back discussion with the Minister of Education and doctors regarding advice for the young. 100,000 people saw this video in one day. Due to this event, the Finish government organize an event to recruit more influencers to produce socially responsible and transparent content on social media.  

Thoughts? 

In my opinion, using the influencer to spread awareness does have both good and bad sides. It’s important to remember, though, that there are disadvantages to using celebrities in marketing communication. For instance, a brand's image or values may be adversely affected if a celebrity's personal conduct or demeanor contradicts them. Dissatisfaction with social media posts can also have a detrimental effect on how consumers evaluate brands when making purchases. Additionally, this raises the risk of using influencers for social media promotion; employing celebrities to endorse products is expensive and does not necessarily result in a profitable return on investment. With that it is important to always trust in a reliable source. 

(810 words) 

Reference 

Geyser, W. (2024, February 14). What is an influencer? - factors that define a social media influencer. Influencer Marketing Hub. Viewed 27 Novemeber 2024 

Xu, Ximan. (2023). Influencer Marketing with Social Platforms: Increasing Brand Awareness and User Engagement. Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences. 19. 228-234. 10.54097/ehss.v19i.11039. Viewed 24 November 2024 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373760614_Influencer_Marketing_with_Social_Platforms_Increasing_Brand_Awareness_and_User_Engagement/citation/download

Social media influencers – can they increase awareness of a crisis? | BuildERS. (2021) Buildersproject.eu. Viewed 24 November 2024 https://buildersproject.eu/blog/post/14/social-media-influencers-can-they-increase-awareness-of-a-crisis 

Buvár, Á., Szilágyi, S. F., Balogh, E., & Zsila, Á. (2022). COVID-19 messages in sponsored social media posts: The positive impact of influencer-brand fit and prior parasocial interaction. PLOS ONE, 17(10), e0276143. Viewed 24 November 2024  

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276143

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Research - Life After Covid

What is Covid?

Corona virus disease 2019 pandemic was originated from Wuhan city, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. The outbreak of Covid 19 pandemic has mostly affected the human health and has severely been observed as a reason for increased death cases all over the globe.

Covid 19 has affected everyday life of humans and has hindered the worldwide economy. This pandemic also impacted a social life of people all over the world. Many countries locked their facilities, amenities, educational institutions, industrial sectors, daily usage marketplaces and others, to prevent the spread of this infections.

A negative point of the virus is that emotional well-being is avoided, such as physical interactions (hugging, kissing) socializing activities (dinner with friends) are canceled.

People are also losing jobs in the business sector at an alarming rate.

However, there are also positive points such as people could spend more time bonding with their families. Even the global movement told people about the social guidelines and the special vaccine. Hygiene and sanitation were given much attention. Public health became scruntized as well. Many businesses embraced remote working and digitalization.

Some suggest that the Corona virus is like a dress rehearsal for the much bigger climate crisis to come. Moving towards a zero-carbon economic will involve many of the changes. For example, if people are working at home, then this suggests that a great deal of office space in the center of cities will no longer be needed. What happens to city centers which are crowded? What sort of transport might we need if the nine-to-five commute is no longer a routine? What sort of housing, schooling and care might help people work successfully from home, or local workspaces? So, this is the little opportunity that the virus has given us.